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The special paint job on Jamie McMurray’s hood for this weekend’s Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway is a reminder to NASCAR fans to enter the Crown Royal “Your Name Here” contest for a chance at what has to be the ultimate prize for a NASCAR fan.

Naval engineer Dan Lowry was the winner last year. As part of the prize, the spring 2008 Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway will forever be known as the Dan Lowry 400. 

I mean…come on. How cool was that? We interviewed Dan ON PIT ROW, from Richmond that weekend. That interview was set up by the marketing department from Crown Royal and we have a great relationship with those folks. We’re happy to help spread the word on the best fan promotion we’ve seen yet. Visit CrownRoyal.com to enter the contest by describing an accomplishment or honorable act worthy of toasting with Crown Royal.

Selected finalists will enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip in February to the Daytona 500 where they will participate in an unveiling ceremony to announce the ‘Your Name Here 400′ grand prize winner. Last year, the winner’s name was unveiled by pulling a 10,000 square foot banner off a huge mosaic copy of the “Crown Royal presents the Dan Lowry 400″ race logo, that was built into the desert floor outside of Las Vegas. Lowry watched that from a helicopter along with Jamie Mac. 

In addition to having their name officially incorporated into the race, the grand prize winner will serve as the Grand Marshal in Richmond - allowing them to do everything from delivering the trophy in Victory Lane to yelling the most famous words in racing, “Gentlemen, start your engines!”

I mean really. Dan Lowry, you dog.

As an aside; the company that made and installed the 10,000 square foot banner that covered the desert logo is from right here in northwest Ohio - CGS Imaging . Congrats Chuck.

So just how do you spell dunz-o? Ask Mindy. The latest Monday Morning Crew Chief  video blog is up.

Check out Ms Monday’s opinions on Brian France’s toys, prison movies and Kyle Petty’s 2009 options. It’s all there and more. Watch the latest Bench Racin’ TV special right here.

This weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Texas Motor Speedway for the third to last race in this year’s Chase for the Cup. By this point, all but the 12 Chase teams are in preparation mode for 2009, experimenting with new setups and personnel. Many drivers with limited Sprint Cup experience are attempting to make starts this weekend in preparation for next year, including Joey Logano, Bryan Clauson, and Brad Keselowski.

However, one of the most intriguing driver-team combinations attempting to make the race this weekend is Max Papis and Germain Racing. Papis, a former CART competitor who made two starts for Haas CNC Racing earlier this year, will drive a No. 13 GEICO Toyota for Germain in 18 Sprint Cup races next year, and possibly attempt up to 25 depending upon sponsorship. Papis will also attempt to qualify at Homestead, regardless of whether he makes the race this weekend or not.

This is the next natural step in Germain’s progression from a Truck Series-only team up to NASCAR’s top level. Formed in late 2004, the No. 30 truck has consistently been one of the series’ best, winning the championship in 2006 with Todd Bodine. The team added a second truck in 2005 and a Nationwide Series team in 2007, experiencing success with both.

Currently, Mike Wallace has that No. 7 Nationwide team 8th in series’ points. Bodine has the No. 30 in 3rd in the Truck Series, and Justin Marks has impressed in the No. 9 truck, winning a pole at Texas and finishing 8th at Daytona. Bodine also made one Nationwide start for the team in a second car this year, finishing 4th at Darlington. In other words, the brothers Germain - Bob, Stephen, and Richard - have managed to make all of their cars competitive, regardless of who’s in them or how often they compete.

With its expansion into Cup racing with Papis, Germain has picked the optimum time to move up the ladder. With many teams pressed for sponsorship in a difficult economic climate, the Sprint Cup field should be shrinking next year, making it much easier for a team that doesn’t plan on attempting all 36 races to make the most of its limited schedule.

Germain also has never expanded beyond its means to be competitive. While the 2005 season was a trying one for the second truck, much of that was based on Shige Hattori’s lack of stock-car experience. While Ted Musgrave only won one race in the No. 9 truck in 2006 and 2007, he also had 28 top-10s in 49 starts for the team and two top-10 finishes in points.

The team only moved up to the Nationwide Series after establishing a strong foundation with Bodine last year. In five races, the team had an average finish of 17.8 (negatively affected by a crash at Homestead that led to a 37th place finish) and led 15 laps at Gateway. They also waited to move up until finding the right driver (Wallace) and sponsor (GEICO), and the team has carved its niche in the series despite most of the wins and top finishes going to Cup “claim jumpers” running in both series.

Even with the recent trend of open-wheel flameouts, don’t expect Papis to disappear in the first year of his four-year contract with the team. Papis, unlike some of the other open-wheel drivers to give NASCAR a try recently, has been successful in many different forms of motorsport. He won a handful of CART races in the late 1990s with Team Rahal and has driven for Corvette Racing at Le Mans. He also won the 2002 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.

Papis has also had his share of remarkable and memorable drives in other series. He nearly won the 1996 24 Hours of Daytona in a car that had been damaged by collisions. After unlapping himself in the final stint of the race, Papis pushed his car to the max, only losing by 64 seconds at a track in which fast laps can take nearly 2 minutes.

In other words, though we’ve all heard this before, Papis has the talent to succeed in a limited schedule with Germain. And unlike drivers like Villeneuve, Carpentier, Hornish, and Allmendinger, he has the team behind him to do it.

Before the green flag drops on this weekend’s festivites, here are this week’s Quick Hits:

5. A few interesting notes from Motorsports Authentics’ sell sheets for 2009 die-cast:

At Stewart-Haas Racing, Burger King is featured on the B-pillar of Tony Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet. Also, DirecTV is featured on the B-pillar of Ryan Newman’s No. 39 Chevrolet. It is no longer on the No. 07 Chevrolet of Casey Mears.

At Gillett Evernham Motorsports, McDonald’s has vacated its post on the lower quarter panel of Elliott Sadler’s No. 19 Dodge. Allstate is also gone from the lower quarter panel of Kasey Kahne’s No. 9 Dodge.

Finally, Scott Speed will run a No. 82 Red Bull Toyota next year, as opposed to a No. 84. No word on why the change occurred.

4. A recent rumor suggests that Wood Brothers Racing is looking around the garage for a new partner after JTG Daugherty Racing’s defection to Toyota for 2009. That partnership could come in the form of a deal with Hall of Fame Racing, which currently fields Toyotas for former Wood driver Ken Schrader. Hall of Fame would also bring a top-flight sponsorship, in the form of Texas Instruments, and a bona-fide driving talent in Brad Coleman to the partnership. Hall of Fame’s current deal with Joe Gibbs Racing expires after Homestead.

3. An interesting note: No Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender has finished in the top 10 all season. Sam Hornish Jr.’s 13th at the Coca-Cola 600 is the best finish for any contender. Aric Almirola’s 8th at Bristol does not apply, as he is not registered for the award. Regan Smith’s win at Talladega, had it been upheld, would have been the only top-10.

2. While Kyle Petty has been unable to lay down any serious Sprint Cup plans for next year, he may have a full time Rolex Sports Car Series deal in place for 2009. Petty will run the No. 45 Orbit Racing BMW Prototype at next year’s 24 Hours of Daytona, and potentially beyond. No word yet on if the Wells Fargo sponsorship currently tied to Petty in Sprint Cup would transfer with him, remain in NASCAR, or both.

1. Kodak is leaving the sport after a successful sponsorship campaign that spanned over two decades and produced three Daytona 500 wins. Drivers like Ernie Irvan, Sterling Marlin, Bobby Hamilton, and most recently Ryan Newman piloted the gold cars for Morgan-McClure Motorsports and Penske Racing from the late 1980s to this year. Kodak will also abandon its sponsorship programs in all other forms of motorsports, including those in the Rolex Sports Car Series and Indy Racing League.

Finally, congratulations to Newman for winning last weekend’s Truck Series race at Atlanta, and Carl Edwards for winning the Nationwide race in Memphis and Atlanta’s Sprint Cup event.

Carl Edwards did all he can do at Atlanta Motor Speedway and it wasn’t close to being enough.

Edward’s Roush-Fenway owned Office Depot Ford Fusion won at NASCAR’s fastest track; but unfortunately for him, Chad Knaus and Jimmy Johnson were pulling off a miracle finish.  The smartest crew chief in NASCAR never let his driver panic and used a late pit stop for fresh  tires to pull off a second place finish.  Johnson restarted in eleventh place with the new Goodyears and quickly passed all in front except for Edwards.

Johnson had gone a lap down to the leaders early on when he was caught for speeding on pit road.  He and Knaus systematically moved back to a position to where they could make the late run.  Edwards was surprised to find out that Johnson had come all the way back to second:

Yeah, I looked up there on the scoreboard, saw he was running seventh, eighth, ninth, somewhere in there most of the second half of the race.  When Dave said, What do you think about Jimmie finishing second, I thought he was joking.  I truly didn’t know until I looked at the scoreboard that Jimmie had made that back up.  I got to see some video.  They put on some tires and went for it.  That’s pretty amazing.

Johnson’s second place finish increased his lead over Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton and Edwards.  The party is truly over.  There is no way that any of the three can overcome their defecit to knock off Johnson.  And that leads us to this weeks BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

Now that Johnson has all but wrapped up the title with three races to go; should NASCAR look at changing the Chase format to keep more drivers involved longer?

Let us know what you think and we could use your comment on this week’s ON PIT ROW.  Listen live from 5-7pm ET at www.onpitrow.com or at www.arcaracing.com.  give us a call at 877-502-8255 and we could select your call as the Shell Gunk Free Call of the Day and you could win a Kevin Harvick bobblehead.

photo credit:  Rusty Burroughs/Getty Images/NASCAR

Mindy can trash talk with the best. So too, can NASCAR legend, Cale Yarborough. That’s just one of the topics this week on Bench Racing TV.

We have tire problems, secret merger talks and rampant cheating. Sounds like an episode of Desperate Housewives, but it’s not. It’s the newest Monday Morning Crew Chief and you can watch it right here.

Has NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow failed? I’m sure that Brian France and Mike Helton  would say no, but the jury may be hung.

There are many definitions of failure that the CoT fits.  Rather than saving teams money, by limiting the inventory of cars required to compete, the CoT,  to quote Mike Mulhern …

“has become a major financial drain on teams, because of the extreme technology needed to try to master what is widely seen as a misguided physics project.”

failure: noun  - The act or fact of failing to pass a course, test, or assignment.

There is fear that some manufacturers may curtail their support for NASCAR. We already see that in the - soon to be - Camping World Truck Series. You can’t blame the CoT for that. But the new car continued a trend toward look-a-like, generic bodies that make NASCAR less viable as a brand builder than it once was.

failure: noun - The condition or fact of not achieving the desired end or ends: the failure of an experiment.

Hendrick Motorsports drivers have  been about as successful as any racing the new car. But two-time defending champion and current Sprint Cup points leader Jimmy Johnson and the sport’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr ….

criticized NASCAR for not being more willing to consider changes to that design to make the racing and passing better …more

failure: noun  - The condition or fact of being insufficient or falling short: a crop failure.

The one stated goal that seems to have been achieved is that of building a safer race car. That’s a good thing. But not enough of one.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Early in the 2007 NASCAR season, someone asked Tony Stewart what he thought about the possibility of Dale Earnhardt Jrleaving the team Junior’s daddy had founded, DEI. Tony famously said…

DEI without Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a museum.”

Well Junior did leave for Hendrick Motorsports and DEI has soldiered on. More than a museum, but less successful than before, Teresa Earnhardt’s organization faces an uncertain racing future, with lack of sponsorship and no real headliner of a driver being the chief problems, it seems.

For a week or better, NASCAR’s rumor mill has featured DEI with Petty Enterprises as a potential dance partner. So the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog wants your thoughts on this question.

Is there any good reason that you see for a Petty Enterprises and DEI merger?

Charlie:  I don’t see it if it’s there. Normally, mergers take place between a strong and a relatively weaker partner or between two entities with complimentary assets. Maybe one has a surplus of cash and the other a talent or technical advantage, for example. I can’t see that here. Both teams have the same, critical challenge in finding major sponsors. Steve claimed ON PIT ROW  Tuesday that Petty Enterprises has this in the Wells-Fargo deal. I don’t see it. As I understand the Wells-Fargo sponsorship, it is, 1) for maybe 20 races and 2) it’s tied to Kyle Petty, who seems to be on the way out. A half season sponsor package for one car doesn’t seem a compelling reason to partner-up with Petty.

DEI has strong personnel in their shops. But are those people committed to staying? This one just doesn’t make sense to me.

Bruce:  It seems like a desperate measure between two teams that don’t have
a solid foothold in the competitive or sponsor race.

Back in September Patty Petty let slip in an interview  that between Chad Mcumbee and Terry Labonte, that Kyle’s last ride is probably going to be at Phoenixand that McCumbee is plan A for Petty Entperprises next year. With the lack luster performance of Petty Entperprises, and DEI’s slowly going down the drain when Dale Earnhardt Jr. / Budweiser left, and now Mark Martin, the only reason a merger would be considered would be to join the two classic names of NASCAR and maybe capture some new sponsors with that spin.  That’s the only thing I can come up with. At the very least, if this merged entity does run down the drain, the swirling, sucking drain sound will be twice as loud and unmistakable!

That’s what we think. What do you think?

Over at Bruce’s NASCAR Bits blog, Bruce has a question that’s close to my heart. It’s about racing bars. Not track bars or sway bars this time but good, old carousing bars, where the beer and the Bench Racing flow in commensurate quantities. Since we broadcast ON PIT ROW and INSIDE ARCA live from just such a place -  the Toledo Speedway Bar and Grill - every week, I have some opinions. Check it out and give us yours…

SPEED Channel is opening a new cantina next to Phoenix International Raceway and should be ready for business by the time NASCAR hits the track next month. Charlie, you got anything on NASCAR bars… I mean “joints”. Damn… I bars… I meant “cantina”?

 Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Atlanta, Georgia this weekend for the seventh round of its ten-race playoffs. Atlanta is always a crucial stop on the NASCAR schedule, not only because it’s the home track for drivers like Bill Elliott and David Ragan, but because a lot of sponsorship dollars come from the city. Among the current major NASCAR sponsors to call the city home are AT&T, Coca-Cola, The Home Depot, and UPS.

Money may perhaps be the biggest concern in NASCAR nowadays, with many teams struggling to find sponsorship in a failing economy. Longtime sponsors like Texaco/Havoline and AAA have pulled back all motorsports sponsorship for next season, affecting multiple teams around the garage area. Even the manufacturers are struggling - Ford higher-ups admitted to merger talks at one point with General Motors, and Chrysler may merge with GM by the end of the year.

Recently, team merger rumors have been spreading all over the garage. While the sport’s powerhouses - Roush Fenway Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and the like - have been basically immune to these rumors, some of the less prominent teams in the garage area have been subject to this speculation. While plenty of it has been nothing more than whimsy, as much of the silly season is, some of the rumors may inevitably come true.

This week’s Quick Hits are the top five merger rumors that have been floating around the garage area:

5. Yates Racing and Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 26 team: Granted, this one wouldn’t happen until RFR has to cut down to four teams for 2010. However, it would expand Yates to four cars, putting it on par with RFR, Hendrick, and Richard Childress Racing.

Jamie McMurray would be the likely castoff from the Roush stable, as the No. 26 is regularly the team’s lowest-ranking car. Crown Royal is reportedly solidly behind McMurray, so that sponsorship would probably follow him over. Assuming nothing changes from 2009, he would join Paul Menard, Travis Kvapil, and David Gilliland.

This one’s been in the works for a long time, making it a bit more likely than any of the following.

4. Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Bill Davis Racing: Reports state that GEM majority owner George Gillett wants to move his team to Toyota and expand to four cars. Buying a current top 35 team with a strong Truck Series program in BDR would only add to the team’s resources and sponsorship.

Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, and Reed Sorenson are already under contract for next season in Sprint Cup. Counting BDR’s truck drivers, the options for the team’s fourth car would probably be A.J. Allmendinger, Chase Miller, Michael Annett, and Johnny Benson. It’s likely that, given the No. 22’s unsponsored state, they would shut down at least one Truck team and GEM’s Nationwide team, and shift sponsorship dollars to that car.

If Ray Evernham sells his minority interest in the team, as has been suggested recently, this one has a legitimate shot of happening. Evernham remaining part of the team, however, could be a deal breaker. He has a strong relationship with Dodge, and given BDR’s issues with the manufacturer in the past and Dodge’s lack of Truck Series support, that could cause obstacles in the deal.

3. Chip Ganassi Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing: This rumor first appeared in late July. Given CGR’s loss of Texaco Havoline for 2009, and MWR’s loss of UPS for next year as well, it made plenty of sense at the time.

Under the terms of the deal, the combined entity would race Toyotas. Juan Montoya, Michael Waltrip, and David Reutimann would all take their contracts for next season to the new team. J.J. Yeley and Allmendinger would be the top choices for the fourth car, the No. 41, which currently carries the Target sponsorship. Another option would be to cut down to three teams and split Target between Montoya and Reutimann.

Given MWR’s recent alignment with JTG Daugherty Racing and addition of a No. 47 car for Marcos Ambrose, this deal couldn’t happen unless the No. 41 was eliminated altogether.

2. Chip Ganassi Racing and Petty Enterprises: This is one of the more recent rumors, only appearing in late September. Ganassi and Petty would unite to produce a flagship team for Dodge, which would take over lead status with the manufacturer if GEM defects to Toyota.

Montoya would retain his No. 42 with Wrigley’s sponsorship. Chad McCumbee would take over the No. 45 car, which would be renumbered 44, and keep most of that team’s current sponsorship. Kyle Petty and Bryan Clauson would probably each run a limited schedule in a part-time No. 45 car, with Petty carrying Wells Fargo sponsorship. Finally, Target would move over to the No. 43 and partner with Bobby Labonte.

Based on their longtime relationships with Dodge, this one would make some sense. It would keep Montoya in a Dodge, and faced with the potential loss of Kahne, the manufacturer needs all the firepower it can get. It would also allow Petty to remain with his family’s team for a part-time schedule, and provide a team with which Clauson could run a limited schedule in anticipation of moving up full-time eventually.

On a more personal note, however, who else thinks that Target red would mix poorly with Petty blue?

1. Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Petty Enterprises: Given the much-maligned status of both of these teams right now, this rumor was inevitable. The teams have a combined six drivers - Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola, Regan Smith, Labonte, McCumbee, and Petty - and two sponsors - Bass Pro Shops and Wells Fargo - for next season. The Wells Fargo sponsorship is tied to Petty alone, however, leaving his family team in limbo.

Under this deal, it’s unlikely Petty and his personal sponsorship would even factor in. DEI is obligated to Truex and Almirola for next year, and PE has already signed Labonte through 2012. McCumbee is basically a shoo-in for their second car anyway. Despite a near-miss at Talladega and a possible Rookie of the Year Award, Smith would be the other odd man out.

PE general manager Robbie Loomis denies that this deal is even likely, citing the team’s discussions with multiple other organizations. It doesn’t seem likely to merge two organizations of such different makeup anyway. Loomis said that one of the key factors in a potential merger is the growth of the Petty brand name, according to Mike Mulhern of the Winston-Salem Journal.

But it would certainly shake up the sport in more ways than one. For two teams once held in such high regard to plummet this low is unprecedented. Obviously, Petty-Earnhardt merchandise would make a lot of extra coin for the teams, but given the nature of the collectible market as of late, the gimmick would probably go way too far. You’d probably see the superteam asking Robby Gordon and Roger Penske for the rights to the numbers 7 and 77, to play off of Richard’s and Dale’s seven championships apiece.

Even thinking about that promo makes me sick.

It’s sad that the sport has plummeted to this level. It’s sad that our economic issues have affected so many - from teams to sponsors to the fans themselves - in such a negative way. Worst of all, however, it’s sad that we may see at least one of the names of the aforementioned organizations be wiped from the history books of the future - especially if that team has been around since the dawn of NASCAR.

Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson (Sprint Cup) and Benson (Truck Series) for their wins at Martinsville.

NASCAR and Mother Nature conspired to give Jimmy Johnson another win and most likely a championship.

For the ninth time in 2008 rain has caused cancellation of qualifying at a Sprint Cup event. You have to go back to 1959 to find the last time that many qualifying sessions have been canceled.  During the Chase for the Championship, when the rains come, the rich get richer.  Because the Chasers have been given an artificial points bonus they are guaranteed the top twelve starting positions.

Starting up front at a Sprint Cup event usually results in a top twenty finish.  Especially on a short track like Martinsville, being out front at the start is a decided advantage.  Johnson used his artificial pole to lead the most laps and take an easy victory.  That win has all but sewed up the third consecutive championship for the California native.

Postponing qualifying and moving it to another part of the weekend instead of cancellation, could have a decided impact on the outcome of races and therefore the championship.  NASCAR used to hiold two qualifying sessions during a weekend.  If drivers had a bad first session they could re-qualify and hope for better on Saturday.  this also afforded the series a second chance for qualifying if rain, snow or sleet took out Friday.  That is a program whos time has come again; along with other changes including, but not limited to, elimination of the Top 35 rule.

This all leads us to this week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

Has Jimmy Johnson won the championship with four races to go?

Let us know what you think and we may use your comments on this week’s ON PIT ROW.  Or give us a call with your comments, at 1-877-502-8255 and you could win a Kevin Harvick bobblehead if you are the “Shell Gunk Free call of the Day” Listen live at www.onpitrow.com or www.arcaracing.com from 5-7pm ET.

photo credit: Icon Sports Media

That’s Mindy Monday’s diagnosis for what happened in the ARCA RE/MAX Series finale at Toledo Speedway. She has opinions on Felix Sabates’ theories and Ray Everham’s dreams too.

Watch the newest Monday Morning Crew Chief  right here, right now.

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