Irwindale Speedway Announces NASCAR Sanction Agreement for 2013 Racing Season

“We’re very happy, No…better than that, we’re quite proud to announce our 2013 NASCAR racing schedule for Irwindale Speedway,” said Irwindale Event Center President and CEO Jim Cohan.

“We met with Bob Duvall from NASCAR yesterday at our offices in Irwindale,” said Cohan.  “He really understands our mission to bring great short track stock car racing back to southern California and he’s very supportive of that goal.  Bob made his presentation, answered all of our questions, we signed the sanction agreement, and he got back on a plane and took the papers back to Daytona Beach.”

“NASCAR is pleased to bring our Home Tracks program back to Irwindale Speedway,” said Duvall, NASCAR’s Senior Director of Business Development.  “This facility hasn’t changed physically in any way; it’s the same great race track.  What has changed is the management group and spirit of teamwork that Jim Cohan’s people bring to the effort, they’re all top pros, and I’m really looking forward to working with them.”

“There were a few doubts out there that this day might not come, not on our part of course.  Our team has worked very hard for this day, and to finally be able to tell the world that Saturday night stock car racing is back at Irwindale,” Cohan added.

 The 2013 racing season will begin on Saturday night, April 6 with a “Grand Re-Opening Night” of racing featuring NASCAR Super Late Models, Late Models, Super Stocks, Mini-Stocks and an evening-ending fun-for-all Demolition Derby.

Late last year Speedway management announced an alliance with Kern County Raceway Park, the new half-mile oval racetrack that’s just completing construction near Bakersfield.  Both tracks are working together to co-ordinate schedules and competition rules to allow teams in a number of divisions to compete at both tracks during the upcoming season.

Irwindale Competition Director, Mike Atkinson, will soon be announcing divisional meetings at the track for car owners and drivers. Applications for 2013 NASCAR licenses for drivers and crewpersons are now available at the Speedway office.

NASCAR Preseason Thunder Rolls Into Daytona

Sixth-Generation NASCAR Sprint Cup Car To Make Debut 

At The World Center of Racing

NASCAR PR RELEASE: NASCAR fans will get their first glimpse of the new sixth-generation NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars on the storied Daytona International Speedway for three days this week at Preseason Thunder, the unofficial on-track start of the 2013 NASCAR season.

This week’s sessions will be the only test for the new car at Daytona prior to Speedweeks, which begins with The Sprint Unlimited on Feb. 16 (SPEED, MRN Radio, SiriusXM Satellite Radio) and culminates with the 55th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 24 (FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM Satellite Radio).

“This test is an opportunity for the teams to prepare their cars for Speedweeks and the 55th running of the Daytona 500,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “This is the teams’ test and provides an excellent lead in to the upcoming 2013 season. There has been a lot of work put into the development of the Gen-6 car by the manufacturers, teams and NASCAR. It will be exciting to see the new cars on the track for Daytona Preseason Thunder.”

After several tests for the new car, including one restrictor plate test at Talladega Superspeedway, the rules package has been set heading into Preseason Thunder.

The rules package for Daytona includes:

·         Plate size                      29/32" (same plate size as 2012)

·         Spoiler size                   4" high x 53" wide

·         Spoiler angle                 70 degrees

·         Front Grille size             1-3/4" high x 23" wide

·         Radiator Relief valve       32 psi

In addition to the year’s first on-track testing, the track will also host Preseason Thunder Fan Fest on Thursday night, January 10.

Fan Fest will include autograph sessions, driver fan forums, show cars and displays, music and a photo opportunity with the 2013 Harley J. Earl Daytona 500 trophy.

Tickets for Daytona Preseason Thunder Fan Fest are $20 on Thursday and $10 for Friday and Saturday and are available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Children 12 and under will receive free admission.

Among the drivers scheduled to appear on Thursday, Jan. 10 during the 5:30–7:30 p.m. session are Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray, Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kurt Busch and Mark Martin.

In the 7:30–9:30 p.m. session, 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, 2012 Daytona 500 champion Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Danica Patrick, Aric Almirola, Carl Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Clint Bowyer, Marcos Ambrose, Joey Logano, David Ragan, David Gilliland, Paul Menard, Kyle Busch, Bobby Labonte, Austin Dillon, Trevor Bayne and Casey Mears are scheduled to appear.

Daytona International Speedway will also host special driver chat sessions on the speedway’s social media channels following the end of testing Thursday evening from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Fans can submit questions for Twitter chats by including #DaytonaTesting and the driver’s official Twitter handle. NASCAR’s official Twitter feed @NASCAR will also provide updates throughout the three-day session. Fans can also participate in live driver chats hosted on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.

SPEED will broadcast live coverage of testing on all three days from 1-5 p.m. ET. Additionally, SPEEDTV.com will stream testing live from 9 a.m.-noon ET each day.

NASCAR Ready To Accelerate Into 2013 Season

A new NASCAR season is just over the horizon.

But before the engines are fired next month at Daytona International Speedway, there’s unfinished business – the celebration of those who built the foundations of the sport.

The 2013 NASCAR racing season officially begins on Friday, Feb. 8 with the induction of five legendary men into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C. – NASCAR premier series champions Buck Baker, Herb Thomas and Rusty Wallace; championship car owner Cotton Owens and crew chief extraordinaire Leonard Wood.

Baker and Thomas won two championships apiece in the rough and tumble 1950s. Wallace, now an ESPN analyst, became champion in 1989 as the sport’s footprint broadened through the medium of network and cable television.

Owens supplied the cars and horsepower that carried many famous drivers into Victory Lane – and NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson to his first of three championships in 1966.

Wood, the architect of the lightning quick pit stop, follows his older brother Glen into the NASCAR Hall of Fame – a pioneer whose family has fielded winners through five generations of NASCAR Sprint Cup cars.

And – for the first time – media members who have contributed to the growth of NASCAR over more than six decades will be honored by NASCAR. This year’s induction events will feature the presentation of the first Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence – named in honor of its first recipients, pioneer NASCAR industry radio and television personalities Ken Squier and Barney Hall.

Squier and Hall’s careers have been intertwined since intersecting with the creation of the longtime Voice of NASCAR, the Motor Racing Network in 1970. Their expert observations on the sport have thrilled generations of NASCAR fans for more than 40 years and continue to do so today.

Vermont native Squier began his career as a race track public address announcer at the age of 14 and is a longtime New England radio station and track owner. Squier joined the Motor Racing Network in 1970 and for nearly two decades anchored NASCAR on CBS broadcasts before shifting to the studio as host for NASCAR broadcasts until 2000.

Squier, who called CBS’ first flag-to-flag coverage of the Daytona 500 in 1979 – and the post-race fight involving Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison – is credited with naming the event the “Great American Race.” He continues to enlighten NASCAR fans through periodic appearances on SPEED.

Hall, a native of Elkin, N.C., began his broadcast career in the 1950s working at local radio stations in North Carolina. He served as Bristol Motor Speedway’s first public address announcer when the track opened and called his first Daytona 500 in 1960 – missing only three broadcasts in the 54-year history of the classic event.

Hall joined the Motor Racing Network as an original announcer at the network’s inception in 1970, first as a turn announcer and then moving to the broadcast booth in the late 70s – from which he continues to provide word pictures for NASCAR’s many radio fans. Hall is widely known for his calm voice and unmatched story telling.

Induction of the fourth class brings the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s membership to 20. Ceremonies will take place at 7:30 p.m. ET in the Crown Ball Room at the Charlotte Convention Center and will air live on SPEED. The event is the first half of NASCAR Acceleration Weekend followed on Saturday, Feb. 9 by NASCAR Preview 2013.

Appearances by members of the classes of 2010, 2011 and 2012 are set for 4 p.m. at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, followed by 5 p.m. Induction Reception and 6 p.m. NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Jacket Presentation, the latter two events taking place in the Charlotte Convention Center Ballroom.

Tickets for the ceremonies start at $45 (available at www.nascaracceleration.com) and the NASCAR Hall of Fame box office. In addition, a $20 ticket will gain fans all-day access into NASCAR Preview 2013 and the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Fame on Saturday, Feb. 9.

More than 50 drivers across NASCAR’s three national series – NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – are scheduled to participate in the all-day NASCAR Preview 2013 event. Fans will have the opportunity to interact with drivers and secure autographs, participate in driver Q&A sessions, get a first-look at the new sixth-generation NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race cars and paint schemes and check out various interactive displays, among other activities.

Drivers include 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, five-time premier series winner Jimmie Johnson and NASCAR’s 10-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon, three-time series champion Tony Stewart, two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr., reigning NASCAR Nationwide Series most popular driver Danica Patrick, and 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion James Buescher also will be on hand.

The 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season kicks off Saturday, Feb. 16 with the Shootout at Daytona, a non-points race for 2012 Coors Light Pole winners. The 55th Daytona 500 is scheduled for 1 p.m. ETC Sunday, Feb. 24 at Daytona International Speedway with coverage by FOX Sports, MRN and SIRIUSXM.

 

NASCAR Digital Media Officially Launches New Platform

Calendars officially turned to 2013 just a few days ago, signifying for many a point of resolution – a fresh start in determining a new course of action. Like millions of its loyal fans, NASCAR^®took a bold step by officially flipping the switch on a brand new digital experience, highlighted by a revamped NASCAR.com^®.

"As people wake up and log on to the new NASCAR.com today and every day moving forward, they will see that it was designed with one thing in mind: the fans," said Marc Jenkins, vice president of digital media for NASCAR. "This digital experience is meant to constantly evolve based on user feedback, with the goal of a creating a better digital experience for our fans."

On the new NASCAR.com, the excitement of NASCAR will be captured through dynamic video, big, bold imagery, interactive graphics and the latest news and in-depth analysis from a choice group of NASCAR insiders and writers. Much of the content being produced by NASCAR.com’s editorial team will be focused on the upcoming races, giving fans the opportunity to consume rich, comprehensive event information on a week-to-week basis.

"The simplified NASCAR digital platform makes for easier user navigation and maximized interaction," said Jenkins. "And most importantly, fans will have the same digital experience no matter what type of device is being used – be it a PC, a tablet or a mobile phone."

Across the entire digital platform, there are also plenty of options for fans to further engage in on-track action on race day. The interactive live leaderboard will provide fans with in-depth information in real-time on each driver, while the popular RaceView^® and RaceBuddy™ applications will be improved for an enhanced broadcast complement on race day. Fans will also be able to engage in NASCAR FANTASY LIVE™, the official NASCAR fantasy game, which will have a brand new look and feel.

For fans heading to the racetrack, the new NASCAR.com will continue to serve as a great destination for in-depth information on NASCAR-sanctioned race tracks. From information on local attractions, track history, and most importantly, ordering race tickets, fans need to look no further than the digital home of NASCAR: NASCAR.com.

Finally, in addition to an entirely new website, NASCAR will release a pair of mobile apps before the start of the Shootout at Daytona (Feb. 16, FOX) and the Daytona 500 (Feb. 24, FOX), giving fans an unprecedented second screen experience on their tablets and mobile devices.  

·         NASCAR Mobile ’13 – This app is highlighted with content such as latest news, race leaderboard, video, social media updates, in-car audio, live data and more.

·         NASCAR RaceView Mobile ’13 – In addition to the aforementioned features, this premium app will render a virtual live race environment, giving fans the ultimate tool to follow their favorite driver in real time throughout the entire race.

Welcome to STOCK CAR RADIO

Welcome to STOCK CAR RADIO - STOCK CAR RADIO takes the most complex technical subjects and theories and puts them in practical terms for racers and enthusiasts. With a passion for motorsports, host Dennis Pittsenbarger brings his years of experience in competitive motorsports, and first hand knowledge to the people who race what they have. Join the animated discussion that forges a bond between those who have wrenched on cars, and those who appreciate the ones that do.

With a passion for motorsports and a need for speed, Dennis has been the host of Speed & Racing Television, broadcasted from the Pacific Northwest. Now he brings his years of experience in competitive motorsports and his first hand knowledge of anything on wheels to STOCK CAR RADIO.