March 18 -Today in Jayski’s NASCAR history

March 18, 2006

• • • New Team Plans Texas Debut: H&K Motorsports, a husband and wife owned team based in Denton,, TX has announced plans to make its Nextel Cup Series debut at Texas Motor Speedway. Denton native Eddie Kucharski and wife Bonnie Heimlich plan to enter veteran Trevor Boys in 15 Cup races, beginning with a qualifying attempt April 7 for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at TMS. The team also plans to compete in the ARCA ReMax Series beginning at Nashville Superspeedway on April 15.(Fort Worth Star Telegram) Boys has 102 Cup starts with two top 10’s running races between 1983-1993, his best finish was a 9th at Richmond 1983 in the #48 Chevy.(3-18-2006)
    • Latest on AT&T and Cingular II: Life goes on for Cingular Wireless, even though the brand is mere months from dying away. AT&T, which plans to take full control of the cellphone provider as part of its acquisition of BellSouth, intends to drop the 5-year-old Cingular name. Although Atlanta-based Cingular has spent more than $4 billion advertising itself since the company was born, its services will be renamed with the historic AT&T brand. Cingular’s president and chief executive, Stan Sigman, supports the change, saying the company has been at a “competitive disadvantage” in pitting itself against rival Verizon Wireless, which shares the same name as other services offered by Verizon Communications. Cingular, meanwhile, has been distinct from its current corporate parents, AT&T and BellSouth. One thing isn’t up for debate: Because the Cingular brand will continue to exist for months, the carrier can’t afford to stop spending money on marketing. Thus you’ll see plenty of Cingular ads, notably during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament — which began this week — and during Fox TV’s hugely popular “American Idol.” Cingular will come full circle if, as expected, AT&T buys BellSouth for $67 billion in stock, taking full control of Cingular in the process. AT&T’s plans to eliminate the BellSouth and Cingular names, and move to the single AT&T name, would save hundreds of millions of dollars on ads.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution), no mention in the column what happens with the #31 team, but would assume it will be rebranded AT&T at some point.(3-18-2006)
    • Lester easily makes the race at Atlanta: Bill Lester became the first African-American driver to qualify for a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race in 20 years, while Kasey Kahne took the pole for Sunday’s Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Lester’s #23 Waste Management Dodge was the fastest among the cars that needed to qualify on time with the 19th fastest lap of 190.502 mph. Lester joins Charlie Scott, Wendell Scott, George Wiltshire, Randy Bethea and Willy T. Ribbs as the only African-Americans to accomplish this feat with Ribbs being the last in 1986. “I’m so excited, I’m relieved, I’m enthused, I can’t wait for Sunday’s race,” said Lester, who is from Atlanta. “My wife knew my heart and soul was in racing and she supported me 110 percent.”(RacingOne)(3-18-2006)
    • Jarrett plans to run through 2008: Before the Daytona 500, #88-Dale Jarrett described the 2006 Nextel Cup season as critical to determining how long he would extend his career. After three races of evaluating his team, he has a timetable. “I’m pretty sure now I’m going to drive through 2008,” he said Friday afternoon at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “I feel like if we can stay on pace with what we’re trying to do, that would be sufficient time to leave it in a good situation.”(USA Today)(3-18-2006)
    • BDR’s Lester to qualify for Cup race: Bill Lester will pilot the #23 Nextel Cup entry for Bill Davis Racing at Atlanta. He’ll be the first black driver to attempt to qualify for a Cup Series race in 20 years. Before this week, the last black to start a Cup event was Willy T. Ribbs at Michigan on June 15, 1986. Prior to that, George Wiltshire and Randy Bethea each had a run at a Cup race in 1975. Wendell Scott started 495 times in NASCAR’s premier series and remains the only black to win a Cup race, at Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 1, 1963. Lester was the first black to compete in a Busch Series event in 1999, the first to start a Truck Series race in 2000, the first to win a pole for a modern-era NASCAR race in 2003, the first to win $1 million, and the first to lead a top division race in more than two decades.(nascar.com)(3-14-2006)
      UPDATE: Lester qualifed 19th in the #23 Waste Management Dodge with a speed of 190.502.(3-18-2006)

2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997