THE NEXT Winston Cup RACE
NEWS, STATS and INFO

THE RACE: Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400

Winston Cup Race #34 of 36 for the 2002 Winston Cup season

Updated: often, leading up to the race

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• Race: Sunday, November 3, 2002 in Rockingham, NC
• TV: TNT – 1:00pm/et
• Race re-air: TNT on Tues, Nov 5th at 2:00am/et; Speed Channel on Wed, Nov 6th, 8:00pm/et; Thurs, Nov 7th, 1:00am/et and again at 12:00noon/et.
• Pre-Race Show: TNT – 12:00pm/et – Hosted by Bill Weber
• Pay Per View/NASCAR In Demand: www.indemand.com
• NASCAR.com’s NASCAR on TV
• Announcers: Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach
• Pit Reporters: Bill Weber, Matt Yocum, Marty Snider, Dave Burns
• Purse/Race Awards: $3,868,755 (last year $3,251,124)
• Entry List Link at: NASCAR.com
• 2001 Race Winner: Joe Nemechek, 128.941mph, started 13th
• Race Record: Jeff Burton, Oct 1999, 131.103mph
• Track/Race Length: 1.017 mile oval, 393 laps, 399.68 miles
• Pit Road Speed: 45mph
  

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  Practice

• Practice: Friday, November 1st, 11:20am – 1:20pm/et; Saturday, November 2nd, 9:30 – 10:15am/et.
• Happy Hour Practice: Saturday, November 2nd, 11:15am – 12:00noon/et on TV-TNT at 12:00noon/et tape delay.
  

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  Qualifying

• Qualifying Draw: Friday, November 1st, 10:20am/et
• Qualfying Order: at or NASCAR.com
• Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-36, Friday, November 1st at 3:05pm/et, TV-TNT and live via MRN Radio, XM Satellite Radio and via NASCAR.com’s Racecast (paid). No re-air.
• NASCAR Online will have live lap-by-lap coverage of Winston Cup qualifying via the web (NOTE: this is a paid subscription service).
• Second-Round Qualifying: there is no longer a 2nd round of qualifying (since the 2001 season)
• Track Qualifying Record: Rusty Wallace, Feb 2000, 158.035mph
• Event Qualifying Record: Mark Martin, Oct 1999, 157.383mph
• Last Year’s Pole Sitter: Kenny Wallace, 154.690, finished 2nd.
  

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• Track Specs: North Carolina Speedway, know as ‘The Rock’:
  Degree of Banking: Turns 1-2: 22 degrees; Turns 3-4: 25 degrees; Straightaways: 8 degrees
  Width: Turns 55 feet wide; Straightaways: 50 feet wide
  Number of Pits: 45 on front straight (1,436 ft. long) pit road
  Pit Stalls: 30 feet long; 16 feet wide
  Length of Front Straight: 1,300 feet
  Length of Back Straight: 1,367 feet
  Length of Turns 1 & 2: 1,256 feet
  Length of Turns 3 & 4: 1,437 feet(NCS Website)
  Grandstand Seating: 60,113

• Track Homepage: North Carolina Speedway
  

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  PAST RACE and POLE WINNERS at Rockingham

  All Time Rockingham Winners

  
  

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  RACE BONUS INFO

• The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus is $290,000 at North Carloina Speedway for leading the points and winning the race (Sterling Marlin last won the award, $20,000 at Darlington on March 17, 2002). The $360,000 annual award is paid at $10,000 per race to the point leader at the end of each event if he is also the winner. The award increases by $10,000 each week the it goes unclaimed. If the point leader is not the race winner at the end of the year, the balance of the award is distributed among the top-10 finisher in the point standings. The all time record WAS $190,000 for Bobby Labonte’s win at Indy in 2000.(10-27-2002)

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• Johnny Benson finally wins his first Cup race: In his 226th Winston Cup race, #10-Johnny Benson won his first Winston Cup race leading the last 28 laps to win the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 at North Carloina Speedway in Rockingham, NC. #6-Mark Martin ended up 2nd and led the most laps. Points leader #20-Tony Stewart who was mired a lap down early and was in the back of the pack most of the day, pulled out a 14th and maintains a points lead over Mark Martin of 87 points. The win puts Benson in the 2003 The Winston. Should make for a good Inside Winston Cup show on Monday (Speed Chanel at 7:00pm/et), Benson is on the ‘expert panel’. The unofficial top 10 finishers:

  #10-Benson (28 laps led)
  #6-Martin (144 laps led)
  #97-Busch (105 laps led)
  #99-Burton
  #24-Gordon

  #4-Skinner
  #18-Labonte (4 laps led)
  #17-Kenseth
  #32-Craven
  #30-Green (68 laps led)

  Cars on the lead lap: 13
  Off Track/DNF’s: #14-Wallace(out-accident); #26-Bodine(out-accident); #02-Sadler(out-??); #22-Burton(out-accident); #9-Elliott(out-water pump);
  Lap Leaders(8): #12-Newman(41 laps led); #6-Martin (144); #30-Green (68); #26-Bodine(1); #40-McMurray(1); #18-Labonte(4); #97-Busch (105); #9-Elliott(1);

  Cautions 4 for 22 laps:
  Caution 4 laps 292-296: #22-Burton and #11-Bodine get together and Burton ended up in the wall.
  Caution 3 laps 256-264: #26-Bodine loses a right front tire and ends up in the wall.
  Caution 2 laps 228-232: Debris on the track
  Caution 1 laps 23-27: #55-Hamilton got sideways after supposedly getting tapped by #15-Waltrip, collecting the #14-Wallace car, Hamiton drove off, Wallace has a broken radiator, all the cars came in to pit and get those tires.
  NOTES: During the caution 3 pit stops, #24-Gordon hit a tire from the #9-Elliott team, knocked a crew member down, but he got up and finihsed the stop. Lap 255 #48-Johnson unscheduled stop, possible rear end problems. Around lap 210, #48-Johnson had a vibration and had to come in and get new tires as lug nuts were not tightened. Green flag stops took during laps 95-110 range. During the caution 1 pit stops, lap 25, #20-Stewart rear ended #28-Rudd, may have damage, may not. #99-Burton and #20-Stewart got together on lap 7, bending in Stewarts front left fender a bit.
  Race Re-airs: The race will be re-aired on TNT, Tues, Nov 5th, 2:00am/et;Speed Channel on Wed, Nov 6th, 8:00pm/et (enhanced), Thurs, Nov 7th, 1:00am/et and 12:00noon/et.
  Results at or NASCAR.com.(11-3-2002)

• Some Tidbits: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s string of five consecutive top-10 finishes ended with a 34th-place showing. … #2-Rusty Wallace ‘s winless streak is 60 races. … #10-Johnny Benson is the first winner over the age of 31 in the last 11 races. … Benson is the 14th first-time winner since 2000. There were 15 first-time winners in all of the 1990s. … Benson is the 14th consecutive different winner in Rockingham’s fall race.(Roanoke Times)(11-4-2002)
• Rumblings – Rockingham: For Johnny Benson, the 226th time was the charm. He passed Kurt Busch on lap 366 and then held off Mark Martin thru the final 28 laps to claim his first ever Winston Cup victory today in the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 at North Carolina Speedway. Benson becomes our 5th first-time winner this season (equalling last years number), and is the 165th different driver to win a Cup event. He joins the all-time win list in a tie for 106th, and the first ever win for M-B Motorsports was worth $162,965 from the over $3.8M in posted awards. Johnny’s the 18th different winner we’ve had this season….last year we had 19. The Winston Leader Bonus rolls to $300K for the Phoenix event next week and there’s 24 guys (the other drivers in the Top-25) who are hoping it goes unclaimed the final two events. That $310K would go into the final point fund. Jeff Burton (4th) had his best finish since he was 4th at Michigan in August. Mike Skinner (6th) had his best finish since he was 6th at Atlanta in November of 2000. This is his first Top-10 since Atlanta in March of 2001. His Top-10 finish gives us 42 drivers to score that mark this season….last year’s number was 45. Robby Gordon (11th) had his best finish since he was 3rd at Watkins Glen in August. Kenny Wallace (13th) had his best finish since we were here in February (he was 10th that day, subbing for Steve Park in the #1 Pennzoil Car). Elliott Saddler (16th) had his best finish since he was 10th at Loudon in July.
  STREAKIN….Kurt Busch has 4 Top-5’s in the last 5 races.
  This Week’s Elevator….UP: Operator of the Week is a three-way tie (a first) between Johnny Benson (+25), Jeff Burton (+25), and Dale
  Jarrett (+25). DOWN: The Big Dropper was Todd Bodine (-39), followed by Bill Elliott (-29), and Ryan Newman (-22). For DJ, this is his 5th Op of the season….no other driver has more than three so he’s clinched no worse than a tie for that honor.(Stock Car Fans)(11-4-2002)

• Unofficial Driver Points Standings:
  #20-Tony Stewart, 4549
  #6-Mark Martin, -87
  #48-Jimmie Johnson, -219
  #12-Ryan Newman, -225
  #97-Kurt Busch, -248
  #2-Wallace, -266
  #24-Jeff Gordon, -267
  Standings at .(11-3-2002)

• Newman ties pole record: On Friday, #12-Ryan Newman put himself in the record book with his fifth pole of 2002. That tied the rookie record of the late Davey Allison in 1987.(Daily Press)(11-2-2002)
• Closest NASCAR Winston Cup Series battles between 1st and 5th with 3 races.remaining:
  Year, Points Leader, Margin between 1st & 5th
  1992, Bill Elliott, 98
  2002, Tony Stewart, 227
  1984, Terry Labonte *, 264
  1991, Dale Earnhardt *, 318
  1985, Darrell Waltrip *, 330
  (*won the championship)(NASCAR PR)(10-31-2002)

• Happy Hour practice is over. Fastest were #26-Todd Bodine (starts 3rd) at 150.791mph, #6-Mark Martin (5th) at 150.351 and #55-Bobby Hamilton (39th) at 149.865. Slowest were #88-Dale Jarrett (starts 37th) and #2-Rusty Wallace at 146.103 (8th)
  For speeds see .(11-2-2002)

  Pos
  Sched
  Qual
  Pos
  Actual
  Qual
  Pos
  Car#
  Driver
  Manu
  Qual Speed
  Friday
  Practice
  Speed
  Practice
  Speed
  Rank
  Diff
  Qual vs
  Prac
  Provisional
  Rank

  1
  38
  38
  12
  Ryan Newman
  Ford
  155.836
  154.195
  1
  1.641
  5

  2
  16
  16
  40
  Jamie McMurray
  Dodge
  154.540
  153.079
  5
  1.461
  4

  3
  18
  18
  26
  Todd Bodine
  Ford
  154.461
  151.886
  28
  2.575
  34

  4
  5
  5
  4
  Mike Skinner
  Chevy
  154.364
  153.111
  4
  1.253
  36

  5
  14
  14
  6
  Mark Martin
  Ford
  154.149
  152.303
  16
  1.846
  2

  6
  23
  23
  30
  Jeff Green
  Chevy
  154.110
  152.303
  17
  1.807
  18

  7
  46
  46
  97
  Kurt Busch
  Ford
  154.071
  152.486
  12
  1.585
  7

  8
  2
  2
  2
  Rusty Wallace
  Ford
  153.922
  152.284
  18
  1.638
  6

  9
  12
  12
  31
  Robby Gordon
  Chevy
  153.916
  151.923
  26
  1.993
  20

  10
  3
  3
  9
  Bill Elliott
  Dodge
  153.877
  153.035
  6
  0.842
  13

  11
  44
  44
  18
  Bobby Labonte
  Pontiac
  153.703
  152.423
  14
  1.28
  17

  12
  43
  43
  36
  Ken Schrader
  Pontiac
  153.542
  152.601
  11
  0.941
  33

  13
  24
  24
  44
  Greg Biffle
  Dodge
  153.432
  152.977
  7
  0.455
  39

  14
  41
  41
  45
  Kyle Petty
  Dodge
  153.374
  151.408
  34
  1.966
  21

  15
  33
  33
  41
  Jimmy Spencer
  Dodge
  153.355
  152.467
  13
  0.888
  25

  16
  32
  32
  23
  Kenny Wallace
  Dodge
  153.291
  152.037
  25
  1.254
  32/out

  17
  39
  39
  19
  Jeremy Mayfield
  Dodge
  153.278
  153.355
  3
  -0.077
  27

  18
  35
  35
  24
  Jeff Gordon
  Chevy
  153.175
  153.400
  2
  -0.225
  8

  19
  26
  26
  17
  Matt Kenseth
  Ford
  153.067
  150.921
  39
  2.146
  9

  20
  7
  7
  28
  Ricky Rudd
  Ford
  153.041
  151.690
  31
  1.351
  11

  21
  10
  10
  25
  Joe Nemechek
  Chevy
  152.964
  152.239
  20
  0.725
  35

  22
  28
  28
  8
  Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  Chevy
  152.958
  152.722
  9
  0.236
  12

  23
  9
  9
  32
  Ricky Craven
  Ford
  152.913
  152.043
  24
  0.87
  16

  24
  6
  6
  20
  Tony Stewart
  Pontiac
  152.786
  152.709
  10
  0.077
  1

  25
  4
  4
  91
  Hank Parker Jr.
  Dodge
  152.786
  152.075
  22
  0.711
  75

  26
  25
  25
  10
  Johnny Benson
  Pontiac
  152.677
  152.246
  19
  0.431
  24

  27
  8
  8
  21
  Elliott Sadler
  Ford
  152.658
  151.339
  36
  1.319
  28

  28
  36
  36
  60
  Jack Sprague
  Chevy
  152.537
  151.615
  33
  0.922
  63

  29
  48
  48
  99
  Jeff Burton
  Ford
  152.531
  151.917
  27
  0.614
  14

  30
  13
  13
  77
  Dave Blaney
  Ford
  152.448
  151.133
  38
  1.315
  19

  31
  29
  29
  48
  Jimmie Johnson
  Chevy
  152.410
  152.366
  15
  0.044
  3

  32
  45
  45
  29
  Kevin Harvick
  Chevy
  152.163
  152.068
  23
  0.095
  22

  33
  20
  20
  02
  Hermie Sadler
  Chevy
  152.163
  150.018
  45
  2.145
  44

  34
  21
  21
  22
  Ward Burton
  Dodge
  152.125
  151.766
  30
  0.359
  26

  35
  27
  27
  43
  John Andretti
  Dodge
  152.094
  152.227
  21
  -0.133
  30

  36
  40
  40
  15
  Michael Waltrip
  Chevy
  151.747
  150.853
  41
  0.894
  15

  37
  37
  37
  7
  Casey Atwood
  Dodge
  151.709
  151.772
  29
  -0.063
  38

  38
  34
  24
  55
  Bobby Hamilton
  Chevy
  151.697
  152.951
  8
  -1.254
  29

  39
  17
  17
  88
  Dale Jarrett
  Ford
  151.653
  151.396
  35
  0.257
  10

  40
  15
  15
  14
  Mike Wallace
  Pontiac
  151.502
  151.171
  37
  0.331
  37

  41
  11
  11
  11
  Brett Bodine
  Ford
  151.427
  150.438
  42
  0.989
  40

  42
  47
  47
  74
  Tony Raines
  Chevy
  151.377
  150.921
  40
  0.456
  46

  43
  19
  19
  71
  Tim Sauter
  Chevy
  151.202
  149.108
  47
  2.094
  45

  44
  1
  1
  1
  Steve Park
  Chevy
  151.114
  151.665
  32
  -0.551
  31

  45
  31
  31
  59
  Carl Long
  Dodge
  150.990
  150.031
  44
  0.959
  49

  46
  42
  42
  54
  Ron Hornaday
  Chevy
  150.475
  149.859
  46
  0.616
  78

  47
  30
  30
  5
  Terry Labonte
  Chevy
  150.431
  150.345
  43
  0.086
  23

  48
  22
  22
  66
  Hideo Fukuyama
  Ford
  149.773
  148.125
  48
  1.648
  47

  PROVISIONALS and MISSES

  Pos
  Sched
  Qual
  Pos
  Actual
  Qual
  Pos
  Car#
  Driver
  Manu
  Qual Speed
  Friday
  Practice
  Speed
  Practice
  Speed
  Rank
  Diff
  Qual vs
  Prac
  Provisional
  Rank

  37
  17
  17
  88
  Dale Jarrett
  Ford
  151.653
  151.396
  35
  0.257
  10

  38
  30
  30
  5
  Terry Labonte
  Chevy
  150.431
  150.345
  43
  0.086
  23

  39
  34
  24
  55
  Bobby Hamilton
  Chevy
  151.697
  152.951
  8
  -1.254
  29

  40
  1
  1
  1
  Steve Park
  Chevy
  151.114
  151.665
  32
  -0.551
  31

  41
  15
  15
  14
  Mike Wallace
  Pontiac
  151.502
  151.171
  37
  0.331
  37

  42
  37
  37
  7
  Casey Atwood
  Dodge
  151.709
  151.772
  29
  -0.063
  38

  43
  11
  11
  11
  Brett Bodine
  Ford
  151.427
  150.438
  42
  0.989
  40

  miss
  19
  19
  71
  Tim Sauter
  Chevy
  151.202
  149.108
  47
  2.094
  45

  miss
  47
  47
  74
  Tony Raines
  Chevy
  151.377
  150.921
  40
  0.456
  46

  miss
  22
  22
  66
  Hideo Fukuyama
  Ford
  149.773
  148.125
  48
  1.648
  47

  miss
  31
  31
  59
  Carl Long
  Dodge
  150.990
  150.031
  44
  0.959
  49

  miss
  42
  42
  54
  Ron Hornaday
  Chevy
  150.475
  149.859
  46
  0.616
  78

  (Speeds compiled from watching Speed Channel and listening to MRN radio)

• Other Lineup/Qual Results at:
  
  NASCAR.com(11-1-2002)

• Pole Progression at Rockingham: (who had the pole first, who got it next and who ended up with it)
  #1-Steve Park, 1st out to qualify, 151.114, starts 40th provisional
  #2-Rusty Wallace, 2nd out, 153.922, starts 8th
  #4-Mike Skinner, 4th out, 154.364, starts 4th
  #40-Jamie McMurray, 16th out, 154.540, starts 2nd
  #12-Ryan Newman, 38th out, 155.836, on the pole
  (11-1-2002)

• Saturday AM Practice is over at The Rock. Fastest were #2-Rusty Wallace (starts 8th) at 151.283mph, #12-Ryan Newman (1st) at 151.271 and #17-Matt Kenseth (19th) at 151.177. Slowest were #1-Steve Park (starts 40th) at 144.992 and #43-John Andretti (35th) at 145.969.
  For speeds see .(11-2-2002)

• Newman wins the Pole at the Rock: #12-Ryan Newman backed up his practice rank (1st) and won the pole for the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 at North Carolina Speedway [Rockingham] with a speed of 155.836mph, over a mile faster then the ootside pole sitter. It is Newman’s 5th Bud Pole of 2002 and 6th of his career. Outside pole goes to #40-Jamie McMurray in his first ever Cup qualifying effort (he had made his first three races with the field set by Owners Points/Race Attempts).(11-1-2002)
• Friday Practice is over at Rockingham, no bad weather today (or this weekend looking at the forecast – maybe a bit Chilly). Fastest were: #12-Ryan Newman (not a surprise huh?) at 153.890mph, #24-Jeff Gordon at 153.400 and #19-Jermey Mayfield at 153.355. Slowest were #66-Hideo Fukuyama at 148.125 and #71-Tim Sauter at 149.078. For speeds see .(11-1-2002)
• Qualifying Order is up for Rockingham. 48 cars/drivers are listed. First scheduled out is #1-Steve Park and last scheduled out is #99-Jeff Burton (interesting the #1 first, the #99 last).(11-1-2002)
• Qualfying Order: at or NASCAR.com
• Entry List is up for Rockingham. 49 cars/drivers listed. The top 40 who have attempted all the races plus: #02-Hermie Sadler; #27-Kirk Shelmerdine; #54-Ron Hornaday; #59-Carl Long; #60-Jack Sprague; #66-Hideo Fukuyama; #71-Jay Sauter; #74-Tony Raines; and #91-Hank Parker Jr. Also as announced #44 is listed with Greg Biffle. The #7 has Casey Atwood listed as the driver. (10-29-2002)
  Make it 48: #27-Kirk Shelmerdine has been dropped off the list.(10-30-2002)

• Entry List Link at: NASCAR.com

• How to break a tie during qualifying?(same speed/time) When drivers are tied for a starting spot during qualifying, it is broken by owners points standings(not drivers). For provisionals standings see the Jayski’s Provisional Status page
• an interesting point: When NASCAR officials decided to disallow Jerry Nadeau’s qualifying time at Daytona in Feb 2001, it raised an interesting question. With the Winston Cup series having only one round of qualifying the rest of the season, what happens if an unapproved part is found? According to NASCAR, drivers no longer have to post an official qualifying time to use a provisional, they only have to practice. So a driver could have a penalty on a qualifying issue but still have access to one of the seven provisionals for the race(Richmond Times Dispatch)(2-11-2001)
• Links: Practice speeds, qualifying and results can be found at these
  sites: NASCAR Online and on my Race Results/Points page

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TRACK/RACE NEWS

• How to Calculate Track Speeds: use the formula Speed = Distance divided by Time. Distance is Track Length, and Lap Time into Hours. Once hour is 3600 seconds, so the calculation for a 48 second lap at Daytona(2.5 miles) would be: Speed = 2.5 x (3600/48), = 2.5 x 75 = 187.500mph. For a 19 second lap at Bristol(.533 miles): Speed = .533 x (3600/19), = .533 x 189.474 = a speed of 100.990mph
• Past track news: posted in the past at Jayski’s Past Track News/Rumors – North Carolina Speedway

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DRIVER/TEAM NEWS

• Parker in an Evernham car at the Rock UPDATE: BGN driver Hank Parker Jr. is set to make his Winston Cup debut in a third car for Ray Evernham in the Pop Secret 400 at Rockingham in two weeks. That has many in the garage wondering if Parker is being auditioned to replace Casey Atwood, who now drives the #7 Dodge, co-owned by Evernham and Jim Smith. For months there has been speculation that Atwood, who once was billed as the driver of the future for Evernham, is losing his job at the end of the season. Evernham declined to elaborate on Atwood’s status, but he has said recently that Atwood has until the end of the season to improve his
  performance.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution), Parker is also rumored to be in the #49 BAM Racing Dodge in 2003.
  UPDATE: Hank Parker, Jr. is scheduled to drive the #91 Dodge for Evernham Motorsports in the Winston Cup race at North Carolina Speedway November 1-3. Parker, who currently drives a Dodge [#36 GNC] in the BGN, is scheduled to compete in both series that weekend. Parker will run the #91 Dodge as part of Evernham Motorsports ongoing commitment to research and development for Dodge. “We feel Hank deserved a shot at driving this car for us,” said Ray Evernham, President and CEO of Evernham Motorsports. “He gave Dodge their first victory in the Busch Series and we feel he deserved to be rewarded for his loyalty to the Dodge program.” Sammy Johns, research and development coordinator for Evernham Motorsports, will serve as crew chief for the team. The pit crew will
  be made up of backup pit crew members for Evernham Motorsports. Dick Trickle attempted to qualify the #91 Dodge at Talladega in April.(Golin Harris PR)(10-19-2002)

• Record $100,000 Purse Posted For Union 76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Competition: Teams participating in the Union 76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Competition on November 2 at North Carolina Speedway will square off for a record purse of $100,000 which includes a $10,000 bonus being awarded to the team who sets a new world record. The increased payout represents a 16% increase over the prize money posted in 2001.. In addition, the $10,000 bonus being awarded for a new world record is 10 times greater than the bonus offered just one year ago. One team stands the chance to walk away from this year’s pit crew competition with a. $40,000 check, provided they can win the event and set a new world record. Matt Kenseth’s #17 pit crew are the defending champions and currently boast the world record time of 17.695 seconds. Held annually during the fall race weekend at North Carolina Speedway since 1967, the object of the Union 76/World Pit Crew Competition is for each crew in the top 25 in NASCAR Winston Cup Series 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. Children 12 and under will be admitted Free to the General Admission section for Qualifying on Friday and Saturday’s Sam’s Club 200 and Union 76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Competition when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Tickets may be purchased by calling the North Carolina Speedway ticket office at (910) 582-2861 or by visiting online at www.northcarolinaspeedway.com.(IMG Motorsports PR)(10-18-2002)
• Carter, Japanese Driver….and a twist…Toyota? Winston Cup team [#26 and #66] owner Travis Carter hopes to put Japanese driver Hideo Fukuyama in a Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford for three races later this season. Fukuyama, a road racing driver in Japan, has competed in two Winston West races, but the last was three years ago. Fukuyama tested a car for Carter at Dover International Speedway last week in hopes of competing at that track Sept. 22. He’ll also try to make the races at Martinsville, Va., and Rockingham, NC. If Fukuyama proves himself, it could lead to backing from Toyota. Toyota officials are considering entering Winston Cup racing by 2005. The one immediate problem with Fukuyama is the language barrier. He speaks little English and probably would need a spotter and someone in the pits who speaks Japanese.(Dallas Morning News)(9-5-2002)
• See the 2002 Team Chart which has links to past news for each team and info on each team. And see my 2003 Team Chart

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PAINT SCHEME NEWS

• #43 special scheme at the Rock: General Mills’ Pop Secret Popcorn. The popcorn is the title sponsor for Sunday’s Pop Secret 400 at the 1.017-mile North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham. John Andretti will be driving a specially-painted #43 Pop Secret Dodge for this weekend’s race. General Mills and its cereals and snack foods have sponsored Petty Enterprises and the #43 team since the summer of 2000.(Willams Company PR)(10-31-2002)
• More Paint Scheme news can be found on Paint Schemes Gallery, choose current news

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• Provisonals Rules changed a bit: NASCAR Officials announced this week that teams in the Cup and BGN will not be charged for using a provisional starting position if the entry field for an event is equal to or less than the number of starting positions provided by the official entry blank.[such as 43 at a Cup race]. A team is granted a maximum season allotment of eight provisionals [charged provisional, if not in the top 25 in Owners Points] and under this amendment, provisionals assigned to fill starting positions 37-43 will not count against this allotment. Prior to this amendment, teams were charged for a provisional regardless of the number of entries at an event.(NASCAR.com). For more info on provisionals, see my Provisionals Status page.(3-21-2002)
• New Pit Road Rules: NASCAR will change its policies for speeding violations on pit road following confusion over an infraction for which eventual race-winner Sterling Marlin was never penalized a week ago at Las Vegas. NASCAR president Mike Helton announced the changes Sunday morning at the drivers’ meeting prior to the MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The new rules go into effect next weekend at Darlington Raceway. The key change is that, under green-flag conditions, the penalty for speeding on the way onto pit road will now be the same as the penalty for speeding off the pit lane. The new penalty will be what NASCAR is calling a “pass through,” meaning the offending car will have to come off the track and travel the length of pit road at its speed limit without stopping. Under the old rule, a car speeding on the way onto pit road during a green-flag stop was held for 15 seconds in its pit stall. A car speeding off pit road was brought back to its pit box for a stop-and-go penalty. During last week’s UAW 400 at Las Vegas, NASCAR officials said Marlin was speeding as he came to his pit stall after being spun out in Turn 4. NASCAR’s race control officials called for the 15-second penalty, but that message was not heard by the official working in Marlin’s pit stall. Marlin left without serving a penalty and NASCAR decided not to enforce any further sanction, saying that bringing Marlin back to pit road would be too severe of a penalty. Since the usual penalty for speeding on the exit to pit lane was to bring a car back in for a stop-and-go, that raised the question of why the sanction for speeding on the way out should be more severe for speeding on the way in. The rule change announced Sunday addresses that issue. Helton admitted Sunday that not giving Marlin a penalty last week might not have been the right decision. Helton said the change was made to avoid the kind of confusion and miscommunication that happened at Las Vegas. Under the rule that goes into effect next week, a driver speeding on the way in and on the way out on the same pit stop will be brought back in for a stop-and-go penalty. A driver who exceeds the pit road speed limit as he serves the “pass through” penalty for speeding will also get a stop-and-go. The penalty for speeding in or out of a pit stop made under yellow-flag conditions will not change – the offending car will be sent to the end of the longest line of traffic for the restart.()(3-10-2002)
  UPDATE: plus a nice breakdown at RacingOne:
  The New Pit Road Rules

  Speeding Entering Pit Road
  Current Penalty: 15 seconds
  New Penalty: Pass through at correct pit road speed.

  Speeding Exiting Pit Road
  Current Penalty: Stop and Go
  New Penalty: Pass through at correct pit road speed

  Entering and Exiting Pit Road
  Current Penalty: 15 seconds after stop; brought back for stop and go
  New Penalty: Stop and Go

  Speeding on Pass Through
  New Penalty: Stop and Go
  Multiple Violations: NASCAR’s Discretion.(RacingOne)(3-11-2002)

• Spoilers – not at Daytona/Talladega: the spoilers on the Winston Cup cars are as follows:
  Chevy: 6 1/4″ height, 55″ wide
  Dodge: 6 1/4″ height, 55″ wide
  Ford: 6 1/4″ height, 55″ wide
  Pontiac: 6 7/8″ height, 57″ wide
  70 degrees at intermediate tracks.(2-22-2002)

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• note: this is not to promote gambling but to offer readers odds and ideas on what the
  ‘experts’ think about the upcoming race and the Cup series season

• America’s Line – Odds for the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400

• NASCAR Odds – Early Odds for the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400

• Racebook: Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 – Odds To Win and the Winston Cup
• Sports Network: Stardust – Odds to win 2002 Winston Cup Championship and the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400

• Vegas Insider – Odds to Win the 2002 Winston Cup Championship and Vegas Insider – Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400

• World Sports Exchange:Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 odds and other NASCAR odds

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STATS and STUFF

See the STATS and STATS Links page