Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 One Of Season's Most Memorable Races

Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 One Of Season's Most Memorable Races

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (December 29, 2010) – Denny Hamlin’s late-race charge to the front in last spring’s Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway kept fans on their feet and competitors shaking their heads in disbelief.
Nine months later, the race and Hamlin’s performance are still drawing rave reviews. Tuesday the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 was named one of the five most memorable races of the year by NASCAR.com as part of a year-end series of stories.
In case anyone has forgotten, Hamlin was leading the race with 10 laps to go when Jeff Burton’s blown tire brought out a caution. Hamlin gave up the lead for fresh tires and most thought his chances for a win for doomed.
He put those new tires to work, though. He pushed, shoved and dodged his way through traffic to move to fourth when Kyle Busch slammed into the third-turn wall and brought out the final caution of the day forcing a green-white-checkered finish.
Hamlin watched on the final restart as second-place Matt Kenseth knocked leader Jeff Gordon out of the way, only to be repaid a turn later. The retaliation cost Gordon, though, as Hamlin slipped by for the win, his first the season.
"I had to bully my way through there toward the end, but everybody was just running into everyone," said Hamlin, who would up with eight wins on the season. "I flattened my tires with Kenseth going down the backstretch and just somehow made it work."
“It was Martinsville Speedway racing at its best,” Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell said of the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. “It was wild racing all day long. That’s what fans expect when they come to Martinsville.”
They can expect more of the same on April 3 when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars return to Martinsville Speedway for the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500. The Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race is scheduled for April 2.

Tickets for the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 begin at $25 and may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

Talladega Superspeedway Announces Fan Advisory Network

12/20/10
TALLADEGA, Ala. – Talladega Superspeedway has selected 30 race fans to serve as the first members of the Talladega Superspeedway Fan Advisory Network (TSS FAN). The TSS FAN will focus on creating constructive dialogue with the Talladega Superspeedway administration team.
“Our goals is to have a team of race fans that can help us identify areas the track can improve upon that will benefit all fans attending races at Talladega Superspeedway,” said Chairman Grant Lynch. “It gives us the ability to look at ourselves through the eyes of a race fan and make the best decisions concerning their experiences.”
The TSS FAN members will serve a one-year term which will include two race weekends at Talladega. After serving for two race weekends, the member’s term will expire and new members will be chosen.
In addition to periodic teleconferences, onsite meetings will take place at Talladega Superspeedway during race weekends.
The TSS FAN is a part of a series of fan-appreciation initiatives coined the “Fan Salute”. For more information on Talladega Superspeedway’s Fan Salute, please visit
Talladega Superspeedway is already gearing up for the 2011 Aaron’s Dream Weekend featuring qualifying for the NASCAR Nationwide Series, followed by the ARCA Racing Series 250 race on Friday, April 15. On Saturday, April 16, fans will see qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, followed by the Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. On Sunday, April 17, the greatest drivers in the world face off in the Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

For more information on tickets to Talladega Superspeedway, please visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA.

Fan Advisory Network Members
· Linda Mitchell – Columbus, OH · Anita Barkley – Lynn, AL · Connie Doering – Watertown, SD
· Sherrie Perry – New Market, AL · Ronald Frazier – Montgomery, AL· Rusty Dossett – Pascagoula, MS
· Candace Melancon – Sorrento, LA· Steve Daniels – Birmingham, AL· Camaran Williams – Pell City, AL· Scott Young – Baldwin City, KS· Bill Steele – Columbus, NJ· Melissa Harris – Haleyville, AL
· Deborah Coggins – Evans, GA· Nathan Thomas – Conway, AR· Hardy Graham Jr. – Meridian, MS
· Dale Eichler – Vidor, TX· Richard Sebren – Jackson, MS· John Lovvorn Jr. – Albertville, AL
· Mike Edwards – Tupelo, MS· Chuck Estey – Oxford, MS· Sherie Yates – Clanton, AL
· Jeremy Cooper – Thornton, CO· Robyn Brown – House Springs, MO· Stephen Ingram – Columbus, GA
· Jeannie Quick – Jacksonville, FL· Don Adelmund – Milwaukee, IA· Jeff Bookout – Cantonment, FL
· Katie Loftus – Buford, GA· Joshua Elliott – Tuscaloosa, AL· Diane Lund – Charlotte, NC

Daytona International Speedway. :Paving Complete

12/10/10
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – On Friday, the checkered flag waved for the paving crew of Lane Construction as they finished the final paving of Daytona International Speedway.


The paving crew wrapped up the final pass on the apron in Turns 1 and 2 in the late afternoon, following some inclement weather in the morning. While all the paving is complete on the racing surface, skid pad, pit road and the apron, there’s still a punch-list of items being worked on during the 23rd week of repaving of Daytona International Speedway:

Installation of the lights is complete but finishing touches such as connectivity and adjustments of the lights still need to be made

The striping of the track has begun and is ongoing.

The process of hanging the eight caution lights around the track is ongoing

Installation of the scoring loops is ongoing

Finishes touches are being put on the catch fence in Turns 1, 2, 3 and 4

At least 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers are expected to participate in a Goodyear tire test on Wednesday, Dec. 15 and Thursday, Dec. 16

About the Daytona Repave: Lane Construction, which repaved other ISC race tracks including Talladega Superspeedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Richmond International Raceway and Darlington Raceway, used an estimated 50,000 tons of asphalt to repave more than 1.4 million square feet of Daytona International Speedway.

Speedweeks 2011 will kick off with the 49th annual Rolex 24 At Daytona GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series race on Jan. 29-30 and conclude with the 53rd annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 20, the prestigious season-opening event to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Daytona International Speedway is posting updates on the project at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/repave and on its social sites on Twitter (www.twitter.com/DISUpdates) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/daytonainternationalspeedway). For fans interested in purchasing pieces of asphalt, they can visit www.jostens.com/Daytona

JANURARY RACING

JANUARY Roar Before The Rolex 24

January 7 - 9, 2011
See the world's greatest drivers prepare for the Rolex 24 At Daytona in the annual Roar Before The Rolex 24 test sessions.

 NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest
January 20 - 22, 2011
Race fans will see their favorite drivers on the new Daytona racing surface for the first time in advance of Speedweeks 2011 and the 53rd annual Daytona 500.

 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Challenge 200
January 28, 2011
The GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Challenge 200 is a prelude to the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the season-opening event to the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

Rolex 24 At Daytona
January 29 - 30, 2011
The Rolex 24 At Daytona features the stars of racing in Daytona Prototypes and GT-class cars in the ultimate test of driver and machine.

Goodyear Tire Testing At Daytona International Speedway

Goodyear tire testing on the new racing surface at Daytona International Speedway

Goodyear tire testing on the new asphalt of Daytona International Speedway
Wednesday, Dec. 15, and Thursday, Dec. 16, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
At least 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams will participate in the two-day Goodyear tire test on the new racing surface at Daytona International Speedway in advance of the 53rd running of the Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, Feb. 20.

Drivers tentatively scheduled to participate in the test include:
2010 Daytona 500 champion Jamie McMurray
Brad Keselowski
Mark Martin
Jeff Gordon
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
David Ragan
Kurt Busch
Casey Mears
Matt Kenseth
Bill Elliott
Paul Menard
Jeff Burton
Juan Pablo Montoya
Bobby Labonte
Todd Bodine
Regan Smith
Reed Sorenson
Brian Keselowski

DAYTONA SPEEDWAY WINS TRACK AWARD

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Daytona International Speedway received the 2010 NASCAR Foundation Track of the Year Award at the NASCAR National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon held on Thursday at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III accepted the award from Steve Gaffney, Director of Sports Marketing for Sprint.
“On behalf of the staff at DIS, I want to thank NASCAR and the NASCAR Foundation for this fantastic recognition,” Chitwood said. “The passion the staff has at Daytona for NASCAR racing is not just about the race itself, it’s about the community, the charitable involvement and this family that we're all in. I couldn't be more proud of what they do on a daily basis.”
Beginning this year, the NASCAR Foundation implemented a year-long fundraising and awareness contest among NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide tracks. Tracks were awarded points for funds raised and marketing activities that they engage in with the NASCAR Foundation with the top track being awarded the NASCAR Foundation Track of the Year award.
One of the highlights of Daytona International Speedway’s work with the NASCAR Foundation in 2010 was serving as one of the NASCAR Day “Big Five” Service Projects. As part of the program, the “World Center of Racing” hosted 100 middle school students in the Nationwide Series garages where they learned around the education side of racing.

For information on tickets for all Daytona International Speedway events, fans can visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.

DAYTONA REPAVING

During the 22nd week of the Daytona Repave project, paving of the wearing course – the final layer of asphalt – is taking place on pit road, pit exit and the tie ins to the road course.


Other highlights from the past two weeks include:

• Reinstallation of the Musco lights in Turns 1, 2, 3 and 4 is ongoing
• Reinstallation of the catch fence in Turns 1 and 2 is ongoing
• The SAFER barrier reinstallation in Turns 1 and 2 is complete
• Paving of the asphalt in the aprons in both Turns 1, 2, 3 and 4 is ongoing
• Daytona International Speedway will host a Goodyear tire test on Wednesday, Dec. 15 and Thursday, Dec. 16