Rain has been falling at Fontana this week and today ends the chance for a win for the Hendrick Motorsports 5 and 88 car. Casey Mears got loose and collected Dale JR along the way. Sam Hornish JR got wedged under the back of Mears putting the 5 car on its side before the 77 burst into flames.
The cars were off the track for over an hour before Jimmie Johnson and Jeff gordon inspected the track with officials and decided it was time to go green.
Well the rumors are done and the decision has been made that Joe Gibbs Racing is switching to Toyota. The formal announcement was made on Wednesday, September 5, 2007 at press conference that was televised by Speed at 11am. Answering questions at the press conference was drivers Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin and crew chiefs Greg Zipadelli, Mike Ford, and Steve Addington. Along with them was President of Joe Gibbs Racing, JD Gibbs; head of the engine building department, Mark Cronquist; vice president of Toyota Motorsports and president and CEO of Toyota Racing Development, USA, Jim Aust; and senior vice president of racing operations for Joe Gibbs Racing, Jimmy Makar. READ MORE
Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Dale Jarrett, Dale JR
Take a look below and see how NASCAR drivers and their families share their wealth and generosity with those who are less fortunate.
Jimmie and his wife Chandra launched the Jimmie Johnson Foundation in February 2006. The mission of the foundation is to help needy families and children across the United States and help them pursue their dreams. The American Red Cross, San Diego Habitat for Humanity, Hendrick Marrow Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Victory Junction Gang Camp are the organizations that the Jimmie Johnson Foundation supports. Through their grant program, they have also donated to the Robbie Loomis Foundation and Randy Dorton Foundation. READ MORE
Dale Earnhardt Inc, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman
It seems that many people think that NASCAR drivers are a bunch of red neck hillbillies that cannot so anything except drive a racecar. However, truth be told NASCAR drivers and their families are some of the most generous people around. They provide donations to supports causes, create foundations to help others, and get their hands dirty building houses for Habitat for Humanity. Here you will learn about just some of the ways these drivers and their families are helping other and making lives better around the world. READ MORE
As the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season is now under way, each team expresses their own hopes, dreams and desires on what they want the 2008 season to bring. Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Penske Racing are seeing their dreams come true right before their eyes.
Speed week at Daytona has been a monumental week for the teams. Hendrick Motorsport’s newest team member, Dale Earnhardt JR dominated the track for the Budweiser Shoot Out and the first Gatorade Duel at the Daytona International Speedway. He was left as the only Hendrick car left standing at the Daytona 500 after Casey Mears tried to block Tony Stewart and went crashing into the wall sending out the caution flag with only 6 laps to go.
Joe Gibbs Racing showed the world what they could with a Toyota when Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart Finished one, two at the second Gatorade Duel. At the Daytona 500, Tony Stewart and Kyle Bush finished 3rd and 4th. READ MORE
The press conference on September 19, 2007 was just the latest in announcements that have rocked the NASCAR circuit this year. Team owner Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt JR announced that Dale JR would be driving the 88 car in the 2008 NASCAR season. The 88 has previously been used by Robert Yates racing on their Ford Fusion and will now be a Chevrolet Impala owned by Hendrick Motorsports. In the press conference, they also announced that the sponsors for the new car in the Hendrick stable would be National Guard and Mountain Dew. Both of which Hendrick motorsports has had a long relationship with. READ MORE
The Chase for the Nextel Cup is on, for the next 10 races the top 12 teams are racing for a chance to win the Nextel Cup. Hendrick Motorsports is at the top of their game. Out of their four Nextel Cup teams, three of them are locked into The Chase and the fourth will finish not too far behind. Hendrick Motorsports has dominated the field for the 2007 NASCAR schedule. With a total of 12 wins and 11 poles between the teams, Hendrick Motorsports is the team to beat this year. After just five races, Jeff Gordon has taken over the points lead and has never left. READ MORE
This is the second list of race shops that can be visited in North Carolina. Part1 covered the more well know shops such as Dale Earnhardt Inc, Richard Childress Racing Museum, Robert Yates Racing, Roush Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Hendrick Motorsports. It is free to tour most of these shops and is best to go on a non race week to see what goes on in the shops. On race weeks it is pretty boring and no one is really around. READ MORE
The finish was one that every NASCAR fan hates. Finishing under caution. And if that wasn’t enough one of NASCAR’s most hated drivers ended up in victory lane. Jeff Gordon started in first and ended there as well. 43 drivers race around Talladega Super Speedway, the longest track on the NASCAR circuit, in hopes of winning the 9th race of the season. A fairly uneventful race that attempted to finish in “over drive”, a green, white, checker finish, but was ended with a caution. READ MORE
May is a busy racing month in North Carolina. NASCAR fans come from far and wide to enjoy the festivities. With racing at Lowes motor Speedway and Speed Street taking over the streets of downtown Charlotte as the highlight of activities.
The Craftsmen Truck Series starts the action on Friday night with the Quaker Steak & Lube 200. For 134 laps during the 6th race of the season the trucks will race around the track at speeds over 125 mph. READ MORE
Below you will find a list of Race Shops/Museums in North Carolina. This is the first part of a series of articles to make the ultimate Race shop guide. Most of them are free. If you want to see them working in the shops it is best to go during the week or even better on “off” racing week. The is never anything going on at the shops on race weekends. READ MORE
