CUP: 2013 NASCAR Media Tour Blog

CUP: 2013 NASCAR Media Tour Blog - Thursday

The Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Media Tour is in its fourth and final day...

Mike Hembree | Posted January 24, 2013 Concord, NC

Joe Gibbs, team owner of JGR, speaks to the media during the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour on January 24, 2013 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo: Getty Images)

Editor’s note: Each day, we will bring you the latest reports from the Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Media Tour. Check back for frequent updates.

[Wednesday 3:40 pm ET]

WHEELS ON BUSES STOP – The annual Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Media Tour is at an end, the three tour buses having traveled their final mile. Joe Gibbs Racing was the final stop. As best as can be determined, there were no casualties, and the word used most often during the four days was “excited”.

[Wednesday 2:30 pm ET]

START YOUR ENGINES – As part of his agreement to drive Nationwide cars for Joe Gibbs, Kyle Busch will be running Gibbs engines in his Kyle Busch Motorsports racers, a major improvement. Parker Kligerman will run full Nationwide season in KBM cars.

[Wednesday 2:00 pm ET]

OTHER OFFERS – Team owner Joe Gibbs confirmed Thursday earlier reports that Kyle Busch has signed a multi-year contract extension with the team. Busch said he had had at least two offers to drive elsewhere but decided to stay with a proven situation at JGR.

[Wednesday 1:30 pm ET]

A NEW HAMLIN – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin reports that his newborn daughter, Taylor James Hamlin, is “perfectly healthy” and that he hasn’t had a lot of sleep lately.

[Wednesday 11:40 am ET]

GOTTA LOVE A PARADE – Ford drivers – in their race cars – left the NASCAR Hall of Fame a few minutes ago to make a parade run through downtown Charlotte. Might be a little surprising – and loud – for the early-lunch crowd.

[Wednesday 10:45 am ET]

JIMMY ON THE SPOT – If Carl Edwards makes a turnaround from what was a very mediocre 2012 season, new crew chief Jimmy Fennig probably will be a major reason. “If you look at the way Matt (Matt Kenseth) ran with Jimmy last year, it was head-and-shoulders better than we ran in the 99,” Edwards said.

[Wednesday 9:55 am ET]

BRIGHTER BLUE OVAL? – Ford Racing director Jamie Allison says the addition of Penske Racing to the Blue Oval stable should give Ford a leg up on its quest to win a first Sprint Cup championship since 2004.

[Wednesday 9:25 am ET]

MEDIA TOUR PHOTOS - Check out the latest from the Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Media Tour in this updated Photo Gallery

[Wednesday 8:35 am ET]

CHECKERED FLAG – The Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Media Tour roars into its final day today with Ford and Toyota teams front and center. Roush Fenway Racing principals will meet with the media at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and Ford drivers later will participate in a downtown Charlotte parade. Joe Gibbs Racing also is on today’s schedule.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 31 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Hembree

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