Southern National hosts Cup driver
Nextel Cup driver Denny Hamlin, the 2003 Southern National Raceway Park champion, will be at the track near Kenly on Sunday, signing autographs from 11 a.m. to noon and then racing in the Thanksgiving Classic.
The feature race was rained out this past Sunday and was rescheduled for this Sunday.
Heat races to round out the field will begin at 12:30 p.m., followed by driver introductions and then the 300-lap Kinston Automotive Late Model main event.
Denny Hamlin will start eighth in the race. Stephen Berry of Huddleston, Va., won the pole last Saturday by two-tenths over 2007 track champion Drew Herring of Benson for the top spot. SNRP regulars Jamey Caudill and Corey Strickland will start in row two. 2006 track champion Deac McCaskill will start sixth.
Tickets cost $20 at the gate, and all tickets and arm bands valid for Day 3 Thanksgiving weekend also being honored. For information, call (919) 284-1114 or visit www.southernnational.net.
JOHNSON WILL TEST ENDURANCE: Two-time Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will be among the drivers in the 46th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 26-27.
Johnson will co-drive with defending Daytona Prototype champions Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty, plus 1996 Champ Car champion Jimmy Vasser, in the No. 99 Lowe's/GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac-Riley in the iconic sports car race.
YATES AND MILLER HONORED: Robert Yates and Don Miller, two men whose faces have been around NASCAR garages for a lot of years, have announced their retirements. Both also were honored on Thursday.
Yates, who is selling Robert Yates Racing to his son, Doug, was recipient of the 2007 Buddy Shuman Memorial Award for his contributions to NASCAR.
Miller, who was president of Penske Racing South, won the inaugural Home Depot Humanitarian Award for his efforts in organizing Stocks for Tots. That event, held each December in Mooresville, raises money for the Stop Child Abuse Now network.
The Home Depot will donate $100,000 to SCAN and build a playground in the city of his choice by volunteers from NASCAR, The Home Depot and KaBOOM!
Also Thursday, the Rookie of the Year trophy and $50,000 were awarded to Juan Pablo Montoya, and the Manufacturers Championship Award went to Chevrolet, which won 26 of 36 races in 2007 on the way to its 31st Cup championship.
