JR Motorsports & Hendrick Teaming Up
When word first broke that Junior was leaving DEI, this is exactly what I predicted would happen, sort of.
JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports will combine the two companies’ Busch Series operations at the conclusion of the 2007 racing season with plans to field a joint effort beginning in 2008.
The partnership will campaign two full-time racecars under the JR Motorsports banner that utilize Hendrick Motorsports engines, chassis and vehicle engineering support. Rick Hendrick will be listed as car owner of the No. 5 team and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be car owner of the No. 88.
I thought for sure Junior was going to field his own car, with Hendricks’ help, in the Cup series. I hope the joint venture does well in the Busch series.
Technorati Tags: Dale Earnhardt Jr, Hendrick Motorsports, Busch
Sphere: Related ContentJunior Has A Bad Day At Indy
How will Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s engine failure and resulting 34th-place finish Sunday affect his ability to make this season’s Chase for the Nextel Cup?
If history is any indication, it probably won’t make much difference. However, what may play a bigger role is the fact that many of Junior’s biggest rivals had similar fates in Sunday’s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.
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But as the No. 8 Chevrolet headed down Indy’s famous frontstretch, the engine let go in a telltale puff of smoke, the white plume trailing behind the car as Junior’s good run ended after 136 laps.
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It was exactly opposite of the finish Earnhardt wanted — and deserved — on Sunday. Coming into Indianapolis with a 30-point lead over Ryan Newman for the 12th and final spot in the Chase, Junior left the Brickyard clinging to a 13-point advantage over Kurt Busch, unofficially.
That sucks for Junior. Of course, I can’t be too upset, because, looking at the points list, Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman are 13th and 14th.
It’s just going to get crazier from here until the Chase begins.
A New Feature On RoCaBaP
Earlier today my wife discovered talkr.com.
Talkr.com is a free service which takes your text based blog and creates an audio podcast feed so visitors can listen to your posts rather than read them.
Each post on this site will have a link to listen to the post, and I will be adding a subscribe button in the sidebar as I get time.
For now, you can subscribe to the audio feed with this link (subscribe)
Pretty cool stuff if you ask me.
Tony Stewart Wins Allstate 400!
Tony Stewart’s first Allstate 400 at the Brickyard victory in 2005 was dramatic, but his second Brickyard win on Sunday was dominant.
The driver from Columbus, Indiana who grew up dreaming of winning the Indianapolis 500 has done the next best thing by becoming a two-time winner of the NASCAR Nextel Cup race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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Stewart’s Chevrolet finished 2.982-seconds ahead of 2000 Indy 500 winner and NASCAR rookie Juan Montoya’s Dodge Charger. Four-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon’s Chevrolet was third followed by teammate Kyle Busch.
NASCAR Uses AT&T Car In Photo For Story
I find it ironic that NASCAR, which is suing AT&T (formerly Cingular) for wanting to use their new name, would use a photo of the AT&T #31 Chevrolet in a story on their main page. Don’t you?
Doesn’t the fact that they are using photos of the AT&T car to help promote NASCAR negate any claim Sprint/Nextel may have? It should be.
Sphere: Related ContentThe Largest Crash In NASCAR History
Wow. Great footage of the 1960 Daytona 500.
More than half the cars wrecked. Six cars landed upside down. No fires, and everyone walked away. Wow.
Sphere: Related ContentCarl Edwards Feels Good, Even With A Bum Thumb
Carl’s thumb may have required an overnight hospital stay, but it won’t affect his driving…
Carl Edwards’ handwriting may not look pretty this weekend. Just don’t expect his injured right hand to slow him down in the No. 99 car at Indianapolis.
Edwards arrived in town Thursday wearing a protective brace around his dislocated right thumb, and he plans to wear something similar Sunday to avoid re-injury during the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.
As an indication that he’s feeling good, Edwards kept his scheduled signing session at an Office Depot store on the south side of Indy. Office Depot is the car’s primary sponsor.
”It will probably be the ugliest Carl Edwards autograph ever,” he said before the session began. ”The hand is good, and it shouldn’t really be a problem. But when I did it and I looked down at it, it didn’t look right.”
Good luck Carl.
Justin Labonte To Drive Toyota
Aaron’s Sales and Lease Ownership and Darrell Waltrip Motorsports are pleased to announce that Justin Labonte will be behind the wheel of the No. 00 Aaron’s Lucky Dog Toyota Tundra for the Craftsman Truck Series event at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis on Friday night.
With one previous Craftsman Truck Series start and 76 Busch Series starts on his resume, 26-year-old Labonte is eager to showcase his experience in his return to one of NASCAR’s top series. Poised to take full advantage of this opportunity in the Craftsman Truck Series, the son of two-time Nextel Cup Series champion Terry Labonte has hopes of driving the Aaron’s Lucky Dog Toyota Tundra to its first victory.
It’s Good Dale Jr. Didn’t Sign With Ginn Racing
Wow, talk about dodging a bullet.
Dale Earnhardt Incorporated is absorbing Ginn Racing, making it a four-car team in time for this weekend’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The deal, set to be announced Wednesday morning, was confirmed to The Associated Press Tuesday night by a person familiar with the deal who requested anonymity because an official announcement had yet to be made.
DEI will immediately add the No. 01 Chevrolet, which is co-driven by Mark Martin and rookie Aric Almirola, and take the season points from Ginn’s No. 14 team and apply it to DEI ’s No. 15 entry of Paul Menard.
The No. 14 has been driven this season by Sterling Marlin, but the two-time Daytona 500 winner was released from the ride last week as team owner Bobby Ginn reorganized the operation he purchased last summer. Marlin was 29th in the points, which assured that car a spot in the field each week. Menard is 38th, outside of the top 35 that are locked in, and using the points from the No. 14 will now guarantee him a spot in the field.
Then again, if Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had signed with Ginn Racing, they probably wouldn’t have needed to reorganize and they wouldn’t have merged with DEI. But you never know.
Which Car Will Joe Drive?
Every driver wants a ride. What happens when he has two?
Joe Nemechek will have a ride this weekend at Indianapolis, but which car he will drive remains in limbo.
E&M Motorsports is looking to put Nemechek behind the wheel of its No. 08 car, but Ginn Racing may have a sponsor for the No. 13 — the car from which Nemechek was bounced last week.
E&M Motorsports had plans to run several races this season, beginning at Indianapolis with John Andretti at the wheel. Andretti has other commitments this weekend — he will join the IMS Radio Network as a broadcaster — so the team called on Nemechek.
I’m sure Joe will pick the right one. Which would you pick?