08/19/2008 - Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR released Tuesday the 2009 schedules for all three of its national touring divisions, featuring several realignment dates for the Sprint Cup Series and the addition of the Iowa Speedway on the Nationwide Series schedule.
Atlanta Motor Speedway's second race in 2009 will be held September 6th, replacing the Labor Day weekend slot now held by Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway). Auto Club Speedway's second race next year will be October 11th and will become the fourth event in the 10-race "Chase for the Sprint Cup." Talladega Superspeedway currently hosts the fourth event in the "Chase," but next season, Talladega will move to November 1st, making it the seventh "Chase" event.
Sprint Cup teams will have an additional off-week in 2009, prior to the Labor Day weekend event at Atlanta. Teams will take their fourth and final break before 12 consecutive weekends of racing to end the season.
"We feel these moves benefit all the industry, including the tracks and the teams and most importantly our fans," NASCAR President Mike Helton said.
Atlanta's second Cup date next year will run at night for the first time.
"Fans have been clamoring for a Sprint Cup Series race under the lights at Atlanta Motor Speedway," track president and general manager Ed Clark said. "It's thrilling to bring Labor Day racing back to the south. This will be a great opportunity for Atlanta Motor Speedway to celebrate our 50th year of racing."
Iowa Speedway will host a Nationwide Series event for the first time next year, replacing Mexico City. The Series will run at the 7/8-mile oval, designed by Rusty Wallace, on August 1st.
"NASCAR's selection of Iowa Speedway as a site for a Nationwide race next year, in only our third full year of competitive racing, is an honor and a privilege," Wallace said.
Other changes to next year's Nationwide schedule include switching Atlanta's date from March to September and moving the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve event in Montreal to Sunday August 30th.
The Craftsman Truck Series will run at the Chicagoland Speedway for the first time next season on August 28th. Chicagoland will replace the late-season Truck race at Atlanta.
"We're very excited about the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series coming to Chicagoland Speedway," track president Matt Alexander said. "It's a great, strong addition to our schedule that already includes Sprint Cup, Nationwide and the IRL."
The 2009 season begins with a triple header weekend at Daytona International Speedway, capped by the 51st running of the Daytona 500 on February 15th.
2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule
Date Site Feb. 7 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, Daytona International Speedway* Feb. 15 Daytona International Speedway Feb. 22 Auto Club Speedway March 1 Las Vegas Motor Speedway March 8 Atlanta Motor Speedway March 22 Bristol Motor Speedway March 29 Martinsville Speedway April 5 Texas Motor Speedway April 18 Phoenix International Raceway April 26 Talladega Superspeedway May 2 Richmond International Raceway May 9 Darlington Raceway May 16 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Lowes Motor Speedway* May 24 Lowes Motor Speedway May 31 Dover International Speedway June 7 Pocono Raceway June 14 Michigan International Speedway June 21 Infineon Raceway June 28 New Hampshire Motor Speedway July 4 Daytona International Speedway July 11 Chicagoland Speedway July 26 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Aug. 2 Pocono Raceway Aug. 9 Watkins Glen International Aug. 16 Michigan International Speedway Aug. 22 Bristol Motor Speedway Sept. 6 Atlanta Motor Speedway Sept. 12 Richmond International Raceway Sept. 20 New Hampshire Motor Speedway Sept. 27 Dover International Speedway Oct. 4 Kansas Speedway Oct. 11 Auto Club Speedway Oct. 17 Lowes Motor Speedway Oct. 25 Martinsville Speedway Nov. 1 Talladega Superspeedway Nov. 8 Texas Motor Speedway Nov. 15 Phoenix International Raceway Nov. 22 Homestead-Miami Speedway * Denotes non-points event.
2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule
Date Site Feb. 14 Daytona International Speedway Feb. 21 Auto Club Speedway Feb. 28 Las Vegas Motor Speedway March 21 Bristol Motor Speedway April 4 Texas Motor Speedway April 11 Nashville Superspeedway April 17 Phoenix International Raceway April 25 Talladega Superspeedway May 1 Richmond International Raceway May 8 Darlington Raceway May 23 Lowes Motor Speedway May 30 Dover International Speedway June 6 Nashville Superspeedway June 13 Kentucky Speedway June 20 Milwaukee Mile June 27 New Hampshire Motor Speedway July 3 Daytona International Speedway July 10 Chicagoland Speedway July 18 Gateway International Raceway July 25 OReilly Raceway Park Aug. 1 Iowa Speedway Aug. 8 Watkins Glen International Aug. 15 Michigan International Speedway Aug. 21 Bristol Motor Speedway Aug. 30 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Sept. 5 Atlanta Motor Speedway Sept. 11 Richmond International Raceway Sept. 26 Dover International Speedway Oct. 3 Kansas Speedway Oct. 10 Auto Club Speedway Oct. 16 Lowes Motor Speedway Oct. 24 Memphis Motorsports Park Nov. 7 Texas Motor Speedway Nov. 14 Phoenix International Raceway Nov. 21 Homestead-Miami Speedway
2009 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule
Date Site Feb. 13 Daytona International Speedway Feb. 21 Auto Club Speedway March 7 Atlanta Motor Speedway March 28 Martinsville Speedway April 25 Kansas Speedway May 15 Lowes Motor Speedway May 23 Mansfield Motorsports Park May 29 Dover International Speedway June 5 Texas Motor Speedway June 13 Michigan International Speedway June 19 Milwaukee Mile June 27 Memphis Motorsports Park July 18 Kentucky Speedway July 24 OReilly Raceway Park Aug. 1 Nashville Superspeedway Aug. 19 Bristol Motor Speedway Aug. 28 Chicagoland Speedway Sept. 12 Gateway International Raceway Sept. 19 New Hampshire Motor Speedway Sept. 26 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Oct. 24 Martinsville Speedway Oct. 31 Talladega Superspeedway Nov. 6 Texas Motor Speedway Nov. 13 Phoenix International Raceway Nov. 20 Homestead-Miami Speedway
Starting times and television information will be announced at a later date.
<< Red Sox great Yastrzemski hospitalized
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston Red Sox great Carl Yastrzemski was
hospitalized Tuesday morning after experiencing discomfort and chest pains.
The Red Sox said the Hall of Famer is undergoing evaluation and testing at
Massach
<< Crean officially signs 10-year deal with Indiana
Bloomington, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Indiana University made it official with
new men's basketball coach Tom Crean on Tuesday, signing the former Marquette
mentor to a 10-year contract.
Crean left Marquette in April to join Indiana, and
<< Arsenal's Rosicky sets record straight
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky has
attempted to nip a potential dispute with teammates in the bud by clarifying
comments he made to the media in his native Czech Republic.
Rosicky, who is cur
<< Fiorentina's Mutu dislocates elbow
Florence, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu has suffered
a fresh blow after dislocating his elbow while preparing for international
action with Romania.
The 29-year-old discovered last week that he has been order
Can struggling Federer defend his honor in NYC? >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The fourth and final tennis major of 2008
will get underway next week, as reigning four-time champion Roger Federer will
be on hand to defend his title at the U.S. Open. For the women, on the other
hand, ther
Braves bring up Reyes; place Gotay on DL >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Braves recalled pitcher Jo-Jo
Reyes from Triple-A Richmond on Tuesday and he will be on the mound as the
team is set to open a three-game set against the New York Mets.
The team optioned R
Eskimos bring back Clinton Wayne >>
Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Edmonton Eskimos signed defensive
tackle Clinton Wayne on Tuesday.
The eight-year veteran was released by the Tiger-Cats earlier this year. In
2007, Wayne made 13 starts for Hamilton, making
Maddux re-joins Dodgers for stretch run >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired future
Hall-of-Fame pitcher Greg Maddux on Tuesday from the San Diego Padres.
The Dodgers, who entered the day's action in a first-place tie with Arizona in
the Nationa
Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.
Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.
NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.
"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.
The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.
But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.
The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.
Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.
The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.
The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.
The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.
Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.
Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."
Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.
"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."
Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.
It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.
"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."
Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.
"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."
At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.
According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.
Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.
Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.
He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.
Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.
Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.
Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.
While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.
"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.
Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.
Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your VISA Sportsbook needs.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting