PAST NEWS MAR 17-23, 2003
THE PAST NEWS! YESTERDAY and BEYOND..
OTHER PAST NEWS PAGES
(3-23-2003)
- Busch wins the Food City at Bristol Motor Speedway: #97-Kurt Busch backed up his 2002 win at Bristol with one Sunday, his first win of 2003 after having three 2nd's this year. Teammate #17-Matt Kenseth was 2nd, #18-Bobby Labonte finished 3rd in his purple car. Four of the top five cars were powered by Roush Racing. The Unofficial Top Ten and stats, cautions and notes see my Food City 500 Race Info Page:
Result Links at: Jayski - Bristol Results and
ThatsRacin.com,
NASCAR.com
Motorsports One.(3-23-2003)
- Andretti still looking to do Coke 600/Indy 500 double: John Andretti still has no firm plans to run in the Indianapolis 500 this season and by his estimation, time is running out. Andretti wants to return to Indy, where he last raced in 1994 when he did both the 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. He'd like to make it happen this year so he can compete one last time against his cousin, Michael, who is retiring after the May 25th race. But he doesn't have a sponsorship deal in place and running at Indy is contingent on him putting a package together that includes partners from his Winston Cup team at Petty Enterprises. "I'd say at one time it was 60-40 that I'd run Indy and now the chances are more like 50-50," he said. "It's looking more likely that it will happen next year instead of this year." Andretti has not driven an Indy car since 1994, and although he's confident he hasn't forgotten any of the nuances, he wants to have a deal in place in time for him to test the car at the end of April. "There's a lot of last-minute deals that go on with the Indy 500 and I've certainly been involved in my share of them," he said. "But I'd like to test the car, get in it and get an idea of what I've got."(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(3-23-2003)
- Sad News: Tommy Moon, whose success as a race car driver made him a fan favorite in Jacksonville, FL in the late 1940s and early 1950s before being paralyzed during a 1954 race, died Thursday evening at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa. He was 77. A life-long Jacksonville resident and the recipient of the Purple Heart, Moon was the oldest-licensed NASCAR driver and among the first inductees of the Jax Raceways Hall of Fame in '91. He was honored at the '93 Daytona 500 with a parade lap around the track, in which he received a standing ovation. A viewing for Moon will be held from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday at the Town & Country Funeral Home on Normandy Boulevard. The funeral is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the same location. Moon, who was one of the thousands of U.S. soldiers to storm Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, received the Purple Heart after getting shot while on duty in Brest, France. With the help of his father, Thomas Henry "Pop" Moon, Tommy began his racing career after returning to Jacksonville following the war. Moon's career was cut short when he was paralyzed during a 10-lap heat race at Jax Raceways in October of 1954. Moon was involved in a nine-car accident that sent his '37 Ford rolling on its side before getting hit by a second car. His spinal cord was severed during the accident, leaving him unable to walk or race again. Two years after the accident, Moon became the second person ever presented with a lifetime membership to NASCAR. Red Vogt, who was one of the most successful mechanics during the 1940s and 1950s, was the first person given a lifetime membership.(Florida Times Union). Moon ran in 10 Cup races, winning a pole and having a top 5 and 3 top 10's.(3-23-2003)
- Petty 2003 Ride Details: Kyle Petty's ninth annual Charity Ride Across America is scheduled for Sunday morning, June 22, through Saturday afternoon, June 28. The motorcycle caravan will help raise money for the Victory Junction Gang Camp being built by the Petty family on 60 acres near Randleman, NC. The ride will leave from Palm Springs, Calif., and make six overnight stops: Sedona, Ariz.; Santa Fe, N.M.; Amarillo, Texas; Shreveport, La.; Biloxi, Miss.; and Tallahassee, Fla. It will end at the Dale Earnhardt Legacy concert at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. This year's ride is the first not to start from near a Winston Cup venue. The first two rides headed eastward after races at Sears Point Raceway at Sonoma, Calif. The third ride left from the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth and the next three from the California Speedway at Fontana. The 2001 and 2002 rides left from the Sonoma area.(Daily Press)(3-23-2003)
- Birthplace of Speed Centennial Celebration: On Friday, March 28, Daytona's racing history will come full circle with the return of the vintage vehicles that jump-started their motorsports history, which stretches back 100 years, Birthplace of Speed Centennial Celebration. This celebration of speed and sand actually begins Wednesday, when the City of Ormond Beach, FL opens and dedicates it's Birthplace of Speed Park at the intersection of A1A and Granada Boulevard. The following day will feature a classic car exhibit divided between Fortunato Park and The Casements. Some of the cars will make their way to the beach for parade laps. Then on Friday, racing returns to the beach for the first time since 1958. The Antique Auto Beach Races program starts at 11:00am/et and continues until 3:00pm/et. It will have a carnival-like atmosphere, including an antique airplane fly-over and a parade lap of participants.(Full Story at the Daytona Beach News Journal and see the site: www.centennialofspeed.com for full Celebration info)(3-23-2003)
- Underbird to North Carolina: Alan Kulwicki's "Underbird," the #7 Ford he drove the day he won the 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup title, is settling into a new nest, its owner says. Larry Bean, who restored the car, plans to move it from its current home in Daytona Beach, Fla., to the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame in Mooresville next week. That the car will arrive in its home just in time for the 10th anniversary of Kulwicki's death in an April 1, 1993, plane crash, is purely coincidental, Bean said.(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel), see more info on the car at www.underbird.com.(3-21-2003)
UPDATE: Contrary to some reports the #7 Underbird will NOT be at the track or do the victory lap, the car that will do the Polish victory lap is a 2nd #11 Hooters Memorial Ford [2003 model, not 1992]. Kulwicki's real race car sits at Larry and Pam Bean's home in Daytona, staged for transport to a new display at the North Carloina Auto Racing Hall of Fame in Mooresville, NC [Jayski was there in Dec 2002, what a great place] and the Bean's were not invited to participate in the Bristol ceremonies.(3-23-2003)
- Sharpie Donation: Sharpie is donating $1 (up to $5,000) for every signature collected at the designated autograph area at BMS using new Sharpie metallic silver markers. The money is being raised for Sullivan East High School. Along with Winston Cup star Kurt Busch, Sharpie kicked off the weekend fundraising program on Thursday at the Bluff City school and delivered $10,000 worth of school supplies. Sharpie will be conducting the event this morning from 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. outside of turn four at the Rubbermaid Block Party. In October and November of last year, East was closed due to a hazardous black mold problem. BMS allowed the school’s 1,100-plus student body along with teachers and administrators to use its facilities as a makeshift classroom.(Johnson City Press)(3-23-2003)
- Pre-Race Victory Lap UPDATE: before the start of the Food City 500 at Bristol, Chris Duncan, son of Dan Duncan, one of those killed in the airplane crash that killed 1992 Cup champ, Alan Kulwicki on April 1st, 1993, will drive the #11 Memorial Hooters Show car around the track, backwards, doing a Polish Victory Lap, made famuous my Kulwicki when he won his first Cup race at Phoenix in 1988.(XM Satellite- NASCAR Radio - Subscription Required)(3-21-2003)
UPDATE: Contrary to some reports the #7 Underbird will NOT be at the track or do the victory lap, the car that will do the Polish victory lap is a 2nd #11 Hooters Memorial Ford [2003 model, not 1992]. Kulwicki's real race car sits at Larry and Pam Bean's home in Daytona, staged for transport to a new display at the North Carloina Auto Racing Hall of Fame in Mooresville, NC [Jayski was there in Dec 2002, what a great place] and the Bean's were not invited to participate in the Bristol ceremonies.(3-23-2003)
(3-22-2003)
- Congrats to ESPN's Mike Massaro and wife Kristin on a new addition to the family, Anthony Joseph, born on Wednesday, a motorsports writer names his son A.J., seems fitting.(3-22-2003)
- Benson To Drive Eagle One Paint Scheme At Richmond: Johnny Benson will drive the #10 Eagle One Wax-As-U-Dry paint scheme at Richmond International Raceway on May 3rd. Valvoline's Eagle One brand includes premium waxes, polishes and cleaners. Wax-As-U-Dry is a much easier way to wax your vehicle. Wax As-U-Dry is specifically designed to wax your car as you dry it. A special blend of water reactive polymers and waxes provides that just hand waxed look in one simple spray-on formula that saves time and
effort (MBV PR). See an image of the scheme on my Paint Scheme Gallery.(3-22-2003)
- Goo Goo for Rusty UPDATE: hearing that #2-Rusty Wallace will feature a Goo Goo Dolls (rock band) scheme at Chicago in July.(3-20-2003)
UPDATE: see an image of the scheme on my Paint Scheme Gallery.(3-22-2003)
- #99 Darlington Engine Problem Found: Paul Andrews, crew chief for #99-Jeff Burton, says that a problem with the bearings caused Burton's engine to blow during last weekend's race at Darlington. "The bearings are coated and it looks like something with the coating might have messed up the bearings," Andrews said. That batch of bearings was in all the Bristol engines at Roush Racing, forcing the team to change the bearings in all its Bristol cars this week.(Roanoke Times)(3-22-2003)
- Final TV Ratings for Darlington: Final Nielsen Media Research figures show that Fox's broadcast of last Sunday's Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 Winston Cup race from Darlington drew 2 percent more viewers than a year ago. Figures in today's Sports Business Daily show that the race drew a 5.9 rating and 15 share, up from 5.8/14 last year. The Daily says the race was viewed by some 9.3 million people, and MotorsportsTV.com notes that it was the fifth straight week that a Winston Cup race was the nation's most-watched weekend sports event. MotorsportsTV.com also noted that Fox's average 6.5/16 this year (up 7 percent over 2002) means that it draws more viewers than the next two sports this season combined, the PGA with 3.4/8 and the NBA with a 2.9/7.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-22-2003)
- DW vs Jeff Burton? Apparently there’s a bit of ill-will between TV’s Boogety, Boogety, Boogety-man, Darrell Waltrip, and Winston Cup driver Jeff Burton. Waltrip’s ire stems from comments made by Burton during Darlington rain delay coverage. Burton, who is among the best analysts in the sport, commented that driving these cars now takes everything that a driver can muster; and that drivers are up on the wheel for every foot of every race. Waltrip, at the time of Burton’s comment, fired back that modern day cars have power steering and air conditioning. Waltrip’s day, which was quite a while before he retired in 1999, saw him drive real cars, with manual steering and no spoilers. Apparently, Waltrip talked about Burton’s comments all week with anyone who would listen. The disagreement appears to be on par with countless other generation gap issues, when the old guard reminds the youngsters, how hard things were in the past.(Ford Racing Correspondent)(3-22-2003)
- DW on Weaties Box UPDATE: Three-time NASCAR champion Darrell Waltrip of Franklin will be featured on an upcoming Wheaties box as part of General Mills' Legends of Racing Series.(Tennessean)(3-20-2003)
UPDATE: Wheaties announced today the release of a new special-edition package honoring auto racing legend Darrell Waltrip. One of the most dominant drivers of his time -- he was named NASCAR's Driver of the Decade for his dominance in the 1980s -- this racing champion with 84 Winston Cup victories will now be featured on The Breakfast of Champions.(full story at Allwaltrip.com)(3-22-2003)
- Gordons' divorce costly and aggravating, Evernham says: Car owner Ray Evernham said his fight to keep his records away from lawyers for Brooke Gordon has already cost him $18,000 - and climbing. The fact that Jeff Gordon's divorce is costing him money doesn't make Evernham real happy. "It's cost me a lot of time and a lot of money and the bottom line is this is between Jeff and Brooke and I don't want to get in the middle of it," Evernham said. Evernham was Gordon's crew chief when the driver won three of his four Winston Cup titles and was also the best man at his wedding to the former Miss Winston model. Brooke Gordon filed for divorce last year and her lawyers have asked to see records from most Winston Cup teams to evaluate Gordon's worth and potential earnings.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(3-22-2003)
- Not NASCAR but pretty interesting for local TX racers: Terry Dickerson can't think of a better way to open the season than with a big event. And he can't think of a bigger racing event in Texas to be associated with than the upcoming NASCAR Winston Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. So Dickerson, the promoter at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, Texas, has come up with a one-of-a-kind promotion. On Lone Star's opening night Saturday, he will offer 24 drivers the chance to be part of the big weekend at TMS – even if it is in a support race for a support race. The top 24 finishers in Saturday's IMCA modified feature race at Lone Star will race in an IMCA support event for the O'Reilly World of Outlaws at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track on March 28-29. The Winston Cup race will be held at TMS on March 30.(Dallas Morning News - may need to register to read)(3-22-2003)
- Ramblings - Bristol: Ryan Newman left 'em all shaking their heads and with their mouths wide open after he toured Bristol Motor Speedway in 14.908 sec (128.709)....that's more than 2 mph quicker than the previous record. The second pole of the season (he's our first repeater of the year in that category), and 9th of his Winston Cup career came at the expense of Jeff Gordon, and by a whopping .16 of a second. Ken Schrader (3rd) has his best starting spot since he lined up on the outside pole at Rockingham in February of 2002. Rusty Wallace (4th) has his best starting spot since he grabbed the pole at Dover last September. Terry Labonte (17th) has his best starting spot since he lined up 5th at Richmond last September. Tony Raines (22nd) had his best qualifying run since he started 17th at Dover last June. Derrike Cope (24th) has his best starting spot since he lined up 12th at Daytona in February of 2000. With the exception of Newman, we had the typical close qualifying we expect to see at this venue. Two sets of ties....Johnny Benson & Jeff Green for 20th and 21st, and Kyle Petty and Brett Bodine for 32nd and 33rd [ties go to the highest in Owners Points].
STREAKIN....Ryan Newman has 4 Top-5 starts in a row. Kurt Busch has 4 Top-10 starts in a row.
A Trouble Train of two this weekend....Larry Foyt and Hermie Sadler. It's the second DNQ for both this season.
On the provisional front Matt Kenseth, Dale Jarrett, Casey Mears, Kenny Wallace, Todd Bodine, Jack Sprague, and John Andretti gobbled up the freebies. For Sprague, it's his third of the year....something that may come back to haunt him in a couple weeks. He's clear thru 'Dega, but after that event he'd be out to lunch for seven races.(Stock Car Fans Newsletters)(3-22-2003)
(3-21-2003)
- Newman sets new Track Record at Bristol qualifying: #12-Ryan Newman didn't just break the Track Qualifying Record he crushed it (it was 127.216mph), winning the Bud Pole with a speed of 128.709mph, first ever Cup lap under 15 seconds. Newman is the first driver in 2003 to win more then one pole (in 6 races). #24-Jeff Gordon will start on the outside pole with a speed of 127.343, way over a mile an hour behind Newman. Nice run by #49-Ken Schrader who qualfied 3rd. Five of the first seven cars are Dodges. The Points Leader, #17-Matt Kenseth and #88-Dale Jarrett had to use provisionals to make the race. Missing the race were #02-Hermie Sadler and #14-Larry Foyt.
#16-Greg Biffle was the highest qualifying rookie of the year candidate who ran 126.005 and will start 15th, and even though he got very little mention, rookie #74-Tony Raines will start 22nd after a run of 125.740.
see my Bristol Qualifying Page (got all my mistakes fixed DOH!) for speeds, practice speeds, lineup links, pole progression, etc.(3-21-2003)
- Shawna Robinson in a Toyota: Part-time NASCAR driver Shawna Robinson will participate in the 27th annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race April 12 on the 1.99-mile street course in Long Beach, CA. Robinson will join Supercross legend Jeremy McGrath, Angie Everhart (actress and former model), Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11 astronaut), Picabo Street (Olympic alpine skiing champion), Adam Carolla (co-host of Comedy Central's "The Man Show") and Peter Reckell ('Bo Brady' on NBC's soap opera "Days of Our Lives"), among others. As part of the race event, Toyota will help raise more than $100,000 for "Racing for Kids," a nonprofit program benefiting Southern California children's hospitals in Long Beach and Orange County.(ThatsRacin.com)(3-21-2003)
- Emmy's: the 2002 Sports Emmy Nominations have been announced. Five nominations for NASCAR related events:
Outstanding Live Events: NASCAR on NBC/TNT
Outstanding Techincal Team Remote: NASCAR on NBC/TNT
Outstanding Editing: NASCAR on Fox, Teases and Bumpers
Outstanding Live Event Audio/Sound: NASCAR on Fox
Outstanding Studio Show - Daily: Totally NACCAR on Fox Sports Net.(Emmy Site/PR)(3-21-2003)
- Testing at Texas Thursday: #88-Dale Jarrett and #29-Kevin Harvick, who have both visited Victory Lane at Texas Motor Speedway, brought the curtain down on a busy week of testing Thursday at Texas Motor Speedway. Jarrett ran a pair of UPS Fords through their paces during the cool, windy day.. Harvick also tested a pair of GM Goodwrench Chevrolets, one brand new. Both drivers focused on race-day setups during the majority of the test.. Unofficial speeds were in the 184 mph range although Harvick hit 186 mph during one of his sessions.(TMS PR - no speeds reported)(3-21-2002)
(3-20-2003)
- So...what is up with Lake Speed? Five years after injuries forced him to retire from Winston Cup, Lake Speed is enjoying a second life in auto racing, thanks to the recent Vintage Car trend. Speed was the guest speaker Wednesday night for the Emmanuel Baptist Church Outreach Ministry at the Elizabethton Boys and Girls Club. His appearance was part of the I-40 program, which is based on the biblical book of Isaiah 40, verses 30-31. Now retired and living in Kannapolis, N.C., where he operates a real estate business, Speed, 55, talked of returning to the sport he loves to compete in road races for older Winston Cup cars.(Elizabethton Star)(3-20-2003)
- Milestone: #30-Jeff Green is scheduled to make is 100th career Winston Cup start at Bristol Motor Speedway.(3-20-2003)
- Up Front at Bristol Important: At Bristol Motor Speedway, starting position is more important than one might think. Despite the fact the racing is extremely close-quarters with positions changing constantly throughout the field, it pays to start close to the front. In the previous 84 NASCAR Winston Cup races at BMS, only 13 times has the winner started outside the top 10; 32 times the race winner has started on the front row.(NASCAR PR)(3-20-2003)
- Square Pants for Johnson: #48-Jimmie Johnson is scheduled to run a Sponge Bob Square Pants paint scheme at Daytona in July for the Pepsi 400.(3-20-2003)
- Hendrick Teams To Carry Patriotic Decal: In support of American soldiers at home and abroad, the NASCAR teams of Hendrick Motorsports will display patriotic artwork on the "C-post" of their Chevrolet Monte Carlo race cars beginning with this week's events at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. "During these turbulent times, it's especially important that we show support for the men and women of the United States military," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "This is a small gesture to show that our thoughts and prayers are centered around these brave individuals and their families." In the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, the decals will be carried on the #5 Kellogg's / got milk? Chevy of Terry Labonte, the #24 DuPont Chevy of Jeff Gordon, the #25 UAW-Delphi Chevy of Joe Nemechek and the #48 Lowe's Chevy of Jimmie Johnson. The #5 GMAC Financial Services Chevy of Busch Series driver Brian Vickers will also display the design, which depicts a yellow ribbon wrapped around the American flag.(Hendrick Motorsports PR)(3-20-2003)
- Will Microsoft replace Winston as NASCAR sponsor? UPDATE: The search for a new title sponsor for the Winston Cup Series continues with the sanctioning body looking at companies who have previously lacked an affiliation with the sport and lack “baggage”. There are hints that Microsoft is a primary target, as is an as yet unnamed insurance company, with 2005 being the likely year for the introduction of a new sponsor. One thing you can bet on, the title “Winston Cup Series” will go away, despite the fact NASCAR owns the rights to the term “Winston Cup.”(AutoRacing1.com - need subscription to read/Stan Creekmore, NASCAR Editor)(3-15-2003)
UPDATE: Rumors of interest by Microsoft as a potential new series sponsor for the Winston Cup Series appear to be wishful thinking, or so say marketing types involved in the sports marketing business. Microsoft’s experience with NASCAR dates back to 2001’s Ultimate TV program. That program featured a handful of drivers, at-track displays and fan programs in support of a device that allowed the viewer to select television programs on-demand. According to industry sources, Microsoft was not satisfied with the results of that program, and may not be ready to launch new marketing initiatives in the sport.(Ford Racing)(3-20-2003)
- Yates teams get an assoc sponsor: Robert Yates Racing, which fields cars driven by #38-Elliott Sadler and #88-Dale Jarrett, has added Winner International as an associate sponsor. The deal involves The Club and a new WI product, Juice Batteries. The associate sponsorship program marks Winner's first foray into NASCAR driver or team sponsorship.(NASCAR PR)(3-20-2003)
- #30 Fastest at Darlington: The pit crew of the #30 AOL Jeff Green Chevy, owned by Richard Childress Racing, took first-place honors for eligible teams in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade at Sunday's (March 16) NASCAR Winston Cup Race - Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway. Green spent the least amount of time on pit road -- 286 seconds, edging Kurt Busch's #97 Roush Racing Ford by three seconds. During each 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup points event, the participating team whose car spends the least amount of aggregate time off the race track will be named the weekly winner provided the team's driver takes the green flag at the beginning of the event and the checkered flag at the conclusion of the event. The team that records the most points during the season will receive a $200,000 bonus at the end of the year. The point distribution per race is: 43 points for first place, descending in increments of one.
The McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade is the largest monetary contingency program in NASCAR history and the first to reward pit crews for performance at each race.
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams In Sunday's Carolina Dodge 400 at Darlington Raceway:
1. Jeff Green, 286 seconds
2. Kurt Busch, 289
3. Michael Waltrip, 289
4. Elliott Sadler, 291
5. Dave Blaney, 295
6. Bill Elliott, 296
7. Dale Jarrett, 300
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 339
9. Ricky Rudd, 344
10. Steve Park, 364
2003 Winners of The McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade:
Michael Waltrip team -- Daytona (Feb. 16)
Dave Blaney team -- Rockingham (Feb. 23)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. team -- Las Vegas (March 2)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. team -- Atlanta (March 9)
Jeff Green team - Darlington (March 16) (DMF Communications PR)(3-20-2003)
- Special Elliott/Mayfield schemes? UPDATE 3: hear there will be some sort of special #9-Bill Elliott and #19-Jermey Mayfield schemes, some sort of special Dodge program, but not sure what or where yet.(2-20-2003)
UPDATE: hearing it could be a Simpson's (TV Show and Jayski Fave) scheme, not sure what for or when.(2-22-2003)
UPDATE 2: not the Simpsons, but a promotion scheme for the movie, "2 Fast 2 Furious".(2-28-2003)
UPDATE 3: been told that the Mayfield/Elliott "2 Fast 2 Furious" diecast program has been canceled by Action and that it probably also means they will not run the promotion on the #9 and #19.(3-20-2003)
(3-19-2003)
- Hermie Sadler gets a sponsor: At a press conference held on the State Capitol Grounds, NASCAR team owner and driver Hermie Sadler, in concert with the Honorable Mark R. Warner, Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, announced today the formation of a racing partnership between Sadler Motorsports and four of Virginia’s universities. The two-year program, known as “GO Team VA”, has Virginia Tech, The University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and James Madison University teaming up to compete in a minimum of six NASCAR Winston Cup Series events in both 2003 and 2004. Each race will feature a different paint scheme, allowing all four schools their very own Winston Cup Car design. Certain races will simply feature a Go Team VA design. The first race for the GO Team VA program is March 23, 2003 at Bristol Motor Speedway, and will feature the colors of the Virginia Tech Hokies. Sadler commented on the program’s unique structure.. “Go Team VA is excitement! It brings together two of the most exciting categories of sport: Winston Cup Stock Car Racing and College Athletics in a state that is crazy about both.” Virginia plays host to six NASCAR Winston Cup Events, the largest number of Winston Cup events held in any one state. Governor Warner and the schools are equally excited about the program for various reasons; the exposure for the schools, the experience it will bring to the students, and of course the additional exposure for the state. Said Gov. Warner, “This great program has no monetary cost to the schools, which is all the more attractive during lean fiscal times. Also, students from the schools marketing and public relations colleges programs get a chance to learn more about the business of sports marketing at the NASCAR level.” Go Team VA also operates a website (www.GoteamVA.com). The site offers supporters the chance to join the Go Team VA Motorsports Club. Members can participate in a fantasy racing game and will be automatically entered into all of the special promotions that will be run at each university, as well as other special events. Prizes offered will include pit passes at races, a day of golf in Emporia with Hermie and Elliott Sadler, tickets to collegiate sporting events, standing on the sidelines at football games, WWE Wrestling tickets. and more.(Go Team VA PR), the #02 To Team VA plans to race at (per their site):
March 23rd, Bristol, Virginia Tech;
April 13th Martinsville, GoTeam VA
May 3rd, Richmond, Go Team VA;
August 23rd Bristol, Univ. Of Virgnia;
September 6th Richmond, Virginia Tech;
October 11th, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, James Madison;
October 19th, Martinsville, Va. Commonwealth;.(3-19-2003)
- Lopping off some of the spoiler coming? #2-Rusty Wallace says that NASCAR's John Darby will cut half an inch or so off the rear spoiler "within the next six weeks." That timetable would point toward an aerodynamics change at either the fast two-mile California track April 27 or the 3/4-mile Richmond track the following week.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-19-2003)
(3-18-2003)
- Closest Finishes UPDATE: Margin Winner Runner-up Track Date
.002 Ricky Craven Kurt Busch Darlington March 16, 2003
.005 Dale Earnhardt Ernie Irvan Talladega July 25, 1993
.006 Kevin Harvick Jeff Gordon Atlanta March 11, 2001
.010 Dale Earnhardt Bobby Labonte Atlanta March 12, 2000
.025 Jimmy Spencer Bill Elliott Talladega July 24, 1994.(CNNSI)(3-17-2003)
BUT: the 1995 UMI NASCAR Press Guide has the Pepsi 400 in July of 1994 being only .008 seconds margin of victory, Jimmy Spencer won and Ernie Irvan was the runner up, so that whould be 4th. These are for races since electronic scoring started being used in the early 1990's.(3-18-2003)
- Students hosted at Bristol: Several Sullivan County, Tennessee, schools are out on Friday, and Cheez-It will host more than 4,000 of the area students as Cheez-It Pole Day special guests. Each student that attends Sullivan Central High School, or the Blountville, Holston, Bluff City, Holston Valley or Mary Hughes middle schools will receive a free Cheez-It Pole Day ticket from Cheez-It. AND When, because of a black mold problem, Sullivan East High School moved its classes from its school building to Bristol Motor Speedway's
luxury skyboxes, BMS President Jeff Byrd promised the students that the Channellock 250 would be a special day for the so-called "BMS
High" students. All 1,200 students, faculty and staff members and their guests will attend Saturday's NASCAR Busch Series event. The school will provide a color guard and its choral department ensemble for special presentation of The Star Spangled Banner. The weekend's souvenir program includes a story about the BMS High experience, penned by Sullivan East sophomore Anthony Milhorn. He will be recognized during the Channellock 250 pre-race show. The cover of the 2003 Food City 500 Official Souvenir Program takes on a patriotic flavor with "Old Glory" waving behind the racing machines of Jeff Gordon, a four-time Food City 500 winner; Dale Earnhardt, Jr., vying for his first Bristol victory; and Kurt Busch, Food City 500 defending champion. In addition to the valuable fan information and full-page color photos, with purchase of a souvenir program fans will receive a 1:64 scale die-cast car and a full-color lineup sheet for both the Food City 500 and the Channellock 250. Programs cost $10 and they will be available at the numerous program kiosks located throughout speedway property.(BMS PR)(3-18-2003)
- Crew Chief change at the #29? hearing that former #30 RCR crew chief, Todd Berrier will be the new crew chief for the #29 GM Goodwrench Chevy at RCR effective immediately. Supposedly former crew chief Gil Martin has been named #29 Team manager and Martin has been pushing for the move and to hire Berrier for the #29 team for a while.(3-17-2003)
UPDATE: Totally NASCAR has confirmed a crew change within the #29 Winston Cup team. Todd Berrier becomes Kevin Harvick's crew chief. Berrier and Harvick teamed up for the 2001 Busch title. Gil Martin moves to team manger.(FoxSports)(3-18-2003)
- Goodyear NOT leaving NASCAR: Goodyear Officials say there's nothing to talk about the company looking for a way out of NASCAR, a topic of speculation over the weekend. Adding fuel to the fire was an ad buy by Michelin on the FOX broadcast, making Michelin a presenting sponsor of the event. Goodyear has been in the financial wringer the past few months, with financial losses, layoffs, and a much-publicized reorganization. The last Goodyear was in trouble, during the 1987-88 buyout attempt, [NASCAR's Bill] France reached for the phone and invited Hoosier Tire into the game, setting off two costly tire wars (1988-89 and 1993-94). There was speculation that Michelin's ad play arose, perhaps, from just such an invitation, with NASCAR seeking to ensure a reliable supply of tires. According to Goodyear, not so. Goodyear's contract with NASCAR as exclusive supplier is through 2007 and was renewed last fall. Michelin? "They're a South Carolina company [U.S. operations based in Greeneville, S.C.], and that's just the way they play," marketing director Rick Heinrich said Friday. "They like to jab at us. We'll jab back when the time is right."(Speed Channel)(3-18-2003)
- Petree back to racing...in the Trucks: Andy Petree hasn’t lost his focus on continuing his strong NASCAR Winston Cup stock car racing program. The winning veteran car owner will also continue his "hands-on" experience, and is driving in Sunday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Mesa Marin Raceway. Monaco Coaches, which sponsored Petree in the Daytona 500 and has enjoyed a corporate relationship with the team for several years, will sponsor Petree in this race, as well as some additional Truck races this season. "We’re still looking for sponsorship for the Winston Cup program, and we’re still working towards that every day," Petree said. "But when that sponsorship comes about, we need to be ready to hit the ground running. Running these truck races gives our guys some time at the track and it gives us some information we can use for our car when we get back to racing." Petree has run at the front in the Truck Series before. In his last outing as a driver - Indianapolis (Ind.) Raceway Park in August - he led a large portion of the middle of the race, and ran in the top five through most of the night before a last-lap crash collected him. He qualified third and ran as a top 10 through most of April’s race at Martinsville. The last time the Monaco Coaches truck ran at all, Tony Stewart drove it to victory at Richmond, Va., in September. Petree said his organization was still fielding calls from potential Winston Cup sponsors. "Like I said, we’re talking to people every day, and we’re talking to anybody who wants to talk," Petree said. "We didn’t build what we had by giving up, and we’re moving forward. We’re planning on continuing what we’ve built in Winston Cup, and continuing to build on a new Truck tradition too." Monaco, a Coburg, Ore., based corporation has become one of the world’s leading RV manufacturer since it was founded in 1968, and remains one of the fastest-growing in the industry.(Williams Company PR)(3-18-2003)
- Acts added to the Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert: Add Hootie & The Blowfish and The Goo Goo Dolls to the list of acts playing at the inaugural Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert, a charity event being put on by Earnhardt's widow, Teresa. The concert is set for June 28 at Daytona International Speedway and will be the first non-racing event to be held at the facility. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Dale Earnhardt Legacy Program, a charity that will donate money to children's, wildlife and educational programs. Sheryl Crow, Kenny Chesney, Brooks and Dunn, and Alabama have also signed up for the event.(USA Today/AP), more info on my Racing Charities page.(3-18-2003)
- NASCAR.com and Yahoo: Yahoo! unveiled its newest subscription service, Yahoo! Platinum (http://platinum.yahoo.com), a premium online video and audio service featuring branded programming from leading entertainment, sports and news providers for both broadband and narrowband consumers.. The new subscription service provides premium video and audio content from CBS' Survivor Insider, FOX's "American Idol", NASCAR.com, CBS Sports' coverage of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship through its Internet rights holder SportsLine.com, ABC News, CBS MarketWatch, and The Weather Channel among other providers. In coming weeks, Yahoo! Platinum plans to add programming from CNBC Dow Jones Business Video, National Geographic, Warren Miller Entertainment, and much more.
NASCAR.com:. Provides access to live NASCAR Winston Cup and NASCAR Busch series events, including GPS telemetry for Winston Cup races, leaderboard and scoring data, and in-car and broadcast audio. Subscribers can also access condensed versions of past Winston Cup races and thousands of NASCAR audio and video clips.
At launch, for $9.95 per month, Yahoo! Platinum programming includes:. CBS' SURVIVOR INSIDER, Fox's "American Idol," Discovery Networks, ABC News, CBS MarketWatch, The Weather Channel, "NASCAR Races to Go," "NASCAR Race Day Audio," and "Best of NASCAR" audio and video.
For $16.95 per month, Yahoo! Platinum SportsPak features all 56 games from CBS Sports' coverage of the first and second rounds and regional semi-finals of the 2003 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, broadcast for the first time ever on the Web beginning on March 18, 2003, through Internet rights holder SportsLine.com. Yahoo! Platinum SportsPak also features a robust offering from NASCAR including "Live Leaderboard," "Pit Command," "Races to Go," "Race Day Audio," and "Best of NASCAR" audio and video.(NASCAR PR in part)(3-18-2003)
(3-17-2003)
- Why no points for Brett Bodine? been asked why Brett Bodine got no drivers points for the race at Darlignton and the #57 Team CLR team go no owners points - they were classified by NASCAR as being 'Post Entry' [PE]. What does that mean? what it means is that a driver/owner is not eligible for any points as the race entry blank was received after the deadline which is normally 13 days before the race date.(3-17-2003)
- Skinner safe in the #4: despite rumors floating around, NASCAR.com reports that after #4-Mike Skinner's 11th place run at Darling, team owner Larry McClure was able to put to rest rumors that circulated in the Darlington garage that Skinner was on his way out as driver of the #4 Kodak Pontiac. "We're not looking at anybody else," McClure said. "I've heard everybody questioning this, that and everything else. Look, every week that goes by I question what I do and what everybody else here has done. If you don't win, you'd better do that." Skinner ended 2002, his first season with MMM, 31st in points with a single top-10 finish. But McClure shuffled the deck by bringing in veteran mechanic Tony Furr as competition director and switching manufacturers, to Pontiac. "We've been behind and trying to catch up," McClure said. "Mike's a good race car driver and he can help us get there. Everybody's just got to be focused. I'm not out here looking for another race car driver. Tony Furr came over here and we only had about three or four cars started and he's made an impact. We're going to keep going. I think everything's going good. As far as saying that Mike's not going to be here -- I'm not going to say that. All I'm saying is we've got to perform. Let me tell you how this deal works," McClure said. "Everybody that works on that race car is in jeopardy because we've got to perform. Whatever opportunity is in front of us, we've got to perform. Well, we got an 11th place finish, but we all knew we were capable of better.(NASCAR.com)(3-17-2003)
- Darlington TV Ratings: Fox's broadcast of yesterday's Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 Winston Cup race at Darlington Raceway was the weekend's top sports draw on television, today's Sports Business Daily reports. The Daily says overnight Nielsen figures show the race with a 5.5 rating and a 13 share, well ahead of the 5.0/9 that CBS drew for the second-highest rated sports show, its coverage of the NCAA basketball tournament selections. Final figures from last year showed the race with a 5.8/14 on Fox, which was down from a 6.1/15 in 2001.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-17-2003)
- Trio of drivers a focus in reality TV effort: Cable network FX has trimmed its list of likely participants in a NASCAR reality-based TV show to three drivers and their teams - rookie Jamie McMurray, third-year driver Kevin Harvick and veteran Rusty Wallace, ThatsRacin.com has learned. Although contracts have yet to be finalized, FX officials plan to begin taping during the March 29 Winston Cup race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. The TV show will air for seven weeks beginning in June on Friday nights on FX. Taping is to continue through the May race weeks at Lowe's Motor Speedway, sources said. The show will allow FX to maintain a NASCAR presence in its programming while rivals NBC and TNT broadcast the second half of the Winston Cup season.(ThatsRacin.com)(3-17-2003)
- Texas Testing this week and an announcement: on Wednesday, March 19th, there will be a special announcement regarding the upcoming Samsung/RadioShack 500 and O'Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. Teams have also scheduled final test sessions in preparation for Texas race week. Teams are scheduled for testing Monday-Wednesday, March 17-19. Drivers scheduled are as follows:
Monday, March 17 - Busch Series:. Stanton Barrett.
Tuesday and Wednesday, March 18 and 19:
Winston Cup Drivers: #2-Rusty Wallace, #5-Terry Labonte, #29-Kevin Harvick, #30-Jeff Green, #83-Kerry Earnhardt, #88-Dale Jarrett, #75?-David Starr.
Busch Series Drivers: Troy Cline, Mike Wallace, Stanton Barrett, Kevin Grubb, Lance Norick.(TMS PR)(3-17-2003)
- Special Paint for Labonte at Bristol: The Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 23 will feature the first special car design of the season for Kellogg's / got milk? Racing. Terry Labonte's #5 Chevy will highlight the Cheez-It brand and will sport a primarily red-and-orange paint scheme rather than the customary orange and blue.(Hendrick Motorsports PR), see my Paint Scheme Gallery for images.(3-17-2003)
- NASCAR's Go-to Guys: NASCAR regularly called the late Dale Earnhardt over the radio during races and asked him to relay track information to the tower. So who are the go-to guys now? Rusty Wallace leads the pack, but Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton and Dale Jarrett also are tuned into NASCAR's "secret" frequency.(Sporting News)(3-17-2003)
- Rumblings - Darlington: The win was Pontiac's first of the season, and was worth $173,150 for Ricky Craven from the over $3.8M in posted awards. This victory also guarantees him a start in The Winston in May at Lowe's Motor Speedway, and moves him into a tie for 86th on the all-time win list. Kurt Busch gave it all he had, but had to settle for the brides maid's spotagain. He's had three runner-up finishes in the five events this season. Dave Blaney (3rd) had his career-best finish today. His previous best had been 6th, which he'd accomplished three times, the last being at Homestead last November. Greg Biffle (12th) had his career-best finish today. His previous best was 13th, which he'd done twice including last week at Atlanta. Ken Schrader (17th) had his best finish since he was 13th at Loudon last September. Brett Bodine (31st) had his best finish since he was 26th at Lowe's Motor Speedway last October.
STREAKIN....Matt Kenseth has 4 Top-10's in a row. Tony Stewart has 4 Top-10's in the last 5 races.
This Week's Elevator...UP: Ricky Craven (+30) runs the table and nabs the Operator of the Week award. He was followed by Joe Nemechek (+25), Ricky Rudd (+24), and Mark Martin (+23). DOWN: The Big Dropper was Todd Bodine (-33), followed by Jerry Nadeau (-32), Sterling Marlin (-31), Jeff Gordon (-28), and Ward Burton (-22).(StockCarFans.Com)(3-17-2003)
(3-16-2003)
see the Mar 10-16, 2003 Archived News Page
(3-9-2003)
see the Mar 3-9, 2003 Archived News Page
(3-2-2003)
see the Feb 24-Mar 2, 2003 Archived News Page
