The Final Lap with Kerry Murphey

Brienne Davis Memorial Charity Drive & Auction

Calling all NASCAR fans...
Friends and family are having an online charity drive and auction in honor of Brienne Davis - the NASCAR official who tragically lost her life in an automobile accident. We are pulling together to raise money for her favorite charity the Victory Junction Gang Camp, all proceeds from auction will go directly to the VJG. We ask that if you would like to donate directly to Victory Junction Gang, please click here and donate in Brienne's honor.

VISIT

http://www.briennedavis.com or

http://www.briennedavisfund.com

Brienne Davis Bio

Brienne Nicole Davis
Born June 4, 1979 in Natchez, Mississippi
Died April 8, 2008 in Charlotte, North Carolina

Brienne grew up in a little town of Jonesville, Louisiana just 90 miles north of the State Capital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Her hobbies, in her younger years were, riding horses and going to rodeos. She was such a 'Tomboy'.

She was elected 'Most Beautiful' each year of high school and her senior year was 'Miss Block High School'. She was also elected to serve on the football Homecoming Court every year and she was 'Homecoming Queen' her senior year.

She played a trumpet in the high school band and loved to play softball. They were the Block High School Lady Bears, and they even captured a couple of District titles.

She became interested in automotives. She bought a '69 Camaro with the money she had worked and saved from summer jobs.

She attended Universal Technical Institute in Houston, Texas, and graduated with a 4.0 GPA. She was also a six time winner of the Student of the Phase' award, was on the Directors Honor List, Perfect Attendance, and Alpha Beta Kappa. She received a degree in Automotive Technology, Oscilloscope Operation and Emissions System Testing, and a certificate on Section 609 for A/C Refrigeration Installation Recovery and Recycling.

She put in a lot of hard work and really sacrificed, to be able to work in a dominantly 'mans world'.

Brienne went to work for Dale Earnhardt Inc. soon after she graduated from UTI. She began working in the Engine Teardown Department but later became head of that department.

She departed from DEI after three years to pursue other possibilities. She went to work for Nascar as an official in March, 2004.

Brienne's other interests included driving her old 1969 Chevy truck, riding her Harley motorcycle with friends and playing with her cat whose name is 'Floyd'. They were her pride and joy.

Brienne was very spiritual. She was deeply involved in Bible teachings. I believe her strong faith in God was because she was raised in a Christian home and was taught Christian values.

She is survived by her (Mom and Stepdad), Terri and Mark Bridges, of Newport News, Virginia, (Mawmaw) Sandra Emrick of Deville, Louisiana, Aunt Pam Emrick of Anchorage, Alaska, and Uncle Keith, Michelle, Harleigh, and Heith of Denham Springs, Louisiana,Maura Gilliam of Williamsburg, Virginia ( sister) and a host of friends.

She was proceeded in death by her Pawpaw, Louie Emrick.

In loving memory of my dear granddaughter, Brienne Nicole Davis.

by: Sandra Emrick

All Star Race Coverage

ALL STAR RACE @ CHARLOTTE SATURDAY NIGHT UNDER THE LIGHTS

-No points, just a million bucks on the line

-Drivers eligible: Last years winners, winners so far this year, past All Star Winners in the last 10 years, The top 2 finishers in the Sprint Showdown race, and one driver voted on by the fans

Previous winners of the fan vote are:
2004 – Ken Schrader
2005 – Martin Truex Jr.
2006 – Kyle Petty
2007 – Kenny Wallace

LOCKED INTO THE ALL STAR CHALLENGE
1 Martin Truex Jr, 2 Kurt Busch, 5 Casey Mears, 07 Clint Bowyer, 8 Mark Martin, 11 Denny Hamlin, 12 Ryan Newman, 16 Greg Biffle, 17 Matt Kenseth, 18 Kyle Busch, 20 Tony Stewart, 24 Jeff Gordon, 26 Jamie McMurray, 29 Kevin Harvick, 31 Jeff Burton, 42 Juan Pablo Montoya, 43 Bobby Labonte, 44 Dale Jarrett, 48 Jimmie Johnson, 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr, 99 Carl Edwards

Last Years Winner: Kevin Harvick   Chevrolet   Daytona 500 winner holds off Jimmie Johnson over final 16 laps.

Format
   •   Time trials will be three laps, including a four-tire pit stop. Total elapsed time of the three-lap qualifying run will determine starting positions for the race. The pit road speed limit will be in effect when cars enter pit road but will not be in effect when cars exit.
   •   The 2008 edition of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will run a total of 100 laps on the 1.5-mile tri-oval – making it the longest in the event’s 24-year history.
   •   There will be four segments – with each being 25 laps. (The first four-segment race was held in 2007 with four equal segments of 20 laps each.)
   •   All restarts will be double-file and the “Beneficiary” rule will be in effect throughout the race.
   •   Green and yellow-flag laps will count in the first three segments. In the final segment, only green-flag laps will be scored

AUDIO COVERAGE - LISTEN NOW FREE

Full All-Star Race Coverage...Plus...Will Greg Biffle leave Roush? We recap the Darlington weekend. Talk with Neil Haislop about Garth Brooks and NASCAR Day , and we get set for the All Star Race. Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Paul Northrop

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Last go around for Jarrett

Finale for Jarrett – And The Big Brown Truck

The NASCAR All-Star race will be the last race for Dale Jarrett, who is retiring. He's in the All-Star event as a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. He has never won the All-Star race. What a capper that would be, if he won.

Pre-race ceremonies involving Jarrett will be pretty interesting, as well. During drivers' introductions – with drivers being introduced as they walk on stage, then get into Toyota Tundra pickup trucks for a lap around the track – Jarrett will be introduced last. He will then get into the famed UPS “Big Brown Truck” and will drive around the track. In addition, a fan, selected this week at random, will accompany Jarrett on the long-awaited ride.

Big names in Showdown

The 2008 NASCAR Sprint Showdown: Best All-Star Prelim Ever?
The NASCAR Sprint Showdown, the annual “last-chance” preliminary to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, is even more intriguing than usual, as it features a former Chase competitor in Elliott Sadler, a former All-Star champion in Michael Waltrip and a man who in recent years has been considered one of the series' very best drivers, Kasey Kahne. It also will have former Indy 500 champions Sam Hornish Jr. and Dario Franchitti.

The top two finishers in the NASCAR Sprint Showdown advance to the main event.

Kahne is one of four drivers currently in the top 20 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings who most “race their way into” the All-Star event; and one of those drivers is currently inside the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup top 12 bubble -- David Ragan, who moved into 12th place after his top-five finish at Darlington. The other two top 20 NASCAR Sprint Showdown entries are Brian Vickers and Travis Kvapil – former champions of the NASCAR Nationwide Series and .the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, respectively.

CREDIT: NASCAR PR

Mmmmm Donuts

CONCORD, N.C. (April 22, 2008) - Top NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers will prove who can execute the best burnout and donuts during the inaugural Pennzoil Victory Challenge prior to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday night, May 17, at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

The timed-competition will include five drivers who must demonstrate four essential skills of any victory celebration: a tire-smoking burnout; spectacular donuts; precision driving into "Victory Lane;" and, as with anything in racing, speed.

"This is going to be a great event for the fans and something else they can get excited about during All-Star weekend," said H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway. "Just as Major League Baseball has the Home Run Derby and the NBA has the Slam Dunk Contest during their All-Star weekends, the burnout contest gives us a chance to highlight what has become an exciting part of race day. It also gives these drivers the opportunity to light 'em up for the fans."

Clint Bowyer, a first-time NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race participant and driver of the No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet, is the first official entry for the inaugural event. Other participants will be announced at a later date.

The Pennzoil Victory Challenge will take place on the frontstretch of the 1.5-mile superspeedway at 6:15 p.m., just prior to the start of the Sprint Showdown.

Each driver will be in similarly prepared Richard Petty Driving Experience cars wrapped with Sprint All-Star Race decals.

A $10,000 donation will be made to the winner's designated charity.

Pennzoil Victory Challenge Breakdown:

*The drivers will begin from a standing-start, triggering the electronic-timing system as they breakout of the "Start Box."
*A full drag racing-style, tire-smoking burnout must be maintained from the "Start Box" to a designated transition point.
*Upon reaching the transition point, the driver will throw the car into full 360-degree spins without crossing onto the apron of the frontstretch or they will receive a time penalty.
*The driver then must maneuver out of the donut and sprint into a "Victory Lane" marked on either side with traffic cones and into the "Finish Box," stopping the clock. A time penalty will be accessed for hitting lane marking cones or the end cone.
*The winner will be determined by the fastest time after penalties
(if any) are accessed.

CREDIT: NASCAR PR

All Star Race: Winners only this weekend

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race: Winners Only Need Apply
The 24th annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, will have 24 drivers racing for a winner’s purse in excess of $1 million.

Seventeen of those drivers are All-Stars because they’ve won NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in either 2007 or ‘08

Four are in because – even though they haven’t won a race in 2007 or ’08 – they’re past champions of the event (Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin) or of the series (Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett) within the last 10 years.

Two will get in via the NASCAR Sprint Showdown, a 40-lap preliminary race for series competitors who haven’t won in either 2007 or ’08.

One gets in via the NASCAR Sprint Fan Vote, which started April 17 and runs through 7 p.m. on Saturday night. Fans can vote a non-winner in via text messaging, by going to NASCAR.com or by voting at Sprint retail stories. The driver advancing must finish on the Showdown’s lead lap.

CREDIT: NASCAR PR

Race Recap: CUP Series

DARLINGTON, S. C. - Although he and "The Track Too Tough To Tame" exchanged blows, Kyle Busch and his No. 18 M&Ms Indiana Jones Toyota triumphed Saturday night, winning the Dodge Challenger 500 before a sellout crowd at historic Darlington Raceway.

Busch earned his third win and eighth top-10 finish of 2008. He also led seven times for a race-high 169 laps, capturing his first Darlington victory and his ninth in 125 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts. He remains the series' standings leader for the second consecutive week.

Carl Edwards finished second, followed by Jeff Gordon in third, Dale Earnhardt Jr., in fourth and David Ragan in fifth. Saturday's event was the first on Darlington's newly-paved surface, which yielded a new track-record average speed of 140.350 mph.

Busch, who led the final 64 laps, won in difficult fashion, earning multiple "Darlington stripes" along the right side of his car. The night's sixth-place starter, he also had to drive back through the field after his crew experienced early pit-road problems.

It didn't take long for the old Raceway to let the world's best drivers know who was in charge, even though a smooth, fresh coat of asphalt might be easier to navigate.

Elliott Sadler tried to drive underneath Tony Stewart and slid into Stewart's Chevy before two laps had been completed. Both cars suffered damage and Sadler's car was parked before the sun went down on NASCAR's second-oldest speedway.

While Earnhardt, Jr., took the early lead from pole winner Greg Biffle, former Indianapolis 500 winner Sam Hornish, Jr., picked up a Darlington stripe on the 11th lap.

When the race resumed, Busch took the lead and headed off in the sunset. Young Busch - now the youngest Darlington winner at 23 years and eight days - threw caution to the wind as he drove away from the field. Biffle, however, hung with him and took the lead after 42 laps when Busch scraped the wall and backed off the gas.

Matt Kenseth grabbed the lead when Biffle, Busch and others pitted. Patrick Carpentier led a few laps before Busch and Biffle took over again.

The race settled into a regular Darlington rhythm at 100 laps with Busch leading the way, Biffle close behind. From this point on, it was a battle for survival, man and machine against a 1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval that jumps up and bites when drivers least expect it.

Busch, at the 120-lap mark, was the bravest, leading the way, with Biffle, Earnhardt, Harvick, Gordon, Truex, Jr., Travis Kvapil and Jimmie Johnson the only others he could see in his rear view mirror.

Harvick's Chevy jumped out from under him and banged the fourth turn wall on lap 147, bringing out the fourth caution of the race.

When the race re-started, Earnhardt was back up front with Biffle close behind. Busch was shuffled back in the field after he had to make a second pit stop for a missing lug nut. He was back in 10th spot at the 170-lap mark and charging towards the front.

At lap 174, Earnhardt scraped the wall, allowing Gordon to move into third place behind race leader Biffle and second-place Truex.

At the halfway point (184 laps), it was Biffle, Truex, Gordon, Earnhardt, Hamlin, Johnson, Kvapil, Blaney, Busch and Kenseth in the top 10.

Biffle, however, retired with engine problems after 234 laps. He finished 43rd despite leading seven times for 95 laps. Gordon led three times for 24 laps; Earnhardt four times for 35 laps.

CREDIT: NASCAR PR

Kyle Busch Dominates Darlington

CUP SERIES - DARLINGTON TOP 10 - Kyle Busch Dominates Darlington and the rest of the Cup Series field.

10 Jeff Burton

9 Dave Blaney great run for him

8 Travis Kvapil another top 10 this year

7 Denny Hamlin

6 Matt Kenseth

5 David Ragan keeps running strong

4 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 4th top 5 this season

3 Jeff Gordon 5th straight top 5 at this track

2 Carl Edwards started 36th

VICTORY LANE

1 Kyle Busch lead the most laps (169) and battled back from a pit road penalty (loose lugs), severe brake problems and multiple Darlington stripes on the side of his 18 machine to win. It's Kyle's 3rd of 2008 in the Cup Series, and his 7th career.

Race Recap: NNS Series

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

DARLINGTON, S.C. (May 9, 2008) -- In a war of attrition, Tony Stewart beat Nationwide Series points leader Clint Bowyer to the finish line by .815 seconds to win the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 Friday night at Darlington Raceway.

In a two-lap, green-white-checkered-flag dash to the finish, Stewart pulled away from Bowyer, who had inherited second position after a six-car wreck wiped out half the top 10 with three laps left in the regulation distance of 147 laps.

David Reutimann edged Todd Bodine for fourth, and Steve Wallace beat teammate David Stremme for fifth.

Stewart won for the fourth time in six Nationwide starts this year and for the sixth time in his career. It was the eighth Nationwide win in 12 races this season for Joe Gibbs Racing drivers.

"It's this team behind us and this team at Joe Gibbs Racing," Stewart said. "We just took it easy in the beginning and tried to bide our time and take care of the car and take care of the tires and have something for them when we came to the end."

After Mark Martin stalled in the second position on a restart with three laps remaining, triggering a six-car wreck, NASCAR stopped the race for cleanup before Stewart led the field to the green-white-checkered on Lap 148.

With 46 laps left in the race, Matt Kenseth led Stewart by more than two seconds, but Kenseth came to the pits on Lap 121, complaining that his wheels were chattering. The crew changed four tires and sent Kenseth back on the track, but Kenseth wrecked in Turn 4 on Lap 128 trying to catch the first car one lap down.

"They told me the lucky dog was in Turn 1, and I was in Turn 4," Kenseth said. "I was driving way over my head trying to catch him."

Stewart led the field to the restart with 13 laps left and stretched his advantage over Martin to more than one second, but David Ragan spun and pounded the Turn 2 wall on Lap 138 to bring out the seventh caution of the race and set up the restart on Lap 145. That's when Martin's engine sputtered, setting up the green-white-checkered finish.

Polesitter Carl Edwards, who entered the race second in the series standings, chose to start on the outside of Bowyer, the second-place qualifier, but may have regretted that decision after scraping the wall while battling with Bowyer on the opening lap.

On Lap 2, Edwards' race ended prematurely when his No. 60 Ford blew the right front tire and smacked the Turn 3 wall.

"They dropped the green, and I was ready to race," said the defending series champion, who finished 43rd as the first car out. "I got loose and hit the wall. I guess I cut a tire down. . . That was a bad mistake, and I learned my lesson there."

Notes: Part-time Nationwide Series driver Denny Hamlin, who was fastest in the final two practice sessions, slammed into the outside wall during his first qualifying lap Friday and failed to make the race. . . Kyle Busch, who was shuffled back in the running order after a pit stop on Lap 87, lost a chance to take over the points lead from Bowyer when he tangled with Brad Keselowski on Lap 102 and careened into the Turn 1 wall. He finished 31st.

CREDIT: NASCAR PR

Stewart wins NNS @ Darlington

Tony Stewart finally has a win at Talladega, and now he finally has one at Darlington. This makes the 6th win in a row for Joe Gibbs Racing in this series. Carl Edwards finished dead last after wrecking on lap 3, Kyle Busch also wrecked, so Clint Bowyer retains the points lead, now by a wide margin.

1 3 20 Tony Stewart
2 2 2 Clint Bowyer
3 21 99 David Reutimann
4 15 03 Todd Bodine
5 25 66 Steve Wallace
6 4 64 David Stremme
7 29 11 Jason Keller
8 16 9 Chase Miller
9 19 38 Jason Leffler
10 20 59 Marcos Ambrose
11 12 12 Sam Hornish, Jr
12 22 27 Brad Coleman
13 17 33 Kevin Harvick
14 7 1 Mike Bliss
15 13 88 Brad Keselowski
16 28 89 Morgan Shepherd
17 27 28 Kenny Wallace
18 11 40 Bryan Clauson
19 23 30 Stanton Barrett
20 33 81 D.J. Kennington