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PAST NEWS NOV 12-18, 2001

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(11-18-2001)

Jeff Gordon Wins the Winston Cup Championship: with one race to go, #24-Jeff Gordon clinched his 4th Winson Cup Championship and is the youngest to ever have four (30 years old). Only two drivers have more: Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. #20-Tomy Stewart now is 2nd in the drivers tandings, see That's Racin' for the 2001 Unofficial Drivers Standings(11-18-2001)

Bobby Labonte wins as Nadeau runs out of gas: #18-Bobby Labonte won the NAPA 500 at Atlanta when #25-Jerry Nadeau ran out of fuel in turn four, Nadeau wiggled the car trying to get some fuel to pick up but could not, Labonte sped by for his 2nd win of the 2001 season. Labonte started from the farthest back (39th) then any Winston Cup race winner has since 1953. Labonte has now won four races after starting with a provisional (only 4 drivers have done that six times). #24-Jeff Gordon was 6th and clinced the Championship, all he needed was a 32nd or better today. See That's Racin' for NAPA 500 Results(11-18-2001)

Yunick Award: Raymond Parks, NASCAR's earliest multicar team owner, is the winner of this year's Smokey Yunick Racing Pioneer Award presented by Atlanta Motor Speedway for early contributions to the sport of auto racing. Parks owned cars driven by Fonty Flock, Bob Flock and Red Byron, who won NASCAR national championships from 1947 until 1949. Previous winners of the award were Jack Smith, Fireball Roberts and Red Voigt.(That's Racin'). Want to know more about Smokey Yunick? Checkout a book about him on my Racing Bookstore page(11-18-2001)

Provisionals Stay in 2002: NASCAR president Mike Helton said in a chat on NASCAR.com this week that the series wouldn't change its provisional system for next year. The final seven starting spots each weekend are provisionals. Helton: It is a program designed to help someone who competes every week, but is having a bad week. The evolution of that process is that we have 7 provisionals in a 43-car field. We will keep looking at it and tweaking it, but we will not change anything for the 2002 season. (11-17-2001)
Some Facts: from my Provisional Page: #24-Jeff Gordon has never used a provisional in his Winston Cup career, he started 40th at Talladega in 1994 when there were only two provisional spots, 41 and 42. And in Nov 1997, Gordon started 37th at Atlanta but then NASCAR only used four (plus a champs) provisional. AND:
how provisionals have progressed over the past few years:
before 1994 not sure how it was handled
1994 - two
1995 - four
1996 - four plus 1 champs(if no champ used it, it went unused)
1997 - four plus 1 champs(if no champ used it, the next team in owners points got it)
1998 - six plus 1 champs(if no champ used it, the next team in owners points got it)
1999 - six plus 1 champs(if no champ used it, the next team in owners points got it)
2000 - six plus 1 champs(if no champ used it, the next team in owners points got it)
2001 - six plus 1 champs(if no champ used it, the next team in owners points got it)(11-18-2001)

Haas Carter Motorsports annoucements UPDATE 2 - surprise it's Nemechek: Kmart and Haas Carter Motorsports Will Announce Their 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Plans With A Very Special Guest (Joe Nemechek?) on Saturday November 17, 2001 at 12:30pm/et at the Atlanta Motor Speedway Media Center(11-15/17-2001)
UPDATE: As has long been rumored (see my #26 Team News and Links page), Joe Nemechek will drive the #26 Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford in 2002, the team announced Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.(NASCAR.com)(11-17-2001)
UPDATE 2: Kmart announced it will continue its support of two Winston Cup cars in 2002 and will be an official sponsor of the Daytona 500. The two Kmart-sponsored cars will be prepared by Haas Carter Motorsports, which is owned and operated by Travis Carter. The two-car team features the #26 Kmart Ford driven by newcomer Joe Nemechek and the #66 Kmart BlueLight Special Ford driven by Todd Bodine. Haas Carter Motorsports recently announced their #26 Ford will have a new driver for the 2002 season, NASCAR veteran Joe Nemechek. Todd Bodine, driver of the No. 66 Kmart Blue Light Special Ford, will start his third [actually 2nd - raced one race for the team in 2000] season with Haas Carter Motorsports in 2002. Kmart also is an official sponsor for the 2002 Daytona 500. As part of Kmart.s effort to reach a wider NASCAR audience in 2002, Kmart will not sponsor the Kmart 400 [Michigan]. Instead, the company will focus its marketing efforts across the entire NASCAR schedule, rather than concentrating on just one race.(Haas Carter Motorsports/Golin-Harris PR)(11-18-2001)

Jones Honors Girl: Winston Cup driver Buckshot Jones will run Sunday's race with a hair bow in his #44 Dodge given to him by Bobby and Pam Simmons, the parents of a 13-year-old girl, Alicia Simmons, who died June 7 of a congenital heart defect. Alicia, of Homestead, Fla., was a Jones fan and had first seen him race in a Grand National event at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Alicia's 15-year-old brother, R.J., suffers from the same ailment.(That's Racin'), ALSO The weekend also has the possibility of becoming Jones, most memorable and exciting week, as he and his wife Jina are expecting their first child. The child is due November 21st, but may come earlier than doctors expect(Williams Company)(11-18-2001)

IROC Special: True Value IROC 25th Anniversary Show Sunday on ESPN2. Lingner Group Productions has completed a documentary honoring the 25th Anniversary of IROC. The first airing of the program will be this Sunday night at 9:00pm/et on ESPN2. This is a one hour program that looks though the history of one of sports first "made for TV" events. A simple concept presented by Roger Penske, Mark Donahue [it's Donohue], and Les Richter has become a motorsports institution. This program includes interviews with more than 25 IROC competitors. Drivers interviewed include early champions like Bobby Unser, Bobby Allison and Mario Andretti. The complete IROC library of 100 races was screened for this program, and that includes the inaugural season when the drivers competed in Porsches. Many famous voices will be heard from the early days of motorsports on TV including Keith Jackson, Jim McKay, Al Michaels, Chris Economaki, and Jackie Stewart. Bob Jenkins, the current ESPN and ABC play by play announcer for IROC, is the host and narrator for the program.(IROC PR)(11-18-2001)

(11-17-2001)

Park Not Ready? Wallace to Stay? 4th DEI car? UPDATE 3 Kenny signs with DEI but: There's nothing official yet, but it appears that Steve Park may not be ready to run in next year's season-opening Daytona 500. Ty Norris, who runs Dale Earnhardt Inc. with Teresa Earnhardt, isn't saying much about Park, who was injured at Darlington in September, but insiders said that this week's scheduled announcement in Atlanta could be to say that Kenny Wallace will continue running the DEI car for Park next spring and that when Park does come back, it will be in a second Pennzoil-sponsored car.(Winston Salem Journal) AND Though team representatives have said that Park's recovery is proceeding well if somewhat slowly, there is still no clear idea if Park will be able to drive the car in Daytona next February. As a result, Dale Earnhardt Incorporated has set a deadline of this week to come to a decision about who will be driving the car at the start of next season. A spokesman for DEI said Sunday that an announcement will be made later this week in Atlanta. Kenny Wallace, who has two top-10 finishes in his past three starts in place of Park, is expected to be named to drive the car until such time as Park is able to return(CNN/SI)(11-12-2001)
UPDATE: Dale Earnhardt, Inc. to announce 2002 plans for the #1 Pennzoil Chevrolet on Friday, November 16 at 9:30am/et at Atlanta Motor Speedway(Pennzoil PR)(11-15-2001)
UPDATE 2: Kenny Wallace has signed a 1 year contract to drive with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated (DEI) and Pennzoil. Wallace will compete in the 2002 season with the #1 Pennzoil Chevrolet until Steve Park returns to DEI. At that point he may run selected or all the events in a fourth DEI car. Kenny Wallace and IMI will compete in the 2002 BGN series, running 22 races the #48 Chevrolet.(Kenny Wallace Racing Site)(11-16-2001)
UPDATE 3: Norris said that Wallace is guaranteed a ride in a DEI car only in the season-opening Bud Shootout at Daytona and that if Park is ready to return when the 2002 season opens the team would not field four Cup cars on a full-time basis.(That's Racin') AND The contract guarantees Wallace nothing except a ride in the 2002 Budweiser Shootout, but he will be paid handsomely. The money and a shot at winning convinced Wallace not to accept a two-year deal to drive for another team, apparently A.J. Foyt’s.[#14](Gaston Gazette)(11-17-2001)

Burtons team to wear helmets too: Ward Burton’s [#22] crew will apparently wear helmets of some kind in Sunday’s NAPA 500. "It is very tight on pit road everywhere we go," Burton said. "We’re (drivers) all doing everything we can to get that extra spot on pit road. That’s the nature of the business. Things just get bottled up and that’s when there is a greater chance of accidents happening on pit road. Those guys that go over the wall are so vulnerable to injury; they’re out there doing their jobs, and they can’t pay attention to what anyone else is doing and that puts them at greater risk." Crew chief Tommy Baldwin bought three different kinds of helmets to try out, hoping to balance safety with a model that does not impede movement.(Gaston Gazette)(11-17-2001)

Penske to Dodge? UPDATE 2: on Wednesday's(8-15-2001) ESPN2's RPM2 Night. Robin Miller mentioned to look for Penske Racing(#'s 02,2,12) to go to Dodge in NASCAR for 2002. But back in Jan 2000, it was announced that Penske had signed with Ford to run the manufacturer thru 2002(8-16-2001)
UPDATE? from an ESPN's (Robin) Miller Mailbag - "Is there any truth to what you said a few weeks ago,that that Penske NASCAR is going to run a Dodge in 2002?" - answer: "A.J. Foyt told me Penske would be in a Dodge next year"(ESPN - Robin Miller Mailbag), back in late 1999 it was reported that Penske signed a three year deal with Ford that would last thru 2002.(11-13-2001)
UPDATE 2: Roger Penske, according to A. J. Foyt, is considering a switch from Ford to Dodge. But crew chief Robin Pemberton said, "If we're switching, somebody better tell me. Take that as a no."(Winston Salem Journal)(11-17-2001)

Earnhardt Auction: The Dale Earnhardt Tribute Auction, a silent and live auction of race items to raise money for the Dale Earnhardt tribute planned in Kannapolis, N.C., is 2-7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, in Cannon Village. The auction will include like autographed uniforms, tires, pictures, hats, shirts, sheet metal and items from local businesses. There will also be games and radio-controlled race cars available. Items for auction are still being accepted. A list of what's been donated can be found at www.ci.Kannapolis.nc.us(That's Racin'), the Dale Earnhardt Steering Committee is sponsoring its first fundraising event- the Dale Earnhardt Auction. Media support is being contributed by WSOC FM 103.7(11-17-2001)

Police Investigate Pitroad Accident: Following last Sunday's pit road accident at Homestead, Miami-Dade Police Department detectives began an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, which sent two members of Ricky Rudd's [#28] team to hospitals. The investigation included interviewing the crews and photographing the scene and the cars involved. The haulers of two teams - those of Ward Burton and Rudd - were stopped on the highway on their return to North Carolina so photos could be taken of the race cars. NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter termed the investigation routine and said Miami-Dade officers had conducted a similar inquiry following the death of NASCAR Truck series driver John Nemechek at the South Florida track in 1997. Hunter said the investigation was for all practical purposes over since Burrell is apparently recovering.(That's Racin')(11-17-2001)

Gordon and the Indy 500: After being announced as the driver for the #31 Cingular Chevy for the 2002 season, Robby Gordon says he may still run the Indy 500 if the right deal can be worked out (and it is with Richard Childress)(Insider Racing News/FSN's Totally NASCAR)(11-17-2001)

(11-16-2001)

Spencer, Ganassi and Target? UPDATE 2 #41? YEP Official: Chip Ganassi will announce this weekend (Saturday) that Jimmy Spencer will drive the #01 Dodge next season with Target as the primary sponsor.(Sporting News)(11-12-2001)
UPDATE: hearing the number of the #01 Dodge will change to #41? The #41 Target Dodge(11-13-2001)
UPDATE 2: hearing from readers that the Friday edition of the Atlanta Journal Constitution has a Target ad with a picture of the #41 Target Dodge in it(11-16-2001)
UPDATE 3: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates announced that Target Stores will serve as primary sponsor of the #41 Dodge Intrepid R/T in the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, and NASCAR veteran Jimmy Spencer will drive the Target car. Target Stores and Jimmy Spencer are not the only newcomers to the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates team. Doug Randolph will take over crew chief duties for the #41 Target Dodge in 2002. Former crew chief Matt Chambers will move into a new role overseeing the team's testing program.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Site), see an image of the car on the Paint Schemes Gallery(11-16-2001)

Evernham Announcement at Atlanta - UPDATE it's Official: scheduled for Friday, November 16th at 8:30am/et (11-14-2001)
New Website: the Evernham Motorsports website: www.evernhammotorsports.com will launch at 8:40am/et on Friday, Nov 16th. Currently there is an image and some links to sponsors posted. Now has some info listed including a Jermey Mayfield link and bio, but no announcement there...yet
UPDATE the announcment: Evernham Motorsports and Ultra Motorsports today announced the formation of a new partnership. This partnership agreement represents the continued growth strategy of the president and CEO of Evernham Motorsports, Ray Evernham, and his Winston Cup organization, further expanding his quest for a championship. The agreement for 2002 outlines plans for Evernham Motorsports to field the #9 Dodge Dealers Intrepid R/T with Bill Elliott as the driver as well as the #19 Dodge Dealers Intrepid R/T with Jeremy Mayfield as the driver. Ultra Motorsports will field with the #7 Dodge Intrepid R/T with Casey Atwood as the driver, with a sponsor to be named later. The partnership, which joins Dodge's Winston Cup Series development partner with the manufacturer's lead Craftsman Truck Series team, involves support from team owner Ray Evernham and Evernham Motorsports for team owner Jim Smith and Ultra Motorsports. This support includes the transition of rookie driver Casey Atwood to the #7 Dodge, production of engines for the #7 team, and support from Evernham Marketing Services for sponsorship development. Ray Evernham also will provide consultation and management of competition personnel. Ultra Motorsports will provide management of day-to-day operations of the No. 7 team, which will be based out of Ultra Motorsports current headquarters in Mooresville, NC. Dodge and the Dodge Dealers will continue their sponsorship of the #9 and #19 Dodge Intrepid R/Ts from Evernham Motorsports. The #7 car will be an additional Dodge Intrepid R/T competing in the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series.(Evernham Motorsports Site)(11-16-2001)

RCR Announcements at Atlanta UPDATE: Richard Childress Racing is scheduled to make a pair of announcements next weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway concerning drivers for its #31 Cup team and #2 BGN team. On Friday, Robby Gordon, who has substituted frequently in the #31 this season in place of injured driver Mike Skinner, will be named the team's new full-time driver for 2002. In addition, RCR is expected to announce ASA champ Johnny Sauter will run a full schedule and compete for rookie of the year honors in the #2 Chevy next season. Originally, Harvick was going to run most of the races held in conjunction with Winston Cup events, while Sauter would run the remainder of the schedule. Harvick, who won the series title this season in the car, will run few, if any, races with the team while Sauter will compete full time.(That's Racin')(11-12-2001)
UPDATE: from www.cingular.com website, Cingular's newsroom is reporting the signing of Robby Gordon: Robby Gordon will drive the #31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. "Driving for Richard Childress Racing and Cingular Wireless is the perfect opportunity for me," said Gordon. "RCR has made winning races and championships a tradition for three decades and I'm confident we'll be able to contribute our share of success to the program. Cingular Wireless is about creativity and self-expression and it's no secret that I've been known to creatively express myself throughout my career. I'm still learning a lot in Winston Cup racing so I appreciate Richard's confidence in me to get the job done and I look forward to getting the Cingular Wireless team on the winning track."
"Robby's a winner and a champion," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing Enterprises, Inc. "He understands what it takes to be successful - and that will give the Cingular Wireless program a big head start for next season. Robby's experience in the No. 31 car this year allowed him to get comfortable working with Gil (Martin, crew chief) and the crew and got him more seat time in a NASCAR Winston Cup car. I think it's just a matter of time before he starts consistently getting finishes like the one he had in Phoenix.", see an image of the car on the Paint Schemes Gallery(11-16-2001)

Papis to NASCAR? No: Contrary to published reports, two-time 2001 CART race winner Max Papis does not yet have a test day scheduled in which the open-wheel driver will try his hand in a NASCAR stock car. Various reports had Papis set to take part in a test with Cal Wells’ PPI Motorsports team, but the Wells team said that they had no test sessions scheduled with papis. Papis was at the Homestead Cup race last weekend as a guest of the Wells team – for whom he started his Champ Car (CART) career back in 1996. (SpeedVision)(11-16-2001)

Donlavey sues Hill Bros: #90 Cup owner Junie Donlavey has filed suit against Sara Lee, parent company of former sponsor Hills Brothers Coffee. Donlavey's case argues that Sara Lee wrongfully withheld $300,000 that is owed to the team, wrongfully terminated the contract and is not entitled to reimbursement of sums previously paid to Donlavey's team. Sara Lee, in a letter dated Oct. 26, has demanded restitution of $138,888.89 for each of the five races in which driver Hut Stricklin did not run. The total contract for the team is $5 million this season. The suit stems from an ongoing dispute about whether Donlavey had the right to replace Stricklin.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(11-16-2001)

Mast 2002 plans? Rick Mast received some good news recently. For the first time in three years, he will end the season knowing exactly where he will be next year. Mast did not divulge the identity of his new owner or car, but he said an announcement probably will be made early in December. "Everything is done," he said. "We'll be going into Christmas knowing what we're going to do for a change. That makes going into the holiday season a whole lot easier." Meanwhile, Mast will finish out the 2001 campaign with the No. 90 team. Two races remain on the schedule, one this weekend in Atlanta and the rescheduled race in New Hampshire over the Thanksgiving holiday.(News-Gazette)(11-16-2001)

(11-15-2001)

Gordon honored: Jeff Gordon is the third-quarter winner of the National Motorsports Press Association/Pocono Spirit Award for his work along with his wife, Brooke, on behalf of charities for children through his Jeff Gordon Foundation(That's Racin')(11-15-2001)

Points System to Stay: NASCAR officials are content with the points distribution system currently in place in the Winston Cup Series and say they have no plans to overhaul the formula. That, despite the fact that there have been occasions when the points race has been decided well before the end of the season, and other occasions when a driver with the most wins in a season has come out on the short end of the overall battle. But Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president of corporate communications, says it's highly unlikely any changes will be made anytime soon to the current points structure.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(11-15-2001)

Chex car at Atlanta: the #43 Chex Party Mix Dodge will be driven by John Andretti at the NAPA 500 at Atlanta, see an image of the car on my Paint Schemes Gallery(11-15-2001)

Change in the 2002 Rulebook? NASCAR President Mike Helton said that they were taking safety equipment under review. As far as apparel, there are no requirements as far as the drivers or the crew members are concerned as listed in the NASCAR 2001 Rule Book, but look for this to change in 2002. Since the beginning of the season, the requirement of a head and neck restraint device has gone into effect, and I would think that NASCAR will make more additions before the season starts in Daytona.(Sporting News). NOTE: the rulebook is not available to the public or found online(11-15-2001)

Dallenbach Unsettled on Plans for 2002: NBC/TNT analyst Wally Dallenbach is still looking at all of his options for 2002. During Wednesday's media conference call, he said, "I'm not sure which direction I'm going in. I'm glad that I have some options. I have the option to continue doing TV and I also have the option to go back to racing. I've enjoyed what I've done this year more than I could ever imagine and really had no idea coming into this thing as basically a complete rookie.. I'm really impressed with how everything did work and how hard these guys work. These guys spend a lot of time with their noses buried in computers, making notes and getting prepared for this..I'm proud to be apart of this team and I'm proud to see what we've built."(MotorsportsTV/NBC PR)(11-15-2001)

DeWalt and Watch The Bulls, Win the Tools: DeWalt Industrial Tools has partnered with the Professional Bull Riders Association (PBR) and NBC Sports to create the "Watch The Bulls, Win the Tools" promotion. DeWalt will use its NASCAR Winston Cup sponsorship of the #17 DeWalt Power Tools Ford Taurus to advertise the November 25th live telecast of the PBR Bud Light Challenge on NBC. The #17 DeWalt Ford, driven by Matt Kenseth, will sport the PBR World Challenge and NBC Sports logos on the hood of the car. NBC announcers will promote the event as Kenseth vies for a victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway and New Hampshire International Speedway. The "Watch the Bulls, Win the Tools" promotion will allow race viewers a chance to enter to win $5,000 in DeWalt Power Tools. Viewers will be given a password at the World Challenge intermission and will have to log on to www.dewalt.com/pbr in order to register to win. DeWalt is thrilled about the partnership and the opportunity to combine two successful organizations, NASCAR and the PBR.(Grandstand PR)(11-15-2001)

Rusty and Elvis ride again: Race fans help celebrate the legend of Elvis Presley in 2002. As part of the Elvis Presley 25th Anniversary program, Elvis.com, Action Performance Companies, Inc., Rusty Wallace, and Miller Brewing Company will bring the King of Rock N. Roll back to the track. Rusty Wallace's #2 Miller Lite Ford Taurus at the Las Vegas Cup race on March 3, 2002. The special program will mark the second time in five years Wallace features Elvis Presley on his racecar.(Action PR), see an image of the car on my Paint Schemes Gallery (11-15-2001)

hmm..a switch in the Mayfield to Evernham 'rumor' UPDATE 2: If things unfold according to plan, Jeremy Mayfield will drive an Evernham Motorsports Dodge as Bill Elliott's teammate in 2002. Rookie Casey Atwood will also remain in an Intrepid, though it will be fielded by Ultra Motorsports [#7] with technical assistance from Ray Evernham(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(11-1-2001)
UPDATE: Rumors still persist that Jeremy Mayfield will unseat [#19] Casey Atwood at Evernham Motorsports. Ultra Motorsports owner Jim Smith, who runs the #7 NationsRent Ford, is talking to Dodge about a car make switch for 2002, under the guidance of Evernham. If that happens, expect Atwood to move to the #7 and Mayfield to take over the #19(FoxSports)(11-2-2001)
UPDATE 2 - Mayfield to join Evernham: Jeremy Mayfield will join Evernham Motorsports to drive the #19 Dodge in 2002, according to ESPN2's RPM2Night. Casey Atwood, current driver of the #19 ride, will move to Jim Smith's #7 Dodge. Team owner Ray Evernham also would buy a part of Smith's team, which is switching from Ford to Dodge for next season. An announcement is scheduled for Friday morning at Atlanta Motor Speedway, site of Sunday's NAPA 500.(ESPN)(11-15-2001)

Harvick, Waltrip and the NBA and the NHL: Kevin Harvick and Michael Waltrip will make a guest appearance on TNT's Inside The NBA on Thurs., Nov. 15, at approximately 11:30pm/et, with TNT host Ernie Johnson, and analysts Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley. Harvick is bringing his remote control cars to the studio so he and Waltrip can take on Johnson, Smith and Barkley in a race around the studio.. Both drivers are in town for the NAPA 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. AND On Friday, Harvick will drop the puck at the Atlanta Thrashers hockey game against the Nashville Predators, which airs on Turner South at 7:30 p.m., with the pre-game show beginning at 7 p.m.(NBC PR)(11-15-2001)

(11-14-2001)

Two Martins at Atlanta: Mark Martin will not be the only Martin competing at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. Matt Martin, Mark's nine-year-old son, will also be aiming for a win. While Mark will be concentrating on the Winston Cup race on Sunday, Matt will be focused on his Bandolero race after Saturday's ARCA event. Matt has just started racing a Bandolero this year and earned a third place finish at Lowe's Motor Speedway earlier this month. Both Martins are still looking for their first win of the season in their respective divisions, so hopefully Atlanta can be a family sweep for them.(Roush Racing PR)(11-14-2001)

TV Ratings at Homestead: This past weekend, NBC carried both Cup and Busch races from Homestead, the Cup race Sunday pulled a 3.8/8 overnight, up 23% from the 2000 NBC telecast. The Busch, however, was pretty much level with 2000, registering a 1.6/4. Last November, when it aired the Homestead Winston Cup/Busch weekend the Cup race pulled 3.1 overnight rating with a 7 share, while the Busch race did a 1.7/4.(SpeedVision)(11-14-2001)

(11-13-2001)

Air Dam Rules Change: A technical bulletin to Winston Cup teams allows Fords to add one-half inch to the air dams of their race cars while removing one inch from the two-inch extension given to Dodges in August. But no change was made to the Pontiac Grand Prix (or the Chevy Monte Carlo) by Tuesday's NASCAR bulletin.(That's Racin') AND On Tuesday, NASCAR officials informed teams that, effective immediately, the Ford Taurus will receive a half-inch kickout on its nose, while the Dodge Intrepid will have that same area reduced by one inch(NASCAR.com)(11-13-2001)

Yates Crew to wear helmets: FSN's Totally NASCAR reports that the Robert Yates Racing teams (#28 and #88) crew must wear helmets if they go over the wall AND Robert Yates said Tuesday he would equip his two Winston Cup teams with helmets beginning with Sunday's NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Roush Racing experimented with helmets, but its crews have not been using them this year. Jeff Burton said he'd like to see that change as soon as possible.(That's Racin')(11-13-2001)

Penske to Dodge? UPDATE: on Wednesday's(8-15-2001) ESPN2's RPM2 Night. Robin Miller mentioned to look for Penske Racing(#'s 02,2,12) to go to Dodge in NASCAR for 2002. But back in Jan 2000, it was announced that Penske had signed with Ford to run the manufacturer thru 2002(8-16-2001)
UPDATE? from an ESPN's (Robin) Miller Mailbag - "Is there any truth to what you said a few weeks ago,that that Penske NASCAR is going to run a Dodge in 2002?" - answer: "A.J. Foyt told me Penske would be in a Dodge next year"(ESPN - Robin Miller Mailbag), back in late 1999 it was reported that Penske signed a three year deal with Ford that would last thru 2002.(11-13-2001)

Pit Crews and Helmets? UPDATE: NASCAR president Mike Helton says all pit crew members who go over the wall might be asked to wear helmets in the future.(Sporting News)(11-12-2001)
UPDATE: NASCAR is considering mandating helmets for pit crew members during races. “Helmets are optional now, but we’re taking a hard look at either mandating them or strongly recommending them,” said Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice president for corporate communications. Some teams are planning to move forward in that direction regardless of NASCAR’s decision, including Michael Waltrip’s #15 NAPA Chevy crew. Waltrip's team has already budgeted crewmember helmets for 2002, according to a team spokeswoman. One team, Cal Wells’ #32 Tide Ford group, has long been required to wear helmets when going over the wall. Wells brought the idea of helmets for crew members with him from CART, where such devices are mandated.(NASCAR.com)(11-13-2001)

Foyt to field 2nd car at Atlanta: Mark Green will make his Cup Series debut driving a second Conseco Pontiac this weekend in the NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Team owner A.J. Foyt is fielding the #41 Conseco Pontiac as a thank you to Green for helping out Foyt's son Larry in his rookie year in the BGN. Larry Foyt finished 22nd in the standings in his Harrah'.s No. 14 Chevy. "Mark has been very helpful as a driving coach to Larry this year at those events that I could not make," said Foyt, who fields the #14 Conseco Pontiac for driver Ron Hornaday. "I wanted to thank Mark and the timing worked out for me to do it this weekend. Now that the Busch season is over, we're borrowing Larry's crew so there will be no strain on my regular Conseco NASCAR team. In fact, I think it can help my whole Team Conseco operation because we'll be getting feedback from two teams."
"I'm tickled to be driving in this situation," said Green. "I really enjoyed working with Larry this year. I drove for him at Richmond when he was hurt in September so we already have that communication going with his crew chief Jon Wolfe and his guys. It's great to be associated with such good people and, on top of that, to be driving for A.J. Foyt just makes it extra special."(Foyt Racing PR)(11-13-2001)

Pitroad Accident UPDATE 3 Crewman Better: Three members of the #28 pit crew and one NASCAR official were injured during a pit-road accident on Lap 111 of Sunday's Pennzoil Freedom 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. During a round of pit stops under caution, #22-Ward Burton pulled out from his pit stall and into the left side of #19-Casey Atwood. Burton then cut to his left and into Rudd's pit stall, where his crew was still performing a four-tire and gas pit stop. Bobby Burrell, Rudd's front-tire changer, was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami for treatment of head injuries. John Bryan, jackman for Rudd's team, was taken by ambulance to Baptist Hospital in Miami for treatment of knee injuries. Bryan is the brother-in-law of Todd Parrott, crew chief for Dale Jarrett, Rudd's teammate. Kevin Hall, the team's front-tire changer, was treated for bruises at the infield care center and released. NASCAR official Kenny Lawson, who was overseeing Rudd's pit stop, was seen and released from the infield car center. He was knocked onto the hood of Rudd's car. See full story and updates at That's Racin' and NASCAR.com. Allen Bestwick reported during the race that Burrell is awake and listed in serious condition(11-11-2001)
UPDATE Jackman John Bryan was treated at Baptist Hospital for knee injuries and a concussion, front tire carrier Kevin Hall was banged up and NASCAR official Kenny Lawson was not injured in the incident. Ward Burton headed to the hospital after the race. NASCAR officials said it was just a racing accident and no penalties would be assessed, but they are considering requiring helmets on pit road. It's a move several crew chiefs advocated after the race. Richard Childress Racing crew members Kirk Almquist (front tire carrier) and Scott Naset (front tire changer) moved over from working as backups for Rudd's team. The two have been working with Childress' Busch team. Jarrett jackman Shane Callis helped as well.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(11-12-2001)
UPDATE 2: NASCAR.com reports (as of 10:56am/et today) that "two of the three injured crew members of the No. 28 Ford driven by Ricky Rudd have been released from the hospital while a third is still under medical care in Miami. Bobby Burrell, the front tire changer who resides in Huntersville, N.C., is listed in serious condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital with a head injury.(NASCAR.com)(11-12-2001)
UPDATE 3: Update on Crew Members of No. 28 Texaco/Havoline Team (as of 12:55 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2001). Bobby Burrell, tire changer, 30 years old from Huntersville, N.C. Bobby Burrell remains in serious but stable condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. On Tuesday morning, he was moved from the Neuro Intensive Care Unit into a regular room. He remains conscious and continues to communicate verbally with family. The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation for the outpouring of prayers and support from across the country. John Bryan, jack man, 31 years old from Charlotte, N.C. John Bryan is resting at home with bruises. Bryan suffered a mild concussion on Sunday. He flew home Sunday evening after being treated at Baptist Hospital in Miami. Kevin Hall, tire carrier, 31 years old from Charlotte, N.C. Kevin Hall is resting at home with bruises. Hall was treated and released from the Infield Care Center on Sunday and returned home with the team on Sunday evening.(RickyRudd.com)(11-13-2001)

Dodge to sponsor weekly series? UPDATE: Dodge and NASCAR are on the verge of announcing that the automobile manufacturer is to be the new sponsor of the Weekly Racing Series, the short-track series played out on nearly 100 local venues throughout the United States. NASCAR has been futilely seeking sponsorship for the series ever since the negotiated Tobacco Agreement effectively ended the long run of the Winston Racing Series, a program in which the cigarette company chipped in millions of dollars not only to reward short-track drivers but also to upgrade facilities by painting fences and building scoreboards.(Gaston Gazette)(11-10-2001)
UPDATE: Dodge today announced that it has reached an agreement with the NASCAR to become the presenting sponsor of NASCAR's Weekly Racing Series, beginning immediately and continuing through a multi-year agreement. The announcement comes near the end of Dodge's first season back in NASCAR Winston Cup racing in 16 years, and a year in which the brand captured its first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Manufacturers Championship. The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge is America's premier weekly stock car racing series, encompassing 10 geographic regions and nearly 90 of the finest short-track racing facilities across America. Many competitors in NASCAR's three national series - Winston Cup, Busch and Craftsman Trucks - began their careers in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, including each of those series champions in 2000. Dodge drivers Ward Burton, Sterling Marlin, Casey Atwood, Stacy Compton, Buckshot Jones, Scott Riggs and Ted Musgrave are also NASCAR Weekly Racing Series graduates.(Golin/Harris PR)(11-13-2001)

No Top 10 for Martin in 2001 UPDATE: Simply by starting Sunday's race, #99-Jeff Burton assured himself of at least a 10th-place finish in this year's NASCAR Winston Cup drivers points standings. That means that for the first time since 1988, Mark Martin will not finish among the circuit's Top 10 drivers. Martin was 15th in 1988.(Miami Herald)(11-12-2001)
UPDATE: actually after looking at the numbers, this is not true. It'll be tought for Martin to get into 10th, but he and #10-Benson, who is in 11th still have a shot at 10th. Burton has 4132 points, if he finished last in the next two races (worth 34 x 2), he would end up with 4211 points. If Benson, who has 3931 points, wins and leads the most laps (185x2) he would end up with 4301 points. Martin currently has 3860 points, if he wins and leads the most laps (185x2) he would end up with 4230 points. So while inprobable, there is still a chance for Martin and a much better chance for Benson if Burton falters(11-13-2001 - nice heads up Alan)

Blaney ties best: #93-Dave Blaney matched his career-best finish of sixth place Sunday at Homestead. Blaney has finished sixth three times this season and is still looking for that first career top five(11-13-2001)

NASCAR/Petty Movie: Dennis Quaid is revved up by a film project delving into the story of NASCAR legend Richard Petty and his complicated relationship with his father Lee, who was an up-and-coming driver until he was injured in a crash. ``Any Given Sunday'' producer Dan Halsted has put together the funds to develop a ``Great Santini''-like story of a son trying to measure up to his father. The younger Petty went on to become NASCAR's winningest driver, but had to go a long way to prove himself to Lee, who'll be played by Quaid. The pic will be exec produced by John O'Hurley, John Myrick and Robin Sharp, and they're out to writers right now.(Yahoo Entertainment - thanks Matt)(11-13-2001)

Petty and Teen Newsweek: Petty Enterprises is the focus of a column in Teen Newsweek this week, a national publication for children in grades six through nine. The column, My Turn, is a regular reader-written feature of all Newsweek publications. The column was written by Cortney Cameron, a 10-year-old girl from Hays, N.C., who released a helium-filled balloon from her home soon after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. She and her younger sister, Cassidy, tied a note to the balloon expressing patriotism, and asking for whomever found the balloon to notify them. The balloon ended up at Kyle Petty.s farm in Trinity, N.C. Not long afterwards, Cortney and her family were invited to Petty Days in Randleman, N.C., where they met the Petty family. A photograph of the girls, along with their mother, and Kyle and Austin Petty ran in the edition of the magazine.(Williams Co PR)(11-13-2001)

IROC, testing, Harvick, another driver and some rules changes: Also testing at the Speedway on Monday was the True Value/IROC Series and test drivers Dave Marcis and Jim Sauter. Harvick, whose Busch Series title earned him a spot in the exclusive All-Star field, plans on hopping in one of those cars before the end of his testing session. On Tuesday, True Value/IROC testing will continue with open-wheel drivers expected to arrive, including Indy Racing League champion Sam Hornish Jr., Helio Castroneves(CART) and Scott Sharp. Guests can watch both Harvick’s test session and True Value/IROC testing free of charge with access to the Oldfield Grandstand through the lobby of DAYTONA USA.(DIS PR)(11-12-2001)
UPDATE: Returning to the 2000 aerodynamic package by removing the roof blade and reconfiguring the rear spoiler area to more closely adhere to the recent NASCAR mandate for Winston Cup cars, long-time test drivers Dave Marcis, and Jim Sauter are leading the driver corps so that each of the twelve race cars are equally prepared and competitive come race day. Also on the test schedule is the larger, Demon carburetor, first used at Indianapolis last year, with hopes that by adding 30-horsepower even more will be required of the driver by giving him an extra tool to work with in the ultra-competitive all-star series.(IROC PR)(11-13-2001)

(11-12-2001)

Harvick Tests at Daytona: #29-Kevin Harvick tested at Daytona International Speedway on Monday, preparing for the season-opening 44th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 17 with a pair of #29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolets in a two-day test. Crew chief Kevin Hamlin and the rest of the team were trying to figure out the new superspeedway rules package for Harvick’s first Daytona 500 start. “We haven’t had time to use a lot of our tests this year,” said Harvick, who’ll also win Winston Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors. “They changed the rules on the superspeedway cars so we wanted to get a head start. We’ve already finished our car for the Daytona 500 and decided to come down here and use one of our tests. ” Harvick tested the car he’ll run in next year’s Daytona 500 and the car he ran at Talladega in October. Also testing at the Speedway on Monday was the True Value/IROC Series and test drivers Dave Marcis and Jim Sauter. Harvick, whose Busch Series title earned him a spot in the exclusive All-Star field, plans on hopping in one of those cars before the end of his testing session. On Tuesday, True Value/IROC testing will continue with open-wheel drivers expected to arrive, including Indy Racing League champion Sam Hornish Jr., Helio Castroneves(CART) and Scott Sharp. Guests can watch both Harvick’s test session and True Value/IROC testing free of charge with access to the Oldfield Grandstand through the lobby of DAYTONA USA.(DIS PR)(11-12-2001)

Robby and the Baja 1000 UPDATE: don't know much about the Baja 1000 Robby Gordon will run in this weekend (Jeff Green will the #31 Lowes Chevy at Homestead), but a few sites that readers can follow his, and the races progress, are: www.off-road.com including realtime coverage of the events. Also the www.score-international.com site has info(11-9-2001)
UPDATE: Robby Gordon failed to finish last Friday's Baja 1000 due to electronic problems. Gordon was leading the race when the problems first surfaced and he worked on his Trophy Truck for six hours before withdrawing from the race.
Robby Gordon's Thoughts on the Baja 1000: "I was leading the Baja when the 'electronic gremlins' bit me, kind of like what happened to the Lowe's car at Watkins Glen. All the wires are sealed in my Baja truck like in an airplane. Everything is electronic and that's supposed to be the best way to go, but if I run the Baja again, I may not do that. Most of the cars and trucks in the Baja don't run an all electronic system like I do. When the ignition shuts off, you don't really know where to start looking for the culprit because you really need to hook the truck up to a computer to find the problem. I worked on it for six hours and finally gave up. I did get the truck running again but then it misfired. I couldn't get 12 volts, even after I changed batteries. Months of effort went into preparing for the Baja so I'm pretty upset right now. I guess you could say I'm becoming a good loser under unusual circumstances, especially when they're related to electrical problems. It looked like the race was going to fall into my lap but I guess it just wasn't meant to be."(RCR PR)(11-12-2001)

Atwoods Comments on the rumors: "I'm all right with everything that's going on," was all Atwood would say. "There really isn't a whole lot to talk about right now. I think everybody's been doing a great job and, uh ... Ray [Evernham is] just trying to make his team a better team. I'm not. I'm going to be with Evernham Motorsports, I don't know which way or which car I'll be driving, but that'll be discussed later. But I'll be driving for him and I plan on being with him for a long time."(CNN/SI) AND Jeremy Mayfield's move to the #19 Dodge and Casey Atwood's alignment with Jim Smith's #7 Dodge (it's a Ford until the end of the season) for 2002 likely will be announced this week. Atwood says he will still be involved with current owner Ray Evernham next year, which likely means Evernham and Smith will have some kind of partnership on the #7.(Sporting News)(11-12-2001)

(11-11-2001)

see the Nov 5-11, 2001 Archived News Page

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