Strategic Alliance Aims to Expand the Reach of NASCAR Licensed Merchandise

QVC, one of the largest multimedia retailers in the world, announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance with the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) to provide racing enthusiasts with a unique multichannel shopping experience.

As part of this new venture, QVC will expand upon its current For Race Fans Only® programming, which is currently celebrating its 15th year of broadcasting, with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the biggest events of the season as well as offering the newest NASCAR-licensed merchandise before other retailers.

Through its relationship with Turner Sports, operator of NASCAR.com, QVC will also launch Shop NASCAR on QVC.com (www.QVC.com/ForRaceFansOnly). The online shop will feature an expanded assortment of thousands of NASCAR products online as well as webcasts and product features.

“Through our various multimedia channels, we will be able to provide race fans with a unique shopping experience that brings them inside the world of NASCAR,” said Rich Yoegel, director of merchandising. “We will not only be able to offer the newest NASCAR items first but also feature one of the largest selection of products available online. We will also have the opportunity to give customers an inside look at the people and places that have helped shape the sport of racing.”

To kick things off, two-time NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart and 2008 Daytona Champion Ryan Newman are scheduled to appear live from The Stewart-Haas Racing Atrium in Kannapolis, NC on Friday, January 30 at 8 PM (ET) for a special broadcast.

“We are excited about extending our partnership with QVC. Over the years, For Race Fans Only has become a destination for NASCAR fans and with the enhancements being made to the show, as well as an expanded merchandise offering, the fans’ experience will be even better,” said Blake Davidson, managing director of licensed products for NASCAR.

NASCAR products will be available through QVC at www.QVC.com/ForRaceFansOnly.

About QVC
QVC, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Interactive Group (Nasdaq: LINTA), is one of the largest multimedia retailers in the world. QVC is committed to providing its customers with thousands of the most innovative and contemporary beauty, fashion, jewelry and home products. Its programming is distributed to more than 166 million homes worldwide. The company’s Web site, QVC.com, is ranked among the top general merchant Internet sites. With subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan, West Chester, Pa.-based QVC has shipped more than a billion packages in its 22-year history. QVC, Q, and the Q Ribbon Logo are registered service marks of ER Marks, Inc.

About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for one of North America’s premier sports. NASCAR is the No. 1 spectator sport – holding 17 of the top 20 highest attended sporting events in the U.S., and is the No. 2 rated regular-season sport on television. NASCAR races are broadcast in more than 150 countries and in more than 30 languages. NASCAR fans are the most brand loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport.

NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, and one local grassroots series, as well as two international series. NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. Based in Daytona Beach (Fla.), NASCAR has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Charlotte (N.C.), Concord (N.C.), Conover (N.C.), Bentonville (Ark.), Mexico City, and Toronto.

About Turner Sports
Turner Sports acquired all of NASCAR’s interactive rights in October 2000 and became the exclusive producer of NASCAR.COM in January 2001. The official online destination of the NASCAR, the site consistently ranks among the top three sport league sites on the Internet. In 2008 NASCAR.COM was awarded a Global Media Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) for RaceBuddy as the outstanding interactive platform of the year. The site has also earned an Emmy® for its TrackPass with PitCommand application in 2003.

Turner Sports, Inc., a Time Warner company, presents some of the best and most popular sporting events worldwide and is a leader in televised and online sports programming. With events airing on TBS and TNT, Turner Sports’ line-up includes NASCAR and NASCAR.COM, the NBA, Major League Baseball, professional golf, PGATour.com and PGA.com. Turner Sports also manages NBA Digital, which includes NBA TV, NBA.com, WNBA.com, NBADLeague.com and NBA League Pass.”

“With less then 20 days until the start of the Daytona 500 fantasy racers from around the world have been waiting in great anticipation for the start of a new season. The 2009 season brings new chances for everyone and presents many fantasy racing opportunities.

Success in fantasy racing isn’t hard to find. There are so many different fantasy racing league formats that there isn’t a reason why you can’t find success. At Onebadwheel this year there are three different free games from which you surely will be able to find your niche. The games are now open for registration.

One popular type of fantasy racing league that I have always enjoyed is the infamous head to head league format. I don’t play on any of the major websites because I have my own neighborhood (more like continental United States) league. In my league we draft drivers using a serpentine draft method. We have 15 people in our league which are divided up into three different leagues of five people. Our draft is six rounds deep so thirty drivers in total are drafted from each league.

Many people participate in leagues very similar to mine so that is why I’m providing a review of how my draft worked out. It should provide a good mock draft of how things may play out on your draft day. My league of 15 people represent a good focus group for the NASCAR fantasy racing community. Most mock drafts that you see presented on sites provide only one persons opinion. One persons opinion can be biased, but a group of peoples NASCAR driver perceptions can even things out.

Here is how the draft played out. ADP is the average draft position of the driver across three leagues. Also in the chart where you see a blank space in one of the leagues it means that the driver was not drafted.

“

“Finally, a “stimulus package” for NASCAR fans that we should all be able to agree upon. Grid Girls are hot and stimulating and promoters in other forms of motor sports have benefited from them. So why not in NASCAR? After all, are we fans not all a bunch of drunk rednecks who love nothing more than our beer, babes and b-b- {trying to think of another “b” word} burning-rubber-stock-cars? So what’s not to love about busty babes bouncing up and down pit row?

I’m sure there are some NASCAR track promoters who would welcome Grid Girls with open arms [in more ways than one] as a way to fill the grandstands. However, we all know NASCAR wouldn’t let this happen. “It’s a family sport” after all — pay no attention to the three decades of cigarette sponsorship — but wouldn’t it be fun to think of ways the Grid Girls could stimulate the NASCAR fans and contribute along pit row?

Well you’re in luck. Below are a few examples of Grid Girls in action, albeit in other forms of motor sports. I’ve come up with my own ideas as to what they would be doing if they were at a NASCAR race.

The Welcoming Committee. Grid girls welcome fans with pit and garage passes. Once it’s time for pre-race activities to begin, the grid girls would then thank fans for coming and guide them to the nearest exit gates.

Pre-Race Entertainment. Speaking of pre-race activities, the grid girls entertain the fans in the grandstand and television while the pit and garage area are cleared of fans and other non-essential personnel.

Team Introductions. Grid girls carry team banners as they escort pit crew members onto the pit row in preparation for the national anthem.

Guided Tours. Grid girls could give personalized guided tours to small groups. Fans would surely follow the grid girls along pit row, the garage area, and pretty much anywhere she decided to lead them.

Driver Introductions. Grid girls could hold the umbrella to provide shade for the driver as he waits by his car for pre-race ceremonies to end. It should be noted that several driver’s wives would easily qualify for Grid Girl status. M-e-o-w!

Sponsor Presentations. Grid girls could be donned with the various sponsor branded uniforms and be present during presentations, VIP guest suites, promotional displays, or other such events during the race weekend. Imagine how many more fans Kyle Petty would have if he had these Grid Girls way back when!

Track Inspections Grid girls could check the track for debris both before and during the race. They could line up side-by-side to circle the track completely and provide nearly instant notification to NASCAR officials of that oh-so dangerous foam can coozie down off of the apron. Throw the yellow flag and hand out yet another “lucky dog” gimmick!

Official Track Girls. Official grid girls for the track could be utilized to assist VIPs, NASCAR officials, celebrities and media darlings. For the fans, they could direct fans to the nearest restrooms, urgent care center, or funnel cake stand.

Safety Belt Inspections Grid girls could check driver’s safety harness, HANS device and window netting for proper belt tension and securement. Spare belts could be worn as part of the uniform and used as replacements for the driver… just in case tech inspection missed an expiration date on a belt.

Fan Encouragement and Celebrations. Grid girls could encourage fans during the race when their driver goes a lap down, or celebrate with them every time Jr. does something phenomenal. Every fan needs a hug every now and again during the race, right?

Starting Grid Lineup. Grid girls could display the team’s pit boards along pit row as the teams pull their cars out of the garage to lineup on pit row in the proper starting order.

Show Car and Fan Zone Grid girls could be present around the track and in the “fan zones” with show cars and the team’s souvenir trailers.

Regardless of our political views, most all of us should agree there are plenty of opportunities to give NASCAR fans a stimulus package of it’s own. Not only would attendance be up at the track, but television ratings would rise as well. NASCAR as a sport may even earn a little respect from the NASCAR-bashers and other motor sports groups. The addition of Grid Girls in NASCAR could also help with the female unemployment rates.

If you’d like to see more Grid Girls then check out the wallpaper section at Eddsport where the images above (and more) can be found in full resolution for your computer.”

NASCAR Now Returns for Third Season Feb. 2 with Roundtable Discussion, New Features

ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now returns to the air for its third season on Monday, Feb. 2, to coincide with the beginning of the 2009 NASCAR racing season. The season’s first program, a one-hour roundtable discussion, airs at 5 p.m. ET.

Mike Massaro, who has been a pit reporter on ESPN’s NASCAR coverage the past two years, moves to the studio this year as a new co-host of NASCAR Now, joining returning co-hosts Nicole Manske and Allen Bestwick. NASCAR Now includes the latest news, highlights, opinion, debate and analysis from drivers, crew chiefs and insiders both on and off the track. The program regularly airs at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with all programs 30 minutes except for the one-hour Monday roundtable. ESPN2 also airs a one-hour edition at 10 a.m. on the morning of each NASCAR Sprint Cup race, and a weekend wrap-up edition will begin in July.

On Monday’s return episode, Bestwick leads the roundtable discussion of the latest NASCAR news with ESPN.com motorsports writer Ed Hinton and NASCAR Now lead reporter Marty Smith, both award-winning journalists, and ESPN motorsports analyst and NASCAR driver Boris Said.

A five-part feature during the first week of the NASCAR Now season will tie in the 60th anniversary of NASCAR with Top 10 lists by the five former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion analysts on ESPN’s NASCAR coverage team. Dale Jarrett, the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, will reveal his Top 10 personalities in NASCAR history, while 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace lists his Top 10 tracks. Andy Petree, two-time champion crew chief, reveals his Top 10 drivers and two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer lists his Top 10 finishes. Analyst Ray Evernham, a three-time champion crew chief, lists his Top 10 “coolest cars.”

Other features during the first week include conversations about NASCAR with actor Tom Cruise and Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton; a visit by driver Ryan Newman to Fort Bragg as part of his new sponsorship from the U.S. Army; and a review of NASCAR’s “Silly Season.”

During the week leading up to the Feb. 15 running of the Daytona 500, NASCAR Now airs a three-part series on NASCAR and the economy, looking through the eyes of the NASCAR fan, a NASCAR team crew member and legendary driver/team owner Richard Petty. The five weekday episodes of the program will expand to one hour during Daytona 500 week and originate from Daytona International Speedway.

Live NASCAR racing returns to the ESPN networks for the 2009 season when ESPN2 airs flag-to-flag coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World 300 from Daytona on Saturday, Feb. 14, at noon.

About NASCAR on ESPN:
ESPN and ABC have comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” on ABC. Additionally, ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season. All programming is produced totally in high definition. ESPN’s comprehensive, multimedia NASCAR coverage extends to ESPN.com, SportsCenter, ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPNRadio and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981 and returned to NASCAR coverage in 2007. The network’s award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN has been honored with 18 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide. NASCAR races have appeared on ABC for decades, beginning with broadcasts on the award-winning Wide World of Sports program in the 1960s.”

“The 2009 Fantasy Racing season is right around the corner. It’s time to forget your Fantasy Football cross training. You can relax because in Fantasy Racing you won’t be a victim of injuries, fumbles or suspensions (unless you’ve had Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, or Robby Gordon in the past). In Fantasy Racing you’re the victim of blown tires, engine explosions and wrecks, but that’s half of the fun.

In order to succeed in Fantasy Racing the most important thing is to play it smart. The NASCAR season is 36 weeks long and every team will have their good days and their bad days. The key is to minimize the bad days.

Below I have listed the 10 keys that will help you find Fantasy Racing success in 2009. These 10 keys are what I view to be the cornerstones of successful Fantasy Racing.

1. Don’t play with your heart
Playing with your heart is by far the #1 reason why people who do Fantasy Racing don’t succeed. NASCAR is a loyalty based sport, but that doesn’t mean your fantasy team needs to be also. Personally I’m a Ryan Newman fan, but in the Fantasy Racing world there ALWAYS comes a time when you need to let them go. It’s alright to have a favorite driver but be smart about it.
*** Playing with your heart revolves both ways in terms of liking drivers and not liking them.

2. Know your competition
No matter what type of fantasy league you’re in you must know your competition. For example in the Onebadwheel.com’s Champs, Chumps, and Sleepers game you have every right to snoop around and look at other players profiles and see their prior roster of drivers. In fact it doesn’t make sense why you wouldn’t. If you notice that some team is doing really well by all means click on their profile and see what sort of lineup they’ve found success with.

3. Don’t set it and forget it
In every fantasy league I’ve ever been in teams can get everything set on Monday and be ready to go for Sunday. Averages and statistics are good for giving you a good baseline to what your team of drivers should look like. However, fine tuning your team is what will get you over the hump. In Football when Peyton Manning goes up to the line of scrimmage he takes a look around and calls an audible if something doesn’t look right. A Fantasy Racing audible should be considered after qualifying, happy hour, or any mechanical problems that are discovered on the driver’s car.

4. Get out of sequence
In Fantasy Racing don’t be afraid to get out of sequence with your competition. Just be smart about when you choose to do this. When you get out of sequence, just make sure you understand your competition. No one ever gets ahead of their competition by playing follow the leader.

5. Don’t get to much out of sequence
Getting out of sequence with your competition is always encouraged but not when you take it to a whole new level. The track where people will get into trouble by getting too much out of sequence is Infineon Raceway. Road course ringers from around the world show up every year to take on the NASCAR regulars. However they rarely produce the results that you hoped for. In 2008 no road course ringers even finished in the top 15. Having a team full of road course ringers is admirable but you can almost guarantee that it won’t work.

6. Don’t beat yourself
This seems easy enough, but you would be surprised that this happens so frequently. Beating yourself ranges from having drivers in your lineup who aren’t racing to forgetting to set your lineups for the week. When you have drivers who don’t score points winning becomes impossible. In 2009 with the weakened economy, race weekends may mean that less then 43 cars might show up for the race. So fantasy racers beware.

7. Trust your instincts
If you know you have bad luck please move on to #8. Sometimes on a race weekend you can just get the feeling that something isn’t right with a particular driver. Last year at Texas I had the feeling that Jeff Gordon was going to have a bad day and he most certainly did. The most common way of getting bad feelings about a driver is by observing how the drivers feel about their car.

8. Don’t be a prisoner of the moment
Every year some driver steps up his game and drives better then his known ability. Just don’t get caught up in the unrealistic hype. Usually the drivers who over perform are high risk drivers. When you consistently pick high risk drivers you are playing Russian roulette with your teams chances.

9. Be Patient
The NASCAR season begins in February and ends in November. There is 36 point paying races per year so you’ve got a lot of races to accomplish your team’s goals. The season is a marathon, not a sprint race. This means that not every weekend needs to be the time for you to “make your big move”. Most likely if you’re trying to make your big move every race your team is moving towards the basement.

10. Do your homework
The Fantasy Racing world is constantly evolving. This year will be the most volatile year in the garage area ever. This means that you need to stay current with your NASCAR news and not let anything catch you be surprise. Breaking news in the NASCAR world is bad news, so always stay ahead of the game. Also don’t be afraid to do some networking in the Fantasy Racing world by visiting the forum.

“

“Naming your fantasy NASCAR team can be a real pain in the buttocks [thank you Forrest Gump]. You want something cool, clever and unique that makes your team stand out from the other teams.

Unfortunatley, coming up with a name for your team could be as difficult as getting the name you want for a new e-mail address or registering that most awesome domain name you had your heart set on [www.BubbaGumpRump.com is available, in case you were wondering!].

While a search on Amozon.com for “baby name books” will yield 2,697 results, I don’t think any of those books will help you name your “baby” for the 2009 fantasy NASCAR season. That’s right, the season is 9 months — mid February to mid November – so your fantasy team is your “baby.” Below are just a few tips for naming your fantasy NASCAR team.

What message do you want to send?

What sort of feeling or presence do you want your team’s name to impart. Do you want a name that is amusing, serious, or one that is meant to intimidate your fantasy competition? Do you wish to honor an icon of the sport? Or perhaps you don’t care what other players get from your name and merely want a cryptic name or one that has meaning only to you and your friends.

• A Serious Name: Many team names include such terms as “Motorsports,” “Racing,” or “Enterprises.” You can combine one of those with either your initials, last name, or perhaps the area in which you live. As an example, I use Foothills Racing” here in the OneBadWheel Fantasy games. I chose that name in part because I live in the foothills of South Carolina, and because I was too lazy to put much more thought into it than that.
• An Amusing Name: Face it, either you have jokester DNA or you don’t. Not everyone can be the last comic standing. No doubt you will come across some amusing names when you scan across the latest fantasy race results. If your funny bone is broken, scan such lists for ideas of your own. I also found that sites such as TeamNames.net had some very amusing names. Here are some examples: “e-LEMON-ators,” “Wrecking Crew,” and “The Cereal Killers.
• An Intimidating Name: Include words or iconic figures that symbolize strength, prominence, dominance or strong character. Some suggestions would include words such as: Almighty, Wicked, Invincible, King, Great, or Fighting.
• A Name to Honor: Perhaps you want to honor your favorite driver or pay tribute to an iconic figure of the sport. The obvious choice is to use their name, nickname and/or car number in your team’s name. For example, 3ARNHARDT FAN FOR3V3R.
• A Cryptic Name: A cryptic name could be used when either you don’t care if other players understand your team name, or if only those who know you will understand it. Perhaps you have a nickname at work that can make up part of your team name. Another option for a cryptic name would be to use an anagram. Creating anagram teams are so fun I did a couple examples for you:
  Tony Stewart = So Wet Tyrant”
  Carl Edwards = Crawler Dads”
  Best Race Team = Team Tree Scab

Gather Your Crayons and Paper!

Now that you’ve come up with a goal it’s time to gather your tools and do some research. A dictionary, thesaurus, Internet access, and your trusty crayons and paper are the essential tools you’ll need.

To begin, know thine enemy. Scan other fantasy games for the list of teams playing and write down names you like. Use the dictionary and thesaurus to find related words that you may also use.

Next is the easy part, brainstorming. Take 15-30 minutes and create a list of every name idea that comes to mind. Put them on your list even if you immediately decide you wouldn’t use it. Once you have your list it’s time to prioritize the names with the most potential. Go down your list and rank each name from best to worst on a scale of 1 to 3. Cross out the worst names and go over the list again.

Once you’re down to 3-5 names then you should have something good to work with. Do you see “the name” or do you need to do some more research and brainstorming? Is one of the names listed full of potential, but just not perfect yet? If so, pull it out and work on that one some more.

Change the order of the words around or maybe add one of the “intimidating” words to the name. Alternatively, tweak it by mixing and matching related words from the thesaurus. You may think Bud Car Fan” is pretty good, but after consulting the thesaurus you end up with a list of words to replace “fan” with, such as “Addict, Aficionado, or Freak.” In the end your team name may become Bud Car Zealot.”

If all else fails and you want the quick and easy method, OneBadWheel offers the Team Name Generator.

Register to Play!

When it’s all done, hopefully you had a little fun coming up with your team name. Not only do you want to dominate the other fantasy teams in game play, but you want your team name to look good when it’s wrote on that fat 4′ long giant check they use during the awards ceremony photo op at the end of the fantasy NASCAR game! Seriously, you really don’t want to see Team Fuzzy Pickles” on that check, do you?

Finally, head over to the OneBadWheel Fantasy games section and register your new team in our three FREE fantasy NASCAR games!

So, do you have any good tips to share for naming your fantasy NASCAR team?”

“Drawing upon the twin traditions of strength and service to the industry, NASCAR’s leaders set a confident tone for the 2009 season on Thursday, during the annual preseason press conference at the sanctioning body’s Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C.

Chairman/CEO Brian France and President Mike Helton were joined by other key members of NASCAR’s management team, at the final event in the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Throughout, the message was clear that despite the current economic challenges the sport is facing, NASCAR is well-equipped to carry on, move forward and assist other components of the industry to do the same.

“In tough times like these, strong people tighten their belts, put a little extra zip in their step and focus on the things they do best,” France told a crowd of more than 200 media. “In our sport, that’s racing … and no one does it better than our drivers and teams.

“The NASCAR management team has been extremely busy this winter, working with teams and tracks to keep our sport moving in the right direction. One of the key areas we’re zeroing in on is helping our teams develop new business models to fit today’s ever-changing economy. We’re exploring ways to manage costs. We’re working with our media partners to explore additional ways to take our product to our fans. And we’re meeting with our tracks to brainstorm new promotions for ticket opportunities.”

Helton emphasized NASCAR’s commitment in this area has been long-standing.

“I think working with the teams, the tracks, all the stakeholders in the industry is NASCAR’s role, and it’s an ongoing work in progress,” Helton said.

“I don’t know of another sport that takes its role as a service provider to its stakeholders as seriously as the France family does.

“And when we talk about working with the teams on the business models, that’s not really something that’s new at NASCAR. That’s what has perpetuated NASCAR for 60 years.”

Other highlights from Thursday’s event:

• The introduction of the 2009 Drive for Diversity driver lineup. This year’s class features 12 drivers, the most in the six-year history of the initiative aimed to facilitate competitive opportunities for minorities and females. The dozen includes Paulie Harraka, who last year became the first D4D driver to win a NASCAR track championship.

• The announcement of the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction process that will feature five annual inductees and a voting committee that will include media representatives and a nationwide fan vote. The first Hall of Fame class will be announced in May 2010, coinciding with the facility’s planned opening in downtown Charlotte, N.C.”

“The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced today the annual induction process for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, scheduled to open in Charlotte, N.C. in 2010.

The yearly HOF classes will have five inductees selected by a voting panel consisting of NASCAR industry leaders, manufacturer representatives, former competitors, the media and fans. Inductees will be chosen from an annual list of no more than 25 candidates. The main criteria for nomination and induction: NASCAR accomplishments and contributions to the sport.

To be eligible, former drivers must have competed 10 years in NASCAR and be retired from racing for a minimum of three years. Non-drivers must have worked at least 10 years in the industry. (Potential candidates with shorter careers may be considered if there are special circumstances.)

“With the excitement already building about the physical layout of the Hall of Fame, this will add to the excitement on another front, regarding this impressive, historic project,” NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said. “We have established an orderly induction process that is inclusive, involving various industry constituencies – most importantly, the fans.”

After a 20-member nominating committee selects its list of candidates, the voting will entail a total of 48 ballots. Twenty ballots will be from the nominating committee; 27 ballots will come from a group consisting of former drivers, former owners, former crew chiefs, manufacturer representatives and media; one ballot will represent the results of a nationwide fan vote.

Plans call for the inaugural list of candidates to be announced in June. Voting will be completed by Sept. 15, with the results announced in October. The first induction is scheduled for May 2010 when the NASCAR national series season comes to Charlotte for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600.

In addition, NASCAR’s Board of Directors will designate a special Hall of Fame exhibit, coinciding with the hall’s opening, honoring the sport’s “Founding Members” – individuals who helped build the sport from its roots, enabling current accomplishments. Founding Members will be permanently recognized at the HOF and the original group can be added to, in the future. Founding Members will be eligible for HOF nomination.

Following are breakdowns of the nominating committee and the voting committee.

Nominating Committee – 20 members
• Seven NASCAR representatives.
• NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director.
• NASCAR Hall of Fame Historian.
• Two track owners from International Speedway Corporation.
• Two track owners from Speedway Motorsports Incorporated.
• Track owner from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
• Track owner from Dover International Speedway.
• Track owner from Pocono Raceway.
• Four track owners from historic short tracks: Bowman-Gray Speedway in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C.; Riverhead Raceway in Riverhead, N.Y; and Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in Irwindale, Calif.

Voting Committee – 47 members plus one fan vote
• 20 members of the nominating committee.
• 14 media representatives: Three each from the National Motorsports Press Association, the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Eastern Motorsports Press Association; one each from FOX, Turner, ESPN, Motor Racing Network and Performance Racing Network.
• One representative each from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford and Toyota.
• Three retired drivers.
• Three retired owners.
• Three retired crew chiefs.
• Fan vote.”

“The Drive for Diversity (D4D) initiative continues to move forward in 2009 with an expanded driver lineup and a new management group. Twelve drivers will participate in the sixth season of Drive for Diversity – four in the NASCAR Camping World Series and eight in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. In addition, former Dale Earnhardt Inc. President Max Siegel and his new marketing and entertainment company, 909 Group, will take over day-to-day management of the initiative.

“We are proud of the progress this important initiative and its drivers have made over the past five years,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “The expansion to 12 drivers and 11 teams is a great sign of opportunities that continue to be created for young diverse drivers. We look forward to the leadership of Max Siegel and know he will help bring Drive for Diversity to the next level.”

Entering its sixth season, Drive for Diversity is NASCAR’s leading on-track diversity initiative. The program is designed to give young minority and female drivers opportunities to compete with established NASCAR teams at the grassroots level. Since 2004, 22 drivers have competed in Drive for Diversity, winning 28 races. The 2009 expansion from eight to 12 drivers comes two years after the program expanded to include teams in the NASCAR Camping World Series.

This year’s class represents drivers from across the country. Five drivers will return from 2008 and will be joined by seven new drivers.

Last year, the eight drivers combined for 14 wins, 43 top fives, 90 top 10s and a first-ever championship. Paul Harraka, who will return for his fourth year, earned the title at All-American Speedway in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Harraka will be staying with Bill McAnally Racing this season and will advance to the NASCAR Camping World Series.

Over 200 minority and female drivers applied to be part of the 2009 Drive for Diversity class. Twenty-five of those applicants were invited to tryout at the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine presented by Sunoco last October at South Boston (Va.) Speedway. Drivers were selected by their team owners based on their on-track performance and off-track interviews.

The following 12 drivers were selected by their respective team owners to compete in the program in 2009 (Click on each drivers name for a full bio and high-resolution headshot):

• Mackena Bell of Carson City, Nev., will race in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series for Position One Motorsports at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. In 2005, Bell became the youngest driver to win a championship in the 42-year history at Champion Speedway in Carson City.

• Kristin Bumbera of Sealy, Texas, returns to the Drive for Diversity Program for the second season and will race in the NASCAR Camping World Series East for Bobby Hamilton Jr. Racing. Bumbera won two races last year at All American Speedway, is the first female to win a Late Model race at Houston Motorsports Park and the first female to lead the point standings in a Texas Late Model series.

• Michael Cherry of Valrico, Fla., will race in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series for Addis Motorsports at Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway. Cherry was rookie of the year in 2008 at Motor Mile Speedway in the Late Model division and finished fourth in the point standings.

• Jonathon Gomez of Twin Falls, Idaho, will race in the NASCAR Camping World Series West for RTD Motorsports. In 2008, Gomez won a championship, rookie of the year title and 13 races at Magic Valley Speedway in Twin Falls.

• Katie Hagar of Nobleboro, Maine returns to the Drive for Diversity program and will race in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series for Golden State Racing at Madera (Calif.) Speedway. Hagar was the first female to win a race at Canaan (N.H.) Fair Speedway.

• Paul Harraka of Fairlawn, N.J., returns to the Drive for Diversity program and will race in the NASCAR Camping World Series West for Bill McAnally Racing. Harraka has 174 career wins, 13 national and six world karting championships and won the 2008 track championship at All American Speedway.

• Laura Hayes of Wilton, Calif., will race in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series for James Racing at South Boston (Va.) Speedway. Hayes has amassed 12 national, state and regional karting titles and over 100 wins.

• Juan Pitta of Galt, Calif., will race for Bill McAnally Racing in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif. Pitta is a seven-time karting champion.

• Megan Reitenour of Miamisburg, Ohio, will race for Leicht Motorsports in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series at Tri-County Speedway in Hudson, N.C. Reitenour is a three-time Ohio state champion in the Bandolero and Legends series.

• Natalie Sather of Fargo, N.D., will race for Total Velocity Motorsports in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash. Sather became the first woman to win a major ASCS trophy in 2007 when she won the Midwest Points Championship.

• Jonathan Smith of Beacon Falls, Conn., returns to the Drive for Diversity program for a third season and will race in the NASCAR Camping World Series East for Fadden Racing, Inc. Last year, Smith finished 19th in the NASCAR Camping World Series East point standings.

• Emily Sue Steck of Holmen, Wis., will race for DMT Motorsports in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, Wis. Steck received 2007 rookie of the year honors at LaCrosse Fairgrounds along with the most popular driver award. Steck was also awarded the NASCAR Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award. “

“I get it. January for race fans is like baseball’s spring training. Everyone has a chance.

That’s why every year there are articles like:

• “Waltrip ready to bounce back
• “Busch says he’s matured since last year
• “McMurray set to fulfill potential
• “Eury and Earnhardt Jr are on the same page

So I wasn’t surprised when I saw, Richard Childress Racing looks ready to contend“. Everyone has a chance.

RCR Reminds Me of Ohio State in College Football

They are a top program, but excluding 2002, are never quite the best team in a given year.

The Buckeyes roll up wins against weaker competition only to be toppled against non-conference foes. RCR is one of the top teams in NASCAR as evidenced by all three drivers making the 2008 Chase. But, they are a step below Hendrick, Roush and Gibbs.

I’m not picking on RCR.

They are a very good team with excellent drivers and personnel. I just don’t think they are an elite Cup team.

All three drivers are incredibly consistent (2 DNF’s total), but that’s also the problem. They aren’t close enough to the front to matter when the championship is at stake. Last year they won three races and scored 21 top 5’s among the three drivers. Carl Edwards had 19 top 5’s himself.

Last year the RCR drivers ranked 9th (Harvick), 10th(Burton) and 13th(Bowyer) in driver rating. These are not the marks of a contender.

“Our team was very consistent through the whole year and ran in the top 10, top five pretty much every week towards the end of the season,” Harvick says. “I think our average finish was like ninth in the Chase, and you go back five years ago and anything better than 12th would have won.”

While Happy did post a nice average finish, he only had one top 5 and led a meager 24 laps during the Chase. Harvick is right. Five years ago that would have been a great average. But, things are different now. Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch have all helped to raise the bar. More is required to compete for wins and championships than finishing races on the lead lap and outlasting the mediocre teams.

Compared to Gillett-Evernham or DEI, RCR had a great year.

Compared to the top dogs at Hendrick, Roush and Gibbs, RCR had a good year. And that’s the a significant difference. It’s like patting Ohio State on the back for dominating the Big Ten while ignoring their losses to Florida, LSU, USC and Texas.”