January 21, 2013
This is a big week for NASCAR with Media Week kicking off today in Charlotte, NC.
Stay tuned to Fan4Racing for updates as we post coverage throughout the day and this week, along with any other NASCAR news nuggets we find on the net.
NASCAR Media Tour Photos – Day One
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Joins Richard Petty on Team Goody’s
Richard “The King” Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr, NASCAR’s most popular driver team up in 2013
Photo – JR Motorsports
Two of the greatest names in auto racing are teaming up to back one of the sport’s most committed sponsors, Goody’s®, the legendary headache powder.
Dale Earnhardt Jr, the most popular driver in NASCAR racing today, is joining Goody’s longtime spokesman, Richard “The King” Petty, in a new multi-media campaign that will introduce consumers to the fast-dissolving headache remedy. Beginning in early 2013, the driving duo’s radio, television and digital campaign will tell fans how to be unstoppable with Goody’s.
Goody’s Powder, part of the Prestige Brands portfolio (NYSE-PBH), will be the title sponsor for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500, the October 27 Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. Goody’s also will continue its longstanding tradition of sampling the product at racetracks and, to the delight of fans, bring Earnhardt and Petty together for personal appearances. The campaign will also feature a significant retail component that will include special events, in-store promotions and contests, and sampling of Goody’s headache powders via a specially branded mobile unit. In addition to sampling, the unit, which will travel to multiple markets throughout the NASCAR season, will also include interactive games and other activities that highlight the speed of Goody’s fast-acting products.
“This partnership is unprecedented,” said Joseph Juliano, Brand Director, Goody’s. “It is the first time that these two NASCAR legends have worked together. Each of them has a huge fan base, and they are both synonymous with the sport of auto racing. Goody’s is all about speed, and nobody personifies the idea of speed better than Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr.”
In 1977, Goody’s became the first non-automotive sponsor in NASCAR when it signed Petty as spokesperson, starting one of the longest-running relationships in sports promotion. Earnhardt Jr. is poised to take that tradition to a new generation of fans.
A third-generation NASCAR driver and 2004 Daytona 500 winner, Earnhardt has won the National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award for the past 10 years in a row. Petty has more NASCAR wins and championships than any driver in NASCAR history. A Hall of Fame inductee, Petty won 200 races and finished 712 times in the top 10, and was nicknamed “The King” after winning the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR national championship seven times each. A second-generation racer (his father Lee won the first Daytona 500 in 1959), Petty has high praise for his new Goody’s partner.
“I am really looking forward to working with Dale Jr. on the new campaign for Goody’s, which will introduce the product to a whole new generation,” Petty said. “He is a great driver and a smart businessman, and nobody is more popular with NASCAR fans.”
“Richard Petty is a role model for me and every other driver in NASCAR,” Earnhardt said. “I am honored to be working with him and thankful Goody’s brought us together. I signed on with Goody’s in part because of their long-term commitment to NASCAR. They helped start the trend of non-car companies coming into the sport. In my mind, they are synonymous with NASCAR racing. I am also a big fan of their product because it works so fast.”
Petty also became a fan of the fast-acting headache powders long before he became a Goody’s® spokesman, and he’s eager to let others know that you don’t have to let pain slow you down.
“At every track I go to, people come up to me and tell me a story about using Goody’s,” Petty said. “At the same time, Goody’s is still something of a well-kept secret. Dale Jr. and I are going to change that. There is nobody better to help me spread the word.”
For more information about Goody’s pain relief products, visit www.goodyspowder.com. JR Motorsports
Stewart-Haas Pleased with Danica’s Development
Tony Gibson and Tony Stewart spoke highly of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie Danica Patrick during the Stewart-Haas Racing press conference on Monday. But when commenting about her expectations for this season, the driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing was a little more reserved than her respective crew chief and team owner/teammate.
“We are going to be ‘intelligently patient,’ said Patrick at the Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. “With GoDaddy.com on board, we’ve been able to take it nice and slow and have been able to learn and take our time before jumping into the deep end.”
Patrick will officially make the plunge after a season in the Nationwide Series, which saw her net four top-tens and a pole. It was a tremendous learning experience for Patrick.
“There’s a day where the light switch clicked on and you get that feel you were looking for,” said Stewart, when asked about his confidence level in Patrick. “I think Danica has done a lot in a very short amount of time.”
Not only is it a clean slate for Patrick, but all three Stewart-Haas Racing drivers, Stewart – the 2011 Cup champion – is eyeing a rebound after a sub-par 2012; and Ryan Newman is hoping a reunion with longtime crew chief Matt Borland will be the answer to missing the Chase in two of the last three seasons.
“I’m really looking forward to working with him again,” said Borland, who guided Newman to 12 victories in four seasons (2002-05) with Penske, including a career-high eight wins in 2003. Charlotte Motor Speedway
Eldora Race Offers Fans Plenty to Be Excited About
Eldora Speedway owner, Tony Stewart, deferred questions about the Camping World Truck Series race at the half-mile dirt track on July 24 to Roger Slack, the track’s general manager and promoter. Despite very sloppy conditions, Slack was satisfied with the ultra-secretive testing that was held there in November.
“That’s about the worst-case scenario we could have and I thought it went really well,” said Slack. “I think it’s going to be a great race.”
Slack expects a deep field from many different series, everywhere from late model to Cup.
“The fans will be excited,” said Slack, who noted that the track could still add one or two supporting races to the weekend docket. “This will be a race that can stand on its own.”
Quote of the Day – “My mom and I had a huge fight because she wanted me to go to college – now she works for me.” – Tony Stewart, when asked what his mother said to him to inspire him as a kid to become who he is today. Charlotte Motor Speedway
Denny Hamlin announces arrival of Taylor James Hamlin
On twitter this morning @dennyhamlin posted a photo of Taylor James Hamlin born Jan 20, 2013, at 20:20pm, weighing 6lbs, 5ozs and length of 20 inches.
Sprint Introduces 2013 Miss Sprint Cup Lineup
Newcomer Brooke Werner Joins Returning Members Kim Coon and Jaclyn Roney
With only 28 days left until the green flag drops for The Sprint Unlimited At Daytona, Sprint (NYSE: S) today unveiled the complete 2013 Miss Sprint Cup lineup to the more than 1 million Miss Sprint Cup followers on Facebook and Twitter. Newcomer Brooke Werner (Granville, Vt.) will join returning members Kim Coon (Orlando, Fla.) and Jaclyn Roney (Ann Arbor, Mich.) this season.
Miss Sprint Cup represents the Sprint brand around the track and in Victory Lane wherever the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competes. The three representatives also serve as the fans’ “friend on the inside,” delivering behind-the-scenes updates, pictures and videos via Facebook and Twitter, while highlighting Sprint products and offers.
Hailing from the “Green Mountain State,” Werner adds a Northern charm to the Miss Sprint Cup lineup. The former Miss Vermont USA stuck to her hometown roots while growing up by hiking the Green Mountains and listening to bluegrass music. When she isn’t at the racetrack, Werner enjoys snow skiing, antiquing and watching old movies. After receiving her degree in public relations from Champlain College, Werner worked at a nationally recognized youth-marketing agency, where she served on the community committee, helping to coordinate donations to regional non-profit organizations.
“It’s truly an honor to be selected to wear the Miss Sprint Cup fire suit this year,” said Werner. “Kim, Jaclyn and the rest of the Miss Sprint Cup legacy have done an amazing job of bringing fans closer to the sport, and the opportunity to be a part of that is incredibly exciting. I’m looking forward to meeting all of the race fans at The Sprint Unlimited Experience and, of course, my first Victory Lane!”
Coon returns for her third season as Miss Sprint Cup, which makes the former marketing and public relations professional, the veteran member of this year’s lineup.
“Last year was such a great season, filled with lots of fun and exciting experiences,” said Coon. “I went skydiving, hunted for rattlesnakes, drove on an off-road course, helped host NASCAR After The Lap and met tons of amazing fans. I’m looking forward to making many more memories this season.”
Brooke Werner (L) joins Current Miss Sprint Cup Kim Coon (C) and Jaclyn Roney (R)
Photo – Sprint
Rounding out the 2013 lineup is Roney, who is entering her third season as Miss Sprint Cup. The Eastern Michigan University, grad joined the program in July 2011 and is looking forward to another thrilling season of racing.
“Being Miss Sprint Cup for the past two seasons has allowed me to encounter such amazing opportunities,” Roney said. “Each race weekend is so different and I count my blessings each morning when we head to the track. There are only three tracks I haven’t been to yet – Kentucky, Watkins Glen and Darlington – and I hope to mark those off my NASCAR bucket list this season.”
The program has gained tremendous recognition among race fans and industry members with the Miss Sprint Cup representatives greeting thousands of fans every race weekend at The Sprint Unlimited Experience, Sprint’s mobile marketing display.
Thanks to their engaging personalities and knowledge of the sport, the Miss Sprint Cup lineup serves as popular interview subjects, among local media looking to get an insider’s view on the activities surrounding race weekends. As the Miss Sprint Cup program’s popularity has grown, they now regularly participate in charity events and appear at other NASCAR sponsors’ events. In all, the Miss Sprint Cup representatives took part in more than 900 media interviews and appearances in 2012.
Follow Miss Sprint Cup on Facebook at Facebook.com/MissSprintCup or Twitter @MissSprintCup. Sprint Nextel – PR
NASCAR And ExxonMobil Announce Extension of Mobil 1 As The ‘Official Motor Oil of NASCAR’
Official Partnership Renewal Accompanied By Development Of Automotive Technology Platform On New NASCAR.com