Ben Maller's NASCAR rumors and notes
by FOXSports.com
Speedway Motorsports set to close on Ky. track
Bruton Smith is ready to say hello to his new Kentucky home. The Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman and chief executive expects the $78 million acquisition of the Kentucky Speedway announced in May to be completed later this month. Concord-based Speedway Motorsports had a 90-day option from the time the deal was announced to make the purchase. With that deadline arriving this month, Smith says an annoucement on the completion of the deal could come within a few days. -- Charlotte Business Journal
NASCAR about flashy personalities and not raw talent
There are few things fair at the top levels of NASCAR. Big money and flashy personalities often trump raw talent and desire. Eric McClure understands the game and his role in it. "Were fortunate to have the sponsorship from Hefty brand, which allows mostly a full-time ride," McClure said. "But you only get one chance anymore and have to be careful not to be labeled. "In years past, you didn't get the first opportunity until you were around 30. Now, at 29 years old and the way the trends have changed, the reality is when my sponsorship ends, so does my full-time job. "… The more well-funded independent teams will often go for a veteran driver or a [Sprint] Cup driver. It's getting to where the only way to break in as a driver is to come with sponsorship or have a very wealthy parent. The amount of money will determine what opportunity you get." NASCAR was once fueled by wild-eyed Southern boys who developed car control and courage on rootsy asphalt and dirt tracks. The star search long since has shifted far from the gritty Southern Late Model ace. "It's getting harder and harder for drivers to get opportunities," McClure said. "As such, the Sprint Cup teams will develop someone occasionally, but usually put their Cup drivers in the Nationwide cars in order to get the amount of sponsorship dollars they command." -- Bristol Herald Courier
Chevron's marketing budget going elsewhere
Chevron, the parent company of Texaco and Havoline, will end its NASCAR sponsorship after this season, leaving the No. 42 Dodges owned by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Chevron made "only" a $6 billion profit in the second quarter, and while $24 billion a year is barely scraping by in the oil bid'ness these days, it's not like the company can't afford racing. Sponsorship dollars aren't donations. Companies, even oil companies, need results and Chevron feels that it can get better results by spending its marketing dollars another way. -- Charlotte Observer
Harvick: been running better for 2 1/2 months
Kevin Harvick asked about why he has been doing well of late: "Well, we've been running really well for at least 2 1/2 months now. We didn't have the finishes to show for everything that had been turned around. … You know, there's just better cars, better engines, better everything." -- KC Star
Kurt Busch: brother Kyle needs to stay focused
Kurt Busch said Kyle needs to keep doing what he's doing in order to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship this season. "It's a tough balance of go-getter attitude and focus as deeply as he is and not necessarily look around or take the blinders off, just stay committed, stay focused, and don't change your routine too much and when the season ends, you hope you come out on top, and that's when you reflect," said Kurt. -- MyFox Kansas City
Truex Jr. excited about night racing in Bristol
Martin Truex Jr. is excited about night racing at Bristol: "Races at Bristol are always crazy, but they seem to get a little wilder when we're racing at night. If there's a full moon -- watch out. That only seems to add to the madness. I don't know why the night races seem to have more wrecks. Maybe it's because the fans are so hyped up by the time the race starts, the drivers just feed off of their excitement." -- Motorsport.com
Kurt Busch: Bristol like a second home to me
"I just love Bristol, make no bones about it," said Kurt Busch, whose first career NASCAR Sprint Cup win came at the track on March 24, 2002, in only his third career BMS start and 48th start overall. "There's only one Bristol and everybody knows that. "I get asked the question several times every week as to what is my very favorite track of them all," said Busch, who will likely do well over 100 sponsor-related race day hospitality visits at race tracks this year, including three scheduled for this Saturday at BMS. "At the hospitality functions, we always try to do a little question and answer session and that question about my favorite track will inevitably come up. It always does. "I'll always answer first by going with the home-track angle, saying that it has to be whatever the particular track where we're racing that week," said Busch. "That always works to soften up the crowd and get everyone really interested. But I'm always quick on the draw to tell them the entire story shortly after that, telling them emphatically that Bristol Motor Speedway is my absolute favorite track. "With all the success we've had there over the years, the track is like a second home to me," added Busch. -- Motorsport.com
Kyle Petty back in the saddle
Believe it or not, Kyle Petty hasn't competed in a NASCAR Sprint Cup race since the Coca-Cola 600 in May. But that will change this weekend as the ageless veteran will be back behind the wheel of the Petty Enterprises No. 45 Dodge Charger at Bristol Motor Speedway. "I have to thank Chad McCumbee and Terry Labonte for their efforts in the No. 45 Wells Fargo Dodge over the last several races," said Petty. "They have moved the team up to the 39th position in the owner point's standings and we're in position to move up a few more if we can keep improving. I know it hasn't been easy on the crew. All three of us have different driving styles so they haven't been able to get into much of a rhythm. It's just a testament to how hard this team works." -- MyFox Kansas City
Newman: Bristol a game of survival
Ryan Newman asked about surviving Bristol: "Everyone will tell you that Bristol has always been a game of survival. Everything happens so fast there. You don't have time to think or blink. I learned that in 2003 when I won the pole there. I knew I had a good car, but I never anticipated that I could put down a lap that fast. You just don't realize how quickly everything happens at Bristol. You could have the best car out there, but everything is completely out of your hands. One minute you could be running in the lead and just seconds later, you could be wrecked in the corner and out of the race and it be no fault of your own. You won't even realize what has happened to you until afterwards. That's what happened to us in the spring. We got into the top 10, and we had a really fast car. But a couple of cars got crossed up in front of me, and I had nowhere to go. Our car ended up being a casualty of a wreck that wasn't our fault." -- Motorsport.com
Texaco getting out of NASCAR sponsorship biz
It will be the first time in more than 20 years that the iconic Texaco livery will not be on the NASCAR grid. Drivers including Dale Jarrett, Davey Allison, Ernie Irvan, Ricky Rudd and Kenny Irwin all carried the black, red, and yellow decals. -- Autosport.com
Busch on Busch
Kurt Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, said he's as amazed as anyone else by the remarkable success his little brother, Kyle, has had this season. Kyle has won eight Cup races and a total of 16 races in NASCAR's top three divisions. Kurt said he knew Kyle was good growing up, but this year he's just been unconscious. "I am really happy and excited for his success," Kurt said of his younger brother. "Watching him come up through the racing ranks, I knew that he was a wheelman and I always tried to sell him as better than I thought he was, but man he's on fire. I always said, 'Hey, you think I am doing good, you should see my little brother.' So its great to see him do well. It's surprising, but you can see it coming and I am glad he's transitioned well into his new race team. The next thing I am waiting for is for him to remember who helped him get to this point and give some of that information my way." -- MyFox Kansas City
Hornish Jr.: experience should help at Bristol
Sam Hornish Jr. on Bristol Motor Speedway: "I feel like this is a big weekend for me in the Mobil 1 Dodge. Now that I have some experience in a Cup car at Bristol, I am hoping to have a much better finish this weekend in the Sharpie 500. I feel that we have learned a lot since March and I'm anxious to see how we race overall. "I always liked racing on short tracks in the IndyCar Series, but it doesn't seem as if that has transferred over to the Sprint Cup Series yet. I like short tracks but I don't run as well there as at the larger tracks. Hopefully, I will have that breakthrough this weekend." -- Motorsport.com
Logano not commenting on probation
Joey Logano, the 2007 Camping World East Series champion who is expected to replace Tony Stewart in the No. 20 Sprint Cup Series car for the 2009 season, was unavailable for comment. "We are . . . disappointed that NASCAR chose to place our drivers on probation, as they had no knowledge or involvement of this incident," Gibbs said. -- Hartford Courant
Nemechek Looking to Crack Bristol Code
When it comes to Bristol Motor Speedway, site of Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race, Joe Nemechek has mixed feelings. The Furniture Row Racing driver enjoys the challenge of Bristol, but hasn't had the good fortune there in 25 career Cup races. "I love Bristol, but I am wondering if the track has the same feelings for me," said Nemechek. "I've been banged around there pretty good over the years and have had a lot of good runs ruined. But each time I go back to Bristol I get excited and feel this is the time I'm going to crack that jinx." -- Paddock Talk
Montoya: I like Bristol
Juan Pablo Montoya on racing at Bristol: "I like Bristol a lot. Of all the places I have ever raced, when someone asks me what track they need to go to I always tell them Bristol. As a driver you are up on the wheel all the time and you are always racing no matter where you are on the track. The exciting thing is that we have made a ton of gains on our race cars, and last year in the fall race we qualified on the outside pole and ran pretty well. In the spring, it rained and we had limited practice so we started by points and still finished in the top 15. " -- Paddock Talk
Humpy Wheeler named grand marshal of Turkey Day parade
Former Lowe's Motor Speedway president and general manager H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler has been named grand marshal of the 2008 Carolinas' Thanksgiving Day parate in uptown Charlotte. Wheeler this week announced the formation of his own sports marketing firm. The Wheeler Company. -- Charlotte Observer
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