Busch Wins NASCAR Race In Hampton

NASCAR racing was in gear Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton. The win went to Kurt Busch. Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards ran 2nd and 3rd respectively.

For Georgia drivers in the race--Unadilla’s David Ragan finished 19th. Reed Sorenson from Peachtree City ran 33rd. Dawsonville’s Bill Elliot was knocked out by accident.

Georgia sports for Tuesday, August 19th

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves wrapped their series against the San Francisco Giants Monday afternoon with a 5-0 loss. It concluded a dismal homestand in which the Braves scored only 1 victory in 7 games--that coming against the Giants in the 4-game series. The Braves now hit the road to open a series in New York tonight against the NL-East division leading Mets.

Veteran pitcher Tom Glavine will know more about his baseball future after tomorrow’s visit to a specialist in Birmingham. Glavine returned to the mound last week after two months on the disabled list nursing a bad left elbow—he landed back on the DL following the game against the Chicago Cubs. Should an MRI reveal he needs surgery to repair the flexor tendon in the elbow, Glavine says he’ll have the surgery and leave the door open to playing again in 2009. If ligament replacement surgery is required, he says he will retire.

NASCAR/Atlanta Motor Speedway--

Officials with NASCAR and the Atlanta Motor Speedway are expected to announce later today the introduction of a night race at Hampton for 2009. A source says the race under-the-lights would be scheduled for Labor Day weekend.

Georgia sports for Monday, February 18th

From men's college basketball Sunday, it was another tough loss for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets fell on their home floor in Atlanta to Miami, 64-63. Tech's record fell to 11-13 overall, and 3-5 in the ACC.

Women's college action Sunday included victory for Georgia--the Bulldogs beat Mississippi State, 60-56.

NASCAR opened its 2008-season yesterday with the running of the Daytona 500. It was a solid showing for Peachtree City's Reed Sorenson, who finished 5th.

Coke in, Pepsi out at NASCAR

Atlanta-based Coca Cola Company has inked a ten year deal that gives the company, near exclusive distribution and marketing rights to what some describe as the nation's fastest growing spectator sports ... NASCAR. The agreement with International Speedway Corp. ("ISC"), adds an additional ten races to Coke's roster. That brings to 17 the number of tracks where Coke will have exclusive marketing and distribution rights beginning in 2008. The deal nearly drives Coke's chief rival, Pepsi, out of the lucrative NASCAR market. Included in the deal, the Daytona 500, which Pepsi has sponsored for nearly all of its 49 year history. Susan Stribling is with Coca Cola and says the company is revving up for 2008, when Coke debuts at the Daytona 500. "We’ve had almost a 40 year relationship with NASCAR in some form, with cars that we’ve sponsored, tracks and that sort of thing, but to see it expand even further, just makes everybody down here really excited." Although International Speedway Corp. won't confirm exact numbers, in 2004 the company estimates its mostly male fan base at around 75 million. Stock in Pepsi Corporation was slightly down Monday on trading volume of nearly 3-million shares.

Coca Cola expands NASCAR sponsorship

A NASCAR sponsorship deal is set to be announced that gives Coca-Cola exclusive pouring and marketing rights at Daytona International Speedway and nine other tracks nationwide. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says that deal will be announced later today.

Pepsi currently serves the 10 tracks in this deal, and has been at Daytona’s track for 49 years. The event just this Saturday night, the ‘Pepsi 400’, will be renamed with a Coke brand for 2008. By the year 2011, Atlanta-based Coke is expected to have rights at all but five tracks on the current NASCAR top racing circuit.

NASCAR fires back at AT and T

First, AT and T sued NASCAR for the rights to advertise on a race car. Now, the racing organization has fired back with a counter claim seeking $100 million. The legal battle ultimately could clarify who determines which ads are painted on racing cars: the drivers or NASCAR.

Champion driver Jeff Burton had been racing under the logo of Cingular until AT and T took over the wireless provider. AT and T has sued NASCAR to put its logo on Burton’s car.

Now, NASCAR has filed a counter suit in U.S. District Court in Atlanta. The association accuses AT and T of interfering in its exclusive sponsorship deal with rival telecom Nextel. NASCAR wants to kick AT and T and all other telecommunication companies, except for Nextel, out of its top series in 2008.

A federal judge in Atlanta is permitting AT and T temporarily to advertise on Burton’s race car until the issue is resolved.