With NASCAR on a temporary hiatus, news is going to be slow in the coming weeks. To help fill the NASCAR void, we plan on taking you on a daily trip down memory lane spanning the years since the Jayski’s site inception. Using our news archives pages, here’s a look back at what’s happened on this date through the last 23 years in NASCAR:
This day in NASCAR history: March 17
Years we have pulled today’s main items from: 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014
Top see everything from this date over previous years: 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997
Note: Many links on older stories don’t work. There’s not a lot of the same websites around anymore.
2014:
Human error caused final caution at Bristol: A long and bizarre day came to an unusual finish Sunday night when the caution lights were accidentally turned on from the flag stand and rain then prevented an attempt for a green-white-checkered finish. A person in the flag stand leaned on the manual override switch, turning on the caution lights on lap 499, according to Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. Six seconds after the lights were turned on, the flag man – seeing the lights on – waved the yellow flag, according to NASCAR’s review of the finish. Pemberton said that the flag man can wave the caution flag without a call from series officials in the tower if they see a proper reason. The rain then arrived before the race could be restarted, giving Carl Edwards the victory.
The caution snafu did cause NASCAR to change the finishing order. NASCAR went back to when the caution lights flashed and froze the field. Pemberton said NASCAR only had to adjust three positions – placing Denny Hamlin sixth, Jeff Gordon seventh and Kasey Kahne eighth. Pemberton said NASCAR will work to make sure the incident is not repeated.(Motor Racing Network), for the transcript of Pemberton’s comments, see the NASCAR Press Conference transcript page.(3-17-2014)
2013:
Kahne wins at Bristol: #5-Kasey Kahne won the Food City 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway for his 1st win of 2013, 1st win at Bristol and 15th career win. Pole sitter #18-Busch finished second followed by #2-Keselowski, #78-Busch, #15-Bowyer, #88-Earnhardt, Jr., #39-Newman, #55-Vickers, #27Menard, and #1-McMurray.
#48-Johnson, who started the race as the points leader, blew a tire late and hit the wall. He finished 22nd.
There were 17 lead changes among 10 drivers and 10 cautions for 66 yellow flag laps. The average speed was 92.206mph. Starting this season, NASCAR doesn’t release the track attendance.
See race results, awards, money won, laps led, cautions and more on the Las Vegas Race Results page (pdf). (3-17-2013)
2011:
Mars continues partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing: Mars, Incorporated announced that it is continuing its partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) through a new multi-year deal. The deal will extend the winning partnership that has brought the #18 Toyota to victory lane 14 times since 2008. The centerpiece of the partnership will continue to be the popular M&M’S brand as the primary paint scheme on JGR’s #18 Toyota. “From connecting with NASCAR fans to engaging our retail partners, our partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing has proved to be tremendously successful,” explained Debra A. Sandler, Chief Consumer Officer at Mars Chocolate North America. “We’re thrilled to extend this partnership and look forward to celebrating more wins both on and off the track.” The multi-year partnership will continue the current level [approx 30 races] of Mars sponsorship of the #18 Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the sport’s top series.(Joe Gibbs Racing)(3-17-2011)
Taken at Daytona 500 practice by Joel Bray on February 12, 2011.(2-14-2011)
See more NCS paint schemes from 2011.
2009:
Bobby Ginn says DEI owes Hendrick: Former team owner Bobby Ginn contends that he owes only 20% of the $1.5 million that Hendrick Motorsports is seeking from Ginn Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. because of the termination of Ginn’s engine contract with Hendrick in 2007, according to court documents. Hendrick Motorsports is suing DEI and Ginn in North Carolina Superior Court over the termination fee resulting from the merger of DEI and Ginn in July 2007. DEI claims Ginn Racing and Ginn are responsible for a $1.5 million fee that was due Nov. 15, 2008. Ginn states in a recent filing that because a new entity was created that was 80% owned by DEI and 20% owned by Ginn, that DEI is responsible for 80% of the fee due Hendrick. In filing his response to Hendrick’s and DEI’s claims, Ginn states that it had been agreed that the $1.5 million fee would be paid from operating revenues of the new entity, which was named “DEI/Ginn – Team #01.” If there were not sufficient revenues to pay the fee, then the responsibility for payment would be split 80/20, Ginn contends. Although not broken down in the suit, 80% of $1.5 million would be $1.2 million, with $300,000 left for Ginn to pay. The $1.5 million fee was the second of two termination fees. The first payment of $1.754 million was paid by Ginn, with a portion of the proceeds received “as part of the merger and acquisition transaction,” according to Ginn’s filing.(SceneDaily)(3-17-2009)
2007:
Steve Park searching for a ride: Steve Park, whose last NASCAR race was in a Busch car at O’Reilly Raceway Park last August, was in the garage at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday knocking on doors in the hopes of finding a ride for 2007. While driving a Cup car for DEI in 1998, Park was seriously injured in a crash at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He returned to race later that year, but in 2001 he suffered a brain injury in a violent crash during the Busch race at Darlington. In his only full season in the trucks (2004), Park finished ninth in points. The following year he won the second race of the season at California Speedway, but by the end of the season, Park and team owner Steve Gaughan went their separate ways. In 2006, Park started the season driving 10 races for James Harris’ CTS team but moved over to the Busch Series to compete in six races for James Marsh. “I’m here looking for a job,” Park said. “Atlanta is the first stop on the East Coast for a lot of these teams and I wanted to be here to talk to a few people about a ride in the truck or Busch series.” Park says it’s been tough for him to sit at home. “I was born to race,” he said. “I should be on the race track right now.” Park said he had a deal to get back in the Busch Series this season, but it fell apart a month before Daytona. “I spent a lot of time in the Craftsman Truck Series and enjoyed it,” Park said. “I’d like to get back into one for the rest of this season.” Park joked that during his time away from racing, he cut 10 strokes off his golf game. “Playing golf is great over the winter time when you know you have a job to go racing again in the springtime,” Park said. “But when the spring time comes and you’re not out there racing, it’s a bummer.”(Yahoo Sports)(3-17-2007)
Martin says, again, he will NOT race at Bristol next [this] week: For weeks, Mark Martin has been answering the questions. Would he or wouldn’t he run Bristol? Friday in the Atlanta Motor Speedway media center, Martin put those rumors to bed, for once and for all. So fans that want to watch him race will have to do so at this weekend’s Kobalt Tools 500, or miss him until the April 15 race at Texas. “There are mixed emotions, but the bottom line is that I’m gonna take a break,” Martin said. “Right now I’m doing what I love. I want to keep doing it and I want to keep loving it. There have been a few times in the past few years that I didn’t love it. I need a break.” He said this in spite of the pressure he’s been getting from former teammates Matt Kenseth and Jeff Burton, who have bets riding on whether he’ll return for next week’s Bristol race. Both have said they expect him to race. “Last week I was trying to taxi the plane and my phone rang and it was Kenseth,” Martin said. “He called saying, ‘I wouldn’t have passed you on the last lap, but you aren’t running for points, so I did.’ We were hanging out the other night and he just kept at me; he’s relentless. I finally just had to get up and leave.”(AMS Pit Notes)(3-17-2007)
2006:
Hamilton Taking Time Off from 2006 Season for Health Reasons: 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton regretfully is stepping out of his #18 Fastenal Dodge for the 2006 season effective after the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway due to health reasons. Hamilton has been diagnosed with cancer in the right side of his neck and will be replaced for the season by his son Bobby Hamilton Jr. “Nobody wants to go through this and the word cancer is a stout word to hear,” Hamilton said. “But I will be starting my treatment right after the race in Atlanta so I have to take care of me for awhile. The hardest thing I’ve done is stepping out of this truck, but I will be back by Homestead or by Daytona bext year. When I told Dodge and Fastenal that I had to do this, they were right on board with me. It says a lot for companies of this magnitude to stay with our program during such a difficult time. We have a huge family at BHR and their support will enable our program to continue to be a success.”(NASCAR PR)(3-17-2006)
2005:
Bowyer to debut at Phoenix: Richard Childress said on Speed Channel’s NASCAR Nation that his Busch Series driver, Clint Bowyer, will make his Nextel Cup debut at Phoenix International Raceway in the #33 Chevy with Sylvania as the sponsor.(3-17-2005)
Will run at Phoenix in April. Taken by Tony Johns of Racing Press.(4-19-2005)
See more NCS paint schemes from 2005.
2004:
Fan Stabbed: A man is accused of stabbing a fellow NASCAR fan Sunday at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Henry County [GA] Magistrate Robert Godwin set a $15,000 bond for Guy Landrum, 42, after hearing police testimony that Landrum stabbed a man after stumbling through his campsite. Deputy Mike Haralson told Godwin that Landrum was drunk Saturday night when he knocked over a trash can, kicked around trash and had an argument with another man at a campsite. Landrum came back Sunday, Haralson said, and renewed the argument, then pulled out a knife and stabbed the man on the left side of his torso. The man was treated and released at a local hospital. Landrum is scheduled to appear again before the court April 7. Henry County Sheriff’s Maj. Keith McBrayer said this was the most serious of about 15 arrests at Sunday’s Golden Corral 500, which drew more than 100,000 fans.(AJC/AP)(3-17-2004)
2002:
Marlin wins at Darlington: #40-Sterling Marlin won the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington. It is Marlin’s 2nd win of 2002 and his 2nd career win at Darlington, his 10th overall career win. Marlin started 42nd after the team elected to change an engine after Happy Hour, however, Marlin will be officially credited with starting 11th. #21-Elliott Sadler finished 2nd, his 2nd runner-up finished of 2002 (also at Daytona). The top ten finishers:
1) #40-Marlin (57 laps led)
2) #21-Sadler
3) #29-Harvick (first top five or ten of 2002)
4) #8-Earmhardt Jr (10 laps led)
5) #12-Newman
6) #48-Johnson
7) #2-Wallace
8) #17-Kenseth
9) #24-Gordon (176 laps led)
10) #9-Elliott
Thanks to Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates for the image.(4-24-2002)
See more NCS paint schemes from 2002.
2001:
Gordon Gone? UPDATE 6 NO, it’s Gordon!: hearing Robby Gordon and the #4 Morgan McClure Kodak team have parted ways effective immediatedly, no word on who will drive the car at Darlington. Rick Mast? Loy Allen? Wally Dallenbach? Morgan Shepherd? Kevin Lepage?
UPDATE: from NASCAR.com Buzz – Reports filtered throughout the industry Tuesday that Morgan McClure Motorsports and Robby Gordon had parted ways, effective immediately, but according to a team spokesperson, that is not the case. Not yet anyway AND a column from SpeedVision by Ben Blake: R. Gordon Out of 4 Car?
UPDATE 2: ESPN2’s RPM 2Night reports that #4 owner Larry McClure said there is a possibility of a change but at this time Gordon is still the driver(3-13-2001)
UPDATE 3: Rumors of a breakup have been circulating through the garage area for weeks. Contacted Tuesday, team officials said Gordon, 32, was expected to be in the team’s #4 Kodak Film Chevy this weekend when the series heads to Darlington. Beyond that, however, officials could not confirm that Gordon would be the driver of record for the 19-year-old organization(Kingsport Times News) AND Although team sources said Tuesday evening that no official move has been made with the Abingdon-based team, various reports indicated that Gordon could be replaced by this weekend’s event at Darlington. M-M general manager Larry McClure said Tuesday night that he could not comment on the matter at this time. Sources did confirm that McClure has been talking about replacing Gordon(Bristol Herald Courier)
UPDATE 4: Although rumors to the contrary continue to fly throughout the NASCAR industry, McClure said Wednesday morning that no changes have beenmade to his race team at this time. That apparently is not the case, NASCAR.com BUZZ reports, according to an industry source. Although Robby Gordon will be the driver of the #4 Chevy this weekend, he’ll be using his own chassis for the first time this year. The source said that Morgan-McClure’s chassis are antiquated and have plagued drivers for years(NASCAR.com BUZZ). Hearing Kevin Lepage coulde be in the #4 car at Darlington or Bristol(3-15-2001)
UPDATE 5: Robby Gordon has been released and Kevin Lepage will drive the #4 Kodak Chevy at Darlington, announcement is supposedly to be made at Darlington on Saturday morning. Lepage is not consiedered a permanent replacement for Gordon. Gordon doesn’t have another ride lined up but sources say he has spoken to a couple teams in the last few weeks(ESPN2’s RPM 2Night)(3-16-2001) AND a few names I hear being tossed around is Bobby Hillin Jr, Kenny Wallace(but he insists he is not going anywhere and is sticking with the #27 Eel River Racing team, so don’t look for that to happen), Rick Mast(but the #50 just signed a sponsor) and Wally Dallenbach(3-17-2001)
UPDATE 6: To the surprise of many, Robby Gordon showed up to drive Larry McClure’s #4 car in morning practice Saturday at Darlington Raceway. McClure said Gordon would be in the car through this weekend’s Carolina Dodge Dealers 400, but he would not say more. All signs pointed to Gordon’s having been dismissed this week, after just four races in the car. Apparently, however, whatever difficulties there are were patched over, at least for one more week. In fact, team representatives had prepared to announce that Kevin Lepage would drive #4 this weekend, on a spot basis(SpeedVision)(3-17-2001)
1999:
BGN and Cope UPDATE: I hear Derrike Cope will not return to the #61 BGN IWX Freight Pontiac. Tony Roper will driver the car at Darlington(per www.derrikecope.com) and for the rest of the season. The initial plan was for Cope to drive 20 races and Roper the rest — The Official Press Release in part: Tony Roper will drive the #61 IWX Motor Freight Pontiac in Saturday’s Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington Raceway. It will mark his first (BGN) start, which originally was scheduled to happen later this season. The team feels he needs to get healthy(banged up) after his two hard wrecks in Atlanta last weekend so he can concentrate on his Winston Cup program. Roper, 33, a native of Fair Grove, Mo., has competed in the last two seasons in the (CTS). In those two seasons, he has had 11 top-10 finishes and his series’ best second-place finish at Indianapolis Raceway Park last season. He has finished in the top-20 in points in both seasons. Roper has been a general mechanic on the Xpress team since the first of the year(IMX PR)(3-17-1999)
Roush Protest: Concord City (Cabarrus County, NC) residents convinced city leaders to delay approval of county tax-incentive grants of $1.9 million to Roush Racing, for it’s proposed construction to move their racing facilities to Concord. Well over 100 residents are concerned over the potential noise from a test track included in the plans. The planned “test track” is less than 1/2 mile from a large residential area that already can hear single cars at Charlotte Motor Speedway several miles away. After listening to the involved parties the city commissioners voted unanimously to defer action until the rezoning issue is settled. The residents also questioned the validity of granting tax incentives when rezoning of the area has yet to be approved by the city. There was also speculation that the Roush facility would simply move existing employees from their other operations and not create new jobs, something the tax incentive plan includes(Speedwords)(3-17-1999)
1998:
I hear Hardee’s will definitely be sponsoring a Winston Cup car before the end of this season. No idea who the driver or team will be but the car plans on making it’s debut around July 4th.(Pepsi 400?), doesn’t sound like DW, maybe Bud Moore or Washington-Erving??(3-17-98)
Click a link below for a full listing of news from each year:
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