NASCAR Notes: Ashley Judd Brings Star Appeal To NASCAR
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Arrival Of Judd (l) And Franchitti
Generating Buzz On NASCAR Scene |
USA TODAY's Nate Ryan in a cover story writes '07 Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti, who will make his NASCAR Sprint Cup debut Sunday at the Daytona 500, is generating "considerable buzz in part" because of his wife, actress Ashley Judd. Judd brings "red-carpet glamour to NASCAR's blue-collar environs." Lowe's Motor Speedway President Humpy Wheeler: "We have not had anybody of [Judd's] stature here on a regular basis. ... People love celebrities, and they help make our sport bigger and better. It's the publicity you get that you don't expect" (USA TODAY, 2/15).
TV COVERAGE: Fox at 2:00pm ET on Sunday will air an 80-minute prerace show prior to the 50th running of the Daytona 500. The show will celebrate the history of the race, revisit some of the event’s most memorable moments and pay tribute to Daytona 500 winners. Chris Myers will host the show alongside analysts Jeff Hammond and Darrell Waltrip. Ken Squier, who called the first live televised Daytona 500 in ’79, will contribute to the broadcast. Meanwhile, during the race, Waltrip, Hammond and Larry McReynolds will answer fans questions submitted on foxsports.com, as the network pre-recorded answers to more than 300 potential questions that may arise during the event (Fox). USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand notes Fox "will deploy at least 77 cameras” for the race and DirecTV "will offer 13 new audio channels for viewers to eavesdrop live on drivers and crews and offer four channels devoted to continuous coverage of specific drivers" (USA TODAY, 2/15).
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| Busch Inks Deal With NOS Energy Drink |
NOTES: NOS Energy Drink has signed Kyle Busch to a sponsorship deal, and will also become an associate sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 18 Toyota driven by Busch. The team deal will include NOS logos displayed on the B-pillar of the car as well as prominent logo placement on Busch's firesuit (NOS)....Atlanta Motor Speedway beginning at 9:00am ET Sunday, will offer fans the opportunity to purchase tickets to the March 9 Sprint Cup Kobalt Tools 500, normally priced at $100, for the price of the winning car number of the Daytona 500. One thousand tickets will be available at the discounted price and fans are limited to a maximum of ten tickets (NASCAR.com, 2/14).
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