NASCAR has told the Cup teams that will store all sticker tires with Goodyear overnight after Happy Hour.(9-5-98)2nd round qualifying is over: Only six drivers made attempts, Dennis Setzer was the fastest 2nd round attempt at 160.979mph. None of the six were able to break into the top 36. LJ Racing withdrew from the race prior to 2nd round qualifying. The team, which was out of provisionals coming into Darlington, earned one more provisional start by attempting to qualify for the field through first round. Car owner Joe Falk decided that he wanted to save that provisional for next week’s event at Richmond and instructed his team to pack it up early this weekend. The #91 team has a sponsor lined up for that race. DW made the race once again on the past champions provisional(his 14th used). Dave Marcis missed the race for the 15th time, he didn’t go out and make an attempt, knowing the speed was not there. Steve Grissom once used his 15th provisional, the team is also out until Rockingham. To see who used provisionals and missed the race, go toJayski’s Provisional Page.(9-5-98)UPDATE: Ted Musgrave has talked to Bill Elliott about driving the #13 FirstPlus Ford in 1999. He had hoped to drive the Travis Carter 2nd team car in 1999, but that deal fell through when a potential sponsor decided not to sign.(WC Scene)(9-4-98) – Musgrave will drive the #13 FirstPlus Ford from the Dover race on 9-20 through the end of the year.(9-5-98)UPDATE: I hear Newt Moore(from the #81 Filmar team) will be named the new crew chief for the #77 Jasper Engines Ford Team. Not sure what is up with the #81 or who will be the new crew chief there.(8-31-98) – A source close to the #81 Filmar team said crew chief Newt Moore told him he has resigned from the team, effective following Sunday’s race at Darlington. Moore will take over as the crew chief for the #77 Jasper Engines team, beginning on Monday. David Ifft, who has served as crew chief for Gary Laton in the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series recently, is at Darlington this weekend in an observatory capacity. He is expected to fill the position of crew chief for the #81 team.(NASCAR Online Notebook)(9-5-98)Filmar Racing(#81) Team Manager Eddie D’Hondt has also resigned and has taken a position with the #13 FirstPlus Financial team owned by Bill Elliott and Dan Marino.(NASCAR Online Notebook)(9-5-98)Four Pontiac teams are pushing hard to land Steve Hmiel, who was with Jack Roush for 11 years but was fired this week in a major surprise. Those most interested are the Kyle Petty-Richard Petty team, the Ernie Irvan-Robin Pemberton team, the Burton-Bill Davis team, and the Tony Stewart-Jimmy Makar-Joe Gibbs team. And Chevy’s Richard Childress said he would also like to talk with Hmiel about a job.(JournalNow)(9-5-98)Crew Chief Larry McReynolds will let Richard Childress know by Sept. 15 if he’ll be back(with the #31) next season or if he’ll be moving on. According to one source close to the situation, McReynolds has turned down an offer to head Stewart’s team for Gibbs and Makar . . . but Gibbs and Makar promptly came back with another offer.(JournalNow)(9-5-98)I-55 Raceway in Pevely, MO has been sold to Ken Schrader. Schrader had been leasing the track for the past two seasons.(St Louis Area Racing Info)(9-5-98)It was officially announced yesterday, by ARCA driver Bill Baird, that Winston Cup Veteran Ken Schrader will drive in a substitute roll for Bill Baird at the upcoming Eddie Gilstrap Motors ARCA 200, September 13, at Salem Speedway. Bill is still hurting from an injury he received at the Atlanta ARCA race last week.(www.hotlaps.com)(9-5-98)A new book has been released,a race in the life of ernie irvan, photography by Jay Weinmiller. The book will be available through the Ernie Irvan Fan Club and at Skittles Souvenir Trailers at the Race Tracks. I have six images of pictures in the book and the book itself. See some of images atErnie Irvan Book.A transformer went down Friday, knocking out power in half of the Darlington Raceway infield. Crewmen were pumping gas by hand at the Winston Cup garage gas pumps, and media members were, appropriately, in the dark in the new media center.(SpeedNet)(9-5-98)Rockwell Automation/Dodge, normally an associate sponsor on Mike Dillon’s #72 BGN Chevrolet, will be the team’s primary sponsor in Saturday’s Dura Lube 200 Presented by Bi-Lo. This is a one-race deal with the South Carolina-based company.(SpeedNet)(9-5-98)Practice speeds in the Saturday AM session at Darlington are slow, the fastest speed of 163.082mph by Jeff Burton would not make the top 43. Expect many teams to stand on their times/speeds they ran in 1st round.(9-5-98) (09-05-1998)
