NASCAR has approved a new nose for the 2009 Dodge Charger. (Photo: Tom Jensen)
KING ENJOYS BARRETT-JACKSON Seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Richard Petty isn’t awed very often, but the man known throughout the racing world as “The King” said he was blown away by his first visit to last week’s Barrett-Jackson Collector Car event in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Petty went to Barrett-Jackson to help auction off a 1970 Plymouth Superbird tribute car that sold Saturday for $500,000, with all proceeds going to benefit the Darrell Gwynn Foundation to fund research into spinal cord injuries. The Barrett-Jackson experience left Petty suitably impressed.
“That’s a big operation,” Petty said during Tuesday’s kickoff to the Lowe’s Motor Speedway Media Tour. “… It was really interesting to see the different kinds of people there, the ideas that they had. Some of ‘em wanted old cars, some wanted new cars, antiques. Some of ‘em just coming to look. It was really a cross-section of America when you go through there and see all the people.”
Petty said his first Barrett-Jackson visit won’t be his last. “I guess that’s what impressed me so much about it,” he said. “You had one concept and when I got there, it was a lot bigger concept than what I had. We’ll go back from time to time.”
HENDRICK SIGNS STEWART Hendrick Motorsports will field a NASCAR Nationwide Series entry for Tony Stewart next month at Daytona International Speedway. The car will carry the No. 80 and sponsorship from HendrickCars.com, with 2003 Nationwide Series champion crew chief Lance McGrew atop the pit box.
Stewart will have to qualify on speed for the Feb. 14 Camping World 300 Nationwide race at DIS. If makes the field, it will be Stewart’s first start for team owner Rick Hendrick. “After winning the season-opening Nationwide Series race at Daytona three times, we're going to try and get another one, this time for Rick,” said Stewart in a statement released by the team on Tuesday. “Hopefully we can go back-to-back for a second time and put the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet in Victory Lane. Rick and I have been friends for years, so it would mean a lot to me to get a win for him.”
“Tony is one of the best drivers in the world,” Hendrick said. “We know how terrific he is at Daytona, so I told the guys to build him a fast car and let him do what he does best. He's a great friend, and it's going to be fun to see him drive for Hendrick Motorsports for the first time.”
