NASCAR and USAC Entry Lists
The Chase for the Sprint Cup's stop at Phoenix International Raceway is in full swing. Stay posted on what's happening at the track! Hard at work throughout the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 Presented by Pennzoil weekend, the Phoenix International Raceway Pit Notes Team is in the trenches and delivering you - the fan - all of the need-to-know information from one of NASCAR's premier events. Want to find out what the drivers are saying? Who's thinking what as the Semi-Final Race in the Chase approaches? Who's appearing where at the track? Our team is working pit road, the garages, the Midway, and everywhere in between, and they'll have the information for you. Click the Phoenix International Raceway Pit Notes links at the right to stay posted as the NASCAR weekend moves forward.
Highlights
With "Talladega Nights" showing some of the humor of NASCAR, TV viewers will soon get to see if reality has as many laughs. Comedian Arsenio Hall is here at PIR taping some segments for an upcoming episode of The Jay Leno Show. Arsenio Hall: "My involvement with racing is that I can spell NASCAR and I have Googled Danica Patrick. It's interesting, Jay Leno is a huge car fanatic and he's done this many times. He couldn't get here and for anything that he can't do, except make love to his wife, he sends me. He (Leno) said, 'Will you do it for me?' and I said, 'Yeah.' So we're going to do a piece for December 3rd for the Jay Leno Show, just about how much fun the whole weekend is and just do some silly jokes like, 'If the Extenze car wins by an inch, is that illegal?' It's little things of that nature." The Same Stuff Used For Hockey Pucks...Teams in all three NASCAR series will run the same tire codes at Phoenix this weekend, though the Sprint Cup and Nationwide tires will be branded "Goodyear Eagle," while the Camping World Truck tires will be branded "Goodyear Wrangler." This is the same combination of left- and right-side tire codes that Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams ran at this track in April (also used in Sprint Cup and Nationwide competition at Richmond in 2009; Camping World Trucks have run this tire at Milwaukee, Memphis and New Hampshire). As on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Phoenix. ***** Harvick Trying for the Unprecedented...#33 Kevin Harvick is trying to make NASCAR and PIR history this weekend. After winning last night's Lucas Oil 150 Camping World Truck Series race, he is attempting to be the first driver ever to win races in NASCAR's three national touring series at the same track in the same weekend. Harvick starts third in today's Able Body Labor 200. Giving Thanks... Through Monday, Nov. 16, select NASCAR Nationwide teams will have donation collection containers at their shops for fans to donate non-perishable items to needy families for Thanksgiving. Fans can visit Braun Racing and Germain Racing (Mooresville); Kevin Harvick Inc. (Kernersville); RAB Racing and Roush Fenway Racing (Concord) and Richard Childress Racing (Welcome), and CJM Racing, Faith Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Key Motorsports and Team Rensi Motorsports to donate. Additionally, a NASCAR Nationwide Series driver autograph session was held today from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at PIR in Gatorade Victory Lane. Fans were asked to bring at least one non-perishable food item or donate $5 to receive a special infield wristband in order to participate.
