Stewart making only planned start of 2010 at Daytona: After 41 career NASCAR Nationwide Series starts stretched out over five seasons, Tony Stewart finally scored his first Nationwide Series victory when he won the 2005 season-opener at Daytona International Speedway driving for an upstart Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI). The win was also the first for the team owned by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick and wife DeLana. Flash forward to the 2010 Nationwide Series season-opener at Daytona where Stewart is back driving for KHI in the #4 Oreo/Ritz Chevy in what will be his one and only planned Nationwide Series appearance of the year. (True Speed Communications / Stewart PR), see an image of the car on the #4 Nationwide Series paint scheme page.(2-8-2010)

Sauter running Nationwide? UPDATE: A local [Destin, FL] company will be sponsoring a team in the NASCAR nationwide series this season. Amenity Services Incorporated out of Destin is sponsoring driver Johnny Sauter. Sauter and his crew were in town Feb.4 meeting fans, signing autographs and showing off the Chevy Impala that debuts in the [DRIVE4COPD] 300 at the Daytona International Speedway next Saturday, the 13th. Amenity Services is promoting its nationwide website, getmorevacations.com and sweepstakes giveaway on the body of the car.(WJHG.com), no mention of the team, last year getmorevacations.com was on the #49 of Jay Robinson Racing for much of the season.(02-08-2010)
UPDATE: Sauter is entered in the #48 Chevy, owned by Darrell Blanton.(02-08-2010)

Nemechek planning on full Nationwide season:Joe Nemechek plans to run the entire Nationwide and Sprint Cup schedules, and so far, his plan got off to a good start. Nemechek made the Daytona 500 field, which can go a long way for a Nemco Motorsports operation looking for sponsorship. "We're basically racing off the purse, the money that we win," Nemechek said. "That's what pays the bills. If you don't get in the show, you still have huge expenses you have to pay for. We've got a lot of good things going on with potential sponsors and potential marketing folks that can help us."(Scene Daily)(2-8-2010)

Riggs driving for RAB at Daytona: UPDATE: RAB Racing announced that Scott Riggs will pilot the #09 Ford in the NASCAR Nationwide Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 13th. "We are thrilled to have Scott in our car at Daytona," stated Robby Benton, Co-owner and General Manager of RAB Racing with Brack Maggard. "Scott's experience in all three levels of competition in this sport and the solid foundation of this team will produce a great combination for success. We're on track to deliver great results for the 2010 season opener at Daytona and hope to build the partnership between RAB Racing and Scott Riggs to run a full 2010 schedule."(RAB Racing PR)(1-25-2010)
UPDATE: Scott Riggs will make his debut with RAB Racing during the NASCAR Nationwide Series season opener at Daytona. Riggs is only scheduled to run the first race with hopes of finding funding to run a full-schedule in 2010. The #09 Ford has traded in its yellow and blue paint scheme and is now sporting a black and yellow scheme. RAB Racing's very own, Ashley Parlett designed the new look. Ben Gable, a 30 year old Mooresville, NC native, will be taking over as crew chief on the #09 Ford for the 2010 season (RAB PR)(2-8-2010)

Wise joins Specialty Racing: Josh Wise, a former champion in the USAC National Sprint Car Series and the USAC National Midget Series, has signed with NASCAR Nationwide Series team Specialty Racing. He will compete in all 35 races behind the wheel of the team's #61 Ford Fusion.(MMI PR)(2-8-2010)

ESPN's NASCAR Coverage to Rock with Comic Book Heroes: Comic Book Heroes' (CBH) new single "Move Out of the Way" off their "Take A Seat" EP has been chosen by ESPN as the featured song for the network's coverage of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season. The season opens at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 13, at noon ET on ESPN2. To kick off their new relationship with ESPN, CBH filmed a video for "Move Out of the Way," portions of which will be used throughout the season during ESPN's NASCAR Nationwide Series race telecasts. A new music video for the teen rock band's first single, "Catch Me If You Can," and six original songs from CBH also will be included in promotions for ESPN's NASCAR coverage. Throughout the 10-month NASCAR Nationwide Series season, CBH's music, videos and promotions will be featured in 35 races televised on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC.(ESPN PR)(2-7-2010)

ML Motorsports owner donates to Haiti relief efforts: Add ML Motorsports owner Mary Louise Miller to the list of NASCAR folks lending aid to the earthquake victims in Haiti. ML Motorsports runs the #70, Foretravel Motorcoach / BIOMET Chevy in the Nationwide Series with driver Shelby Howard. Miller, who with her husband Dane founded BIOMET, a leading manufacturer of Orthopedic devices based in Warsaw, In. last month donated more than a half million dollars of equipment to the relief effort, stepped up to the plate once again this week. BIOMET quietly made the donation a couple of weeks ago, learned of an effort by Sister Laureen Painter, Vice President of St. Joseph Hospital Foundation in nearby South Bend to gather local doctors to go to Haiti to lend aid. Working with Friendship Flights Inc, based at the Goshen, In airport, BIOMET, Tuesday donated the company's Citation Excel Jet to fly the medical volunteers to Haiti.(ML Motorsports PR)(2-8-2010)

GameStop renews with JGR: GameStop Corporation, the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer, has extended its sponsorship with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) through the 2010 NASCAR season. Joey Logano will pilot the #20 GameStop Toyota in 21 Nationwide Series events, beginning with the season-opening race at the Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 13, 2010.(JGR PR)(2-8-2010)

StopRepairBills.com joins Braun Racing: Braun Racing announced that StopRepairBills.com will adorn the hood of its #11 Toyota Camry for two NASCAR Nationwide Series races, including those at Daytona International Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year contender Brian Scott will drive the StopRepairBills.com Toyota Camry.(Braun Racing PR)(2-8-2010)

Danica will decide on Daytona Nationwide race on Monday: UPDATE: Yes Danica Patrick says she'll announce Monday whether she will enter next Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway, but her crew chief doesn't want to wait. "My vote will be 'go,' " Tony Eury Jr. said after the IndyCar Series star finished sixth in her stock-car debut Saturday night in the ARCA series. "I'm all for it. I want her to get as much seat time as she can." Eury said he and team co-owner Rick Hendrick originally were skeptical about Patrick competing in the Nationwide race at Daytona because there are so many Sprint Cup drivers in the field. But, Eury said, the way Patrick rallied from a spinout that left her in last place with fewer than 30 laps remaining was impressive. Eury added that his father, Tony Eury Sr., stayed in Mooresville, N.C., to finish working on the Nationwide car if Patrick opts to race. (ESPN.com)(2-6-2010)
UPDATE: Danica Patrick will enter Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway, a source close to the situation told ESPN.com on Sunday. The IndyCar Series star who is beginning the transition to NASCAR made the decision after finishing sixth in Saturday's ARCA debut at DIS. An official announcement will be made on Monday. Patrick will be guaranteed a spot in the field using the points Brad Keselowski accumulated in the #88 for JR Motorsports last season [actually the team will use points from the CJR Racing #11 car]. Patrick's biggest reservation about Daytona was keeping JR Motorsports teammate Kelly Bires out of the event and perhaps costing a driver competing for the championship valuable points if she makes a mistake.(ESPN.com)(2-7-2010)
UPDATE: Danica Patrick will make her NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in the #7 GoDaddy.com Chevy this Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, JR Motorsports general manager Kelley Earnhardt announced. Patrick, Earnhardt, and team officials convened Sunday following the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) event at Daytona, in which Patrick raced to a sixth-place finish in her stock-car debut. The decision for Patrick to compete in the Daytona Nationwide Series event is supported by sponsor GoDaddy.com and JRM co-owners Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Eury Jr., and Rick Hendrick.(JR Motorsports PR)(2-8-2010)

Lepage with MacHill at Daytona: IMAGE Mac Hill Motorsports and Revolucion World Wide established the Revolucion Nationwide team to run at Daytona. The parternship was struck when Revolucion CEO Derek Broes and driver Kevin Lepage [met].(Revolucion PR), no details on any number of races.(2-6-2010)
IMAGES: See a couple graphics of the cars on the #56 team paint schemes page.(2-8-2010)

Rick Ware announces driver lineup: IMAGES In the NASCAR Nationwide Series, veteran #31-Stanton Barrett joins #41-Chrissy Wallace for Daytona. Barrett returns to the NASCAR Nationwide Series after competing in both NASCAR and the Indy Racing League in 2009. Wallace will make her debut at the high banks of Daytona and looks to make her stand as the best newcomer in the sport. DJ Kennington, who finished second in the point standings of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series the past three seasons, will run several races for RWR before heading back to Canada in pursuit of the Championship that has eluded him. Also returning to the Nationwide Series will be Tim Andrews, who showed great promise in 2009 with the organization and will once again have guidance from his father Paul Andrews, the former Championship Crew Chief. Wiley veteran Donnie Neuenberger will run select races in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series, and Brian Rose will make his return to the NASCAR circuit with a combination of Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series events for RWR in 2010.(RWR PR)(2-5-2010)
IMAGES: See images of the #31 and #41 that will be driven at Daytona on the 2010 Nationwide Series paint schemes page.(2-7-2010)

Virginia's Best Water joins Key Motorsports: Virginia's Best Water and Key Motorsports officials announced the brand will be the "Official Bottled Water of Key Motorsports" for the fourth consecutive racing season. Building on a relationship that began in 2007, Virginia's Best Water parent company, Wholesome Foods, Inc., will supply bottled water for the Key Motorsports team at all 35 NASCAR Nationwide Series events in 2010 as well as at selected show car appearances throughout the United States.(Key Motorsports PR)(2-6-2010)

Rick Ware announces sponsors: Rick Ware Racing announced that EZ-Slider has committed to sponsoring Donnie Neuenberger for the 2010 seasonfour in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and five in the Camping World Truck Series. EZ-Slider produces cylinder sleeves for automotive, truck, and agricultural applications.
AND RGS Labs International Inc., makers of FW1 Waterless Wash and Wax, announced once again that they will be sponsoring Rick Ware Racing (RWR) in 2010. FW1 will appear on all entries for Rick Ware Racing in 2010, including the NASCAR Nationwide, NASCAR Camping World Truck, Whelen Modified and AMA Arenacross Series'.(RWR PR)(2-6-2010)

Lagasse to drive for Baker Curb? UPDATE 2 full-time: The Baker Curb Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series team will field a second car for driver Scott Lagasse Jr. beginning at Daytona International Speedway next weekend. The organization will field the #37 Ford for Lagasse, according to a well-placed source. The source could not be identified because the team has not made the official announcement. Baker Curb was said to be holding off on making the announcement until hearing from a prospective sponsor. The deal could be made public this week. Another source said Jeff White, who was with the team as an engineer, will serve as Lagasse's crew chief.(NNS Racing)(2-3-2010)
UPDATE: Baker Curb Racing announced today that the team has reached an agreement with Scott Lagasse Jr. to drive the team's #43 Ford in the Nationwide Series this season. Lagasse Jr. will team up with Greg Biffle at BCR and will make his debut in the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway Saturday, February 13th. DrGmall.com will be the primary sponsor on the car for Daytona and will be a sponsor for several races throughout the 2010 season. Additional sponsorship for multiple races has been secured and will be announced at a later date. Jeff White has been named the crew chief on Lagasse Jr's No. 43 drgmall.com(Baker Curb PR), see an image of the car on the #43 paint schemes page.(2-5-2010)
UPDATE 2: Scott Lagasse Jr. had two choices after being fired a year ago from CJM Racing: Give up or get even. He got even. The driver from St. Augustine was selected to drive the No. 43 Ford for Baker Curb Racing in the Nationwide Series, starting with next Saturday's DRIVE4COPD 300. Although more than a dozen drivers from the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series remain unemployed, Lagasse was selected to compete in all 35 races.(Jacksonville Union Times), with Lagasse running full time, the #43 team will likely use points from the #27 team last year to be locked into the field. Greg Biffle would be eligible for the past champions provisional in the #27.(2-6-2010)

Meijer renews with Kentucky Speedway: Kentucky Speedway will continue its solid event sponsorship record with partners Meijer, Ford Racing, the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Office of Highway Safety during its 2010 race season. Meijer will be an event title sponsor for an eighth consecutive season when the NASCAR Nationwide Series visits June 12 for the "Meijer 300 presented by Ritz" and will continue to serve as the Official Supercenter of Kentucky Speedway.(Kentucky Speedway PR)(2-5-2010)

Chrissy Wallace in the #41 at Daytona: Chrissy Wallace will be making her NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Daytona International Speedway on February 13th in the Camping World 300 in the #41 Fuel Doctor Chevy with Rick Ware Racing (RWR). Wallace debuted with RWR in the NASCAR Camping World Series at Talladega last October. She finished 13th and looks forward to the new challenge. Once again marking the first time in history that a Father-Daughter will compete against each other in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Chrissy will join her father on the track to top last season's performance at Talladega in the Camping World Truck race in 2009. With so many storylines during the opening week of the NASCAR season, nothing could be more intriguing than four family members competing against each other in the same event. Father Mike Wallace will be in the #01, Uncle Kenny Wallace in the #28, cousin Stephen Wallace in the #66 and Chrissy in the #41.(Ware Racing PR)(2-5-2010)

Blue Ox on the #28 at Daytona: Jay Robinson Racing and Blue Ox Products jointly announced that Blue Ox Products will serve as the primary sponsor of the #28 driven by Kenny Wallace, in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday February 13 as part of NASCAR's 2010 opening weekend in Daytona. Blue Ox, of Pender, Neb., is a leading manufacturer of recreational vehicle and towing industry supplies and accessories.(Jay Robinson Racing PR), see an image of the car on the #28 paint schemes page.(2-5-2010)

Miccosukee sponsorship leaving the sport?: UPDATE: Sponsorship from Miccosukee Indian Gaming in all three of NASCAR's national series - Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Trucks - could be terminated as a result of an early February vote by the Indian tribe. The tribe, which runs Miccosukee Resort and Gaming located in Miami and along the southeastern edge of the Florida Everglades, elected a new chairman, Colley Billie, on Jan. 5 who campaigned on promoting a new and "proactive" economic development platform. Several sources confirmed the tribe plans a Feb. 4 vote to decide whether it will continue its sponsorship in NASCAR, which includes Cup [#09-Almirola] and Nationwide teams [#1-James Buescher] to be fielded in 2010 by team owner James Finch and a Truck team [#18] owned and driven by Kyle Busch. The chances the NASCAR sponsorships will continue are considered slim, sources said.(Charlotte Observer)(1-26-2010)
UPDATE: James Finch learned late Thursday afternoon that Miccosukee Resort and Gaming will no longer sponsor his Phoenix Racing teams. Finch had a contract for the full Nationwide Series schedule and 18 Sprint Cup races but when the Chairman of the Miccosukee tribe Billy Cypress lost the last election, Phoenix Racing became sponsor-less for Daytona and beyond.(Fox Sports)(2-4-2010)

MotorsportsRetro.com sponsoring Herd at Daytona: MotorsportsRetro.com, the world's largest internet shopping site for retro racing apparel, has joined Herd Racing as primary sponsor of the team's #75 entry in the Drive4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway next weekend. MotorsportsRetro.com, based in Cincinnati, OH, will also become the official provider of team clothing and will create a line of Herd Racing apparel which fans can purchase online through the company.(Herd PR), see an image of the car on the #75 paint schemes page.(2-4-2010)

Beringer returns to Braun Racing: Braun Racing announces the return of Beringer Vineyards to their sponsor line-up for the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season. The California-based, Beringer Vineyards, which is returning to Braun Racing for its fourth year, will serve as a primary sponsor of the team's #10 entry for three races in 2010. Veteran driver, David Reutimann, will once again pilot the #10 Beringer Vineyards Toyota Camry in those three events, which include Auto Club Speedway in February, Texas Motor Speedway in April and Chicagoland Speedway in July.(Braun Racing PR)(2-4-2010)

Brian Scott to have wrist surgery: #11-Brian Scott tweeted Thursday morning that "my broken wrist... quit healing and I have to have surgery. Will have to have it done after Vegas." He originally broke his wrist in the Camping World Truck Series race at Michigan last June.(2-4-2010)

Kyle Busch will not run full Nationwide schedule: Joe Gibbs Racing's Kyle Busch said he won't run the full NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule in 2010 as team president J.D. Gibbs vetoed Busch's hopes of going for a second consecutive title. Before the 2009 awards ceremony last November in Miami, Busch said he hoped to talk Gibbs into letting him add enough races to his schedule to contend for the championship. But at NASCAR Media Day at Daytona International Speedway, Busch said that's not likely to happen. "I think it's pretty much decided now that we're running the 25-26 (Nationwide) races," Busch said Thursday. "Of course, we're running the full Sprint Cup Series schedule and about 15 truck races."(NNS Racing)(2-4-2010)

TV start times announced: Telecast times for the 2010 NASCAR season have been released, and as previously announced, the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule features earlier, consistent start times throughout the year. Points races in the Eastern and Central regions of the country will begin at 1 p.m. ET, West Coast events will begin at 3 p.m. ET, and night races will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. The 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season will be telecast on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. ABC will have four events, ESPN will have nine and ESPN2 will have 22. ESPN2 opens the season with the DRIVE4COPD 300 at 1:15 p.m. ET on Feb. 13 at Daytona. ESPN2 also will telecast the season-finale Ford 300 on Nov. 20 at Homestead-Miami (4:30 p.m. ET).(NASCAR PR), for the complete 2010 Nationwide schedule plus start times, see my 2010 Natiowide Series schedule page.(2-4-2010)

Buescher to run ARCA race for Phoenix: Phoenix Racing has entered James Buescher, the 2009 winner of the Daytona Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, in the 2010 ARCA season opener. Phoenix has its own rich history in Daytona that includes three wins in the ARCA series opener at the home of stock car racing. The James Finch owned team also has three ARCA Series Superspeedway Championships. Buescher also joins PRI in the Nationwide Series fulltime for the 2010 season.(Phoenix Racing PR)(2-3-2010)

Daytona Race named DRIVE4COPD 300: The prestigious NASCAR Nationwide Series season opener, the 120-lap, 300-mile event scheduled on Saturday, Feb. 13, will be known as the DRIVE4COPD 300, Daytona International Speedway Track President Robin Braig announced. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a serious, progressive disease  which includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both  that robs people of their ability to breathe and kills more Americans each year than breast cancer and diabetes combined. The DRIVE4COPD race entitlement is part of a broader nationwide health initiative to bring more awareness to the disease, led by founding sponsor Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. with partnering organizations including the COPD Foundation, American Lung Association and NASCAR. Serving as the Grand Marshals for the DRIVE4COPD 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race will be the four celebrity campaign ambassadors  Emmy-nominated actor Jim Belushi, Olympic Gold Medalist Bruce Jenner, Grammy Award-winning country music star Patty Loveless and former Pro Football Star Michael Strahan  who will all give the command, "Drivers start your engines."(Daytona PR)(2-3-2010)

Keller driving for TriStar this season: UPDATE 3: Jason Keller has had a steering wheel in his lap for as long as he can remember. For the past several months, however, that steering wheel has been attached to a forklift. "I've been working for my dad's business, driving a forklift all winter," said Keller, a NASCAR regular for the past 17 seasons. "It has actually been a very pleasant winter." But as winter gives way to spring, Keller's thoughts again are turning to racing. The Greenville stock car driver announced Friday an agreement with TriStar Motorsports of Mooresville, N.C., to drive the team's #19 Chevy on the Nationwide Series this season. TriStar team owner Mark Smith, who said "our intention is to run the whole season (schedule)," has been out of the ownership business since 1997, but before that his team featured drivers such as Bobby Hamilton and Loy Allen Jr., in the 1990s. Smith has focused on building engines in recent years, most notably ones used by Ron Hornaday Jr. en route to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title last season.(The State)(1-30-2010)
UPDATE: hearing that the TriStar team will run two cars this year, with the other being last year's Front Row Motorsports #34 team with Tony Raines.(1-30-2010)
UDPATE 2: The team has decided to run Jason Keller in the #35 and will keep the #34 car number unchanged.(2-2-2010)
UPDATE 3: Keller announced late last week he had agreed to drive for the team owned by Mark Smith, a noted engine builder and owner of Pro Motors Engines. Keller said his crew chief will be Bryan Berry, who had success with Brendan Gaughan in 2009. But Keller acknowledged that it will be an uphill climb. The team was still hiring crew members and trying to acquire cars, and the season is 10 days away. Plus, Smith formed a partnership with Front Row Motorsports to run the #34 Chevy driven by Tony Raines out of his shops in Denver, N.C., making it an all-out scramble to get ready for the season. Keller said he originally was going to drive the #19  Smith's former number in the Cup series  but NASCAR told them another team has that number. Keller could end up in the #35, but there are plenty of other issues facing the team, for sure. Keller will have to make the first five races of the season via qualifying because a deal to get points from another team likely won't be made.(NNS Racing)(2-3-2010)

Parrott is Gaughan's new crew chief: UPDATE: Rusty Wallace announced on ESPN2's NASCAR Now that Brad Parrott will be Brendan Gaughan's crew chief for the #62 Toyota in 2010. Parrott was recently announced as crew chief for Greg Biffle at Baker-Curb Racing.(2-2-2010)
UPDATE: Officials of Rusty Wallace Racing announced that standout veteran crew chief, Brad Parrott, will lead Brendan Gaughan and RWR's #62 team in the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series. Parrott, a winner of nearly 20 races in the Nationwide Series since 2002, brings a wealth of veteran knowledge to RWR, having served as crew chief for drivers such as Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett, Juan Pablo Montoya and others. Parrott's first experience with Rusty Wallace came when he served as tire specialist for Wallace and the famed #2 car at Penske Racing in the early 1990's. Further, RWR officials announced that Parrott's fatherand Wallace's crew chief at Penske Racing during the 1993 and 1994 seasonsBuddy Parrott, will serve as spotter for Gaughan and the #62 Toyota Camry in select 2010 Nationwide Series events.(RWI PR)(2-3-2010)

Florida Senate Candidate sponsoring Wallace at Daytona: U.S. Senate Candidate Kendrick Meek will be the lead sponsor of Mike Wallace's #01 race car at the NASCAR Nationwide Series Race in Daytona Beach, Florida, on February 13, 2010. A longtime NASCAR supporter, Kendrick Meek attended NASCAR's Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2007, and he also attended the final NASCAR Sprint Cup race of 2009 at the same track.(Meek PR)(2-2-2010)

ABF to sponsor Leffler in 7 races: Braun Racing announced that their marketing partner of four years, ABF, is expanding their current racing program and will serve as primary sponsor of the #10 Toyota for seven races in 2010. Jason Leffler will pilot the #10 ABF Camry in the following races: Daytona (February 13), Bristol (March 20), Darlington (May 7), Dover (May 15), Charlotte (May 29), Atlanta (September 4), and Homestead-Miami (November 20). ABF has been a partner of Braun Racing's since 2006, serving as an associate sponsor on the #38 Toyota and as primary sponsor of the #10 Toyota on occasion.(Braun Racing)(2-2-2010)

Bliss will drive for Key Motorsports in first 3 races: Mike Bliss will return to the seat of the #40 Key Motorsports Chevy to kick off the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, Key Motorsports officials announced. Bliss is locked in the seat of the #40 for the first three events of the Nationwide Series schedule, the Camping World 300 at Daytona February 13th, the Stater Brothers 300 at Auto Club Speedway February 20th and the Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas on February 27th. Both Key Motorsports and Bliss are hopeful sponsorship will allow for Bliss to remain in the car for the full 35 race schedule. The 2002 NASCAR Truck Series champion is no stranger to Key Motorsports equipment, having driven for the team in three of the past four seasons in both the Truck Series as well as the NASCAR Nationwide Series.(2-1-2010)

Alex Garcia planning to run road course races: Alex Garcia was supposed to be a full-time Nationwide Series competitor in 2008, only to find himself one of countless drivers and teams whose plans were shuttered due to reductions in sponsor dollars. Since failing to qualify for the NNS race at Watkins Glen in August of that year, he and his #98 car have been absent from NASCAR. But he never left the sport. Instead, the only Venezuelan to ever start a NASCAR race has been working the PR trails, trying to find the sponsorship that has been so fleeting. Now, as 2010 rolls around, Garcia is refocusing his efforts not as a driver, but as an owner seeking to facilitate driver development for Latin Americans who now are considering stock cars as a potential career path. With the focus of many foreign drivers tackling the road courses as an introduction to stock car racing, Garcia's team is preparing accordingly. "We're finishing up our road race car [and] on the Nationwide Series side we'll definitely be there for the road course races," states Garcia. "We're not ready to make the jump to full-time. We've got some interest in some races, the road races happen to be the first ones. We're [also] building a car for the ARCA race, and we hope to test at Palm Beach on February 8."(Frontstretch Newsletter)(2-1-2010)

Acredale returns to Jay Robinson Racing: Acredale Vending & Coffee Service will return to Jay Robinson Racing this year starting at Daytona. Acredale has been a small Associate sponsor for several years. Business owner Scott Abshire is a part time crew member as well. Acredale has provided Vending and office coffee services in the Tidewater Virginia area for over 25yrs.(Acredale PR)(1-31-2010)

NASCAR cutting race purses to all three series: NASCAR is cutting by about 10 percent the race winnings it will award teams in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series this season, officials confirmed on Friday. The reduction is part of cost-cutting measures that will alleviate some of the financial burdens on tracks that have suffered during a tough economic environment that has forced them to cut ticket prices with declining attendance. "Last year we launched an industry-wide effort to help the sport manage budgets in this economy," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said Friday. "NASCAR did the right thing to work with the tracks to reduce their costs in order to manage the economic realities. In return, the tracks have done a great job reducing ticket prices and enhancing the fan experience. Likewise, we worked with the teams to contain costs such as elimination of testing and other steps. This is consistent with how virtually every sport and business has adjusted to the economy over the past year." Bruton Smith, the chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns nine tracks that host Cup, Nationwide and Truck events, applauded NASCAR for making the cut. He doesn't believe drivers will particularly like it, "but they understand."(ESPN.com)(1-29-2010)

Herd Racing names crew members: Veteran crew members Chad Beahr and Morris Van Vleet will head Herd Racing's crew in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010, the team has announced. Beahr, of Mechanicsville, Va., will serve as crew chief for Herd's #75 Nationwide Series team, while Van Vleet, of Mooresville, NC, will fill the role of car chief.(Herd Racing PR)(1-28-2010)

Clements in the #0 with Boudreaux Butt Past sponsorship: Jeremy Clements Racing has added a new sponsor for the first three races of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide season. Boudreaux's Butt Paste, who sponsored Clements in the ARCA Remax Series, will team up with the 25 year-old driver once again. Also coming back on board this season is the Saxon Group. Look for Jeremy in the yellow #0 Boudreaux's Butt Paste Chevy at the season opener in Daytona.(Clements PR)(1-28-2010)