Tony Stewart - 20 Pre-Season Questions
January 31, 2004
Atlanta (Jan. 29, 2004) – One championship. Seventeen wins. Seven poles. Sixty-seven top-five finishes. One hundred and five top-10 finishes. Those are the numbers that Tony Stewart and The Home Depot Racing Team have accumulated in their five years together in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. But despite the impressive figures, the most pressing matter of the moment is readying for the 2004 season in the newly named NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. The wins, the poles and the accolades of year’s past don’t mean much when another grueling, 36-race schedule looms ahead. For all intents and purposes, it’s just another series of never-ending performance reviews.
Trans-Am Racing, LLC Agrees With SCCA to Retain Trans-Am Name
January 30, 2004
Lansing, Mich. (Jan. 30, 2004) — Trans-Am Racing, LLC (”TAR”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Open Wheel Racing Series (”OWRS”), has agreed to a licensing arrangement with Sports Car Club of America (”SCCA®”) to continue its use of the Trans-Am® name in the promotion of the Motorock Trans-Am Tour. The naming agreement extends the licensing of Trans-Am’s marketing and promotional rights initiated in 2003. The new contract takes affect immediately. OWRS also owns and operates the Champ Car World Series.
Tony Stewart Quickest In Happy Hour at Rolex 24
January 30, 2004
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Tony Stewart posted the quickest lap time in happy hour on Friday at Daytona International Speedway, as race teams made final preparations for this weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. Stewart turned a 1:49.422 lap at 117.125 mph in the Howard-Boss Motorsports No. 2 CITGO Chevrolet Crawford during the final practice session.
Heidfeld Signs With Jordan
January 30, 2004
Eddie Jordan has started to put the pieces of his teams 2004 season together by signing Nick Heidfeld as his lead driver. Eddie was characteristically upbeat about the signing…
“I am carefully putting together a strong driver pairing to complement our 2004 package and sponsorship portfolio and signing Nick is the first part of that. I am optimistic that we have the tools to mount a reasonable contest against the midfield teams this year. Nick is a very quick driver with the talent and experience we need in order to grab every opportunity we can this season.”
F1Jordan.com: Nick Heidfeld for Jordan Ford
Champ Car News Fast And Furious
January 30, 2004
As the smoke clears from the court battle, news is coming fast and furious from the series and its business partners. Here are some links to keep you up to date…
Several race promoters, specifically Australia, were instrumental in the descision and OWRS is thankful. The folks at the Milwaukee Mile and Molson Indy are happy too. On top of these positive notes, OWRS has also confirmed races at Laguna Seca and Road America for the 2004 season.
Much more to come in the next few weeks. The most important of which will be the TV deal.
The Race Fans Perspective On The Split
January 29, 2004
I think Tony Johns of racingpress.com has an excellent perspective on the futility and confusion of the average open wheel racing fan, over the inability of the two sides (the IRL and OWRS) to unify the two series.
At this point in time, I have to lay the blame at Tony George’s feet. Dealing from a position of strength, he could have, with a little generosity of spirit, welcomed the OWRS into a combined series. With that simple gesture, he would have earned the respect and loyalty of open wheel racing fans and enthusiasts everywhere AND, become the driving force of the sport in America for years to come, as the biggest fish in the biggest pond.
After all, he welcomed the likes of Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi, and Bobby Rahal back into the fold, when they were key players in the original split back in ‘96. Gentilozzi and partners are relative newcomers to the CART scene and rivalry with the IRL, and were, by all accounts, amenable to a merger with the IRL. Years from now this lost opportunity will be mourned by fans, as NASCAR’s momentum pushes open wheel racing into further obscurity and relegates it to minor league status.
Thanks Tony, for continuing to screw us over, and thanks Tony, for the fine article. You know which Tony’s I’m talking about, right?
Jimmy “No Mind” Spencer
January 29, 2004
Lets see, my name is Jimmy Spencer and I’m looking for sponsors and teams to go racing with this year. How can I show my marketability and charm that will endear me to team principals and advertisers alike? I know!, let’s attack Toyota and the Japanese in general.
“Those sons of bitches bombed Pearl Harbor, don’t forget. As long as it’s good for the economy, I guess it’s OK. But I hope that Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge kick their ass.”
Spencer, a 46-year-old Pennsylvania native who lives in Cornelius, N.C., made the statement during a question-and-answer session before roughly 100 media members, facility guests and officials. Texas Motor Speedway will host truck series stops on June 11 and Oct. 16.
As for a potential backlash, Spencer shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I can handle the Toyota people.”
mysanantonio.com: Spencer slams Toyota entry
How will you handle the folks from Toyota, maybe some comment with a nuke reference in it? I’m sure the sponsors are knocking down your door as I write this. I guess Jimmy figures the folks in Texas are redneck buffoons like he is, and was playing to the crowd. I sure hope someone set him straight before he left.
Rolex 24 Provisional Grid
January 29, 2004
Grand American Rolex 24 At Daytona
Preliminary Grid from Thursday Qualifying
Grand-Am Cup Series Qualifying results for Daytona 250
January 29, 2004
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Qualifying results for Sunday’s Daytona 250 the first round of the Grand-Am Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway. Results include starting position, (car number), drivers and hometowns, class, car, qualifying time and speed.
Pruett’s Lexus On Rolex Class Pole
January 29, 2004
Pruett Puts CompUSA Lexus of Chip Ganassi Racing on Pole for Rolex 24 At Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Scott Pruett put the No. 01 CompUSA Lexus Riley of Chip Ganassi Racing on the pole for the 42nd anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Pruett set a new Daytona Prototype track record with his 1:45.783 lap at 121.154 mph, shaving more than four seconds off the previous record held by David Donohue.