Martin moving sooner ?
According to reports on NASCAR news and rumors Web site Jayski. com, Batesville’s Mark Martin could begin his move to Hendrick Motorsports as early as October.
Martin has signed to drive the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in 2009, but the site reported this week that he might drive for the team in the final four races this season — Atlanta, Texas, Phoenix and the season finale at Homestead, Fla.
Martin has driven an abbreviated schedule for the past two seasons, including this year in the No. 8 for Dale Earnhardt Inc. He will return to race a full schedule next season for Hendrick.
NASCAR’s silly season is in full swing with several teams still pondering their driver lineups for 2009: The biggest announcement has been the formation of Stewart Haas Racing with Tony Stewart leaving Joe Gibbs Racing to own and drive the No. 14 car with Office Depot and Old Spice sponsorship. The question lies in the team’s second car. The strongest prospect still appears to be Ryan Newman, who is leaving Penske Racing. Rumored sponsors include Burger King and UPS.
Could it be the year of the merger ? Possible teams combining include Red Bull Racing and Bill Davis Racing, which is owned by the Batesville resident. Also, Michael Waltrip Racing and Ganassi Racing are rumored to merge and form a four-car Toyota team. David Stremme is expected to take over the No. 12 vacated by Newman at Penske Racing. But Casey Mears and Jamie McMurray are also in the rumor mill. Mears is being replaced by Martin at Hendrick Motorsports, and McMurray is expected to be let go at Roush Fenway Racing. Richard Childress Racing has a sponsor for its new fourth team — General Mills / Cheerios / Betty Crocker — but it does not have a driver. Mears, Newman, McMurray, Scott Wimmer and Stephen Leicht top the list. Kyle Petty says he will be back at Petty Enterprises in 2009 — for anything from 10 to 30 races. The Pettys will definitely field the No. 43 with Bobby Labonte and a second team could see Mears, Chad McCumbee or Scott Riggs as its driver. Kyle Petty could be the driver for a third, part-time team.
SUPR man Kenny Merchant of West Monroe, La., won the O’Reilly Southern United Professional Racing late model feature at Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway last Saturday night to become the winningest driver in the series. Merchant passed Rob Litton of Alexandria, La., in lapped traffic for the lead and led the final 20 laps of the 35-lap event. It was his 42 nd SUPR victory and pushed him past Doug Ingalls of Longview, Texas, for the all-time series lead. It was Merchant’s ninth career SUPR victory at I-30. He has at least one victory at the track each year since 2003.
Loretta’s race Gentry’s Terren O’Dell once again took a class runner-up finish at the world’s biggest amateur motocross event. O’Dell finished second in the MX Lites A division at the AMA National Amateur Motocross Championships held last week at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. O’Dell finished second last year in the MX Lites B Stock division. O’Dell fared well in each of his three motos, finishing fourth, sixth and third. But Vince Friese of Cape Girardeau, Mo., was slightly better, taking third-, second- and sixth-place moto finishes, to take the top spot. In the MX Lites A Pro Sport division, O’Dell finished 18 th. Mabelvale’s Lane Butler also fared well in his first appearance at the event, taking eighth in MX Lites C Modified and 12 th in Motocross C. In MX Lites C Modified, Butler overcame a 24 th-place finish in his first moto with seventh- and ninth-place finishes. In Motocross C, he was 14 th, 20 th and 14 th. Other Arkansans at the event were Bono’s Tracy Smith (29 th in MX Lites B Stock, 21 st in Motocross B Stock ); Pine Bluff’s Ross Johnson (31 st in Motocross B Modified ); Donaldson’s Blake Keeton (20 th in Junior 25-plus, 26 th in Four Stroke ); Fayetteville’s Judson Holloway (31 st in Vet B / C 30 plus ); Cabot’s Rhett Thompson (30 th in 51 cc 4-6 AMA 1 Stock ); and Benton’s Cole Heath (26 th in 85 cc 12-13 Modified ).
More Odell Gentry’s Terren O’Dell also fared well at the NMA Grand National Championships held July 20-26 at Ponca City, Okla. He won the 250 cc Mod Pro division, outpointing Trent Pugmore of Simi Valley, Calif. He also finished second in 250 cc Stock Pro to P. J. Larsen of Stanley, N. C. Also at the event, Kevin Seamans of Lake Village took fourth in Plus-30 Open Non-Pro and Lowell’s Michael Wright finished ninth in 11-and-under 85 cc Modified. Other Arkansans competing were Lake Village’s Victoria Seamans, Drew Armstrong and Wesley Stroud of Alexander, Hensley’s Kimberly Phipps, Fayetteville’s Jesse Turner, Blake Godin and Ty Vernon of Gentry, Berryville’s Morgan Wilson, Charleston’s Jayson Huggins, Vilonia’s Joey Smith, Benton’s Dalton Dyer, Ward’s Cody Fears, Pearcy’s Colton King, Hot Springs’ Hunter Brickey and Bentonville’s Gage Olbert.
Last laps Fresh off a victory two weeks ago at Portland, Ore., former Little Rock resident John Edwards will compete in the Star Mazda Series today at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Edwards has two victories in the series this season.... Monticello Speedway will host the Topless 40 Arkansas Motor Sports Professionals late model series event tonight. The winner will collect $ 3, 000.... The O’Reilly Mid-South Racing Association late model series will race tonight at Poinsett County Raceway in Harrisburg.... Due to heavy rains Thursday, the Scrapp Fox Memorial modified race scheduled for Friday will be rescheduled for a later date.
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