Dec 2, 2004

Huge shake-ups at Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Dale Jr.'s crew chief Tony Eury Sr. moves over to become the Director of Competition for the organization, making Pete Rondeau the new chief of the #8 car, and Tony Eury Jr. will head up the #15 ride for Michael Waltrip. In addition to these changes, the main members of each of the crews are swapping teams as well.

Mike Wallace is out at Biagi Brothers Racing and the #4 Busch team. He's moving on to explore other opportunities in either the Busch Series or Cup Series. Mike won the July Busch race at Daytona this year.

Champions Week continues in The Big Apple, and don't forget as I told you earlier in the week, that today is the day the Top 10 drivers rumble down Broadway in their cars as Donald Trump kicks things off. There's also an autograph session from 2:30-4:30pm at the NBC Experience Store at 30 Rockefeller Center. As for the Champion himself, Kurt Busch, today he'll be there for the NASDAQ Opening Bell, do a photo shoot in Times Square with the 97 car, & autograph signings at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

Dec 1, 2004

Kerry Earnhardt is going Truck Series racing in 2005 for Billy Ballew Motorspots. Kerry will drive the #15 Chevrolet Silverado and the team will be using Dale Earnhardt Inc. motors. The team is still looking to get a full-time sponsor for next year, but hopes adding Earnhardt to the team will help that process along.

Robby Gordon will race in the Dakar Rally starting on December 31st in Barcelona Spain. The race covers almost 9000km which is further than all of the races combined during the Formula 1 season. Robby will be driving a Volkswagen Touareg four-wheel-drive, and the race will finish up on January 16th, just in time for Daytona Cup testing.

Champions Week in New York City rolls on, and today the 2004 Champ Kurt Busch is busy again. He'll be a part of the March of Dimes Miracle Day event, have lunch with the New York City media, and do a bunch of satellite interviews for various TV stations.

Nov 30, 2004

Akins Motorsports has released Kasey Kahne's Busch crew chief Paul Andrews and will name a replacement soon. Andrews had 13 top 10's and 8 top 5's while running the #38 Great Clips team. Next year Kahne will share driving duties with USAC Silver Crown driver Tyler Walker who had a hand full of starts this year.

Champions Week is happening in New York City this week, and on Thursday the loudest Victory Lap will take place starting at 9:45am. All 10 Chase contenders will fire up their race cars on the command given by Donald Trump. The cars will rumble down Broadway, turn left on 42nd Street, and take the checkered flag at NASCAR's New York Offices on 52nd and Park Avenue. Trump said “New York is big, NASCAR is big, and this is going to be a big happening. People in this city are used to seeing some interesting things. I can guarantee that the sight and sound of 10 NASCAR stock cars revving 800 horsepower on the most famous street in the world is going to be unforgettable.”

On tap for Kurt Busch today is an appearance on FOX and Friends after which he'll visit the New York Fire Academy in Manhattan where he'll take on a few training exercises and spend time with FDNY personnel. Later he'll tape a segment for The Best Damn Sport Show Period, visit the Museum of Television and Radio, and round out his day having dinner with some Nextel executives.

CHAMPION'S WEEK IN NEW YORK CITY

Donald Trump to give “Gentlemen Start Your Engines” command as cars roar down Broadway

NEW YORK (Nov. 29, 2004) — NASCAR fans will see the top NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers roar down Broadway for an unprecedented “Victory Lap” commemorating the inaugural Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, on Dec. 2. The 10 drivers who competed in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup will make the Great White Way the sport’s newest road course for a day, as part of the annual NASCAR Champion’s Week celebration held in New York, it was announced today by NASCAR and Nextel Communications (NASDQ: NXTL).

The loud and unforgettable Victory Lap starts at 9:45 a.m., when the 10 contenders in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup will strap into their machines outside the NASDAQ in Times Square. Donald J. Trump, chairman, president and CEO of the Trump Organization, will then say the most famous words in racing – “Gentlemen Start Your Engines” – and wave the Green Flag. The race cars will roar down Broadway, turn left on 42nd Street and finally take a “checkered flag” at NASCAR’s New York office on 52nd Street and Park Avenue.

The 10 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers – Kurt Busch (the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion), Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Jeremy Mayfield, Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler and Tony Stewart – will be chaperoned by the two Chevrolet pace vehicles and the NYPD.

“New York is big, NASCAR is big, and this is going to be a big happening,” Trump said. “People in this city are used to seeing some interesting things. I can guarantee that the sight and sound of 10 NASCAR stock cars revving 800 horsepower on the most famous street in the world is going to be unforgettable.”

“New York City is proud to host NASCAR's Champion’s Week," said New York City Sports Commissioner Kenneth Podziba. "We are pleased to partner with NASCAR as the sport continues to build its fan base in the five boroughs and the industry celebrates another successful season at its culminating event – the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Awards Ceremony at the Waldorf=Astoria."

Tim Donahue, president and chief executive officer of Nextel, the title sponsor of racing’s premier series, will open the NASDAQ trading market on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2004. Donahue will be joined by George Pyne, chief operating officer of NASCAR, and the top 10 drivers of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.

Prior to opening NASDAQ, Busch, along with crew chief, Jimmy Fennig, NASCAR officials and Nextel executives, will participate in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series’ annual Times Square photo shoot. A representative from Mayor Bloomberg’s office will read a proclamation recognizing Friday, Dec. 3 as NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Day in New York City. Additionally, a representative of the Governor of New York, George Pataki, will proclaim Friday, Dec. 3 as NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Day in the Empire State.

In addition to the Victory Lap, NASCAR and Nextel have planned a range of advertising, promotional and marketing activities for Champion’s Week (Nov. 28 – Dec. 3):

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series NYC Pit Stop Tour Collect and Win Sweepstakes Game: NASCAR fans will be encouraged to visit race cars for sponsors Best Western, Budweiser, Dodge, Kodak, M&Ms, Maxwell House, The Home Depot, and Unilever stationed at high-traffic areas including the Army Recruiting Station in Times Square, The Plaza Hotel, Madison Square Garden, Bryant Park, Union Square, Madison Square Park, Intrepid Sea Air Museum and the NASCAR office on Park Avenue. New Yorkers who visit the show cars will get NASCAR-related giveaways and collect rubber stamps for chance to win free NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series cell phones, a trip to the Richard Petty Driving Experience or the grand prize trip to the Feb. 20, 2005 Daytona 500. The “Pit Stop Tour Collect and Win Sweepstakes” will be promoted by the New York Daily News.

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Chase Contenders’ Autograph Session and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Trophy Photos: Several of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top 10 drivers will appear in an autograph-signing at the NBC Experience Store at 30 Rockefeller Center on Thursday, Dec. 2, from 2:30-4:30. The 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Trophy, produced by Tiffany and Co., will also be available for photo opportunities.

Nextel Mobile Marketing: Nextel will place a mobile marketing unit and simulator at the Intrepid Sea Air Museum on December 3. Other locations will be determined shortly. Nextel will have extensive signage throughout the city during Champion’s Week. The company’s signature black and yellow colors will wrap 10 airport shuttles, 25 taxi tops, 25 phone kiosks surrounding the Waldorf=Astoria, 30 street vendor carts and 250,000 coffee cups throughout the city. The Waldorf=Astoria, traditionally clad in red and gold, will have a heavy Nextel presence through its key cards, newspaper bags, door hangers and city maps bearing vibrant yellow-and-black NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series logos.

Awards Ceremony at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel: Since 1981, NASCAR has honored the season’s champion in New York. The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Awards Ceremony from the Waldorf=Astoria will be broadcast live on TNT on Friday, Dec. 3 from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. ET. The 2004 NASCAR awards show will feature top entertainers and musical entertainment, a result of NASCAR Digital Entertainment’s efforts establishing a presence and communicating value within the entertainment industry. Viewers of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Awards Ceremony on Friday, Dec. 3, will enjoy the comedy of Jay Mohr and musical performances by former front man of the multi-platinum rock band Creed Scott Stapp and Brian McKnight. Collective Soul and ‘Last Comic Standing’ alumnus Gary Gulman will appear during the NASCAR Busch Series Awards Ceremony.

Other events occurring during Champion’s Week include the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Challenge between Busch and the Fire Department of New York and a visit with the Ronald McDonald House.

Additionally, Nextel will play host to an A-list of celebrities and the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers at a special Champion’s Celebration at the premier New York night club, Marquee, on Thursday, Dec. 2.

About NASCAR in New York

New York is the fourth largest NASCAR market in the country in terms of homes tuned to the average NASCAR events. On average, more households in the New York market tuned in to NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events on network television than Knicks and Ranger games on their local affiliates in 2003. NASCAR is the second-highest-rated sport on network television. NASCAR’s New York office was opened in 1998 to draw corporate interest and involvement to all levels of the sport. NASCAR has more Fortune 500 involvement than any other sport. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events rank second in television ratings among all professional sports.

The Victory Lap Route

Start: NASDAQ building – Times Square

• Travel south on Broadway, turn left on 42nd Street.
• East on 42nd to Madison Avenue.
• Left on Madison and travel north until 46th Street.
• Right turn on 46th Street to Park Avenue.
• Left on Park to NASCAR’s New York Office at 52nd Street and Park Avenue.

Nov 29, 2004

Champions Week begins this week in New York City. Kurt Busch started things off last night with a welcome dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, and today he'll make appearances on both the Today Show and Live with Regis and Kelly. Our new champion will be quite busy this week from visiting the stock exchange, visiting with the New York Fire Department, right up to the awards ceremony...and of course we'll keep you updated right here.

Over the holiday weekend, Irwindale Speedway in California hosted it's 64th annual "Turkey Night Grand Prix", and some NASCAR guys were on hand for the event. Jason Leffler finished top 5, J.J. Yeley finished 8th, and Tony Stewart? Well he had mechanical problems during qualifying and didn't race. By the way the winner of the event was USAC National Midget Champion Bobby East.

Some crew chief changes went down at Hendrick Motorsports for 2005.
Alan Gustafson will handle the duties for rookie Kyle Busch and the #5 team
Lance McGrew moves up to cup and reunites with Brian Vickers and the #25 team
Peter Sospenzo will handle the #44 Terry Labonte car for the 10 race schedule

Just in case you were wondering, what would the Top 10 look like under the old point system without the Chase for the Championship.

10 Elliott Sadler
9 Ryan Newman
8 Matt Kenseth
7 Jamie McMurray
6 Mark Martin
5 Tony Stewart
4 Kurt Busch would not be the champion
3 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 173 point back
2 Jimmie Johnson
1 Jeff Gordon would have his 5th championship by 47 points over his teammate