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NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Kasey Kahne will sign autographs at 6 p.m. Wednesday at NASCAR SpeedPark in Myrtle Beach.
Those interested in taking part in the autograph session must have a wristband.
For more information, call 843-918-8725 or visit www.nascarspeedpark.com
The SpeedPark is located at 1820 21st Ave. North Extension.
I'm kind of interested to hear what people think about this race. I think it's a drag, long green flag runs, few cautions, no side-by-side racing.
Yes, it's Indy. But this isn't the Indy 500. There seems to be this sense that ''it's Indy'' and people should care more. I don't get the vibe that they do.
Your thoughts?
Let's go for the winner and loser (43rd) this week.
Winner: Jeff Gordon
Loser: Paul Menard
from the wires.....Newman and Stewart could work. Then again ...
Newman, Stewart play coy on potential partnership
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) _ If Ryan Newman is indeed in line to join Tony Stewart's new team next season, neither driver is saying.
Stewart said Tuesday he's still trying to fill the two-car lineup at Stewart-Haas Racing, while Newman joked the only new offer he's received was to drive for one of Stewart's sprint car teams.
All kidding aside, Newman is believed to be the top candidate to drive for Stewart next year. The Daytona 500 winner announced last week he'll leave Penske Racing at the end of the season, a decision that makes him the top current free agent.
Stewart, who is leaving Joe Gibbs Racing to become part-owner of what's now known as Haas-CNC Racing, said he's still looking at who is available.
``There are a lot of drivers in the running right now,'' he said. ``It's not narrowed down to just one driver right now.''
But Stewart does have a list of criteria he'd like his future teammate to meet, and among the things he's looking for is the commitment to help the new team drive from the back of the NASCAR field and start contending for wins and championships.
``We definitely want somebody that you feel like is dedicated to what we're trying to do and realizing that we're taking an organization that's not had the success that it wants, and has the foresight to look forward and see what we're trying to accomplish,'' Stewart said.
``You want a driver that has that same attitude with what they do every weekend. You don't want a guy that's just content to run in the Top 15 or Top 20. You want a guy who has every intention every year and a realistic intention of saying, `I expect to make the Chase.'''
Based on that description, Newman sounds like his guy.
Newman is in his seventh full season driving for Penske, where he's won 13 races and 43 poles. He's finished sixth in the standings three times, but has not qualified for the Chase since
2005. Although he won the season-opening 500 this year, he's got just seven top-10 finishes and heads into Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend ranked 16th in the standings.
He cited Tuesday his continued performance drop-off since 2005 as his reason for leaving Penske.
``The stats speak for themselves, but going back to 2003 ... we were a dominant race team. Eight wins, 14 poles,'' Newman said. ``That's awesome and we have been dominant, we just aren't dominant right now and that cycles.
``Roger Penske always says, it says right on his Web site _ `Effort equals results.' If you're not getting your results, then you question the effort.''
But Newman said he's committed to finishing the season strong in the No. 12 Dodge for Penske, no matter where he ends up driving . He said he's not set a timeline for figuring out his future.
``Maybe it's like being in high school and having a bunch of girls, and if you get an opportunity to date one or the other. And you don't know the timeline of how everything's going to go, you don't know when you're going to get a date,'' he said.
``It just happens. Maybe on a Friday night you go out and think `Maybe that's how things are going to work out for me.'''
Stewart, meanwhile, said he'd like to fill his second seat sooner rather than later. He's expected to announce this weekend in Indy the sponsors for his car, and Haas-CNC has applied for a trademark on the No. 14 for certain souvenirs _ an indicator that Stewart will use childhood idol A.J. Foyt's longtime number on his new team.
But he needs to work out those details on a second car, and finding a driver is the first part of the puzzle.
``As soon as we can get a driver signed, I want to announce it right away,'' he said. ``That will be key in being able to attract sponsors to the second car. We're still working on that. I feel like that is a big key in this whole program being successful next year, is having the right teammate. I definitely want to get that done as soon as possible.''
Strange time for a week off, but with Indy in two weeks I guess NASCAR wants everyone rested and ready for one of their prized events.
So, with some time to look ahead, let's try and figure out what the Chase will look like. Remember, 12 drivers get in.
So which drivers won't be in the top 12?
1, Kyle Busch, 2,881.
2, Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2,619.
3, Jeff Burton, 2,590.
4, Carl Edwards, 2,509.
5, Jimmie Johnson, 2,494.
6, Jeff Gordon, 2,384.
7, Greg Biffle, 2,318.
8, Matt Kenseth, 2,317.
9, Kevin Harvick, 2,308.
10, Tony Stewart, 2,305.
11, Kasey Kahne, 2,295.
12, Denny Hamlin, 2,283.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
13, Clint Bowyer, 2,256.
14, Brian Vickers, 2,188.
15, David Ragan, 2,185.
16, Ryan Newman, 2,094.
17, Martin Truex Jr., 2,050.
18, Kurt Busch, 2,038.
19, Bobby Labonte, 1,905.
20, Juan Pablo Montoya, 1,863.
This seemed to draw some interest last time.
Pick the loser.
I got Terry Labonte.
Chad McCumbee was expected to be in the driver's seat for the No. 45 car and attempt to qualify for Saturday night's NASCAR Nextel Cup LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.
But Terry Labonte, who is locked into the field because of a past champion's provisional, will drive the car tonight as a part of the 50th anniversary celebration of Richard Petty's first race.
``We wanted to ensure the No. 45 was in the field,'' said David Hovis, spokesman for the No. 45 team. ``Chad was on board with it.''
McCumbee, a West Brunswick High School graduate, failed to qualify for his last Cup race in the No. 45 on June 1 in Dover, Del.
The No. 43 car of Bobby Labonte and the No. 45 car will carry a 50th anniversary logo to honor Petty's first race.
Kyle Petty is the full-time driver of the No. 45 car, which is currently 41st in owner points. The top 35 teams are locked into the field every week.
Hovis said he is not sure if McCumbee will drive the No. 45 again this season.
The economy must be bad to back out on Dale Jr.
From the Associated Press...
Add Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the growing list of car owners searching for sponsorship.
The Navy is leaving the No. 88 Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series at the end of the season, forcing Earnhardt to search for funding for the flagship car at JR Motorsports.
"We were informed last week that our sponsorship with the U.S. Navy will not renew at the end of the year," team spokesman Mike Davis said Tuesday. "It's been an exceptional partnership since 2005, and we look forward to a strong finish to the season as Brad Keselowski and the No. 88 Navy team contends for a NASCAR Nationwide Series championship."
Keselowski gave the Navy its first NASCAR victory last month with a Nationwide win at Milwaukee. He's second in the series standings, and trails Clint Bowyer by 202 points.
The Navy has been sponsor of Earnhardt's first car as a NASCAR owner since the formation of JR Motorsports. Last year, he merged his operation with Hendrick Motorsports and now fields two cars out of his new shop in Mooresville.
The second car, the No. 5, has been driven by multiple drivers and has used multiple sponsors all season. Mark Martin drove that car to Earnhardt's first win as a car owner at Las Vegas in March.
From the Charlotte Observer ...
Two-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart’s tenure is set to end at Joe Gibbs Racing, the Charlotte Observer has learned.
JGR, which has been Stewart’s home his entire career in NASCAR’s top series, is expected to announce as soon as Wednesday that it’s releasing Stewart from his contract obligations beyond this season, multiple sources confirmed Tuesday night. A team spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment.
Stewart’s contract is to run through 2009. His release would make him the second high-profile Cup driver to switch teams in a year. Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced in May 2007 he was leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. – his home his entire Cup career – to move to Hendrick Motorsports this season.
It might not be long before Stewart’s new home is known. Sources said plans were being made to try to assemble an announcement this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, where Stewart is expected to say he has bought into Haas CNC Racing. Stewart and another driver are expected to run a two-Cup operation next season, sources said.
Rumors of Stewart’s future with JGR have run rampant for weeks and were ignited by reports in April he was considering buying into a Cup team and leaving JGR.
At the time, JGR team President J.D. Gibbs insisted Stewart would remain with the organization at least through next season.
“Tony and our team are on the same page, and our goal in the next couple of years in ’08 and ’09, we’re going to go full bore and hopefully win a bunch of races and championships together,” Gibbs said then. “Hopefully this will be the spot he chooses to retire. The reality is we only control the next couple of years.”
As recently as last weekend at Daytona, Gibbs reiterated any discussions regarding Stewart and his contract were about after the 2009 season.
Stewart made his Cup debut in 1999 and has made all 338 of his starts for Gibbs. He was rookie of the year in 1999, winning three races. Stewart, the Cup champion in 2002 and 2005, has won 32 series races – at least two in each of his first nine full seasons. Only Jeff Gordon (39) and Jimmie Johnson (34) have more victories since 1999. He has won $68,549,075 in his career.
Cars owned by Gene Haas, the owner of Haas-CNC Racing, have one top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 250 Cup races since 2002. “We’ve had a great run at Joe Gibbs Racing and it doesn’t mean it’s over yet,” Stewart said in April when announcing he was exploring all options. “We’re just going to look at everything out there. “A wise person once told me it doesn’t cost a dime to listen, so right now we’re all ears.” Staff writer David Poole contributed.
Kurt Busch pushed Ryan Newman to victory in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series returns to Daytona on Saturday night for the Pepsi 400, one of the better races of the year.
Can Ryan Newman repeat? Unlikely. Will Hendrick cars be strong? No doubt about it.
No restrictions on who you can pick this week, except don't select someone who has been chosen.
My pick: Kevin Harvick. (But I think Tony Stewart is due)
Casey Mears is finished in the No. 5 car with Hendrick Motorsports after the season. He hasn't been able to match Kyle Busch's results before he left for Joe Gibbs Racing. Funny, though, Mears has run well the last two weeks.
But when Rick Hendrick holds a press conference Friday, it's speculated that Mark Martin will be introduced as the new driver of the No. 5 car in 2009.
My guess is that this is a one-year deal and that Tony Stewart will hop into the seat in 2010.
Martin has said he does not want to run a full-time schedule again and Stewart's contract expires at the end of 2009. It makes sense.
Kurt has covered auto racing at The Sun News since 2006. He has written about the sport for more than 10 years at several newspapers along the east coast.
Ask your questions
Have a question about the NASCAR, the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series or racing at Myrtle Beach Speedway? E-mail Kurt your questions at kknapek@thesunnews.com and he will answer them here on the blog. He can also be reached at 843-626-0258.
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