Blickensderfer Named Crew Chief for RCR's #31 Team

Richard Childress Racing has named Drew Blickensderfer as the crew chief for the No. 31 Caterpillar/Wheaties Racing team with driver Jeff Burton for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Luke Lambert, interim crew chief during the latter part of the 2011 season for the No. 31 team, will assume a yet-to-be announced new position at RCR.

Blickensderfer begins his RCR career after nearly a decade with Roush Fenway Racing. He spent the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season leading the No. 6 team and has been a crew chief, in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series, since 2007.

Burton qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup from 2006-2008 and 2010. He finished 20th in the final 2011 driver championship point standings.

Richard “Slugger” Labbe will remain as the crew chief for the No. 27 Menards Racing team in 2012. It was announced previously that crew chief Shane Wilson will move from the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper/BB&T team to the same position with the No. 29 Budweiser/Rheem/Jimmy John’s team and driver Kevin Harvick. Gil Martin, the No. 29 team crew chief since May 2009 and a crew chief at RCR since August 2000, has been named director of team operations.

Further personnel changes within RCR’s competition department will be announced in the coming weeks.

-Richard Childress Racing Press Release

Steve Addington Named Crew Chief for Tony Stewart

Steve Addington, winner of 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races as a crew chief, has been named to the same position for three-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart and the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 team of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) effective immediately.

The Spartanburg, S.C., native is only the third crew chief Stewart has had during his 13-year Sprint Cup career, and it comes just a week after Stewart captured the 2011 Sprint Cup title.

Addington has served as crew chief for Bobby Labonte (2005), J.J. Yeley (2006-2007), Kyle Busch (2008-race No. 33 of 2009) and Kurt Busch (2010-2011) during his ongoing Sprint Cup career. Twelve wins were scored with Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing and four wins were notched with older brother Kurt during his most recent tenure at Penske Racing.

Prior to rising to the elite Sprint Cup ranks, Addington spent 15 seasons as a crew chief in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, 11 of which came with driver Jason Keller where the duo won 10 races, 11 poles and scored 69 top-five and 122 top-10 finishes.

Addington has proven he can win with all kinds of drivers at all kinds of tracks. From the quiet and low-key drivers of Keller and Mike Bliss, whom Addington worked with in the Nationwide Series, to the competitive personalities of Kyle and Kurt Busch, Addington has steered his pilots to victory, and he’s done so at every conceivable type of racetrack – superspeedways, road courses, intermediates and short tracks.

-Stewart-Haas Racing Press Release

NASCAR Fines Kurt Busch For Actions At Homestead-Miami Speedway

NASCAR has fined Kurt Busch $50,000 for his actions during the Nov. 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

NASCAR determined that Kurt Busch violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing – inappropriate hand gesture; abusive language) of the 2011 NASCAR Rule Book.

In issuing the penalty, NASCAR cited Kurt Busch's "poor judgment in making an inappropriate hand gesture" when he drove his car into the garage early in the race after it experienced transmission problems. In addition, NASCAR said Kurt Busch showed "disrespect towards a media member," an incident that followed similar inappropriate media confrontations earlier in the season.

-NASCAR MEDIA PRESS RELEASE

Richard Childress Racing Makes Organizational Changes

Richard Childress Racing has made organizational changes to its competition department in preparation for the 2012 NASCAR season.

Long-time RCR crew chiefs Shane Wilson and Gil Martin have taken new assignments with the 14-time championship-winning organization.

Wilson has been named the crew chief of the No. 29 Budweiser/Rheem/Jimmy John’s team with driver Kevin Harvick after three seasons in the same position with RCR’s No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper team. Martin, the No. 29 team crew chief since May 2009 and a crew chief at RCR since August 2000, has been named director of team operations, reporting to director of competition Kent Day.

“Kevin came to me after the Phoenix race a couple weeks ago and asked for a change in the leadership of his team for the 2012 season,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “The expectations at RCR are to win championships so the decision was made to move Shane Wilson to the No. 29 Budweiser/Rheem/Jimmy Johns program. Shane did a great job for RCR in the Nationwide Series when he first got here, and built on that success the past three seasons with our No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper team, so we feel he will continue do a great job with the No. 29 team.”

This is not the first time Wilson and Harvick have worked together. They joined forces in 2006 to earn 10 wins, 24 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes on the way to that season’s NASCAR Nationwide Series championship. The team’s 824-point margin of victory is a series record.

Further personnel changes within RCR’s competition department will be announced in the coming weeks.

-Richard Childress Racing Press Release

Martin and Waltrip Car Number Switches from 00 to 55

Michael Waltrip Racing announced today that Mark Martin and Michael Waltrip’s Toyota Camrys will carry the number 55 during the 2012 and 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series seasons.  The number commemorates Charlie Loudermilk’s founding of Aaron’s, Inc. in 1955. 

Aaron’s, Inc., the nation's leader in the sales and lease ownership of residential furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, grew from 400 to more than 1,900 stores since its initial race sponsorship of MWR in 2000.

Martin will drive in 25 Sprint Cup events each of the next two seasons, sharing the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine with Waltrip who will drive seven events with Aaron’s sponsorship. Martin will join Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr. in the MWR stable of drivers.

Martin will begin his tenure with MWR at the 2012 Daytona 500. Waltrip will run the remaining restrictor plate races plus the race in his home state of Kentucky. MWR plans to run a combination of drivers and sponsor partners to fill the remaining races when Martin and Waltrip are not behind the wheel.

“I love it, a new team, a new car and a new number,” said Martin. “The car number means a lot to the driver. We talked about a lot of different number options, but the number 55 means a lot to Aaron’s and to Michael, so I am proud to drive it.”
Waltrip raced the No. 55 at Bill Davis Racing in 2006 and 2007-2009, the first three years of MWR’s existence.

“This means a lot to me,” said Waltrip. “I know how far MWR has come since we started with the No. 55 NAPA Toyota and how much we’ve grown heading into 2012. To get back into the No. 55 Toyota in 2012 and share driving duties with a first ballot hall of famer in Mark Martin is certainly an honor.”

-Michael Waltrip Racing Press Release 

Finale Earns ESPN Largest NASCAR Sprint Cup Viewership Ever

The final race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup featured a down-to-the-wire battle for the championship and earned the largest viewership ever for a NASCAR Sprint Cup race telecast on ESPN.

With a peak audience of 10.5 million when the checkered flag fell on champion Tony Stewart at 8:08 p.m. ET, ESPN’s telecast of the Ford 400 from Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 20, averaged 6,799,000 viewers and earned a 4.6 household coverage rating (4.0 U.S. rating), according to the Nielsen Company. The viewership average broke ESPN’s previous record of 6,668,000 viewers for the 2008 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. Final figures do not include a rain delay from 4:45-6 p.m.

Viewership was up 21 percent and the rating was up 18 percent from last year’s event, which also aired on ESPN and earned a 3.9 coverage rating and averaged 5,605,000 viewers. In addition, the 2011 race out-delivered the 2009 race that aired on ABC and earned 5,607,000 viewers and a 3.6 U.S. rating.

Ratings for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup on ESPN and ABC increased 14.8 percent from 2010, averaging a 3.1 U.S. rating compared to 2.7 for last year (not including the rain-delayed Chicagoland Speedway event, which was run on a Monday). Also, excluding rainout races, ESPN and ABC’s NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage for 2011 averaged a 3.2 U.S. rating, up more than six percent from a 3.0 for last year.

- ESPN Media PR

27 Finalists Announced for The Home Depot College Football Awards

Of the 17 Programs with Finalists: Four Players from Alabama, Two from LSU, Oregon and Stanford

Finalists for The Home Depot College Football Awards – live on Thursday, Dec. 8, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN – were announced during The Home Depot College Football Awards Nomination Special on ESPNU. Quarterbacks Andrew Luck of Stanford, Kellen Moore of Boise State and Alabama running back Trent Richardson highlight the list of outstanding student-athletes in contention. The 21th annual awards show – hosted by ESPN’s Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Erin Andrews – will originate from the Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney’s BoardWalk at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.


THE HOME DEPOT COLLEGE FOOTBALL AWARDS FINALISTS – (listed alphabetically)

Chuck Bednarik Award, College Defensive Player of the Year
 Dont'a Hightower, Alabama
Tyrann Mathieu. LSU
Devon Still, Penn State


Biletnikoff Award, Nation’s Most Outstanding Receiver
Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State*
Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
Robert Woods, USC


Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award,Nation’s Most Outstanding Placekicker
Randy Bullock, Texas A&M
Dustin Hopkins, Florida State
Caleb Sturgis, Florida


Ray Guy Award, Nation’s Most Outstanding Punter
Ryan Allen, Louisiana Tech
Steven Clark, Auburn
Jackson Rice, Oregon


Maxwell Award, College Player of the Year
Andrew Luck, Stanford
Kellen Moore, Boise State
Trent Richardson, Alabama


Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, Nation’s Best Quarterback
Robert Griffin III, Baylor
Case Keenum, Houston
Andrew Luck, Stanford


Outland Trophy, Nation’s Most Outstanding Interior Lineman
David DeCastro, Stanford
Barrett Jones, Alabama
Devon Still, Penn State


Jim Thorpe Award, Nation’s Most Outstanding Defensive Back
David Amerson, NC State
Mark Barron, Alabama
Morris Claiborne, LSU


Doak Walker Award, Nation’s Most Outstanding Running Back
Montee Ball, Wisconsin
LaMichael James, Oregon*
Trent Richardson, Alabama
*2010 award winner.


Additionally, the John Mackey Award (most outstanding tight end) and the Rimington Award (most outstanding center) will be presented during The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show. Dwayne Allen of Clemson, Orson Charles of Georgia and Tyler Eifert of Notre Dame were announced as finalists for the John Mackey Award during The Home Depot College Football Awards Nomination Special.

Earlier, the University of Alabama football team was announced as this year’s recipient of the Disney Sports Spirit Award, given annually to the most inspirational figure or team in college football. Alabama was selected for its extraordinary efforts to help aid and rebuild the western Alabama region following last spring’s devastating tornado. Long snapper Carson Tinker, who lost his girlfriend Ashley Harrison in the storm, will accept the award on behalf of the team at the award show.

ESPN MediaZone PR

Statement from Penske Racing on Kurt Busch

Statement from Penske Racing: Penske Racing extends its apologies to Dr. Jerry Punch, our media partners and our sponsors and fans for Kurt Busch's inappropriate actions in Homestead on Sunday. These actions do not represent Penske Racing and are inconsistent with the company's standards for behavior, respect for others and professionalism. This matter is being reviewed internally with no further comment at this time.

NASCAR Announces 2012 NASCAR Truck Series Schedule

NASCAR announced Monday the 2012 schedule for the Camping World Truck Series, highlighted by the sport's return to historic Rockingham Speedway for the first time since 2004 and a number of familiar venues known for the typically intense battles among the tough trucks.

"The 2012 schedule has a great mix of tracks that will continue to deliver great racing for our fans," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. "We're excited to bring the Camping World Truck Series to the famed Rockingham Speedway, along with the addition of a second date at Iowa Speedway. Looking ahead, interest in the Truck Series continues to grow in a number of different markets and we're excited about what the future holds for next season and beyond."

The Truck Series will race at Rockingham for the first time in its 17-year history, marking the first time the 1.017-mile track will host a NASCAR national series race since February of 2004.

Next season's schedule, which features 22 races, opens with the traditional Daytona International Speedway Friday night bout on Feb. 24. The championship will once again be decided at the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 16.

With a nod to the sport's -- and the series' -- roots, the trucks will race on short tracks five times, at three different tracks, next season. Martinsville Speedway hosts the first short-track event, on March 31, with a return engagement on Oct. 27.

Iowa Speedway, the popular 7/8th-mile short track, also hosts two NASCAR Truck events next season -- on July 14 and Sept. 15. Bristol Motor Speedway's high banks will hold its traditional Wednesday night show on Aug. 22.

For the third consecutive season, the series will race at the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway triangle for its fast 50-lapper.

Once again SPEED will televise the truck Series events, with start times to be announced at a later date.

The Full schedule can be viewed by clicking the link: 2012 Truck Series Schedule

NASCAR PRESS RELEASE

Goodyear Tire Facts for Homestead

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials (Sprint Cup & Nationwide);

Goodyear Wrangler Speedway Radials (Camping World Truck)

Number of Tires: Sprint Cup: Left-side -- 1,325, Right-side -- 1,325;
Nationwide: Left-side -- 525, Right-side -- 525;
Camping World Truck: Left-side -- 375, Right-side -- 375

Set limits: Sprint Cup: 5 sets for practice/qualifying, 10 sets for race;
Nationwide: 6 sets for the weekend;
Camping World Truck: 5 sets for the weekend

Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4392; Right-side -- D-4410

Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 87.1 in.; Right-side -- 88.4 in.

Technical Inspection Inflation: Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi;
Right Front -- 48 psi; Right Rear -- 45 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front -- 23 psi; Left Rear -- 21 psi;
Right Front -- 47 psi; Right Rear -- 43 psi

Estimated Pit Window: Every 48-52 laps, based on fuel mileage (Sprint Cup).

Notes: Teams in all three NASCAR series will run the same tire codes at Homestead this weekend, though the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will be branded "Goodyear Eagle," while the Camping World Truck tires will be branded "Goodyear Wrangler". Tthis is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that teams in all three of these series ran at Homestead last season. Other tracks at which teams have run this exact tire set-up in 2011 have been Chicagoland (all three series) and Texas (Sprint Cup and Nationwide only). As on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required run inner liners in all four tire positions at Homestead. Air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

*Goodyear Racing PR

Ford 400 NASCAR HotPass on DIRECTV Lineup

Ride Along with Stewart, Harvick, Earnhardt and Edwards at Homestead on DIRECTV

Event: Ford 400

Previous Winner: Carl Edwards (beat Jimmie Johnson by 1.608 seconds on Nov. 21, 2010)
Date / Time: Sunday, Nov. 20, at 3 p.m. EST
Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Configuration: 1.5-mile oval (267 laps = 400.5 miles)
Banking in Turns: 18-20 degrees (variable)
Banking on Straightaways: 4 degrees
Frontstretch: 1,760 feet
Backstretch: 1,760 feet
First Sprint Cup Series Race: November 14, 1999 – Pennzoil 400 (Winner – Tony Stewart)
Grandstand Seating Capacity: 65,000

NASCAR HOTPASS on DIRECTV is back, and it’s FREE to all DIRECTV customers. Four dedicated driver channels offering viewers multiple camera angles, real-time statistics and audio of the network broadcast augmented by live communication between the drivers and their pit crews are available for all 36 points-paying races during the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

The NASCAR HOTPASS lineup for the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway is as follows:

DIRECTV Channel 795: Tony Stewart and the No. 14 Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet team of Stewart-Haas Racing

DIRECTV Channel 796: Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team of Richard Childress Racing.

DIRECTV Channel 797: Dale Earnhardt Jr., and the No. 88 National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet team of Hendrick Motorsports.

DIRECTV Channel 798: Carl Edwards and the No. 99 Aflac Ford team of Roush Fenway Racing.

About NASCAR HOTPASS on DIRECTV:

NASCAR HOTPASS is available free to all DIRECTV customers. More information is available at www.directv.com/hotpass.

*True Speed Communication

NASCAR DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

NASCAR schedules driver press conferences at every race weekend event. These normally include the Top 12 drivers in championship points in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, along with other drivers of note. The press conferences will last approximately 15 minutes each and may be viewed at NASCAR.com.

Friday, November 18:

10 a.m. – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budwesier Chevrolet), 3^rd in points (2308)/4 wins … Media Center. 

10:45 a.m. – Danica Patrick (No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series) … Media Center. 

11 a.m. – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (NASCAR Nationwide Series points leader) … Media Center 

12:15 p.m. – NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France … Media Center

12:45 p.m. – Ryan Newman (No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet), 9^th in points (2252)/1 win … Media Center

1 p.m. – Ron Hornaday Jr. (making his 300^th career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start) … Media Center

1:30 p.m. – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet), 11^th in points (2247)/3 wins … Media Center

1:55 p.m. – Carl Edwards (No. 99 AFLAC Ford), 1^st in points (2359)/1 win … Media Center

2 p.m. – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Crown Royal Ford), 6^th in points (2289)/3 wins … #17 hauler 

2:10 p.m. – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet), 5^th in points (2291)/2 wins … Media Center

2:15 p.m. – Kyle Busch (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota), 12^th in points (2224)/4 wins … #18 hauler 

2:15 p.m. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet), 7^th in points (2257) … #88 hauler

4:30 p.m. – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge), 4^th in points (2294)/3 wins … #2 hauler

5:15 p.m. – Kurt Busch (No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge), 8^th in points (2252)/2 wins … #22 hauler 

Saturday, November 19:

4pm approx NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying Post  … Media Center

7pm approx NASCAR Nationwide Post Race Press Conference  … Media Center

Sunday, November 20:

1:15 pm  First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden

6pm approx NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post Race  … Media Center

NASCAR MEDIA PR

Jeff Gordon named NASCAR Illustrated's 2011 Person of the Year

Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon has been named the 2011 NASCAR Illustrated Person of the Year.

Gordon is the first three-time recipient of the award, but this marks the first time he is the sole recipient. Gordon and Darrell Waltrip were named co-persons of the year in 1997. Gordon also shared the title when Hendrick Motorsports was named Persons of the Year in 2004. Other past recipients include Joe Gibbs, Mark Martin, Kyle Petty and Tony Stewart for their influence on the NASCAR community, as well as admirable charitable efforts.

Gordon has made three trips to Victory Lane with his No. 24 team during the 2011 season and on the third and final off-week of the 38 weekend NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, a trip around the world to the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the Clinton Global Initiative, a special program created by former President Bill Clinton to improve the lives of 43 million internally displaced persons and refugees around the world.

In May, the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation announced its new initiative to bring accessible cancer treatment to children of Rwanda and has committed to raising $1.5 million over the course of three years in order to do so. DuPont, a global company that has sponsored the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet since 1992, also has been a longtime and loyal supporter of the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation since Gordon founded it in 1999.

Gordon has also contributed to feeding millions of America’s elderly through sponsor AARP and their Drive to End Hunger program, which adorned the hood of the No. 24 Chevrolet for the first time this year. More than $12 million in donations and more than 3.7 million meals have been provided to senior citizens struggling with hunger issues in America through the Drive to End Hunger program.

“It’s very rewarding to be named the 2011 Person of the Year, and I am just so thankful for all the opportunities I have been given,” Gordon said.

“The Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation has been able to accomplish a lot since its inception in 1999 in the battle against pediatric cancer, but that battle continues nationally and globally.

Hendrick Motorsports Press Release

Dodge Motorsports Presents THE NUMBERS for the Ford 400

THE NUMBERS for the FORD 400Homestead-Miami Speedway (all 12 Sprint Cup races)
1 – fewest laps led by race winner (Bobby Labonte, 11/16/03)

1 – fewest caution (11/14/99)

2 – wins from the pole (Bill Elliott – 2001 and Kurt Busch – 2002)

3 – most wins (Greg Biffle)

4 of 12 – drivers in the Chase have won at HMS (Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch)

5 – fewest caution laps (11/14/99)

6 – fewest leaders (11/17/02)

6 – fewest cars on lead lap at finish (11/12/00)

8 – number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend

10 – number of cautions in last year’s race

12 – most leaders (twice, most recent 11/20/05)

12 – fewest lead changes (11/17/02)

25 – most lead changes (11/18/07)

29 – most on lead lap at finish (11/22/09)

31 – fewest running at finish (11/21/10)

42– most cars running at finish (11/11/01)

79– most caution laps (11/21/04)

90-135 minutes – amount of time it takes to dry the track after a significant rainfall (length depends on time of day and temperature).

214 – most laps led by race winner (Matt Kenseth, 11/18/07)

2011 Caution Update

3 – fewest cautions this season (New Hampshire, 9/25/11)

7 – number of races extended beyond scheduled distance in 2011

18 – most cautions this season (Martinsville, 10/30/11)

270 – number of cautions in the first 35 races of 2011; includes 136 for accidents, 59 for debris and 36 for spins

255 – number of cautions in the first 35 races in 2010; includes 135 for accidents, 47 for debris and 36 for spins

1,304 of 10,283 – number of laps under caution in 2011

1,732.507 of 13,836.238 – miles under caution in the first 35 races.

* Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports Press Release

ESPN Will Use 72 Cameras in the Ford 400 Telecast

ESPN’s coverage of the final weekend of the NASCAR season will include some new elements as one of the closest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship battles in history concludes Sunday at Florida’s Homestead-Miami Speedway. ESPN’s telecast of the Ford 400 begins with NASCAR Countdown at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 20, with the race’s green flag at 3:15 p.m.

ESPN will use 72 cameras in the Ford 400 telecast, including two stationed high above the 1.5-mile superspeedway that will solely focus on championship contenders Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart, giving ESPN the ability to show viewers the two drivers at any time during the race. In addition, both will carry onboard cameras, and Stewart will be ESPN In-Race Reporter and will speak with ESPN analyst Dale Jarrett on the race’s pace laps and during caution periods, bringing viewers the perspective of a driver competing in the race.

ESPN also will have robotic cameras in the garage stalls of both contenders, permitting overhead views of the respective race teams at work during ESPN’s coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup practice on Friday and views if one or both must go to the garage for repairs during Sunday’s race.

ESPN MediaZone PR

Rusty Wallace to Enter St. Louis Hall of Fame

Racing legend and St. Louis, Missouri native Rusty Wallace, will be honored by his hometown this Wednesday, as an inductee into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.

Alongside Wallace in the class of 2011 are 15 sports figures, including St. Louis Rams legends Torry Holt and Issac Bruce, as well as coaching icons Lenny Wilkens and Scotty Bowman. They will join the likes of such St. Louis legends as Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Yogi Berra and Ozzie Smith as inductees into the St. Louis hall.

The 2011 class was chosen from a pool of 350 qualified nominees, with induction determined through ballots issued to 120 media members and former athletes.

This week’s induction will not mark the first time that Wallace has been honored by an entity representing his hometown. In 2005, Wallace was presented the key to the City of St. Louis, with the mayor proclaiming June 30, 2005 as “Rusty Wallace Day” in the “Gateway City.”

One of Missouri’s favorite sons, Wallace was originally enshrined in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2006, he became the 14th individual to be named a “Missouri Sports Legend,” the Missouri hall’s highest honor.


Rusty Wallace Racing PR

Homestead Chassis Selections

#00- David Reutimann - The No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine is racing chassis No. 708 this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. No. 708 debuted at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 6th with a 22nd place finish. Reutimann qualified sixth but was forced to start from the rear due to an engine change following final practice. Chassis No. 651 will serve as the backup.


#1- Jamie McMurray - Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion and the No.1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats team will be bringing Chassis #1120 to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. This chassis was previously run at Charlotte this past October.

#2- Brad Keselowski - The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-804during Sunday’s Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This is a new chassis to the No. 2 fleet.


#5- Mark Martin - Crew chief Lance McGrew has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 685 for Sunday’s finale. Martin most recently drove this car at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September.  


#6- David Ragan - Ragan will run primary chassis RK-750.  Last ran Charlotte – finished 11^th;  Backup: RK-711 Last ran Darlington – finished 21st.


#9- Marcos Ambrose - The No. 9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 735 for the 267-lap race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This Stanley Ford Fusion has been run previously this season at Las Vegas, both Texas and Charlotte races, Kentucky and Atlanta.


#14- Tony Stewart - Chassis No. 14-671:This car made its debut in late July in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It qualified 24th, and after serving a pit road penalty on lap
29 that dropped it to 32nd, rallied to finish sixth. Prior to Indianapolis, it had never turned a wheel on the racetrack, but it did spend considerable time in the wind tunnel. Chassis No. 14-671 made a handful of return trips to the wind tunnel in preparation for its second career start in October at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where it made an immediate statement by winning the pole. Stewart then dominated the first half of the Bank of America 500 by leading three times for 94 laps. He faded, however, in the second-half of the race when his car got tight in traffic, but he persevered to finish eighth. The season finale at Homestead will mark Chassis No. 14-671’s third career start.


#17- Matt Kenseth - .This weekend at Homestead, Kenseth will pilot the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion, Chassis # RK-741 which last ran at Texas.

 #18- Kyle Busch -  Chassis No. 334: This is a brand new chassis that will make its race debut in Sunday’s Ford 400 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway


#22- Kurt Busch - The No. 22 Penske Racing Team will be racing the "PRS-759" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger in this weekend's Ford 400 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This will mark the initial outing for Busch, Addington and crew with this chassis. However, it is the same chassis that Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski put into Victory Lane by winning the Aug. 7 Good Sam RV 500 at Pocono Raceway. Carrying the No. 2 Miller Lite colors, Keselowski started 13th and led two times for 19 laps in claiming that big win. It came after Keselowski had broken his ankle in a testing crash at Road Atlanta on Wednesday of that week.


#27- Paul Menard -   Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 364 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet Impala was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and was last seen on track at Atlanta Motor Speedway in October, where Menard started 22nd and finished 18th. This racer also saw competitive laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway where Menard drove it to Victory Lane after starting 15th


#29- Kevin Harvick -   Kevin Harvick will race chassis No. 373 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. The No. 29 team has raced this car twice this season. Harvick finished 22nd in the car at Michigan International Speedway in August and scored a sixth-place finish in it at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October.


#31- Jeff Burton -  Jeff Burton will race Chassis No. 367 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This Caterpillar Chevrolet is a recent addition to the fleet and ran for the first time at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July where Burton started 13th and finished 35th after facing electrical issues in the closing laps. It later ran at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September, where Burton started 27th and climbed through the field to post a 13th-place finish. Most recently this racer started 31st and finished in the 21st position at Kansas Speedway in October.

#33- Clint Bowyer -.Clint Bowyer will pilot chassis #350 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend. This Chevrolet Impala, built new in 2011, has seen action four times this season, posting top-15 efforts at Texas Motor Speedway (started-third, finished-second), at the Coca-Cola 600 in May (started-10th, finished-15th) at Michigan International Speedway in June (started-27th, finished-eighth) and Dover International Speedway in October (started-27th, finished-eighth).


#35- Dave Blaney - TBR debuted chassis No. 297 with Blaney at Texas Motor Speedway. Blaney made the show and will look to repeat his success at HMS this weekend. TBR purchased the chassis from Richard Childress Racing this season. Paul Menard drove the chassis prior to TBR.


#36- Geoffrey Bodine - Bodine will run the No. 802 chassis this weekend at HMS. TBR last ran chassis No. 802 at Texas Motor Speedway. The team also ran No. 802 at Phoenix International Raceway as a backup, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway in March and August, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway and Kansas Speedway in October this season.


#42- Juan Pablo Montoya - Oak Lawn, IL native Jim Pohlman and the No. 42 Target Team are bringing chassis #1111 to Homestead this weekend. This chassis is new and has not seen any track time, it only has been run in aerodyne on November 9.


#43- A J Allmendinger - The No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports team has prepared chassis No. 783 for this weekend’s event at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This Best Buy Ford Fusion was run previously this season at Chicago and Charlotte.


#48- Jimmie Johnson - Jimmie Johnson last drove primary chassis No. 659 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October. Johnson has driven backup chassis No. 669 four times, most recently at Dover International Speedway in October. 

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr -   This weekend, crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-668. Earnhardt most recently raced this chassis to a seventh-place finish at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month.


#99- Carl Edwards - The Aflac team will be unloading chassis RK-739. This car last raced at Texas two weeks ago where Edwards led 14 laps and finished second.

Reported in Team News/Press Releases