Archive for December, 2008

Are you looking for the 2009 NASCAR schedule? If so, Captain Thunder has it posted on his site.

Bad news for Elliott Sadler fans.

A.J. Allmendinger’s late-season, five-race stint with Gillett Evernham Motorsports has earned him a full-time ride — at the expense of Elliott Sadler.

Allmendinger’s business manager, Tara Ragan, said Saturday night she expects Allmendinger to soon complete a deal to drive for GEM next season and replace Sadler in the No. 19 Dodge.

I am not really an Elliott Sadler fan, but I sure as heck am not too impressed with Allmendinger. This sure doesn’t say much for the GEM/Petty merger does it? Sounds like they won’t have room for some people.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Last year at this time, I was anxiously awaiting February. This time, not so much. I don’t mind change, but it should be change for the better, and I just haven’t seen any changes for the better, in NASCAR, for quite a while now.

The clock continues to tick toward Feb. 7, 2009 — the “unofficial” green flag for the season, under the lights at Daytona: The Budweiser Shootout.

In August it was announced the Shootout’s entry list would change for 2009: Only the top six teams in owner points from each manufacturer will earn berths in the exhibition. Anheuser-Busch noted that sponsorship of the pole award by a rival brewer (Coors) partially contributed to the decision to radically change the format.

While I was typing this post, I started wondering… If I don’t watch NASCAR next year, what will I do instead?

Hmm. I guess the alleged racial discrimination and sexual harassment wasn’t so alleged, was it?

NASCAR has settled a $225 million lawsuit filed by a former official who said she was subjected to racial discrimination and sexual harassment during her two-plus years working for the stock-car organization.

The suit was settled during a Dec. 3 mediation held in New York between Mauricia Grant and NASCAR. Settlement terms were confidential. Neither side admitted liability or wrongdoing, according to NASCAR.

I guess all the hoopla about the money Boston Ventures was bringing to Petty Enterprises was just a myth?

Former NASCAR champion Bobby Labonte said Tuesday he’s disappointed equity firm Boston Ventures couldn’t do more for Petty Enterprises.

Labonte, who voided his four-year contract extension last week, will explore the free-agent market instead of waiting to see if Petty can complete a merger with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. It wasn’t the outcome he anticipated when Boston Ventures purchased controlling interest in the team in June.

Labonte was more than willing to sign a multi-year deal based on the promises that Boston Ventures made. I just wonder if Petty Enterprises would be in the position it’s in if Boston Ventures would have just stayed away.

No, not that Gordon, the cool one.

Robby Gordon Motorsports announced Tuesday that it will partner with Toyota beginning in the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season.

“We are excited to be partnering with Toyota in NASCAR in 2009,” said Robby Gordon, team owner. “After watching their progress last season, we decided that a switch to Toyota was the right package for our team. We are confident that fielding a Toyota Camry will add to the success of our organization and the competitiveness of our performance on the race track.”

I’m surprised at the number of teams that have chosen to go with Toyota. Given the current economic climate, they may be the only teams racing once we get into the 2009 season.

I thought I read that Johnny Benson left Bill Davis Racing because he wanted to focus on other things, besides racing? Now he has signed with a different team?

Johnny Benson will be back to defend his championship in 2009.

Red Horse Racing announced Monday that it will expand to two teams for the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season with the addition of Benson to the team’s roster.

Benson, the 1995 NASCAR Busch Series champion and 1996 Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year, will join teammate David Starr in the Red Horse Racing stable. Benson will pilot the team’s No. 1 Toyota with Starr in the No. 11 Tundra.

I bet the people at Bill Davis Racing are not too happy about that. If he wasn’t happy at BDR he could have at least said so.

One of my most favorite NASCAR traditions is coming to an end.

This is without question the most difficult edition of Trading Paint that I’ve ever had to write.

The reason: After 4½ years of wonderful bantering and posturing back and forth with loyal Yahoo! Sports readers, this is the final edition of one of stock car racing’s most popular mailbags.

I have been reading Jerry Bonkowski’s columns for several years now, and all I can say, is that raceday just isn’t going to be the same anymore.

Thanks, Jerry. I’ll be watching for you to surface in your future endeavors.