INSIDE THE SPEEDZINE:

NHRA DRAG RACING

link partners:

THE OFFICIAL NASCAR COMMUNITY

CHAMPIONS CORNER

With preseason testing beginning next week in Daytona, Sprint Cup teams are finalizing their plan of attack for the 2008 season. The approach at #4-Morgan-McClure Motorsports is radically different. Over the past few weeks, Southwest Virginia’s NASCAR team has lost its crew chief, primary sponsor and driver. "It feels like a hurricane,’’ MMM general manager Larry McClure said. "The way NASCAR has changed, I don’t know if its been good or not.’’ The Morgan-McClure organization, which featured veteran driver Ward Burton last season, has struggled in recent years with lack of sponsorship and driver turnover. Just days before Christmas, McClure learned that State Water Heaters was leaving. According to media reports, the State Water Heaters sponsorship will move to the #66 Haas CNC Racing team with driver Scott Riggs. "I’ve heard the sponsorship went to the 66 car,’’ McClure said "Right now we don’t have a thing.’’ McClure said the agreement with State Water Heaters last year was for 10 races. He was surprised by the change in direction. "It must have been an instant decision because we had no idea it was going to happen,’’ McClure said. "We found out about this before Christmas, then it became official after the holiday. We’ll see how things work out.’’ Lucas Oil will return as an associate sponsor.

As for a driver, it appears Burton is gone from the seat of the #4 MMM Chevy. Burton, a former Daytona 500 winner, joined the team with three races remaining in the 2006 season. "[Burton] probably won’t be back,’’ McClure said. "We’re looking at using either Mike Wallace or P.J. Jones for testing next week, then we will go from there. "It’s not going to be hard to find somebody to drive at Daytona. Right now, I’ve got a couple options.’’ One of those options involves a driver bringing a financial package to the team. That step is common in the open-wheel ranks. "We’ve got capable people here for the crew chief role ... the biggest thing we need are sponsorship dollars,’’ McClure said. "We’ve been working on a deal with one of the bigger multicar teams where we could be a satellite team and share some information. That deal is on the table if we get our sponsorship stuff put together.’’ As for the big question of their 2008 schedule, the always-ambitious McClure said to stay tuned. "We’re just going to see how much money we get in the door,’’ McClure said. "We’re not going to race on our own money anymore.’’ On a related note, Abingdon’s Eric McClure plans to runs the Nationwide Series schedule with the Front Row Motorsports team. The Denver, N.C.-based team also plans to field a Sprint Cup car for McClure in the Daytona 500.(Bristol Courier Herald)(1-5-2008)

Year after year, the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona featured some of the most talented racers in the world. NASCAR drivers Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kyle Petty and Casey Mears have all competed in the historic event with varied success. In 2007, NASCAR rookie Juan Pablo Montoya, along with teammates Scott Pruett and Salvador Durán took the overall victory driving a Ganassi Racing Daytona Prototype.

In 2008, Montoya, Pruett and new Ganassi driver Dario Franchitti will attempt to repeat the success of last year. The team will once again pilot Daytona Prototypes. Other NASCAR notables entered into this year’s race include A.J. Allmendinger, Kurt Busch, and Boris Said.

Fort Wayne, Ind........Tony Stewart of Rushville, Ind. capped USAC's 52^nd racing season with a 60-lap feature victory in Saturday night's 10^th Annual "Rumble in Fort Wayne" USAC Midget race at the Memorial Coliseum Expo Center. The victory gave Stewart at least one USAC victory in 16 of the last 17 USAC calendar years, missing only in 1999 when he was concentrating on the NASCAR "Rookie of the Year" honors. Stewart, starting eighth, passed Geoff Kaiser on the inside of turn one and led the final 44 laps in his Our Gang Poker Club Munchkin VW. Stewart's teammate, Mike Fedorcak, finished second in the second Stewart entry, while Dave Darland took third, ahead of Derek Bischak and Rich Corson. Ronnie Wuerdeman led the first six laps, then Kaiser led for 11 before yielding to Stewart. Friday night's winner, Billy Wease, stopped in turn two on lap 14 and was unable to restart, finishing 13^th. Stewart was the fastest of 48 qualifiers and also won his heat race. David Gough, Tim Jedrzejek and Bischak also won heats. Wease, Darland and Joe Liguori won consis and Daniel Robinson and Doug Dietsch won the qualifying races. (USAC website)

Decorations have been packed away, New Year’s resolutions decided – the calendar flipped.  And while team members may still swap how-I-spent-my-holiday-vacation stories, it’s time to re-fire the engines.Monday, Jan. 7 marks the start of NASCAR Preseason Thunder – the sport’s annual January test sessions. First Up: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, which kicks off its 2008 preparations at Daytona International Speedway.

This year’s Daytona tests precede two NASCAR milestones – the 50th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 17, and the first race for NASCAR’s new car – the now-generation race car – on Daytona’s historic, 2.5- mile surface. FULL STORY >>

As a result of the cancellation of the 2008 Dakar Rally, Robby Gordon will indeed test his Robby Gordon Motorsports Ford Fusion at the upcoming Preseason Thunder at Daytona.  Due to what would have been scheduling conflicts between the Rally and the Daytona test, Brendan Gaughn was going to substitute for Gordon.

Coming soon to The Speedzine, take a look into each of the elite crop of racers in the NASCAR Nation.  Included: Bios, Stats, Blogs, Histories, Pictures, Videos, and much more.  The Speedzine NASCAR FULL SPEED uses information gathered from around the racing world to give you the fan the ultimate driver profile.  More to come.

UPCOMING EVENTS & RACES:

WEATHER CENTER

RACE to the CHASE

DRIVER

FULL SERIES STANDINGS >>

TOP 5 OWNERS POINT STANDINGS

OWNER

FULL OWNERS STANDINGS >>

BATTLE for the TOP 35

OWNER

FULL SERIES STANDINGS >>

ROOKIE STANDINGS

DRIVER

FULL ROOKIE STANDINGS >>

SPEEDZINE FEATURES & SPECIALS:

-2008 DAKAR RALLY CANCELED DUE TO TERRORIST THREATS

-Bodine Bobsled Challenge

-nascar preseason thunder 2008

a DCV Enterpirses project

www.dcventerpirses.com

The SPEEDZINE 2008

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

site design by: ZERO Nine Design