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Week of 9/11/05
Harvick will stay with Childress
Welcome, N.C. (Sept. 16, 2005) -- Kevin Harvick will be back behind the wheel of Richard Childress Racing’s (RCR) No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet for the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season.
Speculation has fueled rumors that the 2001 NEXTEL Cup Series Rookie of the Year would move to another team at the end of this season. RCR President and CEO Richard Childress hopes to put that speculation to rest.
“Kevin will be the driver of the No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevy next season,” said Childress. “He and I have committed to moving forward together in fulfilling our current agreement, which runs through 2006, and we anticipate being together for many years beyond that. Our focus is on continuing to improve our performance this year and being a championship contender in 2006.”
Harvick is in his fifth year of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series competition, all with RCR, and has five victories, 30 top-five and 63 top-10 finishes, and four poles. He is currently 14th in this season’s point standings with one victory, three top-five and seven top-10 finishes. In his sixth season of driving in the NASCAR Busch Series for RCR, he has 16 victories, 60 top-five and 85 top-10 finishes, and 13 poles.
“Richard has made key additions to RCR that will benefit the organization,” said Harvick. We are both committed to make 2006 a successful season. I’ve always intended to fulfill my obligations to Richard, RCR and all of our sponsors.”
Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrn.com) has earned more than 125 victories and nine NASCAR championships, including six in the NEXTEL Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. It was the first organization to win championships in the NEXTEL Cup Series, Busch Series and Truck Series. Its 2005 NEXTEL Cup Series lineup includes Dave Blaney (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 GM Goodwrench), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Cingular Wireless) and Kerry Earnhardt (No. 33 Bass Pro Shops). Its Busch Series lineup includes Clint Bowyer (No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet) along with Harvick and Brandon Miller (No. 21 Reese’s Chevrolet). September 16, 2005
Kyle Busch on "Oprah" on Friday, Sept. 23
Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 5 Kellogg's Chevrolet, will be a guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” Friday, Sept. 23. Check local listings for stations and times. September 16, 2005
11th place not so bad
Now that the Chase is starting this weekend, don't forget that 11th place pays over a $1 million dollar bonus, plus a spot at the New York City awards banquet at the end of the season. Drivers battling for that spot include Elliott Sadler, Jeff Gordon, Jamie McMurray, kevin Harvick, and Joe Nemechek. September 15, 2005
Who's hot heading into this weekend?
Pretty much everyone in the top 10 is pretty happy right now....
Tony Stewart has 12 top 10's in a row with 5 wins
Greg Biffle has 4 straight top 10's
Matt Kenseth has 5 top 10's in 6 races September 15, 2005
Track Stats | New Hampshire
NEW HAMPSHIRE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
It's race #1 in the Chase for the Championship
Distance: 1.058-mile oval
Banking up to 12 degrees
Length of the straights: 1,500 ft.
Miles/laps: 317.4 miles, 300 laps
Last year's poll sitter: Jeff Gordon (but it was set by points due to rain)
Last year's winner: Kurt Busch
Up for grabs: $5.1 million September 15, 2005
Loomis to the #48, then on to Petty
Robbie Loomis is leaving Jeff Gordon's #24 team starting this weekend, and will join Jimmie Johnson's #48 crew as a consultant to help the 48 win the championship. Steve Letarte will chief the 24. --But wait there's more-- Starting in 2006, Loomis will join Petty Enterprises as executive vice president of race operations. Robbie said "Kyle and Richard (Petty) are giving me an incredible opportunity to come home, back where I started my career, and I’m honored and excited to do that.” September 14, 2005
Eury Jr. rejoins #8 team
Not a big surprise here, Tony Eury Jr. is coming back as crew chief of the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. As car chief, Tony and Dale have 2 Busch Championships and 15 Cup wins under their belt, and hope to get a jump on the 2006 season since they failed to make the Chase for the Championship.
Official Release: Dale Earnhardt Incorporated announced today that Tony Eury Jr., will take over as crew chief for the No. 8 Budweiser team, effectively immediately.
Eury Jr. had been crew chief for DEI’s No. 15 NAPA team for the first 26 races of the season, and will be reunited with driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. The two Juniors are cousins, and previously worked together from 1998 through the end of 2004, amassing two Busch Series championships and 15 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victories together, including the 2004 Daytona 500.
“This is the best plan for us as a company,” Eury Jr. said. “(Dale Jr. and I) haven’t been in the same pit box this year, but we’ve been working closely as a team. Looking at where we want to be for 2006, it made sense to switch now and get that much further ahead.”
“By putting Tony Jr. back with Dale Jr. now, it enables us to start working towards our goals for next season," said Richie Gilmore, Vice-President of Motorsports at DEI. "Those two can start finding their rhythm, and (interim No. 8 team crew chief) Steve Hmiel can return his full focus on the technical aspect of our programs.”
Hmiel, who has been the interim crew chief for the No. 8 team since May, will return to his position as Technical Director for Dale Earnhardt Inc. Tony Gibson, car chief for the No. 15 team, will serve as the NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet crew chief for the remainder of this season. September 14, 2005
ODDS 'N ENDS
J.J. Yeley will be driving the #11 FedEx car for Joe Gibbs this weekend despite Terry Labonte being on early entry lists. Casey Mears is testing his #41 Dodge at Nashville this week, and Reed Sorenson will be making his Cup Series debut in Atlanta on October 30th....That's Reed's home track. September 14, 2005
T.V. Schedule - New Hampshire
ON TV
It's a Busch Series off week, but the Trucks and Cup head to New Hampshire.
CUP SERIES FINAL PRACTICE @ 3:50pm Friday on Speed
CUP SERIES QUALIFYING @ 12:10pm Saturday on TNT
TRUCK SERIES RACING @ 3pm Saturday on Speed
CUP SERIES RACING @ 12:30pm Sunday on TNT
All times are eastern September 14, 2005
We finally know the 'Chase' drivers
THE CHASE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP
One of these 10 drivers will be the 2005 Champion
10 Ryan Newman -45
8 Matt Kenseth -35
8 Carl Edwards -35
7 Jeremy Mayfield -30
6 Mark Martin -25
5 Kurt Busch -20
4 Jimmie Johnson -15
3 Rusty Wallace -10
2 Greg Biffle -5
1 Tony Stewart
All 5 of Roush Racing Ford's are in the 'Chase' giving owner Jack Roush a 50% chance at taking the title right out of the box.
Tony Stewart now leads by only 5 points, and it goes up by 5 for each driver after Greg Biffle.....5, 10, 15....you get the idea. September 12, 2005
RACE RECAP | RICHMOND
10 Kevin Harvick poll sitter dominated early, but then faded
9 Terry Labonte great run
8 Kasey Kahne
7 Tony Stewart 12th top 10 in a row
6 Jeremy Mayfield
5 Rusty Wallace
4 Kyle Busch keeps his roll going
3 Greg Biffle
2 Matt Kenseth
VICTORY LANE
Kurt Busch led the most laps, and picks up his 3rd win of the 2005 season.
OTHER STORIES ON THE DAY
-Jeff Gordon had handling problems yet again with his 24 machine, eventually hit the wall hard, Gordon is not in the 'Chase'
-Jamie McMurray got tangled up with Tony Raines, the 42 hit the inside wall hard ending Jamie's 'Chase' chances
-The remaining 3 spots in the 'Chase' were filled by Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards September 11, 2005
Kurt Busch wins race, Newman makes 'Chase'
Richmond, Va. -- Defending NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Kurt Busch won the race and put himself in the favorite's position for another title Saturday night before a packed house of 100,000 spectators at Richmond International Raceway.
While Busch was running up front most of the night, superstar Jeff Gordon labored long and hard to get his non-competitive Hendrick Chevrolet into NASCAR's chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship, but to no avail. Gordon wound up never being a factor and will not be among the drivers chasing the championship in the last 10 races.
Both Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will be trying to win races down the stretch instead of a championship as the field is now set for the exciting showdown chase under NASCAR's new playoff format.
Leading the championship is 2002 NASCAR champion Tony Stewart, with Greg Biffle second, Rusty Wallace third, Jimmie Johnson fourth, Busch fifth, Mark Martin sixth, Jeremy Mayfield seventh, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth eighth and ninth and Ryan Newman 10th.
Actually, Edwards and Kenseth tied for eighth but the tie will be broken once the "Chase" begins at New Hampshire next weekend.
Busch had some spirited side-by-side sprints with pole winner Kevin Harvick, who experienced an eventual mechanical problem with his car and still managed a 10th-place race finish behind Busch, Kenseth, Biffle, his younger brother Kyle Busch, Wallace, Mayfield, Stewart, Kasey Kahne and another former champion Terry Labonte.
The other Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup qualifiers, Newman, Martin, Edwards, and Johnson were never threats to win the race. Neither was popular Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Numerous spins and accidents kept the field bunched for most of the night with tempers flaring occassionally, the most noteable being a fender-crunching exchange between Robby Gordon and Sterling Marlin, with both drivers being penalized five laps. September 11, 2005
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