Greg Biffle and Nicole Lunders and their pet Boxers, Foster and Gracie appear in the new calendar. Credit: NASCAR

Pets take center stage in animal charity efforts

2006 NASCAR Pets Calendar debuts

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Greg Biffle and Ryan Newman are only two of the numerous animal lovers in the NASCAR garage.

But the pair of Nextel Cup drivers -- aided by their significant others -- have each launched projects to actively aid their pets and other animals that are not fortunate enough to be considered beloved family members.

	Ryan and Krissie Newman visit with a cat in an Arizona shelter.
	SUPERSTORE •   Buy the 2006 NASCAR Pets Calendar!

Biffle and his girlfriend, Nicole Lunders, created the first "NASCAR Pets" calendar, a 2006 offering with poster pictures for each month of selected NASCAR drivers, their wives or girlfriends and their pets.

The calendar was released to the public last weekend at Daytona International Speedway, where Biffle and several other drivers participated in an autograph session at Daytona USA.

"Nicole really organized the whole thing -- it was kind of her idea," Biffle said at Daytona while playing with one of his Boxer dogs, Foster. "She did most all the work, too. I didn't do a whole lot."

Biffle and Lunders, along with Boxers Foster and Gracie, are the calendar's November feature. The Newmans, with mixed breed dogs Mopar, Digger and Harley are in the March photo.

The other NASCAR participants who took part in the calendar project, with their pets, include Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his Boxer, Killer; Matt and Katie Kenseth and their cats, Lars and Charlotte; and Jason and Alison Leffler and their Labradors, Daphne and Chloe.

Also included are Casey Mears and his cats, Gus and Rags, and mini Australian Shepherd, Kya; Jimmie and Chandra Johnson and their dogs, Roxanne (Shiatsu) and Maya (Havenese); Kerry and Rene Earnhardt and their dogs, Pepper, Greer, Luke and Chuckie; Tony Stewart and his monkey, MoJo; Kurt Busch and Eva Bryan and their Terrier, Jim; Elliott Sadler and his many Tennessee Walker Hounds and Beagles; and Jeff and Michelle Green and their Labradors, Short Track and Vegas.

Newman, in conjunction with his wife, Krissie, and Rosalie De Fini, the foundation's executive director, is spearheading a book project that will benefit his foundation.

"Well, you know actually that Nicole did the calendar and my wife's doing the book," Newman said, laughing. "The book is just to kind of give people an idea of what there is behind the scenes in the way of NASCAR drivers and their families and crew chiefs and their families.

"We've had some pictures taken before and had so much reaction and it created so much discussion about dogs and how many do you have and how old are they?

	Biffle and Lunders announced the calendar at a Daytona press conference. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images
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"People are always so interested in animals, and puppies are the real lures. I don't think that anybody really realizes how many animal lovers there are, out there.

"I say the same thing about fishing. You just never know how many fishermen there are in the garage area until you get around a lake -- and then everybody's got a pole."

Obviously, the pair of families is doing more than paying simple lip service to their love for animals. Each has a foundation devoted to the cause.

The Greg Biffle Foundation for Animal's signature is "To create awareness and serve as advocates to improve the well-being of animals by engaging the power and passion of the motorsports industry."

Biffle's foundation donates to local Humane Societies, no-kill animal shelters, spay and neuter clinics and animal adoption leagues.

The Ryan Newman Foundation has a similar mission, but has even broader goals.

"The spay and neuter program is the most important thing," Newman said. "In North Carolina is fifth in the euthanization of animals as far as the population of euthanized animals, and that's not good.

"The reason that we believe in spay and neuter so much is that it is one way to control the over-population. Dogs don't have a choice (to be born). Call it what you want, but we're at the point right now where there's not enough homes for good dogs, so they're being euthanized.

"So we stand behind spay and neuter programs to the hilt, to control the over-population of animals. And on top of that, there are people out there that are running puppy mills that are breeding puppies.

"These dogs never see the light of day because they are money makers for people and that's not right -- it's not fair. That helps to kill the innocent dogs that have no choice and that's the major cause of what we do from the foundation standpoint."

According to its web site, the Newman Foundation "was established to provide philanthropic efforts that would enrich the lives of people and animals throughout the nation."

Newman's foundation's three primary areas of focus include helping humane organizations establish and maintain programs that will reduce the overpopulation and euthanasia of abandoned and unwanted dogs and cats, increase the adoption of homeless pets, provide humane education to youth and adults, and prevent cruelty to animals while encouraging collaboration between humane societies, animal rescue groups and animal control agencies.

It is will be involved in helping nonprofit organizations in the preservation and conservation of wildlife and their environment and providing scholarships for students pursuing a degree at a university or college while continuing their involvement in Quarter Midget, Midget and Silver Crown auto racing.

Newman himself received the Rich Vogler Scholarship -- a prize named for the late and noted USAC open-wheel racer -- and attended Purdue University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Vehicle Structure Engineering.