The Worlds first daily e-newspaper devoted to the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series
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Vol. III,No.VIXII OFFSEASON EDITION
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The Worlds first daily e-newspaper devoted to the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Welcome to the Cup Scene Daily for Vol. III,No.VIXII OFFSEASON EDITION |
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TODAYS FRONT PAGE<
COUNTING BLESSINGS
After Exciting, Successful Season, NASCAR Celebrates the Holiday Season
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Quote Of The Day: “Our piston speeds run up and down the walls faster than that red little cart that runs around with a Shell sticker on it.” — Owner and engine guru Robert Yates, acting as if his words were possible to understand. Happy Birthday: David Pearson 7 DAY ARCHIVE SundayMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday INSIDE TODAY'S ISSUE: Boyer takes over crew chief duties for No. 40 team Marlin to run limited Busch schedule for FitzBradshaw Racing Race unites Wallace brothers Craven gets Superchips as truck sponsor Fuge buys truck team Harvick enters Grand National West race in January Corporation buys SCORE Motorsports, puts Hermie in car, Ince as crew chief Seasons change but work never ends Crosby becomes third woman to compete full-time in Busch Series Picking up the pieces in a non-NASCAR World The Year That Never Was The Wrench Who Stole Racing The agony and the ecstasy of 2004
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December 22 While they may already be looking ahead to next season and the traditions of Daytona, the NASCAR community will pause to embrace the Christmas holiday season. Engines are quiet. Facilities are idle. It’s time to take deep breaths, enjoy friends and family, and – not the least – count blessings. Family, of course, is paramount. Beginning with NASCAR’s founding France family and extending through the years, generations of stock-car racing’s cornerstone families trace their interests and careers to the sport.
One such group is the Tennessee-native Marlins. Sterling Marlin, a fixture in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, was introduced to the sport by his father, Coo Coo Marlin. Sterling Marlin introduced the sport to his son Steadman, who’s competed in the NASCAR Busch Series, and now a new generation of Marlins may be on the horizon. Steadman and his wife Mandy welcomed their first child, Stirlin Blaise, on March 21, and according to Sterling, the family Christmas will feature little Stirlin’s first holiday. All will be going to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands for New Year’s celebrations. Another new NASCAR arrival, Olivia Grace Compton, will be introduced to Christmas holiday traditions. Olivia’s dad, NASCAR Busch Series driver Stacy Compton and his wife Vickie welcomed Olivia, their first child, at 8:45 a.m. on Dec. 7. Her father expects Olivia to meet Santa Claus on Christmas Eve since she enjoys being up all night long. One of NASCAR’s newest families, the Busch family, also intends to huddle during the holidays. Kurt Busch , the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion, will celebrate with his parents, Tom and Gayle, and his younger brother Kyle, the Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Busch Series. But there’s a twist – they’ll do it in their new home state of North Carolina. “This will be the first Christmas that my entire family will be on the east coast,” Kyle said. “We have finally all moved here from Las Vegas. So we will be hanging out, spending time with family and friends and eating some of my Mom’s awesome cooking for Christmas.” The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year, Kasey Kahne, will do the opposite this holiday season – he’ll head for the west coast. Kahne, who also drives the No. 38 Great Clips Dodge in the NASCAR Busch Series, hails from Enumclaw, Wash. So he’ll enjoy a northwest holiday through Jan. 3. Joe Nemechek, who also drives the No. 87 Cellular One Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series, and his wife Andrea are heading west, too, but they’ll stop in Sun Valley, Idaho. The Nemecheks are taking son John Hunter, daughter Blair and eight-month-old daughter Kennedy Grace on a skiing Christmas holiday. Joe’s parents Joe Nemechek Sr. and Martha also are along, and the whole clan will stay at the ski lodge of Nelson Bowers, who owns MB2 Motorsports, Nemechek’s NASCAR Nextel Cup Series team. All except Grandpa Joe and little Kennedy Grace plan to hit the slopes. NASCAR Busch Series driver David Green already has his Christmas present – a new car. Well, not really. Green will switch numbers and drive Brewco Motorsports’ No. 27 Kleenex Chevrolet in 2005. Or, as he puts it, “I will now be in touch with every household out there.” Green and wife Diane plan a stay-at-home Christmas in North Carolina with daughter Kaylie Rae and son Austin. And finally, NASCAR NextelCup Series driver Jamie McMurray, is spending his down time island-hopping. First, McMurray taped a segment on NBC’s “The West Wing,” late last week, then flew to Hawaii for a three-day photo shoot for FOX Sports with Kasey Kahne. The duo will be featured in promos leading up to the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 20. “I've never been to Hawaii, so I'm really looking forward it,” McMurray said. “I mean, if you're doing a promo shoot, I can't think of a better place to do it than Hawaii. After those two shoots, I'll be spending some time at home with my family before we gear back up for the 2005 season with January testing.” That’s right – Preseason Thunder, the annual preseason test sessions at Daytona International Speedway – is only a few weeks away. It begins Tuesday, Jan. 11 through Jan. 13 with NASCAR Nextel Cup Series teams that finished in odd-number car owner points. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams test from Jan. 15-16. NASCAR Nextel Cup Series teams that finished in even-number car owner points test from Jan. 18-20, and NASCAR Busch Series teams test from Jan. 22-23. “Once Jan. 1 hits, I’m off doing sponsor stuff, then testing through (the) first of February,” Green said, referencing the West Coast edition of Preseason Thunder, which occurs Jan. 31-Feb. 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and from Feb. 1-3 at California Speedway. For drivers like Ricky Rudd who finished 24th in the point standings but enjoyed a late-season surge with the addition of new crew chief Michael “Fatback” McSwain, testing can’t get here fast enough. Especially since the series has worked through the inaugural “Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup,” the new method of crowning a champion that was introduced in 2004. The top 10 drivers and any within 400 points of the leader following race No. 26 compete for the series championship during the season’s final 10 races. And Rudd intends to be in the Top 10 in 2005. “I think it is a very realistic goal and we are going to have to work hard for it,” Rudd said. ”But I feel like top 10 in the points at the cut off point is not impossible. I think it is a realistic goal.”
Biffle, Busch and Kenseth to race Rolex 24 at Daytona
Call it the "Team of Champions." That's an appropriate name for the new Crown Royal Special Reserve/Multimatic Ford entry in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the twice-around-the-clock road racing classic Feb. 5-6, 2005, live on SPEED Channel. The special team will feature three NASCAR champion drivers from Ford and Roush Racing: 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion Kurt Busch, 2003 NASCAR Cup Champion Matt Kenseth, and NASCAR Busch (2002) and Craftsman Truck (2000) Champion Greg Biffle. The three Roush Racing Ford pilots will be joined by Multimatic Ford driver Scott Maxwell, who has won six professional road racing championships in his career, but may be best known for his victories in both the 24 Hours of LeMans and the Rolex 24 At Daytona..
The potent foursome will look to capture an overall victory in the 2005 season-opener of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series, it was announced today. "It's a dream team, that's for sure," said Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology. "We started talking last summer about getting a chance to put this type of team together for the Rolex 24, and because of the cooperation of Roush Racing, Multimatic, and Crown Royal Special Reserve, we have an effort and a class of drivers that will be able to make a run for the overall win." The Crown Royal Special Reserve Multimatic Ford is an updated version of the race car that won the Daytona Prototype class at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2003. A Ford Modular Cammer V-8 motor prepared by Roush-Yates Engines will power it. "One of the first things I knew about Jack Roush was his heritage in the 24-hour race at Daytona," said Busch, noting that Roush Racing Fords had won 10 class victories there. "Now to be a member of Roush Racing with Greg and Matt, and to team up with Multimatic and Scott for this event gives me a chance to be a part of history. "It's going to be an All-Star effort for this Crown Royal Special Reserve team, but there are some fantastic drivers in the Grand Am Series that we'll be competing against," Busch added. "We're going to look to Scott to lead us goofy oval guys around those right turns in Daytona, but we're definitely going to have fun with it." "I'm really excited about this coming together as quickly as it did," said Kenseth. "I think with the drivers we have lined up and the support from Ford Racing, we're bound to have a good showing." "I'm privileged to have the opportunity to compete in the 2005 Rolex 24 At Daytona," said Biffle. "When Dan Davis approached me this summer about the opportunity, I jumped at the chance. I love road racing and while I'm excited, I'm also a little nervous about what to expect. I've never driven this type of car, so I'm anxious to get down to Daytona and do some testing, especially at night. "I'm really looking forward to competing with my teammates, and having Scott in the equation will certainly bring it all together," Biffle added. "He's got a lot of experience running these cars and he's a past champion. I appreciate all the hard work that has gone into putting this program together and we plan on bringing home a victory." Busch is fresh off capturing the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup crown in the Sharpie/IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford Taurus, giving Roush Racing and Ford back-to-back Nextel Cup championships. He captured three victories, and led the Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship for all 10 races after winning the Chase-opener at New Hampshire. Busch won by eight points over Jimmie Johnson in the closest Cup championship ever. Kenseth, the 2003 champion, was also one of 10 drivers in the Chase for Championship. The DEWALT Tools Taurus driver captured two victories this past season, a victory in the Nextel All-Star Challenge and had 16 top-10 finishes along the way. He competed part-time in the Busch Series, capturing three wins. Biffle finished 17th in the Nextel Cup standings, and third in the Busch Series standings, as he competed in both championships. The National Guard/Subway Taurus driver won two Nextel Cup races in 2004, including a thrilling come-from-behind win in the season-ending Ford 400, which helped his teammate clinch the championship. He also captured five victories in Busch competition. "I'm excited about having a chance to run with Kurt, Matt and Greg," said Maxwell, who has done the development work on the Multimatic Ford and was one of three drivers who won in the car at the 2003 Rolex 24 At Daytona. "I've had a lot of great teammates during my career, but having a chance to work with these three guys will be a treat. We'll have some fun, but we're going to Daytona to win." "Multimatic is proud to be working with Ford Racing and Crown Royal Special Reserve to put together this great entry for the Rolex 24," said Larry Holt, vice president of Multimatic, and the man who oversees racing operations. "We're happy to have such great cooperation from Roush Racing and its drivers to come in and partner with Scott on this program. We're committed to going for the overall win."
New Cup impound rules debut at California Speedway
California Speedway announced Tuesday that it will be the first speedway on the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series season schedule to implement Saturday qualifying during the February 25-27 NASCAR Tripleheader Weekend, which also includes a Friday night NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.
NASCAR announced a new rule in mid-November stipulating a change in the 2005 qualifying procedures where all cars will be impounded following their qualifying session, meaning teams will not be permitted to work on the cars and will have to focus their efforts on preparing for race set-ups starting with the all-important practice sessions on Friday. Qualifying for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Auto Club 500 is slated for 12:10 p.m. on Saturday, February 26. Cup qualifying is sandwiched between NASCAR Busch Series qualifying, which kicks off the day at 10:00 a.m., and the NASCAR Busch Series 300-mile race, which starts at 3:00 p.m. and will likely finish "Under the Lights." Saturday concludes with the Miller Lite Rock 'n Racing Concert, which is free for all guests with a Saturday ticket, followed by a spectacular fireworks show by PyroSpectaculars. In addition, 2004 Auto Club 500 champion Jeff Gordon will be inducted into the speedway's Walk of Fame at Gate 12 either prior to or after Nextel Cup Series qualifying. "Saturday qualifying adds a new twist to what we've always believed was a spectacular day of on-track and off-track activity at California Speedway," said Bill Miller, president of California Speedway. "It will be a new experience for everyone, but one we believe the fans will enjoy as they cheer for their favorite driver to take the pole position, all leading up to the Busch Series race with a later start time. For those fans that attended last year's Labor Day weekend Nextel Cup Series race, they know first hand how exciting the race was as the drivers battled the track changes late in the day as the lights came on. We're confident the Busch Series drivers will put on a great show as well." Tickets for Saturday are just $40 in the lower level reserve section and $50 in the upper level reserve section. While Busch Series and Nextel Cup Series qualifying has moved to Saturday, Friday remains full of on-track action with a new, first-ever Friday night NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, which joins the Busch Series and Nextel Cup Series races for this new NASCAR Tripleheader Weekend. Craftsman Truck Series qualifying for the American Racing Wheels 200 starts the day at 10:00 a.m. Two Busch Series practice sessions will be held from Noon to 1:10 p.m. and from 2:50 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. The Nextel Cup Series stars will also have two practice sessions to fine-tune their machines from 1:20 p.m. to 2:40 p.m. and a final practice session from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., setting the stage for the American Racing Wheels 200 at 6:15 p.m. "Friday is action-packed. There is no other way to describe it," Miller said. "It's all day and now all evening of cars and trucks on track. It's also a tension-filled day for all the drivers, especially the Busch and Cup competitors who will have to work on their race set-up and practice in packs to see how their cars handle in the draft. It may look like a mini-race out there, and for the truck series drivers, they will have a full day of building anticipation for their main event, the second time that series will run wire-to-wire under the lights at California Speedway." Tickets for Friday are general admission and just $30 with children 12 and under free. Two other new NASCAR rules are scheduled to be in effect at California Speedway during the February weekend aimed at bringing the NASCAR competition closer. A new gear rule for NASCAR's top three premier racing series will limit the maximum RPMs that all engines will be able to produce in competition. The other new rule, a reduction of the rear spoiler by an inch at all non-restrictor plate tracks, effects just the Nextel Cup Series teams. The spoilers will be 4.5 inches in height, reducing aero-push and enhancing the passing ability of the cars. |
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