PAST NEWS AUG 20-26, 2001
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(8-26-2001)
- #3 to return in 2002? UPDATE: NASCAR.com's The Buzz is reporting that Richard Childress Racing could be bringing back the #3 Chevrolet. Formerly driven by and made famous by the late Dale Earnhardt, it has not been driven in competition since the seven-time champion's death in the Daytona 500. Allegedly, the design has already been finished but the #3 will have a different look and design to it than what Earnhardt drove. The design has been rumored to already have been approved by Dale Earnhardt Inc., Chevrolet and Richard Childress Racing. Since the season's second race at Rockingham, Kevin Harvick has competed in a white No. 29 Chevrolet with Goodwrench Plus on board. If the #3 came back, it wouldn't be until next year in time for the Daytona 500.(NASCAR.com Buzz)(8-16-2001)
UPDATE: Richard Childress did not directly deny plans to revive the #3 at some point for his Winston Cup racing operation. "We'll be making announcements on the 3 sometime in the near future," Childress said before Saturday's Sharpie 500 at Bristol. "I can't go there right now, but it will be an issue we'll handle by the end of the year." The #3 has been inactive since Dale Earnhardt was killed in a crash in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18. Rumors have circulated about the future of the #3 for the past few months. Childress will field three teams next season and the car number for only one of them, the #30 to be driven by Jeff Green and sponsored by America Online. Kevin Harvick will continue to drive for Earnhardt's former team in the GM Goodwrench sponsored car now carrying the #29. The third Childress team will be sponsored by Cingular Wireless. No driver or car number has been announced, although Robby Gordon is considered a leading candidate for that ride(That's Racin')(8-26-2001)
- Spencer plans to wear restraint UPDATE 2: Jimmy Spencer says family, drivers and crew members discussed safety and encouraged him to wear a head restraint. Spencer, one of the few NASCAR Winston Cup drivers not to wear a head restraint, says he'll do so soon. Spencer and Tony Stewart were the only drivers among 43 last weekend not to wear such a device. "My concern is that if Dale Earnhardt ... had devices in there to help him, would he be a vegetable?" Spencer once said for why he has not worn a HANS or a Hutchens device this season. "I don't want to be a vegetable. I don't want to be a burden to people." Spencer says he looks at that issue differently now. "I think if you look at all the data they've collected the last few months ... it looks to me like if you can keep your head constrained, you'll lessen the possibilities of injuries." Spencer has been fitted with a HANS device and might wear it in a test session at Talladega next week. He also says he has a Hutchens device and might wear it this weekend. Spencer says he'll need time to adjust to the HANS device. "It's very uncomfortable," said Spencer. "It's very awkward. I can't get out of my race car with it on. So, I'm concerned about that with a fire."(Racing Extra)(8-24-2001)
UPDATE: Teams say Dale Earnhardt's seat belt system was a relic. Some teams expressed surprise that he was still rolling his shoulder harness over the back of the seat, pointing out that system was used until sometime in the past 10 years. However, moving belts for comfort remains a common practice. "That was the way we did it for years and years and years," former Earnhardt crew chief Andy Petree said. "There have been changes over the last 10 years where people moved them up just to shorten the run. To be honest with you, I didn't realize that Earnhardt was still doing that. I don't really know why. I don't know that there was a specific reason he did that." Jimmy Spencer says he was warned to change his belts and finally did so. He was begged to add a restraint system and is now doing that as well. Yesterday he practiced wearing the Hutchens device(Richmond Times Dispatch)(8-25-2001)
UPDATE 2: Jimmy Spencer tested with a HANS (head and neck support) system last week and with a Hutchens device (restraint system) this past weekend. He didn't wear either in last night's race at Bristol, but does plan to take both with him to a two-day test at Talladega starting tomorrow. Spencer said that younger guys competing in other series look to Winston Cup drivers for guidance. Therefore, he should seriously consider wearing a safety system. "A lot of [short-track drivers] say Jeff Gordon's wearing it, Tony Stewart isn't," he said. "I think a lot of drivers are questioning why some of the other drivers aren't doing it. I don't know what Tony's thinking. I'm sure he's looking into something too. We're the only two guys who aren't doing it, and we probably should."(Richmond Times Dispatch)(8-26-2001)
(8-25-2001)
- Stewart Wins at Bristol: #20-Tony Stewart held off a challenge from #29-Kevin Harvick to win the Sharpie 500 Saturday night at Bristol. Harvick, trying to become the first driver to sweep a BGN-Cup doubleheader in the same Bristol weekend, clawed past Gordon on the next lap and ran up on the new leader's bumper in traffic a couple of times thereafter. #24-Jeff Gordon finished 3rd and increased his points lead over Ricky Rudd to 308 points with #88-Dale Jarrett now 379 behind in 3rd. #5-Terry Labonte got his 3rd top 10 of the year finishing 10th, his last one? Bristol in the spring. #4-Kevin Lepage and #30-Jeff Green led laps for the first time this season in Cup. See That's Racin' for Sharpie 500 race results; and NASCAR.com for Unofficial Standings(8-25-2001)
- Gordon and the #31? UPDATE 2: hearing Robby Gordon has signed a 3-year deal with RCR to drive the #31 Cingular Chevy(8-17-2001)
UPDATE: It appears that Robby Gordon will be replacing Mike Skinner on Richard Childress's second team next season, with what is reported to be a three-year contract. Childress has told Mike Skinner he is free to look for another ride.(Winston Salem Journal)(8-20-2001)
UPDATE 2: From a GM Teleconference Q&A with Richard Childress: Do you have a driver signed for the No. 31 car yet? "No, we don't."(8-25-2001)
- Stewart Not to Wear Restraint UPDATE: #2-Tony Stewart has no intention of trying one (head and neck restraint device) anytime soon. There are currently two devices drivers can choose from: the HANS device, which is a similar to a set of shoulder pads but has been met with some resistance because of limited mobility; and the Hutchens device, which is a series of straps that hooks onto the helmet and was designed this year by an engineer with Richard Childress Racing (see my Safety page for links and info). Stewart doesn't like the HANS device because he finds it uncomfortable and has too many questions about it. And he doesn't like the Hutchens device because he thinks it hasn't been tested enough. "I think there are pros and cons to both of them. We know how it will work in a forward impact, but we don't know about a side impact or an angled impact," Stewart said. "I just don't think it's the answer to all the problems and until I know more about it, I'm not going to use one."(Daytona Beach Mews Journal/AP)(8-25-2001)
UPDATE: Stewart will wear a Hutchens device during Talladega testing on Monday/Tuesday Aug 27-28th, to see how he likes it. Stewart said he is basically wearing it to quiet everyone. Stewart also said he was developing his own device but doesn't feel it is ready(TNT Pre-Race Bristol Coverage)(8-25-2001)
- RCR at 99 UPDATE make it 100: Kevin Harvick's victory in the BGN race at Indianapolis Raceway Park on Saturday night was the 99th in a NASCAR points race for Richard Childress Racing. It also marked the fourth weekend in a row that an RCR car has won a NASCAR race. In July, Harvick won the inaugural Winston Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway and followed that up with a victory in the Grand National race at St. Louis. Last weekend, Jeff Purvis won the Grand National race at Pikes Peak(Alabama Live)(8-7-2001)
UPDATE win #100: with Kevin Harvick's BGN Win at Bristol, it was the 100th win in a NASCAR points race for Richard Childress Racing(8-25-2001)
- No TV Boxes at Bristol: No cars will telemetry boxes for TV because of the difficulty of getting a signal since mountains surround the track. Batteries in a telemetry box triggered a fire in Robby Gordon's #31 car at Watkins Glen, forcing him out of the race. The boxes, mandatory all season, were optional last weekend(Racing Extra)(8-25-2001)
- Marcis and RCR: From a GM Teleconference Q&A with Richard Childress: Have you had any discussions with Dave Marcis about buying into his team or purchasing his team? Answer - "We had talked about that before, but now that we're all set with the direction that we're going with RCR, I'm going to be there as a friend to help advise him and help him do anything I can.(8-25-2001)
- #26 to help Schools: Kmart Corporation announced that NASCAR star Jimmy Spencer will be revving up his #26 Kmart Ford Taurus this weekend in support of Kmart's new multi-million dollar school fundraising effort. The company is teaming up with Spencer to promote Kmart's School Spirit program, designed to help fund K-12 schools nationwide. Spencer will carry a special paint scheme this weekend at the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway to promote the program. Jimmy Spencer will lead the School Spirit program into Bristol to support Kmart's dedication to helping fund K-12 schools nationwide. As part of the effort, Spencer's #26 Kmart Ford Taurus will feature a special School Spirit paint scheme, adding a large School Spirit decal along each side and the phrase "$10,000,000 for schools!" to the traditional white and blue scheme. Through the School Spirit program, Kmart will donate a minimum of $10 million to schools throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam in the 2001-2002 school year. Customers need only to enroll in the School Spirit program at a Kmart store or online at www.bluelight.com, specify the school to receive donations, and use a special School Spirit card when shopping at Kmart.(PR)(8-25-2001)
(8-24-2001)
- Ripken Scheme? UPDATE 3: hearing #18-Bobby Labonte's car will have a special Cal Ripken Jr farewell paint job at Dover in September. Ripken Jr plays for the Baltimore Orioles and is retiring at the end of the 2001 baseball season(8-17-2001)
UPDATE: hearing that since Cal Ripken's last home game will be the evening of the race, at Camden Yards vs. the Yankees. To honor his achievements, MBNA will be renaming the race from the MBNA 400 to the Cal Ripken 400 (or something similar) and that Ripken will be present at the race as the Grand Marshal(8-20-2001)
UPDATE 2: also hearing that #18-Mike McLaughlin will drive the Cal Ripken car in the MNBA 200 BGN race and that a formal announcment will come in the next 7-10 days(8-23-2001)
UPDATE 3: NASCAR and Major League Baseball are expected to finalize an unprecedented agreement within the next 10 days that would celebrate Cal Ripken Jr.’s retirement in a most unique way. For starters, the MBNA 400 Winston Cup race scheduled for Sept. 23 at Dover Downs International Speedway in Dover, Del., will be renamed the MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400. In addition, the Orioles third baseman will act as the grand marshal for the 1 p.m. race before flying back to Baltimore to play in the final home game of his career at Camden Yards that night. “We have been waiting for a couple of days for a sewn-up package,” said Carmine Tiso, a media relations specialist handling business matters for Major League Baseball. “Hopefully in the next week or 10 days it will be (finalized). There are a lot of parties involved including us, the Orioles, MBNA.” Tiso described the deal as “all but done.” Another source close to the deal said a joint announcement about the specifics could come as early as Thursday at Camden Yards. NASCAR has some other tributes planned for Ripken, as well. The Interstate Batteries/MBNA #18 car driven by defending Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte will be repainted for the Dover race to include a Cal Ripken logo. The Ripken logo will also be on Mike McLaughlin’s car during the MBNA 200 Busch Series race that Saturday at Dover Downs, Tiso confirmed. The tentative plan, according to the source close to the deal, is for Ripken to arrive in Dover — about 100 miles from Camden Yards — on Sunday around 9 a.m., sit in on the morning drivers’ meeting and conduct a short news conference with the motorsports media. Ripken will be part of the drivers’ introductions and will be driven in a convertible around the track before the race begins. Ripken will then wave the green flag to start the race before getting in a helicopter and flying back to Baltimore. The winner of the Winston Cup race will be invited to fly to Baltimore as Ripken’s guest for that night’s game.(York Daily Record) and another story at the Washington Post: Ripken Farewell Faces a Switch(8-24-2001)
- Helton Honored: NASCAR president Mike Helton was back home Thursday afternoon as John Battle High School honored the former Trojan. Helton, a 1971 Battle graduate, spoke to the student body during a back to school pep rally held on the Trojans' football field. At the conclusion of the assembly he was presented with a plaque recognizing him as a distinguished alumni. The Bristol Virginia native wished the students good luck on the coming school year and sprinkled in a few tips during his speech. And he also addressed NASCAR's report on the death of Dale Earnhardt, which was released Tuesday.(Bristol Herald Courier)(8-24-2001)
- Escape Hatch? #98 BGN driver, Elton Sawyer, said Thursday that his team would begin work next week on developing an escape hatch through the car's roof. A fiery crash last week (at Michigan, #15 Waltrip) showed that some safety items in Cup cars could cause problems. Most teams have netting or extended headrests on the right side of the seat to prevent a driver's head from stretching too far in an accident. That proved to be an obstacle for Michael Waltrip. His Cup car crashed and came to rest with the driver's side pinned against the outside wall. A fire started in the car's rear and Waltrip climbed through bars and protective devices to climb out the right-side window. The incident came a few weeks after Ricky Rudd suggested in a meeting that stock cars should have a flap in the roof similar to funny cars in drag racing that give a driver another escape avenue. "It was kind of laughed about," Sawyer said of Rudd's suggestion in the meeting for drivers, crew chiefs and car owners. "I sat there and said, 'Wow that makes sense.' We're going to take a car at the shop and come up with a (roof) piece. You've got to start somewhere."(Racing Extra)(8-24-2001)
- Happy News: Prior to Thursday night's Food City Family Night in downtown Bristol, Sadler proposed to his girlfriend, Lisa Tollett. After dating for four years this weekend, when they met at Bristol Motor Speedway, Sadler proposed to the current Miss Tennessee USA. She readily accepted. The date of the wedding is to be announced.(NASCAR.com Buzz)(8-24-2001)
- Sad News: Longtime motorsports journalist Bill Lorenzen died from complications stemming from heart surgery on Aug. 7. He was 69-years-old. Lorenzen was a member of the Motorsports Press Association (MSPA) for more than 20 years and served as vice president of automotive writers. He was also a motorsports writer for both the Vallejo Times Herald and Fairfield Daily Republic in the North Bay. Lorenzen covered motorsports events at his home track, Sears Point Raceway, for more than 20 years and was considered the "Dean of the Media Center" at the raceway. He was born in Denver in 1931 and was a graduate of the University of Colorado. A memorial service for his friends will be held on Sept. 8 at the Captain Charles Stone Hall at the Camel Barns in Benicia from 2-4 p.m(Sears Point PR)(8-24-2001)
- Cope at Bristol? UPDATE 2 only BGN no CUP: even though he is not currently on the Entry List at NASCAR.com, hearing Derrike Cope will be at Bristol to attempt the Cup race in the #37 Pontiac?/Chevy? sponsored by Labor Ready
UPDATE: or could this be Cope in the BGN only at Bristol? Food City is joining forces with Labor Ready to sponsor Derrike Cope in Friday's BGN Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Derrike has driven the #94 Chevrolet in select BGN series races in 2001. Food City will adorn the quarter panels and Food City Pharmacy the TV panel. This will be Derrike's 4th Busch race of 2001.(Food City PR)(8-23-2001)
UPDATE 2: sorry folks Cope will be at Bristol, but in the #94 BGN Chevy NOT in the CUP race, my apologies for the mis-information(8-24-2001)
(8-23-2001)
- Subway to the #77 in 2002? hearing Subway (sandwich shops) will be the primary sponsor of the #77 Jasper Motorsports Ford and driver Robert Pressley in 2002(8-21-2001)
UPDATE - Assoc? also hearing Lipton Tea could be an assoc sponsor on the #77 starting at Bristol(8-23-2001)
- Compton to Petty Enterprises? UPDATE but: hearing Stacy Compton is close to signing with Petty Enterprises to drive the #44 Dodge. Compton currently drives the #92 Melling Racing Dodge nad Buckshot Jones currently drives the #44 Dodge(8-21-2001)
UPDATE: but the Anniston Star is reporting: Now that Childress has officially confirmed that Mike Skinner is out of the Lowe's car(#31) after this season, expect to hear Stacy Compton's name as Skinner's replacement. Kodiak is out as the sponsor of the Melling Dodge after this season and Melling has already given Compton permission to explore other possibilities for next season just in case a new sponsor isn't found. BUT everything I hear is Robby Gordon in the #31 Cingular Chevy(or whatever #)(8-23-2001)
- #4 to help out: Trula Cronk Home For Children, part of Free Will Baptist Family Ministries in Camp Creek, will get some special recognition at this weekend’s Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Morgan-McClure No. 4 Kodak Chevy will carry the home’s logo and web site on its rear deck lid in an effort to bring national attention to the ministry and help raise financial support for the home. This should allow millions of people across the country the country. The car will display www.race4kidz.org which will hopefully draw interested persons attention to the home.(Greeneville Sun)(8-23-2001)
- Sadler Returns: Hermie Sadler, who is running a limited Winston Cup schedule this year with sponsorship from the Virginia Lottery (#13 Chevy), has entered the Sharpie 500 Winston Cup race scheduled for this weekend at the Bristol Motor Speedway.. Sadler says the additional seat time in a Winston Cup Car will help him tremendously heading into Richmond, the next lottery sponsored event. Sadler is also using the opportunity at Bristol to promote something very close to him and his family, Autism Awareness and Research. Hermie's youngest daughter, Halie, 3, was diagnosed with Autism in February, and he hopes his family's story will help people better understand autism. "In the beginning we tried to keep our situation private," stated Sadler.. "Our only concern was getting Halie the care and support she needed.. But we now feel that she has made a great deal of improvement since February and we want to do what we can to encourage people to help us learn more about Autism." Hermie and his brother Elliott will both be carrying Autism Awareness Ribbons on their cars this weekend.. For more information on Autism Research and Awareness, please call the Autism Society of America at 1-877-703-3606, or visit www.autism-society.org or www.cycleusa.net.(Sadler PR)(8-23-2001)
- Lazarro to run IRL race: Anthony Lazarro, who ran the Cup race at Watkins Glen in the #68 Chevy and ran in the BGN last year. After passing his refresher test last Friday, it was decided yesterday that Anthony Lazzaro would drive a second entry for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in the upcoming Gateway International Indy 250. The car will run as the #44 Parsons Project so named for the cars other owner, Ray Parsons. Parsons is a businessman from Bellevue, Ohio and like Sam is suffering from a spinal cord injury and is a quadriplegic.(Open Wheel Racing)(8-23-2001)
- No Seat Belt Inspections: NASCAR has no immediate plans to inspect seat belt installations in race cars despite revelations that customized "variations" to Dale Earnhardt's belt system may have contributed to his death. Similar variations are widespread among Winston Cup drivers, said a safety expert who manufactures head and neck support systems. Instructions on how to install the seat belts are treated like directions that come with a new computer, said HANS maker Jim Downing. "You just leave them off to the side and go about (installing) it," said Downing, who works to fit individual drivers with head restraint systems. "We've seen some awful things. Seat belts too wide. Seat belts too far apart. Just awful." Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president of corporate communications, said Wednesday that Winston Cup officials don't monitor how the belts are installed. That process is left to the driver and belt manufacturer. Although the NASCAR rule book places all responsibility for proper safety precautions on the driver, it also states NASCAR officials will "take whatever action is deemed reasonable and appropriate in order to correct" safety problems in a driver's race car and equipment.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(8-23-2001)
- Hedrick to Return? with Earnhardt? UPDATE 3: hearing a rumor I have not been able to confirm - that Kerry Earnhardt, oldest son of the late Dale Earnahrdt, will supposedly be driving a BGN car for former #41 team owner Larry Hedrick. Supposedly the team will receive cars, engines, and all engineering help from DEI. The plan is to run BGN and move up to Cup. Not sure when or if the team will run it's first race(7-24-2001)
UPDATE: two rumored sponsors are McDonald's and RealTree(Dale Sr's Assoc and the #71 Sponsor)(7-25-2001)
UPDATE 2 ..more: Kerry Earnhardt, the eldest son of seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt, may be joining the BGN ranks full time next year. Racing under the DEI ownership banner, he could possibly have sponsorship from Wrangler Jeans and a known restaurant chain. Earnhardt has competed in two BGN races this year in the Michael Waltrip-owned-#99 Chevrolet. He has also competed in ARCA events, handily winning the June race at Michigan. His father competed with the blue and yellow Wrangler colors before donning the trademark black on the Goodwrench Service #3 Chevrolet.(NASCAR.com Buzz)(8-11-2001)
UPDATE 3: Kerry Earnhardt is working toward a full-time Busch Series effort with former Winston Cup team owner Larry Hedrick. "I don't know anything yet," Earnhardt said. "I'm trying to put a full-time deal together. I've got several opportunities to do 19-22 races, but my goal is to work full time and get a lot of experience and more knowledge out of the Busch Series than what I can gain with just a limited schedule." Earnhardt, the oldest son of seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt and the half brother of former Busch Series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr., got together with Hedrick through mutual friend Rick Howard. Hedrick has been inactive as a Winston Cup team owner since last year, when Rick Mast and Gary Bradberry entered a total of seven events. If the program happens, it'll be backed by Dale Earnhardt Inc. The only thing standing in the way is financial backing, but that's a very big hurdle to clear. Hedrick declined comment, but does seem fairly certain he'll be able to land a deal.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(8-23-2001)
- Andy Houston in the BGN #92? Current #96 Cup driver Andy Houston appears headed to the BGN as sources say Houston will join Herzog Motorsports in the BGN in 2002. Excedrin is expected to return as the team's primary sponsor. Houston would replace the Winston Cup-bound(#48 team) Jimmie Johnson. Herzog Motorsports team manager and crew chief Tony Liberati declined comment, as did Houston. Houston also has at least one other offer from a prominent BGN team(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(8-23-2001)
- Leffler Expects to be back in the #01: #01 Driver Jason Leffler said Aug. 18 that he has every intention of being behind the wheel of his team's No. 01 Dodge in 2002 and that his car owner hasn't say anything to indicate that that might not be the case(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(8-23-2001)
(8-22-2001)
- #22 Special Scheme at Bristol UPDATE: #22-Ward Burton is supposed to have a special "CAT Tracks" scheme to be run at the night race at Bristol. See a layout of the car on my Paint Schemes Gallery(8-8-2001)
UPDATE: Caterpillar Track-Type Tractors removed 15,000 cubic yards of earth from Bristol Motor Speedway after the World of Outlaws race in June. But from the looks of it, Ward Burton will be driving one of those Caterpillar Tractors in the August 25, 2001 Winston Cup Bristol Night Race. The Caterpillar Dodge driven by Burton will be running a special Track-Type Tractor paint scheme at Bristol. This unique paint job gives Burton's car the appearance of a Tractor. Once again Burton is relying on Caterpillar to give him the right equipment for the job. First it was the C-16 Caterpillar Truck engine paint scheme that powered him in the Winston, now the Track-Type Tractor scheme will help toughen up the Caterpillar Dodge to take on the high banks of Bristol.(Bill Davis Racing PR)(8-22-2001)
- KW back to Cup in 2002? UPDATE: on Monday's RPM 2Night show (ESPN2), Kenny Wallace was on the show and mentioned that he would run the New Hampshire Cup race with his BGN team (#48 Innovative Motorsports) and that the team is looking at moving up to Winston Cup in 2002 and hopes to decide soon(8-15-2001)
UPDATE: The Innovative Motorsports Team (Kenny Wallace's #48 BGN team) will be giving Wallace a special Cup ride at NHIS for his fans. Testing of the brand new chassis will be at Richmond next Monday and Tuesday (Aug 27-28th). No car number has been assigned by NASCAR yet(Kenny Wallace Racing)(8-22-2001)
- Bodine Sponsor: been asked about Red Cell on the #11 Brett Bodine Racing Ford, saw the on his site: "RedCell Batteries, an associate sponsor since the beginning of the season, will not be involved with the team at the level they have been, due to financial problems."(Brett Bodine Racing)(8-22-2001)
- Texaco out? Shell in on the #28? UPDATE: hearing rumors that Texaco (looking to merge with Chevron) may leave the #28 Robert Yates Ford at the end of the 2001 season and Shell Oil Company may be their new sponsor. Another note about Texaco sponsorship, looks like they are leaving the Newman-Haas CART team as Robin Miller mentioned last week on ESPN2's RPM2Night (which moves to 6pm M-F starting Sept 4th) that Eli Lilly and Company (pharmaceuticals) would be the team's new sponsor for their CART cars. But it was announced a while ago that Texaco had signed with Robert Yates Racing through 2004.(8-20-2001)
UPDATE: As it prepares to merge with Chevron, Texaco plans to shed its interest in the two joint ventures that control Texaco and Shell gasoline stations in the U.S.: Equilon in the West, Motiva in the East. But that could mean the end of the venerable Texaco brand name.(more at the Los Angeles Times)(8-21-2001)
- Sprint and Petty? UPDATE: there are some questions now about Petty Enterprises' Sprint sponsorship. Kyle Petty's team has missed a number of races this season, and there are reports that Richard is getting antsy about the team's performance(Winston Salem Journal)(8-10-2001)
UPDATE: hearing that Sprint will stay with Petty in 2002 and has no plans to withdrawal its sponsorship of Petty Enterprise drivers and is looking forward to the 2002 season and beyond. Sprint says they have spent a great amount of time and resources to align themselves with one of the best names in racing. The Company is proud of their association with the Petty family including John Andretti and Buckshot Jones. The recent rumors started circulating after Winston-Salem Journal published an article on August 10 about cellular companies investment in motorsports. Sprint was named in the headline, but the content was based on 2001 performance. The writer speculated on the company's future involvement without calling Sprint or its agency representatives.(Sprint Email)(8-21-2001)
- Lowes to Hendrick? UPDATE 3: from the Winston Salem Journal - Lowe's is now expected to move from the Richard Childress camp(#31) to Hendrick's to sponsor incoming rookie (#48) Jimmie Johnson next season, according to NASCAR sources(Winston Salem Journal) BUT from a SpeedVision Interview with Richard Childress: Q) Is the Lowe's situation as safe as we've heard it is? A) "You're going to be hearing some announcements on that. We're going to be okay with the third [No. 31] team. Lowe's will honor their contract [through 2002]. The direction they go, I'm going to leave that up to y'all. We've agreed we're going to honor it, but we have other things working"(SpeedVision)(8-7-2001)
UPDATE: Winston Cup team owner Rick Hendrick hopes to announce the primary sponsor for Jimmie Johnson's Winston Cup effort within the next six weeks. "We have associates and all that done, we just haven't announced it," Hendrick said Aug. 3. "Probably sometime in the next 30 to 45 days. We haven't signed anything yet." If Lowe's were to leave Richard Childress Racing, rumors are the company could move to Hendrick Motorsports.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read online)
UPDATE 2: the Herald-Citizen reports that Jimmy Johnson will run a limited schedule next season in preparation for a full run for Hendrick in 2003. That would allow Lowe's to sponsor him in those races in 2002, then move over to him on a full time basis in 2003(Herald Citizen), but all reports and indications I have seen say Johnson will run fulltime in 2002, he will make five or so starts in 2001 in the #48 starting at Lowes in Oct(8-9-2001)
UPDATE 3: hearing that Haas Automation, currently an associate sponsor on the three current Hendricks cars(#'s 5,24,25) could be the primary sponsor of the #48 Chevy for Johnson(8-21-2001)
- Earnhardt to test at Darlington UPDATE: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr is scheduled to test at Darlington Raceway on Wednesday, August 22nd(FSN's Totally NASCAR)
UPDATE: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is not testing at Darlington Raceway on Wednesday, August 22, 2001. However, Darlington Raceway is holding a press conference at noon with the popular driver(8-22-2001)
- Driver Debut delayed: back in March/April, Brian Conz announced he would run some Cup races in 2001 (see my New Teams page) but Conz's Winston Cup debut has been postponed; and the team is currently working on a new schedule for Conz for the second half of the 2001 racing season, but have not made any concrete decisions at this time(Eric Conz Site)(8-22-2001)
- America's Most Wanted Racing team news: The Body Dynamics/America's Most Wanted Racing team has promoted Marketing and Media Relations Director of Body Dynamics Racing, Bodies, Inc., Scott Davis to the position of Motorsports Director and Team Manager for Body Dynamics Racing. The team is in the developmental process, which includes a team shop location (Denver. NC), decision on the series to compete (BGN or CTS), and finalizing a corporate underwriter for the America's Most Wanted motorsports program. One element they have settled on is a driver relationship with Robby Unser of Robby Unser Racing and a veteran crew chief and team (TBA) due to contractual obligations for the remainder of 2001. Scott's duties will still include overseeing the marketing and media relations department members of Body Dynamics Racing, Bodies, Inc. and www.bodydynamicsracing.com , but he will focus his efforts on building and managing the Body Dynamics Racing competition efforts, which will include finalizing a corporate underwriter for the America's Most Wanted motorsports program and overseeing the licensing, media relations and marketing departments. The BDR/AMW team will be located in Denver, NC near the company's core business and will become a customer of Body Dynamics Racing Bodies, Inc. for the fabrication needs.(Body Dynamics Racing)(8-22-2001)
(8-21-2001)
- RIR Testing UPDATE: Cup drivers #18-Bobby Labonte, #5-Terry Labonte and #99-Jeff Burton, along with BGN drivers Jason Rudd and Brian Vickers are scheduled to test in preparation for the CUP and BGN races at Richmond on Sept 7-8th. The testing will be held on Monday, August 20 and Tuesday, August 21. Fans are invited to watch testing on both days. The gates will be open from 8:00am to 5:00pm/et(RIR PR)(8-19-2001)
UPDATE: A recent resealing of the track surface at Richmond International Raceway caused some drivers to cancel test sessions at the .75-mile oval yesterday. The track was resealed prior to the open-wheel racing weekend in June. Apparently, the Featherlite Modified cars damaged the track surface, tearing up pieces of the sealer. Racetrack officials resealed parts of the track less than two weeks ago, but the new sealer combined with the hot weather has caused problems for some Winston Cup teams. Michael Waltrip tested at RIR last Tuesday, and track officials said he was not thrilled with the surface. Yesterday, BGN driver Brian Vickers went out and ran five or six laps before crashing. Cup drivers Bobby Labonte and Terry Labonte also showed up for a test yesterday morning but decided to cancel the session after examining the track. The brothers told track officials they did not want to burn one of the seven test dates allowed by NASCAR because conditions would change too much before they race here in three weeks(Richmond Times Dispatch)(8-21-2001)
- Sad News UPDATE: A driver was killed Sunday during a 100-mile ARCA race at the Illinois State Fair. The man, whose identity was not released, was pronounced dead at Memorial Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Roberta Churchill said. WTAX radio said the driver missed the entrance to the pits and crashed into a wall head-on. The station reported that three people in the infield were hurt. The race was the Allen Crowe Memorial 100. It was named for Crowe, a race car driver who died in 1963. No other information was immediately available.(That's Racin')
AND Veteran ARCA stock car driver Dean Roper died at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield this afternoon after an accident in which his Ford slowed on the frontstretch and impacted the inside retaining wall on lap 17 of the ARCA race at the mile dirt Illinois State Fairgrounds track. There were no visible injuries and Roper was unconscious when safety teams arrived. The Fair Grove, Missouri driver was then transported to Memorial Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. There were no other injuries as a result of the accident. Roper, 62, was the USAC Stock driving champion 1981-82-83 and was the winningest ARCA RE/MAX driver on dirt with 9 career victories, including 3 at the Springfield mile. He became the 2nd oldest driver to record an ARCA victory when he won at DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in 1994 at age 55. The majority of Roper’s success came at the wheel of stock cars fielded by the Mueller Brothers Racing Team of Random Lake, Wisconsin. Roper drove his first race in 1960 and was a 5-time St. Louis-area short track champion from 1967-73 prior to his national championship racing success. Roper is survived by wife Marilyn and brother Dale Roper, both of whom were at the track on Sunday. Roper’s son, race driver Tony Roper, was fatally injured in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in 2000 at Texas Motor Speedway.(ARCA Racing Site)(8-19-2001)
UPDATE: Dean Roper suffered a fatal heart attack during the ARCA series race at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, according to Susan Boone, Sangamon County Coroner. Roper suffered no other injuries in the single-car incident during which his Ford slowed on the frontstretch, gradually veered to the left and struck the inside retaining wall three times on lap 17 of the race, finally stopping against the wall at the pit road exit. Roper, unconscious when safety teams arrived, was transported to Memorial Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.(That's Racin')(8-20-2001)
Details: information on services for Dean Roper can be found on the Tony Roper site (8-21-2001)
(8-20-2001)
- Wallace out at end of season? the Mike Wallace Fanclub site is reporting: Mike (Wallace) will not be back in the #7 next year and is looking for a solid Winston Cup and/or Busch opportunity. He will remain in the #7 this year and do the best he can with the equipment he is given(see the forum section)(8-20-2001)
- Diane Bodine Hurt: Shortly after the start of the race, Diane Bodine fell off the pit cart and injured her right ankle. She was examined at the infield care center and released. Doctors at the hospital advised her to see her personal physician(That's Racin')(8-20-2001)
- Skinner Free to Look and Out UPDATE: during an interview on FSN's Totally NASCAR, Mike Skinner said he has been given permission to look around for other driving oppurtunities. Skinner currently drives the #31 Lowes Chevy AND from SpeedVision: Mike Skinner and Richard Childress definitely will go separate ways next year, Skinner said Friday. The decision apparently was made in the past week "According to Richard, he's tried everything in his power to keep me in the car," Skinner said. "It may be a situation where the sponsor [Cingular] is wanting somebody else in the car. I have another year on my contract, and obviously I will be released of that, and I'll release Richard of his part of that contract if we find another job thats a comparable job." Cingular announced Wednesday that it would take over sponsorship of the #31 car, replacing Lowe's. Lowe's sources confirmed Friday that that company will migrate to Hendrick Motorsports, likely with rookie Jimmie Johnson. Skinner has been mentioned as a possibility for one of Childress's Busch cars, but that will not happen, Skinner said.(8-17-2001)
UPDATE: Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Mike Skinner have come to a mutual agreement to forego the final year of their contract together and part ways at the end of the 2001 NASCAR season. "This was a very tough decision because Mike and I are friends and he's been a part of the RCR family for the past seven years," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing Enterprises, Inc. "Mike is one of the most talented drivers out there but, for some reason, we haven't been able to win. We've had some great runs but this sport is about winning. Mike and I talked back in January and decided that if the program wasn't going well by mid-season, we would go our separate ways at the end of the year. I don't want to hold his career back or this race team's so I think it's best that we make this move now to give Mike as much time as possible to put a deal together with another team."(RCR PR)(8-20-2001)
- Ganassi to BGN? Stewart to the #01? Wally in the #01? Target? UPDATE: Dodge sources say Ganassi Racing visited Kentucky Speedway and tested the new Intrepids that will be driven in the Busch Series next year. Stedman Marlin, who finished 19th in the Busch race at Michigan, reportedly will drive one of the cars and share the Coors Light sponsorship on father Sterling's Cup car. AND Another Ganassi rumor: Jason Leffler will join Stedman Marlin in the Busch ranks, and Tony Stewart will move into the #01 Cup car in 2002 with sponsorship from Target(Sporting News)(8-20-2001) BUT back in June it was reported: Tony Stewart held a team meeting last week to tell his crew he had no plans to leave for the Chip Ganassi operation(Winston Salem Journal) and Stewart is signed with Joe Gibbs Racing thru 2004(6-9-2001) and sources say he is committed to Home Depot and the Joe Gibbs operation through 2004
AND hearing a BGN team is set up to give Leffler more seat time in 2002. Target comes in and sponsors the BGN team AND a Winston Cup team. Driver? Wally Dallenbach. Why Dallenbach? Two reasons. One, the NBC hook. Target likes what they have seen. Two - Dallenbach runs the full Winston Cup season AND a double on Memorial Day Weekend: The Indy 500 and the Coca Cola 600(8-20-2001)
UPDATE: Rumor has it that Target might be wanting to get into Winston Cup and Busch Series racing with Chip Ganassi. The word around the garage is that the company might tap Wally Dallenbach to run the full season, along with the Indy 500 in May. Jason Leffler would get some seat time in a Target-sponsored Busch car. Leffler raced full-time in 2000 before jumping into Winston Cup in 2001. Ganassi lost Cingular Wireless as sponsor of the No. 01 Dodge last week to Richard Childress Racing, opening the door for a possible Target entry. Target has been the longtime backer of Ganassi’s CART powerhouse. Ganassi has ran the Indy 500 in each of the last two seasons with Target on those cars as well.(NASCAR.com Buzz)(8-20-2001)
- Restrictor Plate Race Changes? UPDATE: NASCAR officials are testing a series of changes for restrictor-plate races. About 15-25 teams are expected to be involved in the session, scheduled for a week from tomorrow (didn't say which track DIS or Talladega). Teams are running cars without roof strips and with altered spoilers and possibly plates. The changes are aimed at finding a way to separate cars instead of forcing drivers to race in the tight packs that have become common at Talladega and Daytona(Richmond Times Dispatch)(8-19-2001)
UPDATE: NASCAR's original idea was to take the so-called "boxcars" to Talladega, cars up to 4in taller and wider than the present air-slick models. That did not work, many said (and some with a laugh) because the boxcars simply would not fit on the team transporters. So much for thinking of everything, Two possibilities are suggested. First, knock down the rear spoiler to something like 3in, give the teams a little more play on the front end to balance the cars, then let them race. That could also pay benefits at a non-restricted trak such as Michigan. Second, move toward Busch-style spring and shock rules. Busch enforces much heavier springs than in Winston Cup, and it uses the leaker shocks. Would that be good? Only testing will tell.(SpeedVision)
AND Teams have two days to work on changes to cars when they test at Talladega Superspeedway next week. The first day of the NASCAR session will involve testing changes the sanctioning body is considering, such as a ¨-inch restrictor plate instead of the current 1-inch model. The plates are used to limit airflow and horsepower. Teams can try their own ideas on the second day. About 15-25 Winston Cup teams are expected to show up for the session. NASCAR is looking for a way to separate cars from the tight packs that have become common in restrictor-plate racing(Richmond Times Dispatch)(8-20-2001)
- Cingular Sponsorship moving? UPDATE 6 to RCR #31? Gordon in - 3yr deal?: At least four teams are vying for a major sponsorship with Bell Atlantic/Cingular Wireless (Actually it is BellSouth not Bell Atlantic which is Verizon), according to NASCAR sources. The company currently sponsors Jason Leffler and car owner Chip Ganassi. Among the car owners expected to be talking with the company are Richard Childress and Bill Davis. Childress and Mike Skinner are assessing their situation, Childress says, but an announcement could still be a month away, according to Childress. Childress has made it official that Jeff Green will drive an AOL-sponsored car for him next season, ending months of debate(Winston Salem Journal)(7-16-2001)
UPDATE: hearing the #33 Andy Petree Chevy driven by Joe Nemechek and currently with sponsorship by Oakwood Homes (who will leave at the end of 2001) will get the Cingular sponsorship in 2001. Cingular currently sponsors the #01 Dodge driven by Jason Leffler(8-8-2001)
UPDATE 2: also hearing Cingular could end up on the #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy's that Jimmie Johnson will drive in 2002(8-9-2001)
UPDATE 3: The battle for the Cingular Wireless sponsorship is down to Bill Davis vs. Richard Childress, according to sources close to the situation. That would leave Chip Ganassi and Andy Petree still searching for sponsors for next season(Winston Salem Journal)(8-11-2001)
UPDATE 4: hearing there was a teleconference today in which it was announced that Cingular Wireless will sponsor a RCR car next season, didn't say which car, but hearing it'll could take the place of Lowes on the #31 and Lowes could go to go to the Hendrick Motorsports #48 and Jimmie Johnson? Chip Ganassi said on FSN's Totally NASCAR that the Target car at Bristol is a one race deal only and he has two sponsors Cingular and Coors
AND from a Cingular Newsletter - Cingular Wireless will take the green flag in the 2002 Winston Cup Series with Richard Childress Racing. Cingular, the country's second largest wireless company, will be a primary sponsor of Richard Childress Racing, and will compete nationally in the 36-race series in the Cingular Wireless Chevrolet. Cingular and RCR have agreed to a four-year sponsorship. The driver and the number of the Cingular Wireless/Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet will be announced in the near future.(8-15-2001)
AND "We hope to be ready to give everybody all of the information about our teams and drivers at the first of next week," Childress said (That's Racin')(8-16-2001)
UPDATE 5: Richard Childress said that he wouldn't make the announcement or talk about it until the first part of the week, but it has been learned that the Cingular Wireless Phone Company will be the primary sponsor on the #31 Chevy currently sponsored by Lowe's. Still no word on who will drive the car. Current #31 driver, Mike Skinner, still has a year left on his contract with RCR(Insider Racing News) AND hearing Robby Gordon has signed a 3-year deal with RCR to drive the #31 Cingular Chevy(8-17-2001)
UPDATE 6: It appears that Robby Gordon will be replacing Mike Skinner on Richard Childress's second team next season, with what is reported to be a three-year contract. Childress has told Mike Skinner he is free to look for another ride.(Winston Salem Journal)(8-20-2001)
- Telemetry Boxes: A total of 31 teams ran Sunday's race with telemetry boxes that were made optional after a battery pack powering one caught on fire in Robby Gordon's car caught on fire last week at Watkins Glen. All 43 cars ran the boxes in all of the previous Cup races this season. Ten cars ran in-car cameras.(That's Racin') AND The latest on the TV telemetry box debate: Jeff Gordon, Ricky Rudd and Dale Jarrett were among the most prominent drivers whose car owners rejected mounting the boxes this week(Winston Salem Journal)(8-20-2001)
- Little E dons a head restraint UPDATE Stewart and Spencer are the only non wearers: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr., at the urging of several fellow Winston Cup drivers, wore a head-and-neck restraint device for the first time in Saturday afternoon's final practice session at Michigan. "I was just trying it out," Earnhardt Jr. said. "In the past week or so a couple of drivers asked me if I would try it out. So I figured I probably should." Earnhardt Jr. said he would likely wear the device in Sunday's Pepsi 400 and in further Cup races(That's Racin')(8-19-2001)
UPDATE: only two drivers, #26-Jimmy Spencer and #20-Tony Stewart, were not wearing head-restraint devices, among the 43 participating in the Michigan event.(SpeedVision)(8-20-2001)
(8-19-2001)
see the Aug 13-19, 2001 Archived News Page
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