BIFF GETS BACKING Greg Biffle, whose Roush Fenway Racing Ford has had a veritable cornucopia of primary sponsors this season, will have 3M backing for 23 of 36 NASCAR Sprint Cup points races next season. Terms were not disclosed. "Greg is one of the most respected drivers in NASCAR and we're looking forward to building on the great relationship that has grown over the years with Greg and with Roush Fenway Racing," said Bob MacDonald, 3M Senior Vice President of Marketing. In 2007 3M sponsored Biffle (19 races) and Todd Kluever (14 races) in the Busch Series, and seven races with Biffle in the Nextel Cup Series.
NASCAR FLU? In one of the most bizarre stories in recent NASCAR history, a handful of congressional aides were immunized for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tetanus, diphtheria and influenza prior to fact-finding trips to Talladega and Charlotte for a House Homeland Security Committee, the
Charlotte Observer reported. Lowe's Motor Speedway President and General Manager H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler was not amused.
"The very idea of immunization is laughable," said Wheeler. "It's like taping your ankles to go to the mailbox. This is not some third- or fourth-world country. As a matter of fact, never in the 50-plus years of NASCAR has there been an outbreak of any kind at an event other than a few headaches because somebody's favorite driver ran out of gas or maybe a morning hangover."
BAKER, HYDE INDUCTED Legendary racers Buddy Baker and Harry Hyde were inducted into the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame on Oct. 10 in recognition of their contributions to the sport.
"Both of these men brought something different to the sport," said Don Miller, co-founder and chairman of the organization. "Buddy was a second-generation driver who excelled on the superspeedways when the sport was making its transition from the bullrings to the high-speed ovals. He was a master of Talladega's high speeds, and his congenial nature made him a fan favorite. He also was a team owner at one point in his career and, when he retired from the driver's seat, he made a successful transition to broadcasting. … A Kentucky native, Hyde was known for his down-home, practical approach to the sport, and his good sense of humor. When many people would have
given up on situations or projects, Hyde always found a way to succeed."
Sadler: looking forward to teaming with Carpentier. (LAT photo)
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SADLER ON OPEN WHEEL Gillett Evernham Motorsports driver Elliott Sadler said Thursday that he was looking forward to working to the team's newest driver, Patrick Carpentier, the Canadian open wheeler who will replace Scott Riggs in 2008. "We are going to welcome him aboard. He's a great guy. We had fun working with him at Watkins Glen," said Sadler. "I've tested with him a few times at Kentucky, seems to be a nice guy. I don't know all the plans yet. I don't know anything about a sponsor, car number or anything like that. I just know he is coming to be a part of the Gillett Evernham team so hopefully he can get right on board, get his feet wet pretty early, cut his teeth pretty early and then go from there."
Carpentier drove for the team at Watkins Glen and did an impressive job, qualifying 40th and finishing 22nd after leading seven laps. "He has a lot of knowledge about the inside of the car. He seemed to pick up well to the COT car at Watkins Glen," Sadler said of his new teammate. "I think he ran very well at Kentucky when we went there to test together. I think he's really going to pick up on the speed and stuff fine. It's just going to be getting used to how close we race each other compared to what he comes from. I think that's going to be the longest learning curve that he has to go through, but he'll be fine with it."
NEW CUP TEAM FOR '08 SKI Motorsports will run a four-race Sprint Cup schedule in 2008, entering the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, and the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Stanton Barrett will drive for the team, which will campaign No. 50 Chevrolet Impala SS cars sponsored by NOS Energy Drink. "We believe that there is a place in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing for smaller teams," said team owner Chris Lencheski. "The key is to build solid relationships with sponsors that are enthusiastic about the boundless opportunities available to them in NASCAR."
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