SHOW #140 – Getting you up to date with all the latest NASCAR News (what there is of it) We will be back soon with regular talk-show programming. Hosted by Kerry Murphey

LISTEN HERE (About 19 mins)

SUBSCRIBE HERE

DOWNLOAD HERE

SUBSCRIBE FROM iTUNES: Take us with you! Subscribe to our audio shows from iTunes, and they will automatically show up on your computer as soon as we post fresh shows..it’s easy, FREE, and we take no information. It’s like a DVR for audio so you can take us with you anywhere and listen on your schedule!

Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

NOTE: Also HEARD on Stitcher Radio

CREDITS:
Hosts: Kerry Murphey & Paul Northrop
Production: Kerry Murphey
Music: Radium Sound
Voice Over: Thomas Moog

RAY EVERNHAM ENTERPRISES TO CONSULT FOR THE HENDRICK COMPANIES

CONCORD, N.C. (Jan. 4, 2011) – Ray Evernham Enterprises (REE) has been retained to consult for the Hendrick Companies, a management company formed in 2005 to oversee strategic initiatives for chairman Rick Hendrick.

Founded in 2008 by successful auto racing crew chief, team owner and broadcaster Ray Evernham, REE will consult on special projects related to Hendrick’s core businesses. In that role, REE’s initial focus will be development of the Hendrick Performance retail brand of high-performance parts, vehicles, products and related services.

“Hendrick Performance parts and cars will have a racing pedigree, and Ray is someone who will help ensure that on behalf of our customers and dealers,” Hendrick said. “He’s assembled a terrific group of people at REE, and I see a lot of opportunities for them to be a valuable resource for our organization on projects like this. I know the kind of high standards Ray sets.”

With Hendrick as car owner, Evernham won three NASCAR Cup championships in the 1990s as crew chief for driver Jeff Gordon. He left the Hendrick organization in 1999 to found his own team, Evernham Motorsports, and most recently was a television analyst for ESPN.

“Rick and I have had many conversations over the years about our passion projects, and there’s so much crossover with what we enjoy working on,” said Evernham, 53, CEO of Ray Evernham Enterprises. “We both sense an opportunity to do some unique things, whether it’s with performance parts and cars, his dealership business (Hendrick Automotive Group) or other ways to build the Hendrick brand.”

Ray Evernham Enterprises is based in Mooresville, N.C. For more information, visit http://www.RayEvernham.com.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Daytona 500 champions Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are among the drivers that will appear at NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest at historic Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, Jan. 20 and Friday, Jan. 21.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will take to the new asphalt at Daytona International Speedway in a three-day test session, known as NASCAR Preseason Thunder, Thursday, Jan. 20 through Saturday, Jan. 22.

Tickets for NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest are $20 and available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. 2011 Daytona 500 ticketholders and children 12 and under will receive free admission. Advanced reservations are available (limited to 250 people) for special autograph sessions to be held with participating 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and Daytona 500 champions. Additional driver autograph sessions will be held on both days with wristbands available the day of the event.

To request access to the special autograph sessions, race fans can call 1-800-PITSHOP or visit the Daytona International Speedway ticket office beginning on Saturday, Jan. 8 at 9 a.m.

In addition to viewing the on-track activity from the Sprint FANZONE, fans can watch each day’s testing at no cost from a section of the Oldfield Grandstands near Turn 4.

Drivers currently scheduled to make appearances on Thursday, Jan. 20 beginning at 6 p.m. are Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, David Ragan, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr. and Regan Smith.

Scheduled to appear on Friday, Jan. 21, during the 5-7 p.m. session are Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, David Reutimann, Casey Mears, Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Kevin Conway, Kyle Busch, Paul Menard and Ryan Newman. In the 7-9 p.m. session, drivers scheduled to appear are AJ Allmendinger, Brian Vickers, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Marcos Ambrose and Matt Kenseth.

Lastly, race fans will be able to camp in the infield of Daytona International Speedway for free with their admission ticket during the three-day test inside Turns 3 and 4. Sites will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Gates to the infield will open Thursday, Jan. 20 at 8:00 a.m.

Among the activities planned for both days include:
• Interactive driver question and answer sessions on the main stage
• Show cars, displays, music
• Photo opportunity with the Harley J. Earl Daytona 500 trophy
• Blood drive outside the Turn 4 tunnel

The Roar Before The Rolex 24, the tune-up session for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series teams in advance of the 49th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, is set for Jan. 7-9. Tickets are $15 daily for the Roar Before The Rolex 24, with driver fan forums, tech talks and pit stop demonstrations slated for Saturday. 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona ticketholders and children 12 and under will receive free admission.

Tickets for both the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fests and the Roar Before The Rolex 24 are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Team HUMMER: The Official Start of the Dakar Rally
Stage 1: Victoria – Cordoba

Cordoba, Argentina (January 2, 2011) – Today marked the official start of the 2011 Dakar Rally. From this point forward, it is serious business for the competitors vying for the coveted Dakar title. Stage 1, the first of 13 timed stages in this year’s rally race, included a 566-km road section and a 222-km special that began in Victoria and ended in Cordoba.

Heavy rain created an unforeseen obstacle for Team HUMMER. According to the TV choppers flying over the route, the participants in the car category suffered from skidding and sliding. Robby Gordon, driver of the No. 303 SPEED Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER, started today’s special in fourth place. He was scored 9th as he crossed the CP1 marker located at km 137 together while last year’s winner, Carlos Sainz, led the field.

Disadvantaged by the slippery race conditions, Gordon finished 11 minutes, 4 seconds behind Carlos Sainz in the first stage of the Rally with a total time of 2 hours, 29 minutes and 36 seconds. This time puts Gordon eighth overall heading into tomorrow’s stage from Cordoba to San Miguel de Tucuman, which will be a 324-km race through the mountains.

“We started today’s special in fourth place, and unfortunately we finished eighth. We knew that the HUMMER team would not be as strong as we would like in the Argentina portion of this race, but we struggled a little bit more today than I would have liked due to the weather conditions and technical rally-style section. Sainz and Peterhansel led today’s stage, but they also started the race before the weather began and were virtually unaffected by it. That’s why you see the gap in time from the rest of the competitors,” commented Robby Gordon, driver of the No. 303 SPEED Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER.

“We started out the special good, but we had a couple of challenges along the way. Kellon [Walch] and I had to change helmets during the middle of the stage because his microphone quit working. I ran off the road at one point. We also ran out of windshield wiper fluid due to the mud. These mistakes probably cost us about 1 minute of total speed. I expected to give up 5 minutes in today’s stage not 11 minutes, which disappoints me. It is still early in the race, but we have some ground to make up tomorrow. Some of the guys are already starting to have issues this early. Hopefully, we will recover quickly from today’s issues before we enter Chile because it is our best opportunity to make up time. By this point, I want to be less than 10 minutes behind,” furthered Gordon.

“Tomorrow’s stage is supposed to go through the mountains, which are not good for us for two reasons. First, the HUMMERs are not turbo-charged then the course is a little narrow. They did say that we should encounter some bumps, which could be good for us.”

Eliseo Salazar, driver of the No. 327 SPEED Energy / Cristal CERO HUMMER finished today’s stage 28th, 34 minutes, 25 seconds behind.

2010
· Campaigned as a three-race vehicle team throughout Argentina and Chile
· Robby Gordon finished 8th overall, the Vanguard HUMMER finished 20th and the Chile HUMMER ended on Stage 3 after the transmission expired