March 18 -Today in Jayski’s NASCAR history

March 18, 2005

• • • Young Guns Update: By picking #48-Jimmie Johnson as the highest finishing Gillette Young Gun in the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 13th, Sam H. of Paducah, KY was the winner of the weekly Gillette Young Guns $5,000 Challenge. Sam picked Johnson as the highest finishing Young Gun by going to www.gilletteyoungguns.com and entering before the weekly deadline. As the highest finishing Gillette Young Gun, a $1,000 donation will be made to the National Prostate Cancer Coalition (NPCC) on behalf of Johnson. This is the second time this season a donation has been made to the NPCC on behalf of Johnson. This is the last race in which consumers can celebrate the beginning of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season with the Gillette Young Guns $1 Million Watch & Win Sweepstakes. This exciting new promotion offers race fans the chance to win $100,000 during each of the first four races of the season, starting with this year’s Daytona 500. Info at www.gilletteyoungguns.com.(Alan Taylor Commincations)(3-18-2005)
    • More on McClure’s departure from the #73: Eric McClure, driver of the #73 Arc Dehooker Chevrolet, drove his first and last race for Raabe Racing Enterprises this past weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After failing to qualify for the season’s first two events and having continuous problems during this past weekend’s UAW Daimler Chrysler 400, the Abingdon, Virginia native felt it necessary to resign as driver of the #73 Arc Dehooker Monte Carlo. “I just want to thank Mr. Raabe and all of the Arc Dehooker team for giving me the opportunity to drive their race car during this past weekend’s Nextel Cup event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. However, after much consideration, I feel the need to pursue other driving opportunities that will better my career in the long run.” Although McClure no longer has a ride in the Nextel Cup Series and will no longer be a contender for the Rookie of the Year title, he remains optimistic about his future in NASCAR racing and is excited about some of the opportunities that have come his way in such a short period of time. “We are fortunate enough to have a couple of deals in the works right now and hopefully something will come out of them. I just want to race! Whether it be in Truck, Busch, or Cup, it doesn’t matter to me.” As of now, the 26-year-old Emory and Henry College graduate plans to run the Sharpie Professional 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway in April for Morgan-McClure Motorsports.(PR)(3-18-2005)
    • Red Barons on the #49 at Atlanta: Ken Schrader and the #49 Red Baron Dodge team head to the 1.5-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway, located in Hampton, Ga., this week for Sunday’s Golden Corral 500; the fourth race of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. Driving a car emblazoned with the Red Baron frozen pizza colors this week. Red Baron frozen pizza products are distributed under the Schwan’s Consumer Brands North America banner, which also markets other leading frozen-food retail brands that include Tony’s and Freschetta frozen pizzas, Pagoda Asian specialties, and Larry’s potato side-dishes. Schwan’s Consumer Brands is a division of The Schwan Food Company, whose Schwan’s Home Service business unit sponsors Schrader and the #49 BAM Dodge throughout the remainder of the season.(Williams Company PR), added an image of the car to my #49 Team Schemes page.(3-18-2005)
    • Final Las Vegas TV Ratings up 10%: Final Nielsen Media Research figures show that Fox’s broadcast of last Sunday’s UAW/DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earned a 6.4 rating and a 14 share, today’s Sports Business Daily reports. The rating is 10.3% higher than 2004’s 5.8, although it was well short of 2003’s 6.9. The race was easily the most-watched sports program of the weekend, well ahead of the 4.9/10 that CBS drew for the selection of the teams for the NCAA’s men’s basketball tournament.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-18-2005)
    • Been Asked – UPDATEs:
      1) Does #48-Jimmie Johnson get to keep the $30,000 NASCAR Nextel Cup Leader Bonus he won at Las Vegas for winning the race and having the points lead? I can only assume [gasp] so as last year, when Dale Earnhardt Jr. was docked 25 points and fined at Talladega, he had won the award and was allowed to keep it as he did lead the points after the win.
      2) Can any of the suspended crew chief communicate with the team as Michael ‘Fatback’ McSwain did with the #21 team when he was out due to back surgery? While I directly do not know if, I doubt NASCAR [who monitors the scanners] would allow direct contact with the driver, they may be able to sneak a cell phone call in.
      UPDATE on #2: None of the suspended crew chiefs will be permitted to communicate with their race teams via cell phone or radio during the time they are suspended, NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said.(FoxSports/AP).
      3) And no word if Fatback will be back at the track for the Atlanta race to call the shots for #21-Ricky Rudd.
      UPDATE on #3: XM Radio reports that Michael “Fatback” McSwian, crew chief for the #21, is at Atlanta and back working.(XM Satellite NASCAR Radio)(3-18-2005)
    • Bill France in Nashville to give the command: Country Music Star Billy Ray Cyrus will be performing the National Anthem for the Opening Day Celebrations on Saturday, March 19 at Music City Motorplex in Nashville. Billy Ray will be the last voice heard at the fairgrounds track before NASCAR Vice Chairman Bill France commands the drivers to “Start Their Engines,” kicking off the 101st year of racing at the Fairgrounds. Other expected dignitaries on Saturday include Fort Campbell’s Colonel Larry D. Ruggley, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers Chad Chaffin, Chase Montgomery, and Timothy Peters, Nashville Vice Mayor Howard Gentry, Councilmen Harold White and Jim Gotto, members of the Nashville Sports Council, and recording artists Debbie Wade and Jason Aldean. The racing program will include NASCAR racing action from the Grand National Sportsman, Super Trucks, Late Models and an MMRA Mini Cup Tour event. More info at musiccitymotorplex.com.(3-18-2005)
    • So…..what is WinFuel? UPDATE: seen the commercials with Dale Jr. and Shane Hmiel? Seen the website? seen them on the #32 Busch Series Chevy? what is WinFuel…..hearing it is a new energy drink/multi-vitamin drink from the folks at TrimSPA.(3-9-2005)
      UPDATE: WinFuel is a new multi-vitamin and sponsor of the #08 Braun Racing Chevy Hmiel will run at Atlanta.(3-18-2005)
    • Stanton Barrett gets a sponsor for Atlanta: Front Row Motorsports has announced a deal that will make USMilitary.com the primary sponsor for its #92 Chevrolet for Stanton Barrett for this weekend’s Golden Coral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Web site, which offers potential enlistees information to help them compare branches of the armed services, will also be the primary sponsor at a second race to be determined. Financial terms were not announced.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-18-2005)
    • RYR Loses an engineer to Champ Cars: The Champ Car World Series named veteran race engineer Scot Elkins Director of Technology in the Champ Car Operations Department. Elkins assumes Director of Technology responsibilities after serving most recently as Chief Engineer at Robert Yates Racing where he was responsible for all engineering functions for the NASCAR team. His duties included race simulations, race day fuel mileage calculation and Damper build specifications. Elkins also headed up the team’s wind tunnel and seven post testing programs.(Ford Racing)(3-18-2005)
    • More Changes? Last week at Las Vegas, Larry McReynolds moderated a roundtable discussion with car manufacturers, Goodyear, NASCAR’s tire manufacturer, and NASCAR’s vice president of competition, Robin Pemberton, and talked about the state of the sport. You always get the feeling that these manufacturers know another rule change is lurking. You don’t always know what it might be. It may be another 1/4 or 1/2 inch off of the rear spoiler down the road, and you get the feeling that they can’t and won’t quit thinking about it because the potential for change is always out there.(FoxSports)(3-18-2005)
    • Edwards wins pole at Atlanta: #60-Carl Edwards won the pole for the Aaron’s 312 at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a lap of 191.364mph, almost 2mph faster the the outside pole sitter, #18-J.J. Yeley [189.564mph], the rest of the top five are @48-Jimmie Johnson, #47-Jon Wood and #2-Clint Bowyer. #41-Reed Sorenson, 4th in current drivers points, failed to make the race the transmission locked up on his warmup lap. Sorenson will run the #40 Dodge that Sterling Marlin qualified 28th with and will fall to the rear of the field before the drop of the green flag. Failing to qualify for the race were: #16-John Hayden; #43-Aaron Fike; #52-Stan Boyd; #85-Damon Lusk; #24-Blake Mallory; #41-Reed Sorenson.
      See starting lineups:
      BGNRacing.com
      NASCAR.com.(3-18-2005)
    • Liberati out at the #1? UPDATE 2 new crew chief?: hearing that the #1 Team Yellow team and crew chief, Tony Liberati have parted ways.(3-15-2005)
      UPDATE: The decision to release Tony Liberati this week was made by #1 Phoenix Racing and Team Owner, James Finch. In the interim, General Manager, Mark Reno will man the pit box. The team has full confidence in James Finch and Phoenix Racing and expect an announcement regarding the new Crew Chief in the very near future. Johnny Sauter is the driver of both the #1 Yellow Transportation Dodge and #09 Miccosukee Gaming Dodge.(Team Yellow PR)(3-17-2005)
      UPDATE 2: hearing that Joe Shear will be the new #1 crew chief and will be at Atlanta.(3-18-2005)
    • Hornaday edges out Labonte at Atlanta: #6-Ron Hornaday won the World Financial Group 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway by 8/1000’s of a second over #47-Bobby Labonte under a green-white-checkered finish. #04-Bobby Hamilton finished 3rd [he has a 1st, 2nd and 3rd so far in 3 races], #46-Dennis Setzer and #75-David Starr. It is Hornaday’s 27th win in the Truck Series, which is the record for the most. His last win was at Homestead in 2002.
      For race results, see:
      MotorsportsOne
      Truckseries.com
      NASCAR.com.(3-18-2005)

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