Mark Martin gets New Sponsor, Keeps Shirt on

The familiar blue and yellow paint scheme of the No. 5 Chevrolet
driven by Mark Martin will be no more as the Hendrick Motorsports driver will have a new primary sponsor for the 2010 season in GoDaddy.com.

Although Kellogg’s did not continue their sponsorship with Martin’s
car, sponsors CARQUEST Auto Parts and Delphi still remain.
“It’s exciting. GoDaddy.com has got some really cool stuff,” said
Martin. “It’s a little bit edgy and brings a little bit of edginess to the
No. 5 car, which is different than you’ve seen in years.”

The edginess he may be referring to is the new lime green, black and
orange color scheme adorning his Chevrolet or perhaps the sponsor itself.

JR Motorsports driver Danica Patrick, who also has GoDaddy.com as a
sponsor, has been featured in the company’s commercials, but Martin has yet
to star in one himself.
“We worked on the possibility of doing one together with Danica and
that hasn’t worked out with timing and scripts, but it will happen,” said
Martin. “It’s just a lot going on. Everybody is going in different
directions. It just hasn’t happened yet.”

During the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour stop, a media member jokingly
asked Martin whether GoDaddy.com had asked him to wear a bathing suit,
referring to one of Patrick’s commercials.
“They haven’t asked me to take my shirt off yet,” Martin replied.

Eight NASCAR Drivers in Rolex 24
An imposing lineup of eight NASCAR drivers will crossover to sports cars and compete in the Rolex 24.

Four-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson will drive with GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing;

Two-time event winner Juan Pablo Montoya will be joined by Jamie McMurray and Max Papis race on the TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates entry;

In addition, AJ Allmendinger will drive Michael Shank Racing, Paul Menard will be on the Spirit of Daytona team, 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup titlist Bobby Labonte will be in a TRG Porsche and NASCAR Nationwide Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Colin Braun returns with Krohn Racing.

Will Cup Teams Have to Dodge Penske?
Penske Racing will be the only Dodge team for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series season, but team officials and Dodge officials reaffirmed their
commitment to each other during Monday night’s dinner session.
“This is our eighth season with Dodge, and I have never seen this
level of commitment from Dodge and the enthusiasm of the entire Dodge team,” said Walt Czarnecki, executive vice president, Penske Corporation. “We believe in Dodge and we believe in their success. Together, we’re going to achieve that success on the race track and in the showrooms.”
Ralph Gilles, president and CEO of Dodge Car Brand, said the
manufacturer went through a short period before deciding to remain in
NASCAR.
“It’s been an interesting year for us, obviously,” said Gilles.
“It’s been a big year for introspection. We had a lot of decisions we had to
make as we went through the summer last year and kind of rebuilding our
company from the inside out. NASCAR was one of those decisions we had to
make. It was a very short one. We decided to absolutely be committed.”
Dodge went to one team, Penske, though it will increase its
commitment to the NASCAR Nationwide Series, including the addition of a
second full-time team. Gilles said Dodge likes the NASCAR Nationwide Series
and likes the series’ new model car, the Challenger.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” Gilles said of the car that will run four
races in the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season.
Gilles said Dodge will continue to support NASCAR in a “big, big
way.”
“I want to really weave our NASCAR effort into what Dodge is going
to be all about,” Gilles said.
And Penske will be a big part of Dodge’s overall effort, Penske
Racing owner Roger Penske said.
“I think we have a competitive advantage,” Penske said. “The fact
that all the resources, both technical and from a marketing standpoint, are
supporting our drivers and our other sponsors, we have that benefit with
Dodge.Believe me, this is just not putting your name on the side of a car or
having your decal as a Dodge running around the race track. This is about
selling cars, about selling product.”

Does Dale Earnhardt Jr. Need a Chemistry Lesson?

Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. clearly wants to be
one of those players early in 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Hendrick drivers finished first, second and third in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2009, but Earnhardt Jr. wasn’t one of those drivers.

“I want to compete and match the progress and success that the rest
of the company’s having,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I want to be on that level.”

How does he get there after a winless season in 2009 that included a
crew chief change from cousin Tony Eury Jr. to Lance McGrew?
“I would really like to put together complete races where we’re
competitive throughout the event and we’re able to get finishes that are
good finishes, and those are top-fives and wins,” said Earnhardt Jr. “Wins
are what everybody’s out there racing for, but if we could put together
complete races without mistakes, without me making mistakes, without issues
and problems arising, that’s definitely going to signal some progress.”

McGrew will begin his first full season as crew chief of the No. 88
team, and he and Earnhardt Jr. are continuing to build their relationship.
“I’m been with some great teams and had some good wins and great
success at certain periods of time in my career, but it’s hard for me to
really be able to point out what great chemistry is just yet,” Earnhardt Jr.
said. “I get along great with Lance and we have a lot of fun. I think that’s
important, that we enjoy being around each other. We can kind of build in
that friendship and learn from each at the race track and our work ethic and
our work habits. All that stuff should eventually work itself out.
“I feel like that we’re definitely going in the correct direction
which is good compared to the direction we were going last year.”

Jimmie Johnson Motivated to Go for Fifth-Straight Title
Day three of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte
Motor Speedway included a lunch stop at the campus of the top team in the

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Hendrick Motorsports.
And the top driver on that team the last four years has been Jimmie
Johnson. He’s the winner of the last four NASCAR Sprint Cup championships,
and set a NASCAR record for most consecutive titles last year with the 2009
championship.

Hendrick Motorsports honored its fans by asking questions from its
Facebook and Twitter accounts, and Johnson was asked about finding
motivation after winning four titles in a row.

“Success makes you want to experience more success,” said Johnson.
“We’ve had an amazing run of four years. We certainly want to keep it up,
keep it going. I feel very good with the fact that our team is intact and
together.

“The things that are coming through the pipeline from Hendrick
Motorsports, the unity of all four teams – I know you guys hear it every
week, every time a microphone is put in front of us – but that stuff really,
really is important and separates Hendrick Motorsports from other teams.
“I’m excited. It’s there. There’s a desire inside of me to do the
best I can week in and week out.”

One side benefit of Johnson’s titles is the competition could psyche
itself out before the season starts. And Johnson said he’ll take any
advantage – real or imagined – he can get.

“It is a benefit,” Johnson said. “It’s a short-term benefit. In some
ways, it could be bad for us. We’ve been a motivational tool for a lot of
teams over the offseason the last few years. Only time will tell how it
really plays out, but I’ve always been in the other position where I looked
up to the guy or team. It’s pretty damn cool to be that person right now, so
I’m going to enjoy it.

“It’s short-lived because we go to Daytona, and you reset and you
worry about what takes place there. Three or four races in, we’ll know who
the players are and what that’s going to look like.”