Answer this...

Racing into the reality of this...

Hollywood producer and distributor Cinamour Entertainment has entered into a joint venture with Reality Racing principals Patrick and Lee Schaefer to co-produce "Reality Racing - The Rookie Challenge," it was announced by Cinamour Entertainment CEO Glen Hartford and Reality Racing President Lee Schaefer. Cinamour Entertainment will also handle the worldwide distribution of the one-hour, 13-episode series.

"We are thrilled to be involved in both the production and distribution of 'Reality Racing - The Rookie Challenge,'" said Hartford, who will serve as an Executive Producer on the series along with the President of Cinamour Entertainment, Daniel Toll and Reality Racing's CEO, Patrick Schaefer. "This show fills a void in the world of reality programming... It is NASCAR meets 'American Idol.'"

"Reality Racing - The Rookie Challenge" combines the action, excitement and dreams of stock car racing with the drama, personalities and conflicts of reality television. Reality Racing offers total amateurs a chance to put their dreams on the starting line... in professional stockcars. The winner will be awarded the opportunity to drive in a NASCAR sanctioned race, a championship ring, cash, valuable prizes and surprises.

In the coming months Reality Racing will begin touring the country in a national contestant search (dates and locations to be announced). The 15 most qualified male and female finalists will face weekly challenges and races which will be judged by a panel consisting of some of racings biggest legends, including Bobby Allison. Areas of judging will include, but not limited to: raw talent, on-camera appearance and personality, experience, overall desire and on-the-track racing abilities.

"Given the popularity of NASCAR racing, and the fact that 75 million Americans consider themselves to be racing fans, it was a natural fit to develop programming to cater to this huge audience," said Lee Schaefer, President of Reality Racing. "Viewers will get to follow our contestants and watch them as they progress from amateur drivers to, for one lucky person, a professional stock car racer in a NASCAR-sanctioned event."

CEO of Reality Racing, Patrick Schaefer, is a 25-year veteran of sports promotion and television production, and Cinamour Entertainment has established itself as a leading television and film production and distribution company responsible for such hit series as Cheaters which is currently in its sixth season.

Super no scoop on this...

Q. Is it true that the winner of Rock Star: Supernova has already been decided?
A. No. Janet Charlton does not have any Supernova Super Scoop. The band members of Supernova haven't even reached a consensus yet. See also: Dave Navarro.

I do have the scoop on tonight's episode, but too bad, so sad, I don't scoop the show.

Update:

So, y'all probably watched the episode and already know the bottom 3 are Ryan, Storm and Dilana (!?!?!) and Ryan goes home so I'll spare ya an official report except to say that Ryan was in good spirits today after the taping and looking forward to the next chapter.

How about some photos instead?

From the Guilano Bekor InTouch photo shoot (on stands now):

Visit www.giulianobekor.com to view the entire Rock Star: Supernova photo shoot.

Is Steve parked for the remainder of this...?

Q. Steve Park was in the #59 truck, but I heard he decided to leave the ride early to pursue another ride. That didn't seem to materialize. Do you have any info on what happened to his NCTS or Busch ride? Does he have any new prospects lined up?
A. A source confirms that it was Steve's decision to leave, but after he did his new deal, which was with Bill Davis Racing for the remainder of 2006 as well as 2007, fell through because one of the sponsors, a fuel company, didn't get approved by NASCAR due to the Sonoco deal. 

Steve is currently looking for new sponsors or a new team for a ride in any of the three series.

Note to readers:

The tallglassofmilk has checked out for the remainder of the weekend.  I'll be at the track so updates will be few and far between and I don't anticipate having a race weekend update this week, but if I'm super inspired that could change.  The plan is to bring ya back some more Cali photos.

Evernham is peeved by this...

USA Today - "NASCAR gossip peeves Evernham"

Ray Evernham says his personal life has no impact on his Nextel Cup team.

But he admits the discussion of his personal life could be damaging for a high-profile owner whose three cars answer to more than 60 image-conscious sponsors paying the bills to keep Evernham Motorsports in NASCAR's premier series.

"I do worry about those things," Evernham said. "Obviously what people are saying, maybe it makes our partners nervous or whatever. I've got to just keep showing people that my personal life doesn't affect this business. My son battled leukemia for 2½ years while we were in the middle of championship battles. [continued]

Quoting this...

"The bottom line is I'm here and working, and there should be enough faith in my past history and the person that I am."

"I'm hurt by it, but I'm not going to be bitter. If someone wants to think less of me for having a personal life, there's nothing I can do about it."

"I want to be remembered for what I did, not what people said I did."

Unrelated: the tallglassofmilk is peeved by this...

More commentary on this...

Motorsport.com: As the evernham Turns

Rondeau hasn't heard from Junior since this...

Kennebec Journal - Pete Rondeau will walk through a NASCAR garage some weekend, turn a corner and come face-to-face with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Will Rondeau speak? Will he offer a gesture?

To this day, Rondeau believes Dale Jr. is one of the most talented drivers he'd ever worked with. What will he do?

"That's a good question," Rondeau said.

Moments slipped away as he thought.

"I'd wait on a response from him," Rondeau said. "In the end it was his decision that it wouldn't work out."

It's been 15 months since Rondeau lost his job as Earnhardt's crew chief. He was thrown under the bus, as it's called in stock car racing. The tread marks have faded but the pain remains. Rondeau, the straight-talking Mainer from Saco, can't yet shake the feeling he was used, sacrificed to make a point that had little to do with how he did his job.

Rondeau let his guard down, he said, and got involved in a family squabble between Earnhardt and his cousins, Tony Eury Sr. and Tony Eury Jr. Earnhardt needed someone to be firm with him.

Rondeau believes that wasn't allowed to happen.

"It was complicated, like family things always are," Rondeau said. "I knew there would be sticking points with the Eurys. Half the time I thought I was Dr. Phil.

Actually he was the outsider whose only safety net was his own integrity. In the end, that couldn't save him.

continued