ALLAN VIGIL
FORD, LINCOLN, MERCURY 120—BRISTOL EDITION—500 LAPS TOMORROW @ 2 fox CH.5
SUPERIOR
PLUMBING FASTCAR NEWSDESK
MARK MARTIN
ON POLE AGAIN IN #5—NATIONWIDE RUNNING ON CH.2 WSB—OLD FART SPECIAL @ 6 2 NITE
ESPN2 REPEATS SUNDAY MORNING @ 10 ON ESPN CLASSIC
The
field of professional drivers has been set and so has the lineup of celebrities.
Today, Bristol Motor Speedway officials announced the pairings for the Scotts
Saturday Night Special, March 21 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Nine-time Bristol
winner Rusty Wallace and ESPN analyst Ray Evernham announced nearly two weeks
ago their intentions of an alliance. Now the other 11 teams have come together
as well; some with history and a relationship, some meeting for the first
time.
Junior Johnson, a 21-time winner at Bristol Motor Speedway as a car
owner, is paired with ESPN analyst and former NBA No.-1 pick Brad Daugherty
while Jimmy Spencer and TV/Radio personality Riki Rachtman will join
forces.
Riki Rachtman has been showing up on television quite a bit lately
but Saturday night Rachtman will live out a lifelong dream by strapping in to a
race car and taking on the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway. Living in
Virginia Tech
coach Frank Beamer and Cale Yarborough, both multi-time champions in their
respective fields, will partner as will ESPN analyst and former title-winning
crew chief Andy Petree and Sterling Marlin. Hunting buddies Terry Labonte and
Bill Jordan of Realtree Outdoors are teamed as are long-time friends David Green
and three-time NHRA Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson. Philadelphia Eagles
place-kicker David Akers and Harry Gant will partner as will Jack Ingram and
NHRA Funny Car driver Ron Capps and L.D. Ottinger and Terry Bowden, head coach
at the
Lysol Clean” women’s bathrooms at
some races: Lysol announced that it will educate families at NASCAR races around
the country about the importance of disinfection to help protect themselves from
germs and the illnesses they cause. Lysol will activate its sponsorship through
comprehensive marketing programs on several levels throughout the year,
including customer hospitality, product promotions and at-track marketing. Fans
will have the opportunity to visit five “Lysol Clean” women’s bathrooms on-site
at nine race events in 2009, each cleaned and maintained by Lysol Brand
ambassadors: Bristol (2 races), Charlotte (2 races, All-Star and Oct), Atlanta
(Sept), New Hampshire (Sept), Infineon, Texas (2 races). Other elements of the
sponsorship include exit samplers at the bathrooms, the distribution of Lysol
coupons, Sprint Vision ads, bathroom signage and the Lysol logo on fan guide
track maps to help identify “Lysol Clean” bathrooms. Lysol is in its eighth year
as part of the racing program of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates as
an associate sponsor. The partnership includes deck lid logo placement all
season long on Juan Pablo Montoya’s #42
Goodyear concluded a two-day tire
test Wednesday at Lowe's Motor Speedway as the tire manufacturer prepared for
the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the 50th running of the Coca-Cola
600. Assisting Goodyear in gathering data for the test was a
driver from each manufacturer represented in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series-Marcos
Ambrose in the No. 46 Toyota, Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 Chevrolet, Kasey
Kahne in the No. 9 Dodge, and Paul Menard in the No. 98 Ford.
Each of the drivers expressed their approval of the tire compound that Goodyear
brought to the famous 1.5-mile quad-oval, the same tire first introduced in
competition at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in early
March.
Tire Tests planned at Indy and AMS:
Goodyear is planning additional tests this year at the two tracks where its
tires encountered the most criticism last year, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and
Atlanta Motor Speedway. Tests are planned for April and June at Indy, the site
of one of the most frustrating events in recent NASCAR and Goodyear history last
year, when NASCAR had to throw the caution every 12 or 13 laps because the tires
wouldn’t last. Four teams will go to the test April 20-21 and then 12 to 15
teams will go in mid-June, Goodyear director of race tire sales Greg Stucker
said Wednesday during a test at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Goodyear also plans to
test again at
Daugherty Plans Tribute To Wendell
Scott: Many NASCAR fans will realize a dream at Bristol Motor Speedway this
weekend when a cast of legendary drivers returns for the Saturday Night Special.
For Brad Daugherty, the 15-lap celebrity event before the legends race will have
special meaning. Daugherty will pay tribute to the first African-American driver
to compete full-time in NASCAR’s premier series. Daugherty’s Late Model car will
feature the #34, the former number of Wendell Scott. “Wendell is one of my
heroes, and I wanted to honor him,” Daugherty said. A life-long race fan who
grew up in rural
Speedway Motorsports Inc. has
requested that a Sprint Cup race be moved to Kentucky Speedway and “will
consider all options” to get one there as soon as possible, according to its
annual report filed Friday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. SMI
bought the track in