It’s only Tuesday but this week has already been filled with lots of NASCAR news as teams open up for the media in preparation for Daytona…
Stewart-Hass Fielding A 3rd Pit Crew – When the No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing team of driver Ryan Newman struggled with its pit stops at the beginning of last season, observers shrugged it off as an example of growing pains a new organization must endure. Later in the season when the No. 14 team of driver Tony Stewart, Newman’s boss and teammate, lost jack man Mike Casto to a knee injury and had to scramble the find someone of the same quality to replace him, it was considered bad luck. Bobby Hutchens, director of competition for Stewart-Haas, looked at all of the above and saw a way to prevent such heartaches in the future. With that in mind, this year Hutchens has quietly gone about building a third pit crew for the organization that currently fields only two Sprint Cup cars. Stewart-Haas will train the third crew regularly along with the crews that will start the season in the pits for the No. 14 and No. 39 Chevrolets, but will loan the extra crew out to the No. 71 team of TRG Motorsports on race days. – NASCAR.com
Harvick Discusses Contract, Future At RCR Media Day – Richard Childress Racing driver Kevin Harvick says all of his sponsorships and all of his contracts are up after the 2010 season, and he plans to make a decision about his Sprint Cup home before signing any deals for Kevin Harvick Inc., which fields teams in the Nationwide and Truck series. Harvick is a free agent after the 2010 season, and both he and RCR team owner Richard Childress have said there were some uneasy times during 2009 as rumors swirled that the driver would leave after 2009. “We can build stuff in five days,” Harvick said about his KHI operation. “We can build Chevys, Toyotas, Dodges, Fords. Those things can happen in weeks.” Both Harvick and Childress left the door open that Harvick could return to the team in 2011, although neither sounded optimistic that it would happen. “That door is always open on his end and ours too, I think,” Childress said. “When the time comes, we’ll talk.
Hendrick Motorsports Assists In Haitian Relief Efforts -After watching a few news stories and seeing the devastation, Rick Hendrick sprung into action. He donated the use of two flight crews and two 45-seat passenger planes, the same planes used to transport his race team during the NASCAR season. “We’re taking medical teams and supplies in, we’re bringing citizens and orphans back,” says Hendrick. The Hendrick planes even flew a church youth group out of Haiti. General Manager Marshall Carlson tells of a 17-year-old girl, originally in Haiti to paint a church or clean up a school, who found herself in the middle of something much more life-changing. “She had helped deliver two babies and had assisted with some emergency amputations,” says Carlson. One Hendrick flight even landed before some military planes did, in thanks because the rescue group Hendrick has partnered with in Florida has ties in Haiti.- Full Story
Chargers Extend Norv Turner Through 2013 – Like it or not, Chargers fans, coach Norv Turner will be sticking around for four more years. The Chargers announced Monday night that the oft-maligned coach is getting a three-year contract extension through 2013. The extension came just more than 24 hours after the Chargers were shocked 17-14 by the New York Jets in the divisional playoffs, renewing calls by some fans for Turner to be fired. The team had been expected to extend Turner’s contract in the offseason so he wouldn’t be a lame duck next fall. That offseason came a lot sooner than most people expected. Some had picked the Chargers to win the Super Bowl, but they melted down in a hail of mistakes and penalties against the Jets. – Yahoo.com
Supercross: TWMX‘s Phoenix Race Report – TransWorld Motocross breaks down what happened Saturday in Phoenix. It was a crazy night with Stewart and Reed mixing it up in the final and Dungey capturing his first win in the Supercross class. – TWMX.com
Lincecum Pays Fine, Resolves Marijuana Charge – Lincecum agreed to pay $513 to resolve marijuana charges against him in Washington state. He then submitted his request for arbitration, a record $13 million. – ESPN.com
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That old lady next to Kevin Harvick looks familiar, i just can’t place her, but I know I’ve seen her before. Can anyone help me out?