Drivers hit the racetrack on December 15-16 to test the brand new racing surface at Daytona International Speedway.  What drivers had to say about the new Daytona were mostly complimentary.  They say it’s really fast, really smooth, tires hardly wear, has a lot of grip, and they love the wider pit road, but enough about that, here’s some photos to dazzle your eyeballs.

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Photo Credit: NASCARMedia

Rick Hendrick Buys First Volt Offered for Public Sale
$225,000 Bid in Auction Benefits Detroit Public Schools Foundation

DETROIT (December 16, 2010) – Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group, has purchased the first Chevrolet Volt offered for sale. Proceeds will benefit science, math, engineering, and technology education initiatives through the Detroit Public Schools Foundation.

The vehicle, bearing the vehicle identification number BU10002, was sold for $225,000 through an online auction that closed Tuesday, Dec. 14.
“This was an opportunity to own a piece of history while giving back to the community,” said Hendrick, an avid car collector. “I have been a Chevrolet dealer for more than 30 years, and the Volt is one of the most exciting and important new cars since we opened our first dealership in 1976.

“Hendrick Motorsports has been racing Chevys since 1984, and any success we’ve had is due to the quality of our people,” continued Hendrick, who has won a record 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car owner championships. “The Detroit Public Schools will prepare the next generation of talented engineers and technicians who will help Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports compete at a high level on the racetrack every weekend.”

Detroit Public Schools Foundation President and CEO, Chacona W. Johnson, believes the donation will make a meaningful difference for many Detroit students:

“With Mr. Hendrick’s contribution, we have the opportunity to inspire thousands of children to learn about science, technology, engineering, and math,” said Johnson. “That inspiration will help make Detroit Public Schools students more successful in higher education, and better prepared for careers in the 21st century workforce.”

Here are a few examples of what the foundation could provide to Detroit students with $225,000:

Send 4,500 students to compete in a science fair
It costs $50 per student to compete in the annual Science and Engineering Fair of Metro Detroit, including entry fees and bussing expenses. The fair is open to students in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties, from grades six through 12. Each year up to eight students from the Detroit competition may be selected to participate in the International Science and Engineering Fair.

Provide 800 kits for robotics competitions
The $280 kit for the FIRST Lego League robotics competition includes everything a team needs to build an autonomous robot. The competition, for students in grades four through eight, is based on students’ scientific research, as well as their robotic construction and programming.

Send 140 students to NASA space camp
It costs $16,000 to send 10 students and chaperones to NASA space camp in Huntsville, Ala., including tuition and travel expenses. During the five-day camp, students apply classroom math and science skills to shuttle training missions, such as moon walking practice and orbiter-egress training.

“Every aspect of the Volt – from its aerodynamic shape to its battery chemistry – is a testament to the importance of math and sciences,” said General Motors North America President Mark Reuss. “Now, the first Volt will help cultivate the next generation of engineers who will build upon the Volt’s innovative technologies.”
The Chevrolet Volt is an electric vehicle that can operate under a range of weather climates and driving conditions with little concern of being stranded by a depleted battery. The Volt has a total driving range of up to 379 miles, based on EPA estimates. For the first 35 miles, the Volt can drive gas- and tailpipe-emissions-free using a full charge of electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt’s battery runs low, a gas powered engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range another 344 miles on a full tank.

Chevrolet began shipping Volts from Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly this week. Hendrick will take delivery of his Volt later this month.

Chandra and Jimmie Johnson Award More Than $650,000 in Education Grants
in Partnership with Lowe’s Toolbox for Education®
Brings total donation awarded through Champions Grants program to more than $1.5 million in first two years

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Dec. 16, 2010) –In what is surely a fitting end to an amazing season, reigning five-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and wife, Chandra, announced the recipients of more than $650,000 in education grants. For the second consecutive year, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation/Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Champions Grants were awarded to deserving K-12 public schools in the Johnsons’ hometowns and where they currently reside.

“We continue to see the huge need in public education,” said Chandra Johnson, co-founder of the Jimmie Johnson Foundation. “There was a substantial increase in the number of applications and the amount of funding requested this year. We are honored that we are able to fund 13 new projects in our second year.”

The Johnsons announced the recipients of the donations totaling $688,087 at a special ceremony at Collinswood Language Academy in Charlotte, N.C. Collinswood was one of three Charlotte area schools awarded a grant. The school, a full magnet offering the Dual Language Spanish Immersion program, was awarded $45,947 for the construction of a playground for first through eighth grade students.

“Chani and I have been able to visit several schools, and I think that’s when you really see the impact these grants can have on the students,” said Jimmie Johnson, a native of El Cajon, Calif. “Chani and I are proud that we are able to make an impact in our hometowns as well as in Charlotte, at schools such as Collinswood.”

The new playground will replace the run-down existing equipment and will meet the needs of the growing population as Collinswood adds seventh and eighth grades over the next two years. Collinswood also was the recipient of a 2009 Champions Grant for the installation of a SMART Board.

“We are so honored that Jimmie and Chandra not only selected Collinswood as a recipient of a 2010 Toolbox for Education Grant, but also selected our school as the site of this year’s announcement,” said Nicolette Grant, Principal at Collinswood Language Academy. “In this difficult economic time, it is so rewarding to know that our local heroes are taking an active interest in education and providing much needed financial support. This gift will have a positive impact on the social and physical development of our students for years to come.”

This year, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation/Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Champions Grants program received more than 100 applications from eligible school districts in California, Oklahoma, and North Carolina. Grant awards included $198,554 toward science and technology needs, $133,845 for playgrounds and athletic facilities, $88,097 toward trade-based programs, $82,455 for experiential learning, $72,000 for performing arts programs, $68,098 toward literacy initiatives, and $25,038 in school improvements.

“Jimmie and Chandra Johnson have proven to be great partners with Lowe’s in supporting education,” said Larry D. Stone, chairman of Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation. “We know the grants will fulfill some important needs for these schools.”

In two years 40 Champions Grants have been awarded to 35 schools totaling more than $1.5 million. The 2010 Champions Grants were awarded to the following schools:

California
· Chase Avenue School (El Cajon, CA)
· Emerald STEM Magnet Middle School (El Cajon, CA)
· Grossmont High School (El Cajon, CA)
· Fulton K-8 School (San Diego, CA)
· Marston Middle School (San Diego, CA)
· Mission Bay High School (San Diego, CA)
· San Diego Unified School District (San Diego)

North Carolina
· Collinswood Language Academy (Charlotte, NC)
· KIPP Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)
· Pressly School (Statesville, NC)

Oklahoma
· Cherokee Elementary (Muskogee, OK)
· Tony Goetz Elementary (Muskogee, OK)
· Mitchell Elementary (Tulsa, OK)

For a complete list of 2010 grant recipients and projects, please visit http://www.jimmiejohnsonfoundation.org.

Travis Pastrana turn his first laps in a NASCAR stock car, and shared a fun video with us.  Pastrana is one of the most recognized and celebrated athletes in the world.  An action sports icon, Pastrana owns 11 X Games gold medals along with multiple supercross, motorcross and rally championships in his career.  Pastrana also created the Nitro Circus empire, which includes a television show, live tours and soon-to-be-released feature film.