NASCAR News

While Johnny Benson's #10 Valvoline Pontiac crew prepares for Thursday's qualifying race and Sunday's Daytona 500, the crewmembers back in Charlotte are busy preparing to move to a new 40,000-square-foot race shop at the Concord, N.C. airport.

Dale Jarrett may have won the 2000 Daytona 500 but few produced a stronger performance than Johnny Benson, whose white car led 38 laps until he was passed by the Ford draft just three laps before the chequered flag.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished sixth in yesterdays Budweiser Shootout after being one of the dominant players for much of the race. Dale Jr. led three different times for nine laps in his first-ever run in the race that includes last year's Bud Pole winners.

Andy Houston, driver of the McDonald's No. 96 Ford Taurus, fielded by PPI Motorsports and owned by Cal Wells III answers questions on the upcoming Daytona 500 - and his first full season of Winston Cup racing.

Sony Electronics will team with Penske Racing and the Mobil 1 Taurus team of driver Jeremy Mayfield as an associate sponsor beginning in 2001.

Tony Stewart emerged victorious from a thrilling Bud Shootout at the Daytona International Speedway in which he survived a late race challenge from not one but two members of the Earnhardt family.

1. Bill Elliott No.9 Dodge Evernham Motorsports 49.029secs 2. Jerry Nadeau No.25 Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 49.244secs Front row grid positions only confirmed. Positions 3-43 will be decided in Thursday's two Gatorade 125-mile qualifying races.

One of NASCAR's most popular drivers and Daytona expert Bill Elliott will start the 2001 Daytona 500 from pole position in the brand new Evernham Motorsports Dodge Intrepid after a sensational qualifying session at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.

NASCAR Winston Cup rookie of the year candidate and former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday has decided to compete in the NAPA Auto Parts 300 NASCAR Winston West Series event on Feb. 28 at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Sunday's expanded Budweiser Shootout at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway is the traditional NASCAR Winston Cup curtain raiser and the 18 drivers who were able to take up their entry (Geoffrey Bodine could not get a deal together), will be headed by two-time Shootout winner Ken Schrader

There will be a significant change to the landscape of NASCAR Busch Series competition in 2001 as Ford will increase it's visual presence, a move it hopes will leave the competition feeling blue.

CD-2 Automotive Performance Products, has renewed its relationship with Robby Gordon and extended sponsorship to the Morgan-McClure Motorsports team and its #4 Kodak Chevrolet.

1990 Daytona 500 champion Derrike Cope has signed K and N Performance Filters as his primary sponsor for the 2001 Daytona 500.

Drivers Jeff Burton and Ricky Rudd, together with Ford personnel, answered questions on the return of Dodge as a full-time competitor in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.

Winston Cup driver Ted Musgrave has found a car to drive in the Feb. 11 Bud Shootout at Daytona International Speedway, and it will have Hills Bros Coffee decals and Junie Donlavey's familiar No. 90 on it, Donlavey announced today.

The 2001 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona kicks off the Winston Cup season with a star-filled lineup of Bud Pole winners and past champions of the Shootout (formerly known as the Busch Clash and the Bud Shootout).

Sadler (pictured last season) will start his third full season in NASCAR Winston Cup for Wood Brothers racing this season, and has spoken of his hopes for the year ahead, the changes in his team and the relationship with Roush Racing.

A new sponsor and a new crew chief have already given Elliott Sadler confidence heading into the 2001 campaign. His test session on Monday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has the third-year driver feeling especially good about the March 4, UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400.

MTI Racing have announced that veteran NASCAR driver Steve Park, will be driving the No.98 C5 Chevrolet Corvette in the 2-hour Motorola Cup season opener to be held at Daytona International Speedway.

The third instalment in the Dodge at Martinsville series looks at Joey Arrington, who will be building the engines for Dodge when they return to NASCAR racing this season.

Ken Schrader has announced he will again pay a visit to the 'Desert Jewel' to compete in both events at the 2001 NAPA Auto Parts NASCAR Winter Heat presented by Bosch event.

Sanford of North America will sponsor NASCAR's most popular event and rename Bristol Motor Speedway's August night race the Sharpie 500, speedway officials announced today.

Race fans who elect to camp at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during NASCAR Weekend will have to go only a short distance to shop for groceries and personal items.

The 2001 Winston Cup season marks a new era for Ricky Rudd, driver of the No. 28 Texaco/Havoline Ford.