NASCAR Hall takes show on the road

   For one weekend at least, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is going to take its show - well, at least part of it - on the road ... up the street to Charlotte Motor Speedway.


   The Hall will have a display at the main entrance to CMS this week featuring celebrity appearances, iRacing Simulators and historic items from a recent episode of “American Pickers.” In addition, shuttle buses to the Hall of Fame will depart daily from the speedway.
  

   Several guests will stop by for free question-and-answer sessions with fans. Rusty Wallace, Greg Biffle and Larry McReynolds will make appearances on Friday. Bobby Allison, Denny Hamlin, Brian Vickers, Cale Yarborough, Dale Inman, Darrell Waltrip, Glen Wood and Ned Jarrett will appear on Saturday.

   Fans can stop by the interactive area to learn more about the Hall. The simulators on hand operate on the same software as their larger counterpart permanently housed at the NASCAR Hall.

   For history buffs, the NASCAR Hall of Fame exhibits team will be on hand to show off one of the top finds from the recent NASCAR-themed episode of “American Pickers” on the History Channel. A “never-before-seen” artifact from the show will make its public debut this weekend at CMS and it will be on display in the Hall of Fame fan area Thursday through Saturday, weather permitting.

   Race fans can purchase a NASCAR Hall of Fame general admission ticket online or at the booth and receive free transportation to and from the venue, subject to availability. Roundtrip shuttles will depart CMS for the NASCAR Hall Friday at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.; Saturday at 8:30 a.m.; and Sunday at 8:30, 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. Guests should look for the NASCAR Hall of Fame signs to locate the shuttle.

   The NASCAR Hall of Fame fan area is scheduled to open at 2 p.m. on Thursday; 12:30 p.m. on Friday; and 11 a.m. on Saturday.

Sponsor changes coming to JGR

   The sponsorship picture at Joe Gibbs Racing is set to undergo a vast change next season, The Observer has learned.

 

   At a news conference Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dollar General is expected to announce will greatly increase its involvement in NASCAR, sponsoring both Sprint Cup and Nationwide series teams at JGR in 2012, several sources confirmed.

 

   Among the changes:

   -Dollar General will become the primary sponsor on driver Joey Logano's No. 20 Toyota in the Cup series for 10 to 12 races in 2012.

 

   -Dollar General will become the primary sponsor on JGR's No. 11 Nationwide Series team driven by Brian Scott.

 

   -The company will also be the primary sponsor for several races for JGR's Nos. 18 and 20 Nationwide teams.

 

   Dollar General will likely also continue its involvement with the Truck series team owned by JGR driver Kyle Busch, sources said.

 

   A JGR spokesman declined to comment on Tuesday when asked about the sponsorship changes.

 

   The move means Home Depot, which has been a primary sponsor in the Cup series with JGR since 1999, will relinquish roughly a third of the races on the No. 20 next season.

 

   There was no immediate comment from Home Depot officials.

 

   Dollar General has been involved in NASCAR sponsorship since 2006 with several organizations, including Kevin Harvick Inc., Braun Racing (now Turner Motorsports) and KBM.

Play "Hide and Tweet" with Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya

   Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing needs help in finding its NASCAR drivers, Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya.

   Well, not the real drivers, but cut-outs of each of them. The cut-outs will be photographed around the Charlotte area this week and if race fans can guess correctly where they are appearing, they can win driver apparel.

   Beginning today, the team will kick-off the “Hide and Tweet” contest across their social media platforms. Each day this week, two photographs will be released on Facebook and promoted on Twitter, and fans will have the opportunity to guess which local landmark the drivers are visiting.

   Fans will be allowed to submit their answers on the team’s Facebook page and the first person to guess where they were will win driver merchandise compliments of the team.

The contest will run twice per day through Saturday's Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

 

   In order to participate in the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing “Hide and Tweet” contest, fans can “Like” its Facebook page and “Follow” @EGRTeams on Twitter.

Race week at NASCAR Hall of Fame

   Race fans can find the perfect complement to their Bank of America 500 experience in Charlotte this week as the NASCAR Hall of Fame presents a variety of special events beginning Tuesday.

   The NASCAR Hall of Fame is open daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. The venue has extended hours of 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14 - Sunday, Oct. 16.

   This week's special activities:
   Tuesday - Race week events at the NASCAR Hall kick off with five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson. Guests are invited to join media for a special announcement and 30-minute Q&A session with Johnson in Great Hall at 2 p.m.

   Wednesday - Race fans can witness a press conference Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 2:30 p.m. in the Great Hall with Kerry Earnhardt to launch the Earnhardt Collection by Schumacher Homes.

   Saturday - 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee Darrell Waltrip starts the day at 9:30 a.m. with an autograph session for NASCAR Hall of Fame Members. He will participate in a fan Q&A session at 10:30 a.m. in the Great Hall for all visitors.

   Sunday - Fans can continue their race weekend experience meeting living legends of the sport at the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s 2012 Inductee Day. 2012 Inductees Dale Inman, Glen Wood and Cale Yarborough will be onsite for a Q&A session from 11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Plus NASCAR Hall of Fame Members are invited to attend an autograph session from noon – 1 p.m. Legends Members receive the maximum face-to-face time with Inductees at a private reception attended by the Inductees at 1:30 p.m.

   Guests also can lace up their running shoes and do a little racing of their own at 10 a.m. Sunday in the second annual Kasey Kahne Foundation “Five Kahne.” The run begins at Bank of America Stadium and concludes at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and includes a 5K run and a Kid’s Dash. Following the run, fans can participate in a Q&A session with Kahne. Online registration is open at http://runforyourlife.com/events. Registration begins at $10 for children and $20 for adults. Packages including admission to the NASCAR Hall of Fame also are available.

   Guests can visit www.NASCARHall.com, www.Facebook.com/NASCARHall or @NASCARHall on Twitter for updates.

Q&A with Travis Pastrana

   X Games star Travis Pastrana stopped by Dover International Speedway on Sunday to give an update on his recent injury, his future in that sport and he talked about his NASCAR plans, which had to undergone some revisions following his injury.

   How are you feeling?
   Pastrana: I was really excited to come out here to Dover, it’s kind of like my hometown track and this is the first time I get to see it up close. Just definitely disappointed to not be out there driving, for sure. Boost is jumping on again for next year. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do the races this year but they’re on for the same amount of races for next year. Not
giving the equivalency of NASCAR to start out at Daytona is definitely a disappointment, we won’t be able to run the entire Nationwide Series, but basically looking to see how many we can do. I’m trying to run as many Nationwide, as many K&N -- as many of any kind of car races I can just to get as much experience as I can and driving. I haven’t finalized all the deals for next year. I’m definitely hoping to get more than less.

   How is recovery going for you?
   Pastrana: Right now, recovery has been going slow but really good, I guess. I get the pins out on Monday, which is always nice. Hopefully all the pins come out and start getting in the pool and be able to get down to the shop a little bit more, drive the iRacing simulator -- do whatever I can to try to get back driving cars as quick as possible.

   Are you still looking at 20 Nationwide races for next season?
   Pastrana: The goal is definitely the same, to race as much as possible. We’ll just have to work out sponsorship for after the first couple and hopefully those races will go well and we’ll be able to race more than 20. If not, definitely looking forward to running as much of the K&N Series as possible. I haven’t really had anything finalized yet, but my goal is just to get in as
many cars as possible.

   Does the disappointment from not being able to make your NASCAR start this year still linger?
   Pastrana: Definitely sitting on the sidelines here and not racing, every time I watch a race the disappointment is there. On a positive note, it’s a small positive, but I’m able to watch all the race -- I’m able to watch all the drivers. I actually know a lot more about who runs up front, who runs aggressive, who doesn’t, which drivers stay up there at the end, which drivers tend to qualify well. It’s been a great learning experience, but I would have much rather learning on the track, of course.

   Has this injury experience had any influence on the fun and crazy stunts you like to do?
   Pastrana: Definitely, to be perfectly honest, that was supposed to be my exit from X-Games. Not exactly the exit I was looking for, but it was still an exit. For me, we finished filming Nitro Circus 3D movie which Waltrip Racing had already helped us with a lot of the projects we did along the way. Kept us all more safe than we would have been on our own with building some of the stuff. For me, that movie is done filming -- I have to do a little bit of press for that starting next year before it comes out in theaters. But other than that, my action sports -- not to say my action sports career is done -- but as far as anything taking risks, I’m definitely going to be in this car and trying to do the best that I can to put my best foot forward.

   It was the most disappointing thing in my life, not only to have myself but to have an entire team that was waiting for me and banking on me being in the car and all those guys I’m seeing around the track, they’re all on different teams and it’s tough. Not only did we lose some of the top guys but a lot of friends had to find other work. Definitely something that took to heart and something I don’t ever want to have happen again.

Dale Junior talks radio chatter

   Team radio communications have made their way into many storylines this season in NASCAR, especially when a driver and crew chief are sniping at each other, or a driver is venting his displeasure at an ill-handling car.

   Exchanges over the radio between five-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief Chad Knaus in last weekend's race at New Hampshire have been a topic of conversation this week.

   On Friday, Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., was asked his take on team communications being on the open airways. Here was his response:

   “That’s sort of the nature of the way the networks want to provide the sport to the fans and that’s something that the media wants to cover. So I’ve kind of gotten used to it," Earnhardt said. "But I remember when you used to have a hard time getting a scanner or being able to listen to the teams or even when I was going to the races with Daddy, it was like pulling teeth trying to get a radio so I could listen to what they were doing. And nowadays it’s all sort of out there and in front of everybody.

   "Every driver and crew chief have their times where they are going to say and do some things that they would rather not be public, but under the circumstances you really could care less at the moment. But yeah, I would rather the public and the media not know what we were talking about on our radios but that’s not the way the world works today. And so you have to understand and accept that. And I think it’s good because it makes you be a better person. It makes you control yourself better.

   "Had we not have such freedom as we do today, who knows what kind of asses we’d be? I get a little bit more coverage than most guys, from what I’ve listened to. I’ve never crossed some of the lines these other guys cross, but that’s just the way it goes.”

Kyle Busch leads way in NASCAR TV exposure in first 26 races

   Kyle Busch earned the most in television exposure value among NASCAR drivers during the first 26 races of the Sprint Cup Series season. His presence in TV coverage produced $57.8 million of exposure value to his sponsors.

   According to research conducted by Joyce Julius & Associates - which has monitored every NASCAR race telecast over the last 27 seasons - Busch's sponsors as a group appeared for 21 hours, five minutes, 45 seconds (21:05:45) during live and replayed race telecasts.

   Also contributing were a season-leading 251 mentions of Busch's sponsors.    Reigning series champion Jimmie Johnson was second in cumulative sponsor exposure value with $43.9 million, trailed by Jeff Gordon ($42.1 million) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. ($35.1 million) a distant fourth.