NOT NASCAR BUT.....

This is funny as hell! I should maybe stop saying these things to my wife...

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In Car Gateway Test

Kevin Hamlin testing at Gateway on Aug 19 2008, I will interviewing Kevin this Saturday.

Kevin is a Ganassi Test driver and has raced in NASCAR Trucks and Nationwide series.

If you have any questions that you may want me to ask him let me know.

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Trying it Again (Kevin Hamlin)

Well I haven't been too lucky with getting any phone interviews with drivers, I set up the time and date and well I get put aside, soooo I am trying it again.

Test driver Kevin Hamlin, of Ganassi Racing, will be talking to me this weekend. I have it all setup and it should be a done deal (FINALLY, LOL) I will be seeing what he has been up to, after testing at Gateway this week, talking about the #40 team closing their doors, and if we will see him racing again soon.

If anyone has anything that they would like me to ask him post it here. Thanks

Don

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No #4 for NEWMAN and Boyer will NOT be in the #07 in 2009

Ryan Newman WILL NOT be driving the #4 as was announced at a press conference early this week. Newman was reportedly said to be in the 2nd Stewart/Hass Chevy with the #4 on the side, but Morgan-McClure racing will be making a few starts next year and the rights to the #4 still are with that team. Instead Newman will be driving the #39.

More Numbers games...

Clint Boyer will be in the the #33 Cheerios Chevy for RCR and Casey Mears, will be in the #07Jack Daniels Chevy starting in 2009

Stock Car News

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ROWDY NATION SOUND OFF!!!

I found this very interesting quote from March of 2002, it is NASCAR Head Dude, Mike Helton
He was asked by a member of the media if NASCAR would ever see a day that the cars would be the same, or a common template would be made,

“I don’t know that you’ll ever reach a point where there’s definitively a set of templates that are uniquely common. I think there is a benefit for Chevrolet, Pontiac, Dodge and Ford to have brand identity in these garage areas." - Mike Helton, March 16, 2002

HUMMMM Interesting....

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Big Wreck Video @ the Glen

For those that have not seen it.

BTW Bobby LaBonte is OK he as brought to a local hospital but he was released with no injuries, he was just very sore.

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MORE BAD NEWS: Paul Newman says he will die at home

PAUL Newman has finished chemotherapy and has told his family he wants to die at home.

The Oscar-winning actor was pictured being pushed from a New York cancer hospital in a wheelchair.

Yesterday, it was reported in America that Newman, 83, had only weeks to live and had returned home to his wife, Joanne Woodward.

"Paul didn't want to die in the hospital," a source said. "Joanne and his daughters are beside themselves with grief."

The source, described as a close family friend, said that the star had spent the past few weeks getting his affairs in order.

It was claimed that some of Newman's actions had caused tension among of his children.

"He gave a prized car - a Ferrari with his racing number, 82, on it - to a long-time pal," the friend said.

"The sudden move angered his children. It's especially hard for them to come to grips with what's going on.

"The word they've been given is that he has only a few weeks to live."

Newman married Woodward in 1958 and the couple have three daughters.

It was reported last month that he had been readying their oldest child, Nell, to take over his Newman's Own salad dressings company, the profits of which are given to a charitable foundation.

He also has two daughters from his first marriage to Jackie Witte.

Newman has so far declined to comment on his condition, apart from saying he is "doing nicely".

Rumours about his health surfaced in January. Three months ago, he withdrew from directing a production of Of Mice and Men in his home town of Westport, Connecticut.

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Motorcyclist Anthony Hart Killed At Supermoto Event Saturday At Stafford Motor Speedway

By Shawn Courchesne

A rider died following an accident during a Motocross event Saturday at Stafford Motor Speedway.

Anthony Hart of Henderson, Nev. was killed after a practice crash in preparation for Saturday evening's Doug Henry New England Grand Prix at Stafford. Hart was 21.

Stafford Motor Speedway issued a statement reading: "It is with deep regret that the Stafford Motor Speedway announces that during a practice session of the AMA/XTRM sanctioned SuperMoto Event, being held today, rider Anthony Hart, age 21 of Henderson Nevada, succumbed to injuries received while participating in the event. The Speedway extends their condolences to the family and friends of Anthony Hart."

Officials at the track from the American Motorcyclist Association, which sanctioned the event, weren't available. It is the second year Stafford has hosted the event, in which the track is leased by an outside promoter for the show.

The Supermoto format has racers competing at the same time on both pavement sections of the racetrack and also on traditional dirt motocross sections in the infield

The official statement regarding the fatality was released just prior to the 7 p.m. start of the event.

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Kobalt NOT Sponsoring the NASCAR Truck Series

JAYSKI'S
Kobalt not to sponsor Truck Series, Craftsman back with NASCAR..but: Kobalt Tools, the Lowe's brand that was considered the leader to be the title sponsor of the NASCAR truck series, has withdrawn from the bidding, sources say. Craftsman is in its final season as the title sponsor. With Kobalt stepping away, the door is open for Craftsman to renew its status as the official tool of NASCAR, which the brand had hoped to retain even though it was not renewing title sponsorship of the series.(Sports Business Daily), hearing Craftsman may return as the sponsor of the Truck Series.(8-8-2008)

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Auto Makers Want Some Changes In NASCAR

The big Auto Makers are making it clear that changes need to be made if NASCAR expects the money to keep rolling in from them. Its no secret that many auto makers are indeed feeling the crunch with declining sales and the US economy on a big downturn, but just how serious are they? And what type of change do they expect NASCAR to make?

What are these proposals? Here are the main issues that GM, Ford and Chrysler plan on discussing in the very near future with NASCAR management in meetings to be held in Detroit:

1. Brand Recognition.
It's no secret that there are factions within these Detroit manufacturers who are none too pleased with NASCAR's "CoT" and the fact that literally all brand distinctiveness has been eliminated with the "spec" bodywork required in Sprint Cup. The Hot Idea? The Detroit manufacturers want their "pony" cars to be made eligible for the Sprint Cup in 2010, with stock bodywork dimensions, no less. They want more of a direct connection between what they run in NASCAR and what they sell on the street. That means putting all of the CoT safety developments within the production body dimensions of the Camaro, Mustang and Challenger, with an entry from Toyota to be determined. It also means a return to NASCAR's old days, when every race weekend's technical inspection became a forum for lobbying and intense carrying-on by the manufacturers searching for an advantage. The reality? NASCAR got wind of this idea at Indy and suggested that the Nationwide Series would be a better forum for "pony" cars, but the manufacturers have already dismissed that idea out of hand. They want their "pony" cars to have a raison d'etre, and one way to do it is to race them in NASCAR, which would do wonders to enhance their marketing programs. That's why the manufacturers want them in Sprint Cup by 2010. NASCAR, on the other hand, feels a nightmare coming on while envisioning trying to balance the manufacturers' competitiveness with each other on the track. They better get used to it.

2. Elevate the technology.
This is something that NASCAR better get on board with, because the manufacturers are more than adamant about it. They're tired of NASCAR's head-in-sand approach when it comes to applying technology to Sprint Cup. On the manufacturers' wish list? Direct fuel-injection, overhead cams and alternative fuel. And that means walking away from "spec" engines too - and doing away with the common bore centers that NASCAR is requiring. And the fact that NASCAR just went to unleaded racing fuel not long ago isn't cutting it with Detroit, either. They're thinking E85 instead. The reality? NASCAR will argue that these kinds of changes will add to the cost for the teams, but that argument isn't likely to hold water with the Detroit manufacturers. NASCAR's "yester-tech" comfort zone with 60s automotive technology will have to finally be put out to pasture, if they want the Detroit manufacturers to stay interested, that is.

3. A total reevaluation of the road racing program. Right now NASCAR has two road races on their schedule, but two of the three Detroit manufacturers want to add at least two more road races to the schedule without adding to the total number of races (see the next point below). Not only that, these manufacturers want all-new cars mandated for the road races, meaning that special cars would have to be built just for the road racing events. What these cars would look like and what their specifications would be is yet to be determined, but suffice to say there's room for a radical interpretation with this aspect of Detroit's NASCAR "wish" list. The reality? One of the reasons NASCAR went to their vaunted CoT was to eliminate the need for having to build different cars for different tracks (super speedways, intermediate ovals, short tracks, road races, etc.), so this proposal is likely to meet intense pushback from NASCAR management. But then again, if cooler heads prevail in Daytona Beach, they might just realize that if the manufacturers are enthused about this then it might just be better to go with the flow, because the alternative is not looking so appealing at this point.

4. Cut the schedule. To the manufacturers this is a "no-brainer." You want to cut costs? Then cut the number of races, which will allow the manufacturers to reduce their overall expenditures. One manufacturer in particular has already suggested eliminating at least four races from the overall schedule, while adding two more road races, which means effectively cutting six existing races from the schedule. The easiest solution to get there? Do away with the double visits to certain tracks during the season. The reality? Them's fighting words in Daytona Beach. Nobody messes with their schedule and nobody tells them what to do when it comes to their tracks. We'll see about that.

5. Eliminate the truck series. The implosion of the casual-use pickup truck market in the U.S. does not bode well for NASCAR's truck series. And the fact that NASCAR hasn't been able to land a sponsor to replace Craftsman doesn't bode well for the truck series either. The Detroit manufacturers wouldn't mind if NASCAR's truck series went bye-bye. As a matter of fact, one of the manufacturers has already let it be known that they're as good as through with the truck series. The reality? NASCAR may not have much choice here.

6. Make the Nationwide Series a true driver development series. The majority of the Detroit Three want the Nationwide Series to be strictly a driver development series, which means Sprint Cup drivers wouldn't be allowed to compete. Sounds simple enough, right? The reality? NASCAR doesn't take too kindly to people telling them what they can or cannot do when it comes to a competitive aspect in one of their series, but who knows? Once NASCAR gets use to grappling with all of these other ideas from the manufacturers, this might be the easiest one to go along with.

These are the key proposals - at least the "high hard ones" anyway - that the Detroit Three plan on discussing with NASCAR in the next few weeks.

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