Talladega Goes AMP Green: Earnhardt Jr. A Dega Favorite

The Sea of Green, thanks to favorite son Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s sponsor AMP Energy, will once again be well represented at Talladega Superspeedway. And more often than not, they go home happy.

Earnhardt has won five times at Talladega (including four in a row from 2001-03), and has led laps in 16 of his 18 Talladega races.

Earnhardt dropped three positions in the points standings with a 31 st place finish at Phoenix and now sits 19th.

WELCOME, N.C. (April 22, 2009) — Richard Childress Racing’s No. 07 Jack Daniel’s crew will become the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil crew, and vice versa, immediately following this weekend’s race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

Crew chief Gil Martin and his crew will move to the No. 29 team with driver Kevin Harvick while Todd Berrier and his crew will take over the No. 07 team with driver Casey Mears. In addition to the crew chiefs, the transition will include car chiefs, engineers, shock specialists, engine tuners, tire specialists, mechanics, transporter drivers and over-the-wall pit crews. Harvick and Mears, who will maintain their race spotters, are currently 16th and 22nd, respectively, in the Sprint Cup Series point standings after eight races.

Continue reading “Harvick and Mears entire crews will swap”

TORRANCE, Calif. (April 21, 2009) — When a Toyota Camry Hybrid leads the 43-car starting field to the green flag for the 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600 (Fox, 5:00 p.m., ET) at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (LMS), it will mark the first time in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) history a hybrid vehicle will serve as the ‘official’ pace car for an entire race.

The Camry Hybrid will make its pace car debut on Sunday, May 24, at the Concord, N.C., track.

“Toyota is the leading seller of hybrids in the U.S. with more than a million on the road, so it’s appropriate the Camry Hybrid is the first to pace a NASCAR race from start to finish,” said Ed Laukes, corporate motorsports marketing manager, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. (TMS). “It’s a tribute to the torque and other performance characteristics of the Camry Hybrid that allows it to meet NASCAR’s requirements for pacing the longest race of the season.”

Continue reading “Toyota Camry Hybrid – Official Coke 600 Pace Car”

The Final Lap Podcasts
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The Final Lap – Max Papis – Tue, 21 Apr 2009
Kerry chats with Max Papis about his Twitter stardom, Talladega this weekend, earning other drivers respect and more.

The Final Lap CHAT Show #61 – Tue, 21 Apr 2009
We discuss all the goings on at Phoenix, including Mark Martin’s win in dominant fashion, Jimmie missed 4 in a row, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch continue to roll, plus a full preview of Talladega. Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Paul Northrop

The Final Lap – Marcos Ambrose – Tue, 21 Apr 2009
Kerry chats with Marcos about his solid runs in the Cup Series, Off Weekends, JTG/MWR owner situation, running 3 wide at Talladega, and more

CELEBRATING EARTH DAY, ROUSH FENWAY INCREASES THEIR PLEDGE TO BE MORE SUSTAINABLE

Concord, N.C. (April 20, 2009) – It’s been 40 years since Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day and on this day of ecological awareness, Roush Fenway Racing is upping their pledge to promote more sustainable operations and better environmental management. Always a leader in the sport of NASCAR on and off track, Roush Fenway has been working with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to reinforce its position as a leader in environmental stewardship in the industry.

“I look at enacting more sustainable environmental practices as a means towards lowering our financial and operational risks as well as reducing our ecological footprint,” said Ian Prince, CFM, LEED AP and manager of real estate and sustainability for Roush Fenway Racing. “If you do not add environmental thinking to your business strategy you run the risk of missing the upside opportunities in your market. Managing a NASCAR team more sustainably is most successful when you have a defined focus, and Roush Fenway has always been focused on being efficient in our operations.”

Continue reading “Roush helps environment, recycles more, goes green”