Coke 600 Chassis Selections

Not all teams announce their weekly race chassis'. Here is a list of those teams that do reveal the chassis in the teams race preview:


#1- Jamie McMurray - Montoya looks to make his 11th start this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In his previous 10 starts he has led five laps and earned one top-10. His best start and finish came in 2009 when he started eighth and came to the checkered in ninth. The driver of the No. 42 Chevrolet has an average starting position of 26.4 and an average finishing position of 24.7 at the 1.5-mile oval


#2- Brad Keselowski - The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-826 during Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS). This is a brand new chassis to the No. 2 fleet. 


#5- Kasey Kahne - For Sunday’s race, crew chief Kenny Francis has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-724. This is a new car that has not been tested or raced.


#9- Marcos Ambrose - The No. 9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 735 for this weekend's NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This DEWALT Ford was run previously this season at Las Vegas and Texas.


#14-Tony Stewart - Chassis No. 14-706: This car debuted in spectacular fashion in March at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., as Stewart took Chassis No. 14-706 from its ninth-place starting spot to lead twice for 42 laps en route to the win in the rain-shortened race. Prior to Fontana, the car spent numerous hours in the wind tunnel. It is a clone to Chassis No. 14-640, which won Round No. 3 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Its second start in April at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., was a bit quieter than its debut race, as it started 23rd and gained 10 spots to finish 13th.


#15- Clint Bowyer - Primary Chassis No. 716 started fifth and finished sixth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and started eighth and finished 36th at Kansas Speedway. Bowyer was racing in the fifth position at Kansas when he lost a cylinder and was forced to the garage for repairs. Chassis No. 721 is the backup and previously served backup duty at Las Vegas, California, Texas, Kansas, Darlington and last weekend’s All-Star Race at Charlotte but never raced.

#16- Greg Biffle - Primary: RK-809   Last ran Texas – finished first; Backup: RK-786    Last ran Homestead – finished 35th. Chassis 809 is the same car Biffle qualified third, led 90 laps and won with at Texas.

#17- Matt Kenseth - Primary: RK-741 (Last run at Kansas)


#22- A J Allmendinger - Allmendinger and crew will be racing their "PRS-825" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger in this weekend's Coca-Cola 600 action at Charlotte. This is a brand new car in the No. 22 Penske Racing Team stable of Dodge Chargers. The "PRS-814" chassis will serve as the backup. It is a new Dodge Charger and has yet to make it onto a race track.


#24- Jeff Gordon - Jeff Gordon will race HMS chassis No. 24-718 at Charlotte this week, it  finished 21st at Kansas earlier this year after starting 20th. Built new in 2012, this is the second race for this chassis.


#27- Paul Menard - Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 328 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. This No. 27 Chevrolet was last seen on track at Phoenix International Raceway in March where Menard finished 31st after he was spun from behind. This chassis was also used in competition in 2011 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway and the November event at Phoenix. 


#29- Kevin Harvick - Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 373 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This chassis was used in competition last season by the No. 29 team at Michigan International Speedway in August, Charlotte Motor Speedway in October and Homestead-Miami Speedway in November where Harvick finished 22nd, sixth and eighth, respectively.


#31- Jeff Burton - Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 367 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 31 Chevrolet, originally built in 2011, has been utilized once during the 2012 NSCS season at Kansas Speedway in April where Burton started 12th and finished 22nd. This chassis has seen significant track time including visits to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July 2011 (started-13th, finished-35th), Atlanta Motor Speedway in September 2011 (started-27th, finished-13th) and Kansas Speedway in October 2011 (started-31st, finished-21st). Burton also tallied a top-10 finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway last November, finishing 10th after starting 31st with this car. 


#36-Dave Blaney - Blaney will pilot the No. 297 chassis. Teammate David Reutimann drove the chassis at Phoenix International Raceway, Martinsville Speedway and Richmond International Raceway this season. TBR debuted chassis No. 297 with Blaney at Texas Motor Speedway in November 2011. Blaney also piloted the chassis at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the 2011 NSCS Season Finale where he finished 28th. TBR purchased the chassis from Richard Childress Racing during the 2011 season.


#39- Ryan Newman - Chassis No. 39-727 is new to the No. 39 stable and will turn its first-ever laps on-track Thursday for practice for the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint 
Cup Series race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. The chassis has been wind-tunnel tested. 


#42- Juan Pablo Montoya - Crew Chief Chris “Shine” Heroy and the No. 42 Target team will bring Chassis #1205 to Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend.  This chassis raced to a 12th-place finish at Kansas this season.


#43- Aric Almirola - The 43 team has prepared chassis No. 783 for the Charlotte race.  This car ran earlier this season at Texas and Las Vegas. 

#48- Jimmie Johnson - Chassis No. 714 serves as the primary for Johnson for the 600-miler. Chassis No. 720 serves as the backup.  No. 714 last ran at Texas, finished 2nd, No. 720 ran at Kansas, finished 3rd.


#51- Kurt Busch - Chassis No. 665:This weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 will be the third race of the 2012 season for this chassis. This is the same car the No. 51 Phoenix Racing team competed with at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City in late April. Busch qualified 14th and competed in the top-five for the majority of the race before an engine problem in the closing laps relegated the team to a 17th -place finish. The chassis was also used at Las Vegas 
Motor Speedway in March, when Busch earned a season-best starting position of 12th and competed in the top-10 during the early portion of the race. Pit-road issues and an eventual accident resulted in a 35th -place finish. The car was built in 2011 and was used only once last season – the June race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, where driver Landon Cassill scored a 12th -place finish after starting 12th. #Note: The #51 team has gone to a backup car after a crash in qualifying.


#55- Mark Martin - Primary— Chassis 732  Backup— Chassis 708. Neither has raced in 2012. 

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr - This weekend at Charlotte, crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 crew will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-668. Earnhardt won the Sprint Showdown last weekend in this chassis and went on to a fifth-place finish in the Sprint All-Star race.


#99- Carl Edwards - The Fastenal Blue Team will be bringing chassis RK-811 to CMS.  This car was new at Texas in April where Edwards finished eighth.


- Reported in Team News/Press Releases

NASCAR Adds Media Excellence Award To Annual Hall Of Fame Honors

Following the announcement of the 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame class tonight, NASCAR announced the creation of a new award to honor the contributions of media to the success of the sport. This award, which will become part of the annual NASCAR Hall of Fame ceremonies beginning in February 2013, will bear the names of the first two award winners, legendary broadcasters Ken Squier and Barney Hall, and be called the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.

A special exhibit will be created as part of the existing media section within the NASCAR Hall of Fame to recognize the careers of Squier and Hall, as well as honorees in the years to come.

“Media have played an important role in the growth and popularity of NASCAR over the years by telling the stories of legendary drivers, championship moments and week-to-week action to millions of fans across the world,” said Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO. “The voices of Ken Squier and Barney Hall are an indelible part of our sport’s history and we couldn’t be more pleased to recognize their long and outstanding careers.”

Squier, one of NASCAR’s original broadcasters, carved a massive footprint during NASCAR’s formative broadcast years. Beginning with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) in 1970, Squier’s golden voice took NASCAR to a national audience thirsting for live coverage. He is perhaps best-known for his work during the 1979 Daytona 500, a milestone moment for the entire sport, as Squier’s voice on CBS welcomed millions to the first live flag-to-flag coverage of “The Great American Race” – a moniker he coined.

Following that signature moment, including his call of the post-race fight between Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison, Squier proceeded to call races for CBS and TBS until 1997 before shifting to the studio as host for NASCAR broadcasts until 2000. Squier continues to enlighten NASCAR fans to this day, mostly through special appearances on SPEED.

Hall began his career in the 1950s working at local radio stations in North Carolina and served as Bristol Motor Speedway’s first public address announcer when the track opened. He called his first Daytona 500 in 1960, and has missed only three broadcasts in the 54-year history of The Great American Race. He joined MRN as an original announcer at the network’s inception in 1970, first as a turn announcer and then moving to the booth in the late 70s where he has been a fixture ever since at race tracks from coast to coast. The Elkin, North Carolina, native who is widely known for his calm voice and unmatched storytelling, was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Hall of Fame in 2007.

Hall has called a number of the sport’s milestone moments, including the landmark 1979 Daytona 500, Richard Petty’s 200th-career victory in 1984 and Dale Earnhardt’s 1998 victory in the Daytona 500. Still active, Hall led the MRN broadcast of last week’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Each year, five nominees will be selected by a panel made up of NASCAR executives, NASCAR Hall of Fame staff, and the president of the NMPA, among others. From there, a voting panel will select an annual winner of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence, beginning with the third honoree (Squier and Hall are the first two) in 2013. It is anticipated the annual award winner will be announced in June, approximately one month after the Hall of Fame inductees are announced.

Squier-Hall Award winners will remain eligible for NASCAR Hall of Fame induction. Likewise, current and future inductees who made significant contributions as a member of the media will be eligible to win the Squier-Hall Award.

The 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will be held Feb. 8, 2013.

- Nascar Media Press release

2013 NASCAR Hall Of Fame Class Announced

NASCAR announced today the 2013 class of inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The five-person class, which will be officially inducted in a ceremony on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., consists of Buck Baker, Cotton Owens, Herb Thomas, Rusty Wallace and Leonard Wood.

Members of the 54-member NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel met today in a closed session in Charlotte, N.C., to vote on the induction class of 2013. The announcement was made by NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France in the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s “Great Hall.”

Next year’s class was determined by votes cast by the Voting Panel, which included representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, retired competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders and a nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.COM. The accounting firm of Ernst & Young presided over the tabulation of the votes.

Voting for this year’s class was as evenly distributed as any previous NASCAR Hall of Fame induction class. Herb Thomas and Leonard Wood each garnered 57 percent of the vote, followed by Rusty Wallace (52%), Cotton Owens (50%) and Buck Baker (39%).

For the first time in Voting Day history, there was a tie for the fifth and final induction spot. Voting Panel members chose Baker over Fireball Roberts after a re-vote between the two nominees. The next top vote getters were Roberts, Jerry Cook and Tim Flock.

Results for the NASCAR.COM Fan Vote, in alphabetical order, were Benny Parsons, Fireball Roberts, Wendell Scott, Rusty Wallace and Leonard Wood.

The five inductees came from a group of 25 nominees for induction into the 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame class that included:
Buck Baker, Red Byron, Richard Childress, Jerry Cook, H. Clay Earles, Tim Flock, Ray Fox, Anne Bledsoe France, Rick Hendrick, Jack Ingram, Bobby Isaac, Fred Lorenzen, Cotton Owens, Raymond Parks, Benny Parsons, Les Richter, Fireball Roberts, T. Wayne Robertson, Wendell Scott, Ralph Seagraves, Herb Thomas, Curtis Turner, Rusty Wallace, Joe Weatherly and Leonard Wood.

Class of 2013 Inductees:

 

Buck Baker

Elzie Wylie “Buck” Baker established himself as one of NASCAR’s early greats, becoming the first driver to win consecutive NASCAR premier series championships. His repeat performance in 1956-57 was the highlight of an incredible four-year span; in 1955 and ’58 Baker finished as the series championship runner-up. His career victory total of 46 ranks tied for 14th all-time.

 

Cotton Owens

Everett “Cotton” Owens enjoyed success as both a driver and owner in NASCAR. Behind the wheel, he won nine times in NASCAR’s premier series competition, including the 1957 Daytona Beach road course. He nearly won the 1959 championship, finishing second to NASCAR Hall of Famer Lee Petty. But as an owner, Owens stood out as one of the greats of NASCAR’s early eras. His eye for talent was unmatched. He hired NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson in 1962, the same season in which he began a future championship relationship with another NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson. Owens won 38 races as an owner.

Herb Thomas

Herb Thomas was truly one of NASCAR’s first superstars. He was the first to win two NASCAR premier series championships (1951, ’53). He finished second in the points standings in 1952 and 1954 giving the North Carolina veteran top-two championship finishes in four consecutive seasons. He finished outside the top two in the championship only once (fifth in 1955) between 1951 and 1956. Thomas won both his championships driving self-owned cars.

 

Rusty Wallace

Russell William Wallace Jr., the 1989 NASCAR premier series champion, won his first of 55 races in 1986, capturing the checkered flag at Bristol Motor Speedway. His 55 victories rank ninth all time. He was especially adept on the circuit’s short tracks winning 25 times at Bristol, Martinsville, North Wilkesboro and Richmond. His influence on the sport continued after his retirement, as an analyst on ESPN.

 

Leonard Wood

The Wood Brothers team is renowned as the innovator of the modern pit stop. Leonard Wood, brother of Glen and Delano Wood, was front and center in its development as chief mechanic (crew chief) for the Stuart, Va.-based team. As crew chief, Wood amassed 96 wins and 117 poles in 990 races.

- NASCAR Press Release

Charlotte Coke 600 Driver Statistics

Not all teams announce their weekly race previews'. Here is a list of those teams that do reveal the information in the teams race preview: 

#1- Jamie McMurray -  McMurray has made 19 starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  In those 19 starts, the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet has accumulated two wins (2002, 2010), five top-five, eight top-10 finishes and led 238 laps.  He has an average start and finish position of 22.4 and 17.4, respectively.  His best start at the 1.5-mile oval was fifth in 2002. 


#2- Brad Keselowski - In five starts at Charlotte Keselowski has earned one pole, but is still looking for his first top 10 finish.  After 11 points-paying events, Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team are ranked 12th in the 2012 driver point standings and 13th in the owner point rankings. 


#5- Kasey Kahne - Nearly every statistical category at Charlotte Motor Speedway ranks as a personal best for Kahne, who has competed in 16 Cup events at the 1.5-mile oval. Kahne’s three wins are a personal best, while his six top-five finishes are tied for first with Atlanta Motor Speedway and Michigan International Speedway. Kahne has completed 96.5 percent of laps he has attempted at Charlotte and has led a personal best 711 laps at the track. His 13.4 average finish at Charlotte is his best among tracks where Kahne has run multiple events.


#9- Marcos Ambrose - Marcos Ambrose will try for his third consecutive top-10 finish of the season this Sunday in NASCAR's longest and most grueling race of the season. Ambrose will make his third start in the Coca-Cola 600 and his seventh career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday.  Ambrose had two top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile track in 2011, his best (fifth) coming in last year's 600-mile race.


#14-Tony Stewart - The Coca-Cola 600 will mark Stewart’s 476th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 27th career Sprint Cup start at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Stewart has one win, four top-threes, six top-fives, 12 top-10s and has led a total of 695 laps in his 26 career, point-paying Sprint Cup starts at Charlotte. His average start is 14.9, his average finish is 13.6 and he has a lap completion rate of 95.5 percent.


#15- Clint Bowyer - Bowyer will make his 13th NSCS points paying start at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. In his previous 12 starts Bowyer has one top-five and three top-10 finishes. He finished second and led 79 laps in the fall 2007 race. He has led a total of 86 laps, an average start of 19th and finish of 18th.


#16- Greg Biffle - a Biffle has 18 starts in the cup series at Charlotte and has earned three top fives, six top 10s and an average finish of 17.8, 


#17- Matt Kenseth - Kenseth has an average starting position of 18.1 and an average finishing position of 14.4 at Charlotte, and Matt has achieved two wins, seven top-five, and 13 top-10 finishes at Charlotte in the Cup series.


#18- Kyle Busch - The Coca-Cola 600 will mark Kyle Busch’s 269th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 17th Sprint Cup start at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Busch has six top-five finishes, nine top-10s and has led a total of 738 laps in 16 career Sprint Cup starts at Charlotte. His average Charlotte finish is 16.7.


#22- A J Allmendinger - In 10 career Sprint Cup starts at Charlotte, Allmendinger has one top-five finish, two top-10s and one DNF. He has completed 89.263 percent of possible laps (3,126 of 3,502) and has led a total of 11 laps. Overall, he has a 21.5 average start and an identical 21.5 average finish.


#24- Jeff Gordon - Gordon has 38 starts at Charlotte and earned his 1st career win here in May of 1994. Gordon also earned his 1st pole here in October of 1993. All totalled Jeff has five wins, 16 top fives, 20 top 10s; eight poles and an average finish of 15.9.

#27- Paul Menard - In his 10 previous starts at the Concord, N.C.-based facility, Menard has completed 94.7 percent of his laps (3,318 of 3,502). He has an average starting position of 22.8 and an average finishing position of 23.7. Menard made his best Sprint Cup Series start of fifth at the 1.5-mile speedway during the October 2010 event and claimed his best finish of eighth in May of that same year.


#29- Kevin Harvick - Harvick has made 22 Sprint Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile track throughout the last 11 seasons. The Bakersfield, Calif., native has collected two top-five and six top-10 finishes, along with a Sprint Cup Series victory during the Coca-Cola 600 in 2011. Harvick also led five of the 7,553 laps he has completed.


#31- Jeff Burton - The 2012 Coca-Cola 600 marks Burton’s 36th start at the 1.5-mile facility and 631st-career Sprint Cup Series entry. Burton notched his last Sprint Cup Series victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October 2008, and he amassed three wins, eight top-five and 15 top-10 finishes at the track, leading 435 laps.


#36- Dave Blaney - Blaney will make his 23rd start at the Concord, N.C., track this weekend. The Buckeye Bullet collected two top-10 finishes and four top-15 finishes. He posted his best finish of sixth in the October 2007 race with Tommy Baldwin as his crew chief. He started eighth, his best start at the track, earlier that year in the May 2007 race.


#39- Ryan Newman - The Coca-Cola 600 will mark Newman’s 380th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 23rd Sprint Cup start at Charlotte. Newman has nine 
poles, four top-five finishes and eight top-10s in 22 starts at 1.5-mile oval.


#42- Juan Pablo Montoya - Montoya looks to make his 11th start this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  In his previous 10 starts he has led five laps and earned one top-10.  His best start and finish came in 2009 when he started eighth and came to the checkered in ninth.  The driver of the No. 42 Chevrolet has an average starting position of 26.4 and an average finishing position of 24.7 at the 1.5-mile oval.


#43- Aric Almirola - The 600-mile race will be Almirola's first points-paying race in a Sprint Cup car at the 1.5-mile oval.  But he's fresh off a seventh-place performance in the Sprint Showdown exhibition race at the track last Saturday, a 40-lap primer that gave Almirola and crew chief Mike Ford plenty of data to prepare for NASCAR's longest race of the year.  Almirola also has a top-five and three top-10s in seven Nationwide Series starts and two top-10s in two Camping World Truck Series appearances at Charlotte.


#48- Jimmie Johnson - Johnson has six wins in 21 starts (May 2003, 2004 and 2005 season sweep, October 2009).Three poles (May 2002 and 2004, October 2009).
10 top-five finishes (47.6 percent) and 14 top-10s (66.7 percent). Average finish of 11.9.


#51- Kurt Busch - Busch has one win, five top-five finishes and six top-10s and has 495 laps led in 23 career Sprint Cup starts at Charlotte. Busch scored his lone win at Charlotte in the 2010 Coca-Cola 600. Busch qualified second and led 252 laps en route to the victory. Busch’s average Charlotte finish is 19.4

#55- Mark Martin - Martin won the 600-mile race at Charlotte in 2002 and the fall race three times (1992,1995 & 1998). He’s led 1,183 laps in his 54 starts at CMS. He won the pole for the 600-mile and the fall race in 1991. In 54 starts Mark has four wins, 18 top fives, 23 top 10s, two poles and an average finish of 16.4.


#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr - In 25 Cup starts at Charlotte, Earnhardt has recorded one pole position, five top-five finishes and 10 top-10s. He has completed 94.9 percent of all laps he's attempted (8,465 laps of 8,918 total) at the 1.5-mile oval. The 37-year-old driver has led a total of 324 laps there.


#99- Carl Edwards - Edwards will make his 15th Cup start at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend.  In his previous starts, Edwards has five top-five and eight top-10 finishes.  His average start is 17.5, and his average finish is 12.6.  Edwards has completed 98.9% of laps attempted at CMS. Of the 4919 laps Edwards has completed, he has led 98 of them. According to NASCAR’s Loop Statistics compiled over the last 14 races at CMS, Edwards has turned 105 of the track’s fastest laps, spent 2778 laps in the top 15 and led a total of 98 laps. Edwards’ driver rating is seventh best among active drivers.



- Reported in Team News/Press Releases

Red, White and Blue Summer Paint Scheme for #29 Kevin Harvick

The No. 29 Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet will don a special red, white and blue patriotic paint scheme for six races this summer starting with Sunday’s 600-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The paint scheme reflects the special “Red, White and Blue Summer” packaging featured on the iconic Budweiser bottles and cans as part of a summer initiative in which the brand will contribute a portion of all sales from May 20 – July 7 to help raise as much as $2.5 million for the Folds of Honor Foundation*, which provides post-secondary educational scholarships for families of U.S. military personnel killed or disabled while serving their country. The Folds of Honor logo will also be featured on the rear bumper of the No. 29 Chevrolet. In addition to Sunday’s race, Harvick’s Budweiser ride will feature the “Red, White and Blue Summer” paint scheme for NSCS races at Michigan International Speedway (June 17), Kentucky Speedway (June 30), Daytona International Speedway (July 7), Pocono Raceway (Aug. 5) and Watkins Glen International (Aug. 12). (*Maximum donation of $2.5 million includes $5,000 for every walk-off in select 2012 professional baseball games and a portion of sales for every case of Budweiser sold.

- Richard Childress Racing PR

NASCAR Twitter Inanimate Objects Preview - Coke 600

 I can not believe that @CMS_Watertower has solar powered pumps for his water distribution and cooling pumps. Waterman that is SO green of you. Wait a minute, you dont have any solar panels. Ugh, WT you got me with that one you silly tower you! Stay cool, bud!

@CarlEdwrdsteeth is alive and well after that dilemma in the All Star race. Teeth told Carl, "listen dude, you mighta wanted to run up to the SPEED broadcast booth, but when the  car is on fire, keep your mouth closed until they mic you up, you aint got no silver fillings and the other ones aint fire proof".

@TheNascarGarage has told us he's so excited to see all the patriotic red, white and blue paint schemes this weekend he could just, well you know, he's excited.


 @TheCatchFence had a really bad week with the NATO Summit up in Chicago. Fence says with all the signal jamming going on his chain links were rattling out of control, and his fence posts were vibrating worse than Danica Patrick's seat at Talladega. Well Fence, if you ever get in her  car hope the smell in there is better than the smell of the protesters in ChiTown. 


 Um, Hello, @TheMiniChad what are you up to, you say you're hangin with some Indy Car dude but this looks like you've been hangin with  @Kristen_Beat horse back ridin on the plantation. Where'd ya get the mini-saddle, huh? How about you get your mini butt back to NASCAR, huh!

@Kristen_Beat

@The_GreenFlag has made #DaleJr fans real happy this week with his announcement about the finish of the Coke 600. Seems ol' Greeny has told NASCAR and Flag Union officials he will not wave, even under GWC conditions, until #DaleJr is leading the race. WOW, GF good call, but Jr will be there on the final lap any way so don't get your furls all in an uproar.


@NASCAR_EFI hung out in Charlotte all week in preparation for the 600. he says no worries about the endurance of his Throttle Body family. Effy said he was just so happy to get over to Hendrick's grand opening and brought along his Dad, Rochester Injection. Rochester said he would have worked with Hendrick a long time ago, but he retired in 1958.

@FlagofCaution says he's all set for the Coke 600, hopes the flag man is also. Caution says he doesnt expect to be as busy as he was back in May of 2005 with those 22 waves he gave, unless, well as he put it, "those damn Roush Fords that are all painted alike start to give me fits, those boys better keep it clean, how the hell do I know who to wave at, thanks a lot Fastenal".

@acheckeredflag talked to me this week about how to get some of Jimmie Johnson's $1million winnings, says he really worked hard waving all the time in the AllStar race. Um, Chex, ever heard the joke about a dog that killed the wife and mother-in-law, like the punch line says, get in line waiting for that one.

Apparently, @Dennyhamlin didnt take @TheOrangeCone's advice on using sun screen if you're going to be outside in the direct sun all day. Coney said he did like Denny's new look tho! Turns out Denny had the ESPN boys use their makeup magic to fool us all! 

@48Horseshoe Says he will stay up JJ's posterior as long as he possibly can. Shoes says 2 wins in a row gives the whole team a lot of confidence heading in to the Coke 600,not just him and his partner @48JockStrap

So, the @TheMini_Jimmie is in Bermuda this week, huh? Hearing there's a few dollars missing from the $1million dollar All Star winning's bank account also. MJ, didn't I try to explain to you the deal with #DineAndSign. I'll fax you Mr. H's signature one last time, dont lose it this time, man! Oh, and get your cardboard ass back here for the 600, heard they need you to sweep or something. By the way, Dont Go Near the Water. 


@DebriInTurn4 Two words for you Deb, NICE VACATION, step it up pal, your job is to be on track y'know. Debris has been no where to be seen and we're hearing he's put on a lot of weight. Maybe he should check that weight loss website on Twitter that has hacked everyone's account!


@TheNASCARHauler is one lucky truck this week. He got to deliver the 2013 Nascar Toyota Cup car to Charlotte this week for the unveiling.  So, c'mon Hauler, give us a hint, when are we going to see this new hot rod 2013 Chevy SS Performance that's going to race in Sprint Cup?

One time shout out to the @NASCARtoilet, but in all honesty dude, you are stinkin up the show as they say. Have you ever heard of Pilot Travel Centers, get a shower or have a Nascar official throw a box of TIDE in you. Its not so much the smell, but the burning in my eyes, and Jake says your peeing thing is a lil too high for a 4 year old!

- Compiled from Twitter

Memorial Day Weekend Kicks Off "NASCAR Unites – An American Salute"

 Billed as the world’s largest Memorial Day Weekend celebration, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway kicks off the first at-track activation of “NASCAR Unites – An American Salute,” a six-week patriotic initiative uniting the NASCAR industry and fans this summer to celebrate America and support U.S. military families. The weekend’s festivities include a patriotic pre-race military salute, special USO race invitations and host Lieutenant Colonel Greg Gadson as Honorary Commander. 

 To highlight its pride, NASCAR Nation will be covered from head to toe – and from splitter to spoiler – in red, white and blue, starting and ending at two traditionally patriotic summer NASCAR events held at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day Weekend) and Daytona International Speedway (Coke Zero 400 on Independence Day Weekend). 

 Teams in all NASCAR series, along with their partners and sponsors, will showcase support for the program in their own individual ways, from displaying the customized logo on their cars and trucks to developing red, white and blue paint schemes. NASCAR has provided specially-designed, patrioticthemed packages that will incorporate the spoiler as well as other common areas of the car.

 In honor of our country’s fallen heroes this Memorial Day weekend, NASCAR and the Honor and Remember organization will host several Gold Star families who have each lost loved ones in their service to the United States. NASCAR and The NASCAR Foundation also will host a group of wounded warriors and their families from Ft. Bragg as part of the NASCAR “Troops to the Track” program in partnership with the Armed Forces Foundation. Each of these military families will be welcomed and treated to a VIP NASCAR experience during their visit to Charlotte Motor Speedway. 

 “Our Troops to the Track and the Gold Star family programs offer us all an opportunity to express our gratitude to the service men and women who wear the uniform and the military families who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms,” said Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR vice president of public affairs and multicultural development. “Through these programs, NASCAR is uniting to honor these military families and honor them for the sacrifices they have made for our country.” 

 Both the NASCAR “Troops to the Track” and Gold Star family programs build on a long, consistent and proud history of supporting men and women in uniform and their families at NASCAR races. The “Troops to the Track” program is a year-long initiative and is scheduled to include military families at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway, Pocono Raceway, Michigan International Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Kentucky Speedway, and Daytona International Speedway.

- NASCAR Media