Hendrick Motorsports picks up a sponsor from Roush Fenway Racing

   Press release

   CONCORD, N.C. (Aug 12, 2014) – 3M will join 11-time Sprint Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports beginning with the 2015 NASCAR season when it will become a primary sponsor of driver Jeff Gordon and his No. 24 Chevrolet SS team.

   The new relationship will feature 3M as a primary sponsor in 11 Sprint Cup races annually and as an associate-level partner in all other events. The agreement covers the 2015, 2016 and 2017 NASCAR seasons.

   All five of 3M's business units, which comprise more than $31 billion in annual sales, will use the sponsorship in consumer promotions, product launches and business-to-business opportunities.

   “At 3M, we play to win, and we push hard every day to do just that,” said Jesse Singh, senior vice president, 3M Global Sales and Marketing. “With this deal, we align with champion driver Jeff Gordon and an organization at the top of its game in Hendrick Motorsports. What they do in the garage and on the track exemplifies what we’re all about in our labs, plants and business teams around the world.”

   With more than 65 of its products used in the construction and maintenance of Sprint Cup Series race cars, 3M for decades has played a key role in the success of NASCAR teams. The company manufactures more than 80,000 different products and has been an official NASCAR partner across several categories since 1995.

   “The range of 3M’s business is just incredible,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “It’s an amazingly diverse company that spends billions in research and development to continue rolling out new and innovative products. We’re already using many of them throughout the organization, and when you consider the potential for both consumer and business-to-business programs connected to our sport, the possibilities are endless.”

   One of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR history, Gordon is a four-time Cup Series champion, and his 90 victories rank third on the all-time wins list. Currently second in points, he has two victories, one pole position, seven top-five finishes and 15 top-10s in 22 Sprint Cup races this season.

   “Innovation is what 3M is known for,” said Gordon, 43, who has a lifetime contract with Hendrick Motorsports. “We’ve seen that approach throughout their involvement in NASCAR, and it’s a terrific fit for what we do at Hendrick Motorsports and with the No. 24 team. I’m personally excited about the opportunities and thrilled to represent a company that’s so passionately supported auto racing for such a long time.”

   3M currently sponsors driver Greg Biffle and the No. 16 Ford team with Roush Fenway Racing.

Tony Stewart cancels plans to race at Indiana dirt track

   In a statement Monday morning, Plymouth (Ind.) Speedway officials confirmed NASCAR driver Tony Stewart had pulled out of a scheduled race at the .375-mile dirt track planned for this coming Saturday night.

   Stewart sat out Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International following his involvement in the death Saturday night of fellow racer Kevin Ward Jr. at an upstate New York dirt track.

   A sprint car driven by Stewart Saturday night struck and killed Ward, 20, as he was walking on the track expressing  his displeasure with Stewart over a prior incident on the track that evening at Canandaigua (NY) Motorsports Park.

   Here is the statement released by Plymouth Speedway:

   "We at Plymouth Speedway express our deepest condolences and prayers to the family of Kevin Ward Jr. and thoughts and prayers to Tony Stewart and his family. Tony Stewart will not be racing at Plymouth Speedway this Saturday. More information on the weekend's race will be announced later this week."
 
   To read the latest on the incident between Stewart and Ward, go here.

Tony Stewart will sit out Sunday's NASCAR race following incident at N.Y. dirt track

   The Ontario County (N.Y.) Sheriff's Department confirmed early Sunday morning that a sprint car driven by NASCAR driver Tony Stewart struck and killed another driver who was standing on the track while a race at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park was under caution.

   Sheriff Philip Povero confirmed during an early-morning news conference that the driver struck on the track was pronounced dead on arrival at F.F. Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua. The driver was identified by track officials as 20-year old Kevin Ward Jr. of Port Leyden, N.Y.

   Povero said authorities questioned Stewart at the scene and said he was cooperative and "very upset" about the incident. The Ontario County district attorney's office has been notified of the incident and will continue the investigation, Povero said. 

   The are no charges currently pending against Stewart, who returned after the incident to his motorhome at Watkins Glen (N.Y.)  International, site of Sunday's Cheez-It 355 at the Glen. 

   At approximately 10:15 a.m. ET Sunday, Stewart-Haas Racing's vice president of competition, Greg Zipadelli, said Stewart had decided not to compete in Sunday's race.

   "He feels strongly this is the right thing to do," Zipadelli said of Stewart, with whom he has worked for 18 years. "It's an unbelievable tragedy. Very tough, very emotional."

   Stewart was expected to return to the Charlotte area.

    “There aren’t words to describe the sadness I feel about the accident that took the life of Kevin Ward Jr. It’s a very emotional time for all involved, and it is the reason I’ve decided not to participate in today’s race at Watkins Glen," Stewart said in a statement released shortly after the start of Sunday's race. 

   Shortly after Stewart's decision was announced, NASCAR released the following statement: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and fellow competitors of Kevin Ward Jr. We support Tony Stewart’s decision to miss today’s race and we will continue to respect the process and timeline of the local authorities and will continue to monitor this situation moving forward.”

   Zipadelli said Nationwide Series driver Regan Smith was on his way to the track and would drive Stewart's No. 14 Chevrolet in the race. Because of the driver change, Smith will start from the rear of the field.

   A spokesman for Stewart provided the following statement to The Observer early Sunday morning:

   "A tragic accident took place last night during a sprint car race in which Tony Stewart was participating. Tony was unhurt but a fellow competitor lost his life. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. We're still attempting to sort through all the details and we appreciate your understanding during this difficult time."

   Video of the incident shows Stewart's car striking Ward's while racing in a turn. Ward's car then spun and bounced off the wall, placing the race under caution. Ward quickly exited his car and is shown walking down the track while pointing toward Stewart as he comes back around the track. The right side of Stewart's car strikes Ward, dragging him briefly under the car and then leaves him lying prone on the track.

   According to the track, all racing activities were halted for the night following the incident and fans were asked to return home. 

   Around 1 a.m. ET, the track posted the following statement on its Facebook page:

   "Canandaigua Motorsports Park will not have an official statement on the accident that happened in the ESS race until tomorrow. Please pray for the entire racing community of fans, drivers and families."
 
   Canandaigua Motorsports Park is a half-mile dirt track southeast of Rochester, N.Y., and about 50 miles northwest of Watkins Glen International. In recent weeks, Stewart has returned to dirt track racing after a breaking two bones in his right leg in a wreck at a dirt track in Iowa last summer.

Pocono Raceway, NASCAR sued over fan's death by lightning strike

   The widow of a race fan killed at Pocono Raceway two years ago from a lightning strike filed suit against the track and NASCAR last week just before the two-year statute of limitations was set to expire.

   Brian Zimmerman, 41, was killed on Aug. 5, 2012, in the parking lot behind the main frontstretch grandstands at Pocono Raceway as a severe thunderstorm struck the area around the track in Long Pond, Pa. Ten people were hit in two separate lightning strikes.

   In the wrongful death suit filed Aug. 1 in Pennsylvania, Zimmerman's widow, Marion, alleges the track and NASCAR were aware of the weather more than 40 minutes before the strike that killed her husband and didn't do enough to notify fans.

   NASCAR officials said Saturday they do not comment on pending litigation.

   To read the Pocono Record's coverage of the suit, go here.

   To read coverage from The Observer of the race in question, go here.

Dale Junior talks about losing the National Guard as sponsor

   Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke briefly Friday morning before Sprint Cup Series practice at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International about the news this week that the Army National Guard will not return next season as a sponsor on his No. 88 Chevrolet.

   In a statement, Hendrick Motorsports said it had an agreement in place for the 2015 season which it planned to honor.

   “I really don’t have any details on anything,’’ Earnhardt said. "That’s between the Guard and HMS to sort all that out. Really enjoyed working with them over the last seven years and hope to be able to continue to represent them. It’s a huge honor.’’

   Asked if he had any indication this decision was imminent, Earnhardt said: "There's been the debate in Washington and I've been watching it for several years. Hopefully, we'll be able to continue to represent them. I really have enjoyed it. It's been a great partnership. I think it's been very effective and hopefully we'll continue to do that."

Army National Guard to end sponsorship of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

   The Army National Guard issued a news release Wednesday in which it stated it was discontinuing its sponsorship of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and driver Graham Rahal in the IndyCar Series.

   "Significantly constrained resources and the likelihood of further reductions in the future call for more innovative and cost-effective ways of doing business," said Maj. Gen. Judd H. Lyons, acting director of the Army National Guard, said in a statement.

   The Guard said it spent $32 million on its NASCAR sponsorship and $12 million on its IndyCar sponsorship for 2014. Future programs will rely on much smaller budgets, the Guard said. 

   "As part of a broad recruitment marketing strategy, motorsports partnerships — including NASCAR — played an important role in helping the National Guard build strong brand awareness and in turn helped us achieve extraordinary recruiting and end-strength objectives over the past decade," said Lt. Col. Christian Johnson, who heads Army Guard marketing.

   "Our NASCAR sponsorship was principally a marketing program, intended primarily to build awareness of the National Guard as a career option" said Johnson. "The NASCAR sponsorship allowed the National Guard to leverage a 77 million fan base and the sport's most popular driver."

   In a statement, Hendrick Motorsports said in had a contract in place with the Guard for the 2015, which it planned to honor.

 “Our team has a contract in place to continue the National Guard program at its current level in 2015. We have not been approached by the Guard about potential changes and plan to honor our current agreement," the statement said.

   To read the entire Army National Guard release, go here.

Kyle Busch wins again ... this time in Canada

   NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Kyle Busch dominated Tuesday night's Pro All-Star Series (PASS) Super Late Model Budweiser 150 at Autodrome Chaudiere in Valle-Junction, Quebec, Canada. 

   Busch, who picked up his second Super Late Model win over the last two weeks, started from the fourth spot, was in second after one lap and then on Lap 22 put his No. 51 Toyota out front where he remained the rest of the way. Busch held serve on a couple of mid-race restarts and crossed the finish line two seconds ahead of second-place finisher Alex Labbe.

   "It was a great crowd out here tonight the guys at KBM gave me a really fast (car)," Busch said. "These Super Late Models are a lot of fun to drive and I always enjoy being able to travel around to some cool tracks around the United States and Canada to compete against the guys that race these cars on a regular basis."