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February 9, 2007

NASCAR News Rewind
Free Chance to be NASCAR Owner Edition
By Dennis Michelsen

Every week so much happens in the world of NASCAR. As a public service we will attempt to wrap up the three biggest stories of the week in one easy to follow story every week. Just because we can't resist being wise guys we will also present our take on the news!

NASCAR Owner for the Day-Win It Free
How would you like to be flown to the Daytona Busch race next February in a private plane and treated like the team owner for the weekend? This would be a dream come true for any race fan and now you can win this free! Play FLIP FLOPS and if you pick wisely you can win a Diamond Membership to Fan1st that allows you to play their fantasy racing game free this season. The lucky winner gets treated like the owner for the weekend at Daytona next year. Fan1st is the only fan club that lets the race fans be in charge! This year they will sponsor Dave Blaney and Jason Leffler in the NASCAR Busch series. Fan1st members get their name on the cars too! Sign up today to play Fan1st Fantasy Racing and play FLIP FLOPS to win the prize free.

D-Mic Picks
NASCAR Flips-Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr
NASCAR Flops-Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Bill Elliott
ARCA Flips-David Ragan, Brandon Whitt, Brad Coleman
ARCA Flops-Bobby Gerhart, Steve Wallace, Dexter Bean

Wiz of SOZ Picks
NASCAR Flips-Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Dale Jarrett
NASCAR Flops-Mark Martin, Greg Biffle, Ken Schrader
ARCA Flips-David Ragan, Brad Coleman, Billy Venturini
ARCA Flops-Josh Wise, Justin Allgaier, Scott Lagasse

Flips are Top Fives and Flops are Finishes Worse than 15th

Which fantasy handicapper will pick the most correct FLIP FLOPS?

Make your pick at dennis@stockcarpitpass.com and win the Fan1st Membership

www.fan1st.com

Listen every Wednesday night at 10pm ET for FLIP FLOPS on www.racetalkradio.com

Also play the ARCA RE/MAX Fantasy Game for a chance to win an outing at the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure! www.insidearca.com for details!

Junior Wants Majority Ownership
Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't mince words on Thursday when asked what it would take to get him to re-sign with the Nextel Cup organization his father built. "I want majority ownership, basically," Earnhardt Jr. said for the first time during media day at Daytona International Speedway. As in more than 50%? "Absolutely," Earnhardt Jr. said emphatically. Earnhardt Jr.'s contract with Dale Earnhardt Inc. expires at the end of the 2007 season. Negotiation on a new deal began in the middle of 2006, with ownership of the company a major sticking point. Asked if stepmother Teresa Earnhardt, who inherited sole ownership of the company when Dale Earnhardt was killed on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, was willing to budge, Earnhardt Jr. said, "We'll see." Earnhardt Jr. and his sister, Kelley, met with Max Siegel, DEI's new president of Global Operations, on Wednesday along with director of motorsports Richie Gilmore. Earnhardt Jr. said it was more of a get-to-know-you meeting with Siegel than a contract negotiation, but added Siegel could expedite the process he initially hoped would be concluded by April or May. "He's a great guy to talk to and a great guy to work with," Earnhardt Jr. said of Siegel. "He's going to speed things up. He's going to improve negotiations and help those things make it a little bit easier." Not in the meeting was Teresa, who has been asked to step aside in negotiations because of her somewhat tumultuous relationship with Earnhardt Jr. (ESPN.com)

My Take: Turn up the heat on this story…Dale Earnhardt Jr knows he has the clout and his sister has shown she is a great representative to look out for his interests! While I think this will still get resolved with Junior staying at DEI, I always take a contrarian opinion on Earnhardt issues, this news really turns up the heat in negotiations. DEI could get hurt big time from the fallout of not getting this deal done. Even though right now everything looks so complicated, look for a deal to get done before the Daytona 500!

Kyle Talking and Driving
Turner Network Television (TNT) announced today a multi-year contract agreement with Nextel Cup Series driver Kyle Petty to serve as an analyst for the network's Nextel Cup Series race coverage. Petty will take a five-week hiatus as driver of the No. 45 Wells Fargo/Marathon/Tire Kingdom Dodge car for Petty Enterprises, marking the first time a Petty will not be behind the wheel in the Nextel Cup Series for an extended period of time since his grandfather, Lee Petty, raced in NASCAR's Elite Series in 1949. Kyle Petty will join announcers Bill Weber (play-by-play) and Wally Dallenbach (analyst) for TNT's six consecutive Nextel Cup Series races in 2007, beginning on Sunday, June 10 from Pocono Raceway and concluding on July 15 from the Chicagoland Speedway. On Sunday, June 24, Petty will provide analysis from behind the wheel of his No. 45 Dodge throughout TNT's coverage of the Nextel Cup Series race live from Infineon Speedway in Sonoma, CA. Petty previously served as an analyst alongside Weber and Dallenbach in 2006 for five Busch Series races on TNT. (TNT PR)

My Take: I won't be one of those people to say that Kyle Petty should retire from racing. This man has done such a great service to the world using his NASCAR fame and fortune to touch so many lives. I remember the Mello Yellow days when Kyle was a threat to win every week and I still think he could get wins in better equipment. Kyle Petty will be great at anything he chooses to do in life…period! TNT could not have chosen a more intelligent and eloquent person to replace our buddy Benny Parsons. It will be crazy to hear Kyle describe a race at Infineon from behind the wheel too!