Top stories of the decade closely defined by Dale

The changes brought on by the Earnhardt crash and the safety crisis, easily the top story of the last decade in NASCAR, were watershed. There were tangible modifications, like the implementation of head-and-neck restraining devices and soft-wall systems -- the two most important life-saving innovations in modern automobile racing -- as well as the addition of on-board data recorders, the construction of a research and development center, and the development of a new, safer race car. The culture changed, too; before Earnhardt's death, drivers who used new safety devices were sometimes needled, and outdated items like open-faced helmets were seen as badges of machismo.

That all changed on Feb. 18, 2001, the day NASCAR began its traumatic transformation from a series seen as lacking in the safety arena to one that is now widely viewed as an industry leader. Thankfully, there have been no fatalities on NASCAR's three national circuits since Earnhardt's death, and drivers routinely walk away from accidents that might have sent them to the hospital a decade or more ago. Every driver wears a restraining device. Every track is outfitted with a soft wall. All accident data is recorded, analyzed, and catalogued. Granted, some of these initiatives were being studied prior to the 2001 Daytona 500. But Earnhardt's death, and the prolonged period of public grief that followed, forced NASCAR to act. Read the entire article here.

Power Hour on Dale Earnhardt Jr.!

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in one hell of a giving mood last night -- dude bought drinks for more than 800 people who walked into his North Carolina bar.

It all went down at the Whisky River bar in Charlotte -- which is owned by the NASCAR stud. We're told Dale decided to pick up the tab for every drink ordered in his place between 8-9pm.

Bartender Shawn Southern -- who was also on VH1's "Tool Academy" -- says the bill was "a ridiculous amount of money" ... but Dale made sure to treat the staff to a "very generous" tip.

Jeff Gordon's Sesame Street episode scheduled to air on Dec. 28

Info from: www.jeffgordon.com

Jeff makes his appearance on Sesame Street December 28th! Don't miss all the action...check your local listings for air times. Check out the below synopsis of the episode!

Episode Recap: Squirmadega Car Race

Slimey is practicing for the Squirmadega Car Race. He zooms forward, backward, and around and around on the counter of Mr. Hopper's store. Elmo excitedly gets ready to watch Slimey in the worm car race. Elmo is Slimey's biggest fan and cheerleader!

The worms' race cars line up as the sportscaster, Jeff Gordon, introduces the five race car drivers. Elmo cheers! Jeff Gordon discusses the race course. The worms must drive over the laundry basket, under the table and around the fire hydrant to win the race. The worms start their engines and take off! Cars #1, #2, and #3 lose control and are quickly out of the race, but Shawna Wiggleson in Car #4 and Slimey in Car #5 are still going. It's a close race! Slimey approaches the finishing line, but gets caught in Big Bird's toes. Shawna pulls ahead and wins!

'10 Budweiser Shootout features new entry criteria

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR announced Wednesday a revision to the 2010 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona format that provides fans with a strong lineup of drivers highlighted by last year's top performers and a collection of previous winners at the sport's most-storied race track.

The 32nd annual season-opening event launches Speedweeks at Daytona on Feb. 6. Green flag is set for 8:10 p.m. ET. The new criteria are based upon the following qualifications, with eligibility based on a driver having competed in the Cup Series within the past two seasons:
Bud Shootout

* 2010 Speedweeks schedule

• The 12 drivers that qualified for the 2009 Chase
• Past Cup Series champions
• Past Budweiser Shootout champions
• Past Daytona points race winners
• The reigning rookie of the year

"We're always looking at ways to make this event bigger and better for our fans and we believe the new format for the Budweiser Shootout puts together an exceptionally strong lineup of our top drivers," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition.

"In our discussions with the track, we thought by placing an additional emphasis on the drivers who had performed well at Daytona over the years would create an even more compelling element for the fans to get excited about at the beginning of the season."

The race distance remains 75 laps in segments of 25 and 50 laps. Both green-flag laps and caution laps will count. Between segments there will be a 10-minute pit stop allowing teams to pit and change tires, add fuel and make normal chassis adjustments.

Starting positions will again be determined by a blind-draw at the annual Budweiser Shootout draw party on Feb. 4 on the SPEED stage in the Midway, outside Turn 4.

The Budweiser Shootout -- a "non-points" event for Cup competitors -- was first held in 1979, originally known as the Busch Clash. Kevin Harvick won last year's event.

2010 Budweiser Shootout

Eligible drivers

Driver Filled Criteria
John Andretti July race winner
Greg Biffle 2009 Chase
Geoff Bodine Daytona 500, Shootout winner
Jeff Burton July race winner
Kurt Busch 2009 Chase
Kyle Busch July race winner
Derrike Cope Daytona 500 winner
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Daytona 500, July race, Shootout winner
Carl Edwards 2009 Chase
Bill Elliott Series champion, Daytona 500, July race, Shootout winner
Jeff Gordon 2009 Chase
Denny Hamlin 2009 Chase
Kevin Harvick Daytona 500, Shootout winner
Jimmie Johnson 2009 Chase
Kasey Kahne 2009 Chase
Matt Kenseth Series champion, Daytona 500 winner
Bobby Labonte Series champion
Terry Labonte Series champion, Shootout winner
Joey Logano Reigning Raybestos rookie of the year
Sterling Marlin Daytona 500, July race winner
Mark Martin 2009 Chase
Jamie McMurray July race winner
Juan Montoya 2009 Chase
Ryan Newman 2009 Chase
Ken Schrader Shootout winner
Tony Stewart 2009 Chase
Brian Vickers 2009 Chase
Michael Waltrip Daytona 500, July race winner

RCR pit crew member Richardson dies at 37

Donald "D.J." Richardson, the rear-tire changer for the No. 29 Chevrolet, passed away shortly after 10 p.m. ET Friday. He was 37.

Richardson, a native of Leominster, Mass., was hospitalized earlier this month with severe complications due to the H1N1 virus. He had contracted the virus during a visit to Massachusetts during the Thanksgiving holiday.

A news release by Richard Childress Racing on Dec. 7 stated that Richardson's condition worsened due to the onset of pneumonia before he went to Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster for evaluation. Doctors quickly admitted Richardson to the hospital's intensive care unit with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

"All of us at RCR are saddened by D.J.'s passing," Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing, said. "D.J. was a gifted tire changer, one of the greatest team players in the business and a valued member of the RCR family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends."

Richardson joined RCR in July 2009 and finished the Cup Series season as the rear-tire changer for the No. 29 team. He began his Cup Series career with Andy Petree Racing in 1999. He has also worked for Penske Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Braun Racing.

"I am shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of our friend and teammate," Matt Clark, director of human performance and leadership development of Richard Childress Racing, said. "Anyone who knew D.J. realized that below the tough exterior was a caring father, friend and teammate. He had a huge heart and would do anything to help someone in need. D.J. loved changing tires and was recognized as one of the top pit athletes at the position. I want to extend my condolences to his family and friends."

Details of memorial services in Massachusetts and North Carolina are pending and will be made available as soon as possible.

Craven win at Darlington in '03 top Cup race of decade

By Official Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Media members have selected the top races of the decade for all three national series.

The list of races for the poll was compiled following discussions with the three series directors, other longtime observers in the industry and from direct input from NASCAR fans.

Cup Series

1. The March 16, 2003, race at Darlington Raceway. In what is the closest Margin of Victory -- .002 seconds -- since the advent of electronic scoring in May 1993, Ricky Craven edged Kurt Busch to the finish line in that thriller.

2. The Oct. 14, 2000, race at Talladega Superspeedway, which marked Dale Earnhardt's final career victory, came in second.

3. March 11, 2001, event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with Kevin Harvick getting his first Cup victory in a narrow defeat of Jeff Gordon.

Nationwide Series

1. The Aug. 2, 2003, event at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. Brian Vickers battled Shane Hmiel in some closely contested, side-by-side racing to pick up his first career series victory.

2. The July 2, 2004, race at Daytona International Speedway, which saw Mike Wallace navigate his way down the frontstretch to claim his first series win in 10 years, came in second.

3. The Aug. 2, 2008, event at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, where Canadian Ron Fellows won NASCAR's first national series points race on rain tires, was voted third.

Truck Series

1. The Feb. 18, 2005, event at Daytona International Speedway. The 2004 series champion, Bobby Hamilton, won by leading the last 2 feet. Jimmy Spencer mistakenly thought he had won the race and came to Victory Lane, when he, in fact, had finished second.

2. The Nov. 14, 2003, race at Homestead-Miami Speedway came in second. Heading into the season finale, any one of the top four drivers in the point standings -- Brendan Gaughan, Ted Musgrave, Travis Kvapil and Dennis Setzer -- had a shot to win the championship. Kvapil took home his first NASCAR title after Gaughan was involved in an early wreck and Musgrave jumped a restart.

3. The Feb. 16, 2007, race at Daytona, when three-time series champion Jack Sprague won following a three-wide race to the checkered flag.

Merry Christmas To All!

Johnson makes history as AP Male Athlete of the Year

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- There was little recognition outside the racing world when Jimmie Johnson won his first NASCAR championship.

Same with his second, and again with his third.

But four consecutive championships? That's a different story.

Johnson, the first driver in NASCAR history to win four consecutive titles, earned mainstream recognition Monday when he was honored as the Male Athlete of the Year by members of The Associated Press.

Johnson received 42 votes from editors at U.S. newspapers which are members of the AP. Tennis star Roger Federer (30 votes) and Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt (29) were the only other athletes with totals in the double- digits.

Although Tiger Woods was named Athlete of the Decade, the golfer received only nine votes for Athlete of the Year. He was tied with NBA star Kobe Bryant and slugger Albert Pujols. Read the rest of the story here.

My Nephew

LOGAN COUNTY, Ohio - Russell's Point Police Officer Joel Kranenburg was injured Friday night in an accident on State Route 235 just south of State Route 270. State troopers say Kranenburg was responding to a foot chase involving a wanted person when he lost control of his cruiser and hit a telephone pole. He was taken by Lifeflight to St. Rita's Medical Center in Lima. His condition was not available.

After a lot of sutures and staples to the head, he is recovering at home. Thank God~

Dale Jr. Foundation to Auction Off Fire Suit for Charity

Tis’ the season to be shopping! As the year comes to an end, The Dale Jr. Foundation’s eBay store is auctioning off a one-of-a- kind Dale Jr. collectible! In spirit of the holidays, the Foundation has decided to add this very valuable item to their list of upcoming December eBay auctions.

This custom-made adidas Fire Suit is from the 2009 All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, where Dale Jr. ran a special paint scheme in honor of The Dale Jr. Foundation. The fire suit will be available on eBay from December 12th – December 19th. The online auction can be viewed here

The Dale Jr. Foundation (TDJF) was established in 2007 and strives to complete the mission of giving to underprivileged individuals with a focus on youth, the resources to improve their confidence and education, and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals. The proceeds from the 2009 eBay auction program have helped TDJF donate to charities such as Make-A-Wish, Victory Junction Gang Camp, Stocks for Tots, March of Dimes / Bikers for Babies, Special Olympics and over 300 other charitable organizations.

The white Foundation fire suit is 5 ft. 3 in. in length and weighs approximately 5 pounds. Down the length of the right sleeve are the following logos: Adidas, Mountain Dew, National Guard, Bosch, Purolator, Freightliner and AMP. On the left sleeve are: Adidas, Mountain Dew, National Guard, NASCAR, Sunoco, and AMP. On the front of the suit, over the chest area are logos: The Dale Jr. Foundation logo, NASCAR Spring Cup Series, Quaker State, National Guard, Delphi, Good Year, AMP, Chevrolet, and Hendrick Motorsports. Around the collar are National Guard logos and an Adidas Logo on the back. And lastly, across the back of the suit are a National Guard and AMP logo with two websites listed, dalejr.com and thedalejrfoundation.org. Down each pant leg are three navy blue stripes with the National Guard logo.

Like We Didn't Already Figure It Out.

From Dalejr.net

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Dec. 8, 2009) - At last, the long-awaited announcement is official - Go Daddy is taking Danica Patrick to the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010.

Danica will drive the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet in a partial Nationwide schedule next season, plus one ARCA race.  The Go Daddy Girl will be racing as a member of the JR Motorsports (JRM) team owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Rick Hendrick, Kelley Earnhardt and Tony Eury, Jr. through 2011.

"It's been a long time coming, but the stars finally aligned for me with Go Daddy and JRM," Danica said just before making her announcement. "I have always said I love to drive, and if I could make it work to race in both IndyCar and NASCAR - with the right sponsor, like GoDaddy.com and the right team, like JRM - then I'd love to drive in NASCAR!"

Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons introduced Danica today as she made it official with the unveiling of her new stock car in front of fans and media outside Chase Field in downtown Phoenix. The Go Daddy Girl had just wrapped up her latest Go Daddy Super Bowl shoot for the world's top domain name registrar and Web hosting provider. She's also planning to attend Go Daddy's annual holiday party to be held Saturday at the ballpark.

"As Danica said, the stars aligned," said Parsons. "We're thrilled to expand our long-standing relationship with Danica into NASCAR. This is not only big news for NASCAR fans; it has all the ingredients for some major GoDaddy-esque marketing magic."

Parsons and the Go Daddy Girl driver were flanked by the brand new bright green No. 7 GoDaddy.com Nationwide Chevrolet and the equally distinctive 2010 IndyCar at today's news conference.

Go Daddy is leveraging its existing relationship with Earnhardt, Jr. who has also driven for Go Daddy in the Nationwide Series and will continue to work as a Go Daddy spokesperson.

Kelley Earnhardt, co-owner and general manager of JR Motorsports, was at today's news conference. She expressed her excitement to have a woman join the team. She also pointed to JRM's experience as a key asset in Danica's foray into NASCAR. "One of the things JRM has to offer is proven NASCAR experience," said Earnhardt. "This is a team sport, and our team will help Danica get up to speed quickly.  She's slated to begin working with our crew starting with the upcoming ARCA tests."

The move to put IndyCar's Most Popular Driver, and overall media magnet, into a Nationwide car is expected to give NASCAR a much needed boost considering its goal to maintain the sport's enormous fan base.  In a recent news conference, NASCAR's CEO Brian France was asked about Danica joining NASCAR.  France said, "She has a lot of talent and would be good for NASCAR...I've told her that directly."

Danica's NASCAR races would take place before, after and in between her IndyCar schedule. Michael Andretti, owner of Danica's IndyCar team, Andretti Autosport, addressed that issue. "Danica and I are both working hard for a win at the Indianapolis 500 - keeping the race schedules separate will help keep her focused," Andretti said.

The world will surely be watching when Danica drives her bright green GoDaddy.com car in her first-ever stock car race, an ARCA event in Daytona, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 6 - the day before the Super Bowl. Danica's latest Go Daddy commercials are set to debut during the Super Bowl.

RCR Pit Crew Member Recovering in Massachusetts Hospital

WELCOME, N.C. (December 7, 2009) – Richard Childress Racing pit crew member Donald “D.J.” Richardson is recovering in a Massachusetts hospital from severe complications due to the H1N1 virus.

Richardson, 37, of Leominster, Mass., approximately 35 miles northwest of Boston, joined RCR in July 2009 and finished the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season as the rear-tire changer for the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS team. He contracted the H1N1 virus during a visit to Massachusetts over the Thanksgiving holiday. His condition worsened due to the onset of pneumonia before he went to Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster for evaluation. Doctors quickly admitted Richardson to the hospital’s intensive care unit with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with D.J. and his family during this very trying time,” said Mike Dillon, RCR’s vice president of competition. “All of us at Richard Childress Racing and Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines wish him a full and speedy recovery.”

Richardson is unable to accept phone calls or flowers from well-wishers while in the intensive care unit. His family has asked that cards, letters and notes of encouragement be sent to his attention at his father’s house:

Donald Richardson
494 Merriam Avenue
Leominster, Massachusetts 01453

Dale Jr travels across the country for 30 minute appearance at NASCAR Banquet

Thanks to: NASCAR.com and JrCanuckFan

A few years ago, Dale Earnhardt Jr didn't attend the Awards Banquet to receive his "Most Popular Driver" Award, rather making a video acceptance instead. He earned the wrath of every columnist and many of his fans.

This year, he travelled to Las Vegas to make his acceptance, appearing in front of the crowd after making his way from the "nosebleed" section to the stage, and gave his acceptance speech live. He then spent approximately 20 minutes answering questions from the media before travelling back home to his new house in North Carolina.

He spoke about the honor bestowed upon him by his fans, and the importance he places on the award. As we have all speculated, however, even though he is honored by his fans' love for him, he also pondered whether he earned the award, or whether it has been bestowed on him because of his name, the very argument we see right here on the Q more often than not - that he is so loved only because of his dad. He said,

"There's a big sense of, did I earn this? Did I deserve it, because of my family name?" My father gave me a hell of a gift in popularity. My job has been to try and be an asset to the sport. To try and maintain that gift, and its integrity, and the name my father has built, the respect that it has, the Earnhardt name and all that. There are a lot of emotions that kind of run through when I accept the award."

Of course, Rick Hendrick announced earlier that the 88 is his priority for 2010 and already steps have been taken in the garage the 5 and 88 share to ensure that the 88 team has all the help it needs to make a difference in 2010. Alan Gustafson and Lance McGrew are working together along with the rest of the crew members from both teams. The vision is to have the 88 and the 5 a cohesive unit, much like the 24 and 48 are, one team running two cars. Rick Hendrick is determined to see success in the 88 camp and is pulling out all the stops to do so.

As a Dale Earnhardt Jr fan, I truly hope it works.

Jimmie Johnson Victory Lap Burnout in Las Vegas

2009 Nascar Victory Lap on the Las Vegas Strip

2009 Champions Week Victory Lap