Roger Cheng of Dow Jones Newswires published an article today which reports a $29.5 billion…. yes, billion, fourth-quarter… yes, quarter loss for NASCAR’s elite series title sponsor, Sprint. This doesn’t really surprise me when I consider their reputation as a wireless phone service provider. Against my own best judgement and gut feeling, I actually signed up my wife and I for their service one time. I was back to the store within 48 hours to cancel the service and turn over my phones because the cellular service sucked so bad. And no they didn’t refund my connection fees per line, and yes, I had to pay for the minutes I used. All of which I knew and accepted because I did indeed read the contract. However, in an odd sort of way it was OK that I had to pay for those minutes. There weren’t that many minutes to pay for since THE SERVICE SUCKED SO BAD! If they haven’t changed (and it sounds like they haven’t according to the experiences I hear about from friends and acquaintances) then it’s no wonder they’re bleeding customers nearly as fast as the Iraq war is bleeding our tax dollars. The article states that Sprint is expecting a loss of 1.2 million customers in the first quarter and that that total is roughly equal to the total loss off customers for ALL of 2007. The second quarter is not expected to improve either.

Michal Lev-Ram and Scott Moritz’s article claims that the problems … can be traced at least back to the ill-managed 2005 merger with Nextel. Nextel’s customers were heavy users of push-to-talk systems, and when Sprint neglected to maintain and upgrade networks, they found the system unreliable and have left in huge numbers.” Push-To-Talk systems? They mean those annoying phones (and their users) who subject everyone within 50 yards of the phone to suffer through not only the continual beeping throughout the conversation, but also subject us to both sides of the conversation. Arrggghhh…. if you’re one of “them”, then know that you and your push-to-talk systems are even more annoying than the people who walk around all hours of the day with their Bluetooth ear pieces stuck in their ears. Here I thought the push-to-talk fad was dying out because people were growing out of that fad. Instead I learn it’s just that disgruntled customers are changing providers because the service isn’t meeting their push-to-talk needs. You see, I’ve never understood why someone would pay more money to use an inferior communication method, a.k.a the walkie-talkie. I hear that characteristic “beep” and I think of the movie Tommy Boy and the line I can’t hear you, you’re trailing off and did I catch a niner in there? Were you calling from a walkie-talkie?” Perhaps I should send Sprint a check for $20 in a ‘Thank You’ card thanking them for not maintaining and upgrading that network.

What does all of this mean for Jeff Burton and Richard Childress Racing’s #31 AT&T sponsored car? Will it mean anything in time? And by “time” I mean by the end of the 2008 season. The sponsorship and related legal issues between series title sponsor (Sprint) and car #31’s primary sponsor (AT&T) was the subject of quite a bit of media attention throughout 2007. It was attention that was focused on action off the track vs. action on the track, something NASCAR hopes doesn’t repeat itself in 2008. The sponsorship conflicts between the two wireless providers resulted in court hearings and eventually an agreement outside the courts with NASCAR acting as the mediator. The agreement stipulated that AT&T could stay in the sport to close out the 2007 season, as well as the full 2008 season, but they would then have to refrain from sponsorship in the Cup series. However, AT&T’s contract with RCR goes through the 2010 season, and neither AT&T nor RCR want them to leave the Cup series. While Richard Childress has reportedly lobbied NASCAR to keep AT&T in racing, NASCAR’s position remains firm that after the 2008 season AT&T must go.

NASCAR has seen a lot of series title changes over the last few years. They lost long-time sponsor Winston and replaced them with NEXTEL. Then Sprint acquired NEXTEL and with it came another re-branding of the elite Cup series. Last year NASCAR seemed to have trouble finding a replacement for the title sponsorship role for the Busch Series (now the Nationwide Series), and reportedly the price tag was significantly slashed. If that hurdle wasn’t enough, at the end of the 2008 season NASCAR will once again loose a series title sponsor as Craftsman terminates it’s title sponsorship role for the Truck Series. Craftsman has been that series sponsor since it started in 1995.

One has to wonder, if Sprint keeps bleeding, will AT&T still be leaving?

UAW-Dodge 400

Is NASCAR Insane?

Well, NASCAR did it again this weekend. Waiting until 2:00 a.m. ET to postpone the race was just insane. I know that a lot of those in attendance probably had to go to work on Monday or get home but most of them were probably gone way before NASCAR made their decision anyway. The drivers would have preferred to get the race in on Sunday but after sitting there forever they are wondering why they didn’t get to bed a little earlier themselves. When water is seeping up through the track and then it rains again it is an easy decision to postpone the race until the next day. NASCAR is big on technology but they seem to have forgotten that radar is technology. So much for being fan oriented this season.

My Pick To Win

The drivers have all headed to the East Coast for what remains of the week and will all fly back to the West Coast in a few days to try and tackle Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Jimmie Johnson has won the last 3 races at Vegas and is my pick to do it again. Jimmie had a great car at California but just couldn’t quite keep up with Carl Edwards.

Las Vegas Frontrunners

Jeff Gordon will be Jimmie’s toughest competition this week. Jeff has 3 straight top 5 finishes at Vegas and had a very good car in his own rite last week at California. Jeff said his engine let go on the last lap after the caution had already been displayed and held on for a 3rd place finish. This week’s race is 100 miles shorter than California. Maybe it was a good thing that practices were shortened or canceled last weekend.

Kyle Busch leads the points race right now and has done very well at Las Vegas in the past. After finishing 41st in his first trip to Vegas, Kyle has rebounded with 3 top 10 finishes since then. Kyle is on the top of his game right now as he leads the Sprint and craftsman Truck standings and sits in 2nd in the Nationwide standings.

Las Vegas is another track that has been dominated by the Roush/Fenway teams in the past except for what Jimmie has done the last 3 years. The Roush teams won 5 of the first 7 Sprint Cup races at LVMS. Out of 10 races Roush has 5 wins, Hendrick has 4 wins and Ganassi has 1 win with Sterling Marlin back in 2002. Matt Kenseth won two in a row right before Jimmie went on his tear. Matt has finished in the top 10 in each of those races also.

The rest of the current Roush drivers have a best finish of 6th while driving for Jack Roush at Las Vegas. Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle have both done this while Jamie McMurray’s best finish with Roush is a 10th and David Ragan finished 37th last year in his only Cup start.

Casey Mears has also had some success at LVMS with 3 top 10 finishes in 5 starts. While Dale Earnhardt Jr. only has 3 top 10 finishes in 8 starts at this track when he was driving for DEI. One of these finishes was a 2nd back in 2003.

Kurt Busch is solidifying his position in the top 35 2 weeks into the season. Kurt sits in 4th in the standings while his teammate and Daytona 500 winner, Ryan Newman, occupies the 2nd position. Kurt’s best finish at Las Vegas is 3rd and Ryan’s best finish is 4th. However Ryan has 4 top 10 finishes in 7 races here.

Kasey Kahne has started out this year with 2 top 10 finishes and looks much better this year compared to last. Kasey has 2 top 5 finishes in 4 starts here and sat on the pole here last year. Kasey looks like he is going to be a contender all year.

Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin both excel at Vegas. No wins yet between them here but a slew of top 10 finishes. Tony has 6 top 10’s in 9 starts while Denny is 2 for 2 in that same category.

We haven’t heard a lot about Kevin Harvick or Jeff Burton this year but they are both in the top 10 in the standings. Jeff was awesome at Las Vegas when he was with Roush Racing, collecting 2 wins and a runner-up finish in the first 3 races held there. Along with Clint Bowyer these 3 drivers have only 3 top 10 finishes at Vegas for RCR.

Yahoo! Fantasy Picks

Group A

• Jimmie Johnson (starter)
• Jeff Gordon

Group B

• Kasey Kahne (starter)
• Ryan Newman (starter)
• Kyle Busch
• Casey Mears

Group C

• Brian Vickers (starter)
• Sam Hornish Jr

Stay Away From

• Clint Bowyer

Dark Horse

• Casey Mears

UAW-Dodge 400

Here is a quick run down of trivial facts and statistics for this weekend’s UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Track Numbers

• Races: 10
• Pole Winners: 7
• Race Winners: 6
• Races Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): 0
• The first NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was a NASCAR Camping World Series, West race won by Ken Schrader on Nov. 2, 1996.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on March 3, 1998 – won by Mark Martin.
• The first NASCAR Nationwide Cup race was held on March 16, 1997 – won by Jeff Green.
• Seven drivers have participated in all 10 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin, Sterling Marlin and Joe Nemechek.
• Dale Jarrett won the inaugural Coors Light Pole (Feb. 27, 1998).
• Mark Martin won the inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race (March 1, 1998).
• Only three of the 10 races have been won from a top 10 starting position.
• Four of the 10 races have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 25th by Matt Kenseth in 2004.
• There has been one green-white-checkered finish: 2006 (270/267).
• Jimmie Johnson has won the past three NASCAR Sprint Cup races. The most recent driver to win four consecutive races at a track was Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Talladega (fall 2001-fall 2003). The most recent driver to win four straight in the same event was Jeff Gordon in the Southern 500 at Darlington (1995-98).
• Roush Fenway Racing had five drivers finish in the top 10 in the inaugural Las Vegas 400 in 1998. Five of the 10 race winners at Las Vegas were driving for Roush Fenway at the time: Mark Martin (1998), Jeff Burton (1999 and 2000), and Matt Kenseth (2003 and 2004).

Track Records

• Qualifying record: Kasey Kahne (184.856 mph, 29.212 seconds,3-9-07)
• Race record: Mark Martin (146.554 mph, 3-1-98)

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Data

• Estimated Pit Window: Every 50-55 laps, based on fuel mileage.
• Race # 3 of 36 (3-2-08)
• Track Size: 1.5 miles
• Race Length: 267 laps/400.5 miles
• Banking/Corners: 20 degrees
• Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees
• Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees

I don’t know how you watch most NASCAR races, but I seldom watch them live. Instead, I’ll usually wait until maybe an hour past the drop of the green flag before I’ll start watching. I have TiVo (one of the greatest bits of technology to grace my home) set to record all races 1-1/2 hours past the TV scheduled end time. However, I knew that the rain was likely to cause an issue in today’s race so I set it for the maximum 3 hours past schedule end time. I then loaded up my son in the car and went out for a little father & son time to get our hair cut, grab a bite to eat, swing through Blockbuster, and stop at Wal-mart for the toy I promised him. You see, my son impressed me tonight with just how good of a job he did cleaning his room. He not only picked up his toys like I asked, but he organized his shelves, vacuumed, dusted, tossed out old or broken toys, and even pulled the sheets off his bed and took them to the laundry room. If you knew my son, you would have been impressed too.

Anyway, once back home and all the kids put to bed, I zipped through the commercials and pre-race hype that didn’t interest me. Once the race started (according to my schedule), I cracked open the obligatory Molson Canadian and printed out my fantasy race sheets so that I could monitor my progress in the NASCAR fantasy games. My pick here on OneBadWheel to win the race is Kyle Busch. And for the second time tonight, a kid was impressing me. Like my son, sometimes Kyle Busch really annoys the hell out of me. Hey, I’m just being honest here, I love my son, but raising kids can be a challenge and my son sure knows how to push my buttons sometimes. And yet, at times when I least expect it he will do something to really impress me.

Same can be said about Kyle for me. As much as both of the Busch brothers annoy me sometimes, this kid’s talent just keeps getting brighter and brighter on the track. Several times during the last half of the 2007 season Kyle Busch would impress me during the races with his ability to wheel such a loose car and move up through the field. Back then I wondered if I had just been missing it before, or maybe he was just driving his heart out on some sort of long-term adrenaline rush to prove to Hendrick Motorsports (and other teams) that he is the real deal. In the end I chalked it up to motivation, determination, and aggravation at his being forced out of HMS to make room for Earnhardt Jr..

I’ve changed my mind. I’m really starting to think that Kyle Busch simply is one of the most talented drivers on the track. He is doing things on the track that I haven’t seen since… well, since the mid ’90s with Dale Earnhardt. Things that are more characteristic of drivers like Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart. Like the “Intimidator,” Kyle just seems to be able to come from the very back to the very front, very quick and very much at will. [Yes, I used "very" a lot there, because I'm very impressed. :) ]. Before they threw the red flag for the rain delay, he was picking off cars left and right. There were shots on the TV coverage around laps 73-76 where Kyle appears to be flying around the competition with such ease. So much so that one might think he has about 100 more horsepower, or nitrous, or maybe Kyle has the real push from heaven that Ryan Newman only thought he got from Kurt Busch in last week’s Daytona 500.

Whatever it is, Kyle Busch is charging to the front. However, NASCAR is determined to get this race in tonight, and for us East cost fans it means we either stay up until after 1:30 AM for the anticipated restart, or TiVo it until tomorrow. As much as I want to watch Kyle’s performance, the morning comes too early and I’ve got three kids to get up and going for school & daycare. As of 1:30 a.m. ET, NASCAR.com’s leaderboard service says “Activity is heating up on pit road. Still no definite on when racing could resume.

I don’t ever recall NASCAR being in a position such that they’ve had a restart so late at night early in the morning.
What do you think about the restart taking place so late?
What about your opinions on Kyle Busch?

Alltel Wireless puts race fans in the driver’s seat for the chance to win $500,000 in second annual “My Circle 500

The 2008 Daytona 500 Champion Ryan Newman and his No. 12 Alltel Dodge pit crew are sharing the thrill of winning a race with fans across the country. Today, Alltel Wireless, America’s largest network, providing coverage across the nation, announced the return of the Alltel “My Circle 500″ sweepstakes, a national text-to-win promotion that puts race fans in the driver’s seat for a chance to win a grand prize of up to $500,000.

How To Enter

Now until May 3, fans can enter the Alltel “My Circle 500″ by texting RACE to 38229 or by logging onto www.alltelracing.com. Ten finalists will be randomly chosen among all entries and will become eligible for the sweepstakes’ grand prize of up to $500,000.

The Prizes

“Alltel Wireless is committed to bringing race fans closer to the action and is thrilled to bring back the popular ‘My Circle 500′ promotion,” said Samira Zebian, director sponsorship marketing for Alltel. “We’re giving 10 lucky finalists the chance to pick their own pit crew for a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be the stars on the track and in the pits as they compete against the championship Daytona 500 team.

The 10 sweepstakes finalists and their ‘Circle of Friends’ will win an all-expense-paid trip to Charlotte, N.C., May 23-26 to compete in the second annual Alltel “My Circle 500.” The finalists will also get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Penske Racing Shop and train like the pros with the No. 12 Alltel Team before going head-to-head in an ultimate go-kart and pit crew challenge.

On race day, the 10 finalists will get in the driver’s seat and take one lap around the go-kart track. Then, it’s up to their ‘Circle of Friends’ to change four tires on the No. 12 Alltel Dodge. The fastest team will be declared the winner and take home at least $200,000. The champions will receive an additional $300,000 if they beat the time of 2008 Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman and the Alltel pit crew – increasing the grand prize purse to $500,000.

“There is nothing that compares to the rush of winning a big race,” said Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge. “I am really excited to help bring this experience straight to race fans and give them a chance to feel what it was like to win the Daytona 500.

The promotion supports Alltel’s exclusive “My Circle” calling feature, which gives customers the freedom to choose who they call for free – any 5, 10 or 20 numbers on any network. For more information about the Alltel “My Circle 500,” please visit www.alltelracing.com.

Alltel Wireless unveils strategic marketing campaign to support No. 12 Penske Racing Team sponsorship

Multiple activities planned for fans throughout the racing season

Seeking to give race fans unparalleled access to their favorite sport, Alltel Wireless, America’s largest network, providing coverage across the nation, is taking its primary sponsorship of the No. 12 Penske Racing Team directly to the consumer with a series of activities.

“Alltel Wireless is taking an aggressive, consumer-centric approach to activating its sponsorship of the No.12 Penske Racing Team,” said Samira Zebian, director of sponsorship marketing for Alltel Wireless. “We are directly impacting race fans on an emotional level and giving them what they really want – the chance to be a part of the action. After all, this sport is all about the fans.

Engaging motorsports enthusiasts like never before, Alltel Wireless is offering one-of-a-kind experiences and lifelong memories for race fans across the country through activities including:

• “My Circle 500″ – Launching Feb. 24, this national text-to-win promotion supports Alltel’s exclusive “My Circle” calling feature. The promotion puts race fans in the driver’s seat for a chance to win up to $500,000. Ten sweepstakes finalists will win the opportunity to take their ‘circle’ of 10 friends and family members on an all-expense-paid trip to Charlotte, N.C. on May 23-26 where they will tour the Penske Race Shop, meet the No. 12 Alltel Team and train like the pros before going head-to-head in an ultimate go-kart and pit crew challenge.
• Alltel Racing Podcast Series – Providing an inside look at the No. 12 Alltel Team, the podcast is revved up and returning for a better-than-ever third season on www.alltelracing.com. The podcast debuts Feb. 19 and features Ryan Newman, driver of the No.12 Alltel Dodge, alongside host Brett McMillan. Also, included are celebrity guest interviews, a new voicemail option in the popular interactive mailbag feature and prizes for lucky listeners.
• Alltelracing.com – Alltel is providing motorsports fans across the country with more ways than ever before to be a part of premiere stock car racing through its enhanced racing site. A special “Fan Center” section on the site houses the latest show car schedule and Newman’s Race Market Secrets – tips on how to dodge race day traffic, the inside scoop on special events and appearances and a sneak peek at his favorite restaurants in the area. Race fans can also tag their cell phones with the latest Ryan Newman downloads or sign up to receive exclusive official text alerts and be the first to get race results, qualifying times and breaking news straight to their phone by visiting alltelracing.com or texting RYAN12 to 1-4-1-4-1-4.
• Online Charity Auction- This year, Alltel Wireless is giving fans an opportunity to score racing memorabilia while contributing to a worthy cause. Participants can support the Ryan Newman Foundation through an online auction at www.alltelracing.com. Auction items will include a variety of Ryan Newman memorabilia, such as autographed helmets, No. 12 Alltel Dodge panels and other cool Alltel Racing gear. The Ryan Newman Foundation was created in 2005 and supports the protection of animal welfare, wildlife conservation and auto racing scholarships.
• DIRTcar Nationals – Further enhancing Alltel’s commitment to racing and extending its motorsports sponsorship beyond the Cup Series, Alltel Wireless was recently announced as the first ever title sponsor of the 37th Annual DIRTcar Nationals. Alltel Wireless will help launch the 2008 racing season with 12 nights of racing from Feb. 5-16 at Volusia Speedway Park near Daytona Beach, Fla.
• Show Car Tour – Alltel Wireless is giving fans a chance to get up close and personal with authentic replicas of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge as part of the company’s show car program. Four stockcars donning the team’s fresh 2008 paint scheme will make pit stops at Alltel retail stores and authorized agents. To help experience life in the pits, fans can grab an air gun and try their hands at changing tires.
• “Our racing sponsorship provides us an avenue through which we can impact consumers and generate awareness for Alltel’s products and services,” said Zebian. “It’s not enough to feature our branding on Ryan’s race car. We must intercept fans through traditional media and live interactions to be sure our message breaks through.
• The new 2008 campaign marks Alltel’s eighth season as a sponsor of Penske Racing and Ryan Newman’s No. 12 Dodge. For more information on Newman and the Alltel Race team, please visit www.alltelracing.com.

ALLTEL PRESS RELEASE: LITTLE ROCK, Ark (Feb. 22, 2008)

Alltel Wireless celebrates Ryan Newman’s Daytona 500 victory with 500 free minutes offer

To celebrate Ryan Newman’s historic victory in the No.12 Alltel Dodge at the 50th running of the Daytona 500, Alltel Wireless, America’s largest network, is offering 500 bonus minutes to new customers that switch to Alltel and existing customers that add a line of service, free of charge!

This limited time offer will only be available from February 22 – 24 in Alltel stores, online at shopalltel.com or by calling Alltel at 1-800-ALLTEL-1. Alltel’s special offer is valid for new lines with rate plans of $39.99 and higher and with a two-year service agreement. All bonus minutes are good for 30 days after activation.

In addition, Alltel Wireless is offering customers a free Samsung Hue when they purchase one at $29.99. This offer is available to new customers signing a two-year service agreement and to existing customers on qualifying rate plans.

“Alltel Wireless invites all of its customers to join Ryan Newman’s No.12 Alltel Dodge in victory lane by taking advantage of our limited time offer of 500 free bonus minutes,” said Samira Zebian, director of sponsorship marketing for Alltel Wireless. “Everyone at Alltel is proud of the entire team behind Ryan’s Daytona 500 victory, and we are expecting great things for the No.12 Alltel Dodge throughout the upcoming season.

Additionally, Alltel is taking its primary sponsorship of the No. 12 Penske Racing Team directly to the consumer for the 2008 race season with a series of activities offering motorsports enthusiasts one-of-a-kind experiences and lifelong memories.

On Feb. 24, Alltel will launch the second annual “My Circle 500.” This national text-to-win promotion supports Alltel’s exclusive “My Circle” calling feature and puts race fans in the driver’s seat for a chance to win up to $500,000. On Feb.19, the Alltel Racing Podcast Series returned for its third season. The weekly podcast, providing an inside look at the No. 12 Alltel Team, is available at www.alltelracing.com.

The enhanced alltelracing.com site also features exclusive wallpapers, ringtones and inside tips from the Daytona 500 champion. In addition, the site will give fans an opportunity to participate in an online auction to score racing memorabilia while contributing to the Ryan Newman Foundation, a charity created in 2005 to support the protection of animal welfare, wildlife conservation and auto racing scholarships.

Fans also now have a chance to get up close and personal with authentic replicas of the winning No. 12 Alltel Dodge as part of the company’s show car program. Four stockcars donning the team’s fresh 2008 paint scheme will make pit stops at Alltel retail stores and authorized agents. A complete show car schedule is available at alltelracing.com.

Alltel continues to provide choice and control to the customer’s wireless experience. Alltel recently announced a major expansion to “My Circle,” an industry-defining feature giving customers the freedom of unlimited calling to and from five, 10 or 20 numbers on any network for free. In addition, Alltel offers Axcess Voice2TXT, a feature that quickly converts incoming voicemails to text messages in the customer’s inbox; and Celltop, a patent-pending technology offering customers an easier way to access, manage and organize a wide range of information already available on their phones.

Toyota’s “Remote Control” TV Commercial Judged Best By NASCAR Fans

NASCAR fans have chosen Toyota’s new television commercial, in which kids wielding giant remote control devices wreak havoc on the Toyota drivers, as the best new ad of the season, according to votes cast on NASCAR.COM.

UPS’s heartwarming spot featuring Dale Jarrett racing the big brown truck and then hanging up the keys was voted the second best spot. Gillette’s new Young Guns commercial, in which drivers Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman body slam and generally abuse wrestling star John Cena, was ranked third best.

Fans were given the chance to view and vote for their favorite spots on NASCAR.COM during the third annual Daytona 500 Ad Showcase during the FOX broadcast of the Great American Race on Feb. 17. While the FOX broadcast drew 33.5 million viewers, fans also went online and generated hundreds of thousands of video views of the 2008 sponsor spots on NASCAR.COM.

Toyota’s hilarious new spot showcases the manufacturer’s newest drivers from Joe Gibbs Racing – Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin – as well as Tony’s crew chief Greg Zipadelli and veteran Toyota driver Michael Waltrip. After kids in the stands wielding large remote controls propel the Camry’s all over the track in all directions, Tony Stewart jumps from his car, is chased onto pit road, and guns his helmet at the kid-controlled car.

The winning commercial, part of the “Toyota Department of Fan Operations” campaign that puts fans closer to the racing action, was created by Saatchi & Saatchi, Los Angeles.

“NASCAR sponsors again demonstrated why the Daytona 500 is one of the most creative and impactful ad showcases of any broadcast event,” said NASCAR CMO Steve Phelps. “For fans, the spots are fun to watch as their favorite drivers show their many talents outside the race car.

Research shows NASCAR fans enjoy watching their favorite drivers appear in new commercials. During the 2007 Daytona 500, FOX Sports retained 95% of its audience during commercial breaks on average, which is better retention than even the ads appearing in the Super Bowl, according to Nielsen Media Research.

NASCAR official partners airing new campaigns on the Daytona 500 telecast included: Chevrolet, Gillette, Goodyear, Ritz, Sunoco, Sprint, The Home Depot, Toyota and UPS. Information on these campaigns is available upon request. Additionally, many team sponsors debuted new spots, featuring high-profile drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Michael Waltrip and Martin Truex Jr.

“I wasn’t impressed with the Super Bowl commercials this year. Yes, the real Super Bowl. Not the Daytona 500, where the hype purveyors attach the ‘Super Bowl of NASCAR’ tag line to the first race of the season.

I identified with and enjoyed quite a few of the commercial (overload) that came across my screen during the race broadcast. Nascar.com hosted a challenge for viewers to rank which commercials they liked best. Of the entire field of commercials in the race, fans votes were tallied and here are the top three.

The Winner: Toyota Fan Controller

Second Place: Thanks Dale, It’s Been A Good Ride

Third Place: Gillette Young Guns Wrestle John Cena

You can read the NASCAR Top Daytona 500 Commercial’s Press Release here.”

This is one solicited (aka please post this for us) press release I want to share with y’all, because it involves free stuff (which is always good). Plus, I’m a Ryan Newman fan and that was the most smoke-filled I ever remember seeing a car (that wasn’t on fire) and posting the picture (click it) is just too much fun.

Alltel Wireless has a promotion to offer 500 free minutes to new customers that switch to Alltel and existing customers that add a line of service. The offer runs from February 22 – 24 in Alltel stores, online at shopalltel.com or by calling Alltel at 1-800-ALLTEL-1.

On Feb. 24, Alltel will launch the second annual “My Circle 500.” This national text-to-win promotion supports Alltel’s exclusive “My Circle” calling feature and puts race fans in the driver’s seat for a chance to win up to $500,000.

On Feb.19, the Alltel Racing Podcast Series returned for its third season. The weekly podcast, providing an inside look at the No. 12 Alltel Team, is available at www.alltelracing.com.

While checking out the alltelracing.com site I saw they have some cool Ryan Newman swag for free on their downloads page. Cell phone and desktop wallpaper, ringtones, games and chat icons. So if nothing else, or you’re like me and use a different cellular network and don’t plan on switching, getcha some Ryan Newman for free.

You can read the full and detailed Alltel Press Release here.

Plus, since I have never had Alltel service, if you have…let’s put them on the block. Have you been happy with it or not?”