Now that Paris Hilton is destined for 45 days in the hole, news comes that the man that Paris partially blames, publicist Elliot Mintz, is falling on his sword and taking the blame for her "not understanding" she cannot drive on a suspende...
Fourteen years ago, Billy Joel swore off of writing any more pop music. Since that time he has concentrated on classical music and playing his back catalog in concert, that is until now...
Today: You are invited to... This year at our ball, 3QD is very proud to feature: Secret Society is a dynamic new big band featuring Darcy's original works...
Where : University of Victoria, Farquhar Centre Auditorium What concertgoers will remember Friday morning are sensory imprints left by the Soweto Gospel Choir — flickers of brilliant orange and green tunics, the clack of tongues, the fleeting flash of fe...
Pics of Kardinal Offishall, Paris Hilton, Nelly Furtado and more from the freewheeling awards show and celebrity spectacle. Photos courtesy of Jeff Harris and MuchMusic. For the duration of the festival, check back for film celebs walking the red carpet...
Sun, 11 Feb 2007 15:41:08 CSTSun, 11 Feb 2007 15:41:08 CSTwetpaint.com60NASCAR/wikis/nascarfans/img/itm_headerSite.pnghttp://nascarfans.
wetpaint.comNASCAR Wiki: NASCAR Fan Community - A community website devoted to NASCAR racing, NASCAR news, and the history and drivers of the best sport in the country: NASCAR.Wives and Girlfriendshttp://nascarfans.
wetpaint.com/page/Wives+and+Girlfriends is the most eligible bachelor in NASCAR. His many loves have been the subject of endless speculation in the pits and on internet message boards, but the 31-year-old bachelor shows no signs of settling down any time soon.
Recently, Junior has been linked with Emily Maynard, 20, the former fianc e e of the late Ricky Hendrick. Hendrick, the son of NASCAR team-owner Rick Hendrick, was killed with nine others in a plane crash in route to a race at in 2004. Five days after the crash, Maynard learned she was pregnant with Ricky rsquo;s child, and gave birth to a daughter, Josephine Riddick ldquo;Ricki rdquo; Hendrick, in June 2005.
She became linked with Earnhardt in early 2006 after they were spotted together at a boxing match in Atlantic City. In the fall of 2005, Junior was spotted with Emily Whitaker, 23, the ex-girlfriend of Shane Hmiel, a close friend of Junior rsquo;s and a former NASCAR driver who was suspended indefinitely after his second drug offense. Whitaker dated Hmiel for nearly three years, before calling it quits in 2005.
While there was speculation about the relationship between Junior and Whitaker, there was never any confirmation that it was anything other than a platonic friendship.
From 2004-2005, Junior had a long-distance, occasional relationship with a model named Teresa Lanistassi. A regular in and print commercials, the 31-year-old Lanistassi is a native of Millbrook, New York who currently lives in New York City with her son from a previous marriage to a former NASCAR sponsor executive.
She was first spotted with Junior at a June 2004 race in Dover, and was believed to be spotted again during Speedweeks in Daytona in 2006, though she has also been linked to professional hockey player Zach Parise and Adrian Grenier, star of HBO rsquo;s Entourage. As of lately the two have not been speaking. In 2004, Junior had what was perhaps his most public, if short-lived, relationship, when he began dating 19-year-old Kortnie Coles while being followed by a reality crew for the FX show : 360.
Junior met the beautiful and buxom Koles at in April, and was shown checking her out as she waited outside his hauler for his autograph. He then asked her for her autograph. The two were filmed together the following week at , but the relationship ended shortly thereafter.
There were rumors that Koles was a ldquo;pit lizard rdquo; on the prowl for a driver boyfriend, and she was apparently seen in a 2001 show on MTV called I rsquo;m a Race Car Driver running around the pits expressing her desire to land a driver. Koles is currently a pre-school teacher in Houston, Texas. In 2003, Junior was romantically linked with Leeann Tweeden, a former Playmate, Frederick rsquo;s of Hollywood model, and host.
A native of Manassas, Virginia, Tweeden has also been linked to NASCAR driver , surfer Shane Dorian, baseball players Josh Beckett and Scott Erickson, and road-racer Ben Bostrom. In 2001, Tweeden became a correspondent on the Fox Sports show The Best Damn Sports Show, and in 2005 she became an anchor of NASCAR Nation, a nightly entertainment-themed show on the Speed Channel. From 2002-2003, Junior dated Sports Illustrated model Marisa Miller.
The California native was discovered surfing in Santa Barbara in 2001 by the famous photographer Mario Testino, and she quickly gained supermodel status, appearing in the famous Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue later that same year. In the fall of 2000, Junior had a brief relationship with Shannon Wiseman, a UNC-Charlotte grad who would later become . Wiseman gained notoriety when she finished second in MTV rsquo;s Wannabe a VJ3 contest, and Junior asked a mutual friend to introduce them.
At the time, Wiseman had a boyfriend, so she declined when Junior asked her out. But in the fall of 2000, Junior co-hosted a show on WEND 106.5 in Charlotte, where Wiseman was an intern.
The show rsquo;s host, Kristen Honeycutt, asked Junior about his failed attempt to get a date with Wiseman, and during a commercial break Wiseman called in to say that he simply hadn rsquo;t tried hard enough. The two dated for a brief period shortly thereafter. Wiseman became familiar to race fans in 2002 when she was chosen to be , one of the famed spokesgals for R.
J. Reynolds Tobacco that were always present in Victory Lane to plant a kiss on the winner. Later, Wiseman became a reporter and currently serves as a correspondent for NASCAR.
com.
, the 2006 Nextel Cup contender is currently single. He s been spotted with a few different ladies but nothing steady.
He is also formally connected to Caroline. Now rumored to be seeing Lei.
The crew chief for and the #48 Team, Chad Knaus has been dating Brazilian beauty queen Bruna Oliveira for the past two years.
Born in Rio de Janiero and raised in Massachusetts, Oliveira competed in the Miss Brazil-USA pageant and was named Miss Photenia. She currently resides with Knaus in Mooresville, N.C.
, where she works as a pilates instructor. The couple have two Shih Tzu dogs, Liam and Leila. , the rookie driver of the #11 Chevrolet for , has been dating Kristin Buntain for the past seven years.
The two were high school sweethearts in Chesterfield, Virginia, and, in 2005, Buntain quit her job to move to North Carolina to be with Hamlin. Greg Zipadelli, the crew chief for and the #20 Joe Gibbs Chevrolet, met his wife, Nan, in Old Forge, New York in 1995. Nan, who was a high school teacher at the time, knew nothing about racing, and when Greg told her he was a crew chief from Hartford, she thought he said that he went to Harvard and that a crew chief had something to do with rowing.
The couple have two children: Zachary Charles, born in 2001; and Elwina ldquo;Elli rdquo; Sophia, born shortly after Zipadelli and Stewart won their second Nextel Cup title in 2005. is currently married to Ingrid Vandebosch, a stunning Belgian model. They met on the set of the movie Taxi, in which Vandebosch played a bank robber and Gordon made a cameo, and have been together for two years.
She is a regular companion of his during race weekends. The two were married in a private ceremony in Mexico. Family members of both Vandebosch, who was born in Belgium, and Gordon were present at the celebration.
The newlyweds honeymooned in Phoenix, Ariz., and Miami, Fla., - site of the final two events of the 2006 NASCAR season - before attending the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup banquet in New York in December.
Their official honeymoon occured after the season ended at an undisclosed location. Congratulations to Jeff and Ingrid! The couple are expecting their first child this summer.
has been linked to Mara Kadish since 2005. Kadish attended one of Vickers rsquo; races in 2005 and accompanied him to the Champions rsquo; Week in New York City. The couple reportedly vacationed in Brazil during the off-season.
Vickers had previously dated Ivonne Macias, a model and actress who has appeared in the film Story of Us and on shows such as NYPD Blue. Born in 1971, Macias is more than a decade older than Vickers. NASCAR Nextel Rookie David Ragen is currently dating Jacquelyn.
has been dating 23-year-old Erica Dewey, a 2004 graduate of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, since he entered in 2005. Dewey won the 2004 Miss Central Pennsylvania Scholarship Pageant and competed in the Miss Pennsylvania contest. In 2001, got engaged to Lisa Tollett on the fourth anniversary of their first meeting.
That same year, Tollett won the Miss Tennessee pageant and finished in the top 10 at the Miss USA Pageant. The two met at , where Tollett was serving as the race queen for the Food City 250. The couple split up a few years later, but reportedly remain close friends.
In 2004, Tollett, a graduate of the University of Tennessee, was a cheerleader for the Carolina Panthers. She currently works as a drug rep. Her twin sister, Lori Tollett White, is reportedly a former girlfriend of Nextel Cup rookie, and defending two-time Champion, is rumored to be close to an engagement with Sherry Pollex, the daughter of Greg Pollex, who owns PPC Racing, which owns several Busch teams and a team.
Sherry Pollex previously dated Busch Series driver Jon Wood. She works for a motorsports public relations firm. In the summer of 2004, Ashley Speegle, a gorgeous Virginia Tech student, was featured as a fan in a USA Today article about how NASCAR was becoming popular with women.
A few months later, Speegle and Kahne began dating, though it rsquo;s unclear how Speegle went from a fan to a sweetheart. The two dated for approximately nine months in 2005, but reportedly broke up in the off-season. Kahne had previously had a short relationship with Kristy Labonte, the daughter of NASCAR driver .
The two were featured on the FX show : 360 taking a skiing vacation in Vail, Colorado, but had apparently broken up by the time the show aired. has been married to Shana Sessions Mayfield since early 2003. The two met in 1999 at .
They were featured on the FX show : 360, where they portrayed themselves as homebodies who kept to themselves. , who nearly won title in his rookie season in 2005, was dating Amanda Beard, the Olympic gold medal swimmer who is pursuing a career in modeling. The two met at California Motor Speedway on Labor Day in 2004 -- just after Beard won her gold medal in the 200-meter breastroke at the Athens games -- but didn rsquo;t begin dating until the following February when they were reintroduced by Amy Van Dyken, a fellow gold medalist and mutual friend of both Edwards and Beard.
Beard lives in Tucson, Arizona, where she is finishing her degree at the University of Arizona.The two called it quits earlier this year, because she couldn t handle the NASCAR lifestyle. married Delana Linville Harvick on February 28, 2001 in Las Vegas, just days before he took over driving the Goodwrench Chevrolet for following the death of (the number of the car was changed from 3 to 29 after Earnhardt rsquo;s death).
The two met during driver introductions in 1999, but did not begin dating until they were reintroduced at a Christmas party that year at . Their romance was a secret until they got engaged, almost a year to the day from their first date. Delana is now listed as the car owner for the Busch and Craftsman Truck series teams fielded by , Inc.
Delana Harvick is often the subject of teasing due to the fact that she wears a team firesuit on race days. No other NASCAR wives or girlfriends do this. Defending Nextel Cup Champion has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Krista Dwyer for many years, though the two are not currently together.
Their engagement was announced in 1999, but was called off a short time later. Krista lives in North Carolina with Mojo, the famous monkey that she and Stewart acquired while they were a couple. Stewart has also had an on-again, off-again relationship with Jaime Schaffer, a calendar model.
The two reportedly split up due to Stewart rsquo;s famous anger-management problems -- he punched a photographer in Indianapolis in 2002 -- but she accompanied him to the White House later that year when he met President George W. Bush as the Winston Cup Champion. She was also seen with him at the Champions Week celebrations in New York in 2002 and 2003, but they apparently called it quits in 2004.
Tony is currently dating Tara. 2004 Nextel Cup Champion became engaged in 2005 to Eva Bryan, his girlfriend of two years. Busch popped the question to Bryan during a trip to Prague to watch a Formula One race.
They plan to wed during the summer of 2006. Busch and Bryan met on a blind date in July 2003, immediately following a race at Pocono. The friend who set them up told Bryan that Busch was a veterinarian, not a race car driver, because she didn rsquo;t think Bryan would show up to meet a ldquo;redneck racer.
rdquo; But Busch finished second in that race, and was very late for the date because he had to do several media interviews. But Bryan waited, the two hit it off, and she didn rsquo;t even back out when she ultimately learned what he really did for a living. Kurt Eva tied the knot on July 27,2006 exactly 3 years they meet.
Bryan has been in the media twice for less than favorable events. The first time, she was Busch rsquo;s passenger when he was pulled over in Arizona in November 2005 for reckless driving and suspicion of alcohol, an event that led to his getting suspended by for the remainder of the season. Then, in April 2006, she received a tongue-lashing from Nicole Lunders, the girlfriend of driver .
Lunders approached Bryan, who was sitting atop Busch rsquo;s pit box, after Busch wrecked Biffle early in a race at . The incident was the subject of much derision in the media, and NASCAR took actions against Lunders. is married to model Chandra Janway Johnson, an Oklahoma native and graduate of the University of Oklahoma.
They were introduced in 2002 by , and Johnson proposed the following year on a mountain top in Beaver Creek, Colorado during a ski vacation. They were married on December 11, 2004 in St. Barts, and honeymooned on a 150-foot yacht owned by Rick Hendrick, Johnson rsquo;s team owner.
At the 2005 Nextel Cup Awards Ceremony in New York City, comedian Jay Mohr teased Johnson for how much better-looking his wife is than he. ldquo;That wasn rsquo;t exactly a lateral move, rdquo; he said. met his wife, Krissie Boyle Newman, in 2001 on a blind date set up by Krissie rsquo;s grandmother and a church friend.
A graduate of Shippensburg University with a degree in criminal science, Krissie was clerking for a North Carolina judge at the time and reportedly did not know what a stock car was. They married just before the start of the 2004 season and honeymooned in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Newmans are actively involved with animal-related causes, and have several rescue dogs.
Jamie McMurray is now dating a girl named Christy. They have been together just over a year and Katie Wallace, daughter of former Nextel Cup star Rusty Wallace, dated for about a year from 2004-05. Their budding romance was captured during an episode of the FX show : 360.
In that episode, Rusty Wallace, who had installed McMurray as the driver of his Busch Series car, noted that every time he turned around, McMurray was checking out his daughter. The two broke up some time in 2005. Katie Wallace is a student at Wake Forest University.
was linked for a couple of years to Cielo Garcia, a former . When McMurray moved up from to the Cup Series in 2002, Garcia was reportedly told to choose between her job or her boyfriend (the ldquo;Golden Rule rdquo; for Miss Winstons is that they cannot date drivers), and she chose her boyfriend. The two broke up in 2004.
Garcia has long been rumored to be in line to be the next Bacherlorette on the ABC reality dating show. and Nicole Lunders have been together for several years, and they have two boxer dogs together, Foster and Gracie. Lunders is very involved in The Foundation, which supports humane society programs.
In April 2006, Lunders gained national attention after she got into an argument with Eva Bryan, rsquo;s then fiancee now wife, during a Nextel Cup race at . Busch wrecked Biffle, his teammate the previous season, on lap 82 of the race, and an angry Lunders stormed into Busch rsquo;s pit box and gave Bryan -- who was sitting atop the pit box -- a finger-waving tongue-lashing. Greg and Nicole became engaged during the holidays, 2006.
Clint Bowyer has been dating Athena Barber for over 3 years. Clint and Athena met when Clint was racing against her father in the midwest. , the 2003 Winston Cup Champion, has been married since 2000 to Katie Kenseth, a fellow Wisconsonite.
The two met at a mutual friend rsquo;s wedding in their homestate, and married in the Carribean.
Hendrick Motorsports driver Casey Mears is currently single. In the past he was linked to Melissa Joan Hart and Britney Glover.
or ]]>NASCAR Linkshttp://nascarfans.wetpaint.com/page/NASCAR+Links - Get the Stories, Statistics and Pictures of the Legends in the sport of Nascar
- Get , , points standings and racing fan merchandise.
- A portal to the world of Internet NASCAR info. . .
add your favorite NASCAR links here, just click EasyEdit above to add them...
-Need help starting your own website? Just browse around through wikiCode and it will help you get started.
- a place to help you learn about what it takes to become a successful moderator or creator of a WetPaint wiki.
- Create your own Wiki site. Learn more here.
- Your place to play.
- The Dog Lover s Guide to Dogs and Dog Rescue
Announcing the All About Racin T-Shirt Contest!
Do you know of friends, family, or fellow fans that would enjoy becoming a valuable member of our community? Any registered user can enter.
All you need to do is refer as many new registered users as you can before the start of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Season. The winner will win his or her favorite driver s t-shirt of their choice from . To enter just keep track of the registered user login names of the people you signed up and leave a comment on by 2/18/2007!
Weekly Contribution Spotlight
Help needed! Now that Casey Mears is part of HMS, he is needing some career highlights posted on the page. If you know something about him, please add them .
The newest section on All About Racin is all about you and blogging. Add a link to your nascar blog, a favorite blog you always visit, or create a page on here to start a new blog on this wiki.
Here s the Inside Track, updated from all the major news sources, keeping you informed of all the latest happenings in the NASCAR world on a regular basis.
To get to know each other, add your profile to the fan pages.
Discussion Topic of the Month
Do you love ? We created a new diecast wiki page just for you!
We miss you friend! Do you love NASCAR and love to write? Click EasyEdit above to add your favorite NASCAR blog, add a link to your own nascar blog, or create your own page on here to give your weekly commentary on all that is happening in the world of racing.
Born: May 8, 1964 in Corpus Christi, Texas Career highlights: Labonte won the 2000 Winston Cup championship, and the 1991 championship, becoming the first driver to win both of NASCAR rsquo;s top two series. He has 21 career victories in the Cup series, though he has not won since 2003.
Labonte first raced in Winston Cup in 1991, but his best years came from 1995-2005 when he drove the #18 Interstate Batteries car for .
2006 so far ...
In 2006, Labonte left Gibbs to move to the struggling Petty Enterprises team with the hope of reviving the once storied franchise owned by the legendary .
Gordon s first Cup race, in Nov. 1992 at Atlanta, was Petty s last.
In 98 Gordon also equaled NASCAR s all-time winningest driver for the most victories in a season in the Modern Era (1972-present) with 13.
Jimmie Johnson has been winning championships since the age of 8.
In six full NASCAR seasons, Johnson has finished in the top 10 in points in each of them, including the top five in all four of his Nextel Cup years.
After consecutive second-place finishes, Johnson went into the final race of 2005 in second place before a cut tire ended his title hopes.
He finished fifth in points.
In just five years, Kyle Busch has gone from a Craftsman Truck driver to a top-20 driver on the Nextel Cup circuit.
Busch, who had but 54 career starts to his credit entering 2005, made the Cup Series take notice with his impressive rookie season that saw him become the youngest winner (in September at Fontana) and finish 20th in points.
He won two races, had nine top-fives and 13 top-10s to easily win rookie of the year.
: Born: September 17, 1975 in El Cajon, Calif. Career highlights: Johnson is a popular driver and one of the most consistent in .
He has never finished lower than fifth in the points standings, and was runner-up twice, in 2003 and 2004. In 2006, he captured his first Daytona 500, but the win was not without controversy. Earlier in the week, his crew chief, Chad Knaus, had been sent by NASCAR for an intentional rules infraction, and was later suspended for three races.
Johnson rsquo;s winning car passed post-race inspection, but there was much grumbling about whether or not Johnson and his team were cheating.
Johnson began his career in off-road racing, and moved up to the in 1998, where he ran three races. He became a full-time Busch Series driver in 2000, and finished 10th in the points standings.
In 2002, Johnson moved up to the Cup Series driving for owner Rick Hendrick, and had immediate success, winning the pole for , winning three races, becoming the first rookie in the Cup series to sweep both races at a track, and becoming the only rookie to ever lead the points standings, finishing fifth in points for the season.
Johnson won another three times in 2003, and finished second to for the championship.
In 2004, Johnson got off to a slow start but finished with a fury, winning eight races and losing the inaugural for the Championship to by just 8 points.
Johnson had another solid year in 2005, winning four races and had a chance to win the Chase for the Championship before he crashed early in the season finale and wound up fifth in the points standings.
Leading the standings all throughout the 2006 season except for two weeks and most of the race, Johnson came over hardships to clinch his first Nextel Cup Championship. Congratulations Jimmie, your team, and all of !
2006 ...
In 2006, Johnson opened the season with his first Daytona 500 victory, followed by a victory at Las Vegas and Talladega followed later by winning the All Star Race at Charlotte. Remaining at or near the top of the points standings all season long, Johnson became the only driver to visit victory lane at the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 and go on to win the Championship title. You can expect great things for years to come.
Jimmie Johnson has been winning championships since the age of 8.
In five full NASCAR Cup seasons, Johnson has finished in the top 5 in points in each of them. After consecutive second-place finishes, Johnson went into the final race of 2005 in second place before a cut tire ended his title hopes.
He finished fifth in points.
Johnson started racing on 50cc motorcycles at age 4, and won the 60cc class championship four years later.
For three consecutive years from 1992-94 Johnson won championships in the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group Stadium Racing Series.
In 1993 supercross champion Rick Johnson introduced the younger Johnson to Herb Fishel, the executive director of GM Racing.
Fisher was impressed, and Johnson began racing in off-road events and even doing color commentary for ESPN in the Short Course Off-Road Drivers Association (SODA) Series. He won championships in the SCORE Desert series in 1994 and the SODA Winter Series in 96 and 97.
In 1998 Johnson was named American Speed Association (ASA) Pat Schauer Memorial after finishing fourth in points in just his first full season on tour. Johnson also made his Busch Series debut in 1998, starting three races with a best finish of 15th at Gateway International Speedway in October. Johnson followed a similar path in 99, placing third in the ASA points while finishing a career-best seventh (at Milwaukee) in five Busch races.
In 2000 Johnson ran his first full Busch Series . He had six top-10s and finished 10 in points. In July 01 Johnson posted his first victory, at Chicago.
Johnson made his Cup debut in October 2001 for , finishing 15th at Lowe s. The next season Hendrick paired Johnson with aspiring owner , who was coming off his fourth Cup title.
The Gordon magic seemed to rub off on the 2002 rookie.
In May, Johnson posted the first Cup victory of his career, at Lowe s, and finished the season with three wins, six top-fives and 21 top-10s in 36 races. He finished fifth in points.
Johnson became the only driver to finish in the top five in the standings in his first five full seasons.
Johnson is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first five full-time seasons.
Johnson has recorded 20-plus top-10 finishes in all four of his Cup seasons, and in 2004 he had a season-high eight wins with 20 top-fives and 23 top-10s. He won four of the final six races that season but lost the title by eight points.
or ]]>
Ryan Newmanhttp://nascarfans.wetpaint.com/page/Ryan+Newman series Born: December 8, 1977 in South Bend, Indiana Career highlights: Newman is known for being one of the most knowledgeable and consistent drivers.
He holds a degree in Vehicle Structural Engineering from Purdue University, and is very involved in the mechanical aspects of his racecars.
Newman was the 2002 in the Cup series, and has 12 career victories, including eight wins in 2003. He is considered the premier qualifier in NASCAR, with 34 poles in his career.
He has finished in sixth place in the standings on two separate occasions, 2002 and 2003, and is considered a strong contender to someday win a Nextel Cup championship.
Trivia tidbit: Ryan and his wife, Krissie, operate the Ryan Newman Foundation, which works with animal shelters and humane societies to provide for unwanted dogs and cats. The couple owns several rescue dogs.
Do you know more about Ryan Newman? Click EasyEdit above to add your contribution!
or ]]>About NASCARhttp://nascarfans.
wetpaint.com/page/About+NASCAR , in Daytona Beach, Florida. Originally popular primarily in the southeastern United States, NASCAR has grown in recent years into a national phenomenon, thanks in large part to a national contract signed in 2001.
Today, NASCAR claims 75 million fans ndash; a 19 percent jump since 1999 ndash; and is the in the United States. Seventeen of the 20 largest sporting events in the country each year ndash; in terms of fan attendance ndash; are NASCAR races, and a NASCAR weekend has become a huge draw thanks to its gregarious fans and party atmosphere. Many fans for the entire weekend or longer, forming a makeshift city that often dwarfs the size of the city where the race is being held.
is stock-car racing rsquo;s premier series, and and Craftsman Truck Series have traditionally been considered the sport rsquo;s AAA and AA, respectively. But both and Craftsman Truck Series have seen a growth in recent years in the number of Nextel Cup drivers who also compete in their races. NASCAR also sanctions many regional racing series rsquo; throughout the United States, such as:
or ]]>Dale Earnhardthttp://nascarfans.
wetpaint.com/page/Dale+Earnhardt in , thanks in large part to the aggressive driving style that earned him the nickname ldquo;The Intimidator. rdquo; In his career, Earnhardt won 76 races and 7 Winston Cup Championships, tying him with for the most championships of all time.
He died, poetically, on February 18, 2001, in the last turn on the last lap of . Ralph Dale Earnhardt was born on April 29, 1951 in Kannapolis, North Carolina, to and Martha Coleman. His father was one of the early stars of NASCAR, and was chosen as one of the .
Born into the racing world, young Dale wanted very much to follow in his father s footsteps and dropped out of school at age 16 to pursue racing, much to his father rsquo;s dismay. Earnhardt rsquo;s early career was marked by struggles to find the money to race and raise his family, which included a son, Kerry, who would go on to have mediocre success as a NASCAR driver. Ralph Earnhardt died of a heart attack in 1973, at age 45, and the death was said to have deeply affected Dale, and served as a motivation for him to succeed on the track just as his father had.
Earnhardt began his Winston Cup career in 1975, finishing 22nd in the World 600 at in a car owned by Ed Negre. He competed sporadically in Winston Cup races until 1979, when he got his first full-time ride driving for owner Rod Osterlund. 1979 would prove to be Earnhardt rsquo;s breakout year in NASCAR, as he captured honors, won his first race on April 1st at , and finished seventh in the standings, despite missing four races after breaking his collarbone in a race at .
The track is a favorite for Hollywood celebrities, who flock to the pits each year. The speedway sits on a 568-acre site that once hosted the first steel mill located west of the Rocky Mountains, Kaiser Steel Mill. The mill produced the steel that helped build the Liberty ships used by the Allies to win World War II.
Kaiser Steel went out of business in 1983. Following that, the site fell into such disrepair that it was used in the movie The Terminator to portray a post-Apocalyptic world where men and machines battled each other for supremacy and survival. Penske Motorsports Inc.
purchased the land and completed the track in 1997. The first race held on the track was a Winston West Series race won by Ken Schrader on June 21, 1997. Later that day, Mark Martin won an International Race of Champions event at the new facility.
Jeff Gordon won the track s first Cup race the following day. California Speedway has also played host to races in the NASCAR Busch and Craftsman Truck Series, as well as events in the IndyCar Series and what is now the ChampCar World Series on its oval and road racing and motorcycle events on its road courses. In 1999, Penske Motorsports Inc.
merged with International Speedway Corporation, bringing California Speedway into the ISC family of tracks. Beginning in 2004, California Speedway s two-mile oval became the host of two NASCAR Cup Series races each year, adding a Labor Day weekend event to is roster of activities. Born: Feb.
5, 1986 in Peachtree City, Georgia Career highlights: Sorenson began racing quarter-midgets at age six, and won a national championship in 1997, at age 11.
In 2002, Sorenson competed in eight races in the American Speed Association (ASA), and raced full-time the following year, capturing the award at age 17.
He signed a driver development deal with during his senior year of high school, and ran in five races in 2004, earning three top-ten finishes.
In 2005, Sorenson ran his first full season in and got off to a hot start, leading the points halfway through the season. But he ran into controversy after his crew chief, Brian Pattie, was suspended for two months after it was determined that he had applied an illegal substance to the car rsquo;s tires. Sorenson was fined 50 points, and ultimately finished fourth in the standings, well behind
2006 so far .
.. Sorenson began his first full season in in 2006, but continues to run full-time in .
Do you know more about Reed Sorenson? Click EasyEdit above to add your contribution! Born: April 10, 1980 in Enumclaw, Wa.
Career highlights: Kahne is a huge favorite with female fans because of his boyish good looks, a fact which has led to plenty of endorsement deals and commercials, many of which trade on his attraction to female fans. Kahne is also a part-time driver in the .
In 2004, Kahne burst on to the national scene when he took over the #9 car after the very popular driver went into semi-retirement.
The season was most notable for the fact that Kahne nearly won several races, finishing second five times, often in very dramatic fashion. He easily captured honors.
In 2005, Kahne scored his first victory at , but had an otherwise disappointing season, failing to make the for the Championship.
2006 so far ...
In 2006, Kahne is off to a great start, sitting near the top of the points standings and winning four races, at Atlanta, Texas, Charlotte and Michigan.The 2006 season has ended. Kasey finished in 8th place after making the chase.
Kasey ended up with the most wins at 6 (Atlanta,2 at Charlotte, Texas, Michigan, and California). He also beat for the pole award with 6 poles and 2 second place starts. 1 In 25 full seasons at the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series level, Terry Labonte has finished in the top-five in the championship standings on seven occasions ndash; including two circuit championships ndash; and in the top-10 an amazing 17 times.
2 Labonte won his first career Cup Series championship in 1984, driving the No. 44 Chevrolets for car owner Billy Hagan. In 1996, he claimed his second career title, edging teammate by a mere 37 points in one of the closest races in history.
3 In 56 years of Cup-level competition, Labonte is one of just 14 drivers with multiple championships ndash; a list that includes Gordon, , Cale Yarborough, Buck Baker, Tim Flock, Ned Jarrett, David Pearson, Lee Petty, , Herb Thomas, , Joe Weatherly and . 4 Labonte has won races at nine different active tracks, as well as North Wilkesboro (N.C.
) Speedway and Riverside (Calif.) Raceway, where NASCAR no longer competes. Labonte has won pole positions at 12 different active tracks, along with North Wilkesboro, Riverside, and the old Texas World Speedway in College Station.
5 With his fourth-place finish in the 1982 Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Labonte became the youngest driver in motor sports history to win $1 million and the 12th NASCAR driver to reach that mark. 6 In Labonte s first NASCAR race, the 1978 Southern 500 at Darlington (S.
C.) Raceway, he started 19th and finished fourth in the No. 92 Chevrolet for Hagan Racing.
He earned his first victory in his 59th start, the Sept. 1, 1980 Southern 500 at Darlington, and his first pole position in 1981, taking the number-one starting spot for the spring race at . 7 Labonte won the 1989 International Race of Champions (IROC) title, one of six IROC Series in which he has competed.
That effort included a victory at . Labonte also clinched the 1993 IROC title for the late Davey Allison through his substitute effort in the final event at Michigan in August of that year. 8 Labonte broke s record of 513 straight starts in 1996 and continued his Iron Man streak until Aug.
5, 2000, when he missed the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis while recovering from injuries suffered a month earlier in a race at Daytona Beach, Fla. Labonte s mark of 655 consecutive starts was surpassed in 2002 when started his 656th straight race. 9 Labonte s 1999 victory in The Winston (now the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge) was the second triumph among his 19 starts in the annual winners-only all-star race and came exactly 11 years to the day since his first victory on May 22, 1988.
In addition, Labonte has finished second once (1987) and third twice (1985, 1997). He has competed in all but two of the races, missing only the 1991 and 2006 events. 10 Terry and are the only brothers in to win Cup Series championships.
Terry won in 1984 and 1996, with Bobby winning in 2000. They were inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in February 2002. 12 His last race was the Dickies 500 on November 5, 2006.
He finished down only 22 laps in 36 place. Do you know more about Terry Labonte? Click EasyEdit above to add your contribution!
Born: June 19, 1977 in South Bend, Indiana In the family: For David Stremme racing is a family business. Not only was his father Lou a racer but his mother Cindy could wheel her way around a racetrack as well. Stremme started out by working on his parent s race cars before he got behind the wheel of a car himself.
Then in 2004 the family business expanded as Stremme became a car owner for his brother Bobby in the ASA Late Model Series. He attended LaSalle High School with fellow dodge driver Ryan Newman. He is currently dating Whitney.
Stremme won the 2003 Busch Series award, despite only competing in 18 of the 34 races.
Much of his career was documented on the Speed reality show, NBS: 24/7.
He made his Cup series debut in 2005, driving a couple of races in preparation for his first full season in 2006.
His finishes in rsquo;05 were mostly disappointing, with his highest finish being 16th.
Do you know more about David Stremme? Click EasyEdit above to add your contribution!
- the biggest, most exciting race of the season!
Best Place to Grab NASCAR Merchandise: Where do you go to shop for your favorite gear? Click EasyEdit above to add your favorite places!
A collection of , listen online, download and listen on your PC, or transfer to your iPod. Bill Davis, an Arkansas native, had already built a successful trucking business before he ever thought of throwing his hat into the world of racing. Racing was supposed to be a hobby for Davis.
The idea was that racing would be a way to get away from the daily stresses that escalate from owning a business. Ironically, it was Davis rsquo; interest in the trucking business that bridged his path into a career in racing. Eventually, the sport became his number one priority.
I rsquo;ve been involved in racing since high school, said Davis. During high school, I helped Bob Himes rsquo; Top Fuel drag racing team. They were a local team that operated out of a shop in Little Rock, Ark.
, close to my house. From 1969 until 1972, I raced motocross at some local tracks around Little Rock and across the United States. rdquo; Davis rsquo; relationship with long-time friend Julian Martin, father of future Winston Cup star , impelled him to consider a business of his own.
I grew up knowing the Martin rsquo;s, said Bill Davis. My father and Mark rsquo;s father, Julian, were good friends. Julian sparked my interest in both racing and the trucking business.
rdquo; Although Davis enjoyed racing, his first love had been with the trucking business. An increased desire in the trucking business prompted Davis to buy his first truck. Bill Davis Trucking was open for business in June 1975.
I bought one truck, said Davis. And Julian called and asked me to come to work for his trucking business, Julian Martin, Inc. (JMI).
It actually worked out well because I was able to lease my trucks to him. rdquo; The last week of 1975, Davis moved himself and his trucks from Little Rock to Batesville, Ark., and went to work dispatching trucks for JMI.
During this time, Davis helped the Martin rsquo;s with their ASA program. A few years later, Davis decided to return to his own company, Bill Davis Trucking. He severed his ties with JMI and started operating under his own name once again.
Davis continued adding trucks to his budding business. Although Davis was no longer working at JMI, he continued helping with the Martin rsquo;s race program. Martin rsquo;s son, Mark, was competing almost every weekend and Davis traveled with the pair to lend a hand.
In 1981 and 1982, operated his own team where he competed on the Winston Cup level. Davis and Julian Martin were traveling almost every weekend to Mark rsquo;s races. In 1983, Martin began driving full-time for car owner J.
D. Stacey. For the time being, Davis stepped away from Mark rsquo;s career.
But by that time it was too late for Davis to turn back. The racing bug had struck and struck hard. 1987 was a pivotal year for Davis as he built an ASA car for Martin to compete around the Midwest.
In 1988, Jack Roush was launching his Winston Cup effort and wanted Martin to drive the No. 6 entry. Steve Hmiel and Robin Pemberton had been hired to work with Martin at .
In the meantime, Davis wanted to continue his race team if he could find a sponsor. Martin found Carolina Ford Dealers who were interested in running 15 Busch Series races with him. Roush saw that as a plus and was quick to offer help.
It was a real great deal, admits Davis. We had a great driver that was very knowledgeable about the cars. The driver, along with his Winston Cup crew, was very interested in having quality time in the Busch car on Saturdays.
It made sense for Steve, Robin and Jack to help us. It provided Mark with more laps on the track and real pit stop practice for his crew. It was good for everybody, especially for us.
rdquo; Davis, Martin and Carolina Ford Dealers continued their relationship through the end of the 1990 season. It was then that Martin encouraged Davis to commit to the racing business. rdquo;At the end of the 1990 season, Mark came to me and told me that if I wanted to be taken seriously that I had to commit and move to North Carolina, said Davis.
I told myself that I really liked being a part of racing, but I had a business and employees in Arkansas. I was on the fence, I didn rsquo;t know what to do. rdquo; Davis decided to make the move to High Point, N.
C., while his wife, Gail, stayed in Arkansas to run Bill Davis Trucking, Inc. Shortly after his move to the Tar Heel State, Ford executives called Davis rsquo; attention to a young open-wheel racer from the Midwest by the name of .
Lee Morse, Ford rsquo;s racing chief, and Michael Kranefuss got us watching Jeff, but it was our decision to hire him, said Davis. Jeff qualified on the outside pole at Rockingham in his first Busch series race and that made up our minds. We signed Jeff to drive the Carolina Ford Dealers car for the 1991 season.
In 1992, we got backing from Baby Ruth and hired Ray Evernham. We had a phenomenal season. We broke every record there was, including 11 pole positions (a single-season record), most money in a season and most laps led.
Martin and Gordon had put Bill Davis Racing on the map. The success that Gordon experienced caught the eyes of other owners. Davis was working on plans to take Gordon and Evernham to Winston Cup in 1993.
Meanwhile, Gordon and his crew chief had been lured away by Rick Hendrick. Bill Davis Racing rebounded and we were able to sign and Maxwell House to a full-time Winston Cup deal, said Davis. We had a solid rookie season.
We finished 19th in the points and had top-five and top-10 finishes and won a pole. We had a great rookie season, but it was overshadowed by , who finished 14th in the points. rdquo; Davis and Labonte worked together for two years.
Maxwell House made the decision to get out of racing after the 1994 season. As that season was wrapping up, Davis was close to signing a sponsor but had nothing in writing. Because there were no definite plans for 1995, Davis allowed Labonte to pursue an opportunity with .
Soon after Labonte rsquo;s departure, MBNA signed a three-year contract to sponsor Davis rsquo; No. 22 Winston Cup entry. Davis recruited Randy LaJoie, who had made a name for himself racing around the northeast.
LaJoie competed the first half of the season, but a lack of chemistry left Davis to find yet another driver. After a few pinch hitters, Davis secured Virginia native Ward Burton to drive the remaining nine races. Seven races later, Davis and Burton won their first Winston Cup race at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, N.
C. In 2002, they went on to win the biggest race in NASCAR Winston Cup Series competition, the Daytona 500. Davis rsquo; Busch team also had a stellar 2002 season with driver, Scott Wimmer, winning four of the final eight races of the season.
In 2003, Burton continued as the driver for the CAT car, while Davis added Kenny Wallace to the NASCAR Cup roster in the No. 23 Stacker 2 Dodge. Wimmer competed in for another season, piloting the No.
23 Stacker 2 Chevrolet. With four races to go in the season, Wimmer took over as the driver for the No. 22 CAT Dodge and returned as the full-time driver for the 2004 season, marking his rookie year in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.
Davis has come a long way during his tenure as a NASCAR car owner and has consistently surrounded himself with quality personnel. Derrick Finley is serving as the crew chief for the Nextel Cup operation, while Doug Wolcott, Greg Ely and Jeff Hensley serve as the crew chiefs for Davis truck teams. Terry Elledge, an accomplished engine builder, continues to improve the reliability and horsepower to the BDR motor program.
Mike Brown, general manager of Bill Davis Racing, has provided the leadership necessary to keep things in order. Davis built a successful trucking business, shifted gears and steered his way into NASCAR where he has built a successful race team. Davis will admit it has been a bumpy ride at times, but it also has been the ride of a lifetime that he wouldn t trade for anything.
or ]]>NASCAR Teamshttp://nascarfans.wetpaint.com/page/NASCAR+Teams
NASCAR Nextel Cup Teams -
The driving force behind NASCAR are the teams.
If you don t see a team please add them. I m a big fan because..
.every year my family and I do our own nascar competition where we each pick drivers each week and get points for how they finish and a bonus for winning the pole or the race. I also grew up next door to a 1/4 mile track so I ve been around the sounds of racing all my life.
Born: March 1, 1976 in Janesville, Wis.
Kvapil was the 2001 in the , and captured the championship in 2003.
He began racing full-time in in 2005, but finished just 33rd in the points while driving the #77 car for Penske Racing.
2006 so far ...
In 2006, he switched to the famous ldquo;Tide Ride rdquo; for . Do you know more about Travis Kvapil? Click EasyEdit above to add your contribution!
Born: May 20, 1971 in Columbus, Indiana Career highlights: Stewart is a two-time Cup Series champion, and is considered to be one of the best drivers in NASCAR, if not the best, with 25 career wins. Stewart rsquo;s bad-boy image and driving skills make him hugely popular with fans. Early in his career, he was perceived as having an anger problem ndash; including run-ins with reporters and photographers ndash; but he has made attempts in recent years to redeem his troublemaker image.
Before the 2005 season, he moved into his boyhood home in Columbus, Indiana ndash; a move that is credited with allowing him to relax and focus on winning his second championship ndash; though he is not past putting a fender on an opponent or bashing them in a post-race interview. Stewart is known as a ldquo;racer rsquo;s racer, rdquo; for his incredible car control at the wheel of any racecar. He has won 10 national championships in different types of racing, and he loves dirt-track racing so much that in 2004 he bought the Eldora Speedway, the legendary half-mile dirt-track in Rossburg, Ohio, where Stewart raced as a teenager.
He occasionally races in exhibitions at the track, bringing many of the superstars of NASCAR along with him. In 2005, on the way to his second Cup championship, Stewart created a victory celebration in which he stops his car at the finish line, gets out and climbs the fence to the starters box, where he takes the checkered flag. This move prompted his sponsor, Home Depot, to offer discounts on fences and ladders each time Stewart won.
When he won at ndash; known as ldquo;The Brickyard rdquo; for the yard of bricks that marks the start/finish line ndash; Home Depot offered discounts on bricks. Stewart repeatedly jokes that he is too fat for his victory celebration, and reportedly bought several thousand dollars worth of exercise equipment to remedy the situation. Stewart has .
It is with Dwyer that he acquired his famous pet monkey, Mojo, though the animal now lives with Dwyer. Stewart also has a six-pound Chihuahua named Kayle, which travels to races with him and sleeps next to him, providing a humorous counterpoint to his bad-boy image.
Stewart has won at nearly every form of auto racing, beginning with a World Karting Championship in 1987.
He raced three-quarter midgets for several years, before moving up to the USAC series, where he won in 1991 and the National Midget Series Champion in 1994. In 1995, Stewart became the first driver to win the USAC Triple Crown by winning the National Midget, Sprint, and Silver Crown Championships (the feat was equaled by his current teammate, , in 2003).
In 1996, Stewart moved to Indy Cars and won the IRL award.
That same year, he made his NASCAR debut, racing in nine races for owner Harry Rainer, though his highest finish was 16th.
In 1997, Stewart won his first IRL race at Pikes Peak, and beat Davey Hamilton to win the IRL series championship. He continued racing occasionally in in 1997, but this time he was driving for Joe Gibbs, the Washington Redskins coach and NASCAR team owner.
In 1998, Stewart ran 22 races in while continuing to run full-time in the IRL, where he won twice and finished third in the standings.
In 1999, Stewart left the IRL to race full-time for Gibbs in the Cup Series, getting behind the wheel of the orange #20 Home Depot car for the first time. He immediately impressed, qualifying second for and battling in one of the Gatorade Twin 125 qualifying races, which Earnhardt has owned throughout his career.
Stewart continued the season in record-setting fashion. He set a rookie record with three victories, and finished fourth in points, the highest finish for a rookie in the modern era. He walked away with the race.
That same year, Stewart made his first attempt at ldquo;The Double, rdquo; racing in the Indy 500 in the afternoon in Indianapolis, then flying to Charlotte to compete in the Coca-Cola 600, the longest race of the NASCAR season, for a total of 1100 miles of racing in a single day (he only completed 1090 miles, but finished in the top 10 in both races).
Stewart won six times in 2000, but finished just sixth in points (his teammate, , won the championship) because of car problems. He also had his first major altercation, when he and crashed in a race at and Stewart, in a post-race interview, cursed at Gordon.
Their relationship remains rocky.
Stewart suffered a dramatic wreck in the season-opening Daytona 500 in 2001, but recovered to win three races and finished second to Gordon for the points championship. The Gordon-Stewart feud continued that season, when Gordon bumped Stewart out of the way during a race at , and Stewart rammed Gordon on pit road following the race, causing Gordon rsquo;s car to spin out.
Stewart got off to another poor start in the 2002 Daytona 500 when his engine blew. But he won a few times and stayed in the top ten in points until he had his most famous incident to date, an altercation in which he allegedly punched a photographer at the Brickyard 400 at . NASCAR placed Stewart on probation for the rest of the year, but the incident seemed to motivate Stewart, who won the next race and stayed hot the rest of the year to beat for his first Cup Series championship.
2003 was mediocre by Stewart rsquo;s standards. He won just twice and finished seventh in the points.
In 2005, Stewart had perhaps the best run of his Cup career, winning five races and going on a midseason tear.
His most memorable win ndash; and, he says, the biggest of his career ndash; came at The Brickyard 400 at the storied , his hometown track. He stayed hot through the for the Championship, and managed to hold on for his second Cup championship by finishing in the top-20 in the final race at . In 2006, Stewert has won just two races at Martinsville in DirecTv 500 and Daytona in Pepsi 400.
or ]]>
Sterling Marlinhttp://nascarfans.wetpaint.com/page/Sterling+Marlin in the series Born: June 30, 1957 in Columbia, Tenn.
In the family: He is the son of former NASCAR driver Coco Marlin. He was named after the British Formula One racing legend Sterling Moss. His son, Steadman Marlin, is an occasional driver in the .
Career highlights: Marlin has 10 career Cup series victories, and was running away with the points championship in 2002 until he suffered a neck injury in a crash at . He drives the #14 car in honor of his father, who died in August 2005. Do you know more about Sterling Marlin?
Click EasyEdit above to add your contribution! Born: January 1, 1971 in Bahama, N.C.
Riggs has five career victories in the , and four in the , but has yet to score a Cup Series victory since entering the series in 2004. His highest points finish was 29th in 2004.
In 2006, Riggs moved to the team, where he joined with teammates and .
Do you know more about Scott Riggs? Click EasyEdit above to add your contribution! or ]]>Rookie of the Yearhttp://nascarfans.
wetpaint.com/page/Rookie+of+the+Year Rookie of the Year Award has been presented annually since 1958, based on a rookie driver rsquo;s 17 best finishes of the year. The points are calculated based on entry points, competition points, top-10 bonus points, segment bonus points, voting panel points, and final championship standings bonus points.
Who do you think should get Rookie of theYear in 2006? . Born: January 2, 1969 in Bellflower, Calif.
In the family: His father, Bob, was an off-road racing legend. Career highlights: Robby Gordon began his career in off-road racing, winning several championships. Gordon is known for his aggressive driving style, incredible car control, and for controversy on and off the track.
In 1990, Gordon began racing sports cars, where he had considerable success. In 1992, he began racing Indy Cars, and raced full time in the Indy Car series from 1993-1996, capturing two wins. In 1998 and 1999, Gordon fielded his own Indy team, but with limited success.
He ultimately left open-wheel racing for safety concerns, claiming that Indy Cars are too fast and dangerous to run on oval tracks.
In 1991, he made his first NASCAR Cup Series start in , and ran in the serried occasionally until 1997, when he ran 22 races for Team SABCO. He returned again in 2000 and ran a half season with his own team, though his results were again disappointing.
In 2001, he ran a few races for Morgan McClure, then signed on with at the end of the year and won a controversial race at in which he was accused of spinning out for the victory.
In 2003, he won at after he passed his teammate, , under caution. He won again in 2003 at the series rsquo; other road course, .
In 2004, he started his own team, which he moved up to the Cup Series in 2005, at which time he left . Gordon gained national attention in 2005 when he got into an on-track altercation with . After he climbed out of his wrecked vehicle, he waited for Waltrip to pass and threw his helmet at him, and then proceeded to call Waltrip a ldquo;piece of s**t rdquo; in an interview on TNT just after the crash.
The helmet was later auctioned off for charity, and was purchased for $51,100 by the online casino .
or ]]>Richard Pettyhttp://nascarfans.wetpaint.
com/page/Richard+Petty . He won a record 200 races, seven Daytona 500s, and 27 races in a single season, and is tied with for the most championships, at seven. He is known as ldquo;The King, rdquo; a title which, in the American South, is reserved strictly for Jesus Christ, Elvis Presley, and Richard Petty.
Born on July 2, 1937 in Level Cross, North Carolina, Richard Lee Petty is the son of Lee Petty, a NASCAR legend and one of the pioneers of the sport who won the first Daytona 500 and three NASCAR points championships when the top series was still known as the Grand National. Richard rsquo;s son, , is also a NASCAR Series driver, though he has failed to match the success of his father or grandfather. Richard rsquo;s grandson, Adam Petty, was a promising young driver who was killed in 2000 while testing for a race at , bringing the Petty racing dynasty to a tragic end.
Known for his toothy grin, black cowboy hat, black sunglasses, and black moustache, Petty was a huge favorite with the fans. He won the award nine times, and was known to spend hours signing autographs for fans ndash; not leaving until the last fan got an autograph ndash; a practice which continues to this day as he continues traveling the NASCAR circuit as the owner of the Petty Enterprises racing team. Because of the longevity of his career, his continued presence at the tracks, and the fact that he is so gracious to his fans, it has been theorized that Petty has signed more autographs than any person in history.
Petty began racing in NASCAR just 10 days after his 18th birthday, and was named NASCAR rsquo;s in 1959, at age 19. The following year, he finished second in the points standings.
He won his first Daytona 500 in 1964 and his first Grand National Championship (now known as the ).
In 1967, Petty won a record 27 of the 48 races he entered, including an unprecedented ten in a row on the way to his second Grand National Championship.
In 1971, he won 21 races, including , and captured his third championship.
He won eight times in 1972, and added a fourth title to his resume, the first Winston Cup championship at the dawning of the so-called ldquo;modern era rdquo; in NASCAR.
He won in 1973, and repeated the feat in 1974, along with his fifth championship.
He won 13 times in 1975, and won his sixth championship. Those 13 victories are the most in the modern era, and were matched by in 1998.
He won again in 1979 ndash; the first to be televised in its entirety and which featured the famous fight between Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough ndash; and captured his seventh and final Winston Cup championship.
Petty won again in 1981, and recorded his final Winston Cup victory in 1984 in the Firecracker 400 at , bringing his career total to 200.
or ]]>Michael Waltriphttp://nascarfans.
wetpaint.com/page/Michael+Waltrip series Born: April 30, 1963 in Owensboro, KY Career highlights: Waltrip is a popular driver, and a favorite of corporations for his shamelessness in dropping his sponsors rsquo; names in almost every situation. He has appeared in commercials for NAPA, Domino rsquo;s Pizza, and Aaron rsquo;s, often alongside his brother, Darrell.
Waltrip made his Cup series debut in 1985, but didn rsquo;t win a race until the 2001 Daytona 500, his 463rd Cup Series race. But that victory was bittersweet, because just behind him, his friend and team owner, crashed in the final turn and died instantly.
Waltrip won again in 2003, the first time the race had ever been shortened due to rain.
Waltrip left Inc., where he drove the #15 car, at the end of 2005 to drive for Waltrip-Jasper Racing. In an unusual move, he took his sponsor, Napa, along with him.
2006 so far ...
In January 2006, it was announced that Waltrip-Jasper Racing would field two Toyota Camry rsquo;s in the 2007 Cup Series, marking the first time that a foreign auto manufacturer will race in NASCAR rsquo;s premier series. Do you know more about Michael Waltrip? Click EasyEdit above to add your contribution!
Born: March 10, 1972 in Cambridge, Wis. Career highlights: Kenseth is known as a remarkably consistent driver, which helped him win the 2003 Winston Cup title in a runaway, despite having just one win. Many believe that Kenseth rsquo;s championship caused NASCAR to institute its Chase for the Championship format the following year, to prevent future seasons from being decided well before the final race.
Kenseth is known as a quiet type, though he can often get worked up on the track and in post-race interviews, where he is not afraid to take a shot at drivers that he feels have wronged him.
In 1997, Kenseth took over a car in the for crew chief Robbie Reiser, Kenseth rsquo;s former rival when they raced together in Wisconsin. The combination has proven to be one of the most successful in NASCAR in recent years.
Kenseth ran his first full-season in the Cup Series in 2000, where he won once, finished 14th in points and beat , his friend and rival from their days racing for title, for honors.
In 2001 he finished 13th in points, and in 2002 he won five races but finished just 8th in the points because of inconsistency.
In 2003, Kenseth walked away with the last Winston Cup Championship, winning just one race but showing incredible consistency through the entire year.
In 2004, he qualified for the inaugural for the Championship but finished a disappointing eighth in the standings.
2005 started slow for Kenseth, but he came on strong and made the Chase for the Championship, though he could do no better than 7th in the final standings.
2006 so far .
.. In 2006, Kenseth has run at or near the top of the points standings, winning the second race of the year at following a strong run in .
or ]]>Martin Truex Jr.http://nascarfans.wetpaint.
com/page/Martin+Truex+Jr. Inc. in the series Born: June 29, 1980 in Mayetta, N.
J. In the family: His father, Martin Truex, Sr., was a former champion of the North Series.
Career highlights: Truex is popular with fans, as evidenced by the fact that he was the driver chosen by fans to race in the 2005 Nextel All-Star Challenge. Much of Truex rsquo;s early appeal has to do with his association with The two are close friends, and Truex lived with Earnhardt when he first started racing in . Truex is said to be dating , the daughter of Greg Pollex, who owns PPC Racing, which owns several Busch teams and a team
Truex began to race occasionally in in 2001, but did not race full-time until 2004, when he joined the Chance 2 racing team owned by his close friend, Jr.
It's round 2 of the grudge match between Sharon Osbourne and Rebecca Loos . Would Sharon tone down her comments from the night before ?? Of course not - she's Sharon Osbourne...
Happy New Year! I'll spare you the excuses for why I've been so absent from this blog and from commenting on others. At least I can start 2007 off right by posting a finished project. They don't come much simpler than this...
Also due Tuesday: Elvis Presley, L Tunes: Music From and Inspired by 'The L Word.' Don't be surprised by the lack of new albums hitting stores this week...
Glitzblog - The home for the gossip and news on your favourite Actors and Celebrities, with interviews, biographies, photos and more. - September 2006...
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