Roush General Manager and Crew Chief of the #26 Cheerios Ford, Steve Hmiel, has been released from Roush Racing. Hmiel says he has nothing in the works and that Jack Roush has taken care of him for the rest of 1998.(RPM2Nite) Harry McMullen will replace Hmiel as General Mgr, Ben Leslie will act as the interim crewchief on the #26 car. See the story at TNN’s website:Roush Racing Management Shakeup.(9-1-98)UPDATE: Tim Beverley and McIlhenny Co. officials have had several meetings so far regarding the status of the TABASCO sponsorship and the #35/17 Tyler Jet Motorsports Team. Each meeting has been very positive and there has been every indication that this new relationship will continue. The posted rumors of a Tabasco and Bill Davis Racing union have been flatly denied by McIlhenny Co. officials.(9-1-98)Ted Musgrave will be in the #15 Bud Moore-David Robinson Rescue Engines Formula Ford at Darlington. Musgrave ran well at Michigan a few weeks ago.(9-1-98)Hut Stricklin will drive the #96 Caterpillar Chevy at Darlington this weekend in the Pepsi Southern 500.(The Williams Company)(9-1-98)UPDATE: The #13 Elliott-Marino FirstPlus team is expected to name a different driver for Darlington this week. It won’t be Dennis Setzer.(TNN’s Raceday)(8-30-98) – Setzer WILL be in the #13 Ford for Darlington and Richmond it was announced today.(WC Today/NASCAR Today Radio)(9-1-98)Marty has a lot of stuff this week atMRN Notes – Marty Snyder’s Two Centsincluding: “Ricky Rudd came real close to having a two-car operation two weeks ago. Rudd was on the verge of buying Junie Donlavey Racing but at the last minute Junie turned down the offer. The buyout would have meant that the number 90 team would have moved from Richmond, VA. to Mooresville, NC. Helig Myers (Donlavey’s sponsor) really wanted the sale to go through so now the question is how will that affect the sponsor/owner relationship for the 90 team? That will have to remain to be seen.” I picked a few other tidbits from Marty.(9-1-98)”The second Andy Petree team is not only busy trying to sign their driver but they are also courting potential crew chiefs. Petree’s outfit is one of the main teams after Larry McReynolds who was mum this weekend about his future plans. Word has it that Petree has offered McReynolds part ownership in the team which could be the key in luring him away from Richard Childress Racing(#31 Lowes Chevy). McReynolds has always been interested in owning his own team and this could be the first step in that process.”(MRN Notes – Marty Snyder’s Two Cents).(9-1-98)Pat Tryson, former crew chief for ISM racing(#35 Tabasco Pontiac), has been hired by Jack Roush Racing as the chief mechanic for Chad Little’s team.(MRN Notes – Marty Snyder’s Two Cents).(9-1-98)UPDATE: Team sources indicated, and NASCAR officials confirmed Sunday, that NASCAR will begin trying to phase in unleaded fuel, starting with the Busch race at Richmond Sept. 11. For environmental and other reasons, NASCAR has looked seriously for at least a year at developing unleaded gasoline suitable for NASCAR’s engine specs.(SpeedNet/Ben Blake)(8-31-98) – Good probability that NASCAR will go to unleaded fuel in all divisions in 1999.(NASCAR Today Radio)(9-1-98)Jim Bown will be back in his own #51 Chevy at Darlington and also plans to run Charlotte, Rockingham and Atlanta. He is still hunting sponsorship.(9-1-98)Testing News: #16-Kevin Lepage at Richmond; #1-Steve Park at Dover; #6-Mark Martin, #24-Jeff Gordon and #18-Bobby Labonte were at a Goodyear tire test in Atlanta.(WC Today/NASCAR Today Radio)(9-1-98) (09-01-1998)
