Richmond Cheat Sheet / Lineup

Congratulations to Brian Vickers, who got the pole for the Crown Royal Presents the Russ Friedman 400 at Richmond International Raceway.Photo Courtesy of NASCAR.com

Below is the line-up
1. #83 Brian Vickers Toyota, Red Bull
2. #24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet, DuPont
3. #11 Denny Hamlin Toyota, FedEx Ground
4. #1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet, Bass Pro Shops / Tracker
5. #31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet, Prilosec OTC / Wal-Mart
6. #09 Mike Bliss Dodge, Miccosukee Resort & Gaming
7. #5 Mark Martin Chevrolet, Cheez-It / Carquest
8. #82 Scott Speed Toyota, Red Bull
9. #00 David Reutimann Toyota, Aaron's Dream Machine
10. #39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet, U.S. Army
11. #12 David Stremme Dodge, Star Trek
12. #33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet BB&T
13. #20 Joey Logano Toyota, The Home Depot
14. #18 Kyle Busch Toyota, Combos
15. #48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet, Lowe's
16. #14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet, Office Depot / Old Spice
17. #2 Kurt Busch Dodge, Miller Lite
18. #9 Kasey Kahne Dodge, Budweiser
19. #29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet, Shell / Pennzoil
20. #16 Greg Biffle Ford, 3M
21. #47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota, Bush's Best Baked Beans / Kingsford / Clorox
22. #6 David Ragan Ford, UPS Freight
23. #43 Reed Sorenson Dodge, McDonald's McCafe
24. #87 Joe Nemechek Toyota, NEMCO Motorsports
25. #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet, National Guard - Drive the Guard / Amp Energy
26. #66 Dave Blaney Toyota, Prism Motorsports
27. #26 Jamie McMurray Ford, Crown Royal
28. #77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge, Mobil 1
29. #42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet, Target
30. #55 Michael Waltrip Toyota, NAPA Adaptive One
31. #44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge, Paralyzed Veterans of America / King's Cup
32. #19 Elliott Sadler Dodge, Stanley Tools
33. #98 Paul Menard Ford, NIBCO / Menards
34. #71 David Gilliland Chevrolet, TRG Motorsports
35. #17 Matt Kenseth Ford, Dewalt
36. #7 Robby Gordon Toyota, Energizer
37. #99 Carl Edwards Ford, Aflac
38. #41 Jeremy Mayfield Toyota, SmallSponsor.com
39. #36 Scott Riggs Toyota, Tommy Baldwin Racing
40. #96 Bobby Labonte Ford, Ask.com
41. #07 Casey Mears Chevrolet, Jack Daniel's
42. #34 John Andretti Chevrolet, Window World
43. #37 Tony Raines Chevrolet, Long John Silver's

Failed to Qualify on time:
# 64 Todd Bodine Toyota, Gunselman Motorsports
#06 Trevor Boys Dodge, Boys Will Be Boys Racing Co.

The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma joins the NASCAR Foundation family of charities

Richard Childress who is more than known for his charitable contributions has teamed...get it....teamed...sorry I have had iced tea today...teamed up with The NASCAR Foundation Family of Charities which is comprised of 32 driver, team and track chrities within the motorsports family.

From official press release:

“The Childress Institute is privileged to be a member of The NASCAR Foundation,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing and co-founder of the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma. “During our 40 years of racing, we have always been dedicated to the fans. Now we have the opportunity to give back by saving the lives of seriously injured children across the United States.”

Approximately 12,388 children under the age of 18 die each year from traumatic injury. More than 30 trauma centers in the U.S. have closed since 2001 and many others have cut back on the services they offer. In an effort to continue funding the critical research and physicians needed to counter this number one killer of children, The NASCAR Foundation and Childress Institute have teamed up for an online auction to be hosted on NASCAR.COM May 1-18.

“We are excited about partnering with The NASCAR Foundation and joining its Family of Charities,” said J. Wayne Meredith, M.D., director of the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. “The online auction is our first joint project with the foundation, and we greatly appreciate the opportunity this gives us to bring attention to the issue of life-threatening injury, which is by far the leading cause of death among our nation’s children every year. The awareness and funds raised in partnership with The NASCAR Foundation will help us address the need for a better way to treat children and for continued research.”

The auction features a variety of autographed memorabilia including a BB&T crew shirt signed by Clint Bowyer, a Holiday Inn crew shirt signed by Jeff Burton, a DIRECTV crew shirt signed by Casey Mears, a Prilosec OTC crew shirt signed by Jeff Burton and Casey Mears, a GM Goodwrench uniform jacket signed by Richard Childress, a No. 3 10th Anniversary Daytona 500-win die cast car signed by Richard Childress, a BB&T TV panel signed by Richard Childress and Clint Bowyer, a No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil portion of rear quarter panel signed by Kevin Harvick, a No. 07 door number signed by Richard Childress and much more! For a complete list of items, visit WWW.NASCAR.COM/foundation.

Stuck in Race Traffic??

Virginia maybe for Lovers but there is no love lost when you are stuck in Race Traffic! If you are in Richmond for the race this week, and heading out of the track a little early, be sure to tune your dial to your choice of MRN affiliates: WRNL-AM 910 Richmond VA, WRVA-AM 1140 Richmond VA or WXGI-AM 950 Richmond VA. You wont miss a moment of the fun at "The Action Track"!

Happy Happy Hour

We would not be The Fashionistas if we didn't dedicate today's Happy Hour to The Mint Julep, honoring the most fashionable sporting event of the Season, The Kentucky Derby. The Fashionistas pick for the Derby? We're going with Imperialism, for no reason other than the Jockey wears pink. We will be rooting on Smarty Jones as well. Enjoy your Julep while following along with Happy Hour here.

Mint Julep
4 fresh mint sprigs
2 1/2 oz Early Times Kentucky Whiskey
1 tsp powdered sugar
2 tsp water
Muddle mint leaves, powdered sugar, and water in a collins glass. Fill the glass with shaved or crushed ice and add bourbon. Top with more ice and garnish with a mint sprig. Serve with a straw.

GREAT Music Video

This is a fantastic video by Saving Abel. You have to love Jeremy Mayfield!

A Fast Lap with Moses Smith

Moses Smith drives the #16 Hasa Racing Toyota for the Camping World Series West. We have the pleasure getting to know Moses's mom @zwriter on Twitter. If you like NASCAR and are on Twitter, Moses has a new street team @StreetTeam16 and is on Twitter himself @Mosessmith16. Moses races next on May 17th at the Iowa Speedway in Newton Iowa.

1. What music have you recently put on your iPod? Unfortunately I don’t have an iPod…But if I did there would be a bunch of 80’s hits, some Bob Marley, and then an array of just good/cool songs.

2. What was the last movie you saw? In the theaters…I can’t remember; it has been a while. At home…The Italian Job

3. What are your favorite TV shows? CSI, House, Nitro Circus…

4. What other sporting teams/events do you follow?I am a fair weather sports fan, I really only follow the home team, when they are doing good. Like 2001 Diamond Backs in the World Series, and 2008 Cardinals in the Super Bowl…

5. What is one personal item you can not live without? My tooth brush…haha

6. What are your favorite places to visit? (during the season and off season for vacation) During the season, I like visiting the cities where we race, like San Francisco (Infineon), Austin TX (Thunder hill Raceway), Sacramento (Roseville) Portland (Portland International raceway) etc…In the off season, I like to go anywhere, beach, mountains, home to visit parents.

7. What is your favorite clothing brand? Right now I would have to say Volcom.

8. What is your favorite book or publication? Sand News…always dreaming of the dunes and sand rails.

9. What is your favorite activity to do in your off time? Sleep, Yard Work, and Mountain biking.

10. What is your favorite cuisine? MEXICAN hands down...Italian, and Japanese tied for 2^nd

We'd like Carl to grow in our garden, but in the meantime...

Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 60 ScottsMiracle-Gro Ford Fusion, tops his fantastic week of PR and will be in the D.C. area tomorrow for a very cool promotion.

Carl will help plant community gardens at the Robert F. Lederer Youth Center Community Garden at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow and encourage fans to take the GroGood pledge to grow a garden for the greater good and provide fresh produce to the hungry.

Additionally, Carl will speak to fans at Richmond International Raceway (RIR) on Saturday (5/2) at 4:45 p.m. to tell them about the four GroGood edible gardens planted at RIR. The gardens are a part of the GroGood Campaign and were created in partnership with The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Plant a Row for the Hungry and Feeding America. Each garden will provide fresh produce to those at risk for hunger in the Richmond area.

To launch the GroGood pledge campaign, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company will donate 1 million pounds of produce to Feeding America and call on Americans to help double that donation by pledging to grow and donate an additional 1 million pounds of fresh produce to help feed those at risk for hunger. Fans can get involved and take the GroGood pledge by visiting the ScottsMiracle-Gro display adjacent to the hospitality pavilion during race weekend or by visit www.GroGood.com.

Carl Edwards interviews regarding Talladega Crash

On Sunday, we posted the article Shades of Ricky Bobby, after Aarons 499 at Talladega which ended with quite a scare for Carl Edwards and the NASCAR Nation. I have seen plenty of wrecks but this one immediately brought tears to my eyes.

Carl has been on a media circus tour over the past 24 hours. Last night, he appeared on Larry King Live and today he was on The Ellen Show. I have collected clips of Carl's interviews and will be adding any future ones to this post. Note, in both interviews, he mentioned he is quite the Will Ferrell fan which was his inspiration for running across the finish line. I am so happy Carl is alright and am impressed over and over again with his interview skills.

A Dog's Vest Friend

Here is a chance to support Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart and a fantastic charity. You will also have an opportunity to split the raffle pot. In this economy, that is hard to pass up!

Dogs’ Vest Friends, Too

CHARLOTTE (April 29, 2009) – What do Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart and Susie Jean have in common? They are K9 dogs “vest friends”. Greg and Tony have partnered to help Susie provide bullet-resistant and knife-resistant vests for K9 officers located throughout the United States. Through grassroots efforts, Susie has already provided 317 vests to police dogs in 34 states and she’s been dubbed “Dog’s Vest Friend”. Now, Greg and Tony are urging their fans as well as supporters of our officers & their K9s to support this Charity Splits raffle starting April 30, 2009 and concluding June 14, 2009.

Tony Stewart fans may recall that last summer his foundation awarded a sizable grant to Vest ‘N P.D.P. providing 40 bullet-resistant & knife-resistant vests for all 30 dogs of the Indiana State Police K-9 Unit and 10 additional dogs from Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina and Minnesota. Drawing significant media coverage, Tony presented the vests to the Indiana State Police during the Allstate 400 Brickyard. Tony invited Greg to partner with him in this effort to potentially provide vests for all those in need nationwide. “It’s a great fit for our Foundation since we support animal welfare groups across the country” said Biffle.

The publicity highlighting Susie’s work sparked considerable interest and she found her one-person shop inundated with requests from law enforcement agencies located throughout the U.S. Today, Susie has 175 K9 ‘officers’ in 37 states waiting on vests. Departments rarely have allocations for purchasing these custom-made vests, ranging from $1,200 to $1,500, for each dog. Susie expressed, “My efforts are a small price to pay for our police dogs that protect their human partner as well as our communities.”

Greg and Tony are asking their fans to “pay a small price” and team together in support of Vest ‘N P.D.P. and our brave law enforcement officers – two-legged and four. To participate, log onto either driver’s foundation Web site or directly on to www.vest4K9.com.

Don’t delay as the winner will be announced June 14!

To learn more about Vest ‘N P.D.P. visit Susie’s web site, www.vestnpdp.com. To catch up with Greg and Tony and their philanthropic work, visit www.gregbifflefoundation and www.tonystewartfoundation.org.

RIP David Poole

We just heard horrible news that David Poole, a veteran NASCAR writer for The Charlotte Observer and host of "The Morning Drive" on Sirius NASCAR Radio, has suffered a heart attack and passed away at his home in North Carolina earlier today. David was only 50 years old and will surley be missed in the NASCAR family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. You can read more about it here.

Here is a comment from Jimmie Johnson regarding the sudden passing of David Poole:

“I am shocked and saddened to hear the news that our sport has lost David Poole. My thoughts go out to his family. He was someone who loved our sport and wasn’t afraid to voice his opinion. That’s what made him one of the most respected members of our media. I know I worked twice as hard to make sure I earned his respect. I am proud of what he has done for our sport and I know he will be truly missed by everyone in NASCAR.”

Charlie Daniels Band to perform and Grand Marshall in Richmond

The legendary Charlie Daniels Band will perform on Friday May 1st will play a free concert at 5:15 in the Lipton display area on the midway. Also, Charlie Daniels will sing the National Anthem prior to the start of the Lipton Tea 250 NASCAR Nationwide Race that night.

The Commandant's Own Marine Drum and Bugle Corps will perform the National Anthem for the Crown Royal presents the Russ Friedman 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Race. The race is Saturday Night, green flag is 7:30.

The Grand Marshall for the Crown Royal Presents the Russell Friedman 400 is wait for it...um, Russell Friedman as part of his win of the Crown Royal "Your Name " here contest.

Turtles Coming to Lake Norman in Support of LifeSpan and Speedway Children's Charities

Turtles are invading Lake Norman for LifeSpan and Speedway Children's Charities Turbo Turtle Race Saturday, May 9. The race will be held at Midtown Sundries, 18665 Harborside Drive, Cornelius, N.C., from 2 - 5 p.m. Festivities will take place at 3:30 p.m. with live entertainment and children's activities for the entire family.

In exchange for a $5 donation to the LifeSpan and Speedway Children's Charities Turbo Turtle Race, attendees may adopt one turtle. Turtle Family Packs (six turtles) can be adopted for $25 or a Nest of Turtles (25 turtles) for $100. All turtles adopted will race in Lake Norman on a closed circuit race course and have a chance to win lots of great prizes.

"Speedway Children's Charities is always looking for unique ways to get families together to have a good time while supporting a great cause," said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway and president of Speedway Children's Charities Charlotte Chapter.

"We're proud to partner with LifeSpan to put 10,000 toy turtles in the water for what could be the most unusual race ever during the Coca-Cola 600 Month of May."

Prizes include Lowe's Motor Speedway race tickets and pre-race pit passes for NASCAR events in October, a standard family suite stay at the new Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, N.C., two VIP box tickets to the Def Leppard concert featuring Poison and special guest Cheap Trick and many more.

For more information, contact Nancy McEneny at nmceneny@lifespanservices.org or to purchase turtles please visit www.LakeNormanTurtleRace.com

For more information on Speedway Children's Charities and our upcoming events, visit www.speedwaycharities.org or contact Amanda Hollingsworth at (704) 455-4426.

About LifeSpan
LifeSpan transforms the lives of children and adults with developmental disabilities by providing education, employment and enrichment opportunities that promote inclusion, choice and family supports and other best practices.

About Speedway Children's Charities
The mission of Speedway Children's Charities remains true to the ideals it was founded upon in 1982: To care for children in educational, financial, social and medical need in order to help them lead productive lives. SCC provides funding for hundreds of non-profit organizations throughout the nation that meet the direct needs of children. Our vision is that every child has the same opportunities no matter what obstacle they are facing.

Crown Royal and Russ Friedman ...the story!

Experts taken from an article written by Barbara Barker, Newsday

Crown Royal Presents the Russ Friedman 400 race at Richmond International Raceway. Now, how the heck did he get a race named for him?

Friedman is an Iraq war veteran who wants to honor the men and women in the armed forces who have served and still are serving their country overseas. So last year, when the Huntington Station resident heard about an essay contest to have a race named after a NASCAR fan, he decided to write about the two Purple Hearts he was awarded while on duty in Iraq with Marine Corps and how he would love to dedicate a race to those in the armed services.

"I entered and then sort of forgot about it,'' Friedman, 27, said. "Then I get this call saying I was a finalist and they wanted to fly me to the Daytona 500. I was shocked.''

During the Daytona 500 in February, it was announced that Friedman had beaten out the more than 5,000 NASCAR fans who entered the contest. The May 2 race is officially named the Crown Royal presents The Russell Friedman 400.

Friedman, a member of the Marine Corps Individual Ready Reserve, is a native New Yorker. Also, he’s a student at Nassau Community College where he’s studying to be a history teacher.

Friedmanis an avid NASCAR fan. He decorates his basement with NASCAR paraphernalia.It's a dream come true for Friedman, a NASCAR fan who is hoping that by sharing his story, it will help others remember those in the armed services.

Marie Friedman, his mother, will be among those attending the race Saturday. With everything her son has gone through, she said she is just thrilled that he is receiving this honor.

"You don't hear about the troops over there as much as you used to, and I think sometimes we feel that they've been forgotten,'' she said. "That's why he wanted to dedicate this race to everyone in the armed forces. He really is a special kid.''

This is exciting to the fashionistas for a bunch of different reasons. First, both Ally and I have Long Island ties and my family is from Nassau county. I was also involved with this Crown Royal contest for about 2 years. When Crown was in Daytona for the races in February and July, they would set up locations via my radio stations and I to gather stories for this contest. In truth, there was some really ridiculous stories that came out of those nights. I am sure you can imagine the Billy Bob renditions of how he lost his dog, his wife but had Crown Royal by his side to the tune of banjos in the background. Thankfully Mr. Darlynn didn't offer his rendition that we have enough Crown Royal bags to wallpaper our house. How thankful I am that Russell Friedman had a wonderful story making this contest viable and an actual "Crown Winning Moment". Congrats!

Runway Monday

What we're drooling over

Tory Burch Thora Flip Flops $115.00

Being cost conscious
Havaianas Metallic Flip Flops $20

Shades of Ricky Bobby.....

The 2009 Aarons 499 at Talladega was one of the best races I have ever seen. It's been a long time since I was that excited about a race. The ending, which lead to one of the scariest wrecks since Michael McDowell in Texas, will be talked about for quite some time.

Carl Edwards was going for the win, with Dale Earnhardt Jrs protege Brad Keselowski pushing him to the finish line. Brad tried the same move that cost Regan Smith the win last year and Carl tried to block him. When Carl went for the block he became airborne, flipped and smacked into the barrier fence. He then got out of his car and ran across the start/finish line in true Ricky Bobby style. This is the first time Carl The Flipper Edwards has flipped a car.



Thank God Carl didn't run around the track like this (although I am sure many of us wouldn't mind seeing him strip down)



Now it's time to talk about the seriousness of this wreck. 8 Fans were injured. Although none were life threatening, 2 women were air lifted to Birmingham hospitals and one has a broken jaw. The reason that they were airlifted was due to the horrific traffic. We want to send some get well wishes to all that were injured.

Flying to Richmond? Airtran offers discount!!

Courtesy of Richmond International Raceway

On the heels of Richmond-area hotels offering reduced lodging rates and reducing or eliminating minimum night stays, AirTran Airways will be offering 10-percent off flights to Richmond International Airport for the May 1-2 NASCAR doubleheader weekend at Richmond International Raceway.

As part of AirTran Airways’ EventSavers program, travelers can receive 10-percent off their flight to Richmond by calling 866-68EVENT (866-683-8368) and using event code: RIC050109.

With the EventSavers program, the airline known for everyday low fares is now offering a way to save even more on airfare. With one call, travelers can receive a 10-percent savings off the flight cost to Richmond for the Crown Royal Presents the Russ Friedman 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the Lipton Tea 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Richmond International Raceway, May 1-2.

Additional benefits of EventSavers include: no overnight stay or minimum stay requirement, priority advance seat assignments at time of ticketing and special event rates from Hertz.

For more information, contact the AirTran Airways EventSavers desk toll free at 866-68EVENT (866-683-8368).

The distance between the airport in Richmond and Richmond International Raceway is 10 miles and Google map directions are here. If you make last minute decisions like we do, this sounds like a very viable option for next weekend!