The official 2012 NASCAR Thread

[joshuar9476]

Quote: Originally Posted by Happy29

Kenseth to change car numbers Matt Kenseth's no 17 will change as part of a new soon to be announced sponsorship agreement. Roush Fenway Racing will make an announcement next Monday at the NASCAR Hall Of Fame, regarding a new number for Matt Kenseth's Sprint Cup ride as well as a new multi-year partner for RFR and teh 2012 Daytona 500 winner.

Son of a pickle eating, beehive wearing, six fingered lunchlady!

Quote:

I got the sarcasm but still answered his questions.

i knew you did and thanks for answering my pressing questions.

[joshuar9476]

Mayfield deserves everything he's gotten so far, but i find this to be way over the line. Hopefully a higher up judge will alter the outcome ...

From Jayski

Quote:

Postal worker wins $1 million from Mayfield in dog attack: On Wednesday, a Forsyth County judge ordered former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield to pay $1 million to a Catawba [NC] postal carrier attacked last year by Mayfield's five pitbulls. This is the latest salvo against Mayfield, whose home was auctioned off for failing to pay about $3 million he owed on the property. He also faces drug-possession, larceny and stolen goods charges in three North Carolina counties and was suspended from NASCAR in 2009 for testing positive for methamphetamine. Judge William Z. Wood of Forsyth Superior Court awarded Mary E. Bolton $1 million. Bolton, who lives in Catawba County, filed a lawsuit against Mayfield and his wife, Shana Mayfield, in June in Forsyth Superior Court. The suit was filed in Forsyth because Bolton's attorney, Marc Madonia, is based in Winston-Salem, NC. Bolton alleged that the Mayfields were negligent in allowing the dogs, pitbull/Labrador mixes, to run loose on their property in Catawba County. She was delivering mail the morning of April 21, 2011, and had a package too large for the mailbox outside the Mayfields' gate. She drove through the gate, past "No Trespassing" and "Beware of Dogs" signs, to deliver the package and encountered the dogs that attacked her. Mayfield heard the commotion, shouted at the dogs to scatter them and carried Bolton into the house. He and his wife called 911, and Bolton was taken to Catawba Medical Center for treatment. Animal control confiscated the dogs from Mayfield, but no criminal charges were filed against him. The dogs were later euthanized. Bolton suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and has nerve damage, Madonia said

[Happy29]

Quote: Originally Posted by joshuar9476

Mayfield deserves everything he's gotten so far, but i find this to be way over the line. Hopefully a higher up judge will alter the outcome ... From Jayski

Yeah he's going to get his but this is over the top. I hope he appeals this wins and counter sews her for lack of good common sense.


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[Happy29]

One more thing on the Matt Kenseth number change, in the official press release it say Matt Kenseth's number 17 will change, it doesn't say Kenseth will be changing numbers. It could be that he is not changing numbers but instead the font of the 17 will change. Just something else to throw out there.


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[Happy29]

Help Motor Racing Network Choose The Most Memorable All-Star Race Of All Time
The staff at Motor Racing Network has selected its top five NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race finishes and now, fans will have their say with online voting, beginning this weekend.

Motor Racing Network – “The Voice of NASCAR” – is inviting fans to visit MotorRacingNetwork.com and cast their vote, selecting the most memorable All-Star Race from the following list:

1987 – Dale Earnhardt’s dramatic drive through the infield of the Charlotte tri-oval -- known as the “pass in the grass” -- after contact with Bill Elliott, which helped “The Intimidator” hold off Terry Labonte for the win.

1989 – A post-race war of words between winner Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip came after the two made contact in the fourth turn while racing for the white flag. This led to a post-race scuffle between their respective crews as Wallace’s winning car was being rolled into Victory Lane.

1992 – In the first prime time running of the All-Star Race, Earnhardt collided with Kyle Petty on the final lap – with Davey Allison taking the checkered flag before sliding across the track and into the outside wall amid a trail of sparks that lit up the night.

2000 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined his dad as the only father-son duo to win the race.

2001 – Jeff Gordon joins Earnhardt as the only three-time winner of the event, in spite of his involvement in a first-lap accident that occurred as rain began to fall over Charlotte Motor Speedway. Since the event was a non-points race and the first lap had not been completed, NASCAR allowed teams to use their backup cars and restarted the race.

“With 27 years of All-Star highlights to choose from, narrowing this down to the top five was challenging,” said MRN President and Executive Producer David Hyatt. “Through that process, we see once again what a spectacular event this is. We’re excited about bringing our fans into it by giving them a voice in selecting the best race.”

Fans can vote by visiting www.motorracingnetwork.com, with balloting ending on “NASCAR Day” Friday, May 18. The fans’ choice will be announced during Motor Racing Network’s pre-race coverage of the Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday, May 19. Air time for the 28th running of the non-points special event is 6 p.m. (EDT). Carl Edwards of Roush Fenway Racing was victorious in 2011, the race’s eighth different winner in the last eight years.

Motor Racing Network’s 2012 broadcast slate features 87 live events from 33 venues across the country. In addition to serving a nationwide network of affiliate radio stations, all programming is streamed live at individual stations’ websites as well as www.motorracingnetwork.com – and on mobile devices.

[Happy29]

More things emerging on the Matt Kenseth number change. It might be the number 53 for fifth third bank for the All Star race only.


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[Happy29]

There was talk this week that Kurt Busch could be replacing Jeff Burton in the 31 car at RCR next season, but Richard Childress said there's no truth to the rumor and he has no desire replace Burton or put Kurt Busch in a 4th car at Childress Racing. It's still uncertain if Burton will be in the 31 next season, current RCR Nationwide driver Elliot Sadler is having a great season and could be a candidate for piloting the 31 if Burton is not brought back. As for the fourth car in the Childress camp it is rumored that 2013 will be the year that the 3 makes it return to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with grandson Austin Dillon as the driver.

[Happy29]

NASCAR At Darlington: Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman Teams Scuffle After Southern 500


Several of Ryan Newman's crewmen confronted Kurt Busch on Saturday night at Darlington Raceway following an ill-advised decision by Busch to do a burnout through Newman's pit box.

After Busch had a flat tire and crashed with six laps remaining – an incident which also collected Newman – the Phoenix Racing driver lost his cool and began yelling on the team radio.

When Busch completed his pit stop to fix damage shortly after the wreck, he slammed his foot down on the throttle and did a loud, angry burnout while leaving his pit box. The burnout startled fans in the stands and put up a huge plume of smoke, an expression of Busch's frustration at a promising night gone bad.

But while doing the burnout, Busch drove through Newman's pit box as well – and several Newman crew members were still over the wall after recently completing service on the No. 39 car.

The crewmen were infuriated by Busch coming so close to them with his burnout, and several began yelling at Busch's crew to convey their outrage.

"When you come ripping through somebody's pit box like that, he could have took out five or six guys plus the officials pretty easy," Newman's crew chief Tony Gibson said. "I don't know how somebody didn't get run over, to be honest with you. It was a miracle nobody got hit."

Newman told SI.com's Dustin Long he suspected Busch's actions were due to a "chemical imbalance."

"It's easy to see and it's easy to say that Kurt blew a fuse again," Newman said. "I'm not sure why he did it and tried to run over our guys and NASCAR officials. And nobody is."

Among the angry crewmen was Newman's gas man, Andy Rueger, who went to the No. 51 hauler to await Busch's arrival. Rueger planned to confront Busch immediately after the race.

But Busch's team knew Newman's crew was upset, and so crew chief Nick Harrison instructed Busch to stop at the entrance of pit road and leave the car there instead. The driver was livid on the radio and had been screaming obscenities during the final few laps, and the team felt it would be a good idea for him just to get off the track.

Somehow, though, Busch then made contact with Newman's car on pit road. Busch contended he accidentally ran into Newman while taking off his helmet, but Newman told SI.com he thought Busch did it intentionally.

"Circumstances I think are that he lied and was so frustrated that he doesn't know how to deal with his anger," Newman said.

While all that was happening, Newman's crew got word that Busch was on pit road. Rueger and others ran back out to where the cars were stopped and tried to confront Busch.

"The gas man, he come in there wanting to fight Kurt, raising hell," Harrison said. "I knew it was going to happen. ... After the race, the boys wanted to come down there and raise Cain with Kurt, and that's what they did."

Words were exchanged between the crewmen and Busch (see video below), and a NASCAR official fell onto Busch's hood in the process. Though contact with Rueger sparked the official's tumble, NASCAR's Robin Pemberton said the official just lost his footing.

"There was a lot of stuff going on down there," Pemberton said. "Nobody said anything other than he fell back on the hood. We didn't see anything that was aggressive toward one of our officials."

Harrison said he and his team felt they had to defend their driver regardless of the circumstances and would do the same thing every time.

"We're here racing with Kurt Busch, we're going to defend Kurt Busch and that's our job," he said. "If you go anywhere racing in any part of America and you don't back your driver up, you don't deserve to be there racing with that driver."

It's unclear whether NASCAR will issue any penalties in this situation. If NASCAR feels its official tumbled onto the hood on his own, then Newman's gas man could go unpunished.

But NASCAR also said it's still in the process of gathering facts, and officials have yet to speak to Busch.

Either way, the incident is certain to get everyone talking.

"They came down there with a bunch of drama," Harrison said. "It's just part of racing. I think that's what great for our sport. If they're mad and want to fight, that's what it is."


Post race video

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VEZxJTWzj0c

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[Happy29]

Kenseth Unveils "New Number"

Matt Kenseth will indeed have a new number on his car in selected races this season, but not on his door.

Fifth Third Bank was introduced this morning as Kenseth’s newest sponsor, in an announcement at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The multi-year agreement will feature Fifth Third Bank as primary sponsor of Kenseth's No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion in four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this season, with a similar number of races in following years. will be announced at a later date.

Fifth Third will back Kenseth in Saturday night’s Sprint All Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as well as the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway June 30, the Crown Royal "Your Hero's Name Here" race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway July 29 and the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway August 19.

"Fifth Third Bank is excited to partner with Roush Fenway Racing and Matt Kenseth on this Sprint Cup Series sponsorship," said Greg Carmichael, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Fifth Third Bancorp. "Our organizations share many common values including a focus on teamwork and a desire to challenge the status quo to be the best at what we do. We are looking forward to working with the Roush Fenway Racing organization and Matt Kenseth to help drive our business and build the Fifth Third Bank brand."

An announcement from Roush Fenway Racing last week promised news regarding a “new number on Matt Kenseth’s Sprint Cup Ford Fusion," giving rise to rampant speculation that Kenseth’s Ford might forfeit it familiar No. 17 in favor of a new number. Team officials stressed today that the No. 17 will remain, however, with the bank’s “5/3” logo appearing only on the hood and rear quarter panels of the car.

Kenseth has run the No. 17 in all but one of his regular NASCAR National Series starts over a 17-year career. He drove Carl Wegner’s No. 55 Chevrolet in his Busch Grand National (now Nationwide) Series debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May of 1996, but the next season, steered Robbie Reiser’s No. 17 machine in 21 of the 30 Busch Series events. He has remained with that number ever since.

[joshuar9476]

Quote: Originally Posted by Happy29

Kenseth Unveils "New Number"

... aaaaaaaand, breathe