Documentary about Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon will air following ‘Duel’ races
If you were a NASCAR fan during the ’90s — or just have an appreciation for the longstanding impact that the decade would have on the sport — you will want to have your DVR set for a special film that will air in just a few weeks.
There is no doubt that Jeff Gordon’s success and influence during the ’90s and into the early 2000’s propelled NASCAR into a new era of mainstream popularity and culture relevance … but it was his rivalry with Dale “The Intimidator” Earnhardt Sr. that really riled up the NASCAR crowd.
Following “The Duel at Daytona” on Thursday, February 14th, FS1 will air a new documentary titled “Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs Gordon”, a film that will delve into the on-track rivalry and off-track friendship between Earnhardt and Gordon while exploring the striking contrasts between the two.
The documentary was produced by Fox Sports Films in collaboration with NASCAR Productions and DLP-Media Group. Gordon served as an executive producer.
Gordon raced full-time in what is now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series from 1993 through the end of the 2015 season, returning to the seat briefly in 2016 to sub for, ironically enough, the injured Dale Earnhardt, Jr. He won four championships and won 93 races in that time frame, placing him third on the all-time wins list behind Richard Petty (200) and David Pearson (105). He currently serves as an analyst for NASCAR on FOX and will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Friday, February 1st.
“Working on this project brought back so many memorable moments,” Gordon said. “Dale was such a fierce competitor, and he used his bumper plenty of times to teach me lessons on the track. Off the track — and I don’t know exactly why — he took me under his wing to teach me so much about the business side of our sport.”
Earnhardt’s first full season in the Cup Series was in 1980, and he raced full-time until his tragic death in the 2001 Daytona 500. In that time frame, he earned seven championships, which is tied for most all time with Petty and current Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson. His 76 victories place him eighth on the all-time win list.
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Apparently Lowe’s “other strategic initiatives” meant the NFL
It was quite a stunner when Lowe’s announced they would not be returning to sponsor the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and driver Jimmie Johnson for the 2019 season. Johnson, after all, is one of the most successful drivers in NASCAR history and Lowe’s had been a sponsor of his since the beginning of his career.
Lowe’s stated their reason for leaving was to “invest in other strategic initiatives”. The announcement was made in March of 2018.
Now, Lowe’s has a new sponsorship arrangement with the NFL.
While specific terms of the deal were not announced, the partnership will begin the week of the Super Bowl, which takes place Sunday, February 3rd in Atlanta, the home of Lowe’s primary home improvement retailer rival Home Depot.
According to The Charlotte Observer, Lowe’s Chief Marketing Officer Jocelyn Wong believes their marketing campaign with the NFL will allow them to reach their base of professional customers (like contractors) more effectively.
Fear not for Johnson, however, as Ally Financial Inc has signed on as the primary sponsor for the No. 48 car for the full 2019 and 2020 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series seasons.
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Sponsor renews with Leavine Family Racing
After joining NASCAR in 2018 with driver Kasey Kahne and Leavine Family Racing, Dumont JETS has decided to renew as a primary sponsor with the race team, this time with driver Matt DiBenedetto, who moved over to LFR from Go FAS Racing over the offseason.
“We are looking forward to Matt DiBenedetto piloting the Dumont JETS Camry this upcoming season,” said Amber Martin, Director of Corporate Relations for Dumont GROUP, in a team release. “We at Dumont JETS are very pleased of our partnership with Leavine Family Racing. One might rightly suggest that an aircraft charter company and a NASCAR race team make a strange pair. However, the principles at LFR worked to understand our business, and how the unique B2B environment in NASCAR could deliver value for our organization.”
Dumont JETS is a full-service aircraft charter, sales, maintenance, and parts organization company based in Wilmington, Delaware.
The company will serve as the primary sponsor on the No. 95 Toyota Camry on Sunday, March 3rd at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Sunday, October 6th at Dover International Speedway; and Sunday, November 10th at ISM Raceway.
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Todd Gilliland returns to Kyle Busch Motorsports for 2019 season
After competing part-time in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports the last two seasons, 18-year-old Todd Gilliland will compete full time for the organization in 2019 with sponsorship from JBL and Mobil 1.
“I’m excited to be returning to the seat of the No. 4 Tundra at Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2019 and looking to build on the momentum that we had going at the end of 2018,” Gilliland said in a team release. “Last year we definitely had some high points and low points, so my goal is to be more consistent throughout the season. After being so close a couple times last year, I’m confident that I’ll be able to find Victory Lane this year and once that happens more wins will follow. I’m ready to reward everyone at JBL, Mobil 1, Toyota and TRD for their continued support.”
Gilliland missed the first four races of the 2018 season because he was too young to compete at some of the larger tracks, but raced the remainder of the season. He earned four top fives and nine top 10s in 19 starts. He ultimately finished 10th in the final standings.
The son of former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver David Gilliland already has an impressive racing resume. He won back-to-back NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championships in 2016 and 2017, with 13 career wins in 29 total starts in that series. He has seven victories in 22 career starts in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, finishing second in the standings in his only full-time season. He won his first career ARCA Racing Series event at Toledo Speedway in 2015 at the age of 15, the youngest winning driver in series history.
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Quin Houff to make Cup Series debut with Spire Motorsports
21-year-old Quin Houff will make his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut this March at ISM Raceway driving the No. 77 car for Spire Motorsports. He is expected to compete in at least half the races on the schedule with further details being announced at a later date.
“I’m so excited to be able to make my Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut at ISM Raceway in March,” Houff said. “I cannot thank Jeff Dickerson and T.J. Puchyr from Spire Motorsports enough for the opportunity to make my dream a reality. There are thousands of drivers who make racing on Sundays their goal. To be one of the few drivers who get to realize that goal is a true blessing.
“It’s humbling for me to compete at the pinnacle of the sport, but it’s also a testament to all those who stood behind me to this point and those who will continue to do so in the future.”
Houff has a total of 10 NASCAR national series starts to his credit, all of them coming in the XFINITY Series. His best finish was a 12th-place run at Iowa Speedway in 2017 while driving for Rick Gdovic.
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