Random Lugnuts: NASCAR Teams and Sponsorship Money

Bill Crittenden
September 18, 2009

As much as NASCAR and its teams are criticized for sticking brand logos across every available square inch of everything they bring to the track, the economics of the sport require individual teams to find sponsorship to compete. It's not just the raw costs of running a car and a team that requires such sponsorship, not when the New York Yankees have a payroll of just over $208 million (ESPN.com). A fifth of a billion dollars would buy a lot of NASCAR-spec Impalas, a lot of wind tunnel time, pay for thousands of hours of team labor and still have enough money left over to hire a good driver, and the Yankees haven't had to replace the famed NY on their caps with a corporate logo to sign A-Rod's checks. Why is NASCAR different? Why is it that we can associate Amp with Dale Jr. and Aflac with Carl Edwards but many casual fans might not even recognize the logos of Hendrick Motorsports or Roush-Fenway Racing?

Think about this: in most other sports, each team has a home stadium where they sell tickets to the games. In NASCAR, nobody has a home field, and ticket money isn't collected by the individual teams. The Yankees have Yankee Stadium, whereas NASCAR teams run every race as an "away game." Prize money might cover the basic costs of running a race car, as shown by the start-and-park crowd, and you see how competitive they are. They don't even try to finish races, let alone try to win them. It takes a lot more money to actually compete in the series. Merchandise sales, while a big business to stock car racing fans, doesn't cover the difference between showing up and taking home trophies. Without the money from big corporate sponsors, NASCAR would be very, very different.

Sponsorships, to a stock car team, are about more than covering payroll. Why do teams feel the need to sell every available flat space on every team-owned object they bring to the track? Because sponsorship affects how a team operates on the track. When extra money can buy new testing equipment, or wind tunnel time, or be used to hire better engine builders, the competition for sponsorship money becomes part of the overall competition that is NASCAR racing. Increasing a primary sponsor's return on investment (to keep them signing on year after year) by finding new places to plaster their logo or increasing overall income by selling new spaces to new associate sponsors is just another thing a team can do to find a competitive edge on the other teams.

Thankfully, NASCAR has ensured that the race for money does not win races on the track all by itself, as evidenced by the wide variety of winners we've seen over the years. Otherwise, NASCAR might resemble Formula 1 of years past. While there's no shortage of sponsorship money available in Formula 1, the technology-dependent series rewards those capable of expensive research and development, and so the few teams with the most money have the best technology, the best cars, and can use those to draw the best talent, and with all three dominate the series, resulting in only two or three competitive teams and the championship often decided between the two drivers of the top team. When Brad Keselowski drove James Finch's car to victory at Talladega, followed up by David Reutimann's win for Michael Waltrip Racing, each beating so many teams with so many more resources, they proved that money alone can't ensure victory in NASCAR's top series.

Money certainly can help build a team, though, and the open availability of the corporate sponsorship ensures that almost anyone with talent can get the cash to build a winning racing program. Many of the top NASCAR team owners, such as Rick Hendrick or Roger Penske, came into the sport with their own money from the outside and used that to build their teams. But drivers, relying on sponsorship money given to them by corporations who wanted to associate themselves with top talent and believed in their knowledge of the sport helped drivers such as Michael Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt and now Tony Stewart put winning cars out on the track as owners.

What would happen if the supply of sponsors were dramatically reduced, or if sponsors were somehow discouraged from spending on the sport? After all, as I've mentioned, the start-and-park crowd can run a team on prize money, so why can't everybody else? What would happen is a few wealthy owners who can build better teams without big sponsorships would dominate the sport. The three or four recognizeable personalities would pull in the few funding sources available while the rest just go without. The top drivers would prefer to drive for a well-run and well-funded team, and given their choice sponsors will put their money on winning cars and winning drivers. The end result is the vast majority of money, talent, and sponsors concentrated in the hands of a few teams, reducing the level of competition to the point that few fans are still interested.

Once corporate sponsorships fled CART, the end of the series was a story of domination by a few teams that could still find funding, and Newman-Haas driver Sebastien Bourdais won the championship four times in a row from 2004-2007, and 8 of the 14 Grands Prix held the final 2007 season. Imagine most of the current NASCAR teams operating as two-car or single-car shadows of their current selves because they can't find proper funding for their current operations while one or two fully-funded teams operate as they do today. Think of what would happen if one driver not only won three championships in a row but four and possibly then a fifth (Bourdais and Newman-Haas were only prevented from a fifth by the IRL-CART merger), while also winning twenty-plus races a year for a half decade, and you can imagine what would happen to the fan base of NASCAR. Tired of Jimmie Johnson now? Imagine giving him a fourth championship and tripling his win total over the past three and two-thirds seasons and you have some idea of what the ChampCar World Series had happen to it...and why CART folded.

Big money sponsorship is an essential part of NASCAR. I believe it has helped the sport more than it has hurt it, and there's no way to get it back out without damaging the kind of racing that has built the sport into one of the most watched competitions in America. So it's just something to live with, and I'm sure by now most of us are quite used to it. I'll be "living with it" in a t-shirt with the logos of Amp and National Guard...which has something to do with the subject of part 2 in this series.

The original article, with pictures, is available at http://www.carsandracingstuff.com/library/articles/3813.php

NASCAR Driver Histories by Chris DiCicco

I know it's been a whole lot of NASCAR stuff lately, but I post what I can find (and have permission to use), and this is all I have lately:

NASCAR Driver Histories by Chris DiCicco at CarsAndRacingStuff.com Forum

NASCAR's Denny Hamlin - From boy to Superstar

By Chris Dicicco

James Dennis Hamlin Jr. or better known as Denny Hamlin, was born on November 18, 1980 was born in Tampa, Florida but spent most of his childhood in Chesterfield, Virginia. He started racing go karts when he was 7 years old in 1988. He was burning up the go karting tracks in Richmond, Virginia. By the time he was 16, Hamlin had switched to sturdier racing cars. He was racing stock cars and at his first race at Langley Speedway, saw him winning the pole position and the race. From then on, Hamlin raced in the Grand Stock division in 1998 which then spurred him on to Late Model Stock Cars in the year 2000.

Hamlin’s lucky break came when he was 24 and racing in the Late Model Stock Cars full time. It was there that Hamlin garnered the attention of Joe Gibbs Racing who then decided to sign him up for a driver development program. The same year, Hamlin joined the major-league NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races and the NASCAR Busch Series at Darlington Speedway. He managed to secure an 8th place finish and with that, a stable footing in Joe Gibbs Racing. Even though he started at 27th after an unfortunate qualifying session, Hamlin’s skills took over during the actual race and showed Joe Gibbs Racing that he was indeed a good investment.

Hamlin ended up replacing Mike Bliss in 2005 for the Busch Series and he ended the race with a steady 5th spot in the final championship. He also was able to compete in his first NEXTEL Cup Series after which he made his Cup debut after replacing Jason Leffler. He went on to finish the Cup season with 3 top 10 finishes in seven starts and one pole at Phoenix International Raceway. Hamlin had his first full season in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series in 2006 and he also drover the Busch Series. During the NEXTEL Cup, he managed to beat the previous season’s pole winners in the 2006 Budweiser Shootout and in doing such, he made history as being the first Rookie of the year candidate to win such an honor.

While during a break at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Hamlin injured his left hand between the pinkie and wrist which brought about 19 stitches as a result from goofing around with some of his crew members. However, despite the serious injury, he still managed to bag the second spot at the Crown Royal 400. He then went on to win his first career Cup Series at the Pocono 500 and he also managed to bring home his second career pole. His second career win was achieved in the same year in the Pennsylvania 500, Pocono Raceway and again made history for being only the 2nd rookie in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup history to get both trophies during the same season.

During the same Cup series, Hamlin scored the Raybestos Rookie of the year with a third finish in the final cup standings. He was in the NASCAR record books once again for being able to score the highest ever points finish for a rookie which then led to him being the first rookie to qualify for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. He has made many important figures in the NASCAR world to sit up and take notice. His excellent performance is also bringing on the heat on his other rival drivers.

Hamlin now lives in Cornelius, North Carolina to be close to the tracks. When he is off track, he spends time with his friends, plays online games and the occasional game of golf.

For NASCAR Merchandise, Up to the minute News, and everything NASCAR including NASCAR Baby Clothes , NASCAR Kids Jackets and NASCAR Jerseys we have them at the best prices everyday! Not only am I the owner of NASCARsupershop.com but I am also the senior editor, website developer and a HUGE fan of NASCAR!

NASCAR's David Reutimann - From Boy to Superstar

By Chris Dicicco

Born on the 2nd of March in 1970, David Reutimann grew up in Zephyrhills, Florida with the zeal of driving inborn within him. The Ruetimann family name resounds strongly within the old school races and various fans throughout the east coast. Their family name is notorious on the race tracks of Orlando, Florida. Buzzie and Wayne Reutimann (David’s father and uncle) were legends amongst the old school racers throughout the east coast. Their presence commands respect on and off the tracks and such a tradition was instilled in young David. David was brought up with racing in his blood and he has made sure to continue the bloodline on the tracks.
David’s grandfather and father would tear down the tracks in their early 30s Chevys, trimmed in blue and white with the famous “00” painted on red. They brought their game to the track and had their trophy in tow. Buzzie had the DIRT world in his hands after storm winning events all over the Eastern seaboard. David Reutimann, at the beginning was very much like his father. He was driving modifieds and late models on dirt and paved tracks while building up his own reputation.

Although the transition from weekly tracks to big competitions was extremely hard, David Reutimann proved the critics wrong. He was able to make the change smoothly and after getting noticed by Darrell Waltrip, the pieces fell into place. All of this took place when Reutimann moved up to the Slim Jim all Pro Series in 1997. He won Rookie of the year, finished in the top-ten eight times and had a fifth-place points finish. One would conclude that that was pretty good for such a large change in a short period of time. At the next season’s end, Reutimann grabbed a hold of the Sportsmanship award.

What probably was his biggest win was his daughter’s birth in 2001. Reutimann who now resides in Mooresville, North Carolina, set up house with his wife Lisa and young daughter Emilia with their mini-dachshunds, Roxie and Daisy.

It took him a few years after his debut onto the professional scene before he got his three wins in 2002 and with that, finished second in the overall championship standings. It was also that same year that the Florida native entered his first of four NASCAR Busch Series races. The car he raced in was owned by Joe Nemechek after getting some help from an old friend called Brian Pattie. Reutimann went on to finish at the 16th spot when he debuted at the Richmond International Raceway and later finished in the top 15 twice that same season. The next seasons, Reutimann ran seven Busch races for NEMCO. He also participated in the New England 300 and the Brickyard 400 in the Winston Cup Series in the #04 for Morgan-McClure Motorsports, but unfortunately failed to make the cut to qualify at both times.

Reutimann then signed on with Darrell Waltrip Motorsports in 2004 to race the NTN Bearings truck in the Craftsman Truck series. He won the pole in his second race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Reutimann had four top-fives and with his finish in 14th place in points, he managed to snatch Rookie of the Year again into his bag. His first career race was won in 2005 at the Nashville Superspeedway. He then went on to make his cup debut at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and continued to make fifteen Busch starts and had four top tens.

Buzzie Reutimann still races till this very day. David Reutimann, though a third generation racer in his family, proved that racing can be strong within one’s genes and that it is possible to go to the big time even if you start out small.

For NASCAR Merchandise, Up to the minute News, and everything NASCAR including NASCAR Barbecue Items , NASCAR Blankets and NASCAR Sunglasses we have put together the largest selection all in one place! Not only am I the owner of NASCARsupershop.com but I am also the senior editor, website developer and a HUGE fan that loves NASCAR!

10 Tips for Surviving NASCAR Season...When You're Not a Fan

By Heather Clark

It happens every year: NASCAR dominates your life every Sunday (and sometimes other days) from February through November. But what do you do when someone you live with is a Race Fan (RF) and you're not? From coping with the temporarily impaired ability to carry on a coherent conversation (don't worry - it usually is just temporary) to wondering why a 39 year old suddenly starts to behave like a 12 year old every time a race is on, here are some tips to help you cope with your very own RF, whether they're 10 or 90 or somewhere in between.

1. NEVER walk in front of the television if a race is on. If your dog is trying to crawl up the fireplace, let it go. If your arm is falling off, just duct tape it back on for now. Just don't walk in front of the television. Seriously, this piece of advice could possibly save your life.

2. Throw the word "drafting" into anything you need so say to your RF while the race is on. Since drafting is a popular racing term, you stand a small chance of actually being heard.

3. Invest in a drink holder that has a long arm. Why? It makes your RF feel like he's being handed a drink while sitting in a race car, and more importantly, it keeps you out of harm's way.

4. NEVER plan anything on a Sunday during race season – unless you want to go alone. If you do want to go somewhere alone (or with friends), Sunday is the perfect day.

5. Refer to all bathroom breaks as "pit stops". You may actually need to remind your RF to take some pit stops during the race, too.

6. If you're going somewhere during the race and you need to make your RF aware that you're leaving, use the phrase "4-tire change" somewhere in your sentence. You'll at least get a baffled stare.

7. If your RF has some rowdy friends over for the race, you might think about implementing a flag system. In racing, a green flag means the race is on and there are no problems. A yellow flag is a caution, which means all drivers must slow down and use - what else - caution. A red flag means the race has been stopped due to debris or an accident. A black flag means that a specific car must leave the race. These same flag colors can be used as a behavioral barometer for a rowdy NASCAR crowd, and it involves symbols they already understand. If they don't behave, you can always slap 'em with a fine.

8. Make sure the food served during a race is only from NASCAR sponsors. You don't have to serve the food, but unless you want to hear a lot of bellyaching, makes sure the "approved" food is available.

9. Invest in some good earphones. You can listen to music or books on tape and not have to get sucked into a discussion of who really should have won the 1976 Daytona 500.

10. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. And remember: it's perfectly acceptable to choose a favorite driver based on how cute he is or how cool his car looks.

Heather L. Clark is a Web writer and researcher who enjoys birthday cards, NASCAR and basketball.

NASCAR's Clint Bowyer - From boy to Superstar

By Chris DiCicco

Clint Bowyer, the 26 year old savvy racer from Emporia, Kansas, started racing in motocross at the young age of five. He was a good on two wheels but soon discovered that he was even better on four wheels after his grandfather brought him to a dirt track in Humboldt, Kansas. His father, Chris Bowyer, wasn’t very happy with his second son’s decision at first because the family had already invested a lot of time and money into motorcycles and the young Clint Bowyer had shown a lot of potential. His older brother, Andy Bowyer, was racing motocross nationally. Eventually, Chris Bowyer supported his young son because of his enthusiasm. His mother lays claim that they weren’t in it to make him a NASCAR star but rather they did it because they enjoyed it as a family. After awhile, the whole family turned to four wheels and Chris even set up a shop in his storage lot near his towing company in Emporia. Even until this day, his parents and their dog follow the Cup circuit in a motor home to show their support to Bowyer and it has paid off.

Because Bowyer’s father had many drivers for customers, he would hang around race shops to try and pick their brains. By the time he was 15, he was driving short-bed Chevy pickup that he had put together with the spare parts from his father’s storage lot. He was also working at a Goodyear shop in middle school to pick up the tools of the trade. From there, he was taught what made a person successful with their cars.

Bowyer is a fierce competitor and the markings of a winner was clear from the get go. He won and liked it. When he’s on the race track, he’s in it to win the trophy. Since racing at the age of five, Bowyer has gone on to achieve over 200 wins and countless championships throughout the years. He broke into the street stocks scene in 1996 at age 17 during the Thunderhill Speedway in Mayetta, Kansas. He counts that as one of his most memorable races because an angry competitor had chased a flagman into a bathroom for 45 minutes and threatened to crush the winner, only to then realize that the winner was 17 years old. Dick Ross, who was tuning up Bowyer’s engine that night, realized that Bowyer was made out of special material when Bowyer managed to guide home a 50,000-pound fire truck, a 6-foot towing chain during a 10 mile stretch of two lane highway in central Kansas without getting a scratch on the vehicle.

4 years later, Bowyer went back to the Thunderhill Speedway and won the 2000 Modified championship and finished second in the Modified points at Lakeside Speedway. He continued to get 18 more wins, 32 top fives in 40 starts en route to the 2001 Modified Championships at Lakeside Speedway and Heartland Park. After that he was made the 2002 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Midwest Champion after another Modified Championship at Lakeside Speedway and a Late Model crown at 1-70 Speedway in Odessa. Bowyer has gone on to win a great many more championships when he began running for the NASCAR Busch Series in 2004.

His parents are still in awe at how much their son has achieved and they are still amazed when fans congratulate them. Although Bowyer now resides in North Carolina, he still enjoys going back home where people still remember him as Clint and not the NASCAR star. And like any Kansas native, he believes that the best barbecues can’t beat Kansas City’s barbecue.

For NASCAR Merchandise, Up to the minute News, and everything NASCAR including NASCAR Apparel and NASCAR Jackets we carry the internets largest selection of NASCAR Memorabilia. The owner, Chris DiCicco is also the senior editor and website developer for NASCARsupershop We offer thousands of hard to find NASCAR items including Nascar Die Cast and Nasca Door Mats at the best prices everyday!

The Physics of NASCAR

By Chris Dicicco

Even though NASCAR started as a backwoods illegal race to run moonshine, it has today evolved into a sport that is not only entertaining but depends on physics too. The obvious element in the physics of NASCAR is the aerodynamic design required by these cars in order to achieve top speeds of near 200 mph with the minimum drag coefficient. But there are other forces involved too such as Newton’s Law of Motion and centripetal force.

Newton’s Law of Motion states that a body will remain in motion unless it is acted upon by some external force. In outer space for example, in the absence of gravity, an object will go on forever. So there are forces that resist the movement of a NASCAR vehicle such as wind drag and another known as centripetal force.

Centripetal force should not be confused with centrifugal force. However without getting too technical, you can think of centripetal force as a real force acting perpendicular to the motion of the moving body. Centrifugal force on the other hand is actually a fictitious force and what we feel as we are thrown outward from a moving vehicle is the reaction force.

Centripetal force in the physics of NASCAR is crucial to keeping a car on the track. The tires of the vehicle provide the friction which is part of the centripetal force. The centripetal force needed to keep the car on the track cannot exceed the square of the speed of the car. To put it in simple terms, if the car takes a turn too fast, the wheels leave the ground and an accident occurs. The physics of NASCAR dictates that turns on the racetrack must be banked in order to increase the friction (part of the centripetal force) to hold the car.

Another component of physics of NASCAR that serves to keep the vehicle with all four wheels on the track during the race is center of gravity. Center of gravity is basically the point where you could balance the car on the top of a flag pole (theoretically). Racing vehicles need low centers of gravity in order to keep the weight close to the track. If a vehicle has a high center of gravity then it can lose control when it hits a turn much faster. Think of an ambulance with a high profile patient area. If the ambulance took a turn too fast, it would topple over. But if its profile was not too high, it could take the turn faster because the center of gravity is lower.

An ambulance needs the high profile in order to get patients in and treat them but the physics of NASCAR dictate the low center of gravity in order to apply more centripetal force and keep it attached to the track on a turn.

Then there is the machining of engine components in the physics of NASCAR that are important for building horsepower with the minimum of friction. You want friction when it comes to centripetal force but you don’t want it inside of an engine. This is why internal engine parts are machined to within very accurate tolerances—much more accurately than automobiles for family and everyday use. Why? It is because you want to minimize friction inside the engine. When engines torque at these speeds, friction is a very dangerous enemy.

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Random Lugnuts: Same Old Story...

By Bill Crittenden

A history of open wheel racers in NASCAR...

What Do NASCAR Collectibles Mean to You?

By Brian Connors

Many a physical object is purchased not only as an ornament for the home or work area or for a simple article of clothing. There’s a deeper reason beyond mere practicality for many of the various goods that we bring into our surroundings. This is true as well for the NASCAR collectibles that many of us have purchased in the past. How so?

Let me ask you a question. Do you go to a sporting event merely to be a spectator? No, because you go to support a team or individual that you have a level of passion for. This entity being a team or person means something to you and you wish others to recognize that fact. There’s a spirit that is shared between you that you most certainly are proud of. It’s a channel that describes what you are all about to the world around you.

NASCAR collectibles fit into this description. There are certain drivers whose characteristics you wish to emulate and be reminded of. For instance, the cool, calm and collected demeanor of some drivers may be something that you have or wish to have. There could also be a driving fire that you wish to demonstrate that some drivers have shown. Also, the simple NASCAR name itself declares a niche that describes your personality. In essence, NASCAR merchandise mean much more than just “stuff”.

There are many items that declare your loyalty to the world of stock car racing or one of its competitors in particular. There are shirts, jackets, die-cast, car mats, entry rugs, clocks and dozens of other examples to choose from. Each of these products says something about you. They advertise your personal theme to others. You let them know something about you without you saying a word. Is it fierce determination? Is it the trait of being a noble sportsman? Is it being identified with a proven winner?

It’s your call and no one else’s. Let NASCAR collectibles tell the world what is important to you. Let your personal domain or manner of attire send both a reminder to you and a message to others what you are all about!

( Brian is the owner of Stock Car USA Collectibles and wishes to share his thoughts on the meaning of NASCAR merchandise. He invites you to visit his website at http://www.StockCarUSA.com for stock car racing merchandise ideas today. )

Chevrolet Teams Continue Dominance

By Anthony Fontanelle

The current season of the NASCAR Nextel Cup has been all Chevrolet. Teams using the Impala SS from the General Motors marque have won the majority of races. Midway into the season though, Chevrolet has to fight off a strong resurgence from Ford and Dodge. On one stretch, Ford has won two races and Dodge with one while Chevy only has one. But after that, Chevrolet drivers are back in their dominating form as they have won three out of the last four races.

The latest race was the Centurion Boats at the Glen held at the Watkins Glen International. The race was won by two time NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. Stewart has posted the last three victories for Chevrolet. Going into the race though, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jeff Gordon are expected to win since both have shown their capabilities on road courses in the past.

Jeff Gordon was leading towards the end of the race with almost everyone believing that Gordon has the race already won. A mistake though opened a window for Stewart who overtook Gordon and never looked back. Gordon lost control of his car at turn one of the track on the last lap of the race. This enabled Stewart to pass him.

It is interesting to note that Stewart was the one leading the race before Gordon. On lap number 44 of the 90-lap race, Stewart was unable to control the effect of his car’s Chevy brake pads which sent his car spinning.

“Jeff lost it the same way I lost it,” said Stewart after the race. “I had to keep fighting back. I kept the pressure on Jeff hoping he made a mistake and he did. I just had more time to make up for my spin. I was probably the most shocked person to see that happen. He's won here and won 4 championships; it was tricky in turn one.”

Gordon, on the other hand, was furious at his mistake. He currently leads the drivers’ championship standings but he failed to get the ten extra points that would further cement his lead going into the Chase for the Nextel Cup. “Pretty much the same thing that happened to Tony earlier in the race in the braking zone getting into turn one,” said Gordon. “Just stupid. I knew I had to push, Tony was really good. I wanted that win really bad. Points don't mean anything. I pushed and I pushed too far. What happened is the team deserved to win and the driver didn't get it done.”

Meanwhile, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s hope of a championship bid in his final year with his father’s team suffered a setback. His car was running well until his engine failed. His car was then towed into the pits. The engine failure means that the most popular NASCAR today did not earn any points. This dropped him to 14th in the standings. He is now trailing Kurt Busch by 100 points. Only the top twelve will be qualified to participate in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Budweiser And Junior To Part Ways

By Katie Jones

After Dale Earnhardt Junior earlier this year announced that he will be leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. after this season, there were questions where the most popular NASCAR driver today will end up. That question has already been answered when Earnhardt confirmed that he has signed with Hendrick Motorsports for next year.

Another question raised during that time is whether Junior’s sponsor Budweiser will be following him to whatever team he will be racing for next season. The answer to that question has also been answered as Budweiser is reportedly looking for a new driver to sponsor next season.

It is now widely known in the paddocks that Budweiser officials are in a quest to find a driver to sponsor next season which means that the ‘King of Beers’ will not be sponsoring Junior next season. Although adjudged as the most popular NASCAR driver today by fans, it seems that the move by Junior from the team that his father started to Hendrick Motorsports made Budweiser think about withdrawing the sponsorship.

Speculations arise that Junior will be sponsored next season by PepsiCo Inc. It is also expected that if the sponsorship of the soda company pushes through for Junior, his car will be boasting a Mountain Dew logo or a combination of Pepsi products. Junior will be driving the Number 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick next season.

It is also reported that Budweiser is talking with Evernham Motorsports regarding sponsorship for the following season. It is speculated that Anheuser-Bush, the makers of Budweiser would move their logo from Junior’s to hood to Kasey Kahne’s Number 9 Dodge just above its Dodge bumper next season.

Officials from Budweiser have also contacted officials at the Lowe’s Motors Speedway. This is in connection with the possibility of holding a press event at Lowe’s if Budweiser has already found a substitute to Junior.

According to an official from Evernham Motorsports, no agreements have yet been formed between them and Budweiser. The official went on to say that the team is still talking with other companies that are also interested in sponsoring the team for the next season.

Ray Evernham, the owner of the team, has a standing agreement with Dodge via the Dodge Dealers for a sponsorship of Kahne’s car and the Number 19 Dodge driven by Elliott Saddler. Accepting sponsorship from Budweiser for Kahne’s car would mean that Dodge Dealers should agree to it.

Although speculations are rampant that Budweiser will be sponsoring a Dodge next season, there are also reports that there is still a possibility that Budweiser would remain with Dale Earnhardt Inc. But this would only hold out to be true if Budweiser like who DEI will be bringing in to replace Junior.

It can be remembered that Budweiser has sponsored Junior since his rookie season in 2000. With Junior’s popularity and the amount of air time that the Budweiser logo appears on national television painted across Junior’s car’s hood has been translated to millions of dollars worth of advertisement. The reason for Budweiser’s apparent lack of support for Junior’s jump to another team is yet to be cleared.

Aside from Kahne, Budweiser is also reportedly looking at three more drivers to sponsor next year. The three drivers that Budweiser is considering were not named by the company. In the end, one of these four drivers, one is Kahne and the others still unknown, will be picked by Budweiser to sponsor next year.

Reid Spencer Predicts Who's in the Chase

By Kaye Leery

Reid Spencer, a Sporting News NASCAR journalist, predicts who is going to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup for the next nine more weeks. He also has predictions as to who will not qualify in the top 35 in owner points at the end of the year and why the entire landscape of Toyota's Nextel Cup effort will witness dramatic changes for next season.

He first looked at the points report NASCAR furnished after Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. With this, he concluded that the current top eight drivers in points - Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick - are going to be in the race when the cutoff comes at Richmond in September.

Series leader Harvick in eighth place is 507 points behind Gordon. Harvick is 248 points ahead of Ryan Newman in 13th, the first position outside Chase worthiness. Fourteenth placer Jamie McMurray is 305 behind Harvick, and 15th-place Kurt Busch drags the Daytona 500 winner by 357.

Having those figures, the journalist writes that it might be possible for one of those three drivers to replace Harvick, but the writer assures it is not going to happen.

Positions nine through 12 are occupied by Chevrolet drivers Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Behind Gordon at 628 points lead is Earnhardt. But Earnhardt is 127 ahead of Newman (Dodge), 184 ahead of McMurray (Ford) and 236 ahead of Kurt Busch (Dodge).

Spencer writes that it is possible for any of the four drivers in 9th through 12th to fall out of the Chase, but again, he predicts that it is not going to happen. He adds that drivers currently in the top 12 will still be in the top 12 after Richmond, without exception.

He further writes that the introduction of the Car of Tomorrow (COT) has built a status system in Nextel Cup -those who have an advantage in testing and development of the COT, and those who do not have.

Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Richard Childress Racing have their COT programs hitting on all cylinders, from a team standpoint. But from a manufacturer view, Chevy is at the forefront in the development of the new car.
Getting the top eight positions at New Hampshire are the Chevy drivers. Seven of those drivers belong to one of the four teams mentioned above, Jeff Green being the exception.

Also finished in the top 13 at NHIS were 12 of the drivers currently in the top 13 in the standings, with Bowyer being the only exception, who had trouble with an oil cooler line. The journalist writes that the situation is hardly a coincidence and just more of evidence that the gap will widen between 12th place and those below the cutoff. Spencer adds that the teams that are performing well now will continue to do so in order to solidify their positions in the race. He deduces that the public will not witness a battle for the final spot when Richmond rolls around. He further writes that the suspense and drama of 2006 when Kasey Kahne edged Tony Stewart by 16 points in the race for the 10th and final position before the Chase was increased to 12 drivers simply will not happen this year.

He adds that there will not be any suspense on who makes the top 35 in owner points, either. According to him, failing to qualify for the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 was a devastating flurry for 36th placer Scott Riggs' Evernham Motorsports team, which descended 182 points behind the No. 70 Haas CNC Chevy driven by Johnny Sauter.

Thirty-seventh in owner points New Hampshire pole sitter Dave Blaney is 188 back of Sauter. The Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford driver Bill Elliott is 219 points behind Sauter in 38th spot. Spencer predicts that those are the only three cars with a remote possibility of unseating the No. 70.

However, the writer again forecasts that it will not happen, and that is the basis of Toyota's difficulty. According to him, Toyota, maker of quality Toyota starters, will start the 2008 season in a more unfavorable shape than it started 2007 -- with no teams in the top 35 in owner points.

Being in the top 35 in 2006, Blaney, therefore was guaranteed a starting spot in the first five races this year. Dale Jarrett will still have six past champion's provisionals to use next year. These statements were based on a lot of assumptions like: NASCAR does not amend the past champion's rule, Jarrett still drives a Toyota and Michael Waltrip Racing still exists.

The writer states that it is not the sort of progress Toyota will find acceptable in its second season. Blaney's pole at Toyota's first in the Cup Series - New Hampshire - certainly was a parcel on a generally barren landscape. But the current predicament of Toyota, according to Spencer, brings urgency to the carmaker's courtship of Joe Gibbs Racing.

Spencer recommends that Toyota needs a team with marquee stars who are guaranteed to race. From Gibbs' standpoint, the organization would move from second, third or fourth in Chevy's stricking order - depending on how heavily a driver weights performance, history and sentiment - to elite status as Toyota's flagship team.

Dodge Remains Winless In Nextel Cup Season

By Anthony Fontanelle

Going into the Citizens Bank 400 at the Michigan International Speedway, Dodge teams are counting on history to give them their first win at the Nextel Cup season. At the said track, only Dodge and Ford cars have won for five straight years excluding the last one held last Sunday. Another factor that gave Dodge teams the confidence that they will finally rack up a win at the Citizens Bank 400 is the back-to-back second place finish by Dodge driver Ryan Newman.

Unfortunately for Dodge teams though, they have to wait for the next race of the season to take their first win this season. This is because not only did they not take a top ten finish, the highest finish of a Dodge driver at the Citizens Bank 400 is 23rd which was taken by Reed Sorenson in his No.41 Target Dodge Charger.

“We had a real fast car in practice, and I thought we were going to qualify better than we did,” says Sorenson. “I really didn’t know what to expect in the race, but we hung in there and got a decent finish. I guess we had the best finishing Dodge, but the Dodge Boys didn’t have a real good day today. We’ll get ‘em next week in Sonoma.” The next race of the season will be the Toyota/Save Mart 350 which will be held at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

The second highest finish by a Dodge driver in a Dodge brake pad-equipped Charger is the 25th spot which was taken by Kurt Busch on his No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge. “We had a good car that ran in the top five most of the day. We had to come in on lap 166 to change a loose lug nut, and the car got really loose after that,” says Busch about his car’s performance at the race.

John Andretti, onboard his No. 45 Petty Enterprise Dodge Charger, finished 27th. The next Dodge on the ranking is the No. 9 Evernham Motorsports Dodge which was driven by Kasey Kahne. “We were able to get the car to turn in the corners with the 2006 nose, but we couldn’t get the back of the car hooked up,” says Kahne. “We made progress as the race went on, but we couldn’t overcome the early deficit. I thought we made progress with the car yesterday and was optimistic we could have a good finish. It didn’t work out that way.”

Behind Kahne is Scott Riggs driving the No. 10 Valvoline Evernham Racing Dodge. Riggs has this to say about his performance at the race: “We were way too free on entry for most of the race. By the time we got the handling improved we had already been caught two laps down after a green flag stop. The guys on pit road did an incredible job today, and everyone has been working really hard and doing the right things.”

Ryan Newman, the most promising driver for Dodge going into the Citizens Bank 400, is hampered by a blown out tire. This cost him a good deal of time which eventually forced him to finish at 37th. “We had a real good car, but we didn’t have a car that could have beat Carl Edwards today. We just caught a piece of debris or something and it popped that tire. It wrapped itself around the caliper and rotor and stuff and it cost us three laps.”

Yates Racing Remains Loyal to Ford

By Evander Klum

Nextel Cup team Robert Yates Racing has confirmed that it will continue to work with Ford the maker of Ford Focus performance parts for the next few years after Ford Racing Technology has assured that it has signed another contract with the team for the next five years.

Yates has been the subject of much speculation this year as it had suggested that they were working on a deal to power the DEI cars next year. Other teams that were working on with the Dodge power were reported to have approached Yates to have their engines built by them.

However Yates despite the fact that they have gone through some difficult period recently has promised to remain loyal to Ford. The team has been working with the Blue Oval Company for the past 19 years, and was able to achieve 57 NASCAR Nextel Cup wins with one championship in 1999 with Dale Jarrett.

At present RYR is handling two Ford Fusions in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for David Gilliland and Ricky Rudd, while Stephen Leicht pilots the squad’s lone Busch Series entry.

Team founder Robert Yates said, "For Ford to come up and support us when we're not having our best days is really a great feeling. They're not turning their back on us. They're offering us plenty of help to get this deal turned around, certainly with engineering support, so we appreciate everybody at Ford, everybody that works on them and everybody that buys them. I'm very appreciative of having this deal. We’re happy about this being done because there was speculation out there that we didn't have anything or that we were looking elsewhere. It wasn't true, but it's hard to quiet your critics, especially when your competition is trying to shoot you down, so I want to thank Ford for being loyal to us."

The last race where the team has won a race was at Talladega in the year 2005 with Dale Jarrett and continued to show that their powerful engines by sweeping the front row at the Daytona 500 this year and by putting David Gilliland on the front row at Talladega last April.

About Ford Motors

Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation and currently the world’s third largest automaker after Toyota and General Motors based on the worldwide vehicle sales. Last 2006, Ford was the second-ranked automaker in the US with 17.5 percent market share, lagging behind General Motors with 24.6 percent but ahead of Toyota with only 15.4 percent and DaimlerChrysler with 14.4 percent. Ford was also the seventh-ranked American-based company in the 2007 Fortune 500 list based on global revenues of $160.1 billion.

It was also last year that Ford was able to produce about 6.6 million automobiles and employed about 280,000 employees for its 100 plants and facilities worldwide. Ford is based in Dearborn, Michigan, which is a suburb of Detroit; the automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated in June 16, 1903. Ford now includes many global brands that include Lincoln and Mercury of the US, Jaguar and Land Rover of the UK, and Volvo of Sweden. Ford also owns a one-third controlling interest in Mazda.