Critics Say NASCAR Diversity Not a Priority

It was always Joe Henderson III’s dream to become a successful NASCAR driver. He entered NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity (D4D) program with hopes of cracking a barrier that remains in place for most African American drivers. According to New York Times article published in 2006, Henderson was under contract from 2005 to 2006 and was used for publicity for NASCAR diversity efforts but was given poor equipment in 2005 and not even provided a racecar in 2006.

As a result of mixed results from the D4D program, many in the minority community doubt if NASCAR diversity is really a priority for those in charge of the lucrative sport.

“It’s a sham,” said Henderson’s father Joe Henderson, Jr. “The program is not designed to be successful because, No. 1, it’s not properly funded … They claim that it’s a pipeline. Well, nobody came out of the pipe.”

Despite Michael Cherry, coming from the D4D pipeline, and recently obtaining sponsorship with Nationwide Insurance, many critics including ESPN.com columnist Ed Hinton and former participants in the D4D program believe that the lack of funding is an indicator that NASCAR is continuing to drive, but not towards true diversity.

Hinton, in a recent column on ESPN.com, stated that the problem with the diversity program is the money and the fact that is limited to the developmental stage, not providing a bridge for minority drivers to transition from the small time to the big time. Approximately three years ago, $4 million annually was the budget for D4D, which is “significantly more” now, said Marcus Jardotte, NASCAR’s vice president for public affairs, whose department oversees D4D. However, Hinton believes that even $6 million annually is not enough to fund one decent effort for one Nationwide driver for one season, let alone the 12 that were selected for D4D this year.

However, NASCAR states they cannot fund particular drivers because it would represent a conflict of interest, choosing instead to stop funding drivers once they move up from the developmental level into Trucks, Nationwide or Cup (the top three racing series).

“It would be a conflict of interest for the entity that’s responsible for making and enforcing the rules to also support a particular driver at the national touring level,’ Jardotte said.

However, many believe NASCAR diversity could improve if they encourage its many sponsor to seriously get behind a minority driver because that would increase the viewership from various demographic groups, specifically African Americans, who stereotypically do not support NASCAR in large numbers.

“It can’t all be done at the late-model level and then assume that everybody, somehow, can find a couple of million [dollars a year] to run Trucks,” says Marty Buckles, a member of the first D4D class in 2004. “Once you get ready to run Trucks [first level of the major series] you’re on your own.”

However, many potential sponsors say that the reason they have not sponsored many African American drivers is because of the small African American market that watches NASCAR. Sponsors are more interested in promoting their products than promoting NASCAR diversity and if that demographic is watching other sports, companies usually will endorse athletes from the other sports.

That lack of funding has caused many African Americans, including Buckles to place their career on hold. Buckles and Chris Bristol, another D4D participant, have had to take jobs in mechanical engineering. Fortunately for Bristol, his engineering job is in a race-related profession, working for Roehrig Engineering, a manufacturer of racing shock testing equipment.

Bristol was able to continue his career briefly with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), who many credit as being one of few owners seriously promoting NASCAR diversity. Nevertheless, JGR has had a difficult time obtaining sponsorship as well because of the current state of the economy, which many sponsors state is another factor affecting their decision to fund more drivers.

Many drivers such as Marc Davis, 18, and Chase Austin, 19, have decided to pursue their dreams without major sponsorships. Austin is in the Truck series with African American ownership, refusing to enter the NASCAR diversity program because he does not want to be known as an affirmative action driver.

Since there is still no African American or females in the drivers’ seats, full-time, in the top three series is an indicator of racial problems in the sport and no sincerity when it comes to NASCAR diversity, according to critics.

“It should not be easier for an African American to become President of the United States than a full-time driver in one of NASCAR’s top series,” wrote Doug Demmons of the Birmingham News.

Preston Miller, project manager for NASCAR at Ford Motor Company for 13 year stated: “NASCAR isn’t stepping up for what they say they want to do. They’re doing it like they’ve always done, putting the onus on the owners of the Cup cars. They beat them up to make them fund everything … They’ve put the load on everybody else to go out and get diversity.”

Unfortunately for Henderson, the lack of NASCAR diversity was a load that he could not carry alone, who experienced angry crowds at races hurling racial epithets in his direction. Hopefully for Cherry, the struggles that his predecessors had to endure may have made the journey a little more bearable for him and those that follow.

Todd A. Smith is the web master for ; Regal Mag The Preeminent Online Magazine for African American Men. For more information on this subject visit our ; Sports Section To read about ; NASCAR diversity

Article Source: Critics Say NASCAR Diversity Not a Priority

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/230987/critics-say-nascar-diversity-not-a-priority

Justin Allgaier Verizon Wireless Dodge Ryan Truex NAPA Toyota

NASCAR Tickets - Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Off to a Strong Start

When racing owners Chip Ganassi and Teresa Earnhardt decided to join forces last November, the two NASCAR dynasties only hoped for the kind of success their combined teams have achieved thus far in the 2009 Sprint Cup Series. Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. struck a deal in November 2008, bringing drivers Martin Treux Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya and Aric Almirola together as teammates under the unified name Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. These three drivers have spent the last few months testing together, and sponsorship and driver lineups have now been solidified as Earnhardt Ganassi moves forward early in the 2009 season.

Martin Truex Jr., the most experienced of the Earnhardt Ganassi crew, was carried over from Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and has been a top competitor for the Sprint Cup Series since 2004, when he ran two races for DEI and finished 70th in points in the series. Truex has had three consecutive Top 20 finishes since 2006 and finished at number 15 in last year's Sprint Cup Series. His transition to the merged Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team has proven to be successful so far for No. 1, as he started the racing season with a pole win at the Daytona 500 and promises to be a fierce competitor for the rest of the year, as well.

Columbian racer Juan Pablo Montoya is similarly enjoying this new Ganassi/Earnhardt merger, as the three-year NASCAR veteran finally has a more experienced driver (Truex, Jr.) to partner with. Montoya came to the NASCAR circuit after competing with Formula One and even winning the Indy 500 in 2000, spending 2008 with other Ganassi drivers Reed Sorenson and Dario Franchitti. Montoya posted a 14th place finish at Daytona this year and followed the next week with a consistent 11th place finish at Fontana, expecting more success for the rest of the season.

When recently asked about his new teammates, Montoya said that he, Truex and Almirola are working together fantastically, saying, "A lot of times you go to teammates and they really don't want to help. Like in the [Daytona 500] if I saw Martin, I would try to help him. If he saw me he would try to help me. It worked really well and I'm really pumped up about it."

Another Earnhardt Ganssi driver, Aric Almirola, is also pumped up about the team's new camaraderie. Currently in his first full Sprint Cup season, Almirola is enjoying the benefits of the newly minted team, getting his feet on the ground as he braces for the '09 season. Although he has yet to post a finish past the top 30 in this year's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Almirola got some early help from Montoya during Daytona, recalling an instance during the day when "we were toward the back and both of us had just pit and were on fresh tires. Juan pushed the ever-living daylights out of me for about three laps straight and we went from 27th to the top 15. We were flying. We were going to the front and it was cool to have his help."

Truex, Montoya and Almirola are posing a triple-threat on the scene of the Nascar Sprint Cup Series already this season, and everyone with NASCAR tickets has gotten to witness this blossoming team chemistry to its fullest. The Ganassi/Earnhardt merge was created in part because of financial necessity but also for drivers to improve on performance, and so far the deal has been nothing but successful for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. To watch these Earnhardt Ganassi drivers speed to the finish line of NASCAR races this season, get tickets to a Sprint Cup race online and prepare for a memorable day at the track!

This article is sponsored by StubHub.com. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling NASCAR tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.

Article Source: NASCAR Tickets - Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Off to a Strong Start

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/248656/nascar-tickets-earnhardt-ganassi-racing-off-to-a-strong-start

NAPA Brakes Toyota Joe Nemechek Washington Music Center Toyota Scott Speed

NASCAR The Drivers Physical Conditioning

So does NASCAR driver physical conditioning matter. Some would debate that drivers are not athletes but one must consider the conditions inside of a stock car race vehicle. The interiors of these cars are not designed for driver comfort with air conditioning and surround sound. Everything about a stock car is focused on speed not on comfort. So NASCAR driver physical conditioning must be such that it builds a drivers endurance to withstand some harsh conditions and Gforces. And, the NASCAR driver physical conditioning is very similar to athletes in other sports except different areas are built up.

The temperatures in the drives cockpit of a race car can reach around 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine this temperature with a 500 lap race at 200 mph along with lack of air flow and you will see that NASCAR driver physical conditioning to build in endurance is critical. Plus, a NASCAR driver will need to steer and maneuver a 3,400 pound vehicle around curves, other cars, and over bumps. This can cause a lot of impacting against the driver plus just the strain of controlling the steering wheel. Then there are the G forces that will result from banking turns at speeds close to 200 mph causing pressure on the drivers torso as it presses against the side of the vehicle.

Oxygen is a problem too. Since the cars are very aerodynamic so as to increase speed, the air is guided around the car but does not reach the inside. The drivers cockpit is not pressurized like an aircraft. So, the driver has to be able to process what oxygen he gets very efficiently. Therefore, NASCAR driver physical conditioning will include aerobic exercises so as to optimize the processing of oxygen by the body.

Part of any good physical athletic training is the proper amount of nutrition and rest and NASCAR driver physical conditioning is no exception to this. By including the proper amount of nutrition and rest in NASCAR driver physical conditioning, the driver can maintaining alertness and quick reflexes which are crucial to a safe drive. Not getting the proper amount of rest can cause a driver to make mistakes which at 200 mph could be dangerous and even fatal.

Without the proper nutrition and rest in the drivers physical conditioning, a driver can become confused and disoriented during the race. This is especially true when combining the lack of air in the cockpit mixed with carbon monoxide fumes and tremendous G forces which cause disorientation as well. G forces can also affect vision but proper nutrition and vitamins combat against their effects.

NASCAR driver physical conditioning also includes weight training but not in order to build mass. The weight training performed by a driver is to build up strength for steering and breaking. It is also so that the drivers body can withstand the abuse from bouncing around and getting slammed from excessive Gforces.

NASCAR driver physical conditioning separates those who can make it for an entire racing event and those who would wear out during the qualification races. It is very important and the sport should be taken just as serious as any other professional sport.

For the largest selection of Nascar Merchandise along with up to the minute News, NASCARsupershop.com offers this and more. We carry everything NASCAR including Nascar Car Flags and Nascar Baby Pajamas all at the best prices everyday!

Article Source: NASCAR The Drivers Physical Conditioning

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/102519/nascar-the-drivers-physical-conditioning

Red Bull Toyota Bobby Labonte Phoenix Construction Chevrolet Chevrolet Mikko Kozarowitzky

From Nascar "Pony" Car Fame - The Lincoln - Mercury Cougar

You may well have thought that the Mercury Cougar auto that the origins of the Mercury Cougar auto were nothing more than a whale sized version of simple Ford Thunderbird car. Yet many are surprised that the history and development of this classic American sportscar rather was that of the NASCAR legendary Mercury “Pony Car” , which kicked nothing but but “Butt” on the Trans-Am Automobile racing circuit.

Originally Lincoln- Mercury (considered at the time to be the luxury end of Ford Motor Corporation), had devised the idea of developing, designing and marketing a small sized sports car. The germ of this idea had started as early as February 1963 with the idea in the works of this smaller sports type vehicle to be sold within the North American automobile market.

But it was the success of the Ford Mustang product that finally put the pedal to the metal (or the design and marketing staff’s ok and budgeting of departmental project funding). It is said that nothing drives a project the automobile industry than the potential of excellent sales figures and profitability’s. Even the name of the vehicle product “Cougar” is not totally unique. Cougar is in the same vein as “Mustang” – both being sleek fast racing animals.

Although the Cougar was also built on a 111 inch

wheelbase similar to the mustang auto sports car, the Cougar was rather three inches and half inches shorter than its cousin – the Thunderbird. Underneath the elegant sheet metal of the Cougar was a Mustang, so to speak. In actuality the Cougar shared with its cousins – the sporty Mustang, and the dourer family vehicle - the Ford Falcon (which was also known in the Canadian market as the Ford Frontenac product. The Ford Mustang had the greatest fortune of being born from the Ford Falcon product line. Mustang enthusiasts owe a great debt of gratitude to a so called compact “Family” car. The Ford Falcon allowed both the Mustang car project as well as the Cougar car product a quick to develop, cheap to produce as well as a proven and durable base platform. Even the dash of the early Mustangs was a direct copy of the Falcons.

Underneath all of the glitter of its elegant sheet metal the Cougar car was all Mustang, using the exact same Falcon front suspension and a solid rear axle with four-leaf springs. A base 289 cubic inch V-8 made 200 bhp (gross), but the real action came in the guise of a 390 cubic inch V-8 that made 320 bhp. A GT option included a performance handling package and power disc brakes that replaced more standard front brake drums. Finally special GT wheels rounded out the package.

It has been said that Lincoln Mercury’s chief designer had envisioned the Cougar as an elegant European sports car, along the lines of the Jaguar Mark 2. How was it that the Cougar went racing?

In 1967 Lincoln Mercury turned to Bud Moore to be the point man for a shot at the SCCA Trans-Am Championship. Team Cougar made up of drivers, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Formula 1 driver Peter Revson and NASCAR driver Dave Pearson came in second in Ford Mustang’s team. In 1968 then under the aegis of Moore, driver DeWayne “Tiny” Lund went on to capture the NASCAR Grand Touring Championship.

So where and how did the Cougar go wrong and in the end become a rather non defined wishy washy bloated luxo sort of sports car by the end of its automobile production lifetime? What proved to be this product and projects undoing was the lack of true comprehension from the direct Mercury as well as Ford staff and executives as to what this car’s clear and distinct market was. It may be said that at the best they were disinterested and at the worst clueless and greedy. This lack of market focus, as well as not knowing and perceiving the needs and desires of the potential Cougar customer market proved to be the Cougar’s undoing.

By the 1969 product introduction the Cougar was a little longer and a little wider. From then on it was only a short decent into landau roofs as well as the opera window type styling and options of the day. Once started this downward trend and spiral of the Cougar was inevitable. The halcyon years of the early Cougar - specifically the early Cougar model years of 1967 – 70 remain a time when the Cougar’s roar boomed out of dual exhausts and the sign of a car that had some bite to it.

Riv Import Car Broker Buy Car Vancouver Used Auto Vancouver Dealer

Article Source: From Nascar "Pony" Car Fame - The Lincoln - Mercury Cougar

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/140282/from-nascar-pony-car-fame-the-lincoln-mercury-cougar

Giovanni Lavaggi Chris Lawrence Michel Leclere Richard Lee Rudd

NASCAR Tickets - Eury Under Fire

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. hasn't had the blowout racing season he's hoped for so far this year, but is his crew chief (and cousin) Tony Eury, Jr. to blame for his mediocrity on the track? While much of the NASCAR realm is ready to dismiss Eury from the pit after Earnhardt's tediously slow start on the season (in 35th place for points after the first two Sprint Cup races of the year) Earnhardt isn't quite ready to give up on Eury yet, and neither is Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick. The future of Tony Eury, Jr. is questionable as his experience with motorsports is slowly being surpassed by the engineers who are now taking over as NASCAR crew chiefs, but it seems as if, even for just right now, Eury's job is safe.

Rick Hendrick recently addressed the media on the Eury situation, displaying his confidence in Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s cousin and crew chief by saying, "I have no intention of making any changes. I have all intentions of making it better. These guys are working their butts off... and I have to believe in the next few weeks we're going to see some real success out of that crowd. My philosophy is you tweak it and inch forward before you cut it apart and completely rebuild it. I see a lot of effort from everybody on the team."

True, over these last few weeks following a disastrous start to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season the No. 88 National Guard Chevy has done a terrific job of playing catch-up, as Dale Jr. is now ranked 19th in the league after a solid 10th place finish at Las Vegas, an 11th place finish in Atlanta and 14th place finish at Bristol, but are these consistent finishes enough to give the Dale Jr. team the boost of confidence it needs to get back into the pit and keep going? Rick Hendrick sure hopes so, as this struggling Hendrick Motorsports team needs to pound out some better performances even than Earnhardt had last month in Las Vegas if it wants to stay toward the top.

Hendrick is willing to see out this driver-crew chief melee of the Juniors, and this could be in part because of a similar situation that occurred last year between Jeff Gordon and his crew chief Steve Letarte. Gordon's No. 24 Chevy went win-less last season and, as Hendrick recalled, "Everybody was saying, 'You need to replace Stevie and you need to do something because they aren't running [well].' Last year at this time, the No. 88 [Earnhardt] was the best team we had in the complex and they were the ones leading the charge." The Gordon team this year currently sits at number one in series standings, and the hope is for the Earnhardt team to work out the kinks, as well, putting Hendrick Motorsports back on top of the NASCAR circuit.

While Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Tony Eury, Jr. continue working things out, fans with NASCAR tickets will still be able to watch No. 88 go for his first win of the season. Racing tickets are always available online, so make sure you don't miss Dale Jr.'s hopeful comeback!

This article is sponsored by StubHub.com. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling NASCAR tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.

Article Source: NASCAR Tickets - Eury Under Fire

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/254225/nascar-tickets-eury-under-fire

Brian Scott Carl Long Willie Allen Derrike Cope

NASCAR Tracks - The Martinsville Speedway

The Martinsville Speedway is celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2007.

The Martinsville Speedway track was sold to International Speedway Corporation in 2004 and has been defined as the "biggest deal in NASCAR" to date. Recently, International Speedway Corporation has been purchasing race tracks in an effort to gain a majority in the number of races on the circuit. The Martinsville Speedway ticket office is open daily 9 a.m. The ticket office will be open this Saturday, March 24, from 9 a.m. The Martinsville speedway in Virginia has been home to NASCAR races for the entire time it was constructed except the very first year. Martinsville Speedway was formed in 1947 and hosted various races for the entire year and in 1948 NASCAR was formed and begun racing at the Martinsville Speedway.

Martinsville Speedway is located just miles out of the city of Martinsville, Virginia. This facility is proud to be recognized as the only original NASCAR-sanctioned track still hosting Nextel Cup competitions. Martinsville Speedway is one of the oldest venues on the NASCAR schedule; the paper clip shaped track is famous for close, intense action as Nextel Cup stock cars beat and bang on each other for 500 laps.

Martinsville Speedway tickets are worth the expense for any event because of the electrifying atmosphere. Martinsville Speedway opened in 1947 with 750 seats and has grown continuously over the years. But other than being paved in 1955, the track configuration has not changed since Red Byron won the inaugural event. Martinsville Speedway is one of the oldest venues on the NASCAR schedule; the paper clip shaped track is famous for close, intense action as Nextel Cup stock cars beat and bang on each other for 500 laps.

The Martinsville speedway in Virginia has been home to NASCAR races for the entire time it was constructed except the very first year. Martinsville Speedway was formed in 1947 and hosted various races for the entire year and in 1948 NASCAR was formed and begun racing at the Martinsville Speedway. The Martinsville Speedway ticket office is open daily 9 a.m. The ticket office will be open this Saturday, March 24, from 9 a.m.

Martinsville Speedway ran the first NASCAR race there on July 4, 1948. When Martinsville Speedway opened in 1947 it only had 750 seats. Today the track holds over 70,000 race fans and is continually improving the facilities.

The paper clip shaped track is famous for close, intense action as Nextel Cup stock cars beat and bang on each other for 500 laps. Martinsville Speedway is located just miles out of the city of Martinsville, Virginia. This facility is proud to be recognized as the only original NASCAR-sanctioned track still hosting Nextel Cup competitions.

For NASCAR Merchandise, Up to the minute News, and everything NASCAR including Race Car jackets or Nascar Racing Jackets we have them at the best prices everyday!

Article Source: NASCAR Tracks - The Martinsville Speedway

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/189624/nascar-tracks-the-martinsville-speedway

Mark Green Ryan Newman Jeremy Clements Justin Allgaier

NASCAR Tickets - NASCAR Angels to Host Earnhardt's Lucky Charm

Dale Earnhardt may be in heaven now, but he's still got angels here on earth. Wessa Miller, a Kentucky native and Make-A-Wish child who made NASCAR history alongside the legendary Earnhardt several years ago, is getting more recognition now for her courageous story, and it has recently been announced that the spina bifida patient will soon featured as part of the NASCAR Foundation's NASCAR Angels television program.

Miller has a long history with NASCAR, as she met Dale Earnhardt in February of 1998 before the '98 Daytona 500 through the Make-A-Wish Foundation when she was just six years old, giving the famed racecar driver a penny that he glued to the dash of his No. 3 car prior to winning the prestigious race for the first time in 20 attempts. After winning Daytona for the first (and only) time, Earnhardt considered Miller's gift his lucky charm and gifted her family with a new van to help with transportation needs to doctor visits across their home state of Kentucky.
It's been 11 years since Earnhardt's magnificent Daytona win and eight years since his tragic death after crashing in the final lap of the Daytona 500 in 2001, yet the story of Wessa Miller is still very much alive. The inspirational story of this little girl with spina bifida is still cemented into NASCAR history, as Earnhardt's winning No. 3 Chevrolet remains on display at the Richard Childress Racing Museum in Welcome, North Carolina, complete with a shiny penny glued to the dashboard. Although the 1998 Daytona race is standing still and frozen in time, life has gone on for Miller and her family, who have in the meantime started the Pennies for Wessa Fund to help aid hospital bills and the costs of treating Miller's medical conditions.

The NASCAR Foundation, the racing league's support for charitable efforts, has recently announced its teaming with the NASCAR Angels television program in helping aid Wessa Miller and her parents, starting with an online auction through the Motor Racing Outreach benevolence fund that will raise money for Pennies for Wessa by auctioning off autographed memorabilia by NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers, as well as various fire suits and VIP packages. The foundation will also feature Miller on its NASCAR Angels television show, which is a program that is a self-proclaimed "Extreme Home Makeover meets Pimp My Ride, NASCAR-style" and transforms broken automobiles into drivable cars. Wessa Miller will be filmed at Tennessee's Bristol Motor Speedway on March 21 as part of the "Heart of NASCAR" segment of an upcoming NASCAR Angels episode.

While NASCAR's charitable efforts are currently focusing in part on Wessa Miller, the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series are both well underway for the 2009 season. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. continues carrying on his late father's legacy (despite a nasty crash at Daytona last month,) and Roush Fenway Racing's No. 17 driver Matt Kenseth has taken the early lead in the Sprint Cup Series, winning the league's first two races at both Daytona and Fontana. The 2009 NASCAR season has already elicited unpredictable excitement from racing fans across the nation, so get in on the excitement and nab NASCAR tickets online to catch these speedsters zooming around the racetrack!

This article is sponsored by StubHub.com and was written by Brent Warnken. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling NASCAR tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.

Article Source: NASCAR Tickets - NASCAR Angels to Host Earnhardt's Lucky Charm

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/243803/nascar-tickets-nascar-angels-to-host-earnhardts-lucky-charm

Dan Gurney Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood Mika Häkkinen