NASCAR

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charlotte_test_rainThe first day of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Gen-6 testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway has been canceled due to weather. Testing is scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. Friday. Drivers are scheduled to be on track from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and from 1 until 5 p.m. Fans will be admitted into the grandstands free of charge beginning at 8:30 a.m. via Gate 5A near the speedway’s main ticket office.

Any fan who purchases a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series or NHRA race ticket will get a free 1:24 scale diecast and a free day-of scanner rental to listen to their favorite driver during Friday’s test session.

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2013 Daytona Preseason Thunder Day 3 Kyle Busch On TrackCar# – Team Name – Driver
1 – Earnhardt Ganassi Racing – Jamie McMurray
2 – Penske Racing – Brad Keselowski
5 – Hendrick Motorsports – Kasey Kahne
9 – Richard Petty Motorsports – Marcos Ambrose
10 – Stewart Haas Racing – Danica Patrick
11 – Joe Gibbs Racing – Denny Hamlin
13 – Germain Racing – Casey Mears
14 – Stewart Haas Racing – Tony Stewart
15 – Michael Waltrip Racing – Clint Bowyer
16 – Roush Fenway Racing – Greg Biffle
17 – Roush Fenway Racing – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
18 – Joe Gibbs Racing – Kyle Busch
20 – Joe Gibbs Racing – Matt Kenseth
21 – Wood Brothers Racing – Trevor Bayne
22 -Penske Racing – Joey Logano
24 – Hendrick Motorsports – Jeff Gordon
27 – Richard Childress Racing – Paul Menard
29 – Richard Childress Racing – Kevin Harvick
30 – Swan Racing – David Stremme
31 – Richard Childress Racing – Jeff Burton
34 – Front Row Motorsports – David Ragan
36 – Tommy Baldwin Racing – Dave Blaney
39 – Stewart Haas Racing – Ryan Newman
42 – Earnhardt Ganassi Racing – Juan Pablo Montoya
43 – Richard Petty Motorsports – Aric Almirola
47 – JTG-Daugherty Racing – Bobby Labonte
48 – Hendrick Motorsports – Jimmie Johnson
55 – Michael Waltrip Racing – Mark Martin
56 – Michael Waltrip Racing – Martin Truex Jr.
78 – Furniture Row Racing – Kurt Busch
88 – Hendrick Motorsports – Dale Earnhardt Jr
95 – Leavine Family Racing – Scott Speed
99 – Roush Fenway Racing – Carl Edwards

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121112hh5728_580xCONCORD, N.C. (Jan. 15, 2013) – NASCAR drivers from many of the sport’s top teams will return to Charlotte Motor Speedway this week for a second round of NASCAR Gen-6 testing, and fans can watch all the action free of charge.

More than 30 cars are expected to take the track during the two-day test. Among the teams expected to participate are Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Penske Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing and more.

Testing is scheduled from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Fans who just can’t wait for the green flag to drop on the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race or the Coca-Cola 600 during the 10 greatest days in racing can watch the testing from the grandstands. Fans can enter at Gate 5A beginning at 8:30 a.m. each day.

The fun doesn’t stop with the action on the track. Every fan who buys a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series or NHRA ticket in the speedway ticket office during the test will receive a free 1:24-scale diecast car. They will also receive a voucher for a free day-of scanner rental so they can listen to their favorite driver during the test session, courtesy of Racing Electronics.

In addition, Charlotte Motor Speedway will offer behind-the-scenes tours and concessions for purchase during both test days.

The new car made its on-track debut in December to positive reviews from many drivers and crew chiefs. Drivers are looking forward to hitting the track again this week before  they return in May for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600.

“I’m excited and eager to get to the Charlotte test and just see how I stack up to the rest of the field because we didn’t participate in the December test,” said Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. “I know our cars were fast. I think Kasey (Kahne) was whipping around there pretty quick in the December test. Change is good, but if the down force package stays like it is, they will be easier to drive in some respects and a lot faster.”

Don’t miss a minute of the action during the biggest Memorial Day tailgate party around with the Coca-Cola 600 Weekend Pass. With packages starting at just $99, the Weekend Pass includes a reserved frontstretch seat to the Coca-Cola 600, HISTORY 300 and LiftMaster Pole Day. Tickets for all Charlotte Motor Speedway events can be obtained by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or online atwww.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

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Dave and Ryan Blaney Richmond International Raceway 2012Brad Keselowski Racing to Field Two Full-Time Entries in the 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 

Team Takes Aim at Drivers’ and Owners’ Championships

 MOORESVILLE, NC (January 15, 2013) – Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR) announced today that the team owned by the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) champion will field two full-time entries in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) for the 2013 season. The move to two full-time teams comes in the organization’s sixth season in the Series.

Similar to the Penske Racing team for which Keselowski drives in the NSCS and NASCAR Nationwide Series, 2013 will see BKR take to the track in the Ford camp. 2012 was a banner year for BKR, which claimed its first victory behind the skillful driving of Penske Racing development driver Ryan Blaney, who became the youngest winner in NCWTS history at Iowa Speedway in September.

Michigan-based Cooper Standard, a leading global supplier of systems and components for the automotive industry, has enhanced its 2011 and 2012 involvement with BKR and will serve as the primary partner on the No. 29 Ford for the entire 2013 season. Blaney will be behind the wheel for the full schedule with the team competing for both the NCWTS drivers’ and owners’ championships. The No. 29 Cooper Standard Ford team will be led once again by veteran crew chief, Doug Randolph.

“We are excited to partner with Brad Keselowski and the BKR team again for the 2013 season,” said Keith Stephenson, Chief Operating Officer, Cooper Standard. “Racing has proven to be a useful business tool for our company with both customers and employees and continues to help build the Cooper Standard Brand.”

Cequent Consumer Products and Cequent Performance Products (Cequent Group), leading designers, manufacturers, and marketers of a broad range of vehicle and trailer products among other automotive products, have also increased their 2013 BKR program and will be the primary partner on the No. 19 BKR Ford for 15 races split between the two companies.

The No. 19 entry will feature various Cequent Group brands and products throughout the season including Draw-Tite, Reese Towpower, Reese Towpower Carbon Forged, Bulldog, and Harper. The No. 19 BKR Ford, led by new crew chief Chad Kendrick, will have multiple drivers as it competes for the 2013 NCWTS owners’ championship. Keselowski and his NSCS Penske Racing teammate, Joey Logano, are scheduled to run multiple races. Blaney’s father, NSCS veteran and World of Outlaws champion Dave Blaney, will race the No. 19 in the NCWTS’ first ever dirt race at Eldora Speedway on July 24th.

“The Cequent Performance team and its Draw-Tite®, Reese®, and Bulldog® brands are proud to be a part of the 2013 BKR racing season and their move to Ford trucks,” said Tom Benson, President, Cequent Performance Products. “It is great to be able to share in the excitement that professional motorsports brings our customers.  We are looking forward to being trackside to witness the determination and positive attitude that Brad and his team show their fans in the year ahead.”

“Cequent Consumer is excited to show race fans a few different logos on our trucks this year including Carbon Forged from Reese Towpower, which is a new weld-free ball mount with increased towing capacity, in addition our new cleaning tool brand, Harper and of course the Reese Towpower truck,” said John Aleva, President Cequent Consumer Products. “Kicking off race season with a winner like Brad Keselowski is good for all of our brands as race fans get to know our products through this incredible sport.”

BKR also welcomes Florida native Ross Chastain to its stable of drivers for 15 races in the No. 19 Ford. Chastain will fly the Melon 1 primary partnership colors to the No. 19 Truck for five (5) of his 15 races with BKR.  The specific races for Keselowski, Logano, and Chastain will be announced at a later date.

“Melon 1 is proud to continue our support of Ross Chastain with his new team at Brad Keselowski Racing,” said John Lapide, President, Melon 1. “Ross has generated great awareness of the healthy benefits and great taste of watermelons, while promoting the whole watermelon industry. We look forward to watching the number 19 truck run for the owners’ championship.”

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the way 2013 is shaping up for BKR,” said Keselowski. “With enhanced support from our long time returning partners, Cooper Standard and Cequent Group, we are poised for a successful season. We have been able to retain and attract top notch personnel. The crew chiefs, drivers, and team members all put their hearts into this organization. Hard work equals results, and I am proud of each and every teammate’s passion for excellence. Last season was a huge stepping stone for the organization as we claimed our first victory. We are looking forward to building on last year’s success this season.”

Blaney and Chastain will represent BKR on the track for the 2013 season opener at Daytona International Speedway on February 22nd.

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Collaboration With HP Brought Online
 
2013 Fan And Media Engagement Center UnveilDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 14, 2013) – NASCAR and HP today unveiled the new NASCAR Fan and Media Engagement Center presented by HP. This first-of-its-kind resource will enable NASCAR to better serve its industry, partners and fans through a cutting-edge technology platform that facilitates near real-time response and analytics of traditional, digital and social media.
NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France and HP Enterprise Services Vice President Charles Salameh were on hand to cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the center at NASCAR Plaza in Charlotte, N.C.
“The Fan and Media Engagement Center build has been a thorough process more than a year in the making, and we are excited to see it come to life,” France said. “We believe this tool has the potential to be the best of its kind in sports – the first ever to combine not only social, but also traditional and broadcast media analysis. We’ll be able to use this to help our industry and business partners and better connect with NASCAR fans across the world. It’s another example of our commitment to innovation.”
HP collaborated with NASCAR to design and build the Fan and Media Engagement Center. The center is a showpiece on the 8th floor of NASCAR Plaza, where NASCAR’s Digital team operates. Physical features of the FMEC include all-glass walls, a monitor bank of 13 47-inch HP displays, and the latest in touchscreen and AV technology. Behind the scenes, HP’s custom-developed technology and services, based on its Autonomy analytics solutions, is the engine that processes a massive amount of data into relevant, actionable insights.
“The FMEC is the culmination of a collaboration between NASCAR and HP,” said Salameh, vice president – Americas region, Communications, Media and Entertainment Industry, Enterprise Services, HP. “HP’s integrated solution not only benefits NASCAR’s complex ecosystem by allowing real-time data capture and analysis across a wide variety of media, traditional as well as digital, tailored to specific audiences within the industry.”
The FMEC will provide NASCAR the ability to monitor, analyze and better understand the current media landscape in order to respond more effectively and efficiently to fans and respond more rapidly to national, local and global media.
Measurement also will be a key function of the Fan and Media Engagement Center. Those capabilities will expand across qualitative and quantitative measurements, including tonality, volume, proximity and other coverage attributes in regular reports the FMEC will generate for its industry.