Introducing the 2013 NASCAR Appeals Panel members

   The members of the NASCAR Appeals Panel for 2013 are:

    Mark Arute, Stan Lasky, Christiane Ayotte, Bill Lester, Buddy Baker, Steve Lewis, Lee Baumgarten, Grant Lynch, Jeff Belskus, Denis McGlynn, Dick Berggren, Bud Moore, John Bishop, Bill Mullis, Paul Brooks, Steve Page, Clay Campbell, Don Panoz, John Capels, Buddy Parrott, Joie Chitwood, Dale Pinilis, Ken Clapp, Robert Pressley, Ed Clark, Cathy Rice, Barbara Cromarty, Shawna Robinson, Robert L. DuPont, Shawn Rogers – Appellate Administrator

    Also: Laurel Farrell, Jay Signore, Doug Fritz, Lyn St. James, Richard Gore, H.A. Wheeler, Jr., Janet Guthrie, Kevin Whitaker, Russell Hackett, John White, David Hall, Jim Williams, Hurley Haywood, Jo DeWitt Wilson, John Horton, Waddell Wilson, Jack Housby, Robert Yates, Brandon Igdalsky.

According to Dale Earnhardt Jr., the winner of the NCAA tournament is ....

   According to NASCAR's most popular driver, the winner of the 2013 NCAA Tournament will be Indiana.

    "I think Indiana will beat Duke (in the final). I’m not a Duke fan," Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    Earnhardt filled out an NCAA Tournament bracket on a public Web site for the first time this year.

   “I got asked to do it. I never filled out a bracket before so it was my first time. I kind of like to watch the tournament, it’s interesting to see who the Cinderella teams are and how far (North) Carolina can go. I tend to pull for Carolina in college basketball," Earnhardt said."

    "I think Jimmie (Johnson) and I got asked to do it together so Mike Hoag (road manager) came over to the house the other day and we sat down, thought it through and made my picks. I think I was 11-5 this morning, I don’t know how I’m doing today.”

Home to NASCAR team planes doesn't make FAA cut

   The air traffic control tower at Concord (N.C.) Regional Airport, home to many planes owned by NASCAR teams and drivers, will shut down by April 7 due to federal budget cuts.

    In a press release Friday, the FAA said:
    "Today, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reached the decision that 149 federal contract towers will close beginning April 7 as part of the agency’s sequestration implementation plan. The agency has made the decision to keep 24 federal contract towers open that had been previously proposed for closure because doing so would have a negative impact on the national interest."

    Concord was not among the towers kept open. Airports can remain open without towers but it will be left to pilots to coordinate take off and landings with other pilots. 

   Click here to read press release.

Do you think NASCAR's Joey Logano would drive this?

   Penske Racing engineer Alex Sinoyannis recently shared his racing experience on NASCAR stock cars with a new generation of engineers from James B. Dudley High School in Greensboro, N.C., who will enter their concept car (pictured) in April’s Shell Eco-Marathon Americas. This initiative challenges students to develop vehicles that can travel the farthest on a gallon of fuel, and is one way Shell connects people who are interested in the energy challenges of today and tomorrow.

Voting underway for 2013 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race

   Race fans can now cast ballots for their favorite Sprint Fan Vote eligible driver in the hopes of putting him or her in the May 18 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Voting ends at 5 p.m. ET on the day of the race.

    Fans can vote an unlimited number of times by downloading the NASCAR Mobile ’13 application or visiting NASCAR.com/SprintFanVote. Votes cast on NASCAR Mobile ’13 will count twice towards a driver’s total. The driver receiving the highest number of votes and not already in the race will earn a spot in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

    To date, 26 drivers are eligible for the 2013 Sprint Fan Vote including rookie of the year candidates Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. To be eligible for the Sprint Fan Vote, drivers must have finished in the top 55 of the final 2012 Cup series driver standings or attempted to qualify for the 2013 Daytona 500.

Drivers eligible for the Sprint Fan Vote include:
A.J. Allmendinger
Aric Almirola
Dave Blaney
Mike Bliss
Jeff Burton
Landon Cassill
Bill Elliott
David Gilliland
Travis Kvapil
Bobby Labonte
Terry Labonte
Michael McDowell
Jamie McMurray
Casey Mears
Paul Menard
Juan Pablo Montoya
Danica Patrick
David Ragan
David Reutimann
Scott Speed
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
David Stremme
Martin Truex Jr.
Michael Waltrip
Josh Wise
J.J. Yeley

It's NASCAR vs. NHRA .... in softball

   Drivers from the worlds of NASCAR and NHRA will face off on April 17 in a charity slow-pitch softball game at CMC - Northeast Stadium in Kannapolis, N.C. In addition, country recording artist Darrell Harwood will sing the national anthem prior to the game, and will then be the star of a post-game concert.

    The NASCAR team will include Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Michael Waltrip, Darrell Waltrip, David Ragan, Brad Sweet, and Parker Kligerman.

    The big names from the NHRA include Top Fuel Dragster stars Tony Schumacher, Brandon Bernstein, Antron Brown, JR Todd, Shawn Langdon, Clay Millican, and Bob Vandergriff. They will be joined by a number of Funny Car competitors, including Courtney Force, Ron Capps, Del Worsham, Chad Head, and Matt Hagan.

    Proceeds from the event will be donated to charities specifically selected by each team. The NASCAR drivers have selected The Armed Forces Foundation, while the NHRA team has designated Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

    Game time is 7 p.m. Eastern. Tickets are $20 for reserved seats, $15 for general admission, and are on sale now.

    Click here for direct link to tickets.

Mark Martin overseeing construction of MWR's training facility

   NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and fitness advocate Mark Martin is overseeing the construction of Michael Waltrip Racing’s new 7,500-square-foot training facility. The multi-level gym at the team’s Cornelius, N.C. shop will further the skills of pit crew members.

    The facility includes an inlaid car silhouette so crews can practice agility drills around a car, free weights, weight machines, Cross Fit elements, cardio equipment as well as locker rooms and offices. Construction should begin this week with completion expected within 90 days.

    "I'm really enthused and excited about what we're working on getting at MWR. This has been a 10-month crusade to get the green light. It's fun. It's my second passion. I’ve been consulting with the strength staff and the coaching staff picking out equipment and designing the layout," Martin said.

    "We hope to have the nicest facility in the sport. You spend a lot of money on equipment in the sport and I think you are starting to see the teams invest even more in human performance."

    Martin said he got started focusing on fitness in January 1988.

    "All through my career I had to work day and night and I didn’t have time to carve out to go to the gym. When I signed with Jack Roush, I didn’t have to spend as much time in the shop. I had time to carve that out, so I was able to pursue it. I had always wanted to do it anyway," he said.