NASCAR engineeer Peterson dies: Other notes

Steve Peterson, one of NASCAR's key officials, a veteran engineer whose work in safety areas the past 10 years have made stock-car racing safer than it's ever been, died unexpectedly Tuesday at his Concord, N.C., home, at 58, apparently of natural causes.

Peterson, who first came to prominence in the sport as Mark Martin's crew chief on the Cup tour in 1982, was one of the sport's first top race-team engineers. He was a graduate of Western Michigan.

Peterson joined NASCAR in 1995 and was key in the development of safer stock cars and in the development of the soft walls that have made such a difference in the sport.

NASCAR CEO Brian France: "Steve's accomplishments to increase driver safety will continue to be a benefit to every NASCAR driver that gets behind the wheel for generations to come. He will certainly be missed throughout the NASCAR community."

Mike Helton, the NASCAR president, called Peterson "a tireless worker and passionate about all aspects of safety, the car, the track and the driver.

"Steve was our 'R&D effort' long before there was a formal one. His accomplishments were recognized in motorsports worldwide."

Peterson was honored in 2006 with the Society of Automotive Engineers' (SAE) Motorsports Achievement Award, for his contribution to motorsports.

-- FILL UP?: With gas prices apparently having an increasing impact on NASCAR crowds, Watkins Glen and NASCAR sponsor Sunoco will give fans $20 gas cards for next month's Sprint Cup tour race.

-- TAKE A RIDE: If it's Wednesday, then Kyle Petty and the ride must be on the back roads between Lexington, Kentucky, and White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

It's the 14th annual summer charity motorcycle ride for Petty and a couple hundred of his close biker buddies, who will cruise through the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman on Thursday, during the stock-car tour's last off week of the season.

-- DAUGHERTY STEPS UP: Brad Daugherty, a racing commentator and former NBA star, has become a partner in the JTG Racing team, and will field a Sprint Cup car in the 2009 season.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reported yesterday that Daugherty, 42, who played college basketball at North Carolina, is hoping to announce his plans soon for a 2009 Nationwide Tour team, which would join the two others already in the JTG stable.

Daugherty, a Black Mountain native, has been involved in NASCAR for almost 20 years, including as an owner of teams in the Busch and Craftsman Truck Series. He and NASCAR chief executive Brian France co-founded NASCAR's Diversity Council several years ago.

Daugherty was chosen first overall by Cleveland in the 1986 NBA Draft. A back injury forced his retirement in 1994.

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)