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Team Decal Pays Newman Respect

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 24, 2008

SURFERS PARADISE, Australia - One of the most successful teams in auto racing is back in the pits this week for its first race since team founder and actor Paul Newman died last month.

During Friday's practice session, the Newman/Haas/Lanigan cars of Justin Wilson and Graham Rahal will feature small decals honoring Newman's life. They include a logo with "PL," a nickname by which most of his racing friends knew him, and a reference to him being a "true friend" of racing.

"We have just a few little things on the cars," general manager Brian Lisles told The Associated Press in an interview in the team compound at the Indy Racing League's Indy 300 on Thursday. "Paul was a very low-key person. We've paid our respects in our own private way, and that's the way we wanted to do it."

And the Newman/Haas/Lanigan team, which has won 107 races, 107 pole positions and eight driver titles, will continue for 2009 and beyond - without a name change.

"Purely on the business side, arrangements were made beforehand, that the team name would continue," Lisles said. "That was talked about by all the partners in the event of any of them no longer being part of the team. Of course, none of us would have it any other way."

Going Camping
Camping World will replace Craftsman as the title sponsor for NASCAR's truck series in 2009. The multiyear deal, thought to be worth between $5 million and $7 million a year, was announced Thursday by NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France and Camping World chairman and CEO Marcus Lemonis.
Camping World has been very active in NASCAR for several years. In its first year as the title sponsor for NASCAR's developmental East and West series, it also has been the title sponsor for several Sprint Cup races. It also has sponsorship deals with Kevin Harvick Inc., in trucks and NASCAR's Nationwide Series.

Tribune wires

Petty Stabilizing

When Robbie Loomis took over as the executive vice president of racing operations at Petty Enterprises two years ago, the former crew chief had to do something he never allowed himself during his days atop the pit box: stay patient.

Loomis had a plan for one of NASCAR's most iconic teams, one that would require years - not weeks - of planning, hard work and a little luck.

On the track, Petty Enterprises has seemed to steady itself after years of decline. Bobby Labonte, driver of the No. 43 car, is 20th in the Sprint Cup standings and picked up his second top-10 of the season with a sixth-place finish at Talladega earlier this month.

But for all their success with the 43, the car still lacks a sponsor for next year. Same goes for the 45 and whatever car McCumbee ends up driving in the future. Rumors of a merger continue to swirl. Loomis admitted "everybody is talking to everyone about our merger," but wouldn't get specific about future plans, saying only that Petty Enterprises remains "very committed" to Dodge.

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