ABC’s broadcast of Sunday’s Ford 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Homestead-Miami Speedway earned a 3.2 overnight rating from Nielsen Media Research, Street and Smith’s SportsBusiness Daily reports. The figure for the race in which Jimmie Johnson won an unprecedented fourth consecutive series title is 11.1 percent lower than the 3.6 ABC earned overnight in 2008. ...Daily Headlines
Logano Rookie of the Year
Joey Logano scored a 24th-place finish and was the top rookie in Sunday’s Ford 400. He claimed Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors 26 times in 36 races this season. The 19 year-old driver clinched 2009 "Rookie of the Year" honors in the Sprint Cup Series. -- "That was one of our big goals this year," said a smiling Logano. "It’s pretty neat to win Raybestos Rookie of the Year. I appreciate that.” -- Logano is the youngest driver to win Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The year-end payout for 2009 Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is $75,000, the same amount Darrell Waltrip earned from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for his 1982 Cup Series championship. Logano will earn a grand total of $114,500 from Raybestos brand Brakes for his efforts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this season. ...More
Knaus Wins Second-Consecutive Crew Chief of the Year Award
For the second consecutive season, Chad Knaus, crew chief for Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet, was named the coveted 2009 WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year. The announcement was made at Homestead-Miami Speedway during SPEED Television's NASCAR Raceday program prior to the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season finale. After capturing his fifth WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race in 2009 during last weekend's race at Phoenix, Knaus moved out of a tie with Darian Grubb, crew chief for the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet and driver Tony Stewart. Grubb finished the season with four WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race awards. Presenting the 2009 WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year trophy to Knaus was WYPALL Wipers Category Manager Tom Merrill and SPEED/FOX television analyst Jeff Hammond, who also serves as a spokesperson for WYPALL Wipers. In addition to the limited edition trophy, Knaus received a check for $20,000.00. ...More
Race and Commercial Breakdown for the 2009 Ford 400
Total number of commercials: 118
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 59
Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast: 18
Total number of companies or entities advertised in brief promos or crawlers: 15
Total amount of time these brief promos take during broadcast: app. 4 min. 15 sec.
Start time to record race/commercial periods: 3:15 PM
End time to record race/commercial periods: 6:40 PM
Total minutes: 205
Minutes of race broadcast: 159
Minutes of commercials: 46
Number of missed restarts: 0
Number of ‘mysterious cautions’ (reason for caution not given): 1 ...More
Hamlin Wins Fourth Race ~ Johnson Is Champ Again
CIA Stock Photos
Hamlin Does A Burnout For The Fans
Turn out the lights, the party's over. At least it is for 42 teams and one Sprint Cup Champion. The curtain falls on the 2009 season with Denny Hamlin winning the final race on Sunday. It was Hamlin's first victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway and his fourth of the year. Hamlin started 38th on the field and drove to the front, led three times for 71 laps and picked up his 8th career win. -- “It’s been a great year," said Hamlin. "To get four wins and to win on a track that people don’t necessarily expect us to win on is a great deal. I’ve just got to thank all of the fans for coming out and helping to support the Nationwide race and today. Starting this car in back and coming to the front was a show. We hope to be where Jimmie (Johnson) is at in a couple of years and we’re showing that we do have a little bit of strength.”
Hamlin won the race but the day belonged to 34 year-old Jimmie Johnson, who accomplished something no one else had done in the sixty-one year history of NASCAR, he won an unprecedented fourth consecutive Sprint Cup Championship. With four Sprint Cup crowns, Johnson joins Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jeff Gordon as only the fourth driver to win four or more NASCAR Sprint Cup championships. On the strength of 47 career victories, Johnson moved into the 13 spot on the all-time win list for the Series. -- "Just amazed. I mean I've been trying to chase this out of my head and what this might mean to me after the disappointment at Texas," said a stunned Johnson. "So it is going to take a little while for those things to jump start in my mind and get going again. Just so proud of the effort. Really think of how much I love this sport, how much I respect this sport. The greats before, how they have carried this sport on their backs and made it what it is and then to do something none of them have done, it is unbelievable man. I grew up on two wheels in the dirt. I had no clue I was going to end up here racing stock cars and doing something that had never been done before." -- It's estimated that Johnson has won over $90,000,000 in his eight year career.
Jeff Burton finished second to Hamlin and Kevin Harvick was third. Kurt Busch was fourth followed by Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and A.J. Allmendinger to round out the top ten. -- The Sprint Cup Series concludes it's 2009 season. The next race will be the Daytona 500 on February 14th, 2010. The race will also be broadcast live on MRN Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio Channel 128. ...Daily Headlines For Full Story...(Insider Racing News) For Full Final Race Results...(Insider Racing News) For top-40 Sprint Cup drivers points...(Insider Racing News)
Following a dominating season, Robby Gordon and the No. 77 Monster Energy / Toyo Tires team were named the 2009 Overall Series and Trophy Truck division Champion for the Tecate SCORE International Off-Road Racing Series. Gordon clinched the championship with his top-five finish in the Baja 1000 on Saturday, November 21st. Throughout the 2009 Tecate SCORE International Off-Road Racing season, Gordon raced in all five events and finished in the top-ten in each race. Additionally, Gordon actually scored two wins throughout the five race season. The 2009 Tecate SCORE International Off-Road season kicked off in January with the Laughlin Desert Challenge where Gordon dominated the competition, winning the unique two-day event. Gordon returned to victory lane following the PRIMM 300 in early September, when he missed the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event in Richmond, VA. ...More
Volkswagen Looks At NASCAR
The head of Volkswagen's motor sports program is at Homestead-Miami Speedway, fueling speculation that the automaker is interested in joining Toyota as the second foreign manufacturer in NASCAR. Top NASCAR officials confirmed to AP that Hans-Joachim Stuck met with the sanctioning body on Saturday at the track. The officials requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the meeting. Volkswagen officials expressed interest in entering a racing series, but indicated they are more inclined to pick a series that showcases technology, according to a person who attended the meeting but also requested anonymity. NASCAR features competition over technology. ...More
Hamlin To Have Knee Surgery
Denny Hamlin will have arthroscopic knee surgery on Wednesday to repair some minor damage to his right knee, he said Friday. Hamlin was originally scheduled to have the surgery during an off week this summer but elected to postpone it until after the season. “There’s tears in there,” he said. “[The surgery is to] basically scope it out. I just have problems with it when I get out of the car, it really is stiff and the joints really hurt, so it’s something that needs to be done for the long run.” ...Daily Headlines
Final Phoenix Ratings Down 8.3%
ESPN reported that ABC’s live coverage of last Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway earned a final national household rating of 3.3, down 8.3 percent from the 3.6 earned for the portion of last year’s race that aired on ABC (that race ended on ESPN2). The telecast averaged 5,172,384 viewers. The Nationwide Series' final national household coverage rating was 1.1, down from the 1.3 rating earned for last year’s race that also aired on ESPN2, the network said. ...Daily Headlines
Lowe's and Johnson Extend Contracts
Lowe's Companies Inc. will continue its successful relationship with Hendrick Motorsports after signing a three-year agreement that secures primary sponsorship of the No. 48 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Driving the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolets will be current points leader and three-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who has signed a five-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports that will keep him with the organization through 2015. Johnson and Lowe's previously were signed through the 2010 season. The new pacts build upon a partnership launched in 2001 when Johnson was selected by Hendrick Motorsports to drive for the new Lowe's-sponsored No. 48 team. After nearly eight full seasons, the driver-sponsor relationship has become one of the most successful in NASCAR. ...More
Frank Caliendo To Headline Awards Banquet
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony is coming to Las Vegas and Frank Caliendo is on the pole. Caliendo, the renowned comedian/impressionist with considerable sports crossover star power, will serve as the host of the annual post-season show for NASCAR’s premier series, Dec. 4 at Wynn Las Vegas. Serving as the event’s emcees will be two people highly recognizable to NASCAR fans – Mike Joy and Krista Voda from NASCAR on FOX and SPEED. (The awards ceremony will be broadcast live on SPEED on Dec. 4, at 9 p.m. ET.) Two premier musical acts will supply additional star power for the ceremony’s Vegas debut: singer/songwriter David Gray, a Grammy-nominated artist with album sales exceeding 12 million; and Escala, a female electric string quartet who emerged during last year’s “Britain’s Got Talent” television show. Also, comedian John Pinette will return for a third-straight year to NASCAR’s post-season national series awards ceremony lineup – and his second-straight appearance at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony. ...More
Homestead Goodyear Tire Notes
While teams in all three NASCAR series in action this weekend will be running the same right-side tire code (D-4136), teams in the Sprint Cup Series will be running a different left-side code (D-4220) -- Sprint Cup teams ran this same right-side code with a different left-side code at Homestead in 2008 -- this left-side code features a compound change to give the cars more grip, compared to what was run at Homestead last year -- in addition to Homestead, Cup teams ran this exact combination of left- and right-side tires at both races at Texas this season -- as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Homestead -- air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire. ...Daily Headlines
Jack Daniel’s Says Thanks
After five seasons with RCR, Jack Daniel’s and the people of parent company Brown-Forman wanted to show their appreciation in a very personal way for this weekend’s race in South Florida. So, they placed the names of everyone who worked on the program since partnering with RCR in 2005 right on the hood of the No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet. Drivers, crew chiefs, crew members and administration personnel are all being honored with approximately 140 names placed all around the words “Jack” and “Thanks” on the hood. During their time with RCR in NASCAR, three drivers drove the No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet. Dave Blaney in 2005, Clint Bowyer 2006 to 2008 and Casey Mears in 2009, who collectively earned two victories, two pole awards, 21 top-five and 61 top-10 finishes. ...More
Fuel Injection In 2011
Several sources, including a NASCAR Sprint Cup crew chief and a manufacturer's representative, have confirmed that the sanctioning body intends to replace carburetors with fuel injection on Sprint Cup engines in 2011. The move has been discussed for several years, but in a meeting between NASCAR representatives and representatives of the manufacturers held after the Talladega race, the plan was reportedly presented to those in attendance. NASCAR and the manufacturers are presently considering which of the multiple fuel-injection types -- throttle-body, multi-point, sequential or -- the latest darling of the auto manufacturers -- direct injection, would be the best, and easiest to police. ...More
McMurray To Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing?
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing has agreed to terms with a driver to replace Martin Truex Jr., and Kevin Manion will remain as the crew chief for the No. 1 NASCAR Sprint Cup car, team president Steve Lauletta said Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway. Lauletta wouldn’t name the driver, but sources indicated it would be Jamie McMurray, whose Roush Fenway Racing team is being phased out so the organization can go from five to four teams. McMurray started his Cup career driving for team co-owner Chip Ganassi. ...More
UPDATE...McMurray Signs With EGR
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates announced today that they will add NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) driver Jamie McMurray as a teammate of Juan Pablo Montoya, to drive the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet for the 2010 NSCS season. Fresh off his win at the Talladega Superspeedway on Nov. 1, McMurray will return to Ganassi whom he raced for from 2002-05. Bass Pro Shops will once again return for their fifth season as one of the primary partners on the No. 1 Chevrolet. The Joplin, MO native has won three NSCS races since he entered the series near the end of 2002. In his seven years and 258 races at NASCAR’s highest level he has 30 career top-five finishes and 80 top-10 results. ...More
Next Nationwide Series Race * Daytona International Speedway * Daytona Beach, Florida * Saturday, February 13, 2010
Kyle Busch Wins Final Nationwide Race
John Harrelson/Getty Images For NASCAR
Busch Displays Champion's & Checkered Flag
In a fitting end to the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, Kyle Busch had two reasons to do a celebratory burnout. After signing in and putting his car on the grid before Saturday's Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Busch clinched the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship. That was a mere formality. Two hundred laps later, he crossed the finish line .482 seconds ahead of a hard`charging Carl Edwards to win his ninth race of the season and the 30th of his 173 race career. Brad Keselowski, on the other hand, might have had reason to do a slow burn after Denny Hamlin escalated their ongoing rivalry by spinning Keselowski's No. 88 Chevrolet early in the race. -- "It was a tough race, for sure," Busch said. "We weren't the best car here for a long time. All these guys made some great race calls -- (crew chief) Jason (Ratcliff) and everybody else. That's why we're a championship team. That's why we made it here tonight, because these guys can fight through stuff."
Two laps after a restart on Lap 163, after pitting for new tires, Busch passed Edwards for the lead and held it the rest of the way, despite a caution for Jason Leffler's contact with the wall on Lap 184. -- "We made some adjustments to the car that really brought it to life," Busch continued. "I was able to pass those guys on that restart and get up towards the front and lead those laps, and when that last caution came out, Carl did the exact same thing I just did." -- Edwards came to the pits for tires under caution on Lap 186 and restarted eighth on Lap 190. Despite a strong run into the third turn on the final lap, his bid for the win fell just short. -- "I thought we were going to win the race on that last restart, but the 18 (Busch) was just too fast on those (old) tires," Edwards said.
Jeff Burton finished third Saturday, followed by Joey Logano and Hamlin. David Reutimann, Ryan Newman, Steve Wallace, Scott Speed and Matt Kenseth completed the top 10. Keselowski finished 12th. Edwards was runner-up to Busch in the final points standings followed by Keselowski, Leffler and Mike Bliss. Justin Allgaier, sixth, won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award. He was followed by Steve Wallace, Jason Keller, Brendan Gaughan and Michael Annett in seventh through 10th, respectively.
Saturday's race wrote a new chapter in the rivalry between Keselowski and Hamlin, who had dominated the headlines with their on-track and off-track shots last weekend at Phoenix. In the NASCAR Nationwide race there, Keselowski repaid a tap from Hamlin by spinning his adversary. Hamlin promised retaliation at Homestead, and made good on his threat on Lap 34, sending Keselowski spinning down the frontstretch. NASCAR held Hamlin in the pits for one lap for rough driving, but Hamlin subsequently regained the lost circuit when NASCAR called a debris caution on Lap 91. --
Keselowski declined to exacerbate the friction between the drivers after the race. "I don't hold any grudges, and I'm ready to move on," he said.
Hamlin, on the other hand, doesn't think the drivers are even yet. "I feel great right now -- it was well worth it," Hamlin said of the penalty. "…The scales are tipped a little bit more in my favor, but they're not tipped that much."
For Final Results...Ford 300 Final Results Point Standings...Point Standings After Ford 300
Next Camping World Truck Series Race * Daytona International Speedway * Daytona Beach, Florida * Friday, February 12, 2010
Harvick Wins Homestead: Final Truck Race of 2009
Photo Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR
Harvick-Hornaday Enjoy Win And Championship
Kevin Harvick roared past Timothy Peters moments after a Lap 135 restart and pulled away to win Friday night's Ford 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in a green-white-checkered-flag finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The victory was Harvick's second in a row, his third in six starts this year and the sixth of his career. Matt Crafton finished second and Colin Braun third, as both drivers also passed Peters, who ran fourth, on the final two-lap dash. Todd Bodine came home fifth, followed by Mike Skinner, David Starr, Hornaday, Johnny Sauter and T.J. Bell.
Harvick, who came to the pits for tires under the final caution on Lap 129 of 136, was a double winner Friday night, given that the truck he fields for Ron Hornaday Jr. locked up the series owners' championship with an eighth-place finish. Hornaday clinched his record fourth drivers' championship last Friday at Phoenix. -- "We knew we needed to go out and beat Kyle," said Harvick, who led 108 laps. "We knew that Hornaday needed to race safe and do what he needed to do to win the owners' championship. Obviously, he won the drivers' championship last week. Our goal was to go out and lead the most laps and win the race. I think everybody was concerned about their tires (late in the race), and there weren't very many trucks on the lead lap, so we came down for four tires (while Peters remained on the track). I thought the 17 (Peters) was going to be a sitting duck there, (and) luckily it all worked out."
Kyle Busch's hopes of winning the owners' championship in Billy Ballew's No. 51 Toyota disappeared on Lap 82, when Busch came to the pits to replace a cut tire. To compound the problem, Busch had to serve a pass-through penalty when his crew failed to carry the damaged tire to the pit wall before Busch left the stall. Busch finished 13th. Harvick pitted for fuel on Lap 114 and regained the lead eight laps later when Aric Almirola made his final pit stop. After the field cycled through, Harvick quickly opened an advantage of more than four seconds over Peters and expanded the margin until Ryan Sieg's spin on Lap 127 caused the fourth caution of the race and bunched the field.
Notes: Terry Cook was not entered in the Ford 200, ending his series record streak of 296 consecutive starts. … Sauter was named Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the truck series. Braun secured fifth place in the final series standings.
Final Race Results...Ford 200 Results Point Standings...After Ford 200
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