Ben Maller's NASCAR rumors and notes
by FOXSports.com
Jimmie Johnson: NASCAR needs to reach out to Big Three
The business plan to rescue America's struggling car companies was delivered to Washington on Tuesday, with the bosses of the Big Three making their cases in person later in the week. Not only are millions of automobile workers waiting to see if the government will loan them $25 billion, so is NASCAR. Without a bailout, some believe the future of stock car racing also may veer off course. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler use NASCAR as an important vehicle for marketing, and they spend millions to win on Sunday and sell on Monday. If they can't convince the government to keep them afloat this week, the trickle down affect could hit racing more like a tidal wave. "We need to reach out," said newly-crowned Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson. -- Savannah Morning News
Hendrick: Don't punish Big 3, assist them
NASCAR team boss and veteran car dealer Rick Hendrick believes domestic automakers are making big strides in building better and more fuel-efficient products and have done so the past seven or eight years. Hendrick, owner of multichampionship-winning Hendrick Motorsports and the Hendrick Automotive Group, which sells American-made vehicles and Toyota and BMW products, is disturbed with some lawmakers in Washington he thinks are ignorant of the quality and safety features of cars, trucks and sport-utility vehicles being produced by the Detroit Three. As CEOs of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler presented second-round business plans Tuesday to Congress in their case for $25 billion in loans, Hendrick urged a civil exchange of facts and figures and not the stinging barbs aimed at Rick Wagoner (GM), Alan Mulally (Ford) and Bob Nardelli (Chrysler) by several senators last month during the House Financial Services Committee meeting. ''I was embarrassed ... ashamed at their treatment," said Hendrick, whose driver, Jimmie Johnson, won his third consecutive Sprint Cup title in the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet this season. "They (the lawmakers) wanted to unload on them. They wanted to grandstand, smack them around. They didn't want the facts. They didn't give credit for the better quality and reliability already being built into American-made cars and substantiated by Consumer Reports and J.D. Power." -- Charlotte Observer
Jimmie Johnson will be testing with Chad Knaus
Nascar has suspended testing at its tracks in the 2009 season to cut costs, but Chad Knaus has already compiled a list of other tracks at which Jimmie Johnson may be able to test. In October, Knaus started preparing for the 2009 Daytona 500, which is scheduled for Feb. 15. About two weeks ago, Hendrick said he visited his garage. Two of his cars were being tested -- Johnson's No. 48 and the No. 24 car driven by Jeff Gordon -- and both cars had already been trimmed with all of their decals. "Ready to go to Daytona," Hendrick said, smiling. -- NY Times
NASCAR top spectator sport
According to NASCAR, stock car racing is the nation's top spectator sports with an estimated fan base of 70 million fans and an average of more than 100,000 at each Sprint Cup race. Add that to television ratings that trail only the National Football League, and the Big Three needs racing as much as racing needs the Big Three. "NASCAR in general is at risk with broad bankruptcy in the industry, and I think (not bailing them out) would just frankly take out NASCAR," Dr. David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research, told Fox News. "NASCAR has a very significant stake in these talks to develop some form of a bridge loan." Chevrolet already has stopped being the official car at two NASCAR tracks. More than 500 racing employees have lost their jobs as teams try to adjust to the recession. Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing have merged to share the financial burden; several teams have taken on investment partners; and several teams are on the brink of going out of business as Corporate America tries to reorganize. "Is any sport or anything recession-proof? I don't think so," said four-time champion Jeff Gordon. "We still have an incredible fan base. Through times like this, all of us suffer. We're very dependent on our corporate sponsorships, not only as teams, but also NASCAR and the TV coverage and the fans and how they are customers to those sponsors. All of it ties together. There is no doubt that it affects each and every one of us." -- Savannah Morning News
NASCAR wears blue collar for year-end party
The blue-collar kickoff to NASCAR's Champions Week, held in New York since 1981 with an eye toward wooing white-collar corporate sponsorship, was a nod to a season-long philosophy espoused by Chairman Brian France. "Back to the basics" is an appeal to hard-core fans, many of whom probably can't afford a room at the Waldorf-Astoria, site of Friday's awards ceremony. "We wanted to really get back to a grassroots level," spokesman Ramsey Poston says. "One of the qualities that sets NASCAR apart from other sports is that close connection with the fans." With driver autograph sessions, a pit-stop exhibit and a concert by Gavin DeGraw, Champions Week 2008 has been more interactive than in the past. -- USA Today
Hendrick: NASCAR parties need to shrink with bad economy
While sponsors like Ford and Aflac are hosting events and fan festivals, the NASCAR industry doesn't seem to be taking as large a bite out of the Big Apple as it usually attempts to do. "It almost feels, with what's going on in the world, that we need to shrink it a little bit," said now eight-time champion car owner Rick Hendrick. "The way everything's going, people are hurting, it's widespread with the economy. It's almost like it's hard to have a party in the midst of so much uncertainty. You want to celebrate, but I think throttling back a little is not a bad idea."c-- NASCAR.com
Why Jimmie Johnson is underappreciated
Apparently, Jimmie Johnson is too good - in every meaning of the word. How else can it be that the guest of honor at this week's Sprint Cup championship festivities in New York City can be both underrated and underappreciated after winning three straight titles at NASCAR's highest level? Three years running, Johnson and his team have performed almost flawlessly when the championships have been on the line. But instead of praising Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus and their team for their mastery of the Chase for the Sprint Cup format - the same format in which every other team competes for championships - most use the No. 48 team's Chase dominance as the basis for arguing to change or eradicate the format itself. Three years running, Johnson has shown sportsmanship and class both in competing against his fellow drivers and in dealing with them along with the media, the fans and corporate America in his role as champion. But instead of getting credit, all you hear is that Johnson is too "vanilla" and that the one thing NASCAR needs most is to have his string of championships come to a close. -- Charlotte Observer
Chad Knaus goes virtually unnoticed
A man wearing a blazer and a scarf entered Foley's virtually unnoticed a few minutes later. Chad Knaus, 37, has been Johnson's crew chief for all three of his championships, and Johnson probably would not have won the titles without him. While a young fan was persuaded by her mother to show Johnson her "Jimmie Johnson dance," Knaus sat just off to Johnson's right, quietly playing with a new pocket-size video recorder, happy to be a spectator at another show starring Johnson. "I think I get plenty of attention," Knaus said. "Do I have jets, a million cars, a yacht? No. But every day, when I get up, I never complain about going to work." -- NY Times
Jimmie Johnson in Central Park
Jimmie Johnson visited one of New York City's most famous landmarks - Central Park - for a photo shoot Tuesday, as the first full day of Champions Week activities unfolded. Among the photos taken were Johnson in front of Wollman Rink, one of two ice skating rinks in Central Park and one of him on a bridge overlooking The Pond in Central Park. Johnson also plans to have his photo taken Thursday afternoon at the intersection of 48th and 3rd Streets, signifying Johnson's No. 48 team winning its third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. -- Paddock Talk
Pit Crew Training Continues to Evolve
Teams are busy preparing cars and equipment for the 2009 season, and after maybe taking some time off, many pit crews will start getting back into training. Because the margin for error on pit road shrinks every year, teams are turning more and more to guys with athletic backgrounds, including guys with college and professional sports experience. These guys not only have serious ability coming in, but they also already have the work ethnic needed to be the best. I think it takes a certain mindset to continue pushing yourself in the gym and at practice, and many who come into the sport don't have it. -- NASCAR Insiders
Danica Patrick stars in commercial being shot for Super Bowl
The IndyCar Series has one of the longest off-seasons in motor racing, which gives Danica Patrick plenty of time to burnish the popular driver's brand image. Such was the case Wednesday, as Patrick starred in a commercial being shot in a Sylmar soundstage for one of her sponsors, GoDaddy.com, scheduled to appear during this season's Super Bowl telecast. Patrick, 26, became a marketing sensation after nearly winning the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie driver in 2005. She then remained winless for nearly three years until earning her first IndyCar Series victory last April, in Motegi, Japan, thanks to a fuel-mileage gamble. But Patrick struggled during the rest of the year in the No. 7 car she drives for Andretti Green Racing, whose other drivers include Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti. -- LA Times
New York, New Jersey Governor's Offices Welcome NASCAR, Sprint Cup Champions to New York
New York's Governor David Paterson and Governor Jon Corzine of New Jersey officially welcomed NASCAR to the Tri-State area, while preparations for the Aflac Fan Fest and NASCAR Tailgate City driven by Ford celebrations were taking place at the Hard Rock Café and in Times Square. As part of the BUCKLE UP AMERICA Challenge traffic safety partnership with NASCAR, both governors are being joined by NASCAR drivers Carl Edwards, Stanton Barrett and others. -- Paddock Talk
Sprint Cup racing should be affordable entertainment
It's unfortunate that NASCAR isn't one of these affordable forms of entertainment. Only a blind man wouldn't have noticed the large number of empty seats at several of the races during the 2008 season. We all know that operating a racetrack is a business and that a business has to be profitable and must keep its shareholders happy. But ticket prices are keeping fans from attending races, and the worsening economic climate indicates there could be more people watching from their couches next season. Now, obviously you can't make tickets to a race as affordable as tickets to a James Bond movie, but it's time for the ticket prices to come down. Michigan International Speedway has already made the move in announcing that it will lower prices for the 2009 season. General admission seats will be $40. Considering the price of popcorn, candy and soda at the movie theaters, these race ticket prices just might be competitive with a 007 film. -- Las Vegas Sun
Geoff Bodine headed to Iraq again
Geoff Bodine will continue his post-racing role as a missionary of sorts. The Chemung native, who won 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup races over 26 years, including the 1986 Daytona 500, begins his fourth military goodwill tour in the Middle East war zone Tuesday. Bodine, 59, who splits his time at homes in Florida and North Carolina, will join fellow NASCAR driver Scott Wimmer, NHRA drag racer Hillary Will, and Firestone Indy Lights winner Arie Luyendyk Jr. on the Racing Heroes 2008 goodwill tour. The 12-day tour will visit Army military bases in Iraq and Kuwait. "Whenever the military wants me, I'm willing to go," Bodine said from Chicago on Wednesday. "They really appreciate it when people show support for what they are doing. I'm very fortunate that I have the opportunity to do it." Bodine said he's also planning another trip in March, this time to the Persian Gulf and sponsored by the U.S. Navy. -- Star Gazette
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