Updates From Concord/Lowe's Motor Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup Media Tour.
ESPN heard the fans and acted--Rusty Wallace will leave the play by play booth...and analyze on the pre race broadcasts. Dale Jarrett will become the lead analyst for the Worldwide Leader in Sports' NASCAR coverage.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc purged virtually all vestiges of Dale Earnhardt Jr. from their establishment (the "Garage Mahal")...which did not go unnoticed. DEI president Max Siegel, when asked about this, called the question unkind. Point: Jr brought DEI most of its Sprint Cup wins. When Junior was told about what happened at his former place of employment this afternoon (Wednesday), he took great pains to mention that he does not mind dealing with us ink-stained wretches and wenches.
NASCAR wants to get back to the basics...and supposedly unleash the drivers so they might express their personalities...most drivers when told of this took a "wait and see" attitude.
The Daytona 500 will see not less than 4 past Indianapolis 500 winners competing or trying to compete: 2007--Dario Franchitti; 2006--Sam Hornish, Jr (about to become a new dad); 2000--Juan Pablo Montoya; 1995--Jacques Villeneuve (if he should qualify and win...he would be just the second member of the club of Daytona 500 winners, Indianapolis 500 winners, and Formula One World Champions--joining Mario Andretti).
The media tour is an intense few days, and it's my bad for not posting pics and posting earlier. The Windshear "rolling road" wind tunnel in Concord (above) is only one of three in the world...a rolling road simulates movement, and unlike a static wind tunnel where a car would just have wind blown over it...the car moves at speeds up to 180 miles per hour. It will open for business this spring...we got an advance view yesterday.
Kyle Petty may get testy with the media on the TV. His heart, however, is bigger than the grandstands at Lowe's Motor Speedway, when you consider the work he and wife Pattie do on behalf of kids who are suffering from catastrophic illnesses at the Victory Junction Camp. They will have nothing to explain on the day they meet St. Peter.
The other shoe drops...as Lowe's Motor Speedway announces the building of the drag strip and the awarding of one of the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series Championship Countdown races in September.
We'll have some interesting sound on our program this weekend.
