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LIVE Daytona Blog: Day 3 Session Two

By Greg Engle
Cup Scene Daily,January 18

Last Monday's Blog

Last Tuesday's Blog

Last Wednesday's Blog

<<--Monday's Blog

<<--Tuesday's Blog

-8:00AM In route to the Speedway from Orlando. Expect reports to begin around 9:30AM, pictures to follow shortly there after.

-10:20AM The sweet sound of man made thunder is echoing around the Daytona International Speedway this morning as the final group of NASCAR Nextel Cup cars practice drafting around the speedway.

With brisk temperatures, windy conditions under a clear blue sky, the cars will spend the day working on getting their cars to perform under race conditions. Currently cars are running packs of up to twelve.

“The car is running great, “a smiling Kurt Busch told me as he switched from one car to the other, “We’re just working on set-ups.”

Busch will be in the media center this afternoon, facing the press for a rare visit after all his off track adventures last season. By all accounts, Busch has learned his lessons well and that seems to be evident as he’s been very accommodating to me during the last few days. No doubt however his seat on the media center stage will be a warm one.

-11:25AM Big News? Bill France, along with several members of the France family and ISC execs. Richard Petty and Mike Helton have entered the media center...big news to follow?

NASCAR LAUNCHES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

NASCAR announced today the establishment of the NASCAR Foundation a non-profit entity that will serve a liaison between the sport and all of the chartable causes supported by its different constituents.

The Foundation will review charity requests on a regular basis and over time will expand its focus beyond the industry related charities the NASCAR currently supports.

Betty Jane France has been a leader of NASCAR charitable projects, most notably Speedeatrics, a NASCAR themed pediatric unit at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach.

“NASCAR is committed t helping improve the lives of people and those in need and we’re excited about the opportunities for community service through our NASCAR Foundation,” said Mike Helton, NASCAR president and NASCAR Foundation Board vice-chairman.

Through the NASCAR Foundation, the general public will have opportunities to become involved with the community service projects NASCAR supports. The largest annual charity event supported by the Foundation is NASCAR Day. For a $5 donation, participants receive an official NASCAR day lapel pin and have the opportunity to wear their favorite NASCAR apparel to work. In just its second year, 240,000 pins were sold for NASCAR Day 2005, raising $1.2 million overall. More than 500 companies participated in NASCAR Day last year.

The NASCAR Foundation will also work with drives and their foundations or their favorite charity. Kyle Petty who along with his wife, Pattie, founded the Victory Junction Gang Camp in honor of their late son Adam says the Foundation will be a great asset to furthering the assistance the sport can provide to those in need.

“From the very beginning, NASCAR has been a tremendous help to the Victory Junction Gang Camp,” said Petty, driver of the No. 45 Dodge. “We received so much support from NASCAR when we first announced the camp and it wasn’t long after that, the camp became an official NASCAR charity. That really allowed the camp to move to a national level and reach an even greater number of young people. The Victory Junction Gang Camp is up and running today in large part because of NASCAR, its drivers, sponsors and all of the loyal fans who follow the sport. I believe the NASCAR Foundation is only going to continue to improve the Victory Junction Gang Camp and benefit all of the charitable efforts that NASCAR sponsors.”

The NASCAR Foundation Board will consist of Betty Jane France, Chairman; Mike Helton, Vice-Chairman; Jim Hunter, Vice President; Todd Wilson, Treasurer; and Jennifer F. Bates, Vice Chairman, Secretary. Sandy Marshall, who has served as NASCAR’s Senior Manager for Community Relations for the past three years and is based in Charlotte, will be Executive Director of the NASCAR Foundation.

-4:22PM The shadows are growing longer across the track as the teams get in their last drafting laps. And soon the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup test will be history.

The only team bringing a Car of Tomorrow thursday is that of Kyle Petty and since his will be the only one, i'll skip that and concentrate on getting ready for next weeks NASCAR Nextel Cup media tour.

Right now I have to get ready to go on the air for KRRP/ESPN radio at 4:40.

-5:05PM Stick in a fork in it, it's done.The fat lady has sung...The last car is parked and the haulers are being loaded. the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Testing as ended. While Kyle Busch led the speeds this afternoon,(190.251) the surprise of the afternoon though was Kyle Petty, who was third on the afternoon with a speed of 190.070.

A Big Thank you!

For all of you who've visited the last two weeks, I hope you've had as much fun as I have. I really appreciate all the emails of support from all of you.

The site itself has recorded almost 3 million hits this month! Wow, that is a record and I sincerly hope you've enjoyed my work here at Daytona.

But the adventure is just beginning! Saturday, I head to Charlotte North Carolina for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Media Tour hosted by Lowes Motor Speedway. While I won't be able to provide a live blog, I will give you all the news from the tour and pictures, so check back for that.

The next live blog will be the biggie, the 2006 Daytona 500!

Time to head home, thanks for coming along for the ride!

Greg

Afternoon Speeds

Afternoon Session

Do NOT hotlink to these photos

Pos. Car Driver Speed 1. 88b Dale Jarrett 189.215 2. 07 Clint Bowyer 189.127 3. 09 Mike Wallace 189.012 4. 99b Carl Edwards 188.945 5. 16b Greg Biffle 188.917 6. 26b Jamie McMurray 188.834 7. 29 Kevin Harvick 188.715 8. 5a Kyle Busch 188.711 9. 01b Joe Nemechek 188.533 10. 45a Kyle Petty 188.486 11. 26a Jamie McMurray 188.411 12. 09a Mike Wallace 188.367 13. 16a Greg Biffle 188.316 14. 66 Jeff Green Chv 188.292 15. 55 Michael Waltrip 188.225 16. 22a Dave Blaney 188.222 17. 61a Kevin Lepage 188.218 18. 01a Joe Nemechek 188.159 19. 6a Mark Martin 187.954 20. 11a Denny Hamlin 187.950 21. 18a J.J. Yeley 187.825 22. 96r Terry Labonte 187.825 23. 2a Kurt Busch 187.770 24. 10b Scott Riggs 187.723 25. 42x Casey Mears 187.723 26. 95 Stanton Barrett 187.692 27. 22 Dave Blaney 187.649 28. 25b David Green 187.570 29. 66x Jeff Green 187.496 30. 89 Morgan Shepherd 187.375 31. 14b Sterling Marlin 187.363 32. 99a Carl Edwards 187.196 33. 32a Travis Kvapil 187.036 34. 15a Paul Menard 186.962 35. 10a Scott Riggs 186.904 36. 49 Brent Sherman 186.498 37. 18b J.J. Yeley 186.413 38. 45 Kyle Petty 186.389 39. 07a Clint Bowyer 186.293 40. 11b Denny Hamlin 186.100 41. 29a Kevin Harvick 185.916 42. 14a Sterling Marlin 185.521 43. 7a Robby Gordon 184.631 44. 7 Robby Gordon 184.509 45. 92a Chad Chaffin 184.498 46. 42 Casey Mears 184.475 47. 15 Paul Menard 184.275 48. 96t Terry Labonte 184.139 49. 32 Travis Kvapil 183.516 50. 49a Brent Sherman 183.348 51. 27 Kirk Shelmerdine 182.500

Morning Session

Do NOT hotlink to these photos