It was a busy day for news around the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. Here are some of the top stories.
Bobby Labonte named to drive the JTG Daugherty #47 in 2011
Bobby Labonte, the 2000 Sprint Cup Champion, and Driver of the Year that year, was named to drive the #47 JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota in the Sprint Cup Series next year succeeding Marcos Ambrose - who announced, yesterday, that he was leaving the team.
“JTG Daugherty Racing is a solid race team that has come close to winning races with Marcos Ambrose and I’m looking forward to developing our new partnership in 2011,” Labonte said. “The team is thriving and their technical alliance with MWR (Michael Waltrip Racing) is intact. It’s great to have next year already set in stone so when this season ends we can begin focusing on next year right away. Everything is in place and we have all the right ingredients to win races together.”
Labonte, 46, who has primarily driven for The Racing Group, this year, has recorded 21 victories and 26 poles in a career stretching back to 1991 in the now-named Sprint Cup series.
Team co-owner, Brad Daugherty, said, in a statement, “he will do an outstanding job representing our products and team. He has gotten to a point in his career that he still has some things to accomplish. He is highly experienced with a championship on his résumé’ and we know he is capable of winning.”
Jack Roush continues to recover from Tuesday evening Oshkosh, WI plane crash
Jack Roush, co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing continues to recover from his private jet crash in Wisconsin.
According to a team press release “Jack Roush, co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing and chairman of ROUSH® Enterprises, remains hospitalized in serious, but stable condition following a plane accident at Wittman Air Field in Oshkosh, WI., yesterday. He is currently under observation for facial injuries sustained in the accident. His passenger, Brenda Stricklin, was treated and released from a Wisconsin hospital this afternoon.”
Gateway International Raceway drops 2011 NASCAR events
Dover Motorsports, the parent company of Gateway International Raceway, Dover, DE and other tracks has advised NASCAR officials it will not seek any NASCAR-sanctioned races at the oval located east of St. Louis, Missouri.
NASCAR began sanctioning the Nationwide Series (then Busch Grand National) in 1997 and the Camping World Truck Series began racing at the 1.25 mile oval in 1998. This year both series were on the calendar, but, flagging attendance may have been part of the decision making process.
Vice president and general manager of Gateway Terry Harmeson said, "This was a difficult decision in light of the many years of earnest and continued efforts on everyone's part to develop a viable market for these events in one of our nation's greatest cities. We remain committed to fulfill the balance of our 2010 schedule including our October 23rd Nationwide race which will provide our fans the opportunity to see Danica Patrick compete here for the first time. We also plan to explore various ways to change the economics at Gateway both from the revenue and expense side."
Bobby Labonte named to drive the JTG Daugherty #47 in 2011
Bobby Labonte, the 2000 Sprint Cup Champion, and Driver of the Year that year, was named to drive the #47 JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota in the Sprint Cup Series next year succeeding Marcos Ambrose - who announced, yesterday, that he was leaving the team.
“JTG Daugherty Racing is a solid race team that has come close to winning races with Marcos Ambrose and I’m looking forward to developing our new partnership in 2011,” Labonte said. “The team is thriving and their technical alliance with MWR (Michael Waltrip Racing) is intact. It’s great to have next year already set in stone so when this season ends we can begin focusing on next year right away. Everything is in place and we have all the right ingredients to win races together.”
Labonte, 46, who has primarily driven for The Racing Group, this year, has recorded 21 victories and 26 poles in a career stretching back to 1991 in the now-named Sprint Cup series.
Team co-owner, Brad Daugherty, said, in a statement, “he will do an outstanding job representing our products and team. He has gotten to a point in his career that he still has some things to accomplish. He is highly experienced with a championship on his résumé’ and we know he is capable of winning.”
Jack Roush continues to recover from Tuesday evening Oshkosh, WI plane crash
Jack Roush, co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing continues to recover from his private jet crash in Wisconsin.
According to a team press release “Jack Roush, co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing and chairman of ROUSH® Enterprises, remains hospitalized in serious, but stable condition following a plane accident at Wittman Air Field in Oshkosh, WI., yesterday. He is currently under observation for facial injuries sustained in the accident. His passenger, Brenda Stricklin, was treated and released from a Wisconsin hospital this afternoon.”
Gateway International Raceway drops 2011 NASCAR events
Dover Motorsports, the parent company of Gateway International Raceway, Dover, DE and other tracks has advised NASCAR officials it will not seek any NASCAR-sanctioned races at the oval located east of St. Louis, Missouri.
NASCAR began sanctioning the Nationwide Series (then Busch Grand National) in 1997 and the Camping World Truck Series began racing at the 1.25 mile oval in 1998. This year both series were on the calendar, but, flagging attendance may have been part of the decision making process.
Vice president and general manager of Gateway Terry Harmeson said, "This was a difficult decision in light of the many years of earnest and continued efforts on everyone's part to develop a viable market for these events in one of our nation's greatest cities. We remain committed to fulfill the balance of our 2010 schedule including our October 23rd Nationwide race which will provide our fans the opportunity to see Danica Patrick compete here for the first time. We also plan to explore various ways to change the economics at Gateway both from the revenue and expense side."