IndyCar begins investigation into crash

   The IndyCar Series has started a "full investigation" into the death of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon, who was killed in a violent 15-car car wreck Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

   On Tuesday, the IndyCar Series provided the following statement to The Observer in response to a request for comment for an article that ran in Tuesday's paper.

   Here is the statement in its entirety:

   "The entire INDYCAR family is saddened by Dan Wheldon’s tragic death, and our thoughts continue to be, first and foremost, with Dan’s wife, Susie, and his entire family at this incredibly difficult time.

   "The safety of our drivers, their crews, INDYCAR staff, racetrack staff and spectators is always our paramount concern. As part of our standard safety protocol, a full investigation has been launched by INDYCAR, with assistance from the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS) and Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA),the national and international governing organization, to determine the factors involved in this accident.

   "We hope to have preliminary findings to report within the next several weeks. In the meantime, it would be inappropriate to comment further until the investigative team has had the opportunity to conclude its work."

Take a ride on Jeff Gordon Expressway

   Ready for a ride on Jeff Gordon Expressway?

   If the Mecklenburg County Commissioners approved a resolution on Tuesday night, race fans will get to do just that on a stretch of Interstate 85 in Mecklenburg County.

   Mecklenburg County has recently been approached by NASCAR to request that the N.C.  Board of Transportation designate a portion of Interstate 85 as the "Jeff Gordon Expressway" for his 85th career Sprint Cup Series victory and his humanitarian efforts in Mecklenburg County and the State of North Carolina.

   The portion of Interstate 85 for which the request is being made (located in the unincorporated area of Mecklenburg County closest to the Charlotte Motor Speedway) is the segment from the City of Charlotte corporate limit line to the Mecklenburg/Cabarrus county line.

   Check out the proposed resolution county commissioners will consider here.

NASCAR Hall gets another gem

   The NASCAR Hall of Fame set up an area at the entrance to Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend where it has been bringing special NASCAR guests for question and answer sessions, running free shuttles from the track to the Hall and offering a glimpse to race fans to what the Hall has to offer.

   The Hall also unveiled a special NASCAR artifact for the first time, which right now can only been seen at the Hall's display at the track.

   The item - the front bumper of 2012 Hall inductee Cale Yarborough's 1977 Oldsmobile - was collected from "Tiger" Tom Pistone's auto shop. The veteran racer's collection of items date over half a century.

  

      The display will remain at CMS through Saturday afternoon.

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.