NASCAR History: Sept. 9 -- 1989: Bobby Hamilton wins the Commonwealth 200 at Richmond for his first victory in a national NASCAR series race. It turns out to be his only victory in the Nationwide Series in 86 starts. His career also includes four Cup wins and 10 wins in the Truck Series, including four in 2004 when he won the championship.(NASCAR.com)

Prelude to the Dream TONIGHT: If you can't make the drive to Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, on Wednesday, Sept. 9 to see the fifth annual Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream in person, don't worry. Beginning Monday, Sept. 7, race fans across the nation will have their first opportunity to order the charity all-star race on pay-per-view. Drivers from all types of disciplines, some with lots of dirt track experience and others with hardly any, will participate in hot laps, qualifying, heat races and the 30-lap feature on the half-mile clay oval, all of which will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View. Headlining the driver lineup is the majority of the Gillette Young Guns: Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano. All will join Tony Stewart, the two-time Sprint Cup champion and current point leader, and some of the world's biggest auto racing stars as they duke it out for bragging rights on the dirt in 2,300-pound dirt Late Model stock cars capable of putting out more than 800 horsepower. After the first four events collectively raised more than $2 million in charitable contributions, this year's Prelude will benefit four entities that cater to severely injured military personnel or fallen soldiers and their families – Wounded Warrior Project, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, Operation Homefront and Fisher House. Each has a mission that outlines assistance to the courageous men and women who serve their country and need additional support both during and after their time of service. The live, commercial-free broadcast will begin at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT), followed by an immediate replay. HBO Pay-Per-View's racing telecast has a suggested retail price of $24.95 and is available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming in the pay-per-view industry.(True Speed Communication/HBO)(9-8-2009)
Driver Lineup: #44-AJ Allmendinger; #8-Aric Almirola; #47-Marcos Ambrose; #33-Clint Bowyer; #51-Kyle Busch; #28-Ron Capps; #98-Ray Evernham; #97F-Red Farmer; #7-Robby Gordon; #11-Denny Hamlin; #29-Kevin Harvick; #48-Jimmie Johnson; #9-Kasey Kahne; #17-Matt Kenseth; #20-Joey Logano; #07-Casey Mears; #39-Ryan Newman; #75-Cruz Pedregon; #00-David Reutimann; #9-Ken Schrader; #14-Tony Stewart; #83-Brian Vickers and #36-Kenny Wallace.
four drivers unable to participate:
Jeff Gordon due to a scheduling conflict.
Carl Edwards after sustaining a broken right foot on Wednesday, Sept. 2 following a game of Frisbee in his hometown of Columbia, Mo.
Bill Elliott after sustaining some fractured ribs on Wednesday, Sept. 2 in a dirt bike mishap.
Dave Blaney due to the passing of his aunt.(PR)(9-9-2009)
More info on my Racing Charities page or at www.hbo.com and eldoraspeedway.com.(9-9-2009)

ESPN'S NASCAR Ratings Rise for Fourth Straight Week: ESPN's live coverage of Atlanta Motor Speedway's new Labor Day weekend NASCAR races earned the network's fourth consecutive weekend of increased television ratings for NASCAR coverage. A schedule change by NASCAR shifted NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races to Atlanta for Labor Day weekend from Fontana, Calif., where they were held last year.
The live telecast of Sunday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race on ESPN earned a final national household coverage rating of 4.1, up from the 3.9 rating for last year's NASCAR Labor Day weekend event in California. Atlanta's second race of 2008 was run in October and aired on ABC, but ESPN's telecast this year delivered an average of 5.8 million viewers, more than watched the ABC telecast last year, which aired against NFL football and drew an average of 5.6 million viewers.
The Atlanta telecast marked the third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup race on ESPN to earn a ratings increase over either the same race or the same weekend from the previous year. ESPN's six-race NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule ended at Atlanta, but ESPN's coverage continues for the final 11 races of the season and will air on ABC.
For the fourth consecutive week, ESPN's coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series earned a ratings increase. The telecast of the event from Atlanta on Saturday night aired on ESPN2 and earned a final national household coverage rating of 1.4, up from the 1.1 rating for the Nationwide Series race in Fontana, Calif., last year on Labor Day weekend. Atlanta Motor Speedway did not have a Nationwide Series race in October of 2008. The NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Oct. 10-11 as part of the schedule change from last year.(ESPN), for past races, TV Ratings Chart, see my 2009 TV Ratings page.(9-9-2009)

Foyt & Evernham to be inducted in to NC Auto Racing HoF: The North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame ("NCARHOF") in Mooresville, NC, announced that its thirteenth annual induction ceremony will be held on October 14, 2009 at the Charles Mack Citizen Center in downtown Mooresville, NC. A.J. Foyt, seven-time Indy car champion, winner of four Indy 500s, and winner of the 1972 Daytona 500 will be inducted into the NCARHOF. Ray Evernham, crew chief on three NASCAR Cup championship teams, will be honored with the prestigious Snap-on Golden Wrench Award.
Known primarily for his stunning success in Indy car racing, A.J. Foyt is also a winning driver in NASCAR, the USAC, 24 Hours of Daytona, and the IROC series. In total, he has accumulated 14 major driving championships, earning him the "Driver of the Century" designation from the Associated Press. Tony Stewart, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing and two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, is scheduled to induct A.J. Foyt into the NCARHOF.
Ray Evernham may be best known for having served as crew chief for driver Jeff Gordon in the 1990s, leading the team to three NASCAR Sprint Cup championships. His motorsports career has also taken him into the IROC series as a team manager and, later, into NASCAR team ownership. Having a keen interest in using technology to achieve performance, Ray Evernham is also widely recognized for his innovative work with pit crews and his thumb print remains on engineering systems now used throughout the racing industry.
As an organization committed to celebrating the rich heritage of all forms of motorsports, The NCARHOF is proud to be recognizing these two outstanding individuals during its next induction ceremony. Tickets and sponsorships for this year's induction ceremony may be purchased by contacting the NCARHOF at (704) 663-5331. The NCARHOF [ncarhof.com] is recognized as a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Net profits from the NCARHOF support child abuse prevention efforts and the annual Stocks for Tots fundraiser [12-8-2009 this year].(NCARHOF)(9-9-2009)

Allmendinger's Team Wins Tissot Pit Road Award in Atlanta: AJ Allmendinger's team won the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday night's Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was the first Tissot win of the season for the #44 Richard Petty Motorsports team, which became the 16th different winner of the pit crew competition in the first 25 races of 2009. Allmendinger's #44 Dodge Charger spent the least amount of time on pit road – 378.165 seconds -- during the 325-lap race at the 1.54-mile track. The team will collect $5,000 from Tissot for the pit crew win. The #44 over-the-wall crew at Atlanta consisted of: Bryan Jacobson (front tire changer), Brett Morrell (front-tire carrier), Ed Watkins (jackman), Tony Lunders (rear-tire changer), Joel Coronel (rear-tire carrier), Chris Moore (gas man) and James Antonozzi (2nd gas man). The team's crew chief is Mike Shiplett and the pit crew coach is Brett Cumming. #16-Greg Biffle's crew continues to lead the Tissot standings with five wins. The crews for #24-Jeff Gordon and #48-Jimmie Johnson are tied for second with three wins each. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race Sprint Cup schedule will receive a $100,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the crew and driver.(Tissot)(9-9-2009), see standings and previous winners on my 2009 Pit Crew News page.

Robby to skip Richmond UPDATE: during SPEED's Sprint Cup practice coverage on Staurday at Atlanta it was mentioned that David Gilliland would run the #7 Toyota at Richmond next weekend in place of Robby Gordon [owner/driver] who will be running the road race in Baja. Mile Bliss will run the #71 Chevy instead of Gilliland.(9-5-2009)
UPDATE: Last week was a busy yet terrifying week for #7-Robby Gordon. Early in the week, Gordon tested his Hummer H3 in the desert of Arizona. A violent crash sent Gordon to the hospital, calling into question whether he would be able to participate in the scheduled Labor Day racing events. After a thorough examination, the doctors released him stating that it was fortunate to walk away with just a few bruises and a black eye. Despite being hurt, Gordon rallied and prepared himself for the weekend's events. He spent much of the weekend traveling between Crandon, WI for the TORC race and Atlanta, GA for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. On Sunday morning, he made his TORC debut in the #007 Polaris PRO 2WD in Crandon, WI, as a part of THE Off Road Championship series. Gordon put on a great show for the large crowd, but he was unable to challenge Scott Taylor for the race win. Despite having an engine problem, Gordon was able to maintain fourth position until an incident just feet from the finish line caused him to spin and cross the finish line in reverse, resulting in a disappointing 6th-place finish for the team. Gordon then traveled over 1,000 miles to Atlanta, GA, where he raced the #7 Polaris Off-Road Vehicles Toyota to a 16th-place finish in the Pep Boys Auto 500.
"We had a great run in the Cup car on Sunday," said Gordon following the race. "I'm excited for Eldora and Primm later this week, and I'm also happy to have David Gilliland driving the #7 Jim Beam Camry at Richmond this weekend. Hopefully, it will be a great week of racing for Robby Gordon Motorsports and Robby Gordon Off-Road." After racing in a double-header last weekend, Gordon will go on to compete in two other races during the week. On Wednesday, September 9, Gordon will travel to Rossburg, OH, to compete in the Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Raceway. Gordon will then immediately travel to Primm, NV, where he will race in the SCORE Terrible's Primm 300, September 11-13. PRIMM will mark the fourth of five events in the 2009 SCORE International Off-Road Racing Trophy Truck Season. Robby Gordon enters the event leading the season-long championship standings.(RGM)(9-9-2009)

Shore Mechanical Corp. signs up with TBR: Shore Mechanical Corporation, a Long Island, N.Y., based HVAC company has signed on to be the small business partner of Tommy Baldwin Racing for this weekend's race at Richmond International Speedway. The Shore Mechanical logo will adorn the c-post of the #36 machine this weekend during the Chevy Rock & Roll 400. To celebrate the partnership, Shore Mechanical is going to offer its customers a free Trane CleanEffects air cleaner with the installation of any new XL20i central air conditioning system. The Support Small Businesses of America program was developed to grant small businesses the opportunity to support Tommy Baldwin Racing for a very nominal fee. They get the chance to run their corporate logo on the racecar and receive two VIP passes for the race. Additionally, they get the opportunity to offer race fans their services or merchandise at a free or reduced rate through the TBR website.(Tommy Baldwin Racing)(9-9-2009)

#39 Chevy to honor NCO's at Richmond: In recognition of the Secretary of the Army establishing 2009 as the Year of the NCO (Noncommissioned Officer), Ryan Newman's #39 Chevy will pay tribute to NCOs in Saturday night's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway. The hood on Newman's U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevy will showcase the Year of the NCO logo along with the three-stripe Sergeant Insignia. Considered the backbone of the U.S. Army, noncommissioned officers have played a vital role for more than 200 years. "Honoring the NCO is a special tribute and it will be a privilege to represent this group of Army personnel," said Newman. "This is one of many incredible experiences I've been associated with this season as the driver of the U.S. Army car. To put the NCO Chevy in Victory Lane would make it an even better celebration." The U.S. Army plans to honor local Virginia Noncommissioned Officers in a pre-race ceremony conducted on the Chevy Stage at 3pm. Saturday; honoring one Soldier with the highest recruiting achievement issued by the Army -- the Glen E. Morrell Award. The ceremony will be conducted by Command Sergeant Major Dennis King from Fort Monroe, Va.(US Army Racing), see am image of the scheme on my #39 Team Schemes page.(9-9-2009)

Sadler and wife expecting UPDATE: #19-Elliott Sadler announced on Sirius NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway Tuesday that he and his wife Amanda are expecting their first child in early March 2010.(9-8-2009)
UPDATE: Elliott Sadler - "I couldn't be any happier. Amanda and I want to have a big family with three or four kids, so we figured it was time to get started. We've known for a little while now, but thought it'd be special to share the news with friends and family this week as we head to Richmond. This is very special for us and something we both knew we wanted to happen soon. We are expecting the baby sometime in March and have a special plan for sharing the sex of our baby with our families. We are going to have the doctor put the sex of the baby in a envelope and not tell anyone, then take everyone out to dinner and open the envelope as a group so we all share the experience together."(RPM)(9-9-2009)

Richmond Tix still available: Tickets for the Saturday, September 12, Chevy Rock & Roll 400, start at $40 and can be purchased by logging on to www.rir.com or calling 866-455-RACE (7223). The weekend begins on Friday, September 11, with a full day of on-track activity, highlighted by the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race "under the lights." Friday's ticket includes practice and Fas Mart Pole Qualifying for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400, as well as practice and WRIC-TV8 Pole Qualifying for the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 race. Friday's tickets are $45 (reserved) and $35 (general admission) in advance. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult in general admission sections on Friday only.(RIR)(9-9-2009)

Grand Marshal for Chevy Rock & Roll 400: Specialist (SPC) Anthony M. Landowski, who was wounded in the line of duty in Afghanistan on May 17, will be the grand marshal for Saturday's Chevy Rock and Roll 400. Landowski, a 22-year-old native of Ringgold, Ga., and a soldier from the Georgia Army National Guard, was serving as a combat medic with the 48th Brigade Combat Team from Calhoun, Ga., when he was injured by an IED blast. He was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat as well as the Combat Medic Badge for rendering aid while under hostile enemy fire. Landowski has been receiving care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for the past four months and desires to return to his unit. He anticipates returning to Georgia, where he ultimately will finish his associate's degree and further pursue a career as a physician's assistant.(HMS)(9-9-2009)