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All I read is, “just glad Kyle didn’t win” - gee, does everyone really feel that way? I thought it was just me - lol

We knew that 2009 would be a busy season for Tony Stewart as he saddles up for his first season as both team-owner with Stewart-Haas Racing and as driver for the #14 Old Spice car. But it seems as if Tony is working double-overtime with a few announcements this week regarding new sponsorships, which include deals for his Eldora Speedway in Western Ohio, and even a seat in the Nationwide Series at Daytona:

Burger King Signs on for Two Races
Stewart-Haas Racing announced this morning that Burger King has signed a multiyear sponsorship agreement with the organization. Burger King will appear as the primary sponsor on Tony Stewart’s #14 Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway on July 4 and at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 27.

“I am extremely happy to welcome Burger King Corp. to the team and really proud to be associated with such a great brand,” Stewart said. “This demonstrates another important step in getting Stewart-Haas Racing ready for the season.” Additionally, Burger King will become the exclusive quick-service restaurant sponsor of Eldora Speedway, the Indiana dirt track Stewart owns.

and…

Tony Stewart to race at Daytona for Hendrick Motorsports

Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will attempt to qualify a No. 80 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet prepared by Hendrick Motorsports for the Feb. 14 Nationwide Series race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

Stewart, the defending winner of the Camping World 300, has won the season-opening event three times — twice with owner Kevin Harvick (2005 and 2006) and once with Joe Gibbs (2008). Should he qualify, the race will mark Stewart’s first-ever start for car owner Rick Hendrick. The effort will be led by 2003 Nationwide Series champion crew chief Lance McGrew.

Patrick Sheltra set the pace Saturday afternoon in day two of ARCA RE/MAX Series open testing at Daytona Int’l Speedway during which series officials allowed teams to draft for the first time.

Sheltra, in the #60 Sheltra Motorsports Dodge, topped the speed charts early on the afternoon drafting session with a blistering speed of 183.846 mph.

The ARCA Daytona Test will conclude with two final sessions scheduled for Sunday - single car runs in the morning, and a final drafting session in the afternoon.

ARCA RE/MAX Series Open Testing
Daytona Int’l Speedway, Daytona Beach FL
2nd Session, Saturday, December 20
Drafting Speeds

POS NO NAME TIME SPEED MAKE
1 60A Patrick Sheltra 48.954 183.846 Dodge
2 71A JR Fitzpatrick 49.183 182.990 Chev
3 15A Ryan Fischer 49.205 182.908 Chev
4 71B Beau Slocumb 49.229 182.819 Chev
5 29 Mikey Kile 49.391 182.219 Chev Read more…

Geez - looks like everybody, their brother and maybe even their cousin are out at Daytona doing testing for the 2009 ARCA Re/Max Series season. Lots of stuff going on out there - a few unexpected entries - and lots of new scoring/official tech stuff happening so there’s lots to look forward to in 2009. Here’s the full list of entries, car numbers and home towns:

NO DRIVER/HOMETOWN TEAM
0 Butch Jarvis/Blountville TN
1 Tom Hessert III/Cherry Hill NJ Andy Belmont Racing
2 Tim George, Jr./New York NY Eddie Sharp Racing
4 Nur Ali/Fort Worth TX Cunningham Motorsports
5 Bobby Gerhart/Lebanon PA Bobby Gerhart Racing
5a AJ Henriksen/Mooresville NC Bobby Gerhart Racing
5b Jonathon Gomaz Bobby Gerhart Racing
5c Joey Coulter/Miami Springs FL Bobby Gerhart Racing
11 Bryan Silas/Stuart FL Fast Track Racing
11 Rick Clifton Fast Track Racing
12 Mario Gosselin/Lake Wales FL DGM Racing
14 tba Andy Belmont Racing
15 Ryan Fischer/Surrey BC Venturini Motorsports
15b Marc Davis/Charlotte NC Venturini Motorsports
19 Alli Owens/Daytona Beach FL D’Hondt Motorsports
20 Steve Arpin/Fort Frances, Ontario Eddie Sharp Racing
25 Joey Logano/Middletown CT Venturini Motorsports
27 Dicky Williamson/Savannah GA DW Racing
30 Dominick Casola/Holmdel NJ Jones Group
30 Terry Jones/Amherstburg ON Jones Group
32 James Buescher/Plano TX WinTron Racing
32 Matt Merrell/Portland TX WinTron Racing
33 Ricky Carmichael/Tallahassee FL KHR Racing
34 Darrell Basham/Henryville IN Darrell Basham Racing
38 Luke Hall/Fortuna CA Sarff Motorsports
39 Mark Thompson/Cartersville FL Roulo Brothers Racing
40 Troy Wangerin/Jordan MN Wangerin Motorsports
44 Will Kimmel/Sellersburg IN Frank Kimmel Racing
45 Parker Kligerman/Westport CT Mark Gibson Racing
48 Leilani Munter/Rochester MN Hylton Motorsports
51 Eddie Mercer/Pensacola FL Phoenix Racing
55 Jimmy Nowell Nowell Racing
60 Patrick Sheltra/Indiantown FL Sheltra Motorsports
69 Steve Blackburn/Prestonsburg KY Blackburn Motorsports
71 TRG Motorsports
71 Bo Slokum TRG Motorsports
74 JR Heffner/Stephentown NY BCR Racing
75 Benny Chastain/Tallahassee FL Bob Schacht Motorsports
80 Barry Fitzgerald Stan Hover Motorsports
81 Craig Goess/Greenville NC Eddie Sharp Racing
81 Randy Baker/Concord NC Gen 3 Motorsports
81 John Ferrier Gen 3 Motorsports
95 Chase Mattioli/Long Pond PA Sadler-Hamilton Racing
96 Todd Hoddick/Buffalo NY Hoddick Motorsports
99 tba Roush Fenway Racing
00 Mikey Kile Brad Keselowski Racing
00 Ed Kennedy/Coppell TX Ralph Solhem Racing
06 tba Peterson Motorsports
09 John Wes Townley/Watkinsville GA RAB Racing
Jesse Mattox
Travis Gessler
Jennifer Jo Cobb/Kansas City KS
Peyton Sellers/Danville VA Cardinal Motorsports
Roger Carter/Charlotte NC Bell Racing Enterprises

Joey Logano is one of three drivers listed under the Venturini Motorsports banner to participate in the ARCA RE/MAX Series open test this weekend (Dec 19, 20, 21) at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

Logano, who won in his career-first RE/MAX Series start at Rockingham Speedway back in May, is a development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). Logano is slated to run the full NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule in 2009 in the no. 20 JGR Toyota. But first, the Middletown, Connecticut driver will put in a little more seat-time in the ARCA 200 at Daytona in preparation for his ascent to the Cup division. Logano also ran the ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Talladega in October, 2008, finishing second to ARCA champ Justin Allgaier.