Starting With Hornish, Open-Wheel Exodus Especially Evident This Week

Sam Hornish enjoyed his first NASCAR victory this past Saturday, winning the Sprint Showdown, which qualified him for the elite all-star field. It was a major breakthrough for the 2006 Indianapolis 500 champion, who left open-wheel racing prior to the 2008 season, for NASCAR.

With the Indianapolis 500 also being held Sunday, it’s interesting to note the various former open-wheelers such as Hornish who have left open-wheel for stock cars, including:

2000 Indy 500 champion Juan Pablo Montoya;  Tony Stewart, the 1997 IndyCar Series champion; Jeff Gordon; Robby Gordon; Kasey Kahne; Casey Mears; AJ Allmendinger; Scott Speed; Dave Blaney; Max Papis.

AFTER BACK PROCEDURE, GORDON READY FOR 600 MILES AT LMS
CONCORD, N.C. (May 19, 2009) – For the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, it is back to points racing this Sunday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. For Jeff Gordon, the 600-miler provides a test for his back after a recent procedure to ease pain. Gordon, who has experienced progressively worse back pain over the past few years, had treatment on Monday.

The driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet hopes the
procedure will alleviate much – if not all – of the pain. “I had a facet block procedure done on my back on Monday and it went well,” said Gordon. “I was a little sore after the procedure, but I’ll definitely take that brief bit of soreness if it stops the recurring back pain I’ve had.
“I hope that will end the back issues I’ve been having, but it’s too early to tell if that fixed the problem.”

Never mind 600 miles on Sunday, Gordon may have a better understanding of the
results of the procedure by midweek. He is scheduled to participate in “Ultimate Speed” on
Wednesday – a karting event that will raise money for the Jeff Gordon Foundation and the
Jeff Gordon Children’s Hospital in Concord.

Continue reading “Jeff Gordon has back procedure, will race the 600”

50 Years of “Firsts”: Coca-Cola 600 History Overflows With Highlights
Sunday will be the 50th running of the Coca-Cola 500, one of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ true “majors.”

It is NASCAR’s longest race – and one of the most historically significant, having been the scene of a number of “firsts” in the form of NASCAR Sprint Cup debuts, or a driver’s first win in the series.

Some highlights:

Series debuts – Dale Earnhardt in 1975; Janet Guthrie in 1976; Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 1999; Michael Waltrip in 1985; Elliott Sadler in 1998.

First Series Victories – David Pearson in 1961; Jeff Gordon in 1994; Bobby Labonte in 1995; Matt Kenseth in 2000; Casey Mears in 2007.

CONCORD, N.C. (May 17, 2009) – Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group, will make an appearance on the May 19 edition of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” The episode is entitled “Heroes in Hard Times.”

“The Oprah Winfrey Show” is produced in Chicago by Harpo Productions Inc. and syndicated to 214 domestic stations by CBS Television Distribution Group and to 143 countries by CBS Paramount International Television. It has been the No. 1-rated talk show for 22 consecutive seasons.

Visit www.oprah.com for local listings.

DOVER, Del. (May 15, 2009) – A long winter’s work has finally reached completion as construction crews at Dover International Speedway recently bolted the SAFER barrier into place to complete the renovation of the new pit wall. With the steel tubing secured and the foam blocks installed, the new, longer and safer pit wall is ready for action when NASCAR returns to the Monster Mile on May 29-31, 2009. The new improvements are expected to impact the competition on the track and pit road, and add another exciting element that will keep drivers guessing and fans cheering.

The SAFER barrier (Steel And Foam Energy Reduction) is supported by a new 1,592 ft. concrete wall that wraps from Turn 4 down the frontstretch to near Turn 1. The new pit wall is 432 ft. longer than the previous steel boilerplate wall. The SAFER barrier consists of rectangular steel tubing backed by foam blocks, and reduces the force of the initial impact of a crash. SAFER barriers are currently in place in all four turns at the track and on the inside retaining walls of the one-mile, concrete oval.

Continue reading “Dover Finishes Renovation of pit road”