PAST NEWS/RUMORS
OCT 20-26, 2003
THE PAST NEWS! YESTERDAY and BEYOND..
OTHER PAST NEWS PAGES
(10-26-2003)
- What is up with Steve Park? during the rain delay, PRN Radio [www.goprn.com], interviewed Steve Park, current driver of the #30 AOL Chevy for RCR, who said is working on a possible Winston Cup team to run in 2004, but the deal hinges on a sponsor. Park also said he has talked to some Busch teams too.(PRN Radio)(10-26-2003)
- What is up with Brett Bodine? Brett Bodine is at Atlanta working the garage. Unfortunately for Bodine, his role this weekend is that of radio broadcast announcer rather than race car driver. Bodine says that he’ll know more on Nov. 1, when the financial commitment from a sponsorship package is fulfilled. Asked when he might return to the track Bodine said, “hopefully at Homestead.” Bodine is tempering his excitement, as he needs to see the sponsor come through on its commitment before he can open the spigots to outfit his team.(Ford Racing)(10-26-2003)
- #49 Still Looking for a 2004 Sponsor; letter of intent?: #49-Ken Schrader may be the oldest regular driver, but he's also one of the most versatile, racing everything from ARCA cars at South Boston, Va. last Saturday to a dirt Late Model at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock last night. And he's one of the most frankly honest of the lot, even when the subject is a touchy one like the lack of a full-time sponsor for the #49 Dodge he drives in Winston Cup. "The phone doesn't ring a whole lot when you're 48," he said. "We're kind of on hold here waiting to see what happens. There are a couple of other little deals out there, a couple of opportunities maybe." Schrader said that if all else fails, he has a back-up plan in place that would allow him to run his own truck on the Craftsman Truck Series with backing from his long-time sponsor, Federated Auto Parts. "I guess that would be option one," he said. "But there's been way too much conversation on [car owners Tony and Beth Ann Morgenthau's] part and the whole team with other companies to really be in panic mode."(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
AND #49 Team owners Tony and Beth Ann Morgenthau got a heavy-handed dose of NASCAR reality in June, when, just as they sensed a sponsorship breakthrough with AT&T, NASCAR executives issued a controversial, and legally questionable, "No." The Morgenthaus are still not happy with the way that played out, but they've resigned themselves to playing by NASCAR's business "rules."
"NASCAR got into the middle of something they should never have been in the middle of, really," Tony Morgenthau said. "They tried to work that out. They have helped us tremendously trying to get sponsors. They've gone to presentations for us. They've had a lot of data. They've encouraged existing sponsors to talk with some of our people to show it really has helped their sales. NASCAR has been extremely helpful. The only problem we've had has been the Nextel problem. It's really not a problem. We'll overcome it and survive." With Kenny Schrader.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-26-2003)
AND II: Tony Morgenthau, co-owner of the No.49 Bam Racing car with Ken Schrader, says the team has a letter of intent from a company to be a sponsor next season.(Roanoke Times)(10-26-2003)
- Roush Back in Busch: According to garage sources Roush Racing will announce, at Phoenix, new NASCAR Busch Series team effort for 2004. Roush Racing’s three senior members will drive the car on Saturdays next year with Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth all taking turns behind the wheel. Sponsorship will come from oil company Pennzoil/Quaker State for the program. Additionally, Roush Racing will soon announce a fulltime NBS effort for Greg Biffle. He is expecting to make the show in all but two of the races when the #60 returns to the track fulltime in 2004. A suitable replacement will handle the car in the two races Biffle can’t drive. No word on who will sponsor the Biffle package.(Ford Racing)(10-26-2003)
- Barker to be honored and UPDATE: This year Robert 'Bootie' Barker (crew chief for the #77 - currently on leave) will be one of only eleven receiving a 2003 ARETE. The ARETE Honors is a tribute to athletes who, by overcoming adversity, or by displaying pure excellence, exemplify the spirit of ARETE. Whether over an extended period or one heroic instant, their performance was such that humankind could not fail to recognize it. Known as the most inspirational award in sports, the ARETE Honors for Courage in Sports will pay tribute to select individuals who, by their refusal to accept limitations, demonstrate the best of mankind. The ARETE Honors will be hosted by Jim Nantz and aired on November 2, 2003 on CBS.(Intersport PR)(10-24-2003)
UPDATE: Robert (Bootie) Barker, no longer Dave Blaney’s crew chief in Cup, is working for the rest of the season with the Busch Series team of Ashton Lewis Jr. Barker will likely work at Bill Davis Racing in some capacity next year.(Gaston Gazette)(10-26-2003)
- Akins to Dodge? Busch Series car owner [#38] Brad Akins is considering a switch to Dodge for his team in 2004, which seems odd in light of the fact that his driver is Kasey Kahne. Kahne, you may remember, has a contract with Ford Motor Company that prevents him from driving other makes, or so Ford Racing’s Greg Specht declared in widely circulated comments a few weeks back. Specht, by the way, made himself unavailable for comment on Saturday, although he was present at the track.(Gaston Gazette)(10-26-2003)
- Harvick beats Spencer: Kevin Harvick beat Jimmy Spencer by six inches to win Saturday night's 20-lap Winston Cup match race at Lanier National Speedway. Split into two 10-lap sprints, Kerry Earnhardt won the first race by narrowly edging Harvick, Spencer, and Michael Waltrip. After inverting the field for the final 10-lap dash, Harvick and Spencer spent much of the second event side by side and swapping the lead. Spencer passed Harvick for the lead on lap six. Harvick reassumed the lead on lap seven and held on by inches at the checkered flag. Earnhardt finished one-car length behind in third while Waltrip collected fourth.(ThatsRacin.com)(10-26-2003)
- Huffman wins Dash Series Title..then to the Trucks? Robert Huffman's fifth-place finish in Friday night's NASCAR Dash series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway - won by Justin Hobgood - clinched his fifth and final series championship. NASCAR is no longer sanctioning the series after this season and Huffman, who has so far driven Toyota's only entry in a NASCAR series, will move to the Truck Series next season, where he will debut in one of Toyota's Tundras. "To be involved in the Craftsman Truck series with Toyota is a lifelong dream. I want to be able to race for a living as long as I can race and Toyota has given me the opportunity to do that, recently in the Dash series and moving to Trucks," said Huffman, of Claremont, NC. "It's been fun for me to help Toyota get their program started and to see where it's at now. It's great. Toyota doesn't owe me anything, but it's great for me that they feel like they do." Huffman declined to name the team he will drive for in 2004, but he is expected to be one of seven Toyota drivers running in the series next season.(ThatsRacin.com)(10-26-2003)
(10-25-2003)
- Martin helps out Rudd: Mark Martin, driver of the #6 Viagra Ford for Rosuh Racing, drove a few laps in the #21 Air Force car at Atlanta for Rciky Rudd to help get the handling correct and also said the car was way too loose as Rudd had reported. The #21 is woned by the Wood Brothers but is a Roush chassis and engine and gets engineering help from Roush.(TNT's Happy Hour Coverage)(10-25-2003)
- Smokey Yunick Award to White: Fayetteville's Rex White, the 1960 Winston Cup champion, is expected to receive the Smokey Yunick Award at AMS this morning. The award, given annually at the track, recognizes pioneers of the sport. White won 26 Winston Cup races, but his only superspeedway victory came at AMS in the 1962 Dixie 400.
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(10-25-2003)
- Kodak talking to teams: The Kodak sponsorship question is still unanswered, but company officials are expected to meet with potential car owners this weekend. Larry McClure [owner of the #4 Kodak Pontiac] has reportedly agreed to Kodak's buy-back of the final two years of his contract; however the two sides are apparently at odds over other aspects of that deal. Kodak is being bombarded with sponsorship bids, and the top two teams in the running appear to be DEI and Roush Racing. Ty Norris, DEI general manager, won't talk specifically about Kodak but says "We've had some movement in the last 10 days."(Winston Salem Journal)(10-25-2003)
- Mayfield's Options: Jeremy Mayfield's decsion came down to length of contract [and of course how well the #19 team has been doing of late], supposedly RCR offered Mayfield as one-year deal to drive the #30 AOL Chevy, while Evernham offered Mayfield a two-year extension to stay where he is and is running good of late.(Speed Channel Coverage of Cup Qualifying and see a NASCAR.com article:
Mayfield came close to leaving Evernham)(10-25-2003)
- Evernham to field a Busch car? It was mentoioned during qualifyig when #9 and #19 team owner, Ray Evernham was congratualting Bill Elliott on his top five qualifying run, that Evernham was asking Elliott to sponsor his Busch car at Rockingham [the sponroship thing was a joke] but seemed the running a Busch car was the real thing.(10-25-2003)
- Petty asks Inman to help out: Kyle Petty won't discuss reports he may be interested in hiring Robbie Loomis or Steve Hmiel to help run Petty Enterprises, but Petty says he has tried to lure Dale Inman out of retirement to become an adviser. "We need someone, we know that," Petty says. "I asked Dale to come to a few races to study things for us. We know we're missing something at the track." And Petty says he may have a new driver at the wheel of 43 next season: "We gave General Mills a list of four or five names. There are guys in the market now, Jeff Green, Johnny Benson, Kenny Schrader, Jimmy Spencer, you have to look at. We'll just ride it out for a while."(Winston Salem Journal)(10-25-2003)
- Sadler Paint Scheme gets Passion at Atlanta: Masterfoods USA, makers of M&M’S Chocolate Candies, encouraged its 6,900 associates at 21 corporate sites across the country to etch their way into NASCAR history by signing their names to a decal signifying the “Passion” shared by everyone involved with the company. Masterfoods USA associates will present this proclamation to their driver of the No. 38 M&M’s Taurus, Elliott Sadler, at Sunday’s Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. The #38 Ford will sport a “passionate” new design with associate signatures adorning the entire car and heart logos on both rear quarter panels. Passion is one of six core principles upon which Masterfoods USA defines its operating structure. “Passion Week”, a celebration of this key principle, kicks off with the introduction of the newly designed Nascar vehicle. Twenty-two associate incentive winners from sites across the country were chosen to make the trek to Atlanta and share their ‘passion to win’ with Sadler. “Passion is something we all share at Masterfoods,” said Roula Kamhawi, President of Chocolate for Masterfoods USA and the unofficial Director of Passion. “It’s a very personal belief, but we all share the common vision of a passion to win. When looking to reward our associates for employing this principal, we naturally looked to our NASCAR involvement. Elliott and the entire M&M’s Racing Team share the same passion for motorsports that our associates share for making a high quality product. The two groups really do compliment one another because Elliott and all of our associates are great ambassadors for Masterfoods USA.” Kamhawi will be on hand as the winners and Elliott Sadler sign the car before it takes the green flag.(Elevation Group PR) see an image of the car on my 2003 Winston Cup Paint Schemes - Cars #'s 24-99 page.(10-25-2003)
- Ince helping out in Winston West: hearing former #10 MB2 Motorsports crew chief will be heading out west, consulting for Performance Motorsports, and driver Steve Portenga at Fontana, CA next weekend, trying to win the race and help them capture the Winston West Championship [no idea what the WInston West will be called in 2004 since Winston is leaving - Nextel West?]. Ince won a race in the WInston West with Johnny Benson at Fontana. The "World Famous Gunfighters" Marines HMLA-369 Light Attack Helicopter Squadron based out of Camp Pendleton will be there for morale support as #77-Steve Portenga and the King Taco, Cardenas Markets Ford Taurus prepares to conquer the two mile California Speedway. The King Taco 200 Winston West Grand National race will be run on Saturday November 1, 2003 at California Speedway in what the Performance Motorsports Team hopes will be a repeat of the race they won in April. Portega enters the event in third place in the championship hunt fourteen points out of second and thirty three points out of the lead. Scott Lynch [who drives for Brendan Gaughan's father's team] is leading the Winston West points, and Mike Duncan is in second. Another close points race, looks like they use the same or similar points system as Cup/Busch/Trucks. Want more info on the Winston West Series? see the site www.racingwest.com.(10-24-2003)
More on Winston West: No Nextel West - NASCAR's Winston Cup will become the Nextel Cup next year, but the Winston West series will not be Nextel West. Next Saturday's Winston West race at California Speedway, the King Taco 200, will be the last under the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. sponsorship in a relationship that began in 1971. "The series that is now Winston West will remain an important part of NASCAR's Grand National Division next year, but with a different name," said Jeremy Davidson, NASCAR manager of communications. "We are negotiating with several potential sponsors at the moment, but Nextel is not one of them."(L.A. Times)(10-25-2003)
- Elliott Part Time in 2004? UPDATE 4: now hearing that Bill Elliott will semi-retire and run five Cup races in 2004, assuming it'll be in the #9 Dodge.(10-2-2003)
UPDATE: The Winston Cup garage is rife with rumors about Bill Elliott's possible retirement, but Elliott himself says it's still too early to announce his plans for 2004 and beyond. "There's too much going on to say anything right now," Elliott said. There apparently are several scenarios in play, but at this point, none of them have Elliott walking away from the sport at the end of this season. He is expected to either run the full season next year for car owner Ray Evernham or run a limited schedule -- possibly five major events. Elliott's plans hinge on several factors, including what Evernham does with Elliott's team car, the No. 19 Dodge now driven by Jeremy Mayfield. Evernham said there are no firm plans in place yet for either of his two teams. "Everything's not settled," Evernham said. "We hope to have it settled by the time we roll into Atlanta, but right now we're concentrating on it race-by-race, trying to win some races here."(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(10-4-2003)
UPDATE 2 - An odd Elliott rumor: hear a hot rumor circulating around the garage area at Martinsville this weekend is that Ford and Dodge are working on a swap. Ford will release Kasey Kahne from his contract to drive for Evernham Motorsports. In exchange, Elliott will run one last season in a Ford in 2004 with a team to be determined. Unsure if it would be a full season or a partial season as had been rumored.(source)(10-19-2003)
UPDATE 3: After weeks of speculation, Totally NASCAR has learned that 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup champion Bill Elliott will retire from full-time competition at the end of this season. Elliott will reportedly run five races next year at tracks significant to his career. Sources say Elliott, who has 43 wins and 55 poles in 726 starts, might make it official this weekend in Atlanta. Elliott is from nearby Dawsonville, GA.(FoxSports)(10-21-2003)
UPDATE 4: Bill Elliott held a press conference Thursday morning in Atlanta [see story below], and while many in the media assumed he would make an announcement about an impending retirement, he instead announced a line of snack food he's endorsing. He did acknowledge the concern about his racing future. "It has been a pretty good kick," Elliott said. "It's understandable of what the fans want to know, but right now, I don't know so how do you say what you're going to do when you don't know. We'll see. It's been a lot of fun. A lot of different things have been thrown at me. There's still a lot of things on the table as far as next year's concerned. Right now, I just need to decide what Bill Elliott wants to do."(FoxSports - Totally NASCAR)(10-24-2003)
Plus see articles at ThatsRacin.com: Evernham speaks of Elliott's uncertainty, says options in place either way; and NASCAR.com: Evernham: Elliott still figuring out future plans.(10-25-2003)
(10-24-2003)
- Hendrick buying the #01 and half of the #10? UPDATE Denied: hearing Hendrick Motorsports/Rick Hendrick may be purchasing the #01-US Army MB2 team and half of the #10 MBV Valvoline team. Joe Nemechek drives the #01 Pontiac and Scott Riggs will drive the #10 Valvoline Pontiac in 2004. Johnny Benson is the current driver.(10-24-2003)
UPDATE: Hendrick Motorsports [HMS] officials on Friday denied an Internet report that it was considering buying into MB2/MBV Motorsports which currently fields Pontiacs for Winston Cup drivers Joe Nemechek and Johnny Benson. Hendrick spokesman Jesse Essex said HMS is not interested in buying any or all of the MB2/MBV teams. The interest in Hendrick's relationship with MB2/MBV has been fueled by several arrangements recently between the two organizations, including the move of Hendrick's former driver, Nemechek, to MB2's #01 team. Hendrick also had a tentative arrangement to place its Busch driver, Brian Vickers, in MB2's #01 the final four races of this season. That deal was nullified when Nemechek left for the #01, and Vickers moved to HMS' #25, which he will run full time in 2004. Also, HMS currently provides all the engines for the MB2 and MBV teams.(ThatsRacin.com)(10-24-2003)
- Domino's to be an assoc sponsor on the #15: Domino's Pizza, the world's recognized leader in pizza delivery, which became the "Official Pizza of NASCAR" earlier this year, has expanded its involvement in NASCAR and announced a partnership with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI). Under the agreement, Domino's will become an associate sponsor of the #15 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet driven by Michael Waltrip. The relationship with DEI and Waltrip will allow Domino's to ramp up its NASCAR-themed advertising and promotions, which began earlier this year. Waltrip will debut his #15 NAPA race car with the Domino's logo on the right panel, behind the number 15, and the left panel behind the rear tire during a press conference at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Throughout 2004, the #15 show car will make a cross-country tour and be displayed at 90 Domino's stores. Other details of the agreement include Waltrip's participation in Domino's advertising, online marketing initiatives and promotions. "Partnering with Domino's will be a fun and exciting ride," said Michael Waltrip. "In February, days after Domino's unveiled the commercial featuring my family at a press conference in Daytona, we won the Daytona 500. I'm looking forward to more great wins together."(Domino's Pizza Site)(10-24-2003)
- Lipton Sides Joins the #77 as an Assoc for Atlanta: Lipton Sides, a Unilever Bestfoods brand, is joining forces with Jasper Motorsports this weekend in Atlanta to take advantage of the sponsor benefits NASCAR has to offer by promoting Lipton Sides. Lipton Sides will be displayed prominently on the hood and quarter panels of the #77 Jasper Engines and Transmissions Ford Taurus in an
effort to increase brand awareness among the 100,000 plus fans that will converge at Atlanta Motor Speedway, not to mention the millions of race fans who will attend by proxy through national television coverage on NBC. Understanding the hectic everyday life most Americans lead, Lipton Sides is positioned as an option to complete a meal in a hurry. They have harnessed the consumers’ need for an easier side dish and with more than 40 varieties of rice, pasta and noodle flavors the options are virtually endless. Cindy Lewis who looks after the Jasper Engines and Transmissions Racing Team as ‘Team Mom’ and prepares their meals is excited to about partnering with Lipton Sides. “The schedule does not always allow a lot of time for the guys to eat but I make sure they always have a good meal,” said Lewis. “With Lipton Sides all I have to do is worry about the main course. Lipton® Sides take 10 minutes [to prepare]. That leaves a lot of time for me to make sure the whole team eats.”(Jasper Motorsports PR)(10-24-2003)
- The King and the Blue Angels: Seven-time Winston Cup Champion Richard Petty may think he knows fast. Long-time sponsor STP wants to make sure of it. Petty is gearing up to test his mettle with a supersonic jet ride courtesy of the elite U.S. Navy Blue Angels. Video footage of Petty’s sound barrier-breaking experience with the Blue Angels will appear as part of the pre-race activities for the Checker Auto Parts 500 at the Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday, November 2. Just like he did during his racing days, Petty will again be traveling at warp speeds. This time however, he did it at 20,000 feet in the air, in a two-seat Navy Blue Angel F/A-18-Hornet. Petty seems excited for his latest challenge, even though he’ll be trading in his signature cowboy hat and sunglasses for aviator shades and flight helmet.
“In all of my years of driving, I’ve never experienced anything like a ride in an F/A-18 fighter jet,” Petty said. “I know what quality ingredients like jet fuel can do on the ground, that’s why I have put STP in my trucks tank for so long.”
STP uses jet fuel as a carrier fluid for active ingredients in all of its fuel additives. Jet fuel is highly regulated and thoroughly tested to meet the demanding standards of military jets and commercial aircraft. It is high standards like these that help STP deliver unmatched consistency during the manufacturing process for all of its products. The partnership between Richard Petty and STP, now in its 32nd year, is the longest running sponsorship in sports history. Beginning in 1972, STP and Richard Petty teamed up to win a NASCAR record 200 races. Petty, who stepped out of his legendary #43 STP car for the final time in 1992 still maintains an active sponsorship with STP. In fact, Petty and STP recently agreed to extend their record sponsorship into 2004. “STP is very fortunate to have a sponsorship with a living legend like Richard Petty,” said Dan Dahlgren, Vice President/Category Manager, STP. “Since Richard is already a master of the road, we felt that putting him up in the sky would elevate ‘The King’ to a whole new level.”
At the end of the PR it has: This year, Petty Enterprises will field two NASCAR Winston Cup teams: Jeff Green’s #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge Intrepid, Kyle Petty’s #45 Georgia- Pacific Brawny Dodge Intrepid. In addition, Christian Fittipaldi, driving the #44 Petty Blue Dodge Intrepid, will run a limited schedule in Winston Cup, Busch and ARCA for 2004.(STP PR)(10-24-2003)
- Stock Car Fans - Ramblings - Atlanta: Oh gee! What a suprise! Ryan Newman won a Pole! The broken record (ya'll remember those big round black things that used to make music? Well, maybe some of you don't.) that is the mighty Bud Pole Machine inside that #12 Alltel Dodge just keeps on rolling along. Ryan Newman grabbed his 9th pole of 2003 (he's a clincher for the most in that category) and 16th of his Winston Cup career tonight at Atlanta Motor Speedway for Sunday's Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. Ryan's time of 28.534 (194.294 mph) was far from a record, but quick none the less. When you figure that's on a mile & a half oval it's hold your breath time. Ryan will be joined on the front-row by Bobby Labonte. He gained his best starting spot since he had the pole at Michigan in August.
#25-Brian Vickers (4th) is setting the bar pretty high in just his second Cup start.
#54-Todd Bodine (7th) has his best starting spot since he lined up 6th in the Daytona 500.
#01-Joe Nemechek (8th) has his best starting spot since he lined up 7th at The Brickyard in August.
#1-John Andretti (11th) had his best qualifying run since he timed in 11th at The Brickyard in August [in the #81 car].
#37-Derrike Cope (23rd) has his best starting spot since he started 12th at the Daytona 500 in February of 2000!
#02-Hermie Sadler (34th) has his best starting spot since he lined up 18th at Michigan in June (only 6 races).
STREAKIN....Jimmie Johnson has 6 Top-10 starts in the last 7 races.
Bill Elliott has 4 Top-10 starts in the last 5 races.
Elliott Sadler has 4 Top-10 starts in the last 5 races.
Provisional Land looks like Roushville tonight....3 Roush Fords and one quasi-Roush team. Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton, Mark Martin, Sterling Marlin, Scott Wimmer, Ricky Rudd, and Ken Schrader all took freebies to make the field. I can't say I'm surprised to see Kenseth back there....at this time of the season you can expect that the motor in that #17 car isn't gonna be wound too tight with a Championship on the line and only 4 races to go.
The Trouble Train included 6 cars tonight....primary among them the #43 of Jeff Green. He was joined out the gate by Buckshot Jones, Larry Foyt, Mike Wallace, Billy Bigley, and Shelby Howard. The #50 car was withdrawn.(StockCarFans.Com Winston Cup Newsletter)(10-24-2003)
- HPI and MindSHAPER Suite on “NASCAR This Morning”
Huntersville, NC (October 23, 2003) - Human Performance International (HPI) and the MindSHAPER Suite to be showcased on Sunday, October 26th from 11:00am to 12:00noon/et on NASCAR This Morning on FOX Sports Net. Ex-Winston Cup racer and host Chad Little visits with the performance team at HPI to find out about the revolutionary new MindSHAPER Suite software program shown to significantly improve the mental skills of their high-performance clients. This unique program, unlike anything available in the marketplace today, is an integrated suite of four program elements that is specifically designed to improve the following mental skills: concentration or focus, memory, visual scanning ability, and speed and accuracy of mental processing. Little examines how this proven technology, developed in the high-performance world of NASCAR and beyond, can benefit people in the general population. Current MindSHAPER users have been drawn from every walk of life and level of functional ability:
· Top-level racers for whom split-second decisions can mean the difference between success or injury
· Golfers wanting to improve their performance on the links
· Athletes from a broad cross-section of the sport world striving to achieve a competitive advantage
· High-risk professionals seeking to develop their mental skills
· Students striving for better grades in school
· Children and adults with ADD/ADHD
· Stroke patients looking to regain cognitive function and coordination
· Older adults working to keep their minds sharp
Their new website is now live at: www.mindshaper.com.(Human Performance International PR)(10-24-2003)
- Dale Jarrett Extends Contract With RYR Through 2006: Robert Yates Racing announced today that Dale Jarrett has extended his contract to drive the #88 UPS Ford Taurus through the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season. Jarrett is in the process of wrapping up his ninth season with RYR, and his eighth as the driver of the #88 Robert Yates Racing Team. Jarrett’s contract extension insures that he and UPS will both be part of the #88 Robert Yates Racing Team through 2006.
“We couldn’t be happier to have Dale’s contract done through 2006,” said team owner Robert Yates. “We’ve had a great relationship with Dale Jarrett and it’s one we look forward to continuing. Dale and I started the #88 team together and I am lucky to still have him in the car. Dale and I both knew this contract extension was going to happen, it was just a matter of finding the time to sit down, putting everything out on paper and getting it signed.”
“The biggest thing for everybody to understand is even though things have been difficult this year we weren’t about to give up on this team and our goals,” Jarrett said. “It’s gratifying for me to know that Robert and Doug Yates and UPS want to continue this and believe in this to continue. I’m looking forward to seeing this team back where it belongs and that’s winning races and contending for championships.”(Elevation Motorsports PR)(10-24-2003)
- Wilburn to be re-assigned? hearing current #2 crew chief, Bill Wilburn, will not be the #2 Miller Lite Dodge crew chief in 2004, but will be be re-assigned within the organziation, no word on any candidates yet.(10-24-2003)
- Miller leaving the #2? NO: heard a rumor earlier on Thursday that Miller Lite would be leaving as the sponsor of the #2 Penske Racing Dodge and driver Rusty Wallace [Wallace also has a long term personal services contract with Miller]. After some checking around, found out that Penske Racing, Wallace and Miller are close to signing a two year extension and it is all but a done deal.(10-24-2003)
(10-23-2003)
- Victory Lap tribute honors “Awesome Bill” at Atlanta: Bill Elliott will close out an impressive month of October by being honored in the NASCAR Victory Lap tribute prior to Sunday’s Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. The program, honoring R. J. Reynolds and past NASCAR Winston Cup champions, will make its sixth stop of the season during pre-race ceremonies, where Elliott will run a few laps in his #9 Dodge Dealers/Victory Lap Dodge. With two recent top-five finishes, including a second at Kansas Speedway and a fourth at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Elliott sits 10th in NASCAR’s Top 10. Last Sunday’s ninth-place finish at Martinsville continued his autumn upswing. The 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup champion, Elliott has 43 career victories. His most recent were back-to-back wins in 2002, which included the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.(NASCAR PR)(10-23-2003)
- Elliott Announcment UPDATE: Bill Elliott will be making an announcement about his future plans involving a project outside of racing on Thursday, October 23 - 11:00am/et. NOT RACING found out this announcement will have nothing to do with Racing or Elliott's 2004 Racing plans.(10-23-2003)
UPDATE: 1988 Winston Cup champion Bill Elliott today announced the formation of a new company to manufacture and distribute a line of snack foods that will feature his image. Elliott Championship Products LLC, a partnership between the driver and Championship Group Inc. of Atlanta, will launch the Bill Elliott's brand of products in convenience stores and supermarkets late this year. The line, which will initially be distributed in the Southeast, includes three flavors of beef jerky, a hot sausage, a spicy meat stick, a kippered beefsteak and three flavors of pork rinds.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(10-23-2003)
- Official - Riggs to the #10 in 2004: MBV Motorsports announced today that Scott Riggs has signed a multi-year agreement to drive the #10 Valvoline Pontiac in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, beginning with the 2004 season-opening Daytona 500. The announcement was made by James Rocco, designated team owner and senior vice president of The Valvoline Company. Riggs replaces Johnny Benson, who will complete the 2003 season in the #10 car. “Johnny Benson is a tough, talented driver with a lot of heart, “said Rocco. “He gave the team its first win and is a good ambassador for Valvoline Racing. We wish him the best. Scott Riggs is a winner, Rocco said. “He is a hard-charger who has excelled in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Busch Series. He has the talent to compete at the NASCAR Nextel Cup level and continue Valvoline's winning legacy.”
“I've been blessed to have had some great rides in my racing career and some great people helping me along the way,” Riggs said. “I explored several excellent NASCAR Nextel Cup opportunities as well as offers to remain in the Busch Series and I decided the Valvoline Pontiac was the best place for me to be at this stage of my career. I appreciate the confidence Valvoline and MBV Motorsports have placed in me,” Riggs explained. “I'm going to work with the team to get everything I can out of the cars and hope to reward them with some wins.”(Scott Riggs site), see past news and rumors on my #10 News and Links page.(10-23-2003)
- Tires Changing in 2004: Goodyear plans to produce an entirely new line of tires for the 2004 season, company officials revealed Tuesday, in response to NASCAR's trim of the rear spoilers on the cars. The intent of the new car spec is to reduce reliance on aerodynamic grip and increase the utility of mechanical grip, thus, in theory, putting the racing more in control of drivers and teams. NASCAR and Goodyear have worked closely on the project since early this year. There had been speculation that Goodyear could accommodate most of the change by shuffling some of its current tire codes, but Rick Campbell, Goodyear's lead engineer in NASCAR, said the company will offer a clean sweep of the D-codes, which designate left- and right-side tires at each race. The changes are not major in most cases, Campbell said, with recompounding in most cases to produce a softer, grippier tire. For the past three seasons, in response to immense aerodynamic downforce developed by teams and manufacturers, Goodyear had hardened the tires until they had virtually no give-up at all. The change offered by NASCAR is a 3/4-inch reduction of the rear spoiler height. NASCAR estimates that the change could take away 75 to 100 pounds of rear downforce, which the teams likely will recover in time. NASCAR says it will consider further cuts. The main change for Goodyear will be in its left-side sets. That, Campbell said, will help with the loose feel in the cars as a result of diminished rear downforce. However, he added, "We will not carry over one single code into next year. This is a new construction package that's been under development the last year or so," Campbell explained. "It gives a driver a very progressive, very easy to drive kind of fee, not a knife-edge situation where you're constantly jumping back and forth between loose and tight."
The first group of the new tires will be tested on the new surface at Homestead, Fla., next Tuesday and Wednesday, likely with teams not involved in the points race. If all goes as planned, the new tires will be used in the Homestead races Nov. 14-16.(Speed Channel)(10-23-2003)
- SMI Partnership: Checker Flag Lightning of Grandville, Michigan and Perfect Line, Inc. have entered into a revenue share agreement which allows Checker Flag to become the new owner-operator of Checker Flag Lightning featuring NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway Simulators. The new store will be located in the RiverTown Crossings Mall in Grandville, Michigan inside of the former NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway space. Checker Flag brings to the venture a 10-year history of being one of West Michigan's premier retailers of officially licensed NASCAR racing apparel, souvenirs and collectables.(SMI Site)(10-23-2003)
- Coordinating Producer Hired at Speed: Pete Richards has joined SPEED Channel as a Coordinating Producer, working on projects including 2 Wheel Tuesday and SPEED's coverage of AMA road racing, ARCA and USAC events. No stranger to SPEED, Richards was on hand for the launch of the network in February of 2002, producing studio shows during Daytona SpeedWeeks as well as some of SPEED's early coverage of live races. A native of Gary, Ind., and a graduate of Indiana University, Richards also produced a pair of high-profile SPEED Channel specials -- "Robby Gordon's Double Duty" and "Backstage at the Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert."(Speed Channel PR)(10-23-2003)
- Increased Overseas Exposure Expected: NASCAR Chief Operating Officer George Pyne told the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Tuesday that the sport has room to grow in the U.S. but said he also foresees international opportunities. "Obviously we believe we still have a lot of room to grow here in the domestic market, but we also believe that our sport resonates well abroad," Pyne said. "We are seeing great feedback and interest in our international broadcasts. We are reviewing the opportunities for expanding our international business." After the speech, Pyne also told USA Today that NASCAR will launch a "Drive for Diversity" to provide "opportunities in racing's grass-roots levels" for minorities. "We want to represent America, and we're committed to a number of different programs that will help make NASCAR representative of America."(Winston Cup Daily Newsletter)(10-23-2003)
- Testing at Phoenix: Once again, Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) testing was done under record-breaking temperatures. On Tuesday, a new record was set at 103. Wednesday, drivers ran with temperatures hovering near 102 degrees. Still, most teams found themselves running faster testing times than last year. While official times weren't kept by PIR, cars were clocked around 27.5 seconds [130.909mph] on some of the late morning and early afternoon runs. Drivers testing were #31-Robby Gordon, #16-Greg Biffle, #25-Brian Vickers and #24-Jeff Gordon.
Ticket sales have been hot for the Checker Auto Parts 500 NASCAR Weekend at Phoenix International Raceway in two weeks. There are a limited number of very good seats remaining for all four races over the weekend, and they can be purchased by calling the PIR Ticket Office (602) 252-2227, 1-800-PIT-SHOP or via the internet at www.phoenixraceway.com.(10-23-2003)
- Waltrip's Pit Crew Wins in Martinsville; Closing In On Season Championship: The pit crew for Michael Waltrip's team moved one step closer to claiming the inaugural McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade and the $200,000 bonus that goes to the season champion. The #15 crew, which has led in the point standings the entire season, captured its fourth McDonald's/POWERade win of the year with a resounding victory in Sunday's (Oct. 19) 500-lap event at Martinsville Speedway. The victory, worth $20,000, lifted the #15 crew's season prize money total to $80,000. With four NASCAR Winston Cup races remaining, Waltrip's pit crew holds a 38-point lead over DEI teammate - the #8 crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
"It's getting personal here - a downright grudge match between the #15 and the #8 teams," said DEI pit crew coach Walt Smith. "Both teams are really fired up about the McDonald's/POWERade championship. I tell the (No.) 15 team to stay focused and then go over to the (No.) 8 team and tell them don't give up - you're not out of the championship. This program is great for everyone. The drivers are even talking about it during the race."
By winning in Martinsville, Waltrip's team gained only one point on Earnhardt's team, which finished second. Waltrip's NAPA Chevrolet spent the least amount of time on pit road - 229.765 seconds. Earnhardt's Chevy was clocked at 283.984. Tony's Stewart's team finished third with a time of 291.004.
The over-the-wall pit crew for Waltrip's team consists of: Brian Chase (jackman), Jeff Opal (gasman), Chris Crumley (front tire changer), Greg Osborne (rear tire changer), Shawn Ward (front tire carrier), Chad Walter (rear tire carrier) and Pete Rondeau (catch can). The team's crew chief is Richard "Slugger" Labbe.(DMF PR) for top 10 at Martinsville, Season Standings and each race winner, see my Pit Crew page.(10-23-2003)
- Kentucky Testing; Kahne to test for Evernham? UPDATE and no Kahne spotted: On Tuesday, October 21st, #99-Jeff Burton will test at Kentucky Speedway. On Wednesday, October 22nd, #19-Jeremy Mayfield and #9-Bill Elliott, #48-Jimmie Johnson and #0-Ward Burton will test.(Kentucky Speedway site)
also hearing that Kasey Kahne will test an Evernham Motorsports Dodge there Tuesday or Wednesday.(10-21-2003)
UPDATE: Ward Burton and his new #0 Netzero Pontiac team continued their new beginning with a one-day test at Kentucky Speedway today. Burton joins Haas CNC Racing after ending a seven-season relationship with Bill Davis Racing just two days ago. Davis helped Burton earned two of his five career wins last season, including the Daytona 500 title. Today’s test is Burton’s second with Crew Chief Tony Furr. The veteran driver said the more the team works together, the more confidence it builds. Fellow circuit drivers #48-Jimmie Johnson, #19-Jeremy Mayfield and #9-Bill Elliott also tested at the track. No speeds were reported.(Kentucky Speedway site), also been told Kasey Kahne was NOT at the track nor testing for Evernham Motorsports.(10-23-2003)
- AMW Motorsports Video: America’s Most Wanted Motorsports has received a lot of additional attention over the last few weeks thanks to FoxSports’ Totally NASCAR, Foxsports.com and Jayski.com and their efforts to bring the Fan’s That Care Program to the racing family of supporting fans. Now Foxsports.com has gone one step further by placing the video link to the story of the America’s Most Wanted motorsports Fan’s That Care program on their site. “The team at Totally NASCAR, Foxsports.com and Jay from Jayski.com has been very supportive of our program”, stated Scott Davis, of AMW motorsports, “Now the fans that missed the airing of our story can go online and see what we are about through the video link on Foxsports.com. We are excited and we have received a great deal of support from the fans!”For more visit www.bodydynamicsracing.com and click on the Totally NASCAR link.(10-23-2003)
- C-SPAN Video: At the National Press Club, George Pyne, Chief Operating Officer of NASCAR, speaks on "A Classic American Success Story." 10/21/2003: WASHINGTON, DC: at C-SPAN site.(10-23-2003)
(10-22-2003)
- Mayfield staying with Evernham: Jeremy Mayfield, the subject of much speculation regarding his future in the series, has signed a contract extension with his current owner, Evernham Motorosports, to remain in the #19 Dodge, ThatsRacin.com has learned.
An official announcement of Mayfield's re-signing with Evernham is expected later Wednesday afternoon. Mayfield, 34, joined Evernham following the 2001 season. He owns three career Winston Cup wins, but none since joining Evernham. He is currently 20th in points, with nine top-10 and three top-five finishes, including two runner-up finishes. Mayfield's first Cup win came in 1998 with Penske Racing, when he also finished a career-high seventh in points. He earned two more wins in 2000 and left the organization near the end of the 2001 season. Mayfield struggled at the start of this season, but in recent weeks his No. 19 team has improved dramatically. All three of his top-fives this season have come in the past seven races. Mayfield has grown increasingly frustrated recently as his job status appeared to be up in the air, and other Cup teams began expressing interest in his services. "All we need is to be left alone for a while," Mayfield said following his second-place finish at Dover, Del. "Let us race. We've fought rumors since I've been there. I've been in the rumor mill forever. Now, the 9 car is. ... Let us race."(ThatsRacin.com)(10-22-2003)
- Tragic News: Race driver Tony Renna, taking his first laps with his new team at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during a tire test, was fatally injured Wednesday morning, a Target Chip Ganassi Racing spokesman confirmed. Renna, who would have turned 27 years old next month, was going into Turn 3 when his car jumped sideways and became airborne. According to witnesses, the car cleared the four-foot concrete wall and smashed into the catch fence -- breaking in half in the cockpit area. The Indy Racing League medical team reacted instantly and tried to revive Renna but could never establish a heartbeat. In becoming the 40th driver to lose his life at Indianapolis, the native of Deland, Fla., was the first Indy-car racer to die since Greg Moore perished in a CART race at Fontana, Calif., in 1999.(ESPN/AP)(10-22-2003)
- Top 10 for Most Consecutive Weeks in the Top 10 of Drivers Points:
Seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt’s modern-era record of 174 consecutive weeks among the top 10 in the championship is certain to remain unreachable for the next two seasons, but #48-Jimmie Johnson is the primary active driver who is in position to mount a challenge at that mark. Johnson, in his second full NASCAR Winston Cup season, will crack the NASCAR Top 10 for consecutive weeks in the top 10 in the championship following Sunday’s Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Johnson enters Sunday’s race having been among the top 10 in the NASCAR Winston Cup championship for 65 consecutive weeks. Regardless of his race finish, he will extend his streak to 66 consecutive weeks and allow him to crack the NASCAR Top 10 modern-era list for that category. The streak, which is tops among active drivers, will move him into a tie for 10th with Sterling Marlin. See more and the Top 10 list on my Stats and Stats Links page.(10-22-2003)
- PPI to the Wind Tunnel: PPI Motorsports [#32 Tide Pontiac] will take two cars to the Aerodyne Wind Tunnel in Mooresville, NC. on Wed., Oct. 22. The two new chassis have bodies that incorporate the rules changes NASCAR has instituted for the 2004 season. Crew Chief Scott Miller, on the Wind Tunnel Test: "We're taking two 'down force' cars to the tunnel. The main reason we're doing that is just that that's the way it shook out in terms of scheduling. This is a baseline test to see the difference in down force the new rules package creates. We expect to see less down force than we presently have, due to the tighter tolerances on the templates and the smaller rear spoilers. We'll use this test as a benchmark to determine which areas we need to improve on."(PPI Motorsports)(10-22-2003)
- Wallace Testing? AND: hearing #2-Rusty Wallace is testing at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill. on Tuesday and Wednesday in preparation for the race at Phoenix International Raceway.(10-21-2003)
AND heard this was in conjunction with a "Season Ticket Holder" appreciation party held on Tuesday, 21 Oct 2003. Wallace ran laps while season ticket holders at Gateway watched from the stands. There was a Autograph session following the laps, and Wallace stayed until he had signed autographs for everybody who wanted them. Free food and drinks were also provided, as well as a special sale of leftover souvenirs from 2003. Track GM Matt Strelo had a Q&A session with Season Ticket Holders, briefed them on plans for 2004, and gave away prizes, including two tickets to the 2004 Daytona 500. The Track will be open on to the public on Wed for more of Wallace's practice.(10-22-2003)
(10-21-2003)
- #800 for Rudd: #21-Ricky Rudd is scheduled to make his 800th career Winston Cup start this weekend at Atlanta. Rudd is currently 4th all time in the number of Cup races run. First is Richard Petty at 1177, then Dave Marcis at 881 and Darrell Waltrip at 809, those three drivers are all retired. Right behind Rudd in 5th place is Terry Labonte who currently has 777 starts.(10-21-2003)
- Elliott Part Time in 2004? UPDATE 3: now hearing that Bill Elliott will semi-retire and run five Cup races in 2004, assuming it'll be in the #9 Dodge.(10-2-2003)
UPDATE: The Winston Cup garage is rife with rumors about Bill Elliott's possible retirement, but Elliott himself says it's still too early to announce his plans for 2004 and beyond. "There's too much going on to say anything right now," Elliott said. There apparently are several scenarios in play, but at this point, none of them have Elliott walking away from the sport at the end of this season. He is expected to either run the full season next year for car owner Ray Evernham or run a limited schedule -- possibly five major events. Elliott's plans hinge on several factors, including what Evernham does with Elliott's team car, the No. 19 Dodge now driven by Jeremy Mayfield. Evernham said there are no firm plans in place yet for either of his two teams. "Everything's not settled," Evernham said. "We hope to have it settled by the time we roll into Atlanta, but right now we're concentrating on it race-by-race, trying to win some races here."(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(10-4-2003)
UPDATE 2 - An odd Elliott rumor: hear a hot rumor circulating around the garage area at Martinsville this weekend is that Ford and Dodge are working on a swap. Ford will release Kasey Kahne from his contract to drive for Evernham Motorsports. In exchange, Elliott will run one last season in a Ford in 2004 with a team to be determined. Unsure if it would be a full season or a partial season as had been rumored.(source)(10-19-2003)
UPDATE 3: After weeks of speculation, Totally NASCAR has learned that 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup champion Bill Elliott will retire from full-time competition at the end of this season. Elliott will reportedly run five races next year at tracks significant to his career. Sources say Elliott, who has 43 wins and 55 poles in 726 starts, might make it official this weekend in Atlanta. Elliott is from nearby Dawsonville, GA.(FoxSports)(10-21-2003)
- Crew Chiefs Looking: seems to be quite a few crew chiefs available and out there looking at oppurtunities in NASCAR:
James Ince parted ways with the #10 MBV team is is activly looking for a new team
Marc Reno will leave #09 Cup/#1 Busch Phoenix Racing teams at the end of the year
Tony Liberati of the pretty much closed up #92 Herzog-Jackson Busch team is looking around and has some irons in the fire.
Robert Barker who is on a leave of absence from the #77 Jasper Motorsports team is in the rumor mill too [see below](10-21-2003)
- NASCAR Levies Fines: NASCAR has issued the following penalties for various infractions that occurred during last weekend’s NASCAR Winston Cup Series event at Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR officials announced today.
The following were fined accordingly:
Todd Berrier, crew chief for the #29 NASCAR Winston Cup Series car of Kevin Harvick, was fined $5,000 for violation of Section 12-4-A: Actions detrimental to stock car racing and Section 9-4-A: The crew chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his team members. Infraction occurred during pre-race.
Marc Smith, crew member for the #29 NASCAR Winston Cup Series car of Kevin Harvick, was suspended until Oct. 29, 2003. He was in violation of Section 12-4-A: Actions detrimental to stock car racing: Attempting to circumvent a NASCAR inspection process. Infraction occurred during pre-race.(NASCAR PR)(10-21-2003)
- Riggs signed? to drive the #10? UPDATE 3 Riggs to make announcement: hearing Scott Riggs has signed to drive the #10 MBV Valvoline Pontiac in 2004. See past news on the rumor on my #10 Team News and Links page, Hearing Riggs Busch crew chief, Doug Randolph, could be headed to the #10 team with him.(10-15-2003)
UPDATE: been told that that Scott Riggs has signed, and will replace Johnny Benson in the #10 Valvoline Pontiac for 2004. Benson has a year left on his contract, and the team would honor their financial commitment if Benson does not land another ride. The team has no plans to run a third car in 2004. This will be a complete makeover for the MBV #10, a partnership of MB2 Racing and the Valvoline Company, following crew chief James Ince's release a few weeks ago. Ince and Benson have been with the team since its formation.(10-15-2003)
UPDATE 2: Johnny Benson said he's just been told by General Manager Jay Frye he won't be back as a driver next season, so Benson is putting out his resume. Richard Childress and DEI are the top two car owners working the market -- DEI had considered hiring Busch star Scott Riggs, but Riggs is expected to take Benson's place at the Frye team, which is now being run by mega-owner Rick Hendrick. Benson is also under consideration by car owners Cal Wells and Kyle Petty.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-18-2003)
UPDATE 3: Fox Sports Net's Totally NASCAR reported on Monday's show that Scott Riggs will make an announcement on Tuesday concerning his 2004 plans: Expect Scott Riggs to make an announcement on Tuesday at noon ET that he'll be making it official he'll be going to the MB2 Motorsports team to drive the Valvoline Pontiac.(Fox Sports Net's Totally NASCAR)(10-20-2003)
UPDATE 4: the announcement will now come later this week, NOT today.(10-21-2003)
- Union 76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Competition at the Rock: Pit crews, rather than drivers, are in the spotlight November 8, 2003, at North Carolina Speedway for the 36th annual 76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Competition. The purse for this year's event is $100,000, with $30,000 going to the winning team. Setting a new world record will result in a $10,000 bonus. Reigning champion - winning consecutively in 2001 and 2002 - is Roush Racing's #17 DeWalt pit crew for current Winston Cup points leader Matt Kenseth. The DeWalt crew bettered their own world record last year by .862 seconds, becoming the first crew to break the 16-second barrier since teams began changing four tires. The current world record, and the time teams will aim to beat in 2003, is 16.823 seconds.
Since 1967, the Union 76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Competition has been the only NASCAR sanctioned pit crew contest on the circuit. Giving world-class pit crews a time to shine, this event rewards the best of the best with the coveted 'World Championship Pit Crew' title. Held annually during the fall race weekend at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, the object of the competition is for each crew in the top 25 in points to empty 14 gallons of 76 Gasoline into the car (two cans holding seven gallons each) and change both left- and right-side tires in as short a time as possible. Time penalties are assessed for various infractions including loose lug nuts, fuel spills and fuel left in the gas can. The team with the fastest time becomes the new world champion.(North Carolina Speedway PR), for last years results, current news and the Pit Crew Chart, see my Pit Crew Page.(10-21-2003)
- Howard in the #27 at Atlanta UPDATE: Shelby Howard will attempt to make his Winston Cup debut this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He will drive the #27 Bill Davis Racing Chevy.(Shelby Howard Site)(10-21-2003)
UPDATE: Bill Davis Racing has entered its #27 Chevrolet into the NASCAR Winston Cup event this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway with ARCA RE/MAX Series driver, Shelby Howard behind the wheel. Howard, a native of Greenwood, Indiana, started racing at the age of 11 in Junior Sprint cars. From there, Howard competed in Mini-Cup, Modified Midget, 600 Mini-Sprint, Jasper Modified and Kendall Late Model before taking on the ARCA RE/MAX Series at age 16, becoming the youngest driver ever to enter an event. 2003 was Howard’s second full-season running the ARCA RE/MAX Series and the 18 year-old driver posted three wins and set the record for the youngest driver to win an ARCA RE/MAX event. Bill Davis, known for having an eye for young driving talent, has signed Howard to a driver development deal. Although this weekend’s event at Atlanta will be Howard’s first turn in a Winston Cup car, he has three ARCA RE/MAX starts at the 1.54-mile tri-oval. In last year’s event he started fourth and finished second. Mack Trucks will serve as the primary sponsor this weekend on the #27 Chevrolet.(Bill Davis Racing PR)(10-21-2003)
- Motorsports Caucus Creation: With bi-partisan support in the House, Senate, and Governor's Office, the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) announced the creation of the Motorsports Caucus. Representative Karen Ray serves the Motorsports Caucus as Chairman and Senator Tony Rand serves as Vice Chairman. Membership of the Caucus is a coalition of Representatives and Senators who realize the impact of motorsports in North Carolina and know the importance of maintaining and growing the industry.
"The Motorsports Caucus is dedicated to providing a healthy economic climate in North Carolina," said Representative Ray, "that meets the needs of our current motorsports businesses and attracts others to our state."
Governor Easley has given the Motorsports Caucus the green flag at a reception held welcoming Nextel Communications into the motorsports family. "The Motorsports Caucus will serve as a vehicle to strengthen the industry in our state as it relates to jobs, tourism and revenues," Easley said.
Faced with competition from other states to lure the motorsports industry away from North Carolina, the Motorsports Caucus hopes to add horsepower to existing efforts of the North Carolina Motorsports Association (NCMA).
"We have an economic engine to which we must provide fuel for horsepower." NCMA Chairman Richard Petty said recently. "Vice Chairman Rick Hendrick and I know that the Motorsports Caucus will serve as a catalyst to keep the engines running in North Carolina."
Senator Tony Rand agreed. "Prosperity of the motorsports industry as a whole in North Carolina is foremost on our agenda, and the Motorsports Caucus will ensure its viability for decades to come."(10-21-2003)
- Fan’s Face Finds Hood Of 1 800 CALL ATT Dodge: Robert Underwood probably never figured he could take the place of nationally-known comedian Carrot Top. But the native of South Elgin, Ill., located just outside of Chicago, will do just that this weekend at the 1.54-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway. His face will adorn the hood of the #49 1 800 CALL ATT Dodge of driver Ken Schrader and his BAM Racing team. Underwood won a nationwide consumer promotion by 1 800 CALL ATT, and will have his face on the hood of the car where Carrot Top’s has been. nderwood will also be at the NASCAR Winston Cup race this weekend as guest of 1 800 CALL ATT and BAM Racing. The winner was chosen at random last week from amongst the hundreds of thousands of callers who placed collect calls using 1 800 CALL ATT during the promotion, which began right after Labor Day.(Williams Company PR)(10-21-2003)
- Dodge Dropping Teams? UPDATE: Dodge may cut back its Nextel Cup operations by limiting car owners to a single team sponsorship, which could be why Jeremy Mayfield has felt under such pressure lately with car owner Ray Evernham.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-18-2003)
UPDATE: Evernham Motorsports has been the center of various rumors lately but team owner Ray Evernham wants to put one of them to rest. During an interview for RPM2Day he made it clear that his team will definitely field two cars full time next season. There were rumors that he would field just one.(ESPN)(10-21-2003)
- Special Scheme for Marlin at Atlanta: Coors Light will be highlighting their support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital this race season with a special paint scheme at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Sterling Marlin, driver of the #40 Coors Light Dodge will display a special pumpkin themed paint scheme at the Georgia 500 at the end of October. Coors Brewing Company has been a national sponsor of the St. Jude Halloween Pin-Up Program since 1994. The program, in which nearly 600 Coors Light distributors and 35,000 Coors Light retail accounts participate, allows patrons to purchase a paper pumpkin cut out with the proceeds donated directly to St. Jude’s. Through this eight year program, Coors has raised more than $17 million during the month of October to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)(10-21-2003)
- #77 to display flag and decals: On Thursday, October 23, 2003, the # 77 Jasper Engines and Transmissions Racing Team along with driver, Dave Blaney, and team co-owner, Mark Harrah, will land at Robins Air force Base to attend a ceremony where they will receive a flag that was flown during Operation Iraqi Freedom in April and express their gratitude to Air Force and the Air National Guard for their services in support of the ground force troops. Prior to the flag presentation from Colonel James Jones, Commander, 116th Operations Group, Harrah and Blaney will unveil the #77 Jasper Engines and Transmissions Ford Taurus the team plans to run at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The deck lid of the car will boast special decals honoring the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center and 116th Air Control Wing logos on the trunk. The ceremony will take place in front of the E-8C aircraft, also known as the Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System (J-STARS). JSTARS is the airborne battlefield management and peacekeeping system. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, JSTARS flew more than 50 missions in the skies of Iraq and Afghanistan.(Jasper Motorsports PR)(10-21-2003)
- No Elliott Fan Day: from www.billelliott.com: "We will not be having Fan Appreciation Day this year in Atlanta. However, we are focusing all our efforts on a spectacular 2004! Save all your frequent fly miles as you will not want to miss out!"(10-21-2003)
- NASCAR Returns to Canada: For the first time since 1989, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) will sanction stock car racing events in Canada. Delaware Speedway in Ontario and St. Eustache Speedway in Quebec will join the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series in 2004. Although NASCAR has sanctioned events in Canada, Mexico, Australia and Japan in the past, this marks the first time that NASCAR will have weekly events in Canada for an entire season. Delaware Speedway is a half-mile (0.8045 km) oval located near London, Ontario. The speedway first opened in 1952 as a quarter-mile (0.40225 km) dirt track. The track was paved in the 1960s and expanded to its current size. Delaware hosts four divisions of racing on Friday nights: Late Models, Trucks, Modifieds and Street Stocks. Delaware is also the home track to 1974 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year Earl Ross, the only non-American driver to win a Winston Cup Series race. Ross, who resides in Ailsa Craig near London, earned the distinction by winning the Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville Speedway in 1974.
St. Eustache Speedway, a 4/10-mile (0.6436 km) oval, was originally built in 1964 and remains the only facility in the greater Montreal area to offer a weekly schedule of stock car racing. St. Eustache Speedway features Sportsman, Super Series, Trucks, Street Stocks and Four-Cylinder cars on Saturday nights. Owner Claude Aubin is a popular racing figure in Quebec and a familiar figure in the history of NASCAR. Aubin was the NASCAR Busch North Series champion in 1978 and raced at traditional NASCAR venues including Martinsville and Daytona during his driving career. Competitors at both facilities will now be eligible for NASCAR’s prestigious regional and national championships, as well as a share of the $1.7 million (U.S.) NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series championship point fund that is paid out annually. Drivers race at their respective home tracks on a weekly basis and compete for individual track championships as well as the regional and national awards. Founded in 1982, the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series features 75 race tracks in the United States and more than 8,000 participating drivers. Dodge became the title sponsor of the series in 2003.(NASCAR PR)(10-21-2003)
(10-20-2003)
- Early Martinsville TV Ratings: NBC's broadcast of Sunday's Subway 500 from Martinsville Speedway drew an overnight 3.5 rating and 8 share from Nielsen Media Research, today's Sports Business Daily reports. The race trailed two World Series baseball games, as well as NFL and college football contests. Last year, the Martinsville race earned final figures of 4.4/11.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(10-20-2003)
- Get The Broom Out:
1) The Martinsville sweep by #24-Jeff Gordon was the first by a driver since Rusty Wallace won both races there in 1994 and first Chevy driver since Darrell Waltrip did it in 1989.
2) The Martinsville sweep from the POLE by Jeff Gordon has only happened once before, in 1964 by Fred Lorenzen.
3) Jeff Gordon became the fourth driver to sweep two races at one track this season. He joins Kurt Busch (Bristol), Johnson (New Hampshire) and Newman (Dover).(10-20-2003)
- Busch out, Elliott in: #97-Kurt Busch dropped out of the top 10 in the points standings for the first time since the first Atlanta race on March 9. #9-Bill Elliott moved into the top 10 in points for the first time this season.(Gaston Gazette)(10-20-2003)
See Points Standings on my Jayski's Driver/Owners Points after Martinsville page.
- Wood Brothers to Move? After racing out of Stuart, Va., for more than 53 years, the [#21-Ricky Rudd] Wood Brothers Racing Team is considering moving its shop to the Charlotte area. "We're looking at a lot of options to make our race team better, and moving to the Charlotte area is definitely one of the things we'll have to look at," said Eddie Wood, who runs the team with his brother Len and sister Kim. "That's where everything is; all the technology is there." Wood said the family likely will make a decision by the end of the year. He also said the team would like to field two cars, but getting the #21 Motorcraft/Air Force/Rent-A-Center Ford back in Victory Lane on a regular basis is its first priority. "Whatever it takes to make our race team better, that's what we're going to do," he said. Even if the Woods move their shop to the Charlotte area, they'll still have a presence in Stuart, their home- town. "The museum and the business part will always be in Stuart even if the cars and the teams are somewhere else," he said.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(10-20-2003) - maybe they can rent Jayski a room
- Gillette Marketing Campaign: Gillette is "close to taking the wraps off a new NASCAR sponsorship" and will have a marketing campaign featuring "Young Gun" drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal reports. "While details of the plans remain scant, there will be a major TV component featuring the drivers," columnist Terry Lefton says.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(10-20-2003)
- Al User Jr Injured: Two-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr. was hospitalized in serious condition Monday after being injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident. He was riding the ATV alone in the woods Sunday when he went over an embankment and broke his pelvis, his father, four-time Indy winner Al Unser Sr., told KOAT-TV on Monday. Unser said his son called for help for about an hour before some boys heard him. A spokeswoman at the University of New Mexico Hospital confirmed Unser, 41, was in serious condition but she wouldn't release any details of his injuries. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 1992 and 1994 and was a two time CART champion in 1990 and 1994. Unser's father and uncle, three-time Indy winner Bobby Unser, live in Albuquerque, NM.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(10-20-2003)
- Mears will be back in #41: Ganassi Racing G.M. Andy Graves confirmed that Casey Mears, who is 34th in points, will return to the #41 Target Dodge next year. "The sponsor (Target) loves him," Graves says.(Foxsports/Sporting News)(10-20-2003)
- Barker to Wells? or Roush? Andrews to Martin's team? Robert "Bootie" Barker, on leave of absence from Jasper Motorsprts #77, might be a crew chief candidate for one of Roush Racing's cars or Cal Wells' second car next season. Paul Andrews, crew chief for Jeff Burton, could be headed to teammate Mark Martin's #6 Ford, though owner Jack Roush says there has been no discussion about a change.(FoxSports/Sporting News)
AND Robert (Bootie) Barker’s is expected to go back to Bill Davis Racing, his former employer.(Gaston Gazette)(10-20-2003)
- Both Hmiels to Petty Enterprises? or Green? or Benson? A combination deal might land Steve Hmiel, technical director for Dale Earnhardt Inc., and his son Shane Hmiel, a Busch Series driver, at Petty Enterprises in 2004. Steve worked for the Pettys early in his Winston Cup career. Shane was supposed to drive the #43 Dodge in the Pepsi 400 in July at Daytona but failed to qualify. Jeff Green has run well recently in the #43 and also is a candidate to drive it. Johnny Benson, who will be released from the #10, might be in the mix because of his previous relationship with General Mills, the primary sponsor for the 43 car. "We're still looking, we're still evaluating, and we're still working in that direction whether it's Benson, Jeff Gordon, the guy sitting in the third row of the grandstands or Jeff Green," says Kyle Petty, the team's general manager. Petty says Christian Fittipaldi will drive the team's #44 if a sponsor is secured for next season.(Yahoo Sports/Sporting News)(10-20-2003)
- National Guard to Roush? #54 car owner Travis Carter says he's worried he may lose the National Guard sponsorship at the end of the season, and it appears that sponsorship could be moving to the Jack Roush camp.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-20-2003)
- Kodak to BAM? UPDATE: Hearing Kodak has given up on the high-dollar teams at Bill Davis and DEI, and is working a deal to bring BAM Racing into the picture. The main reason is BAM can give them a solid race team at a much lower price than the other two. That way, they can ease out of the #4 Morgan-McClure situation and pay him more to buy their way out but still have a somewhat solid team. They like Ken Schrader as driver and the fact the Morgenthau's have enough money to make a lower-price sponsorship work for Kodak. Still too early to call but the good price for the sponsorship and the fact Kodak is impressed with the team might make this one work.(source)(10-18-2003)
UPDATE: Kodak officials may be on the verge of announcing a buyout of the final two years of the company's sponsorship contract with car owner [#4 Pontiac] Larry McClure. Those negotiations have been sharp, according to sources. But Kodak appears ready to make a move to another Winston Cup team. The top option is the third DEI team -- however, Kodak, after doing an exhaustive review of the costs of fielding a Cup team, may not be willing to pay the price DEI wants, and rival car owners are moving in quickly with lower bids, among them Beth Ann Morgenthau, Bill Davis, and Jim Smith. And then there is unexpected a new third Joe Gibbs team in the making, looking for a sponsor.(Winston Salem Journal)
HOWEVER: Owner Larry McClure says Kodak is staying put through 2005 as sponsor for the #4 Pontiac and that Kevin Lepage will drive it the rest of the season. McClure hasn't made a decision on a driver for 2004 but says Lepage is a candidate.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(10-20-2003)
- Lucky Dog now gets one pitstop: NASCAR is amending its "Lucky Dog" rule, which allows the first car one lap down to get the lap back when there is a caution. Starting Sunday at Atlanta, a driver who gets a lap back because of the rule can't make a second pit stop during that caution to top off with fuel. Ryan Newman used that strategy in his September win at Dover.(FoxSports/Sporting News), see the rule, past news and info on the rule on my Caution Rule page.(10-20-2003)
- New Testing Rules in 2004? NASCAR may change its policy for official track tests in 2004. The plan it is considering would allow a team to test a total of 15 days, with three mandatory for the Daytona 500. Teams would have the option to test at 12 different tracks for the remaining days.(Yahoo Sports/Sporting News)(10-20-2003)
- Fed-Ex to the #99? hearing that Fed-Ex could be the next sponsor for the #99 Roush Racing team and driver Jeff Burton.(10-18-2003)
UPDATE: FedEx executives would like to get into NASCAR racing, and they've crunched the numbers, according to Daytona sources, and FedEx is willing to pay the sponsorship costs for a top-notch team. However, FedEx officials don't want to budget as much advertising money to any NASCAR deal as UPS has, which sources say would run the total to more than $40 million.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-20-2003)
- Movie Folk at Martinsville: The director, two producers, the writer and a production designer working on a movie about the Petty family were at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. Director Callie Khouri says that pre-production is taking place now and that hopes are for the movie to be released in Feb.2005. The Disney-backed movie, which will star Dennis Quaid as Richard Petty, will detail the family's legacy from Lee Petty to Richard Petty to Kyle Petty and Adam Petty. Khouri says no particular locations have been picked yet for filming.(Roanoke Times), see past news on the movie and others on my Media/Movie News page.(10-20-2003)
(10-19-2003)
see the Oct 13-19, 2003 Archived News Page
(10-12-2003)
see the Oct 6-12, 2003 Archived News Page
(10-5-2003)
see the Sept 29-Oct 5, 2003 Archived News Page
