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JENSEN: 3M Performance 400 Blog
Written by: Tom Jensen   
08/15/2008
Brooklyn, Mich.
 
Elliott Sadler, driver of the #19 Stanley Dodge, sits in his car during practice for the NASCAR 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images Photo) ยป More Photos

SPEEDtv.com's Tom Jensen blogs the latest news heading into the 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Check back for updates and don't forget to leave your comments below!


Blog Post: Friday, August 15, 2008 2:02 PM Eastern

GEE, TOTO NASCAR officials said they are amenable to realigning the Sprint Cup schedule to give Kansas Speedway a second date, presumably at the expense of another track owned by International Speedway Corp. “We have a long-standing policy on working with track operators to realign dates that best serve the industry,” said NASCAR Managing Director of Corporate Communications Ramsey Poston in an e-mail response to a question from SPEEDTV.com. “We have not received a formal request for realignment yet, but if we do, it will be given every consideration.”

Kansas Speedway officials have said they will seek a second Cup date if a proposal to build a Hard Rock hotel and casino outside Turn 2 at the track is approved. The fact that the track has not made a formal request to NASCAR means it’s highly unlikely that a second Kansas date would be added for 2009, as next year’s Sprint Cup schedule is nearly complete.

So where would a second date come from in 2010? No one from ISC or NASCAR has said, but the smallest media market of any ISC track is Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.

KAHNE LIKES TEAMMATE Gillett Evernham Motorsports was supposed to let Canadian Patrick Carpentier know today whether or not he was being retained for 2009. Carpentier’s teammate, Kasey Kahne, said Friday he hadn’t heard anything yet, but hopes he’s kept on for another season.

“As a teammate, Patrick has been great,” Kahne said of Carpentier. “I really enjoy having him as a teammate. We learn things from him – he learns some things from us. We work well together. As a driver, he was thrown into a really difficult situation. He’s done better than I would have expected. I think the longer that he’s in that (No. 10) car, the longer he gets experience, the better off he’s going to be. It just takes time and experience. I think he’s done a better job than I expected. From a person side, he’s as good as anyone in this garage as far as being able to work with and talk about things.”

FOR A GOOD CAUSE The fourth annual Ricky Hendrick Memorial Charity Ride presented by AutoTrader.com will depart from Knights Stadium in Fort Mill, S.C., at 11:30 a.m. EDT Sunday (staging begins at 7:30 a.m.) and conclude
at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. The cost is $25 per rider, which includes lunch courtesy of Mac's Speedshop, an event t-shirt and a concert by country music artist Blake Wise. All event proceeds will benefit the Hendrick Foundation for Children and go toward the Levine Children's Hospital at Carolinas Medical Center.

Show cars, including some driven by Ricky Hendrick, will be on display, and each ride participant will be entered to win a Suzuki Boulevard motorcycle courtesy of American Suzuki. In addition to other vendors and activities, the Richard Petty Driving Experience will provide three-lap 'charity rides' around the 1.5-mile racetrack for a $109 donation. For more information about the event, please visit www.hendrickcharityride.com.

FOR A GOOD CAUSE II If Elliott Sadler wins Sunday’s 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway, primary sponsor Stanley Tools will make a $1 million donation to the Children’s Miracle Network. “This race may be one of the most significant of Elliott’s career because of the impact it will have on his youngest and most important fans,” said Rebecca Durham, Motorsports & Sponsorships Manager of Stanley Tools. “He knows the lifelong effect of winning this race.”

The incentive is part of the “Racing for a Miracle” program created by Stanley Tools, the Ace Hardware Foundation, and Children’s Miracle Network. “Racing for a Miracle” is a multi-dimensional program that benefits sick and injured kids as well as the hospitals that provide their care.

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or Speed Channel

Tom Jensen is the Senior NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to



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