CheckersToWreckers.com

News Tidbits...

2008 Tidbits - May to August...

8/30: NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Eric McClure was forced to delay his arrival in California for this weekend’s race at Auto Club Speedway by one day for good reason. His wife, Miranda, gave birth to their second daughter at 7:21pm (ET) on Wednesday. Maryleigh Isabella McClure weighed 5 pounds 10.7 ounces and was 19 inches long. She now joins “big” sister Mabreigh Elizabeth, 17 months, as another of daddy’s girls. Both mom and baby are doing well. McClure, a 29-year-old native of Chilhowie, Va., drives the No. 24 Hefty Chevrolet...

8/30: Stephen Leicht will join Jeff Burton as the co-driver of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet team for the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series season. Leicht, 21, has run a part-time Nationwide Series schedule for RCR this year after earning his first career series victory and finishing seventh in the point standings during his rookie season in 2007. The Asheville, N.C., native has earned two top-10 finishes in just four starts this season driving RCR’s No. 21 Chevrolet, including a seventh-place showing in April at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz...

8/29: River Glade Speedway, near Moncton New Brunswick, will hold a Demolition & Endurance Race on Sept. 7 at 3 p.m. along with regular points racing in five classes. For anyone with an old jalopy in their yard who wants to have some fun. Just remove all the glass from the car and bring it to RGS. More information on the special race can be had by phoning Herman at 506-387-8886...

8/29: Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE:TRK) is proceeding with the purchase of Kentucky Speedway. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year, most likely in December. SMI hopes to bring a Sprint Cup race to Kentucky with the acquisition; NASCAR has stated it cannot allow realignment of an existing Sprint Cup Series race date until the anti-trust litigation among NASCAR, International Speedway Corporation and the current ownership of Kentucky Speedway is resolved. Although the time frame for resolution is uncertain, Speedway Motorsports will continue to work with NASCAR to schedule a Sprint Cup Series date at the facility...

8/28: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Fans should visit www.NationalGuardWarrior.com to see Kid Rock's new "Warrior" music video and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage featuring Earnhardt, National Guard citizen soldiers and the No. 88 team. The two-minute video is airing before movies in select AMC Theatres and includes the song "Warrior," which Kid Rock wrote specifically for the Army National Guard...

8/27: Reed Sorensen has signed a multi-year contract with Gillett-Evernham Motorsports, starting with the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Sorensen has been driving for Chip Ganassi Racing for the last three seasons; no work whether GEM is adding a fourth team or replacing a current driver - possibly adding even more uncertainty to Patrick Carpentier's future at GEM...

8/26: The Budweiser Shootout, NASCAR’s season-opening event, will undergo several major qualification and format changes in 2009, which will be unveiled today via a media teleconference set to start at 3 p.m. AT. Stay tuned for details...

8/25: Interesting note - even though Kyle Busch has won eight Sprint Cup races to Carl Edwards five, Edwards has won more money...Busch's YTD total is $5,323,663 while Edwards' is $5,443,825...

8/25: NASCAR Director of Competition Robin Pemberton says Kyle Busch's actions post-race at Bristol - the spin after the win - will be reviewed by NASCAR executives today. It is this group that would decide if a penalty is warranted. Busch was called to the NASCAR hauler after ramming Carl Edwards during his victory lap; Edwards bumped back but was not called to the hauler. Busch has not spoken to reporters since leaving the NASCAR hauler, and NASCAR doesn't comment on what goes on behind its closed doors. With Busch being locked into the Chase and money a seemingly mute point for super-teams not sure what NASCAR could do to impact Busch ??? NASCAR penalty announcements are usually made Tuesday's...

8/24: Joe Gibbs Racing will hold a press conference Monday to announce the 2009 driver of the No. 20 car - a seat vacated when Tony Stewart leaves the team at the end of this season. Speculation is high the new driver will be young Joey Logano. Watch for a full report from the press conference...

8/22: Riverside Int'l Speedway has sold more than 1,000 tickets to its September 20 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race in less than a week. Anyone who buys an advance ticket for the "big" show will get free admission to the September 19 show featuring a 50-lap sportsman race (rained out July 18) and a pit stop competition...

8/20: We're wondering how many of our readers would be interested in subscribing to an event update service that would deliver quick race results directly to your desktop, laptop or smartphone email. Initially the service would include the top five finishers in NASCAR Sprint Cup, CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour and other special events in the Maritimes; and would also feature weather updates (when necessary) for regional special events. The subscription would be $20/month or $99/year - with a special introductory offer of $89/year. Click here to let us know if you would sign up for this service; it could be up and running by September 1 - if we get enough interest...hst is extra; credit card payments will be accepted via paypal; gift subscriptions available...

8/20: Regan Smith, winner of the IWK 250 at Riverside July 19 is excited to be driving the No. 01 DEI entry at Bristol Motor Speedway (TN) this Saturday. “Someone’s always mad at someone else at Bristol,” Smith said in describing the action at the .533-mile track. “Either you’re mad at someone or someone else is mad at you. A lot of the time, you’ll see a couple of guys beating on each other in front of you and you just know that they’re having a little disagreement. It’s all part of racing at Bristol. I saw an ad on television the other day for the race,” Smith said. “It’s the one where the guy takes a bunch of die cast cars and throws them into a dryer. That’s what racing at Bristol is like. You’ve got 43 cars on a small track going really fast. It’s a recipe for disaster – or fun – depending on which way you look at it.” Smith's average finish in two starts at Bristol is 25.5; maybe 250 laps at Riverside - a scale version of Bristol - will help improve that average...

8/20: NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader will drive the No. 96 DLP®HDTV Toyota Camry for Hall of Fame Racing in this weekend’s Sharpie 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway - filling in for Brad Coleman who will return to the driver's seat next week. Schrader will attempt to make his 723rd career Sprint Cup start and his 47th at Bristol. He has 11 top-10 finishes at Bristol, including a second-place effort in April 1994. In 722 Sprint Cup starts, Schrader has four victories, 184 top-10 finishes and 23 pole positions. Schrader has six NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Bristol, with two top-10 finishes. In addition, he has four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at the .533-mile oval and has never finished worse than 18th...

8/20: A little birdie tells us to look for Curtis Lindsay in the SFR sportsman car at Scotia Speedworld Friday night. The longtime car chief for the team has made a few starts in the past (none this year) - and will reportedly fill in for regular driver Frank Fraser Jr. (Frankie) this week. Speaking of filling in for Frankie - that was the $50 question at Riverside last weekend: was it Frank Jr. or Frank Sr. in the car? It was Sr. making a cameo appearance. Jr. had another commitment earlier in the day and didn't arrive until just before the feature. With no practice for Jr., the team opted to keep Sr. behind the wheel...

8/19: NASCAR has scheduled a Press Conference for this afternoon at which the 2009 Sprint Cup schedule is expected to be announced...
8/19: Listening to Tony Stewart Monday night on SIRIUS Satellite Radio and learned Ryan Newman will run car number 39 next year for Stewart-Haas Racing...

8/19: Austin Dillon, grandson of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress, will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut September 5 at Richmond International Raceway...

8/18: Joe Gibbs Racing has allegedly been found tampering with NASCAR dyno testing on two of their cars that competed in Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Michigan (Tony Stewart's and Joey Logcano's). Published reports say the team had placed magnets on the cars' accelerator pedals - which in theory would keep them from being fully engaged, thus limiting output and distorting data. NASCAR has confiscated the engines from the two cars and will decide whether penalties will be levied, or not, this week...

8/17: Avondale Speed in NFLD has cancelled today's races due to rain. They're back in action August 24 at 2 p.m...

8/16: Jason Keller's Nationwide Series team, CJM Racing, is mourning the loss of its car chief Steve "Big Guy" Helwig, who passed away Friday morning following a brief illness. Helwig was a long-time fixture in the Nationwide Series garage...

8/16: After all the hullabaloo that surrounded the building of the new NHRA dragstrip adjacent to Lowe's Motor Speedway Bruton Smith will host a gala ribbon-cutting ceremony this coming Wednesday (Aug 20) to officially open zMAX Dragway @ Concord, the nation's newest motorsports facility. Smith will be joined by local officials along with NHRA representatives and drivers in celebrating the debut of the Bellagio of drag strips. zMAX Dragway @ Concord will host its first event Sept. 11-14 when the NHRA Nationals kicks off the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series' Countdown to the Championship. Local officials had been trying to block the new facility - until Smith threatened to move the whole entity elsewhere...

8/14: A Press Conference will be held Friday where Tony Stewart will announce the name of his 2009 teammate at Stewart-Haas Racing. The racing rumour mill is speculating Ryan Newman will be that driver...

8/14: Hard to believe it's been 19 years today since we lost Tim Richmond (pictured right)- a NASCAR star of the 80s who died of complications from AIDS in 1989. Richmond, who was just 34 when he died, made 185 NASCAR starts with 13 wins - including seven wins in 1986 while driving the No. 25 Folger's Monte Carlo for Hendrick Motorsports...

8/14: NASCAR announced Wednesday that Mike Hillman Jr., crew chief of the No. 30 Toyota, has been fined for an infraction discovered following the Aug. 9 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway. Additionally, driver Todd Bodine and owner Stephen Germain have been penalized 25 championship driver and owner points, respectively. Hillman was fined $2,500 for violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (determination that truck, truck parts, components and/or equipment used in the event do not conform to NASCAR rules) and 20B-12.8.1E (after competition, the maximum right side bed panel height exceeded the specified 39½ inches) of the 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rule Book. The violation was discovered during post-race inspection...

8/14: NASCAR also announced Wednesday that Kirk Almquist, crew chief for the No. 9 Dodge driven by Patrick Carpentier and Paul Wolfe, crew chief for the No. 22 Dodge driven by Ryan Newman, have been fined due to rule violations during the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Watkins Glen International. Almquist was fined $5,000 for violating Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules) and 20A-5.10.1B(6) (combined thickness of the throttle shaft and throttle plate was less than the specified thickness of 0.197 inches) of the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rule Book. Wolfe was fined $1,000 for violating Section 12-4-A, 12-4-Q and 20A-16.5.1B (fuel line, from the fuel cell to the filter, exceeded the maximum specified size). Both infractions were discovered during opening-day inspection on Aug. 8...

8/13: Dale Earnhardt Inc. has named NASCAR veteran Bobby Hutchens vice president of competition. Hutchens, who previously served as general manager of Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines after a long tenure with Richard Childress Racing, will oversee all competition efforts at Dale Earnhardt Inc., including its four Sprint Cup teams. Hutchens’ new position came as the result of a joint decision between DEI and RCR. The championship-winning NASCAR racing organizations have a long history of successful collaboration including, among others, ECR Engines and the RAD aerodynamics program that also included Andy Petree Racing...

8/12: According to Shawn Turple's website the No. 0 team will go to a backup car for Riverside this weekend after wrecking their primary car in Saturday's Atlantic CAT 250. Besides cosmetic damage to the front the rad was ruined, but the most significant damage was done to the rear-end. Turple sits poised to make a run at the CARQUEST Tour series title; with only four races remaining he's third in the standings, only three-points behind second-place Lonnie Sommerville and 26 behind first-place Wayne Smith...

8/12: The PASS North point standings after Saturday's Atlantic CAT 250 were posted yesterday showing Ben Rowe with a slim two-point advantage over CAT 250 race winner Travis Benjamin. Johnny Clark sits third, 41 markers behind Benjamin. Follow the link from our PASS stats page to see the complete PASS North points rundown...

8/12: This afternoon NASCAR racers Mike Wallace and Chrissy Wallace, father and daughter, will ring the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at 4 p.m (Eastern). Both drivers race for Germain Racing, of Mooresville, NC. Mike drives full-time in the No. 7 GEICO Camry, while rookie driver Chrissy made her NASCAR debut at Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in March 2008. Chrissy is racing several races on the Truck Series for Germain. Her next race is Sept. 6 at Gateway International Raceway, driving the No. 03 Germain Toyota Tundra, while Mike Wallace's next race in the GEICO Camry comes this weekend at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 16...

8/11: Petty Enterprises officials say Bobby Labonte was evaluated and released from hospital Sunday after being transported there following a nine-car crash during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen Sunday. Labonte's No. 43 hit David Gilliland's No. 28 HARD; Gillilan was unhurt but Labonte was limping as TV cameras watched him leave his car. The Petty report says Labonte is not injured...

8/11: Aric Almirola - who many Maritime race fans met at Riverside Int'l Speedway July 19 - posted a 35th-place finish in Sunday's Sprint Cup event at Watkins Glen International. It was a challenging experience for the rookie driver, whose first lap on the 2.45-mile road circuit was in Saturday's practice session. "My only experience at this track prior to this weekend was in NASCAR video games," said Almirola, who completed his sixth Cup race of the season and the 12th of his career. Almirola shares the No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Inc. ride with veteran Mark Martin. For the majority of the race, Almirola was clicking off competitive lap times in his U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS. But late in the race, he was involved in a spinout, and near the end of the event he had to make an unscheduled pit stop as a result of running over debris....

8/10: Inclement weather has forced the postponement of the Full Throttle Energy Drink 200 at Mosport Speedway. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio event was scheduled for Saturday evening start before the weather system moved into the area. NASCAR and track officials have re-scheduled the event for Sunday. Time trials are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., local time, and the Full Throttle Energy Drink 200 is set for a noon green flag...

8/9: CitiFinancial announced Friday that it will sponsor the Yates Racing No. 38 Ford Fusion and driver David Gilliland in four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races beginning at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, Aug. 17. The No.38 will also sport the CitiFinancial and Citi paint scheme at Fontana, Richmond and Texas...

8/9: Michael Waltrip Racing announced Friday it had agreed to a one year-contract extension with NAPA to sponsor its No. 55 Toyotas and driver Michael Waltrip. The agreement extends NAPA's sponsorship of Waltrip to nine consecutive seasons...

8/8: DEI and Martin Truex have reportedly reached an agreement that will see Truex continue driving the No. 1 car beyond 2008; an official announcement is expected today...

8/7: Speedway 660 has published competitor info for the 2008 edition of the Peterbilt 250, set for August 31 - including details on the $70,000 total purse with a possible $28,000 to the winner. The seven-page document details the payout, qualifying, tire policy and more - check it out here (you will leave this website)...

8/7: Fans will rise for more than just the National Anthem at this year’s Sharpie 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn. on Saturday, August 23, as TUMS attempts to break the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest audience wave. The Sharpie 500 will be the 53rd straight sell-out race at Bristol Motor Speedway – one of the hardest tickets to attain in sports – and host to more than 158,000 fans...

8/6: Lake Doucette Motor Speedway, located near Digby (NS) is now being operated by volunteers and has a new website; check it out here...you will leave this website...

8/5: Coming off his sixth career NASCAR win last weekend at Montreal, veteran road course specialist Ron Fellows will pilot the Dale Earnhardt Inc. No. 01 Chevrolet in the Centurion Boats at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on Aug. 10. Leading rookie-of-the-year candidate Regan Smith will drive the No. 81 DEI entry in the race and be back in the No. 01 car the following week at Michigan...

8/2: Riverside Int'l Speedway has decided to run the conclusion of the NAPA 100 for the Highland Home Hardware Sportsman Series on Friday September 19 - the day before their NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Atlantic Dodge Dealers 100. Those holding valid rain checks from July 18 will be admitted free; otherwise tickets can be purchased starting August 19 via the Riverside box office in the Antigonish Mall. The Septemebr 19 event will feature sportsman racing only. Full details should be available from the track within the week...

7/31: NASCAR's Kyle Petty has been dealt another tragic blow to his personal life in the loss this week of his close friend "Click" Baldwin who died in a motorcycle wreck in Montana. Baldwin was the owner of Carolina Harley-Davidson and co-founder of Petty's annual charity ride. In a statement released yesterday Petty said: “Words cannot describe what “Click” Baldwin has meant to me, my family and the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Back in 1995, he and I, along with a few other close friends, were just a group of guys that wanted to ride our motorcycles across the country. We found out that we could raise some money for charity while doing it and the Kyle Petty Charity Ride was born. While it had my name on it, “Click” was a driving force behind the ride. There has never been a more giving human being. He was more than a friend; he was like a brother to me. Please keep his wife Diane, his daughter Chelsea, his Mom, his brother and his Carolina Harley-Davidson family in your thoughts and prayers. We have lost a great one.”

7/30: NASCAR officials have confirmed the Nationwide Series will not return to Mexico in 2009. After a four-year stint "south of the border" declining attendance is evidently the cause for the decision...

7/30: Kyle Petty will not attempt to qualify for Sunday's Cup race at Pocono - his second missed race since his TV deal ended. Expectations are that Petty will be back behind the wheel of the No. 45 for the race at Watkins Glen in a couple weeks. Petty's last race was in May at Lowe's Motor Speedway...

7/30: NASCAR apologized Tuesday for Sunday's tire fiasco at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "I can't say enough how sorry we are and it's our responsibility being NASCAR that we don't go through this situation again," said Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition. "The race didn't come off like we had hoped, the fans didn't get what they exactly wanted and we'll do everything in our power - it won't happen again, I can tell you that much." NASCAR officials have spoken with both Goodyear officials and Indianapolis management in an effort to both determine/resolve the problem and to move forward...

7/30: Jimmie Johnson will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway August 20. The Cup champ will drive the No. 81 Kobalt Tools Chevrolet out of the Randy Moss stable...

7/30: Darrell Waltrip has been named "Nashvillian of the Year." The NASCAR legend and three-time Cup champion turned TV analyst will receive the award August 1 in where else: Nashville...

7/29: The official results for last Saturday's CARQUEST Tour race at Speedway 660 show Dave O'Blenis second and Rollie MacDonald 26th with a DQ next to his name. The penalty was issued as the result of a weight infraction found in post-race inspection. MacDonald is disappointed, but has no hard feelings. He is understandably frustrated in losing his best finish of the year, especially because he does not know what caused the left side percentage weight in his racecar to be different between pre-race tech and post-race tech. "At 2 in the afternoon we were 57.9% on the left side and a little heavy," said MacDonald. "All we did was take a piece of lead out of the middle of the car - which wouldn't affect left/right percentages. When we went through tech after a great race and finishing second the car was 58.45% on the left side. I was blown away." MacDonald praised series officials for their efforts to allow his team to show their car was right. "It's a straight up deal; they were just doing their jobs." The former series champion will be in Shediac this Sunday.

7/28: Riverside Int'l Speedway has made some policy changes to address issues raised by fans attending the IWK 250...1) Sections E F G H I are now smoking sections; the rest of the grandstands - including the beer garden - are non-smoking; 2) Effective immediately, Riverside will offer an advance combo ticket that is good for both grandstand and pit entry; 3) There will be no standing behind the grandstand during the race; 4) Track management will continue to review options in order to expedite parking lot exit post-race, looking to implement a plan for the Sept. 20 NASCAR event - and over the winter will consider options that could reduce the length of the annual 250 "supershow", including the possibility of doing preliminary pro stock qualifying on Friday night - leaving the main event for Saturday...

7/28: Talked to John Flemming yesterday; he was en route to pick up the "big" engine for his PASS North car. "If all goes well" getting it installed Flemming hopes to test the car later this week at Scotia Speedworld in preparation for the August 9 Atlantic CAT 250...

7/27: Centre For Speed is offering advance tickets for this SUNDAY'S running of the Lucas Oil 150 for CARQUEST Tour. The race is being held Sunday to accommodate those fans wishing to attend the Eagles concert in nearby Moncton. Advance tickets are available at Race Time in Moncton; not only will they save you time at the gate - but $5 as well (on adult tickets). The track is also offering free camping and a shuttle service for concert goers with advance race tickets. Time trials are set for 2:10 p.m. and racing for 3 p.m...

7/26: Scotia Speedworld was rained out Friday night - before they got even one race in. No word on potential make-up dates, if any...Neither is there any word on when the last 79 laps of the NAPA 100 will be run at Riverside - rained out after 21 laps last Friday...

7/25: Tony Stewart has announced a Press Conference for today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway where he will formally announce his sponsor and car number for 2009...

7/24: Just when we thought our growth had peaked - low and behold we hit another record day...Monday July 21 saw this website receive over 182,000 hits ! ! !

7/23: Rockingham Speedway (in North Carolina) and the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour have announced that there will be a race on August 30, 2008 using Rockingham’s road course configuration. The race that is part of the inaugural RC Cola/Moonpie ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour championship will run on the 1.4 mile, 7 turn road course that uses the one-mile superspeedway and the historic speedway’s infield course. It is the only road course race on the series schedule which uses late model style racecars and runs mostly on short tracks...

7/22: Published reports this morning say Tony Stewart will campaign car No. 14 next year driving for his recently announced team of Stewart-Haas Racing. It will be a Chevrolet (no surprise) and supposedly sponsored by Office Depot and Old Spice...

7/21: Hmmm...if there is anyone out there who doubts the popularity of regional stock car racing, well check this out...This website had a whopping 146,241 hits Sunday, yes - in one day - an all-time record for us - and bringing our month-to-date total to over a million hits (in just 20 days)...Holy Toledo Batman !!!

7/17: CJM Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced a newly-formed alliance under which CJM Racing will receive technical support as well as information pertaining to research and development in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. CJM Racing will continue to run Chevrolet Monte Carlos for the remainder of the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series season and will transition to a TRD-supported team in 2009. The team will be powered with Toyota engines while continuing to build chassis in-house. CJM Racing with driver Jason Keller currently sits 10th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver point standings after last weekend’s race at Chicagoland Speedway...

7/17: General Motors has notified two racetracks that run NASCAR events that their current contracts will not be renewed as part of an overall $10 billion cost-cutting program. That seems to be just the first step in what could be a huge drop in support by GM, Ford and Chrysler for tracks and teams in NASCAR's top three professional divisions, the NHRA and other racing series in the face of the weakest U.S. auto sales in a decade. Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns eight tracks that hold NASCAR events, already has been told GM will not renew contracts at two tracks - New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway...

7/16: Nationwide Series racer Marcos Ambrose will become a full-time Sprint Cup driver next season, thanks to a new partnership former NBA player Brad Daugherty has with JTG Racing. Daugherty, now a NASCAR analyst for ESPN, has become a part-owner of JTG Racing. The team will be renamed JTG Daugherty Racing. It will continue to field two Nationwide Series entries, but add a full-time Sprint Cup entry next year with Ambrose at the wheel...

7/16: GM's NASCAR program, which has enjoyed great success and supports 12 Chevy teams, is under review, as is all of the racing GM supports, according to reports published Tuesday. Funding a championship-winning team such as Chevy's Hendrick Motorsports and drivers of the caliber of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. costs GM at least $30 million a year...

7/15: Patrick Carpentier and Gillette-Evernham Motorsports have announced a two-race sponsorship for Carpentier's Sprint Cup effort with "Tow Truck In A Box"...

7/14: Riverside Int'l Speedway has extended box office hours this week in anticipation of Friday and Saturday's NAPA 100/IWK 250 superweekend...Monday to Thursday 9 am to 8pm; Friday Off site Box Office 9am -3pm; Friday At the Race Track 3pm...All ticket orders placed this week will be held for pick-up...Call the Box Office at 902.863.2410 or visit the track website for more info...A reminder that all seats are reserved...

7/13: It was no surprise to learn during weekend interviews at Chicago with Joe Gibbs that his organization is focused on Joey Logano as a replacement for Tony Stewart in the 20 car. Gibbs said during a TV interview Saturday that Logano is their preference so long as it works out with the young man and his parents. Logano drives for Gibbs Nationwide effort, with his first start just days after his 18th birthday in May; his third start saw his first win...

7/12: Bobby Hamilton Racing (BHRVA) announced today the addition of veteran Crew Chief Jeff Hensley to the No. 4 Dodge Dealers Dodge driven by Stacy Compton and No. 18 Tahoe Dodge driven by Dennis Setzer stable. With more than 25 years experience in NASCAR industry Hensley will assume the role of Director of Competition for both teams. Former Director of Competition Charlie Wilson will move into a more hands on role with Dodge Engineering and the No. 18 Tahoe Dodge...

7/12: It was 15 years ago today we lost Davey Allison - who died at just 32 years of age in a helicopter crash at Talladeag Superspeedway. Allison and racing mentor Red Farmer were on their way to Davey's home track for a testing session. Farmer, himself a NASCAR legend, survived the crash with minor injuries - but says losing Davey left a hole in his heart that has never been filled...

7/11: Talked to John Flemming yesterday...He's waiting on a new motor for his PASS North car then will be back with the series, but likely not in time for this weekends race at Thompson Speedway (CT). "We were using the crate motor, but need a little more horsepower to run good with those guys," said Flemming...

7/10: Dale Earnhardt Inc. has decided to appeal the penalties issued this week to its No. 1 Chevrolet Sprint Cup team, NASCAR officials confirmed on Thursday. The filing of the appeal with the National Stock Car Racing Commission allows crew chief Kevin Manion to continue to work with the team until the appeal is heard. Manion and car chief, Gary Putnam, each suspended six races after the No. 1 failed pre-qualifying inspection last week at Daytona. Manion was fined $100,000 and driver Martin Truex Jr. and car owner Teresa Earnhardt were each docked 150 points. The points penalty dropped Truex from 14th to 18th in the series standings and leaves him 238 points out of the top 12. The top 12 drivers after 26 races qualify for the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup.

7/10: All three Penske Sprint Cup cars will carry a decal this weekend in memory of Bill Passwater, the transportation coordinator for Penske’s Cup teams, who died Wednesday. He was 33. Passwater is survived by his wife, Heather, and daughter, Lyla Grace. Passwater was a close friend of Penske driver Ryan Newman. The two attended high school together in South Bend, Ind.

7/9: The industry rumour mill is hot'n'heavy this week speculating Tony Stewart has asked for a release from his Joe Gibbs Racing contract at the end of this year; the "mill" further speculates he will get the release and that an announcement will be made soon - maybe even this week...

7/8: UPDATED - Riverside Int'l Speedway has announced two open practice sessions in advance of next weekends IWK 250 Superweekend. The first session is Saturday July 12 (Noon to 4 p.m.) for local Sportsman cars and the second Thursday July 17 (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.) for out of town Sportsman cars, Legends, Open Wheel and Pro Stock. Grandstand admission will be free and pit admission is $5 per person - but open ONLY to those who pre-register for the practice sessions. Please note team haulers can not be left in the infield overnight. Contact the track for more information...

7/7: Single day tickets are now available for the July 18 & 19 IWK 250 at Riverside Int'l Speedway. All seats are reserved; there will be no general admission tickets for this event. See the Tidbit posted 7/4 for pricing and purchase info...

7/5: The 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio season-ending banquet will take place at the Toronto/Markham Conference Centre & Spa in Markham, Ontario Saturday, Oct. 25. The banquet marks the culimnation of the second season of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. In addition to crowning the champion, the top drivers and owners and special award winners will be honored...

7/4: Riverside Int'l Speedway has announced single day ticket prices for the IWK 250 - now just two weeks away (July 18-19). Friday only tickets range from $10 to $25 for adults and $8 to $15 for youth. Saturday only tickets range from $35 to $50 for adults and $15 to $25 for youth. All seats are reserved. Pit admission is $30 for Friday and $50 for Saturday if you sign in before 10 a.m.; $60 after 10 a.m. (a pit ticket will get you in the grandstand area but will not guarantee a seat). Single day tickets go on sale July 8; weekend passes will not be offered after July 7. For more info visit www.riversidespeedway.ca...

7/4: Martin Truex's No. 1 NASCAR Sprint Cup car was seized by series officials Thursday after the car failed to fit the tech template. Truex will go to a backup car - and be forced to qualify today without the benefit of a single practice lap...

7/4: Randy Moss (pictured right, foreground), premier wide-receiver for the NFL’s New England Patriots, announced today at Daytona International Speedway he has entered into an ownership position in Morgan-Dollar Motorsports with David Dollar (pictured right, background). Morgan-Dollar Motorsports has fielded Chevy Silverado race trucks and contended for wins and championships in NCTS competition for several years...

7/3: Tony Stewart's Prelude to a Dream race, held June 4 at his Eldora Speedway featuring Stewart and many of his fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers in dirt cars, will be broadcast Friday at 8 p.m. on SPEED...

7/3: NASCAR announced Tuesday that Chad Walter, crew chief for the No. 5 Chevrolet driven by Landon Cassill, has been fined due to a rule violation during the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 28. Walter was fined $10,000 and remains on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31 due to violating Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing: use of improper language by the crew chief during a televised interview of the race) of the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series rule book. Walter originally was placed on probation in February, because of rule violations at the season-opening event, at Daytona International Speedway. Additionally, Rick Hendrick, owner of the No. 5, was penalized with the loss of 25 NASCAR Nationwide Series car owner points while Cassill was docked 25 NASCAR Nationwide Series driver points...

7/2: For the first time in his career, Kerry Earnhardt, the son of seven-time NASCAR Champion Dale Earnhardt, will drive a Dale Earnhardt Inc. entry in a NASCAR race. Earnhardt will pilot the No. 8 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet in the July 4 Daytona 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway. “I've won several races with DEI in an ARCA car, but I'm really looking forward to driving a fast car at Daytona under the DEI umbrella,” Earnhardt said. “I appreciate DEI giving me the opportunity to get back in a car; especially one that I know will be fast and competitive. I love running the speedways (Daytona and Talladega) and can’t wait for the weekend to get here.” Earnhardt, who currently works at Dale Earnhardt Inc. as a team liaison, will be making his 70th career start in the series, but only his fifth Nationwide start since 2003. He most recently competed regularly in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2006. It will be Earnhardt’s ninth career Nationwide Series start at Daytona International Speedway...

7/2: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates pulled the plug Tuesday on its unsponsored the No. 40 Dodge team, driven by 2007 Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti, scaling back operations from three Sprint Cup teams to two. The decision to shut down the No. 40 team resulted in about 70 people losing their jobs at the Ganassi team, a team spokesperson confirmed. "If I keep going, I run the risk of dragging the other two teams down," Ganassi told The Associated Press. "I don't want to do that. There's no money. It makes no sense to be running this out of my pocket. I had to put a stop to it." The team said in a statement that it remains committed to Franchitti's development as a stock car driver. One option, it said, is running the 35-year-old native of Edinburgh, Scotland, in the remainder of the 2008 Nationwide Series in the No. 40 Dodge. The team will continue to field the No. 41 Dodges for Reed Sorenson and the No. 42 Dodges for Juan Pablo Montoya...

7/2: Hendrick Motorsports has scheduled a press conference Friday at Daytona Int'l Speedway to announce future plans for its No. 5 Chevrolet team - for which it was recently announced that '08 driver Casey Mears would not be returning in '09. The rumour mill is split whether it will be Tony Stewart or Mark Martin named to driver the car in the future, but with Aric Almirola named yesterday as getting the No. 8 DEI ride full-time next year - which he shares with Martin this year - the Hendrick pendulum may be swinging in Martin's favour...

7/1: In the absolutely incredible department...During the month of June this website received over 1.4 MILLION hits - an all-time record for us since launching this site just over two years ago in May 2006...Thanks so much to all our loyal readers and corporate sponsors for your support...

7/1: TODAY is the last day to take advantage of Early Bird savings on tickets for the IWK 250 at Riverside Int'l Speedway. The weekend pass being offered saves $10/person. With today being a holiday you will need to either email or fax your completed ticket order form to the Riverside box office today as the cut-off is when the office opens tomorrow morning. Visit the track website for more info - click here...

7/1: Another Earnhardt in racing...This time it's Taylor Earnhardt, youngest child of the late Dale Earnhardt. But Taylor has a passion for a different kind of horsepower - the ones on four legs. At 19-years-old Taylor (pictured right) is showing her talent as a barrel racer; now in her sixth year of competition she has racked up several wins in 2008.

6/30: Thunder Valley Speedway in NF held their 08 season opener Sunday with the following results: Qualifiers - 4cyl. hobby stock: Lorne Garret-1st place; 8cyl. Late model sportsman: Graham Tweedie-1st place. Features - 4cyl. hobby stock: 1st - Lorne Garret, 2nd - Sheldon Brown, 3rd - Lorne Melendy; 8cyl. Latemodel sportsman 90 lap feature: 1st - Graham Tweedie, 2nd - Brad Melendy, 3rd - Corey Reid...
6/28: Did you know that when Patrick Carpentier won the New Hampshire pole Friday he became only the second Canadian to earn a pole position in NASCAR history? At the 1953 International 200 in Langhorne, Pa., Lloyd Shaw, Toronto, Ontario, earned the pole on the one-mile dirt track of Langhorne Speedway with a speed of 82.2 mph. Shaw finished 23rd and collected $40 in race winnings in his only career start...

6/26: Three-time Daytona 500 champion and founding member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family Dale Jarrett has been named Grand Marshal for the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night, July 5 Speedway officials announced today. Outback Steakhouse President Jeff Smith will serve as Honorary Starter. Jarrett captured a victory in the Independence Day classic in 1999 and will give the starting command “Gentlemen, start your engines” for Coke Zero’s inaugural sponsored race at “The World Center of Racing.” Jarrett, who won the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, recently retired from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition as the driver of the No. 44 UPS Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing. Smith, who will wave the Green Flag to get action started, began his career in 1989 at the original Outback Steakhouse restaurant on Henderson Boulevard in Tampa, Fla. Outback Steakhouse was one of the first restaurants to serve Coke Zero across its national operations...

6/25: NASCAR announced Tuesday that Amanda S. Mathis, a team member for the No. 22 Toyota driven by Scott Speed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, has been suspended for an infraction that occurred during the June 14 event at Michigan International Speedway. Mathis has been suspended from NASCAR until July 30 and placed on probation until Dec. 31 for violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); and 12-4-F (any member who participates in fights or altercations in the pits or on the race premises) of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rule book. Mathis was involved in a June 14 pre-race altercation with track security officials...

6/24: The guys and gals at Speedway 600 are already planning this year's edition of the Peterbilt 250, set for Aug. 31. With more than 500 RV's converging on the track grounds last year, the camping area is being expanded to make room for more this year (see photo to right)...

6/24: Race fans are reminded there are just six days left to take advantage of the the Early Bird savings on IWK 250 tickets. The special rate expires June 30. Visit the Riverside Int'l Speedway website for more info - click here...

6/24: Centre for Speed (Shediac, NB) has made some changes to their schedule for the weekends of June 29 and July 5. Included in the changes are the combination of the June 28th and June 29th events and the rescheduling of the June 30 "Day of Destruction" to July 5th. Check the track website for complete details - click here.

6/24: Busy weekend ahead for Busch...Kyle Busch has a triple-header planned for this weekend. NASCAR's latest superstar is scheduled to run the Modified race at Loudon, NH Saturday afternoon, the PASS North SLM race in Epping, NH Saturday evening and the Sprint Cup race at Loudon Sunday afternoon...

6/23: Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) marketeers are busy trying to find - and keep - sponsors for two of its four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams. They have yet to secure a corporate sponsor for the No. 1 driven by Regan Smith, and are courting US Army reps in hopes of keeping them after their contract runs out at the end of this year for the No. 8 car...DEI management told reporters over the weekend if no sponsor is found for the No. 1 car they will cut back to three teams for 2009...In other DEI news Mark Martin, part-time driver of the No. 8 car is reported to be leaving DEI at the end of the season - perhaps heading for the No. 5 car at Hendrick...

6/20: News leaked yesterday that Riverside Int'l Speedway will see TWO NASCAR drivers enter the IWK 250 July 19...Aric Almirola will reportedly join Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate Regan Smith in James River. Stay tuned for more details...

6/19: Riverside Int'l Speedway has sold more than 1,000 weekend pass tickets to the July 18-19 IWK 250 this week since putting the tickets on sale Monday. The Early Bird savings of $10 per weekend pass ends June 30. Single day tickets will not be available until July 9...Visit the track website for more info - click here...

6/19: Caterpillar Inc. and Richard Childress Racing (RCR) have agreed to a multi-year partnership for the #31 Chevy driven by Jeff Burton beginning with the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season. The 2009 season will mark Caterpillar's 17th year of sponsorship in NASCAR. It will also be Richard Childress' 40th anniversary in the sport. The move to RCR will mark the end of a 10-year relationship between Caterpillar and Bill Davis Racing. No word on who will replace CAR at BDR...

6/18: Car buffs are invited to the Woodside A&W in Dartmouth this Thursday (June 19) for an Antique Car Gathering in memory of Scott Jennings - a longtime race fan and supporter of motorsports in the area who passed away Feb. 25 after a courageous battle with cancer. Cars will start gathering at 5 p.m. with funds raised to be donated to the IWK in Scott's memory...

6/17: Advance tickets are now available for the July 18-19 IWK 250 at Riverside Int'l Speedway. All seats are reserved with "Early Bird" weekend pass tickets ranging from $30 to $50 for adults, $15 to $30 for youth - if purchased by July 1. Weekend passes purchased from July 1-8 range from $40 to $60 for adults and $20 to $35 for youth. Single day tickets will go on sale July 9. Click here for a seating diagram; click here for the advance order form. Both are PDF forms; if you can't open call the track box office at 902.863.2410...

6/14: Rain postponed the Racing for Wildlife 200 ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Michigan International Speedway on Friday. The event will be run at 9:30 a.m. (AT) Saturday. Following the conclusion of the ARCA race, the Turn Four grandstand will be cleared of fans that do not have Saturday tickets for the Craftsman Truck Series race - which will begin at its regularly scheduled time of 4 p.m. (AT). The Friday ARCA race was scheduled for live coverage on SPEED, no word whether it will be shown Saturday - best to check the tube...

6/13: Race fans attending Saturday's big show at Speedway 660 can expect to see John Flemming in the mix for the Irving Lubricants Best of the Best Pro Stock 100. The three-time CARQUEST Tour champ has decided to make a detour via Geary, NB on his way to Sunday's PASS North SLM show at Wiscasset Speedway in Maine. He'll race the car he drove to a third-place finish last weekend at Riverside at Speedway 660, then head south of the border to run his Maine-based car in the PASS race Sunday...

6/12: NASCAR has been slapped with a lawsuit by a former official who alleges racial and sexual discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination. The suit was filed by an African American woman who worked as a tech official in the Nationwide Series between 2005 and 2007; she seeks $225 million in damages. NASCAR has refuted the charges saying the former employee never reported her claims to her supervisors; the suitor says she complained several times...

6/11: Daryl Mahar, driver of the No. 66 on the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour, is hosting an auction this Saturday June 14 - with benefits aiding Mahar's '08 race program, as well as the Colchester Community Workshop. 'Jer Bear', aka Jerry Lawrence, will be the auctioneer selling off loads of items including tools, power tools, gift certificates - for various goods and services, household items, electronics and much more. Join Daryl and friends at the Jolly Mug Pub & Grill in the Bayers Lake Park; viewing starts at 5:30 p.m. and the auction goes at 6...

6/10: NASCAR Superstar Greg Biffle and his wife Nicole, auto racing’s power couple, will be honored June 11 for their life saving efforts on behalf of homeless animals at North Shore Animal League America’s Seventh Annual Lewyt Humane Awards Luncheon in Garden City, NY...

6/9: Maine's Trevor Sanborn won the PASS South race in Rougemont, North Carolina Saturday; it was Sanborn's first win on the series. Jason Hogan, Jeff Fultz, Ben Rowe and John Stancill rounded out the top five. Dartmouth's Dean Clattenburg did not enter the event - which saw a 29-car field...

6/9: Hmmm - it seems New Glasgow's George Koszkulics has lost the points he gained in the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour season opener May 24 at Scotia Speedworld - assuming as a result of the "altercation" on the front stretch after Koszkulics and Sommerville wrecked in the closing stages of the race - got a message in to Tour officials for confirmation, so stay tuned...UPDATE Koszkulics was also placed on probation for the rest of the year...

6/8: Officials at Speedway 660 have spent the week looking for a reschedule date for last weekends washed out Irving Lubricants Pro Stock 100. After weighing all the options it was clear that the only weekend that would be a viable option for the event was Saturday June 14. In addition to the Irving Lubricants 100 folks will also see the previously scheduled Martins Home Heating Sportsman 100. Everything will start at 5 pm and the Coast Tire Street Stocks will have regular points racing followed by the Irving Lubricants Pro Stock 100 and then the Martins Home Heating Sportsman 100. Pits will open at 1 pm and Grandstands at 3 pm...

6/6: In their ongoing effort to provide increased fan interaction, Speedway 600 has added a new announcer to their roster. "Alex" will work with longtime track announcer Wade Wilson - except that Alex will wander through the stands and other fan areas...And - the new Speedway 660 website has been launched; find it at Speedway660.com - where fans will find lots of info on the facility as well as points and results - planned to be updated the night of the event...

6/4: The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio event at Autodrome St. Eustache in Quebec has been re-scheduled to July 5. Weekend rains in the Montreal area on Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1 allowed drivers only an abbreviated practice session on Sunday morning. The July 5 event will include the full schedule of events with a practice session and time trials prior to the running of the National Kodak 250...

6/3: Motorcycle daredevil Robbie “Kaptain” Knievel has announced that he will extend the length of his “Great American Hummer ® Jump” presented by Frac Tech Services from 20 to 25 vehicles in the special event that will highlight the pre-race activities for Saturday night’s Bombardier Learjet 550k IndyCar Series race at Texas Motor Speedway...

6/2: The fourth annual Old Spice Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway goes this Wednesday June 4; the dirt track is owned by NASCAR's Tony Stewart who has gathered 25 of the worlds most famous professional racers to compete in the charity event. It can be seen on Pay-Per-View in Canada through Viewer's Choice; the cost is $24.99 and the show starts at 8 p.m./AT. Check your local cable or satellite provider for ordering details...

6/1: The Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame are holding their annual Petty Autofest Fundraiser car show next Saturday June 7 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. in Petitcodiac at the arena on Corey Ave. from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Vehicle entry is just $5 and spectator admission is a donation at the door. There will be an auction at 1 p.m. and live entertainment at 2 p.m...

5/31: A recent update on the Lake Doucette Motor Speedway website says there will indeed be a weekly racing show at the Digby-area track this summer. Some of the racers have taking on the task of organizing the shows - with free admission to any person that may want to come out & watch the show that these drivers are going to put on. The Sunday shows start at noon and run from June 8 through October 5...More detailed schedule on their site - click here...

5/31: Crown Royal and the Jamie McMurray Foundation are teaming up to donate $25,000 to the 7th Annual Drive for Autism Celebrity-Am Golf Outing. Proceeds from the tournament, which was held at the Dupont Country Club in Wilmington, Del., on Thursday, May 29, 2008, will be donated to the Autism Society of Delaware, which is committed to improving the lives of individuals with autism and their families...

5/30: Richard Petty Driving Experience (RPDE) will be the primary sponsor on the Petty Enterprises #45 Dodge for the Best Buy 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race this weekend in Dover and again in Daytona for the Coke Zero 400 on July 5th. 23 year-old Chad McCumbee will pilot the RPDE race car at the Monster Mile this weekend in place of Kyle Petty, who has the weekend off for his daughters wedding. “I have to thank everyone at Petty Enterprises for allowing me to drive the No. 45 Richard Petty Driving Experience Dodge this weekend,” said McCumbee, who has two starts under his belt at Dover. Veteran Terry Labonte will take over for Petty in the 45 car at Daytona in July. The 51 year-old NASCAR champion just couldn’t say no when he got the call to drive. “I could say no to some other people pretty easy,” said Labonte. “But with my brother Bobby over here and being able to drive for the Petty folks, I just had to do this deal and I am sure we are going to have some great fun.”

5/29: Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver Regan Smith heads to Dover (Del.) International Speedway for Sunday’s Best Buy 400 hoping to maintain his team’s momentum. Adding to the excitement for Smith this weekend is the fact that he will have a new crew chief on the pit box. Dan Stillman will take the reins of the No. 01 DEI/Principal Financial Group Chevrolet team beginning this weekend at the Monster Mile. Stillman was most recently the car chief of the No. 55 Toyota at Michael Waltrip Racing, but he does have experience at Dale Earnhardt Inc. The Wisconsin native was a shock and spring engineer at DEI before becoming the crew chief for Paul Menard in the Nationwide Series. He also worked at Kevin Harvick Inc. as crew chief for that organization’s Nationwide program...

5/29: Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE:TRK) has named Marcus Smith chief operating officer and president of the company, as well as president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway. The promotions were announced today following approval by the Speedway Motorsports board of directors. Smith, the son of Lowe's owner Bruton Smith, replaces H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler at the helm...

5/28: Maritime race fans need tune in to ABC Sunday June 8 at 9 p.m./AT for "The Circuit" - a racing-themed movie that was filmed in Nova Scotia last year; most of the racing footage was done at Scotia Speedworld and Riverside Speedway - using lots of extras from the Halifax area. Click here for a link to the movie preview...

5/26: Not stock car racing - but...Scott Dixon earned a record $2,988,065 from a record overall purse of $14,406,580 for his victory May 25 in the 92nd Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. The previous record winner’s purse was $1,761,740 awarded to Buddy Rice in 2004, while the 2007 Indianapolis 500 field was awarded the previous record race purse, $10,668,815. The event purse is comprised of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indy Racing League awards, including the new IndyCar TEAM (Team Enhancement and Allocation Matrix) program, sponsor awards and other designated awards. Dixon, a first-time “500” winner, became the first native of New Zealand to win the Indianapolis 500 in an exciting, hard-fought race. Dixon, an Indianapolis resident, started from the PEAK Motor Oil Pole in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone, led seven times for a race-high 115 laps and beat Panther Racing’s Vitor Meira to the finish line by 1.7498 seconds...

5/23: Enfield's Shawn Turple is ready to start the '08 CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour season Saturday at Scotia Speedworld. Turple had his No. 0 racecar out for a private practice session earlier this week and is really pleased with the results. Turple finished second in the overall point standings last year and hopes to improve that by one spot this year...

5/20: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has decided to forego the role of interviewee to play reporter for his official Web site. The interviews will be conducted monthly and featured exclusively on www.dalejr.com. Earnhardt's interview with owner Rick Hendrick is available now...

5/20: Lowe's Motor Speedway officials have announced country music artist Darryl Worley, who will participate in pre-race ceremonies by singing the national anthem leading up to the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event Sunday at the 1.5-mile superspeedway located near Charlotte, NC...

5/18: SAD NEWS - NASCAR pioneer Lloyd Moore (pictured right) passed away Sunday. Mr. Moore, who would have been 96 on June 8, has been featured on this website several times - thanks to the introduction and updates by his good friend Reg Houghnot, most recently May 8 through a link to a NY Times article that featured Mr. Moore's story - a great story indeed... "The King" Richard Petty has issued the following statement with regard to Lloyd Moore's passing: "I was saddened to learn of the passing of Lloyd Moore yesterday. He was a joy to be around. Lloyd was a connection to the origin of NASCAR. Talking to him was like taking a trip down memory lane, for me, because he raced against my dad. I still have memories of those races. He would come by the house after a lot of the races because he and daddy were good friends. So I knew Lloyd from the time I was a young kid and I am proud to say that we developed a great friendship over the years. Lloyd was a great driver and a great person. He will truly be missed."

5/17: From the Centre for Speed (CFS) website...CFS regrets that we are forced to cancel this Sunday's "Spring Shakedown" due to excessive moisture in the racing surface. The first event will now be next Sunday, May 25th - Checkered Flag Day, sponsored by Lounsbury Chevrolet. Race time is set for 2:30 PM...

5/17: Dale Earnhardt Jr. may be taking back his standard "never" answer with regard to JR Motorsports fielding a Cup team. Jr. recanted Friday when asked by reporters about the possibility, saying it could happen as soon as next year if the situation was right - and the rumour has him in talks with Tony Stewart and former teammate Martin Truex Jr.; Stewart has a contract with Gibbs through the end of '09, but has publicly stated his manufacturer allegiance lies with Chevrolet - as does Jr.'s; and Truex's contract with DEI is up at the end of this season...

5/16: Pro All Stars Series President Tom Mayberry announced Friday that the series has cancelled all remaining scheduled PASS Outlaws events for 2008. In making the announcement, Mayberry said; “As a series we have an obligation to provide both our fans and the promoters that support us with a top notch racing program whenever we put on an event. Our first two Outlaw races of the season had nine and twelve cars respectively, and the small fields had a negative effect on the quality of the show. There are a number of factors that have reduced the car count, but economics and the fact that several weekly race tracks have added this type of car to their weekly programs are, I believe, the primary reasons for the decline." Mayberry went on to say... "I would like to thank all of the racers and race fans that have supported the Outlaw Series during the past two seasons, and offer a special thanks to the twelve teams that took part in our two 2008 events." This will not effect the PASS North, South, National, Mods or Sportsman divisions...

5/15: Tickets for the 51st annual Daytona 500 will go on sale on Saturday, May 17, at 8 a.m. (EST). Prior to Saturday, May 17, only renewals and deposits for seat assignments for the 51st annual Daytona 500 were accepted. Daytona International Speedway offers several convenient methods for fans to purchase tickets: online at www.racetickets.com; call 1-800-PITSHOP; visit the Daytona International Speedway ticket office...

5/12: Those of you planning to attend Monster jam at Scotia Speedworld June 7 should be aware of the Pit Party from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. where you can see the monsters up close and meet the heroes that drive them. The event organizers have just announced that all you need to gain admission to the Pit Party is a ticket to the 1 p.m. show. More info here..

5/12: Published reports over the weekend say their is no firm timetable for Dario Franchitti's return to the driver's seat in the No. 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup car. Franchitti continues to recuperate after breaking his left ankle during a crash at the Talladega race April 27. Unless the swelling subsides so therapy can start in the next few days, it is likely Sterling Marlin - who has filled in the last two races - will be back in the seat for the races at Lowe's Motor Speedway (NC)...

5/11: 15-year-old Zach Stroupe won the PASS South race Saturday at Motor Mile Speedway in Virginia. Stroupe drives for car owner Bob Dillner - yes, the same guy that works pit road during the Sprint Cup races. Corey Williams was second and Alex Haase third. Dartmouth (NS) native Dean Clattenburg started - and finished - 12th on the 21-car field...

5/11: Petty Enterprises has always been a family business, and until now featured the Petty family; however it looks like the Labonte family may be the focus - at least for the summer. Kyle Petty is scheduled to get out of the car for the summer - and word has it Terry Labonte may be in the 45 car, at least part-time, a teammate to his younger brother Bobby Labonte, driver of the 43 car...

5/10: Update on John Chisholm (Riverside Int'l Speedway owner); he is home from hospital and recuperating, able to get out a bit each day and making good progress; GOOD NEWS !!!

5/10: Riverside Int'l Speedway is just days away from launching a new in-house computerized ticketing system on May 14, testing the system by offering a limited number of reserved seats to their '08 season opener June 7 - the second race on the season for the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour, the Ron MacGillivray Chevrolet 100 - for which they are also promising soon-to-be-announced special plans. Stay tuned...

5/9: This past weekend’s Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway not only grabbed attention by selling all 112,029 seats, it was also the most viewed NASCAR event in the history of America’s Premier Short Track. The 400-lap race, which was broadcast live on FOX earned a 4.5 final national rating, up +5% over last year’s 4.3 final national rating. Saturday night’s Sprint Cup Series event aired directly against the NBA Playoffs, NHL Playoffs, NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship, PGA Champions Tour, NHRA, Boxing and PBR...

5/9: Ned and Dale Jarrett, one of only two father-and-son combinations to claim championships in NASCAR's premier division, will be simultaneously inducted into Lowe's Motor Speedway's Court of Legends. H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and general manager of the 1.5-mile superspeedway, will honor the two North Carolina natives who will have their signatures, footprints and handprints immortalized in concrete near the track's main entrance...

5/8: From the Lake Doucette Motor Speedway site..."There will be a very important meeting on Sunday May 10/08 at 12:30 for all the drivers that may be interested in racing this summer." The ' facility recently announced they had cancelled the '08 season...

5/8: Wood Brothers Racing will be placing its 1971 Mercury paint scheme on the #21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion in Darlington this weekend for the Dodge Challenger 500 on Saturday night, May 10th. Bill Elliott will drive the #21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion with the vintage paint scheme. The candy apple red and white COT with the signature gold numbers will commemorate a time in Wood Brother's racing history when David Pearson drove the #21 to five wins and eight pole starting positions at Darlington Raceway...

5/8: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standout Carl Edwards will once again join the SPEED announce crew during the broadcast of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXIV (May 17; 7 p.m. E.T.) live and in high definition from Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Edwards, who has also co-hosted SPEED’s The Chase is On with Steve Byrnes the previous two seasons, will reprise his role as a pit road reporter during the preliminary NASCAR Sprint All-Star Showdown. Last year, he just missed the All-Star Race when he finished third in the Showdown, opening an opportunity for SPEED to use Edward’s off-track talents to cover the All-Star Race nightcap...

5/8: Dale Earnhardt Jr. is on the cover of "ESPN - The Magazine" this week with an accompanying story in which he shares for the first time the heartache he felt, and continues to feel, over losing his father Dale Earnhardt Sr. in February 2001. Click here to read the online version of the story - with pictures taken at Jr.'s 200-acre ranch; you will be leave this website...

5/8: Thanks to CTW.com reader Reg Houghwot for giving us the heads up with regard to a story about NASCAR pioneer and legend Lloyd Moore running in today's edition of the NY Times - a story any real NASCAR fan should read; click here (you will leave this website)...

5/7: Dover International Speedway and Best Buy officials have announced the June 1 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will be named the "Best Buy 400 benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks." A variety of initiatives are planned for Dover's May 30 – June 1, 2008 NASCAR race weekend to increase awareness and raise funds for Autism Speaks. Last year's June NASCAR Sprint Cup event in Dover, also benefiting Autism Speaks, saw Martin Truex Jr. pull into Victory Lane for his first career win at the Monster Mile...

5/6: Denny Hamlin probably didn't think things could get much worse after blowing a tire on his racecar Saturday night at Richmond while leading with less than 20 laps to go...NOT...Hamlin fell while playing basketball Sunday and injured his hip; he could barely walk at Lowe's Motor Speedway Monday during the Sprint Cup test...He says he is OK to drive...

5/5: Miramichi City Speedway in northern New Brunswick has announced a five-event schedule for 2008: June 21 (Demolition, Dukes & 4 Cylinder); July 12 (Demolition, Dukes & 4 Cylinder); August 9 (Dukes & 4 Cylinder - Twin 50's); August 23 (Demolition, Dukes & 4 Cylinder); September 13 (Demolition, Dukes & 4 Cylinder)...

5/3: Not one to miss any promotional opportunity Eddie Gossage - GM at Texas Motor Speedway - was obviously listening to a radio show this week that featured Dale Earnhardt Jr and recent IndyCar winner Danica Patrick, during which the two quipped jokingly about switching cars for a race. Gossage formally offered Dale Jr.'s favourite charity $100,000 if the NASCAR star would run the IndyCar race at Texas. Earnhardt responded Friday saying: "He thinks I’m a cheap date I guess. I wouldn’t be able to do it, my conscience wouldn’t let me. If they offered me more money, my conscience wouldn’t let me feel comfortable with doing it. I know his intentions are well and we had that discussion with the billboard thing and I totally understand what his approach is advertising now. If I had the opportunity if I was there testing my car and somebody had their car there, I’d like to jump in it and run a couple of laps but that would be the extent of the adventure.”

5/2: With too much to do and too little time, motorists are increasingly taking this “get it all done” attitude to the roads and committing DWD – Driving While Distracted. The problem is especially bad for young drivers. Nationwide Insurance has teamed up with NASCAR drivers Clint Bowyer and Landon Cassill, DRIVE SMART Virginia, the Virginia State Police, Henrico County School officials and the Richmond International Raceway to encourage teens in Virginia to drive safely and stop texting while driving. Visuals include a NASCAR simulator that will allow participants to see first hand the dangers of texting behind the wheel. This event is the second in a series. Similar events will be held in other communities during the 2008 NASCAR season...

5/1: CheckersToWreckers.com is two years old today - and still growing in popularity. Over the last 12 months this little site dedicated to stock car racing garnered over 9.6 MILLION hits - absolutely amazing to us...Many, many thanks to all of our loyal readers and sponsors!!!

5/2: NASCAR's All-Star Weekend adds another group of all-stars as multi-platinum recording artists 3 Doors Down will perform a 75-minute concert prior to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday, May 17, at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The concert begins at 3:30 p.m. (local time) in the infield between Turns 1 and 2. Admission to the concert is free with the purchase of a ticket to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race...

5/2: Just a couple weeks ago it was announced Unity Speedway in Maine had cancelled their 2008 season - well, it's back on again - thanks to new track operators George and Sherri Fernald. Pre-season practice days are set for this Saturday and Sunday with a competitor information meeting Sunday at 2 p.m...

5/1: Talked to Halifax's John Flemming yesterday; he's ready to head for Speedway 95 near Bangor (Maine) for this Saturday's PASS North Super Late Model 150 - round two on the '08 PASS North SLM schedule. Flemming reports crew chief Seth Holbrook has the car ready at his Maine shop. "We hope to be good off the trailer," said Flemming. "With only three 20-minutes practice sessions you pretty much have what you have." Flemming is 13th in the point standings - just 25 markers behind first-place Mike Rowe. John will not be the only Canadian competitor this weekend - being joined by Greg Fahey (No. 20, pictured right) from St. Stephen (New Brunswick) - from Speedway 660's weekly pro stock division...

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