Yes,they are done,now part of the Gillett Motorsports operation that absorbed Evernham and Petty.Ray Evernham is making preparations to open East Lincoln Speedway,a dirt track about 30 miles from Charlotte.
OB

Imma gonna catch hell for dis, fer sure, fer sure. TWELVE Hours at Sebring.
24 hours at Daytona and LeeManz.:3DSMILE:

Once was a SCCA corner worker. One year I think it poured rain for 16 of the 12 hours at Sebring. And turn 6 at Daytona, between 2AM and 5AM is the coldest place in the universe.

Dan

Yes, there were some good ol' times during the scrappy, hard-fought stock car races of yesteryear. I'll never forget knowing for sure that if Cale Yarborough was on the lead lap anywhere within a few laps of the finish, that something was going to happen as he worked his way into his favorite spot - second place - drafting the lead car and ready for the slingshot. He, along with others like Petty, Baker, Foyt and the Allison boys epitomized an era in racing that we will never see again. Here's ol' Cale duking it out with one of the Allison boys in 1979:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXbHQtZH8dE

I think that's a fair point. I don't blame the drivers or the teams for what has happened to NASCAR. But NASCAR as a sanctioning body has allowed itself to become greedy and to over-commercialize the sport. Even worse they have used the rule book to try and minimize the advantages one team/manufacturer had over another, and they have also used the rule book to drive attendance. Restrictor plates were supposedly introduced for safety. When Bill Elliott hit 212 mph at Talledega in 1987, the deal was sealed. It was clear no one could catch him, so later that weekend when Bobby Allison's car became an airplane at Talladega, that's all NASCAR needed to drop the hammer. Alas Ford vs. Chevy competition was restored to an even balance, and best of all, they were now all in a nice tight pack where when one crashed they all crashed, and THAT sells seats, beer and chips for NASCAR.

The same people that love to watch people do stupid tricks on reality TV are the same ones that say "the best part about Daytona was the 22 car pileup." So I appreciate that the sport has evolved. But I don't think in this case that evolution = progress.

There are some great clips on YouTube if you don't mind searching for a while.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB2CM...eature=related

Yep - me too. I am such a sucker for those races, and I always watch the entire 24 hours of LeMans.
Though I have to admit that I really prefer the old videos of the races of the '50s and '60s, and Trans Am. Even though I know who wins I enjoy the 'run what ya brung' attitude.

I keep meaning to look into the corner worker thing - but I never seem to have the time.

Steve

Bill,

Imma gonna catch hell for dis, fer sure, fer sure. TWELVE Hours at Sebring.
24 hours at Daytona and LeeManz.

You aren't going to Catch hell for correcting anything that I have posted wrong. I don't know why I put 24 hours for Sebring, but appreciate you correcting it. I watch it and the 24 hours at Daytona and LeMans every year or as much of it as they show. Also try to watch some of the other road track races when they are on TV. Mid America, Watkins Glenn and a few others. I like to see the Corvettes and other cars that actually resemble factory cars and they get better on handling every year it seems, but even those circuits are having to cut back due to the economy. I believe the LeMans series announced they would not race in then American Series this year except at Daytona as they want a chance to try out their new cars to see how they stand up to the 24 hours of racing. They seem to all be really concentrating on the 24 hours of LeMans and just racing in Europe.
Best of luck in the coming season as I know it is going to be a very difficult and trying one. I feel if they would just do away with so many caution flags that would help some.

Ron :)

ol'Bill,
I have not given up on watching. I am still a fan and I will still try to get tickets to the races here at Texas. (I work for Samsung and it is still a struggle to get seats. The marketing department feels it is better to give tickets to the Texas race to our customers in Atlanta, Kansas City, and Seattle. Sponsor section of the track is always a bunch of empty seats. Sad really. The wife and I watch every week, and will continue to do so.

Just curious, are you at liberty to say who you work for? A major team in Mooresville does not really narrow it down much. If you can't or would rather not, I understand.

Joe:

I have had tickets to New Hampshire Speedway since the first Cup race. There's 5 in the group and attending, tailgating, race/driver discussions, etc has been a pleasure, as a total event

What I have noticed over the years, there are more families and younger children attending now than in the past.

I believe the younger children associate more with the driver, not the make of car. Dale JR would probably be just as popular if he drove a Ford. Also, the younger generation did not know the era of " stock " cars and I would guess for them it is a non-issue when the cars look similar.

The life of a corner worker. First off, in order to work the big Pro races, you have to get your training and experience at the 'club races.' No fans, no TV, just a bunch of sports car wackos like yourself spending a weekend at some track within a couple of hundred miles of home.
You get to get out on the corner around dawn and get off the corner long after suppertime. Corners have VERY fews trees [for obvious reasons] hence, not so much shade. Sebring in August is fairly TOASTY. Around noon there is a break and "they" give you a mystery meat sandwich or a 'devil dog.' But the pay is nothing to sneeze at, in fact, its nothing. But Sat. nite when the track is cold we do have a beer party and we get to bench race and swap lies with people we haven't seen since the last club race. [Or, at least, that's how it was more than a decade ago when we stopped going.] But it was fun. Driving thru the middle of the night to make the track on a Sat. morn, staying at flea bag hotels like the "KennelRation" in Sebring [Kenilworth]. No A/C, louvers in the bottom of the door for ventilation, in Fl. in the summertime!!! Coming off the corner at the end of a day'e racing looking like Raccoons in negative. Black faces covered with tire dust except the white 'mask' where your sunglasses kept the dust off. Everybody would hit the swimming pool at the motel. [and leave a ring!]

But it was also a ton of fun.

Dan

:CRY:

Well it is now official, Petty Enterprises no longer exists. Richard will still be around the track but more as a fan draw than having any say in anything.

http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/head...ger/index.html

Ron :(

The passing of another era.:(

Toyota to make cuts in NASCAR spending.

http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/head...cks/index.html

Ron

Richard Petty Motorsports announcement
Racing series NASCAR-CUP
Date 2009-01-19
Legendary Petty Name Continues as Newly-Formed Richard Petty Motorsports

CONCORD, N.C. (Jan. 19, 2009) - NASCAR legend and seven-time Sprint Cup Series champion Richard Petty announced today that his recently merged race team, co-owned by Petty Holdings and Gillett Evernham Motorsports, will continue to carry on the storied Petty legacy in the form of Richard Petty Motorsports.

"This begins the next great chapter for the Petty name in NASCAR," said the team's namesake and co-owner Richard Petty. "It was very important to us, not only to see the Petty name out on the racetrack, but also to be competitive and get all of our cars back into victory lane and competing for Sprint Cup Series championships on a regular basis."

Richard Petty Motorsports will field four Dodge entries in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Kasey Kahne will pilot the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge, Elliott Sadler the No. 19 Stanley Tools/Best Buy Dodge, Reed Sorenson the No. 43 Dodge, and AJ Allmendinger in the No. 44 Dodge.

"To bring the No. 43 and 44 together under the Richard Petty Motorsports banner means a lot to both me and my family," said Petty. "And then to pair with the No. 9 and 19 and their history really shows the spirit of this partnership. We are bringing two winning organizations together to take a competitive step forward for many years to come."

"This is a great day for everyone associated with our race team," said team co-owner George Gillett, whose business interests also include ownership in the legendary Montreal Canadiens in the NHL and the English Premier League's Liverpool FC soccer team.

"To continue Richard Petty's legacy is without question the most important factor in this relationship. Our goal is to win not one championship as Richard Petty Motorsports, but to win multiple championships."

Petty Enterprises was the most successful team in NASCAR history owning 268 Cup victories since 1949. Since spearheading Dodge's return to NASCAR in 1999, Gillett Evernham Motorsports had recorded 15 victories and has consistently been one of the top performing teams in NASCAR.

Richard Petty Motorsports will operate out of the GEM race shops in Statesville, N.C. and engine shop in Concord, N.C.

-credit: rpm

I go back to the beginning...
 

To the beach, to before NASCAR. I remember when Bill France and his nemesis Curtis Turner raced a bathtub Nash in the Mexican Road Race where a 17 year old Hershel McGriff beat all the European Sports Cars with a stock 1950 Olds 88. IMHO the Trans Am Series in the mid 60's was the pinnacle of stock car racing. Today, I would't walk across the street to sit in France the Younger's suite to watch a "race". For me, stock car racing died nearly 40 years ago. Today the races are boring and the drivers (with a few notable exceptions) are even more boring. The post race interviews are painful to watch and appear to be scripted. My fondest hope is that this economic crises will bring back cars that are at least similar to the one's available in the showrooms. And yes, I know the cars have never been actually stock but spec racing is for the SCCA.

Source: AutoWeek

" A preliminary and very unofficial Daytona 500 entry lists shows 54 teams, virtually assuring a full field for NASCAR’s Feb. 15 season-opening Sprint Cup race at Daytona International Speedway.

Fourteen of the 54 entries can safely be called one-offs. They include James Hylton, Brad Keselowski, Mike Skinner, Kirk Shelmerdine, Scott Riggs, Carl Long, Kelly Bires, Norm Benning, Boris Said, Mike Wallace, former 500 winner Derrike Cope, 2008 rookie of the year Regan Smith, Joe Nemechek, Jeremy Mayfield and former two-time series champion Terry Labonte.

In addition, the new Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team has an entry, but it lacks a driver and a sponsor. Former champion Bill Elliott is entered with Wood Brothers Racing, which will run only a limited schedule this year. Aric Almirola and A. J. Allmendinger also have rides for the 500, but it’s unclear how often they will race throughout the rest of this year.

The stock-car portion of Speed Week ’09 begins with practice sessions on Friday, Feb. 6. The Budweiser Shootout is Saturday night, Feb. 7, followed by Daytona 500 qualifying and the ARCA 200 on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 8.

Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series teams practice on Feb. 10-11, with the Gatorade Twin 150 qualifying races on Thursday, Feb. 12. The Camping World Truck 250 is Friday night, and the Nationwide Series 300 is the final pre-500 support race on Saturday afternoon. "



http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090126/FREE/901269989

Cutbacks for some of NASCARs Major sponsors.

http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/head...own/index.html

Ron

Don,

I was just over on the NASCAR site and they have posted the schedule for this year but with no Print option that I can find. Did they delete that or am I just looking in the wrong places. I don't care much for their new site design at all.

Ron :(

Ron, I did not check the NASCAR site, but the schedule from ESPN:

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/index

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/schedule?seriesId=2

Thanks Don,

They have the NASCAR site as screwed up as NASCAR is. They used to have the schedule and PRINT link that would condense it to print on a page. Now they have the schedule but no print link. I finally managed to copy it and paste it in Word and print it out, but this new look is just as ridiculous as some of their new rules.

Ron :(

" 2009 NASCAR National Series Television Broadcast Times Announced; FOX, TNT, ABC, ESPN And SPEED Showcase All Events "

" DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 3, 2009) -- Broadcast times for the 2009 NASCAR season have been announced, beginning with FOX's broadcast of the non-points Budweiser Shootout at Daytona at 8:10 p.m. (ET) on Feb. 7 at Daytona International Speedway. The full broadcast schedules, including TV start times, for all three national series -- the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series -- are below ".

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=318007