Forrest Lucas, 70, is widely known for his sponsorship of the Indianapolis Colts' Lucas Oil Stadium (home of the 2012 Super Bowl). But few fans know of his journey from long-haul trucker to oil-products producer to race team sponsor. In 1989 he launched Lucas Oil Products, which now sells nearly 200 items in 27 countries. Though Lucas won't reveal his private company's sales or profits, revenue is reportedly around $150 million. He recently sat down with Fortune to share his story.
A new point system, fuel-mileage finishes and debates about a former champion mask what this Chase is about: overcoming mistakes.
NASCAR's Chase for the Championship will be determined on the cookie-cutter tracks, beginning with Sunday's race on the 1.5-mile oval at Kansas. Four of the final seven races will be contested on similar shaped ovals and the teams that have the right setup for this type of racecourse will benefit dramatically.
updated: Mon Jul 18 2011 11:14:00
CNN's Elizabeth Cohen looks at a new study that finds that nearly six million American kids suffer from food allergies.
Charlotte Jude Schwartz hates being allergic to peanuts and tree nuts but, thanks to her mother's creativity about food, it's not too hard to stick to her allergy-free regimen.
updated: Mon Jun 13 2011 10:15:00
In 2008, Charlotte's city council passed an ordinance restricting mobile food vendors.
Most of the time, ordering a burrito is just trying to get lunch.
Hours after an IndyCar car with a JR behind the wheel and a National Guard sponsorship on the side lost the Indianapolis 500 with a last-lap crash, a stock car with a Junior behind the wheel and a National Guard sponsorship lost the lead of the Coca-Cola 600 after running out of fuel. A potentially tremendous day for a military sponsor on Memorial Day evaporated into one of consolation. A potentially storybook day for racing in the United States could have collapsed into one of failed promise. But JR Hildebrand displayed poise uncommon for his age, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. a continued encouraged demeanor suggesting he may eventually return to Victory Lane.
There is worth to the Sprint Cup All-Star Race beyond a sizeable purse and a year's worth of bragging rights. Just a week before the Coca-Cola 600 marathon, the All-Star Shootout is a test session in microcosm, according to two-time winner Jimmie Johnson.
It has all the ingredients to be the most compelling of any All-Star event.
Is Kimi Raikkonen serious about pursuing a career in Sprint Cup? It sure sounds like he is, based upon his released statement before testing for Kyle Busch's Camping World Truck team Monday and Tuesday at Gresham Motorsports Park in Georgia. Raikkonen has a multi-race deal with Busch for this year, starting at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 20.
In a city known more for romance than thrift, there are still hotels that combine the best of both. Here are six blessedly under-the-radar options -- spread across some of the city's most charming arrondissements -- all for well under $200 a night.
Three races left for the Sprint Cup title. Three men left in position to grab it. Three very, very different approaches on how to make that happen, all carrying each drivers' personal chance at redemption.
It's rare for a non-Chaser to spoil the party this time of year. Not only have the "postseason" participants won 29 of the last 31 races heading into Sunday, the two exceptions occurred at the equivalent of NASCAR Russian Roulette: Talladega. Put the big guns against the little guys at virtually every track on the circuit during this stretch, and the top-12 men in points prove exactly why they've gotten there over the other 31 filling out the field each week.
Brad Keselowski does a biweekly diary for SI.com. Heading into the race at Charlotte Saturday night -- he qualified 31st -- the driver of the No. 12 Dodge tries to recover from an ugly California day that left his team feeling the heat of a disappointing 26th-place finish. Find out why things went so wrong, his reaction to the sport's five Hall of Fame inductees, and discover a special Dale Earnhardt Jr. basketball league that's sprouting up behind the scenes in the latest edition of Kickin' It With Kes.
You could see it in the way he smiled that the confidence is back. Minutes after Jeff Gordon turned a pole-winning lap at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Thursday -- the 69th pole of his career, which ties him for third most with Cale Yarborough in Cup history -- he flashed that youthful, ear-to-ear grin of his, the same beaming smile that he unleashed after winning each of his four championships. Could this scene be an indication that Gordon is poised on Saturday to end his 59-race winless streak, which is the longest of his 18-year career? I think so.
While the Indy 500 champ depends on raw speed, capturing the Coke 600 comes through survival of the fittest. The longest race on the NASCAR circuit, those extra 100 miles on parts and pieces historically made machine, not man, first priority, in the spirit of the old adage, "To finish first, you must first finish."
updated: Fri May 28 2010 15:53:00
CNN's Octavia Nasr explains why "Sex and the City 2" has been banned in Abu Dhabi.
Bruton Smith has put an actuary to work figuring out the probability that one driver could win the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day in 2011 in order to purchase an insurance policy that would pay a $20 million bonus.
Bruton Smith has put an actuary to work to figure out the probability that one driver could win the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day in 2011 in order to purchase an insurance policy that would pay a $20 million bonus.
Giving you a rundown on the top three games (and a few bonus contests) on tonight's college basketball slate:
Carl Edwards has agreed to do a biweekly diary Q&A with SI.com this season. In the latest edition, he walks us through a disappointing night at Charlotte and discusses how a rough first half of the Chase has the No. 99 team switching up its championship strategy for the final five weeks. Plus, in the wake of some exciting news he tells us all about his wife's pregnancy, what it feels like to be an expectant father for the first time, and more.
Five things we learned on a cold, winter-like Saturday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte in race No. 5 of the 2009 Chase:
In a week where the inaugural class of NASCAR's inaugural Hall of Fame was announced it seems entirely appropriate that the circus swings through Charlotte and the sport's spiritual home base, for race number five of the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup.
The Hangover star loves to cook - and speaks the language of love
Five things we learned after the running of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, won in an upset by David Reutimann after a rain-shortened race ended on Lap 227:
1,100 miles. Just the number seems daunting. Driving it all in one day, over nine hours with speeds upwards of 220-mph makes it nearly an impossible feat.
The practice of destructive misinformation that is so prevalent during the walkup to the draft is absolutely deplorable.
As a walkup to the NFL draft on April 25, SI.com writer Ted Keith has arranged to get diary entries from Aaron Curry, an All-America linebacker at Wake Forest who is projected to go high in the first round. You can read his first entry here and his second entry here.
1. It will be interesting to see if Matt Garza, one of the best pure fastball pitchers in the game, goes away from his strength in Game 3 against the Phillies, a good fastball hitting team. Only two AL pitchers threw a higher percentage of fastballs this year than Garza. He kept to the script in the ALCS, throwing 80 percent fastballs and then 75 percent fastballs in his two starts against Boston. But the Rays have thrown mostly breaking pitches to Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell, holding them to three hits in 24 at-bats. Said assistant pitching coach Brian Anderson of Garza, "He's had a very good breaking ball lately, probably the best it's been all year."
It is a methodical routine: House by house, Mary Boyd walks to the door and carefully affixes an election guide to the doorknob.
Never underestimate a marketing staff's ability to commemorate milestones, even ones that didn't exist before they created them. That explains how four NBA expansion franchises that entered the league in tandems a year apart all could be celebrating big, round anniversaries this season.
For builder Rick Judson, there is no place like a town home. That's because a gamble on multifamily complexes in his hometown of Charlotte is paying off.
When it comes to naming their products, many large U.S. companies have veered dangerously close to international embarrassment.
A federal grand jury indicted 26 reputed members of the international gang, MS-13, accused of running a cross-border drug ring
Wachovia Corp. chief executive Ken Thompson was pushed out Monday as head of the nation's fourth-largest bank, becoming the latest financial services executive to be ousted amid turmoil in the U.S. housing market
Our straight, male reviewer says he's probably unqualified to critique this film, but he gives it his best shot
Wachovia Corp. said Tuesday it is nearly doubling previously reported losses for the first quarter after reviewing its portfolio of bank-owned life insurance
Just as every mother believes her son is a handsome devil, we homeowners tend to see the best in our houses - or at least we become comfortably familiar with the way they look.
Bank of America Corp. said Monday its profit fell 77 percent in the first quarter, hurt by trading losses and a $3.3 billion increase in reserves for problem loans
As a sports nation, we have a distinct problem letting go. Just look at the recent collective mourning over Brett Favre. Retirement never comes easy for sports icons, but the way we desire perfection walking out the door can make the process gut-wrenching. Their exit is hurtful but the pain for all parties can be concealed by the joy of winning one final time: like John Elway winning two straight Super Bowls.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- For my money, the first week is always the best week of the NCAA tournament, not least because there are so many games being played all the time. And while that's not the case in week two (which is why we're giving you some good reading links below to pass the time between games), I'm still psyched to be in Charlotte, the most stacked regional I've covered in years.
Underrated: Butler. The Bulldogs reached the Sweet 16 as a No. 5 seed last year, then went 29-3 this season ... and were rewarded with a No. 7 slot in the same pod as Tennessee.
For all the memorable showdowns Duke and North Carolina have staged over the years, it's tough to remember one recently that combined such high stakes with such genuine curiosity over how the two teams will perform.
Take a handful of screen goddesses and a clutch of matinee idols, put them together and one thing's sure to happen. Nobody does love like they do in the movies: this month on the Screening Room, we've picked our favorite silver-screen romantic moments.
(CHARLOTTE, NC) -- Can't believe it, but it's that time already. The 26th annual NASCAR Sprint media tour starts today (Jan. 21) in Charlotte.
The least-exploited home-court advantage in Division I belongs to a 1,300-student liberal arts school in Clinton, S.C. The tenants of the Ross E. Templeton Physical Education Center, Presbyterian College's Blue Hose, play quite well there: they have a .930 home winning percentage over the past four seasons, and are undefeated at home this season. But they have not been playing there very often of late, turning the Templeton Center into the loneliest good gym in America.
Taking a spin around the league ...
An increasingly trendy theory holds that the ticket to attracting and retaining the educated and upwardly mobile is a big dose of urban cool: Think open-air cafés where well-heeled retired boomers and twentysomething professionals gather after the theater to sip Pinot Grigio while looking out at a skyline defined by the latest creation of a world-renowned starchitect.
Prices of existing U.S. single-family homes dropped in April, extending a string of negative annual returns that started in January, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case Shiller national home price index released Tuesday.
SI.com's experts weigh in with the predictions for Sunday's race in Charlotte.
For good and for bad, NASCAR, in the minds of many, has gone out of its way to mimic the NFL's success. While that has led to some unprecedented gains in popularity, the two also share in one area of disappointment : All-Star events that frequently fail to live up to expectations.
Also in this column: • Karl getting along with AI • Blazers still seeking GM • One killer crossover • NBDLer goes for 48
Maybe the track owner, NASCAR and Goodyear got it right this time.
When John got divorced after 12 years of marriage, he took a deep breath and launched into the dating scene.
With all the preseason hype following a certain Colombian driver from Formula One, it's easy to fall into the trap of believing Juan Pablo Montoya is the only driver running for rookie of the year in NASCAR's top series.
More than 500 flights at the Atlanta and Charlotte airports were canceled as wintry weather brought rain, sleet and freezing rain across North Georgia and into the Carolinas on Thursday.
In the NBA, the playoffs are the holy grail. Jobs are dangled based on whether a coach can guide his team into the postseason and whether a general manager has acquired the right talent to guarantee an owner at least two home playoff date. Failure to do so (repeatedly) usually results in firings and a major roster overhaul.
Kids are spoiled for choice these days. The sustained success of Pixar and Dreamworks Animation -- and in particular, a repugnant green Scottish ogre -- have combined to make children's films one of the fastest growing sectors in Hollywood.
On a rainy morning in Charlotte, Mike and Kathy Butler, founders of the PRstore, are hunkered down in a conference room, teaching the intricacies of logos, letterheads, and lamination to some new f...
Bank of America said Wednesday it will reimburse $3,000 to thousands of employees who buy a new hybrid vehicle, joining other companies offering similar deals.
Coming soon to a metropolis near you: Class IV rapids. Jeff Wise, a former software entrepreneur, is helping develop the first white-water park in the U.S., on a 307-acre plot outside Charlotte. Th...
Bev Holzrichter, 56, runs a horse stable in Charlotte, Iowa. When she found herself badly injured by one of her horses and unable to move last year, it was Web cam watchers who called for help.
"One thing I've learned over the years is, it really doesn't matter if you don't do it all in one straight line," says Hugh McColl, 70, former chairman of Bank of America, "as long as you do it." H...
Russ Sinacori steers his wife's Nissan with his knees, freeing one hand for his cellphone and the other for gesticulations. Russ has a million things to do and no time to do them. Not for the first...
Chris Noth, who played Mr. Big on HBO's "Sex and the City," greeted fans in Israel at Judaism's holiest site, the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem.
You continue to write in and we listen. Here are answers to five of your e-mails.
"Mommy loves you," cooed Charlotte (Kristin Davis) in a recent episode of "Sex and the City." She was not referring to her child, but to her dog, Elizabeth Taylor.
"Mommy loves you," cooed Charlotte (Kristin Davis) in a recent episode of "Sex and the City." She was not referring to her child, but to her dog, Elizabeth Taylor.
Jealousy runs rampant in my broadband heart. Someone has faster Internet access than I do. And this feeling is only getting worse.
In this downbeat issue of FORTUNE, you can read one story full of depressing stuff about tech stocks. In another piece, on Comcast, you can read some depressing stuff about broadband. Despite all t...
I'm beginning to wonder if I should have invested in Ceiva. I had the opportunity about a year ago, but I didn't even tell my partners about it. Ceiva had all the hallmarks of the kind of deal they...
Meet Dan Seoane. Dan is the Digital Gardener, a Renaissance man of the Internet Age. He is convergence in human form.
If women are from Venus and men are from Mars, then Rebecca Mark is from another planet altogether. Six years ago she was a 35-year-old student at Harvard business school, nicknamed Mark the Shark ...
The story Buck Traynham most loves to tell from his boyhood on a South Carolina farm is about discipline. "Farmers couldn't lock up their guns in those days," drawls the tall, courtly 71-year-old. ...
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, is now the third most important commercial-banking center in the U.S., surpassed only by New York and San Francisco. Orlando ranks just behind Los Angeles and New York in...
When FORTUNE set out to find America's best cities for business this year, a trend was unmistakable: Cost has become far more important than it was in the Eighties. What companies want in a city ha...
Rankings on access to quality labor and on pro-business attitude come from Moran Stahl & Boyer's survey of executives in America's 50 largest metropolitan areas. A rank of 1 is best, and 50 the wor...
Here's a sampler of destinations: -- Brookfield Craft Center (P.O. Box 122, Brookfield, Conn. 06804; 203-775-4526). Housed in 18th-century buildings 90 minutes from New York City, this nonprofit sc...
IN FAMILIAR antique script on a blue oval field, their name appeared on six million new cars and trucks in 1988. But there hasn't been a family member running Ford Motor Co. since Henry Ford II ret...
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