Submitted by NASCAR Ranting and Raving Blog

You know I just had to talk about it didn’t you. Being somewhat of a fan of RCR I just can’t sit by while all of you have your fun now, can I?

You all probably know by now that General Mills will be moving it’s sponsorship from the Petty Enterprises #43 to the Richard Childress #33 for next year. If you recall, I told you about the possibility of this back in February, well it is a done deal now.

Oddly enough, and correct me if I’m wrong, but this is the 3rd race team and car manufacturer that General Mills has been with since it became a primary sponsor in NASCAR. Hmmm .. do I sense a 3-Factor here? I’ll just leave it at that.

Now speculation is running rampant that since Bobby Labonte, the current driver of the #43 car, is in the last year of his contract with the Petty organization he will not renew and he will move to RCR next year and be in the #33 car. Ok, for what its worth, this is old news too because I told you about this back in February as well. The only reason people are talking about this again is because the General Mills announcement makes it more official.

Bob Margolis at Yahoo Sports has even gone as far as to say that the Bobby Labonte move to RCR is a done deal too.

You know, I’m going to be Devil’s Advocate for a second and state who else might be good in the new 33 car next year besides Bobby Labonte, although if you read the Feb. article you’ll know that fully support Bobby at RCR and I stated my reasons there.

So else could fit in at RCR in the #33 car?

1) Tony Stewart: What you say? His contract expires at the end of this season too, and GM wants him back in the fold dearly. Tony does remind me of a young Dale Earnhardt too, so him and Richard would get along very well. Charlie at “On Pit Row” beat me to this one BTW, but I swear I thought of it too.

2) Austin Dillion: Who? Richard Childress’ grandson that’s who. He’ll be 18 in a few weeks, so why not? After all, nepotism isn’t unheard of in NASCAR.

3) Paul Tracy: Another open wheel guy? You nuts? Yep. He has driven for RCR in the past in Busch and as a test driver, and he is currently without a ride because of the Champ Car - IRL merger.

4) Scott Wimmer: He already drives a Busch car for RCR so they can keep the team together and move them all up to Cup.

5) Mike Skinner: He has driven for Childress before, and he is still very hungry for his first Cup win even today (no pun intended). Besides, wouldn’t be fun to see “macho man Skinner” in a Betty Crocker uniform just once?

6) Chrissy Wallace: Speaking of Betty Crocker … Not that I’m perpetuating gender stereotypes her at all, but women fans are a fast growing demographic for NASCAR, so why not give them a wholesome company and equally as wholesome driver (until she puts Carl Edwards into the wall a few times that is) to cheer for?

7) Andrew Ranger: Andrew who? The current NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion. He’s young, a fast learner, and he currently has Tide and Wal-Mart as co-sponsors in his back pocket to bring along with him. Hmm … Wal-Mart, Tide, and General Mills all on one car? Just imagine the in-store promotions on race weekends. For more info on Andrew see my interview with him from a few days ago.

I’m sure there are more but I’ll call it quits for now.

Take Care.

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Submitted by NASCAR Ranting and Raving Blog

DALE JR. FAN APPAREL AVAILABLE AT SPORTS AUTHORITY STORES ACROSS DALLAS-FORT WORTH

After making its debut in Daytona at the start of the NASCAR season, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s adidas JR Nation Gear has invaded the Lone Star state! Consumers can pick up the latest adidas Dale Jr. gear including men’s and women’s t-shirts, jackets, hats and jerseys, at any of the six Sports Authority locations in the Fort Worth area (addresses below). In addition, fans can check out Dale Jr.’s #88 AMP show car, which will be visiting Sports Authority stores across Dallas and Fort Worth starting April 1 and culminating on April 5 (dates, times and locations below).

Designed and developed with the help of Dale Jr., JR Nation Gear features the same adidas ClimaCool technology that allows Dale Jr. to stay cool on the track. adidas ClimaCool technology is a ventilation system that utilizes specially engineered air channels, materials and components to provide superior moisture management, enhanced evaporation and better breathability. Throughout the season, new products, including footwear, accessories and other exclusive gear, will debut in conjunction with special events like All-Star in Charlotte this May.

Locations, dates and times of Dale Jr.’s #88 AMP show car appearances include:

April 1, 4-7pm
Hulen Store
4830 S. W. Loop 820-Overton Park
Fort Worth, TX 76109

April 4, 10am-1pm
Stonebriar Store
2930 Preston Road, Ste 200B
Frisco, TX 75034

April 2, 4-7pm
Cedar Hills Store
727 North Highway 67
Cedar Hill, TX 75104-2142

April 4, 4-7pm
Denton Store
1800 South Loop 288, Ste 240
Denton, TX 76205

April 3, 4-7pm
Irving Store
3524 Airport Freeway West
Irving, TX 75062

April 5, 10am–1 pm
Watauga Store
7612 Denton Highway,Ste 404
Watauga, TX 76148

About JR Motorsports

Established in 1999, JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for professional stock car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. JRM competes in multiple racing divisions, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in which it fields two full-time teams. Earnhardt Jr.’s organization is based out of a 66,000-square foot facility in Mooresville, N.C., and includes the JR Nation retail store and Dale Jr. Fan Experience. For more information on JR Motorsports, visit www.dalejr.com.

About adidas

adidas is a global designer, developer and marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories with the mission to be the leading sports brand in the world. Brand adidas is part of the adidas Group, a corporation that includes brands such as Reebok, TaylorMade and Rockport. Some of the players in adidas’ roster of athletes include: Reggie Bush, Tim Duncan, Ryan Howard, David Beckham and Allyson Felix.

For more information, visit www.press.adidas.com or www.adidas.com/motorsports

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Submitted by NASCAR Ranting and Raving Blog

Here is an interesting press release I got today;

It’s an age-old question. What do you get mom for Mother’s Day? For most, a card or some flowers will do. But for some, it becomes more of a challenge to figure out the perfect gift—to find one that she’ll truly appreciate.

But here’s something to consider if you’re looking for last-minute shopping ideas. It may surprise you to know that currently, women make up a significant portion of NASCAR fans and are flocking to the sport more than any other demographic, according to a NASCAR spokesman.

He added, “According to a pair of recent surveys, of NASCAR’s 75 million fans 40 percent are women. For every two new NASCAR fans, one of them is a woman and 68 percent of those women say they’re only going to become bigger NASCAR fans. And according to Nielsen, women are more likely to flip over to a NASCAR race than any sport outside of football.”

With these kinds of demographics, it’s no wonder that NASCAR-related are looking for ways to bring more women into the fold. A great example of this is the Wave the Green Flag contest sponsored by Dodge Motorsports.

According to a spokesperson from Dodge, it’s a great opportunity to solve that Mother’s Day gift dilemma. He said, “Dodge is looking for the best NASCAR mom to wave the Green Flag at the Darlington Race on May 10, 2008—Mother’s Day Weekend.”

He continued, “Here’s how it works: NASCAR fans simply visit www.dodgeboysracing.com and enter the Wave the Green Flag contest. Fans simply fill out the required information—including a 100-words-or-fewer essay on why their mother should be declared the best NASCAR mom—and click on the Submit button. If they win, their mother (and three guests) will receive an all-expense-paid travel package to the Dodge Challenger 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway over Mother’s Day weekend and mom will wave the green flag to start the race. It’s a great gift for any NASCAR mom.”

Now that your Mother’s Day shopping problem is solved, you can move on to Father’s Day. Maybe he’d like a nice NASCAR tie.

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Submitted by NASCAR Ranting and Raving Blog

I hope you can read this because I’m too busy to transcribe it right now;

The website is www.hpteeshottour.com and email address is info@sportsbrandedmedia.com.

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