DAYTONA BEACH FL. -- It’s official: Mark Martin will head to Hendrick Motorsports in 2009.
In a press conference held at Daytona International Speedway Friday, team owner Rick Hendrick introduced Martin as the driver of the No. 5 Chevy being vacated by Casey Mears.
Martin will run a full schedule in 2009 and a partial 26-race schedule in 2010.
“Mark is a incredible race and one of the classiest guys around,” Hendrick said. “He’s a driver who makes everyone around him better.”
Martin’s path to Hendrick began in 2005 when the veteran driver announced that he would be retiring from full time competition in 2006. His team owner at the time, Jack Roush asked Martin to come back for one more season. In the fall of 2007, Martin announced that he would be heading to MB2/Ginn Racing to campaign a part time schedule. In the summer of 2007, Dale Earnhardt Incorporated purchased Ginn Racing and Martin was named as the driver of the No. 8.
Martin has been splitting seat time with driver Aric Almirola in 2008.
But Martin said after some praying and consultation with his family, he’s ready to take one shot at the Cup title that has eluded him since 1984.
Martin said after a couple of years of running a partial schedule, he’s ready to get back to full time competition.
“After two years of catching my breath, I’ve enjoyed it it’s been very meaningful,” Martin said. “But it’s rekindled my passion for racing and given me a taste for what it would be like to not have this in my life.”
Hendrick said that the idea was really formulated when Martin got into the No. 24 car for a Goodyear tire test at Atlanta. But he added having Martin under his umbrella was something he’s wanted to do for quite some time.
“We’ve been trying to do this for 15 years,” Hendrick said. “And to have him in the No. 5 car, that car means a lot to me that was my first number. After seeing him come so close to the championship so many times, it’s an honor to have him on board to go for the championship.”
So what does NASCAR say about Truex qualifying without practicing?
There was some debate in the Daytona media center Friday morning about the situation with Martin Truex Junior. The primary car belonging to Truex was confiscated by NASCAR after the first inspection on Thursday. The team changed engines from the primary car to the backup, taking the entire hour of the first practice to do so.
The second, and final, hour of practice was rained out and NASCAR will not reschedule it. Since this is an impound race the only laps that Truex will get on the car prior to the race are his two qualifying laps. The team will not be allowed to work on the car after qualifying.
According to NASCAR’s Director of Cost Research there is no specific rule that says a driver can’t qualify if they don’t practice.
“But it’s the Series Directors’ discretion,” Bodine said. “If they feel a driver does not have enough experience, they can tell them to go home.”
That’s obviously not the case with Truex, he added so Truex will be allowed to qualify. Bodine also pointed out that there have been races in the past where there has been no practice prior to qualifying due to weather.
Friday should be interesting here at Daytona International Speedway. With the second of only two practice sessions rained out and this being an impound race, some teams may struggle in qualifying.
Martin Truex Junior for one will have a very rough time. His primary car was taken by NASCAR for roof violations and the team was forced to a backup. They used the first practice to swap the engines in the cars feeling that the one that was in the primary car was stronger. By the time the y got that done, the first practice was over and the second one was later rained out, so Truex will take his first laps in the car when he qualifies.
Of course the big news of the day will be the Hendrick Motorsports announcement at 12:30. It’s widely believed that Mark Martin will be named driver of the No. 5 for 2009.
Photo Gallery
Thursday Stories
The final story I filed for FOX Saturday from KSC is below...did I have fun? Duh! It was not only a great time, but whenever I watch a launch it makes me proud to be an American!
Something funny....I watched/photographed the launch from the edge of the lagoon behind the big clock...I've never been near that famous clock so with three minutes to go I called someone and told them to look on live TV they did and I told them to tell me when they showed the clock...well they said 'now' and I'd be standing to one side and I'd wave..but live TV was only showing brief flashes of the clock and since there is a time delay we never did get it right....course all people who were out there probably thought the sun had gotten to me....very un-reporter like I know but what the heck ...another thing that happened in the post launch press conference I asked a question...what I didn't realize is they show it live on NASA TV AND I didn't know that they have a camera that faces reporters when they ask a question...I asked my question and even before the answer was finished my phone was vibrating in my pocket (thank goodness I remembered to turn it down!)..I checked it when it was over...it was a text from my sister in North Carolina, one line it said 'Geez man you need a haircut'!
PHOTO GALLERY
Discovery Races Towards Space Station
By Greg Engle
FOX 35 NEWS
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35, Orlando) --Space Shuttle Discovery topped off a picture perfect Florida day by a perfect on time launch from Kennedy Space Center Saturday.
STS –124 roared off the launch pad at exactly 5:02 p.m. EST and streaked towards orbit in a nearly cloudless sky after a flawless countdown.
In the post launch analysis officials said they found a problem with a backup maneuvering rocket or ‘gimble’ on the left engine. According to officials they saw a ‘potential failure’ and will test the system but don’t feel it will impact the mission at all. If the system doesn’t check out, there would only a loss of redundancy they said.
There were also five small pieces of foam that broke away during the launch. It was pieces of foam that broke off during a launch that doomed the shuttle Columbia. The external fuel tank had undergone several design changes since then and the Discovery carried the latest redesign Saturday.
The five pieces of foam that broke off Saturday were very small according to officials and happened during a part of the ascent that causes them no concern. However as they have done with every shuttle flight an inspection will be done to ensure no damage was done. The inspection for Discovery will come on flight day 14.
Among the tasks during the 14-day mission, Discovery will deliver the Kibo Japanese science laboratory to the International Space Station.
There were absolutely no problems in the days leading up to the launch and NASA even felt confident enough that they elected to fuel the shuttle earlier than planned Saturday. Launch director Mike Leinbach said that in fact in the overall preparation for STS-124 a record was tied for the fewest trouble reports.
Even the weather forecast that had called for a 20% chance of run was upgraded early in the afternoon to less than a 10% chance for showers. At launch time only a few small clouds hung over the launch site.
“It was a gorgeous launch,” said Launch Director Leinbach. “An extremely smooth countdown. We just had nothing to talk about. I wish every day could be like this.”
The Discovery is now racing towards the International Space Station and will dock with it on Monday afternoon.
My stuff from the live blog I did....
Good afternoon from the press site at Kennedy Space Center! I’ve been to KSC for
a launch before but I’ve never been here to cover it and report on it and I have
to tell you this is way cool!
I got here just before noon and even before I got set up, they loaded a bunch
of us on buses and we went and watched the STS-124 crew load into the van for
the trop to the pad. Being at my first ‘crew walk’ was quite an experience and
I’m looking forward to the rest of the day!
We are processing the first photos, these are from the crew walk and they
will be up on MyFoxOrlando and here on the blog soon!
UPDATE 2:50The astronauts are strapped in, and the clock is counting down and so far everything appears to be a go…the astronauts are doing communications checks and the weather looks good…the close out crew is finishing up and will soon close and secure the hatch.
One very poignant moment during the crew walk came when the crew came out two little girls standing with their mom in front of me started cheering and saying bye dad! We love you etc…the families are forbidden from coming in contact with their loved ones for a week prior to the launch to prevent illnesses…so it was really cool being there as the kids said goodbye and good luck to their dad!
Another observation came to mind, at the press site here, looking at all the news outlets that are set up reminds me of a scene from the 1960’s…I can almost hear Walter Cronkite calling an Apollo launch! I’ll take some more pictures and get them uploaded soon!
UPDATE 5:25 Space Shuttle Discovery topped off a picture perfect Florida day by a perfect on time launch from Kennedy Space Center Saturday.
STS –124 roared off the launch pad at exactly 5:02 p.m. EST and streaked towards orbit in a nearly cloudless sky after a flawless countdown.
Among the tasks during the 14-day mission, Discovery will deliver the Kibo Japanese science laboratory to the International Space Station.
There were absolutely no problems in the days leading up to the launch and NASA even felt confident enough that they elected to fuel the shuttle earlier than planned Saturday.
Even the weather forecast that had called for a 20% chance of run was upgraded early in the afternoon to less than a 10% chance for showers. At launch time only a few small clouds hung over the launch site.
The next task for the Discovery will come on Monday afternoon when it docks with the International Space Station.
Daytona Photo Gallery: Duel Qualifying RacesDale Earnhardt Junior seems to have found his happy place.
After a much publicized and some would say maligned move to Hendrick Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Junior has come out of the box swinging.
In his competitive debut with his new team, he won the Bud Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. He followed that performance by winning the first Duel qualifying race Thursday after starting from the rear of the field.
Now of course he’s a favorite to win the biggest race of them all the Daytona 500.
“I feel like we got a shot, you know what I mean?,” Earnhardt Junior said. “Nobody's boastful enough, I don't think, personality-wise to claim that. I wouldn't expect anybody to do that.
But I thought we got a great shot. We've won some races down here, so we got to be in the group if there's a group of them.”
He’s also set himself up to do something that has never been done during Speedweeks; win the Shootout, a qualifying race and the Daytona 500.
What would that mean to Earnhardt Junior?
“It would mean we have a good race car,” he said. “It would mean that we have some awesome stuff down here. I'm just going to try to do whatever I can to win that race. It's going to be hard to win it, but it's going to be hard for everybody.”
Now Earnhardt is winning races again after a two year drought. He seems to be validating his move to Hendrick Motorsports.
But until the season unfolds it will remain to be seen if Earnhardt’s happy place is really Hendrick Motorsports or simply one track.
“We got to remember we're at Daytona,” Earnhardt said. “We've had a lot of wins here. We can't really, you know, sing a whole lot of praise right just yet. We got a lot of racing left to do, a lot of tracks to go to, a lot of work in front of us.
No one knows if the euphoria and the wins will continue beyond Daytona including Earnhardt himself. He knows though that with the boost he takes from Daytona anything is possible.
“We'll see what happens,” he said. “We're going to work hard. We're going to keep working hard. If we're lucky and the good Lord thinks we're deserving, we should have some success.”
Here's the daily wrap ups from the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Media Tour Hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway.
I'll have the rest of the photos up later today....
Day 4 Photos
Day 3 Photos
Day 2 Photos
Day 1 Photos
All the Videos are here
Monday Media Tour Pit Notes
The 26th edition of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour kicked off at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Concord Convention Center with a luncheon hosted by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.
Among those joining owners Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates on stage were the team's trio of NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers, Juan Pablo Montoya, Reed Sorenson and Dario Franchitti.
Other Ganassi drivers on hand included Scott Dixon from the Indy Racing League Series; Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas from the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and 18-year-old Bryan Clauson who will compete in selected ARCA and NASCAR Nationwide Series events.
Team co-owner Chip Ganassi: "Seems like just yesterday we were in Homestead finishing up the 2007 season. When I look at these drivers I have a great sense of pride. These guys are from all over the world and they represent 24 wins last year in all different forms of racing. I've heard a lot of people say that all the open-wheel drivers moving into NASCAR has hurt the sport, but I think it has let the world see that everybody knows what a big deal NASCAR has become. I can't wait for the 2008 season to start and can't help but be excited and pumped up."
Team co-owner Felix Sabates: "This is an exciting time for us. We are determined to win and win often and we are going to win this year. We appreciate the folks at Lowe's Motor Speedway and their staff for putting this Tour on and I can't wait to see everybody in Daytona."
Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Texaco/Juicy Fruit Dodge: "It's hard because there are a lot of weeks when you finish 15th and that is a good finish. We worked hard last year to get to where we are now, so naturally we want to keep that progress heading in the right direction."
Reed Sorenson, No. 41 Target Dodge: "As a team, I think it'd be pretty cool to win three, four or even five races this year. I'd like to be the team that leads the way for Ganassi this year. We have a whole new car so we've got a whole new learning curve. All the teams are still learning a lot about these cars and it's probably going to be halfway before the season until a lot of people get it figured out. Whether we're winning or not, we've got to put up the results. I'm more focused and determined than I've ever been, so I'm looking forward to getting the year started."
Dario Franchitti, No. 40 Dodge: "I'm excited about the switch to NASCAR and I know it is going to be a big step for me in my career. Do a lot of people know about racing where I'm from in Scotland? Well, there's a great deal of buzz around all this back home, so we are trying to take this form of racing and make it big in Scotland."
The tour hit the road for its second function, traveling to the nearby NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C., Several NASCAR executives were on hand to discuss the upcoming 2008 season as well as some special initiatives that the sanctioning body has in store as it mores forward.
Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO: "This Media Tour has become a preseason tradition, and a very important one. This season NASCAR is celebrating 60 proud years. We've covered a lot of ground since 1948 when we were racing on the old beach course down in Daytona. In 1948, there were less than 10 races on the schedule and it has just continued to grow since then. Right from the start, my grandfather, Big Bill, and my dad had very big ideas and visions for this sport. We're proud of our growth through the years and our fans have been a part of that every year since NASCAR has been in existence.
"Change has been a hot button the last few years because there have been a lot of changes like the Car of Tomorrow as well several changes in our series' title sponsor. We're going to try and get back to basics while we continue to celebrate our past."
One item of note that France said would change in 2008 is that any monetary fines that NASCAR teams incur over the season would go into a fund to be donated to the NASCAR Foundation. All fines were previously put back into each division's respective season-long points fund.
NASCAR's George Silbermann also talked about the state of NASCAR's six regional touring divisions as well as the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Those six divisions include the Whelen Modified Tour, the Whelen Southern Modified Tour, the Canadian Tire Series, NASCAR Mexico as well as the Camping World East and West Divisions.
The 2008 NASCAR Drive for Diversity lineup was announced and the drivers were introduced. Participating this year are Kristin Bumbera, Michael Cherry, Michael Gallegos, Paul Harraka, Lindsey King, Lloyd Mack, and Jonathan Smith.
NASCAR's Vice-President of Competition Robin Pemberton also explained new rule changes that will be in place during 2008.
Two of those changes were concerning pit road rules. Pit crews will no longer be able to push a stalled car through more than three pit stalls until incurring a penalty. The other pit road change will be that the loose right side tires must be returned towards pit wall by a pit crew member by hand rather than simply rolled toward the wall.
The other major rule change for all three of NASCAR's top three divisions will be that teams not locked into the field through car owner points will qualify together at the end of time trials.
The assembled members of the media were then given the opportunity to quiz the NASCAR executives and tour the Research and Development Center.
Tuesday Media Tour Pit Notes
Monday evening, the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway headed to the spacious new auditorium at Richard Childress Racing in Welcome, N.C., for dinner.
Richard Childress Racing fields the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars driven by defending Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer.
"I see a lot of old friends and faces from a few years ago as well as some new faces," said team owner Richard Childress. "We're excited to have everyone here as we have a couple of announcements to make. We're looking forward to a lot of good things to come out of these announcements that we're going to talk about."
The first announcement was that RCR has joined forces with Rick Howard to field a Daytona Prototype car for a limited schedule in the 2008 Rolex Grand-Am Road Racing Series before stepping up to a full-time effort in 2009. Accomplished road racer Andy Wallace will be the primary driver for the Grand-Am team.
"I think the Daytona Prototype Series is great and I know it's going to be a success," Childress said.
Childress also discussed the progress of Earnhardt-Childress Racing, the joint effort between RCR and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. which builds engines for the two team's Chevrolet Sprint Cup Series entries.
"The RCR-DEI engine program was something that people talked about when we had problems last year, but they didn't really notice when we did well," Childress said. "The last two years our engine program won 44 races in NASCAR's top three divisions. We're going to take things one step at a time."
Harvick said he was pleased with both the team's off-season testing at Daytona as well as the addition to the main shop at the RCR complex.
"I'm excited right now based on all the work we've done in the off-season," said Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet. "I think that right now I'm excited about all the stuff we've done in the off-season. We didn't need an overall overhaul with our teams as much as we just needed to tweak on every little piece and make things better. We had a little different approach because, like I say, we didn't need to turn over everything completely. I'm excited heading into the new year. We had a good test at Daytona and I think we're going to make even more gains before we get back down there in February. Winning the Daytona 500 like we did last year is something I can't even describe. That's all everybody wants to talk about and now I know why.
"Richard Childress Racing has made a lot of investments in this sport," Harvick added. "It seems like no matter what you do in this sport, it's never enough. It never stops. We're going to close the gap and if we don't we're still going to be a pain in the ass to everybody else."
Burton shared much the same view as his RCR teammate.
"It's difficult to adapt to the times," said Burton, who drives the No. 31 AT&T Chevrolet. "It used to be if you were headed in the right direction that you didn't want to change anything. It's not like that anymore. Richard is a perfect example of someone who has adjusted with the times. He's invested a lot of time and money as well as helping to employ a lot of people which helps the economy. It's really hard to understand all the reasons why Richard has made such an investment. It seems like no matter what you do it's never enough."
SPEED Channel hosted the Monday night hospitality event at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Concord Convention Center.
Among those on hand were two-time Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion Donnie Schatz, who is a contender for the SPEED Performer of the Year award which will be presented Feb. 7. Schatz had just returned from Australia where he had been racing since Dec. 23.
Jimmy Spencer, Kenny Wallace, Jeff Hammond and Phil Parsons were among the on-air personalities who spent time socializing with the media and SPEED officials announced a new program, "The Humpy Show," slated to debut with a one-hour pilot on Feb. 12.
Hosted by H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, the program will showcase Wheeler's skills as NASCAR's ultimate promoter, storyteller and diplomat. NASCAR legend Buddy Baker and driver Kurt Busch will join Wheeler for the inaugural telecast where the trio will discuss great NASCAR rivalries.
"Without question, ‘Humpy" is one of the true trendsetters in the world of motorsports," said SPEED President Hunter Nickell. "His passion for constantly moving forward with uniquely creative ideas while always maintaining a healthy respect for the past is a philosophy embraced by SPEED. We're thrilled ‘Humpy" is going to share some of his valuable time and insight with our viewers."
Calling the shots behind the camera will be Wheeler's daughter, Patti, whose team from Wheeler TV delivered the idea to SPEED.
Tuesday's NASCAR Sprint Media Tour schedule started with a breakfast and press conference hosted by Bank of America at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Concord Convention Center.
Bank of America officials used the opportunity to reveal the Charlotte-based company has reached a licensing agreement with several top NASCAR drivers to use their name and likeness on a new line of banking products.
"We're here to celebrate a milestone," said Michael Hargrave, senior vice president of global marketing for Bank of America. "We've been involved in a lot of different races across the country and part of why we're in this sport is the popularity the drivers have with their fans.
"NASCAR Banking has thousands of fans who have their favorite driver's picture on their credit cards and checks. Now fans can make race day everyday."
1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace is working with Bank of America and was on hand to talk with media members about the bank's NASCAR program.
"This is amazing and really cool," Wallace said. "I never thought the sport would get this big and now there are a lot of first time fans who want to let everybody know who their favorite driver is."
Following the Bank of America breakfast, media members moved to another portion of the Concord Convention Center where Sprint had constructed a movie theater in order to debut the company's 2008 NASCAR-related television commercials.
Dean Kessel, director of sports marketing for Sprint, revealed that the company had worked with Michael Mann to produce a series of new and exciting commercials.
Kessel then announced that the May 17 NASCAR All-Star event at Lowe's Motor Speedway, formerly known as the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, has been renamed the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. He also said the qualifying race prior to the All-Star event will now be known as the Sprint Showdown.
Media members then hit the road and headed to the new Windshear wind tunnel facility located adjacent to the Concord Regional Airport. The wind tunnel is still under construction, but media members were able to view a car running on the rolling road and then tour the entire facility.
Scheduled to open in April, the Windshear facility is the only commercial full-scale, single-belt, rolling wind tunnel in the United States. The firm's list of clients already includes top level motorsports organizations and auto manufacturers.
The Windshear facility offers 180-mph wind speeds with accurate and repeatable data previously only available to a select few Formula One teams. At the tunnel's top speed, the 22-foot diameter main fan will re-circulate 2.85 million cubic feet of air per minute which consumes seven megawatts of power in the process.
As part of the visit to the Windshear facility, Haas/CNC Racing Sprint Cup drivers Scott Riggs and Jeremy Mayfield were on hand and did numerous interviews about the coming season.
"I just want to be more competitive and consistent as a driver because I know this team has shown those traits," said Riggs, who will drive the No. 66 State Water Heaters Chevrolet. "I want to continue what this team has been doing since last year with their Car of Tomorrow program. This team has a great relationship with Hendrick Motorsports and that's going to pay off for all of us. By working closely with Jeremy, I believe we're on the right track to raise the competitiveness of this organization. It feels good to be with a new team that has a lot to prove. The team is still very young but despite that they look at this as a goal they have with no limits. The future is wide open and there's no telling what we can accomplish. There are no boundaries of what we can and can't do. It's all about what it takes for us as a team to be competitive."
Mayfield admits his excitement has brought a feeling of rejuvenation after being released by team owner Ray Evernham before the end of the 2007 season.
"I'm ready to go racing again," said Mayfield, driver the No. 70 Haas Automation Chevrolet. "This is more than a breath of fresh air because I had a lot of things going on like my dad passing away. It's seemed like there were a lot of things that just really seemed to get stacked on each other. Finally, you're just like ‘whatever' and you become numb to it. Now all that stuff is behind me. I'm moving on and looking forward to the future. I know before the season starts you guys in the media hear all the drivers talk about how excited they are, but I really am and I feel good about it.
"For me, it's all about racing becoming fun again because that's what I really wanted to get back to," Mayfield added. "I don't have to worry about a sponsor leaving in the middle of the year or some guy saying this or that about me. All I ever wanted to do was race and help put on a good show. Now I feel like that's the position I'm in. I'd say it's been since 2005 that I've had fun. There's no pressure on me and I don't have a ton of bricks on my back like I used to. It's just a lot of little things and we all know in this sport how important the mental part of things can be."
The NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway then returned to the Embassy Suites Hotel and Concord Convention Center for a luncheon hosted by Dodge.
After lunch, five journalists were honored during the 23rd annual presentation of the Miller Lite Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence in honor of Russ Catlin.
The group included a veteran sportswriter whose feature story for USA Today explored whether popular Indy Car driver Danica Patrick could win in the open-wheel series, a Charlotte television reporter who gave viewers a behind-the-scenes look at ABC's coverage of the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway and an ESPN feature producer who profiled 1992 NASCAR champion Alan Kulwicki.
The Miller Lite Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence annually recognize outstanding motorsports coverage in five categories while honoring the memory of Russ Catlin, a motorsports journalism pioneer.
The entries were submitted to the Indiana University School of Journalism, whose faculty members selected the winners.
Each winner received a plaque and a Rolex watch from Miller Lite NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kurt Busch.
The 2007 Miller Lite Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence in honor of Russ Catlin winners were: Nate Ryan of USA Today in the Writing - Daily category; David Caraviello of NASCAR.com in the Writing - Other category; Drew Gallagher of ESPN's "NASCAR Countdown" for the Broadcast - National category; Blair Miller of WSOC-TV (Charlotte) in the Broadcast - Local category; and David Griffin of NASCAR Scene in the Photojournalism category.
Dodge Motorsports brought its drivers, team owners, crew chiefs and corporate officials together at the hotel for the final Tuesday afternoon function of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Mike Accavitti, director of Dodge brand marketing and global communications, said the upcoming NASCAR season will be one of a turnaround for the of Dodge drivers and teams.
"Last year, we didn't live up to expectations both on and off the track," Accavitti said. "We have a new car this year so that's something we're going to be dealing with. Last year, we had an old and a new car so we were dealing with a lot of change. We have also changed our corporate structure and we had lost focus. The new structure we have in place is supportive from the top all the way down. With all that behind us, we can't wait to get the year started. Our mission is to win races and we fully expect to have at least one Dodge team battle for this year's championship. We have all the teams in place to make that happen."
One participant in the Dodge function-George Gillett Jr.-was a newcomer to the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour after he joined Ray Evernham as a partner in Gillett-Evernham Motorsports during the 2007 season.
"We had a 100-day plan from the very start," Gillett said. "Now that it's the 2008 season, we're all ready and looking to have a big year. Having said that, I want to note that I am an optimist so I'm excited about the upcoming season because I believe we're going to have a good year."
Several Dodge Sprint Cup drivers also expressed their eagerness to get the 2008 season underway and show their improvement.
"I think the biggest thing for me this year is to make the chase for the championship," said Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge. "I want to win races, but I know at the end of the day it's all about being more consistent regardless of the situation. If I finish 30th, I've got to realize that that's better than being 43rd. Once we make the chase, hopefully we can run well in those last 10 races. My main goal is to get in the championship battle."
Elliott Sadler echoed the assessment of his Gillett-Evernham Motorsports teammate.
"As a goal this year, Kasey and I both want to be in the championship race," said Sadler, driver of the No. 19 Best Buy Dodge. "Both of us have been in it before so we understand what it takes and how proud it makes our teams and sponsors. How we can do that and help each other is what we've got to figure out. As a driver knowing that's the way we both feel is a pretty good feeling."
Penske Racing driver Kurt Busch is another competitor who is looking forward to seeing how the 2008 season unfolds.
"We just want to build on the foundation that we already have in place here with this team," said Busch, who drives the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge. "We finished seventh in points last year, but we want to be even higher than that. We want to be more consistent because we found out last year that it's hard to play catch-up when it comes to gaining lost ground in a championship race. We want poles and wins but most importantly we want consistency. Those are a lot of wants, now we have to go on and back up what we're talking about."
Wednesday Media Tour Pit Notes
The final stop on Tuesday's portion of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway was at Joe Gibbs Racing in Huntersville, N.C., where the media met with team officials and NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch.
Following dinner, team owner Joe Gibbs and JGR President J.D. Gibbs talked and joked about a variety of subjects including the recent retirement of the elder Gibbs after his second stint as head coach of the NFL's Washington Redskins.
"We've got dad back here at the race shop this year, but we still haven't figured out how much of a pay-cut he's going to have to take," J.D. Gibbs said with a laugh. "We know it's going to be a big pay-cut for him and he's going to have to get used to dropping a couple of zeroes off of what he expects to make now that he's back in racing full-time."
Joe Gibbs simply laughed and shrugged off the comical spin that his son put on his return to the family racing operation team.
"I just want to say that if something goes wrong this year in Washington then it wasn't my fault," the elder Gibbs said with a smile. "It will be my fault if something goes wrong here with my race team. In all honesty, it was a thrill to be able to go back to Washington to coach the Redskins again, but now I'm glad to be back at home in racing. I'm just looking forward to getting back to racing and getting the season started."
J.D. Gibbs said he was pleased with the progress of his three Sprint Cup teams during the off-season and expects the hard work to pay early dividends.
"I'm excited about the move to Toyota and I really feel like we're going to be in good shape," J.D. Gibbs said. "We've found out that with Toyota it's very much a team thing where we try and help out other Toyota teams as well as them being able to help us. Plus we're celebrating the 10-year anniversary this year of Tony and Greg Zipadelli working together and that's a long time. We are also celebrating our 10th year with Home Depot as the main sponsor on the No. 20 car. Of course, we still have Denny Hamlin on board as far as our Cup program goes as well as our newest driver, Kyle Busch. We're all excited and really looking forward to getting the season started."
Following brief on-stage comments from the Joe Gibbs Racing executives, the team's three Sprint Cup drivers shared their thoughts about the new season.
Stewart talked about a variety of subjects ranging from preseason testing at Daytona to his thoughts on the off-season manufacturer change from Chevrolet to Toyota.
"We had a good test at Daytona, but one of the things I'm really looking forward to is getting to test at like four of the first 10 tracks to start the year off," said Stewart, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota. "Once we get through those tests is when we will really have a pretty good gauge on where we are with this new car. The difference between the new car and the old one really isn't that much different to me. A race car is a race car. I'm still sitting in the same seat I sat in last year, so it hasn't been all that big a deal to me to be honest.
"I can't wait to get back to Daytona and try and win that race," Stewart added. "It's going to be a big deal because it's the 50th annual Daytona 500, but to me I just want to win that race and I really don't care which number it is. It would mean the same to me as it would to have won the 49th Daytona 500 last year.
"It was nice to get away over the winter, but it's not as great as a lot of people make it out to be. Yeah, we're not at the race track as much, but we stay pretty busy doing things like commercials. I was talking to Denny before we walked out to talk to you guys and he was telling me he's getting ready to head out to California to shoot some kind of commercial. I'd just like to get away from everything for a couple of weeks and not do a thing, but that's not all that easy to do," Stewart concluded.
Hamlin is entering his third season of Sprint Cup Series competition, but admits the goals his team has set are lofty ones.
"It all starts with trying to win that very first race and just trying to take it from there," said Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Fed-Ex Toyota. "The first goal is to win a race and Daytona is the first race, so it would mean a lot to be the first team and driver to win the first race for Toyota. That's what we're shooting for as well as just getting our consistency together with this new car. The tests have been good, but we've only tested at Daytona so I'm looking forward to getting down there and getting things kicked off in February. As far as what I think about the change from Chevrolet to Toyota, it really hasn't been all that big a deal to me for much as it has been a lot of hard work over the off-season to all the guys here at the shop. Those are the guys that have been putting in a lot of hours getting all these new cars ready and up to speed."
Kyle Busch is the newest addition to the Joe Gibbs Racing stable after a successful stint at Hendrick Motorsports.
"I've been pretty busy in the off-season," said Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&Ms/Interstate Batteries Toyota. "It's been crazy and probably one of the busiest off seasons I've ever had. I'll be glad to put that behind me and just worry about racing again once the season gets started. I really think we're going to come out of the box strong. To me, it's all about winning races and from what I've seen with this team so far is that's what they want to do as well. As long as I have the chance to win races and battle for the championship I'll be happy because to me that's what it's all about."
Media members then returned to the Embassy Suites Hotel and Concord Convention Center where the evening concluded with a hospitality function hosted by ESPN.
The third day of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour started at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Concord Convention Center with a breakfast hosted by Hall of Fame Racing. Among those participating were driver J.J. Yeley and owners Jeff Moorad and Tom Garfinkel.
"In terms of the upcoming season, I use the term cautiously optimistic," said Moorad. "When I say that, I know it's important from the beginning that we recognize we're new owners in the sport and need to pay our dues. At the same time, we're pleased with our relationship with Toyota and with having J.J. Yeley onboard."
Yeley said he agrees with Moorad in that the team must take things slowly and build its foundation rather than setting its expectations too high.
"Obviously, it's a matter of trying to get the communication between me and the team down pat," said Yeley, driver of the No. 96 DLP/HD TV Toyota. "While a team may have a great driver and a great crew chief, it's important to communicate. As a single-car team it just means I have to be more involved with getting the car right, which is great. That's what I love to do."
Media members then loaded into the America Charters buses and headed north to the new home of Petty Enterprises in Mooresville, N.C. The legendary team recently completed its move from Level Cross, N.C., to the shop that formerly housed Robert Yates Racing.
During its many years in the Level Cross facility, Petty Enterprises scored 273 NASCAR victories and claimed eight championships.
"I guess a lot of you in the media went to Level Cross last year on the Media Tour when the cat was kind of let out of the bag about us wanting to move to another shop," said team patriarch Richard Petty. "It was a hard decision and we looked at a lot of different sites to move the team before we found this one. Robert Yates moving out of this building really moved things up about a year for us. It was a gamble and it was hard, but it was something we all knew we needed to do. This is the first step for us getting this team back to where we need to be and getting competitive."
Kyle Petty said one of the hardest parts for him in making the transition from Level Cross to Mooresville was leaving behind so many childhood memories.
"I don't know what's going to happen to the old shop," said Petty, who drives the No. 45 Wells Fargo/Marathon Dodge. "It's been hard on me, but I knew it was time to make a change. While it was hard on me, I can't imagine how hard it was on my father because of all the history that our family made out of the old shop. When I was little I grew up there doing stuff like riding motorcycles and playing around the shop. I have to admit that I had no idea how hard would be to walk in and see Petty Enterprises with no race cars in it. Our heart and soul is still in Level Cross, but now that's behind us so hopefully one day we'll have the same feeling about this new place as we did with the old shop."
For Wednesday's third function, the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour headed down North Carolina Highway 3 to Dale Earnhardt Inc.
"We are all about winning and continuing the legacy that our founder started many years ago," said Max Siegel, president of global operations for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. "We've taken some pretty big steps to improve our team over the winter like merging our engine department with Richard Childress Racing."
Veteran Mark Martin enters the 2008 season with plans of running a limited schedule in the No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet.
"I admire Teresa Earnhardt a great deal for the direction she's taken DEI and the staff of employees she has in place," Martin said. "It's really an honor and a privilege for me to drive for this team. I used to race against Dale Sr. when he was driving the No. 8 car and I can tell you right now that he taught me a lot of things out there on the track. He showed me how to get things done. I can't wait to get the 2008 season started. The way things work here at DEI really isn't a whole lot different than what it was like with any of the other teams I've driven for in the past. Every team tries to build as good a car as they possibly can or I wouldn't have been with them."
After scoring his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory in 2007 and making the chase for the championship, Martin Truex Jr. has high hopes for the new season.
"I think, as a team, we're just going to keep challenging ourselves," said Truex, driver of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet. "Hopefully, we'll be able to pick up and be as strong this season as we finished off last year. I have a lot of confidence and I can't wait to get to Daytona and get that momentum started. If we can get in the chase, I really feel like we can win the championship. All the crew at the shop has been working hard to give me some of the best cars I've ever driven before."
The next stop for the touring media group was at Hendrick Motorsports where media members gathered in the spacious new Hendrick Motorsports Team Center. Team owner Rick Hendrick and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears were among those who addressed the Fourth Estate.
"It's hard to believe we started this team with 5,000 square-feet of space and five people working in that little building," Hendrick said. "A lot has happened in a hurry over the last 16 years. Our first concern for this year is to accelerate into 2008. Right now we're tied for dead last in the point standings as far as I'm concerned, so we need to come out and win races if we want to contend for another championship this season. What happened last year, happened last year and we all know that's not going to help us this year. While we had Jimmie and Jeff battling for the championship last year and were focused on that, a lot of the other teams were busy building their new cars for the 2008 season. It's going to be a lot of pressure, but we're going to work hard to stay on top of our game."
Gordon also understands everyone will be focused on dethroning Hendrick Motorsports from its perch as the sport's top team.
"This organization has set standards that you just have to try and rise above and make improvements," said Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet. "We have the ability to have at least as much success as we had last year, so I'm excited about everything heading into the new season. I don't think it's that much of a secret that Jimmie, Casey Mears and myself are very good friends off the track and I think that helps our line of communication. When you bring a guy like Dale Jr. into the mix, it adds a lot of pressure as well as expectations. So far, I've been extremely impressed and he's really starting to make us look bad. We had a photo shoot for Sports Illustrated a little while back and Jimmie, Casey and I rolled into it, and Dale Jr. was already there. We were testing at Daytona and Dale Jr. wasn't supposed to be there. I got to looking around and he was there just standing around and watching us, trying to learn how we work together. So far, I've been extremely impressed with him."
Earnhardt Jr. admits he's taken a bit more of a hands-on approach as he hopes to thrive during his first year at Hendrick Motorsports.
"It's been overwhelming with everything that's happened for us to get to this point," said Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 AMP/National Guard Chevrolet. "There really aren't enough hours in the day for me to really explain how much I've learned and seen the last few weeks. I'm so excited about this year that I'm nervous, which makes me feel like I did when I was a rookie coming into the sport. As far as going to Daytona for the test, I just wanted to watch and learn from my teammates because they obviously know what they're doing. I knew they'd appreciate me being there. I wanted to see what it was like at the track under the Hendrick Motorsports banner so it wouldn't be like the first time when we get back down there for the Daytona 500. I can't wait to get the season started because I've got a renewed sense of energy and excitement."
Mears, who scored his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory last May in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, is entering his second year at Hendrick Motorsports.
"To win our first race last year was huge for all of us on my team," said Mears, driver of the No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet. "It's taken some time to get to know all the guys on this team and how they operate. I think my team is more prepared than ever. I'm going back to a program that really has built a lot of success and continuity. The communication is good between all the drivers here and that's even got a little bit stronger now that Dale Jr. has come on board with us. I'm excited and I think all of us at Hendrick Motorsports have a lot to look forward to this year."
For Johnson, his goal is rather simple as he aims for his third straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.
"What we did the last couple of years was nice, but we simply can't dwell on the past," said Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet. "As a team we've always seemed to be pretty strong to start the season and end it, but we've struggled through the middle part of the season as well as at certain race tracks. We're going to focus on changing that this year. Since we have won the last two titles, we know that we've got the bulls-eye on our back and that's really a pretty good thing when you have the team that other people are trying to copy. That's flattering.
"We want to do well and win races as well as championships," Johnson continued. "It's a new year and we are starting with a clean sheet of paper. I know in the past that I've watched guys like Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth win the championship and I tried to do all the same things that they were doing because they were the champions of our sport."
Thursday Media Tour Pit Notes
Michael Waltrip hosted a dinner for the media on day three of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway. It was the owner/driver's first opportunity to show media members around Race World, a 137,000-square-foot facility that is part race shop and part NASCAR-themed entertainment complex.
The facility houses Michael Waltrip Racing's three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, which field cars for Waltrip, Dale Jarrett and David Reutimann. Less than a year after opening to the public, Waltrip's' vision of a fan-friendly race shop is a reality and it has become a popular destination for fans from across the country.
"I wanted to have a shop that was different from everybody else's," explained Waltrip, who drives the No. 15 NAPA Toyota. "People kind of know me as being a different type of person, so I wanted to continue that and build a race shop where fans can actually go in and see what all it takes for us to go racing on Sundays. I'm very proud of it because it's a cool place. I'm happy with how everything looks on both the inside and outside, but I'm really happy because it gives something back to the fans.
"At Race World, we give race fans the chance to see something that they won't or can't see anywhere else," Waltrip continued. "How many times do you get to say something like that? We're doing something that nobody else is doing and it has really been a lot of fun."
While Waltrip proudly showed off his facility, much of the media's attention was focused team's impressive performance during testing at Daytona. Another highlight was Waltrip's announcement that former ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Michael McDowell will take over the No. 00 Dominos Toyota after five races when Dale Jarrett steps out of the No. 44 UPS Toyota and is replaced by David Reutimann.
"I appreciate the opportunity that Michael has given me, not only last season but also this year as I bow out of the sport," Jarrett said. "I'm proud to have been a part of the great sport of NASCAR since 1987. I'm really proud that the fans know my name and who I am because of what I decided to do for a living. I'm at the point in time where it's just time for me to move on and do something new."
McDowell admits he has been granted the chance of a lifetime.
"It's humbling that I will be able to compete in the Sprint Cup Series with Michael Waltrip Racing and Toyota," McDowell said. "With Michael making the announcement tonight, it makes it official and solidifies everything that I've worked so hard for in my career. Even though I'm only 23 years old, it feels like I've been doing this for a long time. I started racing professionally in 2003 and I've been at it ever since. It hasn't been a long career, but it has been five years of trying to put deals together and trying to make it from one series to another without spending my own money."
Reutimann, who will run full schedules in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series, said his goals for 2008 were really rather simple.
"Since we're sitting outside the top 35 in the standings, we absolutely have to get into these first few races by our qualifying time," Reutimann said. "Qualifying is going to be the biggest thing for us until we can get back on track and get back inside the top 35. Once we get that done it's all a matter of finishing races and building on our consistency. I'm looking forward to it even though I know it's going to be a challenge."
Wednesday's portion of the Media Tour concluded back at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Concord Convention Center with a hospitality function hosted by NASCAR.com.
The fourth and final day of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway began with breakfast presented by Nationwide Insurance where company officials and drivers discussed Nationwide's new sponsorship of what was formerly the NASCAR Busch Series.
"We know NASCAR fans are the most passionate and loyal in sports and we're committed to taking the Nationwide Series experience to the next level for them," said John Aman, strategic sponsorship officer for Nationwide Insurance. "The NASCAR Nationwide Series gives fans the opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds."
Sprint Cup driver Jeff Burton, who competes in several Nationwide Series events each year, believes Nationwide's sponsorship will entice other companies to become involved in the series.
"Nationwide starts off with one of the best racing divisions in America," Burton said. "I'm excited as a driver to have a company like Nationwide come on board this year after all that the folks at Busch did for us the last few years. The more people that watch our sport, the stronger our product is going to be. The best thing about having Nationwide as our title sponsor is the fact that everybody knows who they are and what they do. That's not all that easy with a product that nobody knows exactly what it is because they are limited in what they can do or say."
Nationwide Series regular Marcos Ambrose, driver of the No. 59 Kingsford Ford, summed up his thoughts on the new title sponsorship rather succinctly.
"I'm glad to have Nationwide Insurance as a primary sponsor because I might wreck a few cars this year," Ambrose said with a laugh.
For the next function, Ford brought several of its drivers from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Nationwide Series to the hotel for an informal interview session.
"We have set very high goals for our team," said Rick Crawford, driver of the No. 14 Circle Bar RV Park Ford in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. "We want to race and work hard with (new teammate) Brendan Gaughan as well as our Fords. I race for the championship every year. We had a good year last season, but Mike Skinner and Ron Hornaday had just an exceptional year. If we could go back and add a couple of points at a race here and there, we'd have won the championship because it was that good of a year. We had enough points to win the championship last year compared to the last five years, but their year was that much better. This is a new year and we're all starting from scratch as far as the points go."
Roush Racing driver Erik Darnell is also looking for big things during the 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
"I definitely have set a couple of goals," said Darnell, driver of the No. 99 Northern Tool & Equipment Ford. "My main goal is to go out and contend for the Craftsman Truck Series championship and win races. Last year didn't go the way we wanted it to at all because we didn't perform the way we should have. Our goals are pretty simple and that means winning races and being in contention for the championship. I know we have all the resources we need to make it happen."
Media members then hit the road and headed to Lowe's Motor Speedway where track founder and chairman Bruton Smith unveiled plans for the "crown jewel" of drag-racing facilities.
The quarter-mile drag strip will join Lowe's Motor Speedway's legendary 1.5-mile superspeedway and four-tenths-mile dirt track in presenting America's most popular auto racing series to fans from around the world.
Preliminary grading work is underway and construction on the grandstand foundation will begin in early February. The facility will open Sept. 11-14 with the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals, round 19 of the 24-race NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
The strip is currently being called The Dragway @ Lowe's Motor Speedway, but Smith is asking fans to name the facility by participating in a contest at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com. The individual submitting the name chosen for the facility will receive a VIP experience during the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals.
"I love to build things and this is an exciting project because we are going to build the crown jewel of drag strips," Smith said following the unveiling, which was part of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway. "Drag racing is the perfect compliment to the wide variety of motorsports entertainment already on the schedule here at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
"We are constantly looking for ways to grow our business and the success of NHRA racing at our other tracks told us that adding a drag strip here was a tremendous opportunity," Smith added. "Plus, there is just something special about a race car with 7,000 horsepower."
The dragway will be located on 125 acres of LMS property across U.S. Highway 29 from the superspeedway, adjacent to The Dirt Track. The drag racing facility's track, pit areas and midway will cover 46.5 acres, or two million square feet. Engineers estimate construction will require moving 750,000 cubic yards of dirt; placing 65,000 tons of aggregate stone base and paving 50,000 tons of asphalt.
The most prominent feature of the dragway will be a 34,000-square-foot starting-line tower that will include 16 luxury suites and an additional 4,000 square-feet of roof access for guests. The tower will also include a control area for race officials, a broadcast booth for ESPN's announcers and a press box for media members.
Initial plans call for two steel-and-aluminum grandstand structures, one on each side of the quarter-mile drag strip, with a seating capacity of 30,000 and room for expansion to 60,000. The primary grandstand will be on the drivers' left, adjacent to the Manufacturer's Midway and Pro Pits. It will feature premium flip-down seating as well as 20-inch-wide bench seats with backs. Two tunnels will connect the grandstands underneath the strip to enhance fan mobility. Twenty-four luxury suites with hospitality accommodations will be located above the main grandstand.
"We're going to build one of the nicest drag-racing facilities that has ever been built," Smith added. "This is going to be the Bellagio of all drag strips. If you know where the Bellagio is you know it's a tremendous property. We're getting ready to show you the design and I hope you like this as much as I do. This isn't an idea we just came up with last week. We're now under construction and I'm so glad we have Tom (Compton, president of the NHRA) here to talk about our plans, so he can see what I'm talking about and where we're heading in the future. I think he's going to be as pleased with the new design just as much as I am."
"I can't tell you how excited everybody at NHRA is about making this announcement," said Tom Compton, president of the drag racing sanctioning body. "This has been a long time coming. I've seen the designs for the new drag strip and it's a going to be a truly amazing sight. We are also announcing a fairly significant race date as it falls right after Labor Day weekend. It's a significant date to go along with a very special place."
"It's exciting that this is the area where Bruton has decided to build another drag strip because it's so close to home," said NHRA Top Fuel driver Doug Herbert, who lives in nearby Lincolnton, N.C.
The final stop of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway was at Roush Fenway Racing's complex in Concord, N.C., and featured several Ford executives, team owners and drivers.
"I can't believe another year has gone by already because it seems like not too long ago you guys were here for last season's Media Tour," said team owner Jack Roush. "We're very proud of what we have here. I've been with Ford for more than 40 years and it's been a very good relationship. We're all excited to get the year started, but then again you guys have been to a lot of shops and talked to a lot of people and everybody is excited. We won seven Sprint Cup Series races last year with every one of our drivers except David Ragan and we really do expect him to change that this year. As far as that goes, I don't think we could have done a whole lot better. We have a very good line-up of drivers so we're anxious to get the season off and running."
"Our number one goal is to make the chase for the championship," said Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 Roush Fenway Ford. "Another goal is to win a race and then add on to the number of wins from there. We want to be on that plateau of teams that can win races. There are teams that can win races and there are teams that can't win races. If we can win a race or two and make the chase, I really believe we will have the opportunity to contend for the title. We just have to get a handle on our consistency and I feel like we're pretty close to doing that. We were running very good at the end of last year so hopefully we can kind of just pick up on that consistency and take it from there."
"My goal this season is to win the Sprint Cup Series championship and the Nationwide Series championship," said Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Office Depot Ford. "I know that's asking for a lot, but those are my honest goals and what would make this the ultimate season. Anything short of that will be disappointing. We won the championship in the old Busch Series, but as far as winning the title in Sprint Cup would have had to have taken some kind of divine intervention because of the season Jimmie Johnson and that No. 48 team had. We've got to run that well if we want to win one championship, much less two titles. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me it just keeps getting harder and harder to win a championship because there is always at least one team that really picks it up. It's just going to be a matter of running well and finishing races."
Sponsorship was the main topic of discussion among members of the Yates Racing operation as neither of the team's two NASCAR Sprint Cup entries have primary sponsors.
"Our goal is to get a sponsor," said driver David Gilliland. "We also want to finish in the top 15 in the points and that's not out of the question. Getting a sponsor is just the start of it. I also want to visit victory lane this year."
Yates said that while heading into the season-opening Daytona 500 without a sponsor is cause for concern, that's not the biggest problem currently on his mind.
"Our focus right now is on performance," Yates said. "What we do is race and that's what I like about Jack Roush and his grou
