HOUSTONLM04 Posted May 27, 2003 Report Share Posted May 27, 2003 From the sporting news ....(http://www.sportingnews.com/voices/lee_spencer/20030525.html) Inside Dish: A big deal brewing for Junior May 25, 2003 Print it The folks at Budweiser know it won't be long until Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins a Winston Cup championship, and they plan to be there to enjoy it. Garage sources say Budweiser, Junior's primary sponsor, has re-signed him to a three-year deal that will pay Dale Earnhardt Inc. $18 million in 2004, $20 million 2005 and $22 million in 2006. That's a chunk of change, but Budweiser will get some of it back—30 percent of a driver's souvenir sales generally goes to the sponsor. Think Junior sells a few souvenirs? . . . The beat and the boot go on for Bill Elliott, who was behind the wheel of the No. 9 Dodge for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte despite a broken toe and three broken bones on his left foot. He also had a touch of the flu. Crew chief Mike Ford says the team increased the brake pedal ratio to make it softer for Elliott, who uses his left foot to brake. Elliott also wore a carbon fiber foot protector. Ford says doctors expect the healing process to take four to six weeks and warned Elliott “to be careful not to separate the bones.” That will be a challenge the next two races: Drivers brake hard all afternoon at Dover and use the clutch because they shift throughout the race at Pocono. Later is the road race June 22 at Sears Point. . . . Jack Sprague's fifth-place starting spot at Charlotte was a career best. Sprague's Pontiac was the first built by crew chief Tony Furr, who replaced Dennis Connor just before the April race at Martinsville. Expect performance to turn around for the Haas CNC Racing team during the summer. . . . Todd Bodine finds himself in an unusual position heading into the Busch Series race Saturday at Dover. He leads the points standings, yet it might be his last race of the season. Bodine, who led the points for seven weeks earlier in the season, is racing with partial funding and needs a sponsor. After Dover, he says, “If we don't have a sponsor, we won't be racing.” . . . Jerry Nadeau's speedy recovery continues. He regained full consciousness last week and called crew chief Ryan Pemberton before the Coca-Cola 600. “He wanted to wish us well,” Pemberton says. “He also told me he'll be home soon.” Nadeau has been hospitalized since a life-threatening practice crash May 2 at Richmond. Mike Wallace is filling in for Nadeau in the No. 01 Pontiac. . . . Tony Stewart, promoter? The World of Outlaws reportedly is having financial problems, and garage sources say Stewart might become the new owner/promoter of the open-wheel series. A possible bidding war could occur between Stewart and Speedway Motorsports, which also has expressed interest in purchasing the series. Word is the price could be $5 million. If you think Stewart should be more concerned about his Winston Cup team, you might be on to something. Stewart, the defending Cup champion, entered the Coca-Cola 600 with four DNFs in the previous six races and was out of contention early at Charlotte. . . . The Indy Racing League tested a new g-force sensor that drivers wore as part of their ear plugs in the Indianapolis 500. The sensor is expected to provide a more accurate reading of the impact of a crash to a driver's body. Technical director Gary Nelson says NASCAR is looking at testing a similar device. Lee Spencer covers NASCAR for the Sporting News. Email her at lspencer@sportingnews.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckLicata Posted May 27, 2003 Report Share Posted May 27, 2003 Hey gang, how appropriate is THIS? #7-Jimmy Spencer will run a Three Stooges 75th Anniversary scheme, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.