PAST NEWS SEPT 10-16, 2001
THE PAST NEWS! YESTERDAY and BEYOND..
OTHER PAST NEWS PAGES
(9-15-2001)
- Dover Hotel Room Problem? NASCAR.com is reporting - that due to the influx of military and medical personnel into the Dover, Del. area, some hotels have been calling NASCAR teams asking if they would be willing to cancel their contracted reservations for next weekend's events at Dover. Because of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, the nearby Dover Air Force Base has been elevated to "alert status." The base is expecting an influx of military personnel to handle the deceased and wounded from the terrorist attacks, along with those aiding in the clean-up and recovery operations. If the NASCAR teams choose not to give up their rooms, the hotels are still honoring the reservations. The only thing that could override the reservation is a mandate from the U.S. government.(NASCAR.com)(9-15-2001)
- SCCA Officials on Plane: Two race officials of the Sports Car Club of America were aboard United flight 93 which crashed in rural Pennsylvania on September 11. It is believed the crash occured because passengers thwarted hijackers attempts to fly to Washington DC. Linda Gronlund, 47, a native of Sag Harbor, NY and an attorney for BMW North America in Montvale, NJ, was traveling to the California wine country on a birthday vacation with her boyfriend, Joseph DeLuca. Gronlund was able to telephone her sister from the air, discussing plans to retake control of the plane. Gronlund was chief of flagging and communications for the Northern New Jersey
Region of SCCA. F+C officials are seen at trackside around road racing tracks, displaying flags at each corner to indicate course condition. The NNJR stages races at Lime Rock Park in CT, including the upcoming North Atlantic championship races on September 29. Gronlund was introduced to the sport by DeLuca, also of New Jersey. Joe is a former Regional Executive of NNJR, an amateur sports car racer and cartoonist for the region's monthly publication.(9-15-2001)
(9-14-2001)
- Race Postponed until Nov 23rd: hearing from good sources that the New Hampshire race has been postponed (NOT cancelled) from this weekend until Friday, November 23rd, 2001 (day after Thanksgiving and it'll be cold). The field will be set by Owners Points and it will be a one day event(9-13-2001 1:25pm/et)
UPDATE: NASCAR's Winston Cup race in New Hampshire on Sunday was postponed because of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. The move to put off the New Hampshire 300, announced by the speedway's owner, followed a decision by the NFL to scrap its games for this Sunday. The race was rescheduled for Friday, Nov. 23, the day after Thanksgiving. "It was NASCAR's decision, but we agreed with them 100 percent," track owner Bob Bahre said. "We hated to cancel [postponed not canceled], but at the same time you have to think of the people, all the problems they have in New York. I think all our fans will understand, and we'll honor all their tickets," Bahre said. About 4,000 fans in mobile homes already had arrived at the track, some of them as early as last Saturday. The race, the second of the season at the 1-mile oval, attracts about 100,000 fans. It was only the second non-weather postponement for NASCAR in at least 30 years. The 1999 (actuallly it was the 1998 race, not 1999) Pepsi 400 in at Daytona International Speedway was postponed from July until October because of forest fires in central Florida.
see two columns at That's Racin': Sunday's Winston Cup race postponed and NASCAR postpones N.H. race(9-13-2001 2:27pm/et)
UPDATE 2: NASCAR has announced the postponement of Sunday's New Hampshire 300 NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at New Hampshire International Speedway. The race has been rescheduled for Friday, November 23. NASCAR also announced the cancellation of the New Hampshire 125 for Busch North Series cars and the New Hampshire 100 for Featherlite Modified Series. Speedway official announced that tickets for Sunday's New Hampshire 300 will be honored for the rescheduled race on November 23. They also announced that those having tickets for Saturday's Busch North Series and Featherlite Modified Series races can receive refunds by mail. The Speedway's mailing address for Saturday refunds is:
New Hampshire International Speedway
P.O. Box 7888
Loudon, NH 03307
Gary Bahre, NHIS President said, "We fully support NASCAR's decision to postpone the race. We regret the tragic circumstances that made the postponement necessary, but we truly understand the decision, and our hearts go out to those who have suffered losses." Mike Helton, NASCAR President said, "We join the nation in mourning those who lost their lives and pray that those wounded will fully recover." The starting line-up for the New Hampshire 300 has already been set according to the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series rule book and will be used for the rescheduled race(NHIS PR)
Starting Lineup: NASCAR announced that there would be no qualifying and that the field would be lined up according to the points and procedures announced last Tuesday, not according to the points at the time of the rescheduled race(SpeedVision). See the starting lineup on myNew Hampshire 400 Starting Lineup page (since the fields is set by Owners Points not Drivers Points, if a driver change is made by Nov 2001, the car will start in the same spot with the new driver).
NOTE: Last year, the high temperatures on the weekend after Thanksgiving in the region were in the 20s. ALSO - This is all I know or has been reported, no word on exact schedule for the postponed race has been posted as of yet(9-14-2001)
- Fire at Petty Enterprises UPDATE 3: hearing there was a fire at Petty Enterprises Wednesday afternoon, been told it was a small in the engine room, more info as it is found
UPDATE: FOX8 WGHP reported today that a fire occured at the Petty Enterprises shop, two crewmembers injured, one mechanic was flown to Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, NC with burns to hands and legs. The other employee was not injured as badly. Appears that gasoline was spilled while preparing the 44 car to load on the hauler, the spill entered a room that contained a hot water heater and ignited. Guil Rand Fire Dept responded(a few readers sent this info)(9-12-2001)
UPDATE 2: Two employees were injured at Petty Enterprises Wednesday afternoon when vapors from a fuel spill were ignited in a storage area. The two men were loading a 55-gallon drum of racing fuel onto a truck when the drum was knocked over. One of the caps on the drum was either missing or loose, allowing the fuel to spill. Vapors drifted into an adjacent room where a pressure washer is kept. The vapors were ignited by a flame from the hot water heater that supplies the pressure washer with water. The identities of the two men were unavailable Wednesday night. Randolph County EMS responded to the accident. A helicopter from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center transported one of the men from the complex. Hussey said the man who was airlifted had received injuries to his leg and arm. The fire had been extinguished by the time firefighters arrived at the complex. He said a former Level Cross volunteer firefighter works at Petty Enterprises. Hussey said that man orchestrated the use of fire extinguishers and the cleanup of the spill.(Racing Extra)(9-13-2001)
UPDATE 3: A small storage room located at the famed Petty Enterprises race shop caught on fire late Wednesday afternoon leaving two crew men with injuries and burns. The fire was believed to be caused when the two crew men, Mike Root and Rich Parks, were cleaning up a gasoline spill and a flash fire erupted. Root suffered second and third-degree burns to his arms and legs. He was taken to Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem to be treated for his injuries. Root was kept overnight where he remains in stable condition. Parks suffered a laceration to his head and a minor burn to his hands. He drove to High Point Regional Hospital where he was checked and released. The famed A-frame shop at Petty Enterprises suffered minimal damage. "Our thoughts and prayers are both with Mike and Rich this morning," said Kyle Petty, who serves as the CEO of Petty Enterprises. "Things could have been a lot worse than they were, and we.re grateful that both are going to be ok."(Williams Company PR)(9-14-2001)
- TV Ratings - Richmond: Nielsen Media Research has delayed issuing its final national ratings report due to the chaos in New York City, but the broadcast network overnights and cable ratings have been compiled. Richmond had a three-night show culminating with Winston Cup Saturday evening on TNT. The Cup audience totaling just under 3m households and a 6.2 share. Friday night, the Busch Series on TNT drew 1.3m households – a pretty good audience for that time slot, while the trucks had just under half a million households tuned in Thursday night on ESPN2.
Winston Cup, Richmond (TNT, 9/8) 3.5 rating / 6.2 share / 2.927m households
Busch Series, Richmond, (TNT, 9/7) 1.5 rating / 2.8 share / 1.271m households
Craftsman Trucks, Richmond (espn2, 9/6) 0.58 rating / 1 share / 0.465m households(SpeedVision)(9-14-2001)
(9-13-2001)
- Lazzaro to run limited 2002 Schedule: TWC Motorsport Ltd. announces its plans to compete in the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The TWC Motorsport Ltd. team (#68) will run a limited schedule in 2002 competing in 15 races. Anthony Lazzaro will be the driver of the team's Chevy Monte Carlo. Lazzaro has competed in Winston Cup Series, Busch Grand National Series, IRL, Grand-American Road Racing Series, ALMS, Kool/Toyota Atlantic and Speedvision Cup. Lazzaro won the 1999 Toyota Atlantic Championship as well as Championships in 1994 and 1995 in the Hooters Pro FF2000, in 1993 the Valvoline Runoffs, and was the World Karting Association World Champion in 1987,1988 and 1992. Tom Coleman, the owner of TWC Motorsport Ltd., has also competed in several motorsport racing series over the past 14 years as a driver and owner. With the experience gained at the Winston Cup level in 2001, the decision to run a limited schedule in the Winston Cup series in 2002 will allow the team to test at each track prior to the event. This approach will maximize the potential for success in each race. The team operates out of a state of the art race facility located in Asheville, North Carolina. TWC Motorsport Ltd. is in the process of seeking primary and associate sponsors for the limited 2002 season and plans to run a full schedule in 2003.(TWC Motorsport PR)(9-13-2001)
- Ultra Motorsports to Quit Cup? While contemplating taking sponsor NationsRent to court, Ultra Motorsports owner Jim Smith says he won't run his Winston Cup team without sponsorship next year. He does, however, expect to have a Busch Series team in addition to his two-team entry in the Craftsman Truck Series. He plans on running a Dodge in the Busch Series, and will convert his Cup team to Dodges as well if it still exists. Truck series star Ted Musgrave expects to drive for the team, but exactly what he'll drive is uncertain. He has heard from a few Winston Cup teams, but said they currently lack sponsorship so he's wary of signing with anyone else. Problems with NationsRent, meanwhile, will likely send Smith to court. "We have a contract for next year," Smith said. "They're in financial trouble, I don't know. I see us in court very soon."(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(9-13-2001)
- Homestead News: Saturday's NASCAR Winston Cup Open House/Select-A-Seat Day, Including The Car Shows And 5k Run At Homestead-Miami Speedway, Has Been Re-Scheduled For Sunday, October 14 Due To This Week's National Events.(Homstead-Miami Speedway PR)(9-13-2001)
- Race Still on at the Moment UPDATE 3 Travel Info: Still early to tell but NBC6 Sports/On Track from Lowe's Motor Speedway show from Charlotte, NC reports that a NHIS track official says NASCAR has informed them that "everything is still going on as scheduled" at Loudon (for the New Hampshire 300 Cup race) this weekend as of 2:00pm/et today and NASCAR says "As of right now, everything is on, but we will continue to evaluate the situation." So far Major League Baseball has postponed tonight's games, hearing the NHRA has postponed this weekends event. CART, IRL, NFL, and other leagues are discussing plans for the weekend. See another story at ESPN: Sports world reacts quickly to attacks
UPDATE: As of Tuesday afternoon, the planned Winston Cup race Sunday at New Hampshire International Raceway in Loudon, N.H., remains on schedule. NASCAR officials continue to discuss the fate of the race, which has been put in doubt by the tragic terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington. Air travel - the primary means by which series officials and competitors would travel to the race - remains stopped (until Thursday, Sept 13th unknown time - as of now). Should the race be canceled, it is unclear what would happen to the event. There are no off-weekends remaining in the 2001 schedule until after the Nov. 18 season finale at Atlanta Motor Speedway.(That's Racin')(9-11/12-2001)
UPDATE 2: A NASCAR spokesman Wednesday afternoon said the sanctioning body “is hopeful of making a decision within the next 24 hours” on whether or not Sunday’s Winston Cup New Hampshire 300 would take place at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon.(NASCAR.com), FSN's Totally NASCAR reoported that a decision would be made by 12noon/et on Thursday, Sept 13th(9-12-2001)
UPDATE 3 - TRAVEL INFO: With the possibility of racing resuming this weekend, NASCAR.com collected some travel information and advice for those fans making the journey to Texas on Saturday for the Truck Series’s Silverado 350 and the Cup’s New Hampshire 300 on Sunday in Loudon. See NASCAR.com for Weekend travel information(9-13-2001)
(9-12-2001)
- New Hampshire Qualifying Cancelled - The Lineup: Activities scheduled for Friday, Sept. 14 at New Hampshire International Speedway, Loudon, N.H., for NASCAR.s Winston Cup Series have been cancelled, officials announced today. Qualifying for Sunday.s New Hampshire 300 was scheduled for Friday. The 43-car field for Sunday's New Hampshire 300 will be set according to the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series rule book. "Our country has experienced a terrible tragedy today," said NASCAR.s President, Mike Helton. "All of the NASCAR community offers our sincerest sympathies to all those who have suffered losses. We will continue to monitor and evaluate this situation and make the appropriate decisions as the week progresses." At this time, Saturday and Sunday track activities remain unchanged(NASCAR PR). Qualifying will be set as follows:
#1) - First 35 by current Owner Points
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - Past Winston Cup Champions not in by steps 1 and 2
#4) - Qualifying Attempts with Owners points as the tie breaker
(so if one owner has 4 qualifying attempts and one has 3 attempts but has more Owners points the owner with 4 attempts makes the race), Owners Points and Attempts can be seen on my Provisional Page(9-11-2001)
THE LINEUP: if the race at NHIS is run on Sunday, September 16th, see the New Hampshire 300 Lineup Page, NASCAR.com has an entry list posted (Entry List Link), which inlcuded three teams/drivers who did not make the tentative lineup: #13-Hermie Sadler, #89-Morgan Shepherd and #98-TBA(which was going to be Kenny Wallace before he took over the #1 Pennzoil Chevy for injured Steve Park), these teams didn't have enough race attempts to make the race(9-12-2001)
- Revised Schedule if race is held at NHIS:
Saturday, September 15th
11:00am - 12:00noon/et NASCAR Winston Cup Series Practice
3:30pm/et (Approximately) NASCAR Winston Cup Series Final Practice (One hour, time permitting)
Sunday, September 16th
1:00pm/et New Hampshire 300 (300 Laps): NASCAR Winston Cup Series(NHIS PR)(9-12-2001)
(9-11-2001)
- Kansas Testing UPDATE: hearing that #18-Labonte, #93-Blaney, #8-Earnhardt Jr, #33-Nemechek, #11-Bodine will be testing for the upcoming (Sept 30th) Cup race at Kansas Speedway on Sept 10th amd 11th(9-5-2001)
UPDATE: #10 Valvoline Pontiac team is in the process of returning to Charlotte via automobiles Tuesday afternoon after canceling the second day of a scheduled two-day test session in Kansas City. Crew chief James Ince said there was no desire on his, driver Johnny Benson's, or the team's part to test after witnessing the attacks in New York City and Washington. Ince also said emergency aircraft were not available in case of an accident at the race track. "We felt it was best to come home," said Ince. "There just wasn't any desire to run after what we watched on television today."(MBV PR) AND
The #93 Cup team loaded up immediately and began the 16-hour drive home from KC after seeing the devastation in NYC and DC. The core group of the #93 team (Dave Blaney, Crew Chief Doug Randolph, Shock SP. Eric Slade plus their R&D team) were completed yesterday's plans but could not fly home today on the King Air 300 for obvious reasons.(Bill Davis Racing), the #36 GNC BGN team also cancelled it's test at Kansas(9-11-2001)
- PRN's Garage Pass will have driver reactions and comments on today's show about the NYC/Wash DC Tradegy, some comments: "Brett Bodine told us he and Joe Nemechek stayed in KC to test...the rest headed home via cars and trucks. We got up with Jimmy Spencer, who was going to meet with a sponsor out west. He was in the Houston airport when it got shutdown. We found him in Beaumont, TX in a car driving back to NC...around a 16 hour drive.(9-11-2001)
- Fox sorces say race will be cancelled: Although sources have indicated to FOX Sports Net's Totally NASCAR that Sunday's Winston Cup race at Loudon, N.H., will be cancelled, NASCAR announced only Friday's qualifying at Loudon is cancelled(see story above). If the Winston Cup Series does race at Loudon Sunday, the starting order will be set by point standings. Totally NASCAR's staff contacted every Winston Cup and Busch Series team Tuesday, except PPI Racing with Winston Cup drivers Andy Houston and Ricky Craven. Everyone is accounted for and safe. The only person outside the United States is car owner Richard Childress, who is in British Columbia, Canada. A test at the new Kansas Speedway was cancelled this morning. All teams, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bobby Labonte, are driving the nearly 1,000 miles between the Kansas City, Kan. facility and their Charlotte, N.C. team headquarters. Tuesday's edition of Totally NASCAR has been cancelled due to the attacks on the United States. For complete coverage of the NASCAR community's reaction to this tragedy, tune in to FOX Sports Net at 6 p.m. local on Wednesday.(FoxSports)(9-11-2001)
- But: The horrifying terrorist attacks on the United States Tuesday morning are obviously still being sorted out and will likely take a good bit of time to unravel, and while it may seem trivial, we [SpeedVision] must report that the attack, and the subsequent shutdown of airports nationwide, may take its toll on the weekend’s racing action. NASCAR was to be in Loudon, New Hampshire, while CART is heading overseas to England, the Indy Racing League is readying for its season finale in Texas and the Grand-Am road racing series is also prepping for its last race of the year in Daytona. All of the series are at least discussing the possible cancellation of this weekend’s events as everyone watches to see how the events unfold. NASCAR officials, like all others in America, were aghast and shocked at the terrorist actions in New York and elsewhere Tuesday morning and were watching developments with concern. "We, like everybody else, are glued to the TV," said Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice-president for communications. Motorsport events, such as press conferences and public appearances, were immediately canceled as the enormity of the disasters became known. Hunter said NASCAR's office in New York, midtown at 375 Park Avenue, was not directly affected. "Everybody's fine there," Hunter said. "Of course, they can't get off the island. Some are still in the office. Some went over to the Waldorf, where they have some rooms. They told us quite a number of the New York employees had relatives working [at the World Trade Center]." Hunter also said NASCAR is in discussions with the Bahre family, owners of the New Hampshire International Speedway, site of this weekend's scheduled Winston Cup event, and that decisions about that race likely would be made later Tuesday. "We talking to the Bahres," he said. "We've talked to them twice. We're going to keep monitoring it, then decide what to do."(SpeedVision)(9-11-2001)
- NASCAR donation to GOP draws notice AND: NASCAR gave $15,000 to the state Republican Party just one day after a judge upheld the constitutionality of a law passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature that bars access to autopsy photographs, including those of racing legend Dale Earnhardt. Campaign records show the Republican party reported the check on June 14, a day after Circuit Judge Joseph Will refused to release Earnhardt's autopsy photos, according to a Gannett News Service story published by the Pensacola News Journal, The News-Press in Fort Myers, and Florida Today in Melbourne. NASCAR and GOP officials denied any connection between the state political gift and the Legislature's swift passage of a bill blocking public access to autopsy photos. See full AP story at That's Racin': NASCAR gave $15,000 to GOP day after autopsy photos sealed(9-10-2001)
AND from CNN/SI - Questions remain - Ethicists debate independence of Earnhardt report(9-11-2001)
(9-10-2001)
- 2002 Winston Cup Schedule Released: NASCAR released the official 2002 Winston Cup schedule, highlights include 3 off weekends, the 1st Pocono and 1st Michigan race swap, Atlanta moves it fall race to Oct and Homestead is the season ender: See my 2002 Winston Cup Schedule page for the full rundown. Also see story at That's Racin': NASCAR unveils 2002 Winston Cup schedule, The season will have three off weekends, including the traditional Easter Sunday (March 31) and Mother's Day (May 12) weekends, along with the weekend of June 30. Also see NASCAR.com for 2002 Winston Cup schedule and for the 2002 Busch Series schedule. So it looks like another long marathon after the June 30th OFF date(9-10-2001)
- 2nd Morgan-McClure team? UPDATE 6 Lepage will not return in 2002: .......Another small outfit, Morgan-McClure Racing, is trying to land another primary sponsor in an effort to add a second team. How much might either organization benefit from the addition of a second team? Greatly, at least according to Larry McClure. “Having more money and a second team allows you to do more things more economically,” Larry McClure said. “You can run that second team more cheaply than you can the first. Another team would also allow you to try certain things that you can’t with just one; try more things with the engine or the chassis or the aero package. Also, with a second team, if one guy is complaining about something, but the other guy isn’t, you’re able to get to the bottom of problems a lot more quickly.”(CNN/SI), hadn't heard or seen anything on this in a while, thought it would be of interest. ALSO - hearing Mike Skinner could be the driver if they start a 2nd team(8-29-2001)
UPDATE: Skinner's next ride is unclear, and there is talk he might wind up with car owner Larry McClure(#4 team).(Winston Salen Journal) AND Recent reports have Skinner going to Morgan-McClure, not as a replacement for Kevin Lepage but as the driver of a new team. Word is that Skinner will bring some sponsorship with him, though there's no knowledge on who that sponsor might be.(CNN/SI)(9-2-2001)
UPDATE 2: also hearing Skinner could be the driver of the #4 Kodak Chevy in 2002. No word on if this happens how it would effect Lepage or IF the team expamds to two cars, Lepage could be in the 2nd car(9-4-2001)
UPDATE 3: Skinner has talked with Larry McClure, who has yet to decide if Kevin Lepage will remain with that team next year. "I have talked with Skinner, but we're not negotiating anything," McClure said. "I've talked with several people. But right now, Kevin's driving the race car and we're trying to go forward." McClure has long looked to run a second team, but insists that's not in his immediate future(Winston Cup Scene - in part - need sub to read)(9-6-2001)
UPDATE 4: Larry McClure is growing frustrated with changes on his No. 4 Chevrolet team, but he's going to make at least one more. McClure said Friday he would have a new driver for his Winston Cup program in 2002. He said he did not renew the contract of current driver Kevin Lepage, which expires at the conclusion of this season, by the Sept. 1 deadline. Lepage is the team's second driver this season; Robby Gordon drove the first five races with the team before McClure hired Lepage. In order to test his equipment to make sure it is up to the level of his competitors, McClure said he had his engines tested on the chassis dynos of other Chevrolet teams and had the aerodynamics compared on his Chevrolets. All are in line with other Chevrolet teams, McClure said. McClure said he had no timetable for signing a new driver(That's Racin')(9-7-2001)
UPDATE 5: McClure said a deadline came for him to let Lepage know if he planned to act on the extension in their agreement. He met the deadline by mailing Lepage a letter saying he was not extending the agreement at this time. He said he and Lepage are looking at options, but he hasn't ruled out Lepage competing in the car next season.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(9-8-2001)
UPDATE 6: Morgan-McClure Motorsports has made a decision not to renew a contract with Kevin Lepage as its driver for the 2002 Winston Cup season and beyond. The team will continue in its efforts to take the #4 KODAK MAX Film Monte Carlo back to a weekly competitive level. Morgan-McClure has not made a decision on a replacement for Lepage. Future plans will be announced later in the season(Morgan-McClure Motorsports PR)(9-10-2001)
(9-9-2001)
see the Sept 3-9, 2001 Archived News Page
Jayski's Silly Season Site Main Page
This page designed by Jayski LLC, 1996-2012© All Rights Reserved.
Jayski's® is a registered trademark of Jayski LLC
Do not duplicate or redistribute in any form without permission or credit.