NASCAR announced today that it will be honoring the victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy that took place on Monday. Stickers showing the Virgina Tech logo will be placed inside all of the race cars for the next three weeks.
NASCAR To Honor Victims Of Virginia Tech Tragedy
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 18, 2007) — The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has received permission from Virginia Tech University to display the school’s logo on race cars for the next three weeks, in a tribute to the victims of this week’s shootings at the Blacksburg, Va. campus.
The logo will be displayed against a black background on the “B-post” — the area just to the right of the driver’s side window net — of cars competing in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series events at Phoenix International Raceway (Friday and Saturday), Talladega Superspeedway (April 28-29) and Richmond International Raceway (May 4-5).
Additionally, trucks competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event April 28 at Kansas Speedway also will display the logo.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, their family members, their friends — and the entire Virginia Tech community,” said NASCAR Chairman Brian France. “We wanted to make a simple, but strong, gesture of remembrance. We are grateful the university gave us clearance to display their logo.”
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Good news!
Liz Allison, widow of NASCAR driver Davey Allison, has a new book coming out in September of this year entitled “The Girl’s Guide to Winning a NASCAR Driver.” The book is a follow-up to her 2006 release “The Girl’s Guide to NASCAR.”
I immediately ran over to Amazon.com to see if I could pre-order this sucker but alas it’s not listed yet. I’m dying to know what advice Liz gives on how to lasso your own NASCAR hunk. If anything I’m sure it’ll be a fun read. Until the book comes out check out Liz’s new blog over at the Prilosec OTC Girl’s Guide to NASCAR site.
I’m a little late on this but I had to post this press release about a local (to me in the San Francisco Bay Area) woman who races and is a part of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program.
Jessica Helberg Earns Third-Place Finish For Drive For Diversity Program
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (April 3, 2007) — Jessica Helberg, driving for Bill McAnally Racing and the Richard Childress Racing Development program, gave the Drive for Diversity program its first top-three finish of the season last Saturday night in front of a capacity crowd at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif. Drive for Diversity participant Paulie Harraka, also driving for Bill McAnally Racing, finished the race seventh.
Saturday night was the first race of the 2007 season for Harraka and Helberg, who race in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Helberg, of Rohnert Park, Calif., qualified strong and started seventh. She made the most of the abbreviated 55-lap race, crossing the line with a solid third-place finish.
“It was a great start to the season,” Helberg said. “I was able to keep my car clean and avoid the wrecks, and I’m really excited about the third-place finish.”
Congrats Jessica!
It’s funny to me that Jeff Gordon is the current points leader for the Nextel Cup Series and yet nobody is talking about him, well some are but only to say that he’s probably not going to win the race this weekend at Texas.
That’s totally fine with me, I don’t want him to win, there are other people that need to win a race right now.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. needs to win one to keep his charge up the points standings going and to give his contract negotiations with DEI an extra sense of urgency. Not that it really needs it but DEI needs a slap in the face to realize that they need to just end all this damn suspense and just sign him, give him his majority stake and call it a day.
I’m sooo tired of all the media coverage surrounding the contract talks with Dale Jr., I rank it right up there with all the hype about Juan Pablo Montoya joining NASCAR. Big whoop.
In other news…
Because it’s Friday the 13th here’s a video of NASCAR crashes I found on YouTube. (Need something to blog about? YouTube baby! it’s gold!)
I’m posting this because:
1) Who doesn’t love crashes?
2) I dig Chris Daughtry (an American Idol alum, that’s his song “Crashed” playing in the background)
3) Because I have nothing else to talk about (but you still love me)
It’s official. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has signed Supercross superstar — and hottie –Jeremy McGrath to his JR Motorsports team. McGrath will be racing late model cars sponsored by Monster Energy Drink.
Here’s more from the press release:
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 11, 2007) — JR Motorsports introduced seven-time Supercross champion Jeremy McGrath as its newest late model driver on Tuesday, pairing one of the most popular Supercross stars of all time with NASCAR’s four-time most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The announcement was made at the grand opening of the team’s new 66,000-square foot shop. McGrath will compete in a limited 10-race schedule in a Chevrolet late model stock car sponsored by Monster Energy Drink, with R&B Auto Body Transport Refinishing as an associate sponsor. His first race is slated for April 21 at Southern National Raceway Park in Kenly, N.C.
“This is something I’ve always wanted to try, and I’m really grateful that Dale Jr. is giving me this opportunity to drive one of his race cars,” McGrath said. “We are going to test this week, weather permitting. I’ve got a lot to learn when it comes to racing something with four wheels, but I’m confident I can pick it up pretty quick.”
The addition of McGrath and the Monster Energy car gives JRM its third late model entry. Scott Young and Curtis Truex Jr. currently compete in full-season touring schedules in late model cars sponsored by R&B. JR Motorsports also fields a full-time NASCAR Busch Series team with driver Shane Huffman and full-time USAR Hooters Pro Cup team with driver Richard Boswell. All of these teams operate out of the new JR Motorsports facility located in Mooresville, N.C.
“I’m proud to have Jeremy here, and it’s cool to see how excited he is about getting into one of these late models,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I like his approach, his mentality, and the energy he brings to this shop. I know this isn’t just some fleeting interest on his part. He is as serious about this as anyone I’ve ever been around.”
McGrath is easily one of the most recognizable motorcycle racers of all time, as he dominated Supercross from 1993-2004, compiling 74 main event victories and seven titles. He also won the gold medal in the 2004 X-Games Step-Up competition, and earned silver in the 2005 X-Games Supermoto.
“I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of success in Supercross, but this is a new type of racing for me,” McGrath said. “I want to succeed at this. It’s not like I’m coming in here and saying that I’m going to be a Nextel Cup driver or anything like that. I want to focus on this chance.”
JR Motorsports
JR Motorsports, a Mooresville, N.C., based company solely-owned by NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., is a growing team in NASCAR Busch Series, USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series and late model stock car competition. Founded in 2002, the team is entering into its second season in the NASCAR Busch Series with the U.S. Navy and driver Shane Huffman. In addition to fielding the No. 88 Navy Accelerate Your Life Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the NASCAR Busch Series, JR Motorsports also fields the No. 88 Champion Chevrolet in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series with driver Richard Boswell. Scott Young and Curtis Truex Jr. are a part of the R&B Late Model Driver Development Program in the Nos. 71 and 73 R&B Chevrolets and compete at short track across the Southeast. For more information on JR Motorsports, visit www.jrmotorsport.com.
Dale Jr. still wants to own the majority of DEI, duh, and I think the acquisition of McGrath to his JR Motorsports team proves that he’s really into growing a team, putting together a solid foundation for the future. For DEI there is no future without Junior as far as I’m concerned, if they don’t give him the majority stake in the team then they’ve got nothing.
In a semi-recent interview with Sports Illustrated Dale Earnhardt Jr. said that he may not be the marrying kind. Here’s an excerpt:
SI: Do you hope to get married one day?
Earnhardt: If it happens, it happens. It’s a hell of a commitment. Can’t you just hang with them? Do you have to get married? I imagine marriage changes the atmosphere of the relationship for the worse.
And millions of women around the country cry into their Dale Earnhardt Jr. licensed pillows.
In other news…
Carl Edwards has set out on a campaign to prove that he is the most buff and athletic NASCAR race car driver that has ever lived. Lately he’s been on the cover of Men’s Fitness, and Men’s Health. Maybe this is his way of proving to the sports world that NASCAR is indeed a legitimate sport that requires strength and training, or maybe he’s just trying to prove that he’s hot shirtless. I’m thinking it’s a combination of both.
So now the question is which cover is better??? I’m going with ESPN.
