Sprint Cup - Chase Media Week Features First-Ever National Blitz

DAYTONA BEACH, Sept. 14, 2011: NASCAR kicked off its 12-driver, 10-market Chase Media Week with the first-ever, nationally-scaled media availability to open the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

During Chase Media Week, each of the 10 Chase tracks will welcome one of the 12 drivers who will compete for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

Officially beginning last week with a bowling event featuring Kyle Busch to promote Dover International Speedway’s Chase event, the Chase Media Week intensity was ramped up starting Monday in Miami. Highlights from Monday and Tuesday of Chase Media Week follow, along with a few other notes of interest as the Chase-opening GEICO 400 at Chicagoland Speedway approaches.

Stewart Warms Up For Chase With Go-Kart Win: Competition was fun, if not fierce. Tony Stewart opened Chase Media Week on Monday with a host of media hits and fan-friendly activities, including consecutive go-kart victories against NASCAR fans at K1 Speed in Hollywood, Fla. In the second race, Stewart won from the back of the pack – a departure from his first Homestead-Miami Speedway victory in 1999, when he started seventh. “We haven’t had the year that we wanted, but to have a bad year and still make the Chase, it shows that we’ve persevered at this point. We’re kind of looked at as the underdogs right now, so there’s nowhere to go but up.”

Kurt Busch, Chicago’s Adopted Son, Visits Children’s Hospital: A huge Cubs fan, Kurt Busch was the perfect fit for Chicagoland Speedway’s portion of Chase Media Week. Busch visited Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, coloring books, signing t-shirts and, for one young girl, signing a cast. Busch also went through his own media run, with hits on Showtime’s Inside NASCAR, ESPN’s NASCAR Now and a Dodge teleconference with print outlets. He will continue his media tour tomorrow with appearances on local affiliates WGN, WLS and a hit on ESPN Radio. During Tuesday’s interviews, Busch focused his attention on the Chase, and not the ongoing feud with Jimmie Johnson that sparked up again at Richmond. Said Busch: "We are on offense moving forward. We are not on defense. I am not worried about what happened at Richmond, because we have 10 weeks ahead of us to put ourselves in position for this championship."

Tech Watch: Harvick Joins Hokies On Campus: Kevin Harvick, an owner-driver with an intimate knowledge of the racing business, enjoyed a behind-the-scenes lesson on the making of a winning college football program – that of the Virginia Tech Hokies. Said Harvick, “I’ve seen today there are a lot of similarities to making a race team go around and a football team go around. It takes good people. It takes dedication and takes determination to do what you have to do.” As part of the visit, Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell presented Head Football Coach Frank Beamer with a pair of framed, lifetime suite passes to Martinsville. Harvick gave Beamer an autographed Budweiser racing helmet. In return, Beamer presented Harvick with a Virginia Tech football jersey with his name and number (29) on it. Harvick called the upcoming Chase one of the more unpredictable in its short history. “As crazy as things have been this year, with as many winners as there have been this year it just seems like the year has been strange, very competitive,” Harvick said. “There’s no telling where [the wild card race] is going to be… any week could be the wild card week.”

Busy Wednesday On Deck: Chase Media Week continues Wednesday, with more media events, involving more drivers in more cities. Jeff Gordon will be in New York City, site of past Chase Media Weeks, for a number of interviews. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will head to Bristol, Conn. for a day-long schedule of interviews with a number of ESPN outlets. On the track-specific tour, Ryan Newman visits Kansas Speedway; Carl Edwards joins New Hampshire Motor Speedway media; Brad Keselowski and Phoenix International Raceway pair up; Matt Kenseth promotes Talladega Superspeedway’s Chase race; and Jimmie Johnson joins Texas Motor Speedway. Additionally, Denny Hamlin will play in the Gardner Heidrick Pro-AM at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont, Ill.