Goodyear makes historic change to NASCAR tires in show of support for troops

Classic Eagle Racing Tire to Feature First-Ever Patriotic Design

AKRON, Ohio (July 1, 2010) – For the first time in its history, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., the exclusive tire supplier of NASCAR’s three major national series, has announced it will transform all Goodyear Racing Eagle tires for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races over the July 4 holiday weekend.

The new design, featuring a patriotic red, white and blue color scheme reading “Support Our Troops” on the tires’ sidewalls, is designed to say "thank you" to the service men and women of the United States Armed Forces and launch the Goodyear Support Our Troops program. The company will help jump-start this new support and fundraising effort with a $20,000 donation to a leading military support program.

The Goodyear Support Our Troops program will also provide consumers a variety of ways to show their support for the troops and will encourage everyone to participate in a series of fund-raising initiatives to benefit members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. The rebranded Goodyear Support Our Troops tires will raise awareness for the support effort and will also serve as the first step in the fundraising campaign, as Goodyear will auction the special logo’d, driver-autographed tires used in the July 3 Coke Zero 400.

All funds raised will be donated to Support Our Troops®, a nonprofit nationwide organization which bolsters the morale and well-being of America’s troops and their families. Funds raised through the Goodyear effort will benefit the highly effective programs, which deliver more than $8 million per year in care packs and requested items to the front lines, positive support at home, kids’ camp assistance and more.

“For well over 100 years, Goodyear has been supplying and supporting the U.S. military, and has been a part of NASCAR’s great history for more than 56 years.

Now, we’re making this historic change to honor them both,” said Kris Kienzl, Goodyear’s NASCAR marketing manager. “We are showing our support for the uniformed men and women who protect us and our families with a special message on the premier spot on our race tires. This program also waves the green flag on our fundraising and support campaign … the first lap of which will be the autographed tire auction.”

The Goodyear Support Our Troops Charity Auction, held online at www.Goodyear.com, will begin when the green flag drops on July 3 and will run through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, July 17.  The auction will offer fans the opportunity to own a piece of history, with race tires individually autographed by the top NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers including Ryan Newman – driver of the U.S. Army Chevrolet, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and others. Proceeds from the sale of all auction items, including the Goodyear tires and several items donated by NASCAR sponsors, will go directly to Support Our Troops.

Each autographed race-used Goodyear Support Our Troops tire will come with a certificate of authenticity that includes the driver’s name and car number, the race in which the tire was used, the driver’s finish in the race and the tire’s identification number. A minimum bid price has been set for each tire depending upon expected interest levels and ranges from $100 to $200; minimum bid prices will be displayed in each individual listing. 

“We are very proud to have an iconic American company like Goodyear support us in our efforts to positively impact the lives of our country’s service men and women and their families,” said Martin C. Boire, executive director of Support Our Troops.  “We are happy that NASCAR fans - some of the most patriotic and dedicated fans in the world – will have another great way to show their support through this program.”

Goodyear’s Support Our Troops initiative will feature additional unique ways for consumers to join in saying ‘thank you’ to the troops and will provide them the opportunity to participate in fundraising efforts. Consumers can visit www.Goodyear.com to view the latest updates and additions to the Support Our Troops program.

Goodyear has a longstanding history with the U.S. Armed Forces, with over 100 years of commitment to building innovative and reliable equipment to support and protect our troops. To this day, Goodyear continues to develop and test new possible fitments for U.S. military vehicles.

Goodyear’s commitment extends beyond products and charitable donations; Goodyear prides itself on hosting events at U.S. military bases throughout the year, bringing NASCAR drivers and the Goodyear Blimp. These events allow the military service men and women and their families a chance to interact with the drivers and take rides on the Goodyear Blimp.

Photos (courtesy of Goodyear):
Top: The #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of Jeff Gordon is rolled towards inspection on limited edition Goodyear Support Our Troops tires at Daytona International Speedway.
Right: Ryan Newman, Driver of the #39 U.S. Army car, autographs a limited edition Goodyear tire for the soldiers during a news conference at Daytona International Speedway.

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Dale Jr. takes No. 3 to Victory Lane in emotional win (NNS - Subway Jalapeno 250)

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Driving the No. 3 Wrangler Chevrolet in honor of his late father, Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke a NASCAR Nationwide Series drought of almost four years in winning Friday night's Subway Jalapeno 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

Earnhardt's emotional win was the result of a collaboration between owner Richard Childress, Teresa Earnhardt, JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports, which supplied the engine for the No. 3 car.

The victory, the 23rd of Earnhardt's career, was his first in the series since Aug. 19, 2006, when he took the checkered flag at Michigan. It was his first points win in any of NASCAR's top three series since June 15, 2008, when Earnhardt captured the Lifelock 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race, again at Michigan.
In a race that saw the debut of NASCAR's new Nationwide Series car, Earnhardt held off runner-up Joey Logano and third-place finisher Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in a green-white-checkered-flag finish that took the race two laps beyond its scheduled distance of 100 laps.

"I was so worried that I wasn't going to win, 'cause nothing but a win would get it—for everybody," Earnhardt said after getting hugs from Childress, crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and a multitude of others in victory lane. "If we didn't win, what a waste of time. …

"I worked hard to try to win, not only for daddy—I'm proud of him going to the Hall of Fame, and he would be proud of this, I'm sure—but just all these fans. I hope they enjoyed this. This is it — no more '3' for me. That's it."

With a push from Justin Allgaier, Earnhardt took the lead for the first time on Lap 70, surging past Kyle Busch through Turns 1 and 2. On that same lap, NASCAR called a caution for debris on the backstretch. Pitting under the caution, Earnhardt retained his lead, thanks to a quick, problem-free stop by Earnhardt's No. 88 Sprint Cup crew, which volunteered for the race.

Earnhardt held the top spot through Lap 96, when NASCAR threw a debris caution that set up a two-lap run to the finish. Earnhardt stayed out on old tires, as did seven other contending cars, but Busch, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Trevor Bayne and Ryan Newman came to the pits for tires under the yellow.

The strategy didn't work for those drivers, as track position proved more beneficial that fresh rubber. Points leader Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick ran fourth and fifth, respectively, on old tires. Keselowski extended his margin in the standings to 277 points over second-place Edwards, who finished 11th Saturday.

But the day belonged to Earnhardt.

"It's emotional," he said. "I'm proud of myself. I'm proud to have done what I did with this group."

Childress, who won six Sprint Cup championships as Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s car owner, told Earnhardt Jr. his father would have been proud.

"He just said that daddy would have been happy, real happy," Earnhardt said. "And who would know better than him?"

Subway Jalapeno 250 results:

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2. Joey Logano
3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
4. Brad Keselowski
5. Kevin Harvick
6. Clint Bowyer
7. Kyle Busch    
8. Ryan Newman
9. Brian Ickler
10. Steve Arpin
11. Carl Edwards
12. Michael Annett
13. Parker Kligerman
14. Jason Leffler
15. Steve Wallace
16. Joe Nemechek
17. Justin Allgaier
18. Tayler Malsam
19. Mike Bliss
20. Jason Keller
21. Greg Sacks
22. Reed Sorenson
23. David Starr
24. Tony Raines
25. Ken Schrader
26. Shelby Howard
27. Trevor Bayne
28. Paul Menard
29. Brendan Gaughan
30. Brian Scott
31. Kenny Wallace    
32. Robert Richardson Jr.    
33. Danny Efland    
34. Mike Wallace    
35. Michael McDowell    
36. Eric McClure    
37. Jeremy Clements
38. Derrike Cope
39. Kevin Lepage
40. Morgan Shepherd
41. Mark Green
42. Johnny Chapman
43. Jennifer Jo Cobb 

PHOTOS FROM NASCAR MEDIA

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Harvick on pole after Coke Zero 400 qualifying rained out

Sprint Cup points leader Kevin Harvick will start from the pole position in Saturday's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway after qualifying was canceled due to rain.

Twelve cars had made their qualifying runs when Mother Nature interrupted Friday's session. Those runs were disallowed and the field was set according to the NASCAR rulebook, with the top 35 cars placed in order of owner points.

Jimmie Johnson will start on the outside pole. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Gordon round out the top five.

Steve Park will make his first start in the Sprint Cup Series in nearly seven years. Park will be in the No. 36 car for Tommy Baldwin Racing and will start 39th.


The Coke Zero 400 will be broadcast live Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT. Green flag is scheduled for7:49 p.m. ET.

Starting lineup:

1. Kevin Harvick   
2. Jimmie Johnson   
3. Kyle Busch   
4. Denny Hamlin   
5. Jeff Gordon   
6.  Kurt Busch   
7. Matt Kenseth   
8.  Jeff Burton   
9.  Tony Stewart   
10.  Greg Biffle   
11.  Mark Martin   
12.  Carl Edwards   
13.  Dale Earnhardt Jr.   
14.  Ryan Newman   
15. Clint Bowyer   
16. Joey Logano   
17. Jamie McMurray   
18. Martin Truex Jr.   
19. David Reutimann   
20. Kasey Kahne   
21. A.J. Allmendinger   
22. Juan Montoya   
23. Paul Menard   
24. Reed Sorenson   
25. David Ragan   
26. Brad Keselowski   
27. Scott Speed   
28. Marcos Ambrose
29. Elliott Sadler
30. Sam Hornish Jr.   
31. Regan Smith   
32. Robby Gordon   
33. Kevin Conway
34. Robert Richardson Jr.   
35. Mike Bliss   
36. David Stremme   
37. Bobby Labonte       
38. Travis Kvapil
39. Steve Park
40. Max Papis
41. J.J. Yeley
42. Joe Nemechek
43. Dave Blaney

Did Not Qualify:
Michael McDowell
Todd Bodine

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Photo: (Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) Carl Edwards covers up from the rain during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, which was canceled, Friday at Daytona. Edwards will start 12th in Saturday's race.

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Nominees announced for 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame second class

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 1, 2010) – NASCAR announced Thursday the list of 25 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s second induction class. From that list, five inductees will be chosen via a process that includes a nationwide fan vote on NASCAR.COM.

The 2011 inductee class will be announced in October and honored next year at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C.

This year’s inaugural induction class consisted of Dale Earnhardt, Junior Johnson, Bill France Jr., Bill France Sr. and Richard Petty.
The second round of nominees, which again includes many of the sport’s legendary names, were selected by a 21-person nominating committee consisting of representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame and track owners from both major facilities and historic short tracks. The committee’s votes were tabulated by accounting firm Ernst & Young.

Joining the 21-person committee this year is Jody Deery, owner of acclaimed quarter-mile short track Rockford (Ill.) Speedway. She replaces Tom Blackwell, former owner of Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway, who passed away in April.

The HOF’s inductees will be determined by the Voting Panel, which has 53 members – the entire Nominating Committee, media members, manufacturer representatives, retired competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs) and recognized industry leaders. In addition, the fan vote will result in the Voting Panel’s 53rd and final ballot. Four new members will join the Voting Panel this year: Richard Petty, Kyle Petty of TNT, legendary media member Chris Economaki, and Jim Campbell of Chevrolet.

Following are the 25 nominees:

•  Bobby Allison, 1983 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and winner of 84 races
•  Buck Baker, first driver to win consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup championships 
• Red Byron, first NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, in 1949
• Richard Childress, 11-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series
• Jerry Cook, six-time NASCAR Modified champion
• Richie Evans, nine-time NASCAR Modified champion
• Tim Flock, two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion
• Rick Hendrick, 12-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series
• Jack Ingram, two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion
• Dale Inman, eight-time NASCAR Sprint Cup championship crew chief
• Ned Jarrett, two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion
• Fred Lorenzen, 26 wins and winner of the Daytona 500 and World 600
• Bud Moore, 63 wins and two NASCAR Sprint Cup titles as a car owner
• Raymond Parks, NASCAR’s first champion car owner
• Benny Parsons, 1973 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion
• David Pearson, 105 victories and three NASCAR Sprint Cup championships
• Lee Petty, winner of first Daytona 500 and first three-time series champion
• Fireball Roberts, won 33 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including the 1962 Daytona 500
• T. Wayne Robertson, helped raise NASCAR popularity as R.J. Reynolds Senior VP
• Herb Thomas, first two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, 1951 and ‘53
• Curtis Turner, early personality, called the “Babe Ruth of stock car racing” 
• Darrell Waltrip, winner of 84 races and three NASCAR Sprint Cup championships
• Joe Weatherly, two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion
• Glen Wood, as driver, laid foundation for Wood Brothers’ future team success
• Cale Yarborough, winner of three consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup titles, 1976-78

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Photo: Red Byron

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TV Schedule July 2-4

NASCAR heads to Daytona for the Fourth of July weekend, and there are sure to be fireworks, on the track and off.

The Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series visit the 2.5-mile superspeedway for the first time since "the pothole" - the pesky patch that stopped the Daytona 500 for nearly two and a half hours while crews worked to repair the area in February. The track known for its bumpy and slick surface will undergo a face-lift after Saturday's Coke 400, the first time the track has been repaved in 32 years.

Saturday's Cup race also marks the first with the new rear spoiler, which replaced the wing at Martinsville. The spoiler produces more drag, so NASCAR authorized a bigger restrictor plate with openings of 1-1/32 inches to increase speeds and offset the difference. For a track already known for its high speeds, Thursday's practice speeds reached 195 mph and resulted in quite a few wrecked racecars. Will this lead to a caution-filled race Saturday?


Defending race winner of the Coke Zero 400 is Tony Stewart. Jamie McMurray drove to an emotional Daytona 500 victory at the track in February.

Friday's Nationwide race marks the debut of the series' new COT model. While Chevrolet will stick with the Impala, Toyota the Camry and Dodge the Charger, Ford is bringing its "pony car," the Mustang, back to NASCAR, to the delight of many fans. How the new car will affect the quality of racing will be of interest to drivers, insiders and fans alike.

Defending race winner of the SUBWAY Jalapeno 250 is Clint Bowyer.

The Camping World Truck Series will return to the track next week, July 11.

The following is a schedule of track events and television coverage at Daytona this weekend:

Friday, July 2:
1:00 p.m. Nationwide qualifying, ESPN2
4:00 p.m. Sprint Cup qualifying, SPEED (rerun at 12 a.m.)
7:30 p.m. Nationwide Countdown, ESPN
8:00 p.m. Nationwide race: SUBWAY Jalapeno 250 Powered by Coca-Cola, ESPN. Green flag: 8:19 p.m. (rerun at 2 a.m. on ESPN2)
11:00 p.m. Trackside at Daytona, SPEED. Guests: Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick and CJ Spiller, Nationwide race grand marshal. (reruns at 11 a.m. Saturday)

Saturday, July 3:
10:00 a.m. NASCAR Now, ESPN2
12 noon NASCAR Performance, SPEED
12:30 p.m. NASCAR Smarts, SPEED
4:00 p.m. NASCAR in A Hurry, SPEED
4:30 p.m. NASCAR RaceDay, SPEED
6:30 p.m. Countdown to Green, TNT
7:30 p.m. Sprint Cup race: Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola, TNT. Green flag: 7:49 p.m.

Sunday, July 4:
8 p.m. NASCAR Victory Lane, SPEED (reruns at 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. Monday)

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Photo: Cars practice for Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday. Joey Logano was fastest in first practice with a 46.408 time/193.932 mph speed, and Robby Gordon was fastest during final practice with a 46.124 time/195.126 speed. (Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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Danica – Racing Into History or Spinning the Wheels?

I have been struggling for almost a week on this post. I wanted, very dearly, to be able to offer some real, positive facts regarding Danica and her NASCAR racing, but every time I began to check a fact or statistic, I had to reevaluate my position. As a result, it’s been difficult to determine my own feelings and opinions on the subject.

While I am certainly not the lead trumpet player on the Danica bandwagon, I like Danica. I like her focus, her competitive nature, and her desire to do well, despite the tremendous pressures. While watching the ARCA race at Daytona in February, I was extremely encouraged. Danica finished a respectable 7th, even after a free slide down the front stretch. She asked questions, improved her technique, and generally brought the car home with little damage. Not a bad day’s work in the world of stock car racing.

Her Nationwide stint has not impressed me as much, regardless of her gender, which I will be the first to admit should not be a factor. In short, she’s had 4 starts, all of which she finished in the low to mid 30’s. Twice she was involved in wrecks, whether of her own making or not, meaning she has a 50% record of finishing a race on the track. And, there’s little numerical difference between the finishes on the track and the finishes in the garage. She arguably has one of the best rides in the Nationwide series, and this is the best she can do?

I understand about learning curves. I totally ‘get’ that she’s jumping from one style of racing into another. But, at times, I can’t help but wonder if she even has a clue about NASCAR. Has she ever actually watched a race as a spectator? Furthermore, this is her JOB. When I find myself in unfamiliar waters at my job, I study, investigate, collect data, ask questions, turn to more experienced colleagues and finally, I do my freaking homework. As a driver, how can she seriously expect to be competitive if she doesn’t understand some of the more simple concepts (at least to me) of stock car racing? I have seen footage of drivers and crew chiefs watching reruns of race after race to gain information and a potential advantage. Some very prominent drivers have admitted using video games to familiarize themselves with tracks. Danica’s chatter on her radio at Louden makes me question her commitment and basic understanding. Don’t believe me? Check some of the articles out there. I suppose I should mention that she IS asking questions – relevant questions. I can’t help but wonder if a little study and prep could have eliminated the need for rudimentary questions and driving, thus allowing her to perform better. I don’t expect top 5 or top 10 finishes. I do expect someone with a racing license and incredible hype, male or female, not to perform at a level equal to pulling a random fan from the stands and throwing them in the car.

As I stated in my first paragraph, I’m having personal difficulty reconciling Danica’s performance, or lack thereof. A part of me wonders if she is perpetuating the myth that women can’t hack racing with the “big boys”, thereby bringing more harm than good. Is she honestly there because she’s petite and pretty and possesses a racing license, or because she can drive the heck out of a car? How will these impact current and future attempts by women to be taken as serious racing competitors? The current numbers don’t look good. Danica is 63rd in the points, and if you’re out there checking women drivers in the Nationwide series, the next closest (and only other) is Chrissy Wallace in the 82nd points position. Chrissy, however, has competed in only 2 races this season, more due to a lack of money and sponsorship than as a reflection of her driving abilities. Obviously, there are currently no women competing in the Sprint Cup series.

One potential bright spot is Jennifer Jo Cobb. Cobb is about to compete through a 4 race deal in the Nationwide series ride previous held by Greg Biffle, who brought the #27 car to 3 top 5s and 7 top 10s in 10 starts. Obviously, Jennifer has an amazing opportunity. This is a proven machine and garage. Respectable finishes will go a long way to bringing a different, more positive focus on women drivers in NASCAR.

Regardless of the outcomes, I’ll be watching with great interest, as I do every weekend.

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Labonte to make 600th start Saturday

When the field takes the green flag Saturday night for the Coke Zero 400, it will mark Bobby Labonte's 600th start in the Sprint Cup Series. After spending the first part of the season with TRG Motorsports and racing for Robby Gordon last weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Labonte will be behind the wheel of the No. 09 entry of Phoenix Racing for the milestone start.

"Having 600 starts, wow, that is a lot of racing," Labonte said. "It is just an honor and a privilege to be able to have that many races under my belt."

To read the rest of this article, visit Cup Series News and Notes.

Photo of Bobby Labonte courtesy of NASCAR Media.

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