Daily NASCAR

by Holly Cain

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart, NASCAR Crashes, NASCAR Fights, Joey Logano, NASCAR

Since NASCAR famously adopted and embraced its “Boys, Have At It” policy, some drivers are “having” more than others. Aggressive driving is nothing new to NASCAR. Most fans consider hard-nosed driving and rough-and-tumble finishes a large part of what makes their sport so compelling.

In these last few crucial weeks to set the 12-driver Chase for the Championship, however, this go-for-it mindset has risen to new heights — or lows. There has been as much finger-pointing and shoving in the garage as bump-and-run on the race track … and even a little profane name-calling during driver introductions.

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It was back to the world’s fastest half mile this weekend as NASCAR inches closer to the start of the chase for the championship. It was more Silly Season news that led the headlines this week. Richard Petty Motorsports announced Tuesday Marcos Ambrose would be the driver of the #9 in 2011. Ambrose will be sponsored by Stanley Tools. And Richard Childress Racing announced Budweiser would sponsor Kevin Harvick in 2011. Budweiser takes over, partially, from the departing Shell/Pennzoil. And finally Brian Vickers announced on Saturday he has been cleared to race in 2011. Vickers has been sidelined since May because of blood clots. This is the NASCAR week that was, August 15 to 21, 2010.

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Almirola’s rise gains steam

Vintage Insiders

Not Every Crew Guy Is Making $100k A Year

The Other Side of the Garage

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by Holly Cain

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Richard Childress Racing, NASCAR

It’s been a big week for Kevin Harvick; actually, a big year.

Months removed from what looked like a certain parting with a struggling 2009 Richard Childress Racing (RCR) organization, “Happy” Harvick has both himself and RCR comfortably atop the Sprint Cup championship standings.

On Sunday he won his third race of the season and became the first driver to lock into NASCAR’s Chase for the Championship playoffs. On Tuesday, he and RCR welcomed a prized, major sponsor for 2011, Budweiser.

So what changed in the last 10 months?

“It would be easier to tell you what didn’t change, to be honest with you,” Harvick said Tuesday.

“I think everything (changed) from top to bottom. All the things we had here, we’re just using them correctly and more often.

“It’s still the same people; just working in a different direction.”

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by Holly Cain

Filed under: Ford, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

As speculated, Australian driver Marcos Ambrose has officially signed a multi-year contract to drive the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 9 Ford in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series beginning in 2011.

In its announcement Tuesday, the team also confirmed that Stanley Black & Decker will now be the primary sponsor of the car next year, replacing Budweiser, which goes to Kevin Harvick’s No. 29 Chevrolet.

The move will reunite Ambrose with Ford Motor Company, which played a key role in bringing the former Australian V8 Supercar champ to America in 2006. He will replace Kasey Kahne, who revealed last week he is moving to Red Bull Racing for 2011 before joining the Hendrick Motorsports organization for 2012.

“It’s a journey that I’m on — this NASCAR journey — (and) I’m very excited to be able to stay in the sport,” Ambrose said during a press conference at Stanley’s world headquarters in Connecticut.

Also, RPM announced last week that former open-wheeler A.J. Allmendinger will remain driver of the team’s No. 43 Ford next season. Paul Menard will move from RPM to Richard Childress Racing in 2012, and it remains unclear where the RPM team’s other driver, Elliott Sadler, will end up next season. Stanley has been a long-time sponsor of Sadler’s No. 19 Ford at RPM.

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by Holly Cain

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, NASCAR Sponsors, Richard Childress Racing, NASCAR

Richard Childress Racing made it official Tuesday: Longtime NASCAR sponsor Budweiser will join RCR as primary sponsor on current Sprint Cup Series championship leader Kevin Harvick’s No. 29 Chevrolet for 20 of the 36 points races in 2011.

Harvick is the latest in a long line of high-profile sponsorships for the company during the last three decades, including three-time Cup champ Darrell Waltrip, a lengthy and popular pairing with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and currently Kasey Kahne.

Childress announced earlier this year that Harvick’s current sponsor Shell-Pennzoil would not be returning next season and Kahne revealed last week that he will be joining the Red Bull Racing team for 2011.

A release from the team said in addition to its 20-race primary sponsorship deal, Budweiser would appear on Harvick’s Chevy for Daytona Speedweeks’ two non-points races and would be co-primary sponsor on the car for the exhibition Sprint All-Star Race. It will be an associate sponsor on the remaining events.

“We’re excited to have as successful a driver as Kevin Harvick to usher in a new era for Budweiser,” said Mark Wright, Anheuser-Busch Vice President of Media, Sports and Entertainment.

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