Brendan Gaughan returns to Cup

   Veteran NASCAR driver Brendan Gaughan will compete in four Sprint Cup Series races for Richard Childress Racing in 2012 in addition to his previously announced 18-race NASCAR Nationwide and Truck series schedule with the organization.

   Gaughan, 36, competed full time in the Cup Series during the 2004 season, finishing 28^th in points with one top-five and four top-10 finishes in 36 starts. He competed full time in the Nationwide Series in 2009 and 2010, earning one pole and 17 top-10 finishes in 71 career starts. He finished ninth in points in  2009 and 11^th in 2010.

   Leading the effort for the No. 33 team will be veteran crew chief Gil Martin, RCR's Nationwide Series program team manager. Martin has been at RCR since 2000 and has served as crew chief for Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Casey Mears, Kerry Earnhardt and Robby Gordon.

   "The opportunity to run four races for Richard Childress in the Sprint Cup Series is truly amazing,' said Gaughan. "RCR has top-notch equipment and teamed me with a winning crew chief in Gil Martin. Everyone deserves a second chance and I am ecstatic that my second chance in the Sprint Cup Series is in the No. 33 Chevrolet with RCR."

    Gaughan's four-race Cup Series schedule will kick-off at Phoenix in March, followed by a doubleheader weekend where Gaughan will pilot the No. 33 South Point Chevrolet in both the Nationwide and Cup events at Las Vegas. Completing his 2012 schedule is Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway (Fontana, Calif.) in March.

Kyle Busch talks NASCAR Trucks

   While Kyle Busch will run from 13 to 15 Nationwide Series races this season, he will no longer complete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series - the first time he hasn't made a series start since the 2003 season.

   During Monday's first day of the Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, Busch talked more in-depth about the decision not to compete in the series and how it may affect his quest to win 200 races in NASCAR's three national series.

   Q: Do you see any situations where you may start competing in the NCWTS again in the future?

   Busch: “To me, I think we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Truthfully, I don’t have to run Truck races. My fans love it and I love racing Truck races for them, but, like I said, I would love to see Kyle Busch Motorsports be able to sustain itself on its own and not have to have me in the seat every single week in a Truck race or Nationwide Series race.”

   Q: Does this make your 200 wins goal more difficult and eliminate something you find fun?

   Busch: “We’ll see. There’s no telling. Certainly, I wish that we could win eight races a year in Cup and eight races a year in Nationwide and right there you’re at 16 wins a year, so that’s not that bad. Granted, you run Truck races you can probably win five or six, so that puts you at 21 or 22 races a year. The focal point now is -- and has been -- although I want the 200 wins someday, the focal point needs to be on the Cup deal and trying to win a championship there, of course, and put my primary focus into that.”

   Q: Is the goal of cutting the NCWTS races to be stronger in the Chase?
   Busch: “Certainly, it all relates to one another. It’s all circumstantial upon something else. I think running less races is also a conditioning tool. I’ve been working really hard in the off-season in doing some things and running less races will also help that, but just being more focused and just trying to operate more on a level field with Dave (Rogers, crew chief) and how much he works and how hard he works and I’ve got to do the same.”

   Q: Do you think cutting back on your Nationwide and Truck schedule will be beneficial?
   Busch: “It’s certainly a possibility, but you know in 2008 and 2009 I ran the most races that I’ve ever run in a season and didn’t have any issues. Things went pretty well those couple of years. I think it’s been most frustrating for me because I’m getting more and more into my Cup Series career and I have yet to win a championship. For me, you get down to the end of the season and the first 26 races go well and then you start the Chase and you kind of fumble a little bit and you’re chasing a ball sometimes. We still had a shot -- we were running fourth or fifth in points at Talladega and then got crashed out there. Then we’re fifth in points or something like that in Martinsville and we get crashed out there. Your whole season’s shot. It’s not like one week’s gone -- like you didn’t win that race or something. You’ve got to wait all the way until next February to start a whole new year in order to get down to November. Think about it -- when you throw a whole year of your life away, it’s like, ‘Damn, this sucks.”

Ryan Newman adds a sponsor

   Stewart-Haas Racing has added another primary sponsor for its No. 39 Chevrolet team in the Sprint Cup Series driven by Ryan Newman.
 
   Aspen Dental, one of the largest and fastest-growing networks of dental care providers in the United States, has reached a multi-year agreement to serve as primary sponsor on Newman's car for two races and as associate sponsor for all remaining races, sources confirmed on Sunday.

   The addition of Aspen Dental is the third new sponsor SHR has landed for its No. 39 car for 2012. Only six races remain to be sold on the car. The Nos. 14 and 10 teams of 2011 Cup champion Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick, respectively, are sold out.
   
   Since Stewart joined the organization as co-owner and driver beginning with the 2009 season, this is the best position SHR has been in with primary sponsorship entering a season.

2012 Miss Sprint Cup lineup unveiled

   The 2012 Miss Sprint Cup lineup was unveiled during Saturday's NASCAR Preview. Sprint announced returning members Kim Coon (Orlando, Fla.) and Jaclyn Roney (Ann Arbor, Mich.) have been joined by newcomer Kristen Beat of El Cajon, Calif.
  

    “The Miss Sprint Cup platform has evolved to become an integral part of our NASCAR Sprint Cup Series sponsorship,” said Tim Considine, director of sports marketing at Sprint. “We’ve found three incredibly intelligent, talented young women who love the sport, technology and directly interacting with NASCAR fans. With more than 1 million followers on Facebook and Twitter and crowds of fans lining up each weekend for pictures and autographs, the platform’s celebrity has exceeded our wildest expectations.”

   Miss Sprint Cup represents the Sprint brand around the track and in Victory Lane wherever the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competes. The three representatives also serve as the fans’ “friend on the inside,” delivering via Facebook and Twitter behind-the-scenes updates, pictures and video, while highlighting Sprint products and offers.

   To follow Miss Sprint Cup, visit:

   Facebook.com/MissSprintCup
   Twitter.com/MissSprintCup

Ryan Blaney lands a NASCAR ride

   Ryan Blaney, the 18-year-old son of NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney, has signed with Tommy Baldwin Racing to run a combination schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide and K&N Pro series schedule in 2012.

   Ryan will drive the No. 36 Chevrolet in six Nationwide races, with his debut set for the April 27 race at Richmond, Va. He will also run six K&N Pro series races with his family-owned DB Racing, beginning March 17 at Bristol, Tenn.

   Blaney made three starts in the K&N Pro series last year, winning in his third start at Phoenix International Raceway. He also won the 2011 PASS South Championship and found success in ARCA, where he finished in the top-10 in both two starts.

   “We were really competitive in the K&N Series last year, and I think we will be even more competitive this year. Hopefully, we will have an opportunity to win all six races," Blaney said. "We will have good equipment racing with TBR. It will be great to race with and learn from the Nationwide guys. To be able to race on bigger tracks will be a good learning experience too."

   “We are really looking forward to restarting our Nationwide program as we have had much success in the past in that series,” said team owner Tommy Baldwin. “Watching Ryan the last few years, we are excited to get to the track and see him perform. As we look to the future, this Nationwide program is a stepping-stone for the Cup program, and we are excited to start with Ryan.”

   Ryan Blaney will join his dad, Dave Blaney, with TBR this season. The elder Blaney drove the No. 36 Chevrolet last season in the Sprint Cup Series, which included a third-place finish at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

   “I’m proud that Ryan is making the next step in his racing career,” Dave Blaney said. “I think it is a great opportunity for him to run with TBR and still run some races in the K&N Series. He has learned very quickly in every series he has driven, so I am anticipating what competing in the Nationwide series brings."
  
   Ryan Blaney’s Racing Schedule:
   · March 17^th – NKNSE – Bristol Motor Speedway
   · April 26^th – NKNSE – Richmond International Raceway
   · April 27^th – NNS – Richmond International Raceway
   · May 11^th – NNS – Darlington Raceway
   · May 19^th – NKNPSE – Iowa Speedway
   · June 29^th – NNS – Kentucky Speedway
   · July 28^th – NNS – Indianapolis Motor Speedway
   · August 3^rd – NKNPSE – Iowa Speedway
   · August 24^th – NNS – Bristol Motor Speedway
   · September 28^th – NKNPSE – Dover International Speedway
   · October 12^th – NNS – Charlotte Motor Speedway
   · November 10^th – NKNPSW – Phoenix International Raceway

Looking for a job in NASCAR?

   This press release came in today about jobs with a NASCAR team:

   TMG Offering Motorsports Opportunities In Preparation of 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Season

    Mooresville, NC (January 17, 2012) The Motorsports Group (TMG), located at 222 Pitt Road in Mooresville, North Carolina, announced Tuesday the availability of several positions as the team prepares for the rapidly approaching 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series season.

   The four-car operation will race in all thirty-three scheduled events with drivers Josh Wise, Chase Miller, Erik Darnell and Scott Speed piloting Chevrolet Impala’s.

   Veteran NASCAR crew chief Gary Showalter is overseeing day to day activities of the organization and is seeking qualified mechanics, fabricators and truck drivers who are ready to start work immediately. Showalter says the company will hire at least 10 additional people during the next few days.

   “We have about five more weeks before we leave for Daytona with quite a bit still to be accomplished,” said Showalter. “TMG has a great opportunity for 10 to 15 serious people who want to make a difference this year. It is a good thing to be able to offer these positions in this economy and we look forward to working with the highest quality individuals we can find.”

   Showalter requests any interested parties to send a current resume via fax 704-663-2929.

NASCAR history lives at the Hall

   On Saturday, the four floors of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., will come to life with more than a dozen legends recalling their memories to guests in a casual, up-close-and-personal Evening of Living History. 

   The event is free with a general admission ticket to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and will feature Inductees Bobby Allison, Dale Inman, Ned Jarrett, Junior Johnson, Bud Moore, Darrell Waltrip, Glen Wood and Cale Yarborough. They will be joined by NASCAR notables Donnie Allison, Jeff Hammond, Tom Higgins, Bondy Long and Leonard Wood.

    “As the NASCAR Preview Presented by Sprint winds down Saturday, we invite fans to stop by the Hall for a memorable nightcap,” said Winston Kelley, executive director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “We have an impressive lineup of NASCAR legends stationed at various exhibits throughout the building to interact with guests. I personally can’t wait to hear the Allisons and Cale Yarborough rehash the 1979 Daytona 500, and I know others are looking forward to free samples of Junior Johnson’s famous brew -- his newer, legal kind.”

    Evening of Living History schedule:

   4-8 p.m. cash bar and food stations open
   5-6 p.m. First Session
   Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough at the 1979 Daytona 500 exhibit, Level 4
   Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond near the Mountain Dew No. 11 in the Great Hall, Level 2
   Ned Jarrett and Bondy Long in the Hall of Honor, Level 3
   6:15 – 7:15 p.m. Second Session
   Junior Johnson and Tom Higgins at the Moonshine Still exhibit, Level 4
   Glen Wood and Leonard Wood near the No. 21 Ford in the Great Hall, Level 2
   Dale Inman and Bud Moore near the Inspection exhibit, Level 3
  
   The Evening of Living History will conclude a full day of activities inside the NASCAR Hall of Fame including breakfast with Junior Johnson (7 a.m.), a Jeff Gordon and Richard Petty new conference (1 p.m.), hourly guided tours of the Hall of Fame and Inductee meet and greets (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.). The Hall will be open for general admission guests 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.

    NASCAR Acceleration Weekend is highlighted by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony for the Class of 2012 Inductees Richie Evans, Dale Inman, Darrell Waltrip, Glen Wood and Cale Yarborough Friday, Jan. 20. On Saturday, Jan. 21 NASCAR Preview 2012 Presented by Sprint will offer a festival-like experience for fans that features driver autograph and question-and-answer sessions, show car appearances, simulators, games and more. The weekend activities will conclude with the unveiling of the Class of 2012 Inductee Tribute exhibit in the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Sunday, Jan. 22.

   Combo tickets for NASCAR Hall of Fame and NASCAR Preview 2012 Presented by Sprint start at $20. For tickets and updates about NASCAR Acceleration Weekend, guests can visit www.nascaracceleration2012.com.