Kim Kardashian's NASCAR ties; Danica & Daytona and more (UPDATED) ...

UPDATE ON CAR OWNER POINTS AT THE BOTTOM OF BLOG

You know it's the start of the season when the unique paint schemes begin to be displayed.

In the "Just when you thought you had seen it all'' category, Reality TV star Kim Kardashian announced on her Twitter account that she'll be appearing on Mike Bliss' Sprint Cup car at Las Vegas next month. Here's what the car will look like and more details.

OK, so who should be the next Reality TV star you would like to see on a car (or not like to see?)

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Danica Patrick was in New York on Wednesday to promote a campaign raising awareness about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Patrick makes her stock-car debut in Satudray's ARCA race at Datyona (4:30 p.m. EASTERN on Speed Channel). Patrick has not said if she'll compete in the Nationwide race at Daytona. If she does, that would be her series debut. If not, Kelly Bires would drive the car and Patrick will make her series debut at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., later this month.

Wednesday, Patrick was asked about her Daytona Nationwide plans. She said even if she won the ARCA race, she might not do the Nationwide race. This what she told The Associated Press: "(A win) doesn't mean that I'm ready for that race. Maybe I didn't get put in very many tough situations. I'll have to feel comfortable in all situations.''

For more on what Patrick said, go here.

Ironicially, the group promoting awareness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is sponsoring the Nationwide race at Daytona next week. It will be known as the DRIVE4COPD 300. Hmmm, and Danica thinks she might not compete? Makes you wonder.

And ... Patrick was with a group of celebs promoting awaresness of COPD in New York on Wednesday. Among the celebs? Bruce Jenner. Yes, he's the stepfather of Kim Kardashian. See, she's slowly beginning her domination of NASCAR.

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If you look at the downsizing going on at Cup tracks this season, the equivalent of a Richmond race has disappeared in terms of seats.

Tracks are downsizing by either eliminating some seats for fan zones of widening seats. The result is a decrease of 115,599 seats, based on changes in seating capacity this year to last year as noted in the NASCAR Sprint Cup media guide. Richmond held 112,029 seats before making changes. Now, the track's seating capacity is listed in the media guide as 97,912.

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International Speedway Corp., which is run by the France family and owns such tracks as Martinsville Speedway, Richmond International Raceway and Daytona International Speedway, reported in a recent conference call with investor analysts that:

# It hopes to complete the sale of its Staten Island property (where it had hoped to build a track) by Feb. 25

# Average ticket sales were about 24-27 percent off from last year in terms of units and revenue.

# More than 500,000 tickets have had prices lowered.

# For Cup races last year, capacity was at an average of just below 80 percent of capacity. Not including Watkins Glen (does not list its seating capacity since on a road course they can add as much as they need). 80 percent of the seating capacity for the other ISC-owned tracks would have given ISC an average of 82,793 for all its other tracks last year.

# ISC reported that TV ratings for Cup declined 7 percent last year and 11 percent for Nationwide races.

# Four Cup races at ISC tracks have yet to sell title sponsorship at this point -- two at Phoenix, one at Darlington and one at Richmond.

# Ticket buying volume for the Daytona 500 in recent weeks has exceeded the volume at the same time last year.

# Revenue from television ancillary media rights for NASCAR's top three series, will increase about 2.5 percent this year to between $268 and $270 million for ISC.

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Other notes:

# Bill Elliott will NOT drive the 6 car for Roush Fenway Racing in Saturday night's Budwesier Shootout (8 p.m. Eastern on Fox). Roush's other three drivers -- Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards -- will be in the Shootout. 

# While some drivers go with new cars for Saturday's Budweiser Shootout, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will not. He'll drive the same chassis he raced in last year's Budweiser Shootout. Now, for the Daytona 500, Dale Jr.  will have a new chassis.

# Ford teams for Roush (Biffle, Kenseth, Edwards and Ragan), Wood Brothers (Elliott) will run the new FR 9 engine in the Budweiser Shootout, qualifying and the duels. The Roush teams will switch to the older Ford engine for the Daytona 500.The 21 team of the Wood Brothers will run the new Ford engine in the Daytona 500. The Wood Brothers will run the new Ford engine in all races they compete. ... Front Row Motorsports and the team with Boris Said will run the old Ford engines.

That should do for now.

Daytona media day is Thursday. Follow me on twitter at twitter.com/dustinlong for updates throughout the day and check back here.

Who knows, maybe Kim Kardashian will have more NASCAR news Thursday.

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UPDATE

Been getting a lot of questions about who's in and who's out in regard to the top 35 in car owner points with all the switching going on.

Here's the deal folks:

# Last year's points for the 07 (not running this year) transfer to Furniture Row Racing's No. 78, meaning Regan Smith will be guaranteed a starting spot for the Daytona 500 and the first five races. Points transfer with alliance between two.

# Last year's points for the 26 at Roush Fenway Racing trasnfer to Latitude 43 team, which will run Car No. 26 with Boris Said. No ownership merger or alliance or anything. NASCAR allowed an exception since it was a NASCAR rule that forced Roush to cut back from five to four cars.

# Last year's points for the 96 (Hall of Fame Racing, which has ceased) goes to Front Row Motorsports and car No. 38. This is part of the deal between Doug Yates and Front Row Motorsports.  Understand that there was NO MERGER between Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing. Instead, based on what NASCAR told me, Richard Petty Motorsports bought equipment, chassis, cars, Paul Menard's driver contract, sponsor contracts and such from Yates but NOT the points earned by Yates with the 98 and 96 last year. Thus, when Yates entered into deal with Front Row Motorsports and became part owner, those points trasnferred to the two cars.

# Last year's points for the 98 (Yates Racing) goes to Front Row Motorsports and car No. 37. (see above) This deal ensures the 38 and 37 car for Front Row Motorsports are guaranteed starting spots in the first five races, including the Daytona 500.

# Last year's points for the 44 (Richard Petty Motorsports) goes to the 98 (now Richard Petty Motorsports) since there is no 44. This ensures Paul Menard will be guaranteed a starting spot in each of the first five races.

# So, who is on the outside looking in?

Well, the 82 of Scott Speed finished 36 in car owner points. So he's on the outside as along as the 35 in front of him all show up at the race track. (remember, the top 35 rule is for the top 35 in car owner points at the track, NASCAR has stressed).

Also, TRG Motorsport's No. 71 was 37th in points last year. It's on the outside. However, it has the champion's provisional with Bobby Labonte in the car. So even if Labonte failed to qualify based on speed or his qualifying race, he would get in via the champion's provisional since he's the most recent champion who could use that.

The rest of the top 35 is the same. And if someone wasn't in the top 35 in car owner points at the end of last year and didn't get points in the offseason, they also will have to qualify for the race (i.e. Tommy  Baldwin Racing, PRISM Motorsports, Phoenix Racing, NEMCO Motorsports, Germain Racing, Wood Brothers,  and so on.

Hope that helps.

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