Jeff Gordon to Drive Indianapolis 500 Pace Car

Indiana racing legend and five-time Brickyard champion #24-Jeff Gordon will drive a Corvette Z06 pace car to kick off the 99th Running of the Indianapolis 500, on May 24 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Gordon, who grew up in nearby Pittsboro, Indiana, is no stranger to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He won the first NASCAR race in the history of the famed 2.5-mile oval - the 1994 Brickyard 400 - and has won four more times, including last year. His 2014 victory made him the first five-time Brickyard champion and the only five-time winner of a major race on the IMS oval. Gordon's drive will mark the 13th time a Corvette has been the official pace car, dating to 1978, and the 26th time a Chevrolet has led the pack for "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Corvette has served as the pace car more than any other vehicle in the race's history. "It's great to have Jeff Gordon serve as this year's pace car driver," said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports. "He is a true champion who has earned the respect and admiration of competitors and race fans alike. It will be very special to have Jeff lead the Indy 500 field to the green flag, behind the wheel of the most powerful and capable production car ever from Chevrolet - on a day he'll also be competing in the Coca Cola 600 NASCAR race at Charlotte."(IMS)

GEICO 500 at Talladega Weekend Schedule

Friday, May 111:00 AM, NXS Winn Dixie 300 Final Practice, FS1
2:00 PM, NSCS GEICO 500 Practice, FS1
3:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub - Weekend Edition, FS1
4:30 PM, NSCS GEICO 500 Final Practice, FS1
5:30 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, Weekend Edition, FS1

Saturday, May 2
11:00 Am, NXS Winn Dixie 300 Qualifying, FS1
12:30 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, Weekend Edition, FS1
1:00 PM, NSCS GEICO 500 Qualifying, FOX
2:30 PM, NXS Winn Dixie 300 Race, FOX

Sunday, May 3
11:30 AM, NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
12:30 PM, NSCS GEICO 500 Race, FOX

Thirteen teams to test at Indianapolis

Thirteen NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams are scheduled to participate in an open test April 29 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Slated to take part in the one-day event are Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports), Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing), Clint Bowyer (Michael Waltrip Racing), Carl Edwards (Joe Gibbs Racing), Sam Hornish Jr. (Richard Petty Motorsports), Brad Keselowski (Team Penske), Kyle Larson (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates), Casey Mears (Germain Racing), Paul Menard (Richard Childress Racing), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Roush Fenway Racing), Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing), Ryan Blaney (Wood Brothers Racing) and J.J. Yeley (BK Racing). Gordon, Truex Jr., Hornish Jr. and Yeley are on tap to take part in a two-day Goodyear tire test at IMS Monday and Tuesday preceding the open test. According to IMS track officials, the Turn 2 viewing mounds (infield) and South Terrace grandstands will be open to fans. The Pit Stop Café next to the IMS Hall of Fame Museum will also be open during the test session. (NASCAR.com)

2015 Dale Earnhardt Day

Dale Earnhardt Inc. is proud to announce the 2015 Dale Earnhardt Day on Wednesday, April 29th, at the DEI Corporate Headquarters in Mooresville, NC. A celebration of the extraordinary life and legacy of Dale Earnhardt, this event is held annually on his birthday, and has become a time to reflect on the accomplishments of Dale, and share favorite memories and stories. An annual tradition of Dale Earnhardt Day, cupcakes will again be provided to in honor of "The Intimidator's " birthday. DEI will be welcoming guests from 10:00am until 5:00pm/et. Admission is free, and plenty of parking is available. Dale Earnhardt Inc. is located at 1675 Dale Earnhardt Highway #3, Mooresville, NC.(DEI)

Ragan in the #55 rest of the year, starting at Kansas

Michael Waltrip Racing announced that David Ragan will drive the #55 Aaron's Dream Machine for the remainder of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, beginning May 9 at Kansas Speedway. Brian Vickers had planned to race the Toyota fulltime in 2015, but heart surgery in December forced the Thomasville, N.C., native to miss the first two races of the season. Vickers returned at Las Vegas on March 7, but was sidelined two weeks later by recurring blood clots in his lungs. No timetable has been set for his return.
"Life has thrown a lot at MWR the first part of this racing season, but our team has stood tall and worked through it," said Michael Waltrip. "Our original plans for the #55 team have been challenged since December and we felt it was important for our employees and our sponsors to solidify the remainder of the 2015 season. The opportunity to bring David Ragan into the team is incredible for a number of reasons. He will bring experience, consistency and a lot of confidence based on how he has been running with our Toyota teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing. He also puts the #55 team and Aaron's right back into the Chase for the Sprint Cup contention, which is a very positive turn of events for that team. There is absolutely no question about Brian Vickers' ability, but there remains a question of his availability. We are going to remain very close with Brian while he works on his plan to return. We have told him that MWR is here when he has a clear picture about what the future holds, but we don't need to add any timeline pressures. He is working with a lot of medical advisors and once he has established his plan, we will sit down and discuss next steps. I'm really proud of the incredible job Brett Moffitt has done for us in the 55. He has been a big part of this organization for the last couple of years and he will continue in that role. With the limited number of starts Brett has in this industry, he has proven that he has the talent to be a full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and we are still committed to helping him get that opportunity."(MWR)