Late addition 10.02.06: Kevin Harvick Inc. driver Burney Lamar, who was recently released from his full-time driving duties, is engaged to supermodel Niki Taylor.
RACING HIGHLIGHTS
CUP - Tony Stewart broke Richard Childress Racing's consecutive winning streak and silently coasted across the finish line after running out of gas on the last lap to win the Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway.
Quoting this...
Tony Stewart: "When we were coming down the backstretch, I asked how many laps we had left and they said, 'You're coming to the white (flag). It started losing pressure when we went into turn one. Then it caught up for a second, but as soon as we came off turn two, it lost pressure immediately. I kicked it out of gear right away and just got down low on the race track to take the shortest distance around. We just coasted around and hoped we had enough of a lead to stay out front.
"We had nothing to lose today. Not being in the Chase gave us that opportunity to go ahead and run for it. We were able to take a chance that we wouldn't have been able to if we were running for the championship."
Jeff Burton maintains the points lead. Jeff Gordon drops from 2nd to 6th after falling out of the race late. Wasn't a good day for Kasey Kahne or Matt Kenseth either.
BUSCH - Kevin Harvick took the lead with 15 laps to go to win the Yellow Transportation 300, extended his lead in the point standings to 729 points over Carl Edwards and gave RCR its 6th consecutive Cup/Busch win.
Kevin and Delana Harvick in Busch Victory Lane
The win was Harvick's 7th of the season, which ties him with Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1998) for most season wins in the series. It was also the 24th in Harvick's Busch career tying him at 3rd for all-time series wins with Junior's step great-uncle, Tommy Houston.
NCTS - Bye
Other Results
Late Model Nationals at Knoxville Raceway in Iowa
(Tony Stewart - 2nd)
Quoting this...
Tony Stewart: "I don't care what anybody gets me for Christmas, it cannot top what getting second here means to me. I'm going to race tomorrow in Kansas City and it's not going to come close to what we did tonight." [Des Moines Register - Oct. 1, 2006]
Capital City Clash at Heartland Park Topeka
(Clint Bowyer - DNF)
Capital Federal Savings at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City
(Bowyer - 2nd, Modified Shootout; Kenny Wallace - 6th, Late Model Showdown)
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Photo of the Week
Comedian Jay Mohr, host of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion Awards Ceremony, and Jeff Gordon seek marital advice from Jimmie Johnson
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SENSATIONAL HONORS
The Hershey Company and Young Survival Coalition honored Delana Harvick on Saturday at Kansas Speedway. The wife of NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series points leader Kevin Harvick was one of
four "Sensational Women" recognized for their support of breast cancer awareness.
Sue Karli and Colleen Chorak with the Hershey's Company present
co-founder of Kevin Harvick Inc. DeLana Harvick with a check for
the Young Survival Coalition at the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Banquet 400
at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas on September 30, 2006.
Quoting this...
Delana Harvick: "The unfortunate part about why we are here is that probably everyone is affected in some way or another, whether it is a family member, a friend or loved one, with this disease. It could be breast cancer or some other form of cancer. I lost my father last year to cancer and it is my hope that in my lifetime someone will find a cure for this horrible disease and the suffering will stop. It is through efforts like this by The Hershey Company that continue to raise the level of support and education for everyone involved. I am very honored to receive this today.
"When I did the three-day walk last year for breast cancer, it was probably the most inspiring thing and most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. There were survivors, there were loved ones, there were friends, family members, brothers, sisters - we walked with about 4,000 people. Every day you met someone new, you heard a new story; it was touching. At the time, my father was struggling with cancer and I left him in a hospital to go do this, which was a tough decision, but I gained so much by the experience and learned so much about myself that it was well worth it. You think you can walk 60 miles and that it's going to be a piece of cake; it is not so easy, it is pretty tough.
"I am not here to do anything else except the best that I can. Everyday behind the scenes at KHI, a lot of people don't know what I do and that is ok, but some days I am there from 8:00 o'clock in the morning until 8:00 o'clock at night. It is just that hard work and determination of not giving up that coincides with women who are fighting breast cancer. These women can't give up. They have to fight every single day. Their families loved ones and friends fight hard to overcome this. It's not something that is just going to go away in a week or a month. These are lifelong battles that these women are fighting. To be a part of that and hopefully part of the cure is pretty important to me.
"It hits home for me. I have lost family members to breast cancer. Losing my father last year, I want to see a cure for cancer in my lifetime. I believe that is possible, but it is not possible without the efforts of companies like The Hershey Company giving donations, people going out and doing these walks and really supporting this cause."
HERSHEY PINKS OUT
Limited edition pink York peppermint
patties, Hershey's Kisses and Hershey's Nuggets will hit the shelves this Fall to raise breast cancer awareness across the country. 
The Hershey Company is also supporting the campaign by contributing $250,000 to the Young Survival Coalition (YSC), the only non-profit network of breast cancer survivors and supporters dedicated to
addressing the concerns and issues unique to young women and breast cancer.
The donation doubles Hershey's 2005 financial contribution and will be supported by the York peppermint pattie, Hershey's Kisses and Hershey's Nuggets brands.
Where to buy this...
CandyFavorites
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THE UNINVITED
Red Bull Brian Vickers will no longer attend Hendrick Motorsports post-practice team debriefings.
Quoting this...
Vickers: "You know, it's unfortunate. I would like to be involved in them, but it's not my call... I don't think it completely caught me off guard but at the same time I did expect to be there. It is what it is.
"The way people react to the situation is going to change as well. That's just part of it. I'm not going to say that makes it right or wrong. The situation has changed so how everyone approaches it has changed." [The Charlotte Observer - Sept. 30, 2006]
Rewind: Dover FAQs: "Vicked Off"
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FAQ OF THE YEAR
Q. Does Tony Stewart have a girlfriend?
A. Apparently. After months of speculation, we're closer to a definitive answer. [Previously: Brickyard FAQs and Charlotte FAQs]
Smoke mentioned his girlfriend in an interview he gave to the Des Moines Register about being tired after traveling to and racing in Knoxville on Saturday.
Quoting this...
"I went back and grabbed a quick shower. My girlfriend had packed food to take on the plane, so we didn't have to delay ourselves and we got here when they were wheel packing, so we really didn't have time to waste." [More]
TGOM has no further details at this time.
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FOR THE RECORD
Previously, I posted a link to a video clip I like to call "T is for Tara" taken at a Tony Stewart fan gathering and hosted by smokesilfan on PhotoBucket, a video and photo sharing site.
Last week I received the following email from smokesilfan, a.k.a. Rhonda, the owner of that video:
For the record, I did not download or host Rhonda's video at all, let alone without permission, and I rather resent the accusation. I posted only a link to the video, which as any savvy internet user knows requires no permission.
My reply to her said this...
I did not download or post your video. I posted a link on my site to your video. As I'm sure you are probably aware, one does not need permission to link to something... not sure why you are upset...
Cheers,
~tallglassofmilk
I've received no further reply and can no longer direct you to the video. Read the Brickyard FAQs for details about the video.
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LIL' BITS
Congratulations to Penske's #2 Miller Lite Dodge front-tire changer Jay Hackney and wife Krista on the birth of their twins last Sunday at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center. Tyler Reed, born at 4:12 p.m., weighed 3 pounds 12 ounces, and Taylor Reese was born at 4:37 p.m. weighing 4 pounds 6 ounces. They are the couple's first children.
and to Robert Yates Racing Engineer Derek Jones and wife Kristi, RYR marketing, licensing and sponsorship director, who welcomed their first, a six pound, 12 ounce girl, on Monday.
and to HMS #5 Kellogg's Chevrolet crew chief Alan Gustafson and wife Shannon, who celebrated the birth of son Austin Alan on Monday.
Off the Record
It's been about nine pregnancy months since New Year's Eve.
Speaking of lil' bits...
Max and Marco Papis at Petit Le Mans Road Atlanta - Sept. 30, 2006
(Photo: The Freewheeling Daredevil)
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DRIVER EVALUATION
GM Racing is in the process of hosting a three-stage Development Driver Evaluation Program to place a group of select young drivers in a controlled environment to give Chevy Nextel Cup, Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series racing teams the opportunity to meet the drivers and observe their on-track skills.
All Chevrolet teams have been invited to attend and observe the drivers. GM Racing engineers along with Pratt-Miller staff members are in attendance at all three stages to accurately gather data for review by Chevy team representatives.
A total of 16 drivers with a wide variety of racing backgrounds were invited to participate in the first two stages of the program: Chase Austin, Colin Braun, Landon Cassill, Jeremy Clements, Marc Davis, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Jay Gerst, Drew Herring, Woody Howard, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Joey Lagano, Tim McCreadie, Chad McCumbee, Josh Richards, Jason Sarvis and Kody Swanson.
Quoting this...
Pat Suhy, NASCAR program manger for GM Racing: "We are excited to offer this unique opportunity to our NASCAR teams. Continuing to build our NASCAR racing future with our Chevy team partners is critical to the continued growth and success of the Chevrolet nameplate on the
track.
"Unlike other programs of this nature, there are no winners or losers. Our program provides opportunities for both the drivers and the teams to connect if an opening exists in someone's driver roster.
"This evaluation program is designed to allow these drivers the opportunity to showcase their talent and adaptability in equal cars in a controlled environment. We are very pleased at how the first two stages have been completed and are looking forward to the third and final stage at Nashville in two weeks."
The first stage was held September 12-13, 2006 at Caraway Speedway, Asheboro NC and showcased the drivers in NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) cars. The cars were prepared and the trackside crew furnished by Richard Childress Racing (RCR). Two-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Ron Hornaday, Jr. set the baseline of the cars and remained available throughout the day's activities to answer questions and coach the drivers.
Each driver was given a 20-minute test and tune session to work on the setup and get more comfortable in the car. After the crew did a final check of the car, the driver competed a 40-lap run of timed laps. The cars were equipped with data acquisition equipment to assist in evaluation of driver's performance.
Approximately 1,400 laps were run with just four minor spins and no damage sustained to any of the cars; a strong testament to the talent of the drivers participating in the evaluation program.
Quoting this...
Alba Colon, GM Racing program manager for Nextel Cup: "The day's events were flawless. Our RCR partners did a tremendous job in preparing the cars and helping choreograph the day at the track.
"It is quite amazing to see so many talented, young drivers in one place at one time. This is exciting for all of us at GM Racing to see the future prospects for our teams and our program look so bright."
Stage II of the program was held September 19-20, at Dale McDowell Dirt School located at North Georgia Speedway, Chatsworth, GA. Three different dirt track cars - crate-motor dirt late model stock car (approximately 450 hp); a spec-motor dirt late model stock car (approximately 550 hp) and an open-motor dirt late model stock car (approximately 800 hp) -were setup and a baseline established by veteran dirt late model champion Dale McDowell.
Each driver was taken for a ride in two-seater school car driven by McDowell then given two sessions in each of the three classes of dirt cars for a total 50 laps. Only the open-motor dirt late model was equipped with data acquisition equipment. A crew from RCR was on hand to assist McDowell and his staff in setting up and maintaining the cars.
Again, with over 1,000 laps completed, there were no significant incidents on-track despite the wide variety of dirt track experience, ranging from none to full-time competitor.
Quoting this...
Dayne Pierantoni, GM Racing program director Craftsman Truck Series: "I
was really quite surprised at how well most of the drivers adapted quickly to the dirt. Since the driving technique on dirt is totally different than asphalt racing, it forced them to learn new techniques
that are counter intuitive to what they have done in their pavement careers. As a group, these guys were terrific."
Kevin Bayless, GM Racing trackside engineer: "The two-day stage was run very well. The cars were prepared well and Dale McDowell did a good job coaching the drivers and helping them along. Seeing many drivers completely out of there element gave a new perspective and a chance to see how quickly they adapted as well as gave the dirt regulars a chance to show their stuff. The dirt format made it easy to distinguish differences in driving style and smoothness with both steering and throttle. I believe this was a valuable addition to the evaluation process."
The final stage is scheduled for October 10-11, 2006 at Nashville Superspeedway, Nashville TN. Drivers will again be showing their skills in RCR-prepared Busch Series cars.
A lil' bit about the drivers being evaluated by this...
CHASE AUSTIN, (turns 17 on Oct. 3) -- African-American from Eudora, Kansas, who was with Hendrick's program before it disbanded. Is said to have a lot of talent. When he was with Hendrick, many in the sport thought he could be racing's Tiger Woods. Has suffered hard times since Hendrick stopped progam but remained in NC and his dedication might pay off.
COLIN BRAUN, (turns 18 on Sept. 22) -- Competes in Grand Am series and became the youngest winner of a major league auto race when he was with the winning team at Daytona this summer. From Ovalo, Texas.
LANDON CASSIL (17) -- Competes in ASA and USAR ProCup series. Is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
JEREMY CLEMENTS (21) -- Has competed in ARCA. Is from Spartanburg, S.C.
MARC DAVIS (16) -- Is in Joe Gibbs Racing's diversity driver development program. Runs Limited Late Models at Hickory Motor Speedway and is in the top 3 in points but beginning to focus on Late Models. Is from Mitcheleville, MD.
JEFFREY EARNHARDT (17) -- Son of Kerry Earnhardt and grandson of Dale Earnhardt. Competes in the Limited Sportsman class at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va. He's 7th in points there. Is from Mooresville, N.C.
JAY GERST (28) -- Project engineer at Dale Earnhardt Inc, who races Late Models in N.C. and Va. Is from Perry Hall, MD.
DREW HERRING (19) -- Late Model points leader at South Boston. Won so many in a row there this summer, track put a bounty on him, giving anyone extra money for beating Herring. It took a few weeks for anyone to collect. Is from Benson, N.C.
WOODY HOWARD (24) -- Chesapeake, Va. native is a part of Joe Gibbs Racing driver development program. Is fifth in the Northern Division standings in the USAR ProCup series.
RYAN HUNTER-REAY (25) -- Two-time Champ car series race winner and boyfriend of Beccy Gordon. Is from Dallas, Texas.
JOEY LOGANO (16) -- Mark Martin has been high on this kid for years. Logano is a part of Joe Gibbs Racing's driver development program. He became the youngest winner in the ProCup series. Is from Middleton, Conn.
TIM McCREADIE (age unavailable) -- Won the Chili Bowl midget car race this year. Leads the WoO Dirt Late Model standings. Is from Watertown, N.Y.
CHAD McCUMBEE (21)-- Best known for his portrayal of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the ESPN movie "3.'' He finished fourth in the ARCA standings last year and is an instructor at the Fast Track Driving School. Is from Supply, N.C.
JOSH RICHARDS (18) -- Competes in WoO Dirt Late Model Series. Is from Shinnston, W.Va.
JASON SARVIS (30) - Won 2002 ProCup title. Continues to run in series. Is from Myrtle Beach, S.C.
KODY SWANSON (18) -- Became youngest champion in USAC history last year when he won the USAC Western States Sprint Car series title. Is from Kingsburg, Calif. [HamptonRoads.com]
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SILLY SEASON UPDATES
- On Oct. 13 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, [Mike] Wallace will announce a three-year sponsorship deal with a "billion-dollar corporation that's dabbled somewhat in NASCAR previously" to compete full-time in the Busch Series.
Wallace's car owner James Finch is currently 10th in the Busch owner standings -- the highest non-Nextel Cup affiliated Busch team. Wallace, who's run 17 of the 29 races for Finch, has two top-five and three top-10 finishes.
Wallace, who has a history in both Busch and Cup with Finch, said he was happy to stick with the owner for at least the next two years. Wallace said Finch would switch his Busch program to Chevrolets and that Wallace would run a No. 7 Monte Carlo using the points from this year's No. 1 car. [NASCAR.com - Sept. 30, 2006]
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Quoting this...
Ray Evernham: "The changes I made in the beginning of the season, I took a lot of criticism, I took a lot of heat. But I stand by them and feel it has shown its been better for the company. It's been a hard year sponsorship-wise. And let's face it, its been a pretty nasty year personally.
"I've taken a lot of abuse publicly for things that I feel are unfair.
"But I believe if I continue to work hard and do the things that I do, everything will be fine. And I've always believed that the greatest enemy of any lie is time." [AP, Sept. 25, 2006]
Erin Crocker: "[Jeremy] said some things when he left [about how Ray Evernham neglected his team and spent too much time with my Truck team] that affected me, but I don't think it carried over onto the track.
It was between Ray and Jeremy and had nothing to do with me. Unfortunately, I kind of got thrown into it." [NASCAR.com - Sept, 27, 2006]
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In case you missed this...
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MORE
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REMINDERS
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