NASCAR tidbits for Today

By Joe Dunn

    On the day after the Monday doubleheader at Texas Motor Speedway driver’s and teams hustle to get ready for a quick turnaround to Talladega Super Speedway. So what else is happening around the NASCAR world?
    The first surprise of the day came as Mike Davis, PR rep for JR Motorsports revealed a twitter photo of Dale Earnhardt Jr in a clean shaven manner.  Seems that a commercial shoot for Pepsi prompted the clean shave.  Whatever junior’s reason for the beard, it was getting pretty scraggly and the new look is a welcome look for his many fans.
    A handful of NASCAR Sprint Cup Teams were at the Brickyard this morning for Goodyear tire testing.  Among those present were Tony Stewart, Kyle Bush, Reagan Smith, Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Conway, Robby Gordon, Brad Keselowski, David Reutimann, Scott Speed and Max Papis.
    During the lunch break at Indy, Kyle Busch joined Tony Stewart to announce the 2010 Prelude to the Dream.  The 6th annual Dirt Late Model Classic at Stewart’s famed Eldora Speedway will again be televised by HBO pay per view. As in previous years, all profits from the HBO sales will go to charity.  This year the money will be divided among four Children’s Hospitals, Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Cincinnati Children’s, Levine Children’s Hospital of Charlotte and St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.
    Gillette Fusion ProGlide will be the title sponsor for this years event to be held on Wednesday June 9th.  Another new twist announced Tuesday  “The winner of the 2010 Indianapolis 500 has a standing offer to compete in this year’s Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway,” said Stewart, who has three top-10 finishes in five Indianapolis 500 starts. “We’ll have a car waiting for him or her, and we’d love to have whoever puts their name on the Borg-Warner Trophy at Indianapolis come about two hours east and compete in a dirt Late Model to raise money for charity.”
    The dirt Late Model stock car that will be waiting for the winner of the 2010 Indianapolis 500 will feature imagery from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Centennial Era campaign, which prominently features the famous wing and wheel logo of the venerable racing institution.