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Jacques with NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racer Pierre Bourque.
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Thank you to Jacques and all of the fans for making Saturday such a success at the CME. Sunday at the CME will feature the C.N.E. / Pinecrest Reunion. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Top 10 Reasons...You can't miss being at the Canadian Motorsports Expo this weekend:
Seminar, Forum and Special Event schedules for the Canadian Motorsports Expo are located here.
Show information, including ticket prices, directions, show times and more can be found at http://www.canadianmotorsportsexpo.com/.
COME SEE JACQUES VILLENEUVE ON SATURDAY AT THE CME
Canadian racing superstar Jacques Villeneuve will appear live at the Canadian Motorsports Expo on Saturday, January 17.
The former F1, CART (Indy Car) and Indy 500 champion will sign autographs from 11 a.m. to noon (Sat. only!) on the CME's Main Stage. Following that, he will participate in a Fan Q&A and info session.
This is a rare opportunity for you to meet, photograph and get an autograph from a true Canadian racing hero. The CME takes place all weekend (Jan. 16-18) at the International Centre, 6900 Airport Rd. in Mississauga.
For the full program of events this weekend click here to download!
McCreadie, 34, of Watertown, N.Y., was found to have a fractured T-3 vertebra and floating bone fragments in his back after flipping over the turn-one fence of the indoor one-fifth-mile dirt track while leading the night’s first ‘A’ qualifier. The rearend of McCreadie’s Midget broke right-of-center as he set the car into the first corner, sending him into a high-flying series of flips that ended with his machine landing upside down on a parked Bobcat vehicle and then falling to the concrete floor on its frame rails.
A winner of the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in 2006 – the same year he captured the WoO LMS title – McCreadie was driving a Midget from the powerful Wilke-Pak Motorsports stable. His teammates for the event included USAC stars Dave Darland and Jerry Coons Jr. and WoO Sprint Car standout Terry McCarl.
The accident abruptly ended a week that had started well for McCreadie, who was making his fifth appearance at the mid-winter classic. He battled WoO Sprint Car Series veteran Sammy Swindell for the lead in Tuesday night’s Chili Bowl Race of Champions before settling for a third-place finish and he won the third heat race on Wednesday night.
McCreadie was recuperating on Thursday afternoon in a
A local specialist who examined McCreadie said he did not think the bone fragments are an issue and surgery likely won’t be necessary, but USAC’s Jason Smith contacted Dr. Terry Trammell, the renowned Indianapolis-based Orthopedic Surgeon who has helped many injured drivers over the years, for a second opinion. Trammell was expected to review an MRI of McCreadie’s back and talk with doctors in
McCreadie is expected to make a full recovery, but the length of time he’ll be sidelined from competition is uncertain. He was looking forward to a busy stretch of racing in Georgia and Florida over the coming weeks with his Sweeteners Plus dirt Late Model team, including the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., that features UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model events on Feb. 9, 10, 11 and 13 and WoO LMS shows on Feb. 12 and 14.
WoO Sprint Car regular Lucas Wolfe of
McCreadie is a fulltime professional short-track racer and has no health insurance, so Spink, Smith and Kevin Miller from USAC have moved quickly to help manage many offers from the racing community to assist with his medical and recovery expenses. Donations can made to the Tim McCreadie Support Fund c/o USAC,
“It seemed to be a random breakage of the car,” said Carter, who directs the company that oversees the World of Outlaws. “Having seen the crash firsthand, I’m glad it sounds like Tim should recover. The most important thing right now is for people to help Tim by contributing to the fund set up to assist in his recovery.”
McCreadie’s injury comes almost 20 years after his father, legendary DIRTcar big-block Modified driver ‘Barefoot’ Bob McCreadie, suffered the first of his five back injuries. On May 22, 1988, Bob McCreadie, then 37, went over the turn-two banking at Cayuga County Fair Speedway in Weedsport, N.Y., with his familiar No. 9 big-block Modified and landed hard, breaking the T-4, T-5 and T-6 vertebra in his thoracic spine.
Bob McCreadie, who turns 58 on Jan. 19, underwent back surgery, spent two weeks in the hospital and sat out much of the 1988 racing season following the injury. He returned to enjoy some of the best years of his career in ‘90s, but the winner of nearly 500 career features was plagued by several other back injuries and residual back problems and hasn’t raced since suffering multiple broken bones in a 2005 motorcycle crash near his home.
Via Tom Skibinski / DIRTcar
CANADIAN STOCK CAR RACING CHAMPION J.R. FITZPATRICK REALIZES HIS DREAM AS HE PREPAPRES TO RACE AT DAYTONA
January 15, 2009. Canada’s youngest ever stock car racing champion, John Ryan (J.R.) Fitzpatrick is set to realize a childhood dream next month when he gets behind the wheel to race at the World Center of Racing, Daytona International Speedway. J.R. Fitzpatrick will pilot the #7 Chevrolet Silverado for TRG Motorsports in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 on February 13th the opening round in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Fitzpatrick is pumped up, smiling from ear to ear and ready to race at the most storied NASCAR track. “This has been a dream come true,” said J.R. Fitzpatrick. “Every racer's dream is to compete at Daytona and that’s what we’re going to do. The TRG guys have done an awesome job preparing the trucks right from our first test. I know we’ll be strong in the race. I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel.”
It has been a whirlwind few months for the 20 year old Ayr, Ontario racer, who only jumped into a TRG prepared truck for the first time last September for a test session at Iowa Speedway. Impressive in that outing, Fitzpatrick then competed in the final three Truck Series races in 2008 and qualified an eye opening sixth at the tricky Phoenix International Raceway, only his second event.
Preparing for the high banks and drafting of Daytona began with a test session in an ARCA stock car and J.R. Fitzpatrick demonstrated his ability to get up to speed quickly. On day two he was second quickest and led most of day three before the TRG team decided they could pack up their Chevrolet early. “Running in the draft is so much fun, I just loved it” Fitzpatrick enthused. “Learning to get the feel of how the cars behave and working with teammates, you find out very quickly how different it is from other tracks.”
Right from the very beginning overseeing J.R. Fitzpatrick’s progress from the first test session with TRG Motorsports is Crew Chief Butch Hylton. Hylton’s impressive resume includes 20 race wins in Sprint Cup & Nationwide races along with two NASCAR Championships. J.R. Fitzpatrick is thrilled to have someone with that kind of experience helping him move up the racing ladder. “You learn so much from just spending time and talking with Butch Hylton and having that reassuring voice on the radio really helps,” he stated.
As the February 13th NextEra Energy Resources 250 race date draws closer preparations continue and complete details on J.R. Fitzpatrick’s 2009 race schedule will be finalized. The plan includes select NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races along with several NASCAR Nationwide Series events. Sponsorship details are being finalized and more announcements will be forthcoming prior to the Daytona event.
J.R. Fitzpatrick is the youngest ever national stock car racing champion in Canada having claimed the CASCAR Super Series title in 2006 at age eighteen. J.R. participated in three Truck series races in 2008, qualifying an impressive sixth at Phoenix International Raceway. He also raced in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series last season, claiming one victory and five top-five finishes in Canada’s highest profile championship that features events from coast to coast on oval tracks, road courses and temporary street circuits.
For more information regarding J.R. Fitzpatrick including sponsorship opportunities contact Jason A. Sharpe. (416) 838-0039 info@jrfitzpatrick.com
This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment, todd@tlsportsent.com (239) 961-2618
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Milverton, ON - Thursday Jan. 15, 2009: Usually the winter months drag on for racers as they wait for the sun to come out and the temperatures to warm up so they can get back to the track, but not for the 22 Racing Team of Scott Steckly. As the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion, his winter has been almost as busy as the race season.
“It started with a lot of interviews for newspapers and magazines in the U.S. & Canada after the last race,” said Steckly. “I have been doing shows and appearances for Tow Truck in a Box and even a few photo shoots for magazines, things I am not used to doing but all very exciting.”
All Star Car2Steckly as the Canadian NASCAR Champion received an automatic invitation to the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (CA) which takes place in a little over a week. “We have been really busy getting ready for that event,” said Steckly. “We are excited to be affiliated with NDS Motorsports for this race. My crew chief Greg Gibson and I have spent some time with Steve Hibbard, a NASCAR winning crew chief and NDS Motorsports Team Manager, getting the car ready to go. He is such a knowledgeable guy and we hope to learn a lot from him over the weekend in California. “
Last weekend, Steckly learned about curling strategy as opposed to racing strategy at the Casino Rama, Skins Curling Competition. Steckly was on hand for the weekend signing autographs with Mike Manno and his Tow Truck in a Box group as they were title sponsors of the event. “This is my first experience really having anything to do with curling and I see that there is a lot of strategy involved in it to. It was another great new experience for me – maybe someday I will even take up the game.”
Steckly’s No. 22 Tow Truck in a Box/Erb Group Dodge Avenger will also be on display this weekend Jan. 16th to 18th at the Canadian Motorsports Expo. As the 2008 Champion, Steckly and his No. 22 car will be featured at the event which is taking place at the Toronto International Centre. Scott will be on hand to sign autographs on Saturday Jan. 17th at 4 p.m. This is the third year for the CME and it offers racers and fans alike displays, seminars, autograph sessions, interactive displays and much more. For more information on times and tickets please visit www.canadianmotorsportsexpo.com .
For more information on Scott Steckly and 22 Racing please contact:
Linda Jones // Wide Open Motorsport Solutions // (705) 458-4044 // Email: ljones@wideopensolutions.ca
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TORONTO, Ont. (January 15) – The Parts Canada Superbike Championship returns to one of its most storied venues when the third round of the national motorcycle road race series visits Race City Motorsport Park in Calgary June 25-28, 2009.
The 3.2km (2.0-mile), 11-turn track hosted its first national in 1987 and this summer’s event will be the 27th at Race City. Only Shannonville Motorsport Park in Ontario has run more Canadian Superbike rounds.
The event will be promoted by Kel Davidsen and Tim Johnson, both longtime local racers and executive members of the Calgary Motorcycle Roadracing Association.
“It is exciting to have experienced motorcycle racers and organizers like Kel and Tim looking after the Race City round,” said Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsports Productions, which organizes the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. “The Alberta motorcycle community is important to us and we look forward to bringing our series back to Calgary this summer.”
The 53-year-old Davidsen was an original CMRA member when the club was founded in 1987 and served as its president from 2004 to 2007. Johnson, 42, started racing with the CMRA in 1993 and was its president in 2008. Johnson also worked with PMP in its SunTrust Moto-ST Series in 2007.
“We both have experience putting on races,” Davidsen said. “We are still on the CMRA executive but we also wanted to ensure that Calgary stays on the national calendar. We are both able to put in a lot of effort to make this event a success. We have many ties in the industry and good relationships with other western clubs.”
Johnson and Davidsen are working on attracting sponsorship for the weekend from both inside and outside the motorcycle industry, and are also planning events beyond the racing to add to the weekend.
“We have talked to stunt show teams who are interested in coming and we’d like to bring back things like demo days to make this an exciting event for the fans,” Johnson said. “We have close relationships with the existing volunteers, and we also want as many of our local club racers as possible competing at this event.”
The CMRA has a history of producing top Canadian racers and Cochrane, Alta.’s Clint McBain finished second in last year’s Parts Canada Superbike Championship. It will run a six-round series at Race City this summer, opening May 23-24 and closing Sept. 19-20. More information is available at www.roadracing.org.
The June 25-28 national weekend will also include a doubleheader for the Honda CBR125R Challenge in co-operation with the Alberta Mini RoadRacing Association. One race will be held on the main Race City road course, while the second will be staged with the AMRA at the adjacent Varsity Chrysler Speed Park.
From John Hopkins / PCSB // For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com
A Google News search of "Jacques Villeneuve" reveals links to stories from our friends at TSN.CA, The Toronto Star, Bourque Newswatch, The Mississauga News, CMGOnline and several others. Thanks to everyone and we'll see you this weekend at the Canadian Motorsports Expo.
Brian Graham Racing and TLM Racing with Grote, announce an exciting new alliance to create Canada's Premier Formula Car Development Team. Team principals Brian Graham, Gerry Merz, Dave Matkovich and Chris Tanser are very pleased to unveil the 3 tier program which starts with Formula 1200 then onto Formula Ford (OFFC) and finally the Pro F2000 Championship Series.
With a goal to provide a clear path for karters and other new drivers to hone their craft and learn at each level. The team websites have been re-launched as well to showcase the new program. While driver coaching and data acquisition are standard practice with the team they will also introduce team drivers to the marketing side of the race business.
Providing assistance in chasing sponsors as well as hosting sponsors and guests are some of the extra benefits of the new alliance.
"It really is a win win situation, it is important that the karters that are looking to make the jump to cars know that there are options other than spending $250K or more. The 3 levels we will compete in offer some of the best value in racing period," said Graham.
Brian Graham Racing / TLM Racing with Grote will be at the Canadian Motorsports Expo (www.canadianmotorsportsexpo.com) this coming weekend with their "karts to cars" display. Stop by and say hi to the team.
Interested parties can find all the contact info at www.briangrahamracing.com and www.tlmracing.com
Jacques Villeneuve is coming to the Canadian Motorsports Expo
(TORONTO, ON / JAN. 14, 2009) The Canadian Motorsports Expo is pleased to announce that Canadian racing star Jacques Villeneuve will be appearing at the show for several hours on Saturday, January 17.
While at the Canadian Motorsports Expo, the former F1, CART and Indy 500 champion will participate in:
· A 1-hour autograph session on the Main Stage during which a maximum number of fans can meet Jacques, get his autograph, and snap photos from in front of the stage. The autograph session takes place from 11 a.m. until noon.
· A 50-minute press conference (media only) in the Seminar Room.
· A 30-minute public session on the Main Stage during which Jacques will discuss his plans for 2009 and interact with the fans. This moderated discussion will take place from 2 p.m. until 2:30 p.m.
“We are honoured to have Jacques Villeneuve participate in the third annual Canadian Motorsports Expo,” said CME President Glenn Butt. “He is a Canadian and international hero whose achievements are among the greatest in racing. We’re very happy he’s chosen the CME as a venue to connect with racing fans and the media, and to discuss his plans for the future.”
The Canadian Motorsports Expo is a three-day celebration of Canadian racing that runs January 16 to 18 at the International Centre (6900 Airport Road in Mississauga).
The show is sponsored by Lucas Oil Canada and is powered by Inside Track Motorsport News. In addition to booths and racing vehicles representing the entire spectrum of Canadian motorsports, the show is jammed with seminars and forums to entertain and inform racers and fans alike.
For all three days of the CME, NASCAR Canada is presenting the #48 Lowe’s Chevy of three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and the #88 AMP Chevy of Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of the sport’s most popular drivers.
For more information about the Canadian Motorsports Expo, visit www.canadianmotorsportsexpo.com, call Glenn Butt at (905) 576-8593 or email him at glenn@canadianmotorsportsexpo.com. You can reach co-promoters Inside Track at (416) 962-7223 or email expo@insidetracknews.com.
Ohsweken Speedway's "Top 10"...with Abel Castelein
By Tommy Goudge (January 13, 2009) - The long off-season for local racing is now upon us in Southern Ontario, but Ohsweken Speedway will do its best to keep you entertained while the snow flies outside. A new feature which will appear regularly on www.OhswekenSpeedway.com this winter is Ohsweken Speedway's "Top 10", in which we sit down with a familiar personality from the Speedway to find out what makes them tick.
Currently on the top of the heap when it comes to Mini-Stock racing in the area, Abel Castelein repeated as champion of the ESSO Mini-Stock division at Ohsweken this season, as well as repeating as Mini-Stock champ at the Merrittville Speedway. This week the driver of the blue #28 Mustang stops by for a session in the hot seat to talk about how he got his start in racing, his views on the future of the Mini-Stock division, and much more!
"Top 10"...with Abel Castelein:
TG: "How and where did you first get started in racing, and what was your
first race car?"
AC: "At the risk of revealing just how old I am I can say my earliest recollection of auto racing would be in the sixties when my parents used to take the family to Pinecrest Speedway. We lived in Brampton and would make the trip about once a month during the season. When I was about 12, my sister took me to Toronto International Dragway near Georgetown to see a 16 car Funny Car show. I can also recall catching bits of NASCAR Cup racing on Wide World of Sports before they got their own TV deal. These things gave me the itch to race, or at least be involved in some way. My dream growing up was not to be a driver. I wanted to be that guy on pit road that changes
tires during the race."
"My first race car was a 1969 Chev Impala that I drag raced at Dragway Park. It was my daily driver and, even though it had 140,000 MILES on the engine, it would still run mid 16's. I drag raced for 13 seasons at Dragway Park and Lancaster Speedway, eventually winning a championship with Ted Caton at Cayuga in 1990."
TG: "If money were no object and you could compete anywhere, against any
racer, in any racing machine, what would you choose?"
AC: "I would love to compete against the stars of NASCAR, but not on some cookie cutter 1.5 mile speedway. I have always dreamed of driving a Dirt Late Model and, if I could, I would choose to run The Prelude to the Dream at Eldora against Stewart, Gordon, Kenseth, Kahne, etc."
TG: "What are your goals for your racing career?"
AC: "I really have no plans beyond 2009 as of yet. As my eyesight and reflexes gradually diminish, I can't see myself doing this forever. I can't justify the expense of changing to Thunder Stock since I have so much invested in my Mini-Stock program. If a sponsor came along that made it worthwhile, or perhaps someone has a car they want me to drive, I may be convinced to move up. Barring that, I will likely do all I can to further improve the Mini-Stock division."
TG: "Which driver or former driver do you/did you most enjoy competing against and why?"
AC: "I had a great time this past season racing against Mitchell Brown. He is a very talented young driver and had good equipment all year. He really put up a great challenge and ran hard every week. As well, I had fun running against Trevor Goulding and Garnet Wilson at Merrittville this year. I have also had the privilege of finishing second to both my sons while they won their first feature races."
"The driver I most enjoy competing against though, would likely be Rick Robinson. Over the years I have had the chance to run against Rick at Ohsweken and also on the pavement at Flamboro. He runs hard and clean all the time and he is so smart and smooth that there are no mistakes to take advantage of."
TG: "What direction do you see the Mini-Stock division going over the next few
years?"
AC: "Mini-Stock is at a sort of crossroads at the moment, I believe. Rear wheel drive cars like the Mustangs are getting scarce. The latest model of Mustang that can compete is now 15 years old. The newer cars are now front wheel drive and most are coming out with 4 valves per cylinder and dual overhead cams. Right now these engines are banned by the rules in this area, but I don't think we can keep them out forever."
"Every division of cars ever started in racing has progressed from a grassroots division like Mini-Stock once was. I guess the present rules package will evolve and things will creep in to allow more modifications. I think Ohsweken is very lucky to have Glen Hils running tech and writing the
rules. He is thinking outside the box and into the future with the Fun Stock/Bomber division. This will likely be the next form of entry level racing. The class also allows those newer model cars that don't fit the Mini-Stock rules package."
"There will likely be a Mini-Stock class for a long time. In fact rather than the Bombers replacing the Mini's, as some believe will happen, I think we may see the Mini's replacing the Thunder Stocks. The only thing harder to find than a 4 cylinder rear wheel drive car is a V8 rear wheel drive stock bodied street car."
TG: "What is something most fans wouldn't know about you?"
AC: "I spent 10 full seasons living my dream as a crewmember/crew chief in CASCAR. I worked on the cars all week and went over the wall to change tires on race day. I didn't care that the car was hardly ever on the lead lap. I was happy to be on pit road in front of a big crowd on a sunny Sunday afternoon."
TG: "Away from the track, which activities and hobbies occupy your time?"
AC: "I enjoy curling in the winter. I mean with ice and rocks and brooms, not hair. My son Matthew, and then A.J., got involved in curling years ago. I watched lots of games they were in and started helping coach at school. The past few winters I have curled at the Cayuga Curling Club."
"I also like to attend karaoke with my girlfriend Marilyn, and have been known to get onstage myself most nights. Marilyn reminds me often, however, that I am the racer and she is the singer."
TG: "What is the strangest and/or funniest thing that you have seen or has happened to you at the track?"
AC: "A few years ago, 2005 I think, I was racing the old 23 car at Humberstone to finish my points season out. My original 28 car had suffered terminal damage in the Art Hill race in August so we were down to one car to finish the season. I went into turn 3 at Humberstone and climbed the door of another car, and ended up on my roof. They rolled the car back on its wheels, I strapped back in to the car and finished the race in 5th place."
TG: "What piece of advice would you give to someone looking to get involved in racing that you would like to have been given when you started?"
AC: "Two of the biggest mistakes I made and I still see with people that decide to get started would be trying to build their own car and spending all their money on the car."
"Building a car from scratch is expensive when you have nothing to start with. So many odds and ends that nickel and dime you to death. Better to buy a used race car that you know works so that you can concentrate on driving. Most used race cars come with lots of spare parts too."
"The other mistake I see is people not leaving room in the budget for a truck, trailer, and driver's safety gear. Those might be the first things you need to make sure you have."
TG: "What are your plans for 2009?"
AC: "I plan to compete weekly at Ohsweken. The goal is to be the first person to win 3 Ohsweken Speedway Championships in a row. I am in great company now with myself, Kelly Hallett and Jim Swing being the only three drivers to win two consecutive crowns."
"I also plan to run the Triple Crown series at Merrittville and Humberstone if they have them this year. I will run selected races at Merrittville as well, but not a full season unless I can find a sponsor to help pay for the fuel to travel there each week."
Got a question you’ve always wanted to ask your favourite Ohsweken Speedway personality? Send it to Media@OhswekenSpeedway.com and we’ll do our best to get it answered. Make sure to include your name and hometown! Stay tuned for future editions of "Top 10" this winter on www.OhswekenSpeedway.com, and make sure to reserve your seats for all of Ohsweken's special events in 2009, including the World of Outlaws Late Models, World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, and Canadian Sprint Car Nationals! Tickets are on sale now!
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (January 13, 2009) – Penske Racing announced today that driver Will Power will join the Team Penske IndyCar Series program in preparation for the 2009 racing season.
Power, 27, is coming off an impressive rookie season in the IndyCar Series where he established himself as one of open-wheel racing’s rising stars. The native of Toowoomba, Australia will pilot the No. 3 Team Penske Dallara/Honda during preseason test sessions. The balance of the year's driving responsibilities for the No. 3 car, including the IndyCar Series season-opening race at St. Petersburg on April 5, will depend on the timing and outcome of Helio Castroneves’ pending court case.
“We remain hopeful that Helio’s situation will have a positive outcome and the team is fully behind him,” said Tim Cindric, President of Penske Racing, “While Helio prepares for his court case, we’re excited to welcome Will Power to the team. Will has already proven that he’s a terrific racer and we think he’s going to be a good fit with Team Penske.”
Power will work closely with fellow Aussie driver Ryan Briscoe, driver of the No. 6 Team Penske Dallara/Honda, as the team contends for the 2009 IndyCar Series championship.
“It is a tremendous opportunity for me to join one of the best teams in all of racing,” said Power. “I'm looking forward to the start of the season and assisting Team Penske in its preparation for 2009."
Beginning his rise up the open-wheel ranks by emerging as one of Australia’s top young talents, Power also excelled in European competition. He produced strong performances in the British F3 and World Series by Renault championships before moving to the United States in 2005 to compete in the Champ Car World Series. He captured the series Rookie-of-the-Year honors in 2006 and claimed three wins and six pole positions in two plus seasons in Champ Car. In 2008, Power won on the streets of Long Beach in Champ Car’s final race, and after joining the IndyCar Series, he earned his first series pole in front of his home crowd at Surfers Paradise, Australia.
Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 306 major race wins, 363 pole positions and 22 National Championships. The team has also earned 14 Indianapolis 500 victories. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.
From Bud Denker / Penske Racing
The National Stock Car Association which currently is the sanctioning body operating the Ontario Sportsman Series (www.ontariosportsmanseries.com) is pleased to announce Lucas Oil as the title sponsor for the series.
“Steve Snowden and I have been in discussions since June about Lucas Oil’s involvement. I’m extremely happy to announce the Lucas Oil as our primary sponsor for our series which will be rebranded as the Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup” stated series director Dave Connelly. “It’s tough to find a company that truly understands racing, but Lucas Oil is so dedicated to marketing their products through motorsports it’s absolutely an honour to have their brand on our series”.
Lucas is a top selling additive line in the American truck stop industry, producing the best line of lubricants and additives available anywhere.
"Our forte is to make better products for industries and specialty situations that are not having their needs completely satisfied by other oil products and, believe me, the major oil companies have left a lot of weak spots," says company President Forrest Lucas. "We have an excellent staff and a world of technology which we have gained through years of research. Together we have done a great deal in a short period of time and we intend to do a lot more."
The Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup will be competing at tracks throughout the summer including Cayuga Speedway, Mosport Speedway, Peterborough Speedway, Capital City Speedway, Sauble Speedway and Delaware Speedway. For exact dates please visit www.lucasoilsportsmancup.com
From Dave Connelly // National Stock Car Association Series Director
Note: NCATS champ Scott Steckly to race against the GOAT
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 12, 2009) – To say Ricky Carmichael is a pretty big deal in Southern California may be an understatement. The man whose success earned him the title of ‘Greatest of All-Time’ in the motocross world had a great deal of his success on the West Coast.
When the 29-year-old Clearwater, Fla., native heads back to the Los Angeles area next weekend, though, it will be in a stock car. And he’s looking forward to treating his longtime fans to a glimpse of a new career at the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown.
“I’m pumped to be racing for my fans out there,” Carmichael said. “Southern California has been good to me. It’s a great market for supercross and it’s been great for me as well.
“I’m pumped for the fans in California to see what I’ve been doing – racing in the NASCAR Camping World Series – it’s a great series.”
The NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown will feature two days of exciting action Jan. 23-24 among some of the top drivers in NASCAR Camping World Series and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action. The competition will air live on SPEED beginning at 7 p.m. PT both nights.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Carmichael said. “It will be nice to go out and race before we get geared up for this season’s racing. It will take some time to get the cobwebs off, but for the race, I think I’ll be good.”
Carmichael, who is close to announcing his 2009 plans, recently got the green light to run in the race from Ken Schrader Racing, which will bring three cars to the postseason showcase at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.
Carmichael will be reunited with Schrader, for whom he ran in the NASCAR Camping World Series East in 2007. He’ll be joined in Irwindale by teammates Jamie Hayes and Dakoda Armstrong. Hayes has run the past two seasons in the NASCAR Camping World Series East, while Armstrong is making the transition from the USAC Midget Series.
In just his first full season in a NASCAR touring series, Carmichael showed the ability to quickly acclimate himself to his new pursuit.
He won the Coors Light Pole Award at South Boston (Va.) Speedway in just his third race. He was ninth at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in his first road-course excursion, and fifth in his first trip to New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Carmichael was running second with two laps to go in the return trip to New Hampshire before running out of fuel. He also had a seventh-place finish at Dover International Speedway.
“That series is such a great series,” Carmichael said. “That’s an awesome development series. You just learn so much. And there is such great competition. I definitely surprised myself in areas.
“It was a great learning experience for me and I really enjoyed it.”
Carmichael was also a hit with the fans, earning the NASCAR Camping World Series East Most Popular Driver Award in online voting through NASCAR.com and NASCARHomeTracks.com.
Carmichael joins a list of big-name, short-track drivers headed to Irwindale for the event.
He’ll be joined by three-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Marc Davis and Joey Logano, 2008 NASCAR Camping World Series West champion Eric Holmes, former NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champions Peyton Sellers and Greg Pursley, and Eddie MacDonald – who swept the NASCAR Camping World Series East races at New Hampshire last year.
The list of top short-track drivers who have already committed to the event also includes NASCAR Camping World Truck Series veteran Matt Crafton, 2008 NASCAR Camping World Series East champion and 2006 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown winner Matt Kobyluck.
Also confirmed to compete are four drivers who have earned rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Camping World Series in the last three seasons (Jason Bowles, Sellers, Jeff Barkshire and Austin Dillon), Brian Ickler, winner of the NASCAR Camping World Series combination race in Iowa this past May, and five of NASCAR’s 2008 developmental series champions Kobyluck, Holmes, Scott Steckly (NASCAR Canadian Tire Series), Philip Morris (NASCAR Whelen All-American Series) and Antonio Perez (NASCAR Mexico Series).
Through Monday afternoon, 57 entries had been received for the Camping World Series portion of the event.
In addition to competition for the NASCAR Camping World Series, which is NASCAR’s top developmental series, action in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series will feature a Late Model race and a Super Late Model race.
To purchase tickets for the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, fans can go to www.toyotaspeedwayatirwindale.com or call the track at (626) 358-1100.
From Jason Christley, NASCAR Public Relations
Millson and Author Miller to be Guests on AM900 CHML’s Scott Thompson Show
Hamilton Ontario – January 12, 2009 - RMP Racing’s Ross Millson along with motorsports journalist and author Tim Miller will be guests on AM900 CHML’s Scott Thompson Show. Millson and Miller will preview the 2009 Motorsports scene and the upcoming Canadian Motorsports Expo, January 16-18, 2009 at the International Centre (Toronto).
Hamilton-based pro Superbike racer Ross Millson had an entertaining chat with Scott Thompson last July just prior to the Mosport Doubleheader round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. Millson, coming off a season that saw him attain the ranking of ninth overall in Canada’s premier motorcycle road racing series will join Scott Thompson today at 5:40 pm (EST) to touch on last season, the coming 2009 road racing season and the Canadian Motorsports Expo.
Millson along with RMP Racing’s development rider Steve Nickerson, and their race bikes, will be at the upcoming Inside Track/Lucas Oil - Canadian Motorsports Expo. Millson will be representing the sport of motorcycle road racing at the National level with a special “Show-Edition” livery featuring “Inside Motorcycles”, a sister publication of show sponsor Inside Track Motorsport News. Nickerson’s Honda RS 125 will be sporting his Amateur 125 GP #1 plate he earned this past season at the Regional level. Millson and Nickerson will be available Saturday and Sunday to talk with motorsports enthusiasts.
Canadian motorsports writer Tim Miller, and author of the book NASCAR Now, will join Millson on the Scott Thompson Show and will share his insights on the state of motorsports in Canada. As a previous guest and speaker at the Canadian Motorsports Expo, Miller will also preview some of the show’s displays including Jimmie Johnson's #48 and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s #88 NASCAR Sprint Cup cars plus free seminars and autograph sessions with notable drivers such as NASCAR Canadian Tire Series 2008 Champion, Scott Steckly. Motorsports enthusiasts can get caught up on their favorite form of racing in Miller’s weekly column in The Hamilton Spectator.
Be sure to tune into Scott Thompson Show on Hamilton's News Talk Leader - AM900 CHML today at 5:40 pm (EST) to get up to speed on the world of motorsports and all the happenings at the 2009 edition of the Canadian Motorsports Expo. The Scott Thompson Show can also be heard online at www.900chml.com.
For a $2.00 off coupon visit the CME online at www.canadianmotorsportsexpo.com and to learn more about RMP Racing, please drop by the Inside Motorcycles booth at the Canadian Motorsports Expo, January 16-18, 2009 or visit www.rmpracing.ca.
From Ross Millson / RMP Racing
From Dave Connelly of the Ontario Sportsman Series:
"Listen in to Race Time Radio on Monday evening at 8:00 p.m. as Ontario Sportsman Series director announces the new title sponsor for their series. Dave will also be talking about the 2009 schedule, the addition of Brian Thomas as the series technical director and some of the series long-term goals for a national champion."
London, Great Britain The first New Year action for A1GP World Cup of Motorsport was at the highly acclaimed Portimao Circuit in the Algarve last weekend. The series test team was in action with Italian F3 Champion, Mirko Bortolotti, at the wheel of the Powered by Ferrari car for the very first time.
The circuit received rave reviews after several Formula One teams tested there at the end of 2008 and Bortolotti certainly agreed with them when he said: The track is fantastic but very tricky. We were here to test several new compounds and we have made a very good progress. I am sure that the work that we have done will help the development of the car a lot.
Commenting on his first taste of the new A1GP car, he continued: It was the first time I had tested an A1GP car and I loved it. It is absolutely great. We did a lot of laps, despite the rain in the morning and I hope I can get another chance to test the car.
Bortolotti joined regular A1GP test driver, Andrea Bertolini, at the three day test.
Current championship leader, A1 Team Ireland, enjoyed plenty of media attention back home over the Christmas period and its drivers Adam Carroll and Niall Quinn took part in the BP Ultimate Celebrity Karting Challenge at Autosport International at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, Great Britain last Friday (9 January). The annual Autosport International is the largest motorsport exhibition in the world, catering for motorsport and automotive industry professionals and motorsport fans.
Great Britains Danny Watts and James Winslow, and Italys Edoardo Piscopo were also in the A1GP team. While eight times Le Mans winner, Tom Kristensen, was also competing to help raise money for the Richard Burns Foundation. The A1GP drivers, along with two members of the public, put up a good show despite stiff competition to finish eighth out of the 16 teams.
Plans are also progressing for A1GPs return to Indonesia next month, for its third race in the country. A1 Team Indonesia fans had the chance to enjoy a day out at the Pejaten Village Mall last weekend to meet the teams drivers, Satrio Hermanto and Zahir Ali, for autographs and photos. Ahead of the countrys first ever street race, fans will have two further opportunities on the 17 January in Gajah Mada Plaza and again on the 31 January in Supermall Karawaci to meet the team and win tickets to the race.
As part of the A1GP Lippo Village pre-race activities, the organisers have also scheduled many other events including the A1GP car on public display in several malls and places of interests in and around Jakarta. A Race Queen Competition will be held to select the Grid Girls for the event.
The start of the New Year brought in some resolutions from a number of A1GP Teams and drivers.
A1 Teams Australia and Brazil have set their sights on a podium by the end of the year, while A1 Team GBRs resolution is to get that elusive double-win on home soil at Brands Hatch, having won the Sprint race and come a close second in the Feature race in the previous two A1GP seasons.
A1 Team Lebanons Daniel Morad had his own personal resolution: I have already been waking up at 8am every day training for Taupo, which leads into the second part of my life that I am changing. I have realised that the level of fitness required in A1GP is so high that I am training for four hours a day now.
A1 Team Malaysia has vowed to make quicker pit stops, with the team using every opportunity since the Sepang race to practice changing wheels. The team hopes to reap the rewards of its hard work this year. However, one of the team has had things other than pit stops on his mind, as mechanic Shanker Ramachandran took advantage of the end of year break in the calendar to tie the knot with his fiance Sukanthi Ramachandran, celebrating his wedding with a traditional marriage ceremony and a colourful reception for his friends and family.
A1 Team Monaco resolves to be the best ambassador for its nation, defending the red and white home colours around the world. A1 Team South Africas resolution for 2009 is to help make the South African round at Kyalami a great success on the track, in the grandstands and in the media, while A1 Team USAs goal is to get its first series win with Marco Andretti behind the wheel.
Current leaders A1 Team Ireland want to make sure everyone knows the Irish national anthem by the end of the season.
The A1GP teams are now making final preparations before heading to New Zealand next week, when round four of the 2008/09 season will take place at Taupo Motorsport Park.
For additional information about A1GP including ticket sales and television viewing times and a full list of international broadcast partners, please visit www.A1GP.com.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. met with members of the media while appearing at the 2009 Speed and Sound, Nashville, Tennessee. Full transcript:
An interview with: DALE EARNHARDT, JR.
Q. Talk about having two major factors in your life with racing and the business side of things:
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Well, you sort of go into it real easy, I guess. I don't know. When I first started doing any type of business venture, even if it was really small, you know, you really worried about how it might affect the driving, because the driving is my real passion and that's what I really like to do. I don't want to affect that in any way, because I want to do that as long as I possibly can.
You go into it slow and you learn. One of the more important things I guess is having the right people in the right place to handle the business side of it, 'cause, I mean, I like to do different types of things, but to be honest, my business experience isn't as good, I guess, as my racing experience. I have to lean on a lot of people, lean on some people's judgment. You put good people in the right place; they'll run those type of deals for you, where you can focus on the racing.
Once you get the ball rolling, the thing pretty much takes care of itself. Just getting it off the ground.
Q. What's the most fun element you have? What do you enjoy most?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I think I enjoy the bar the most. I'd always wanted to get involved in ownership of a night club of some sort, 'cause I really enjoy the entertainment side of it and I enjoy the camaraderie. It's kind of fun to be there and to see the employees working and see them taking pride in what they're doing, the meetings they have after every night, hearing everybody, how uniform everything is, how structured it is.
I don't know, I take a lot of pride in it. I think it's nice to see the employees and everyone working there taking the same amount of pride in it. That's probably right now the most entertaining part for me.
Q. Question regarding Ms. Thayer Lavielle, VP/Marketing & Brand Development at JR Motorsports
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: We sort of have a tug of war, me and her. She comes up with some great ideas, things that we need to do, some areas that we may have opportunities in, success in. She doesn't really try to change the perception of me and what I think I am, what I like to do, what I like to be, how I like to act, what I choose. She doesn't really affect that or try to change that.
One of the things that's I guess exciting for her, in our sponsorship change in the last year, we're able to drive down a lot more avenues, do a lot more things, especially with the younger adults. So that's exciting for her and we're working in that area a little bit.
But for the most part, I don't know, me and her have a lot of fun. You know, she's definitely a big asset to our company.
Q. Can you talk about this event, bringing NASCAR drivers and country artists together? It's all about the fans. Talk about how cool that is, what it must mean for the fans.
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I think it's exciting for them to be able to get something going, you know, before the racing season starts. We've all had a good month and a half off. Sort of been out of sight, out of mind. I'm sure the fans, just like the drivers, are really excited about getting the season started.
This is a little bit of an activity prior to that to really sort of kickoff the next year. Everybody's kind of creeping back toward going to work. You know, this is basically the first real public function we've done at the beginning of every year over the last several years. It's a good way, I guess, to sort of get back into the groove. You know, you sort of sit that month and a half off and get used to being a bit of a bum. Now we're easing back into work. It's a good way to get it going.
Q. What is Daytona going to be like this year without the testing? Changes things up from the past.
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I doubt it will be any different. I doubt it will be unrecognizable. I mean, it's probably going to be about the same.
Q. Has the lack of testing affected your team at all?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: No. Gave a lot of guys a lot more time at home with their families. I thought it was a good change of pace. Whether it's something that will be -- I don't know if this will be the norm for years to come, but it was a nice little change of pace. Gave everybody a good rest. Made the off-season a little bit longer.
We have all the technology, all the things, all the engineers, all the stuff we need to really simulate testing, have an idea of what the cars are going to do, how they're going to react, so we should show up in the ballpark. It should be an advantage for us, due to the technology and personnel we have that can simulate and guesstimate where we are and get us in the ballpark when we show up for the racetrack.
Q. Rick (Hendrick, owner Hendrick Motorsports) is losing weight because Mark is working him out. He told me he would like to see Dale Jr. working out with Mark, Mark working out with Jeff Gordon. How are the dynamics with Mark coming on board, being so healthy?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: He's always took good care of himself. He's a good example to follow. But we really haven't -- like I said, we just started getting going back to work. This is the first thing I've done all year. I shot a commercial yesterday. I ain't even seen Mark since the end of last year, so... He had his birthday party over at the River.
Q. He did?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Yeah. Thought that was pretty cool.
Q. How fun was that?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I didn't go. He had it. I was working (laughter). I hope he had a good time, though. I thought that was really cool.
Q. What do you plan to do tonight?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I'm going to be in Mooresville.
Q. You're not staying?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: No. I mean, sounds like a blast. But, you know, I'm telling you, the off-season, you count every day (laughter).
Q. The River?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I'll be there tonight. That's where I'll be.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports // From GM // Nancy Wager & Judy Kouba Dominick
Part two of full transcript of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. media Q & A while appearing at the 2009 Speed & Sound, Nashville, Tennessee.
An interview with: DALE EARNHARDT, JR.
THE MODERATOR: We have Dale Earnhardt, Jr. How many signings did you do and what kind of lap pace were you on out there?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I think everybody does 200 or something like that. It was fun. Fans were in good spirits. Even with the weather the way it is, everybody is pretty excited to be here. It's good. It's the first thing we do at the beginning of the year, is come to Sound and Speed. We've had really nothing going on for the last month and a half. It's good to get back to work, get to doing something productive. Really brings the awareness about that the year's getting ready to start, gets you excited about going to Daytona.
THE MODERATOR: Did you have much of an off-season? If so, care to share any fun things you might have done?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I took my family on a trip, which was good. First time me, Kerry (brother) and Kelly (sister) and my sister Taylor have ever been anywhere together as a group, so that was pretty exciting for us. I guess we all had to grow up a little bit and get a little older to appreciate being around each other.
I've just been kind of keeping it close to home. We got the Whiskey River Bar down in Charlotte. Been going down there and hanging out, keeping close to JR Motorsports, trying to get some more sponsorship into the No. 5 program (NASCAR Nationwide Series) to get that car running more races, staying in contact with Tony, Jr. (Eury, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports), with what's going on with the No. 88 (AMP Energy/National Guard Impala SS) team. Took my uncles Robert and Jimmy Gee and Tony, Jr., to Missouri, went deer hunting the week of Christmas. That was fun.
THE MODERATOR: We had Ray Evernham in here a little bit ago. The topic was mergers. Another team near and dear to your heart was involved in a pretty big one. Does that mean anything special to you? What do you see happening there?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: It seems to be all the craze these days, merging together. We did it last year with Rick (Hendrick) and our Nationwide team. It's actually kind of fun. You can really consolidate some of your best parts and try to create an overall better team. Obviously it's done for financial reasons. You try to do the best you can to kind of reconstruct your financial expenditures, all that stuff.
It's unnecessary to make such a big deal out of it. I think it's just part of the way things are going right now. A lot of the teams are finding that to be sort of a Godsend, to be able to keep competing in the sport. It's good for several teams that have been able to do that.
THE MODERATOR: Questions from the floor.
Q. Can you talk about the No. 88 Nationwide program sponsor deal you just got wrapped up, how big a relief that was, because it's getting close to the start of the season.
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: We actually got ourselves a great relationship with GoDaddy. Unilever has come on board this year with all their brands, Hellmann's, Ragu. It's pretty exciting. Some sponsors come from other teams. I don't know, nobody really gives it to you outright, but I take it as a compliment they've come over to work with us. I was really excited about the GoDaddy car. I think it's crazy looking, the car is. Different than last year. I made Brad's (Keselowski) as crazy looking as I could make it. I think it's just like solid green and orange, so it should get quite a reaction, good and bad.
I like GoDaddy. They're a fun company. They're kind of off the cuff, by the seat of their pants. The guy that created it really has a good -- I don't know, he's pretty easy to deal with, good guy to get along with. I like working with people like that.
We're still working, like I said, on some programs in the No. 5 car, to try to put some stuff together. I think that team is slated to run about six races. We need to run that team about 20, 21 races at the least. That's what I'd like to do at least. Those guys need to be at the racetrack working so they can be learning. They like to race. They need to race, so...
Q. I've asked some of the other racers, was there one defining moment that made them want to be a racecar driver, who their early inspirations were. Being who your Dad was (Dale Earnhardt, Sr.), was there one piece of advice that your Dad gave you that stood out above everything else in your career starting out?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Yeah, I think, you know, it's common knowledge to stay away from drugs and putting yourself in a position to be in a crowd where people are doing those type of things. It's pretty dangerous business. When your Dad's telling you that when you're a freshman in high school, all those things, you're so naive to how much of that stuff's truly out there.
I think had he not been consistently telling me about those pitfalls, you know, I kind of thank him for being dedicated to making that clear and making sure I knew exactly how severe and serious that situation was because the older you get, the more you realize how often that stuff is found out in society and how close it is to you.
So I worry about my nephews and nieces and some of my family members just going down the right path, being right, not falling into that same problem that a lot of people do, just trying to stay clean and function, you know, without getting swept up in the wrong crowd, being around the wrong people, making the wrong decisions.
You take that kind of stuff for granted, man. But it's so easy to get involved in it. Then it's so difficult to get away from it. So I was lucky. That point was made pretty clear to me when I was younger. Even though I was naive and didn't take it very seriously then, it means a lot to me now.
Q. I know you've got the Whiskey River Bar in Charlotte. Can you kind of talk about your relationship with performers in country music, how that developed and where it's at now. I know a lot of people look at you and they think that he's the Kurt Cobain type, all that. You do have some history with country music.
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Yeah, I've had some pretty good friendships built up over the last several years with some of the guys that I was actually a big fan of. Dwight Yoakam, Dierks Bentley. Obviously my Dad was a fan and big friends with Alabama and several other people, obviously.
The friendships are just equal admiration. They come out, see what we do. We see what they do. We all kind of have similar attitudes toward life, I guess, a little bit not taking stuff so seriously, just sort of enjoying yourself, having an opportunity to do something you love for a living. You can appreciate a lot of the similarities between the commitments, travel, the responsibility.
But, you know, opened up the bar. Dierks comes and has a CD release party. You have some other friends come and play. That's pretty cool. You know, it's just friendships. That's all that really matters. If you can bring 'em together in a working relationship, do kind of cool stuff within your chosen field, that's kind of cool, too. You just kind of appreciate each other for either how talented they are and being down-to-earth.
Q. Last year you showed up early for testing. What do you do the next couple of weeks? How do you get back in the mindset without there being testing to get back in that racecar, get that mode in your head?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Well, John Henry's company that he started called Iracing.com, John Henry that owns the Red Sox; I've been doing that about every day, helping those guys in development of that simulation. That's been keeping me pretty busy. I've run about eight thousand laps since December 1st when I first got kind of on my vacation, if you will. But I spent a lot of time doing that.
I really am glad to have some time off. I like going to the bar, having some fun. I'll be going to the bar tonight, hopefully next weekend. I don't know. We're going to go to Daytona for FanFest, but hopefully we get home in time to go to Whiskey River, raise a little hell.
Q. What are some of the things that you enjoy the most with the Sound and Speed event?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I think the fun part for me is this is the first interaction with the race fans in several months. They'll tell you about how excited they are about the season. They'll tell you about how they want you to have a good year. They'll tell you about how they met you last year, whatever. Sort of gets you back into the feeling of going back to the racetrack, getting excited about going back to the racetrack.
That's the funnest part for me. Like I say, you sit around and you got a couple months off, you really get used to being a bum at the house. This really starts to bring you back to getting to the racetrack. I'm excited about going racing at Daytona. But this really sort of makes you -- it's a little bit of a tease. You're kind of ready to get there now.
Coming out here and doing this, obviously you get to meet some people. You get to meet some new people from the country western world, from the music world. You get to see some old friends that you raced with that you ain't seen all winter. But just hearing the fans tell you about how excited they are sort of gets you excited.
Q. You talked about your time off. What about the length of the season and the impact the economy has on the length of the season?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I mean, the season's long. You know, the economy's in real bad shape. I think everybody knows that. It's gonna have an impact on everything. I don't really know how bad it will get. Hopefully it don't get too bad.
But it's not projected to recover till late 2009. We'll just have to weather the storm best we can. Everybody's been making cuts, job cuts, stuff here and there, trying to do whatever they can to try to maintain their organization and keep their teams together. But people are losing jobs in our sport. You know, everybody's just trying to get to the end of the recession we're having right now.
Q. (Question about the season.)
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: The season is long. I'm never satisfied. If I ain't racing, I'm ready to race. If I'm racing, I want a week off. Hard to get satisfied (laughter).
Q. With one year at Hendrick under your belt now, but no opportunity to test this year, what do you think about your prospects for 2009? Do you still think that your teammate in the No. 48 car (Jimmie Johnson) is the man to beat?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Well, you know, Kyle (Busch) and Carl (Edwards) are very strong. Carl did an awesome job this past year. He's really turning into quite a representative for our sport. He's doing a good job.
But those three guys are at the top right now as far as probably being the probables to be battling for the championship next year. But the fact that we're not testing is good for us. We have a lot of resources, simulation programs, a lot of good engineers to sort of guess where we need to be when we go to the racetrack. A lot of the teams don't have that, so we'll have the advantage I think with the testing policy the way it is.
Q. Could you reflect on the past year of having the National Guard as a sponsor, what you learned from that?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Well, it's always fun working with the military as a sponsor because they're not like anything else. They're not pushing corporate products or anything like that. It's just different, you know. Military also, with the situation we have over in the Middle East, the military's really pushed to the forefront of everybody's minds, whether it be in the news or what have you. It's a really important time, I guess, to be supportive. That makes it interesting right now to be working with them, to see a lot of the things that you see, learn what you learn about what kind of job they're doing.
But the Guard is a little different because you're a civilian soldier. You sort of kind of still keep your day job until you're called upon to do whatever it is. A lot of times you go to different places to do different types of work, whether it be if we have a hurricane or something at the homeland, those guys go in there and work. So you do all kinds of different stuff. It's kind of interesting to hear the stories that you hear.
I like it. I like working with the military. I was lucky because General Vaughn, who runs the National Guard, and I got along really, really good. I really came to admire him more and more each time I met him. He invited me to his house. We all kind of hung out one day. I don't know. It just sort of made me really appreciate my relationship with him.
But it's been fun. He's going to retire and we're going to get a new guy. Hopefully he's just as cool.
Q. Talk about your new teammate. Must be kind of a thrill to race with Mark Martin on the same team after competing against him. Everybody knows what a great representative of the sport he is.
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I ain't really talked to him much. We haven't been around each other at all during the off-season. I haven't seen him since the end of last year. He's a great guy. He's really appreciative. Always got nice things to say about you.
He ran a Busch race for us in Vegas that he won. I was clambering to get pictures of him for my own personal collection with a uniform on where it says JR Motorsports on his shoulder. I don't know, I just thought that was awesome having that on his shoulder because of what he's done in the sport, how long he's been around.
One of my favorite racecars ever, as far as paint schemes, and you know I'm crazy about those, is the ASA car he used to drive at Nashville, the No. 2. It was orange and white, a beautiful racecar. He came to my house when I was -- I must have been eight or nine years old. We sat down in the basement. He was showing my Dad these tapes of him racing at Nashville. It was when Mark was trying to get into the sport, into the Winston Cup series at the time. So I've known him forever. His son Matt is a great kid. It's awesome to see him at the racetrack. Whether he's my teammate or not, he's an amazing asset to the sport. He's just a really, really good guy.
But I'm glad that he decided to kind of come back and run full-time. I think he obviously forgot how much of a grind it is. But he'll get through it. Especially being able to drive great racecars, it's makes it a lot easier when you're running up front. Hopefully he decides to do more than one year. I'd like to learn as much as I can from him while he's here.
Q. You've been asked a couple of questions about the relationship with the country artists. I recall two years ago you were paired in the autograph booth with LeAnn Rimes. I think last year your partners with Taylor Swift. Who were you in the booth with today? Any stories?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Miss Peck was the one I was paired with today. We met earlier this year at a race. We had broken the ice there. But LeAnn, she's an amazing person. She's a lot of fun to be around. She's got a hell of a head on her shoulders. She's just a beautiful person. It's always great to see her no matter where you're at.
Taylor was very nice, too. It's always fun to meet those type of people. My family back home is, you know, going to have a ton of questions for me every time I come out here to Nashville and meet some of these people. They get excited about it. Fortunately in the country music world the majority of the people you meet are down-to-earth and good people, so it's fun to be a part of it.
Q. If you could date any of these cute country music singer ladies, who would it be? Underwood, Swift?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: That's tough. That is definitely difficult when you have to narrow it down to just one. I think that LeAnn. Obviously she's married, but he's probably the luckiest man in country music.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports // For GM by Nancy Wager & Judy Kouba Dominick
From Gord Craig / NPP
NPP SERIES 'OFF SEASON' REACHES THE MIDWAY POINT
EDMONTON, AB (January 11th) – January 11th is an important date on the calendar for teams of the Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series. January 11th is definitely not a race date because there is still snow on the ground. It’s not a deadline to have driver and team profiles updated either. So what does January 11th symbolize? This date is the official halfway point of the ‘off-season’. “One hundred and twelve days ago the NPP Late Model Series wrapped up the 2008 season,” says NPP Series announcer Gord Craig, “in just one hundred and twelve days we are going racing again.”
Behind the scenes preparation for the 2009 season continues. “We are always on the lookout for major sponsors for the NPP Series,” says Craig, “despite the downturn in the Canadian economy we hope to have a few more new sponsors on board before racing starts in May.” The 2009 Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series schedule is almost ready for official release. “About seventy-five percent complete,” adds Craig, “race dates at our home track (Castrol Raceway) are pretty well finalized. Right now we are in the process of firming up the race dates away from Edmonton.” The Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series celebrates its 9th season of racing action in 2009.
2009 SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
Saturday, May 2nd Castrol Raceway (2009 NPP Season Opener)
Saturday, May 16th Bridge County Raceway – Lethbridge
Sunday, May 17th Bridge County Raceway – Lethbridge
Saturday, June 6th Central Alberta Raceway – Rimbey
Friday, July 10th Castrol Raceway (Gold Cup)
Saturday, July 11th Castrol Raceway (Gold Cup)
Saturday, August 1st Castrol Raceway (Oilmens Invitational)
Sunday, August 2nd Castrol Raceway (Oilmens Invitational)
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