RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Ryan Newman confirmed Thursday he has signed a contract extension with Stewart-Haas Racing for next season.
Newman is in the final year of the deal he signed in 2009. The extension is a one-year agreement, and he said he took a cut in pay just as nearly every driver has of late.
"I think in general everybody out there right now has taken a pay cut," Newman said. "No different than the cost of a seat in the grandstands is down. It all correlates."
SHR is searching for heavy sponsorship for next year after taking two big hits this summer. The U.S. Army, primary sponsor of Newman's car, said earlier this summer it isn't returning to NASCAR next season, and Office Depot said Sunday it won't be back as co-primary of Tony Stewart's car.
Newman said he isn't aware of any signed sponsors for next season on his No. 39 Chevrolet.
"I feel fairly confident that we'll have good branding on the car," he said. "I can't sit here and say exactly who it is going to be and how it's going to lay out and what race they're going to be at. I can tell you this for sure — it's going to be multiple sponsorships."
Newman is one of many drivers on the bubble of making the Chase for Sprint Cup championship heading into Saturday night's race at Richmond. He can only make the Chase with a victory.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
JR Motorsports parts ways with Tony Eury Sr.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — JR Motorsports and competition director Tony Eury Sr. have parted ways, effective immediately.
Eury Sr., known as "Pops" throughout the industry, is team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s uncle. General manager Kelley Earnhardt-Miller said Friday the decision to split with Eury Sr. came during a hard conversation about team performance.
"The conversation Tony Sr. and I had was one of the most difficult I've ever been a part of," she said. "I believe Tony Sr.'s passion for the sport is exceeded only by his yearning to excel in it, and that itself became the issue that both he and I struggled with. At JR Motorsports, we do this to win races and compete for championships, and lately we have not met that standard. Being the competitor that Tony Sr. is, I know that bothers him more than anyone."
JR Motorsports has won nine Nationwide races, but none since Jamie McMurray's win at Atlanta in 2010.
The team this year fields cars for Danica Patrick and Cole Whitt, and is winless on the season. Eury Sr.'s son, Tony Jr., is Patrick's crew chief.
The organization in April put Bruce Cook on the pit box for Whitt in place of Eury Sr. as crew chief of the flagship No. 88 Chevrolet. Whitt responded with eight top-10 finishes in 19 races.
Eury Sr., meanwhile, oversaw the partial entry that Earnhardt and Ron Fellows have driven. That car finished fifth in three of its four races.
"I want what's best for Dale Jr., Kelley, Tony Jr., and all those employees. I really do," said Eury Sr. "We accomplished a lot in a short time, and nobody is prouder of that than I am. I'm not sure what's next for me, and I'm not sure I'm in a hurry to find out."
Eury Sr., who is 58, has been with JR Motorsports since 2007. He's won 55 races in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series in a career that has spanned 28 years. He spent 21 years at Dale Earnhardt Inc., leading Earnhardt Jr. to the Nationwide titles in 1998 and 1999.
"I can't think of anyone who has impacted my career and development as a driver more than Tony Sr.," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I know my dad ultimately put me in the Nationwide Series car back in the '90s, but Tony Sr. was the one who convinced him to do it. He was with me through two Nationwide Series championships and five full seasons as a Cup driver.
"We won a lot of races together, and as much as he impacted my career as a race car driver, he means more to me on a personal level. He's done a lot for this organization, and I thank him for it."
Eury Sr., known as "Pops" throughout the industry, is team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s uncle. General manager Kelley Earnhardt-Miller said Friday the decision to split with Eury Sr. came during a hard conversation about team performance.
"The conversation Tony Sr. and I had was one of the most difficult I've ever been a part of," she said. "I believe Tony Sr.'s passion for the sport is exceeded only by his yearning to excel in it, and that itself became the issue that both he and I struggled with. At JR Motorsports, we do this to win races and compete for championships, and lately we have not met that standard. Being the competitor that Tony Sr. is, I know that bothers him more than anyone."
JR Motorsports has won nine Nationwide races, but none since Jamie McMurray's win at Atlanta in 2010.
The team this year fields cars for Danica Patrick and Cole Whitt, and is winless on the season. Eury Sr.'s son, Tony Jr., is Patrick's crew chief.
The organization in April put Bruce Cook on the pit box for Whitt in place of Eury Sr. as crew chief of the flagship No. 88 Chevrolet. Whitt responded with eight top-10 finishes in 19 races.
Eury Sr., meanwhile, oversaw the partial entry that Earnhardt and Ron Fellows have driven. That car finished fifth in three of its four races.
"I want what's best for Dale Jr., Kelley, Tony Jr., and all those employees. I really do," said Eury Sr. "We accomplished a lot in a short time, and nobody is prouder of that than I am. I'm not sure what's next for me, and I'm not sure I'm in a hurry to find out."
Eury Sr., who is 58, has been with JR Motorsports since 2007. He's won 55 races in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series in a career that has spanned 28 years. He spent 21 years at Dale Earnhardt Inc., leading Earnhardt Jr. to the Nationwide titles in 1998 and 1999.
"I can't think of anyone who has impacted my career and development as a driver more than Tony Sr.," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I know my dad ultimately put me in the Nationwide Series car back in the '90s, but Tony Sr. was the one who convinced him to do it. He was with me through two Nationwide Series championships and five full seasons as a Cup driver.
"We won a lot of races together, and as much as he impacted my career as a race car driver, he means more to me on a personal level. He's done a lot for this organization, and I thank him for it."
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©Motor Matters, 2012
My Ride: 1934 DeSoto Airflow Coupe
My favorite car, a 1934 DeSoto Airflow coupe, has been in my life for almost 30 years now. It wasn't until I restored it in the last five years that I realized how special and rare it is. The car's design was so futuristic that it really isn't too far out of place in today's traffic, nearly 80 years after it was built!
I first met the car when it was given to my father by my grandfather. He had bought it new from James Waters DeSoto Plymouth on Van Ness Avenue, which in 1939 became Ellis Brooks Chevrolet. My grandfather, Eugene Barr, carved his initials "EB" on the horn-button, and they're still there today.
We used the car for camping and fishing trips until the late 1940s, and by the early '50s I had taken over maintenance duties. For the next few years I ground valves, shimmed bearings, rebuilt the carburetor and fuel pump and worked on the brakes. My father taught me how to drive in the DeSoto, and with it I obtained my first driver's license. I began scouting around for parts with an idea of rebuilding it sometime in the future.
The car declined over the next few years, however, and by the time I entered the Navy in 1959 the DeSoto was completely out of commission. When I came home three years later, I found that my father had given the DeSoto away! But I had a life to begin - education, marriage and family. Even so, every once in a while, I thought about my old DeSoto. I would look through my father's boat-building diary to find whom he might have given it to, but nothing ever clicked.
In early 2002 I went to an Airflow website and asked, "Has anyone seen this car?" Weeks, then months went by. I began losing hope. Then one evening in November 2002 I received a phone call from Indianapolis from a Mr. Cochran who said, "I think I have your car." I could not believe it! I was blown away, and I asked him to send pictures.
When they arrived, my amazement continued. It still had its last California license plate on it! My old coupe was really in sad shape: it had no engine or running gear - just two axles, a steering gear and a body shell. The bottoms of both doors, the after-deck lid ("trunk" lid in modern cars but spare tire compartment in this one), and hood were pretty well rusted out. The bottoms of the rocker panels were totally gone. Work began early in 2003, and during the five-year restoration I got to know every inch of the DeSoto.
A really wonderful aspect of this car is what its designed capabilities were. It was the first automobile to break Auburn's dominance of speed trials that had been held since WWI.
The Airflow was designed for today's highways, and unlike many vintage cars it can easily keep up with modern traffic. Its construction eliminated the squeaks that plagued many older automobiles, and the DeSoto's aerodynamic design significantly reduced wind noise.
This is quite a rare car; there are no more than a half-dozen restored in existence today. Yet their innovation lives on in many other cars around the world. When this 1934 DeSoto Airflow coupe was rolled out, Fernando Porsche finalized his design of the (very similar) Volkswagen Beetle, which became one of the best-selling cars in the world.
While the design fizzled in the United States, Europe and Japan embraced it. Toyota's first car was almost an exact copy of an Airflow sedan, and European makers such as Citroen and Borgward began designing aerodynamic cars with similar characteristics. So even if the original was a flop in the marketplace, its children did very well indeed.
We want to know what you drive and why! Submit story ideas with the subject "My Ride" to cars@sfchronicle.com.
Sadler believes he can win Nationwide title at RCR
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Elliott Sadler confirmed Friday he will not be returning to Richard Childress Racing next season.
The Nationwide Series points leader doesn't think his impending departure will hurt his chances at winning the championship this year.
"I think it's going to be pretty easy to stay focused," Sadler said at Richmond International Raceway. "It's not every day that you get a chance to win a championship. Me and my guys are very focused — a lot of guys on my race team have never won a championship. I've never won a championship in NASCAR's top three levels.
"Even though it looks like I will not be a part of RCR next year, I think to be in this situation we are in, in the points battle we are in, and having the success we are having, I think it's going to be pretty easy to stay focused."
Sadler headed into Friday night's Nationwide race at Richmond with a 12-point lead over defending champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with nine races left in the season. He shed little insight into why he's leaving RCR, which bought out Kevin Harvick Inc. last year and inherited Sadler in the deal.
He is teammates with Austin Dillon, Childress' grandson, and Ty Dillon is waiting in the Truck Series for an eventual promotion to Nationwide. The future of RCR clearly rests with the Dillon brothers, but Sadler did not cite any specific reason for the pending split.
"I just think sometimes circumstances, the stars don't always line up," he said. "I don't think it's a big deal, we're just not going to be able to race for those guys next year."
Sadler insisted he has no deal locked up yet for next year, has no sponsor to shop around, and is exploring both Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series rides. But he is believed to be close to a deal to drive one of the Nationwide entries at Joe Gibbs Racing next season.
He credited Childress for salvaging his career after a rough stretch with Richard Petty Motorsports. He was winless in six consecutive seasons and dropped each year in the standings — from ninth in 2004 to 27th in 2010, his last year under contract.
Harvick hired him for the Nationwide Series, and Sadler challenged last year for the title despite going winless. Now he's under Childress' umbrella, and has four victories this season. It's given him options for next year.
"It's been a tough last four, five years, different things I've been through; this is not tough at all," he said. "I've been through way worse situations with race teams. Right now I feel pretty good. Great equipment, good race team, fast race cars. It's tough when the phone's not ringing. When I went through the stuff I went through at RPM and you're calling everybody and no one will call you back, that's way tougher.
"It's a lot different now when you're having different dialogue with different teams and you're sharing a lot of information on what the future holds, different opportunities. Hopefully we can find the right situation that's good for me."
The Nationwide Series points leader doesn't think his impending departure will hurt his chances at winning the championship this year.
"I think it's going to be pretty easy to stay focused," Sadler said at Richmond International Raceway. "It's not every day that you get a chance to win a championship. Me and my guys are very focused — a lot of guys on my race team have never won a championship. I've never won a championship in NASCAR's top three levels.
"Even though it looks like I will not be a part of RCR next year, I think to be in this situation we are in, in the points battle we are in, and having the success we are having, I think it's going to be pretty easy to stay focused."
Sadler headed into Friday night's Nationwide race at Richmond with a 12-point lead over defending champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with nine races left in the season. He shed little insight into why he's leaving RCR, which bought out Kevin Harvick Inc. last year and inherited Sadler in the deal.
He is teammates with Austin Dillon, Childress' grandson, and Ty Dillon is waiting in the Truck Series for an eventual promotion to Nationwide. The future of RCR clearly rests with the Dillon brothers, but Sadler did not cite any specific reason for the pending split.
"I just think sometimes circumstances, the stars don't always line up," he said. "I don't think it's a big deal, we're just not going to be able to race for those guys next year."
Sadler insisted he has no deal locked up yet for next year, has no sponsor to shop around, and is exploring both Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series rides. But he is believed to be close to a deal to drive one of the Nationwide entries at Joe Gibbs Racing next season.
He credited Childress for salvaging his career after a rough stretch with Richard Petty Motorsports. He was winless in six consecutive seasons and dropped each year in the standings — from ninth in 2004 to 27th in 2010, his last year under contract.
Harvick hired him for the Nationwide Series, and Sadler challenged last year for the title despite going winless. Now he's under Childress' umbrella, and has four victories this season. It's given him options for next year.
"It's been a tough last four, five years, different things I've been through; this is not tough at all," he said. "I've been through way worse situations with race teams. Right now I feel pretty good. Great equipment, good race team, fast race cars. It's tough when the phone's not ringing. When I went through the stuff I went through at RPM and you're calling everybody and no one will call you back, that's way tougher.
"It's a lot different now when you're having different dialogue with different teams and you're sharing a lot of information on what the future holds, different opportunities. Hopefully we can find the right situation that's good for me."
Man burning from Conn. car fire seeks help at park
FAIRFIELD, Conn. (AP) — Authorities in Fairfield, Conn., say a man in flames after his SUV caught fire ran about 200 feet to a park for help from people at a Little League game.
Fairfield Police Chief Gary McNamara said two Little League coaches at Tunxis Hill Park helped the man until firefighters arrived. He was taken to a Bridgeport hospital with serious burns. His name and condition weren't immediately released Thursday night.
McNamara said witnesses heard popping in the parking lot and saw the four-wheel drive Chevy Tahoe on fire at about 6:30 p.m.
McNamara said the coaches helped give the man a chance. He said it was a "horrific" scene for the young ballplayers to witness.
Authorities said it's too soon to say what caused the fire, but it will be fully investigated.
Fairfield Police Chief Gary McNamara said two Little League coaches at Tunxis Hill Park helped the man until firefighters arrived. He was taken to a Bridgeport hospital with serious burns. His name and condition weren't immediately released Thursday night.
McNamara said witnesses heard popping in the parking lot and saw the four-wheel drive Chevy Tahoe on fire at about 6:30 p.m.
McNamara said the coaches helped give the man a chance. He said it was a "horrific" scene for the young ballplayers to witness.
Authorities said it's too soon to say what caused the fire, but it will be fully investigated.
Patrick says she's still looking for Indy 500 ride
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Danica Patrick said Friday she is still looking for an opportunity to race in the Indianapolis 500 next season — if she can get a competitive ride.
"I'd like to if it's with the right team," Patrick said at Richmond International Raceway. "If it's not, then there is no point for me. I feel like I'd still be able to get in a seat and get comfortable with the amount of practice time there is in Indy and have a shot to win the race. But again, if I don't have a shot to win the race or feel like it's a real opportunity, then I am not going to do it."
Patrick made seven Indy 500 starts, with a best finish of third in 2009 — the highest ever finish for a woman in the field. She left IndyCar at the end of last year for NASCAR and is scheduled to run the full Sprint Cup season in 2013.
In that Cup job with Stewart-Haas Racing, Patrick would be committed to run NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day as the Indy 500. The last driver to run both races on the same day was Robby Gordon in 2003.
There is only a handful of team owners in IndyCar who could field a potential winning car for Patrick, since any effort would be just for her and for that race. Putting together a team and finding the sponsorship needed to fund the effort might not be easy.
"We're working on it. I'd like to do it if we can," Patrick said.
She also said she would like to run Nationwide races next season. Patrick ran a limited Nationwide schedule the last two years with JR Motorsports and is in her first full season this year.
"I would like to run some Nationwide races next year, for sure," she said. "The big tracks because they definitely relate the closest, Daytona and Talladega. And I'd like to run some of the tracks that are more challenging and difficult, and tracks that benefit from just pure track time. Things like that are good for me to run next year and get that extra track time. Obviously it's a matter of figuring out how that's going to work in sponsorship, but I would like to run some."
"I'd like to if it's with the right team," Patrick said at Richmond International Raceway. "If it's not, then there is no point for me. I feel like I'd still be able to get in a seat and get comfortable with the amount of practice time there is in Indy and have a shot to win the race. But again, if I don't have a shot to win the race or feel like it's a real opportunity, then I am not going to do it."
Patrick made seven Indy 500 starts, with a best finish of third in 2009 — the highest ever finish for a woman in the field. She left IndyCar at the end of last year for NASCAR and is scheduled to run the full Sprint Cup season in 2013.
In that Cup job with Stewart-Haas Racing, Patrick would be committed to run NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day as the Indy 500. The last driver to run both races on the same day was Robby Gordon in 2003.
There is only a handful of team owners in IndyCar who could field a potential winning car for Patrick, since any effort would be just for her and for that race. Putting together a team and finding the sponsorship needed to fund the effort might not be easy.
"We're working on it. I'd like to do it if we can," Patrick said.
She also said she would like to run Nationwide races next season. Patrick ran a limited Nationwide schedule the last two years with JR Motorsports and is in her first full season this year.
"I would like to run some Nationwide races next year, for sure," she said. "The big tracks because they definitely relate the closest, Daytona and Talladega. And I'd like to run some of the tracks that are more challenging and difficult, and tracks that benefit from just pure track time. Things like that are good for me to run next year and get that extra track time. Obviously it's a matter of figuring out how that's going to work in sponsorship, but I would like to run some."
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