March 19, 2004
- Mooresville Seminar in May: On May 28th from 7-10 PM at the NASCAR Busch Series shop of ppc racing (#22-Jason Keller), Mike Calinoff’s “Get Into Racing” Seminars will take place – an opportunity for those interested in a career in professional motorsports. The “Get Into Racing” [ www.getintoracing.com] program is not your typical seminar format. Traditionally, participants sit for several hours and try to absorb as much information as possible, while jotting down notes and thinking silently of questions they need answered. There is usually one host who does all of the speaking. The “Get Into Racing” program takes a totally different approach. While Mike Calinoff, serves as the primary speaker, he is complimented with a panel of experts who are in the business. Race team members, owners, public relations, media, marketing and administrative specialists [and maybe a certain internet site dude] have been carefully selected to bring as much information to the seminar as possible. Your are encouraged to bring your resumeas well. The seminar is being sponsored by Jenkins & Jenkins, one of the most unique sponsors in motorsports. During the 20-minute break and at the conclusion of the program, you will have the opportunity to meet the panel members for some one-on-one conversation. The program is upbeat, humorous and informative. It addresses your real-life aspirations for a position in motorsports and brings to you the realistic opportunities that exist. Heavy concentration is placed on career development, interview skills and what race teams are looking for in a candidate. This is a no-holds-barred, in-your-face seminar. All of the time is spent discussing the real issues and opportunities that will help bring you into a whole new world. Visit the website for more information or call 1-877-RACEJOB.(3-19-2004)
- Interesting many have asked if #9-Kasey Kahne’s three top-five finishes was the best record by a driver in their first four races. The following was revealed upon a query of the database by Charlie Vass. Obviously, being just one of seven drivers in NASCAR history to accomplish this is still quite remarkable!
Drivers records after four races….
Adkins, Allen 4 Top 5s
8/1/54 Oakland Stadium 3
8/22/54 Bay Meadows Race Course 4
5/8/55 Arizona State Fairgrounds 5
5/15/55 Tucson Rodeo Grounds 2
Minter, Clyde 4 Top 5s
9/25/49 Martinsville Speedway 4
10/16/49 North Wilkesboro Speedway 4
4/2/50 Charlotte Speedway 3
5/21/50 Martinsville Speedway 5
Gurney, Dan 3 Top 5s
2/16/62 Daytona International Speedway 4
2/18/62 Daytona International Speedway 27
1/20/63 Riverside International Raceway 1
2/22/63 Daytona International Speedway 5
Erickson, Erick 3 Top 5s
9/18/49 Hamburg Fairgrounds 2
4/8/51 Carrell Speedway 5
4/22/51 Arizona State Fairgrounds 2
5/6/51 Martinsville Speedway 24
Byron, Red 3 Top 5s
6/19/49 Charlotte Speedway 3
7/10/49 Daytona Beach & Road Course 1
8/7/49 Orange Speedway 22
9/11/49 Langhorne Speedway 3
Barker, Curley 3 Top 5s
5/27/56 Portland Speedway 5
6/24/56 Portland Speedway 9
8/26/56 Portland Speedway 3
9/23/56 Portland Speedway 3
Kahne, Kasey 3 Top 5s
2/15/04 Daytona International Speedway 41
2/22/04 North Carolina Speedway 2
3/7/04 Las Vegas Motor Speedway 2
3/14/04 Atlanta Motor Speedway 3
(NASCAR Statistical Services)(3-19-2004)
- #72 Sponsor? saw the decals on Kirk Shelmerdines #72 Ford, Tucson, what is that? Tucson Cigarettes made by the Renegade Tobacco Company in Mocksville, NC which is up near Welcome, NC [where Shelmerdine’s shop is]. NOTE: NASCAR’s Jim HUnter was interviewed on XM Satelitte – NASCAR Radio 144 and said while cigarettes are not allowed to be a sponsor on a car, the brand name can as long as the words ‘Cigarette’ or ‘Tobacco’ is not used.(3-19-2004)
- 40-race schedule? [yikes] more on Vegas Reconfig: Cal Wells’ [owner of the #32 Tide Chevy] proposal for a 40-race schedule has provoked some thought in the NASCAR garage about where those four races would fit on the calendar. Mother’s Day weekend could be one date, or Thanksgiving weekend. Another logical date would be late January. And then there is the question of who might get those four tour dates: if the NASCAR Frances doled two of them out to Bruton Smith, then that might resolve the Texas lawsuit, by adding not only a second tour date at Texas but also a second tour date at Las Vegas. And with a second tour date at Las Vegas, according to sources close to Smith, the Speedway Motorsports boss would almost certainly choose a variable banking design at that 12-degree track, to change the pattern of boring races.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-19-2004)
- Bodine and the #98 at Darlington, Jayski’s take on helping the ‘small’ teams: Todd Bodine will be driving the #98 only if more than 43 cars show up at the track otherwise Larry Gunselman will be driving the car [as of Thursday, 44 cars are entered]. Bodine will be testing an ARCA car for Dan Shaver and Petro Express # 49 with Jeff Buice as crew chief and plans to race the car Nashville.(Todd Bodine site), have no info on the #98 team, their crew, no one from the team has contacted me, so nothing to tell anyone, I pride myself on helping the small teams, but I can’t help if I can’t find info on them and no one from the team lets me know what is up, the #98, #72 and #80, all I get is what I find in columns and articles. And the #94 with Stanton Barrett? no clue at all.(3-19-2004)
- Wider Tires? Humpy Wheeler, who runs Speedway Motorsports for Smith, said he’s looking at fatter tires as a possible solution for boring races at flat tracks.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-19-2004)
- Norris close to a job UPDATE 2: Ty Norris, who resigned in January as vice president for motorsports at Dale Earnhardt Inc. in January, expects to start a new job this week. “I think they’ll announce it Tuesday or Wednesday,” he said Saturday. The position is in racing, but Norris said it’s different than anything he’s done before. He also won’t have to travel as much, which was a requirement he made for himself when he was contemplating what he was going to do. “My family has sacrificed enough over the past 15 years,” he said. In eight years with DEI, Norris took the team into the Nextel Cup Series, where it now has drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip. Junior won the Daytona 500 for the first time earlier this season, with Norris watching from home. “I was just so proud for Dale Jr. and the team,” Norris said. “It was great feeling like I had a little part in that.”(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(3-13-2004)
UPDATE: hearing the job will be with SMI [Speedway Motorsports Inc./Bruton Smith] in some capacity.(3-15-2004)
UPDATE 2:Ty Norris, who helped run Dale Earnhardt Inc., for eight years until leaving suddenly in January, is expected to announce a new job next week with Speedway Motorsports.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-19-2004)
- Hotel Announces Speed Rewards for NASCAR Fans: Best Western customers have a new way to make travel more exciting with Speed Rewards, a customized frequent guest program designed specifically for race fans. Speed Rewards is an extension of Best Western’s already successful Gold Crown Club International (GCCI) loyalty program. Speed Rewards puts customers on the fast-track toward earning valuable points that can be redeemed for NASCAR-themed racing merchandise such as jackets and caps, Best Western Global Free Room Nights, dining, shopping and other exciting rewards. NASCAR race fans that sign up for Best Western Speed Rewards through April 30th will be automatically entered for a chance to win tickets to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series TM race of their choice, roundtrip air transportation and Best Western accommodations. In addition, for each time they stay at a participating Best Western at the qualifying BestRates(r) rate during the promotional period, they will earn an additional entry. For more info and to sign up for the program, customers simply go to bestwestern.com.(Alan Taylor PR)(3-19-2004)
- “Field Filler”…getting back at the media, new site coming UPDATE site has opened: Andy Belmont’s #02 Pontiac is one of a handful of cars often referred to as field-filler. That’s because it’s in the race in large part because there aren’t enough fast cars to take up all 43 starting spots. Belmont, a lifetime racer from Langhorne, Pa., who finished 39th Sunday, is offended by the “field-filler” designation that has been hung on him, but at least he has a sense of humor about it. So Belmont has purchased the rights to www.fieldfillers.com and plans to have fun with his new Web site, which is under construction. “We’re going to think out of the box a little and not take ourselves too seriously,” Belmont said. Some of the content will be aimed at media members, who criticize the drivers at the back of the pack. “We’re going to try to entertain the writers who throw rocks at us and give them more fodder,” he said. Belmont said he plans to take photos of other cars referred to as field-fillers — with permission from the drivers — and post them on his site. Just for fun, he plans to include Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 8 Chevrolet among the field-fillers for last week’s race at Las Vegas. Earnhardt’s car was so slow at Vegas that he was sent to the garage for repairs. Belmont says he’s proud to be a part of the nation’s premier racing series. “Even though some people refer to me as a back-marker, I’ve got a seat at the head table,” he said.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(3-15-2004)
UPDATE the site is active and open at www.fieldfillers.com, still under some construction.(3-19-2004)
- Andretti’s fans drive UPDATE: Several days ago, one of John Andretti’s fans got the idea to try and raise enough money to sponsor Andretti in a race. Word spread quickly and people from all over began to pledge money. Andretti and radio broadcaster Dave Wilson discussed it on the air on a Tuesday night interview and Andretti expressed how impressed and humbled he was about it. As a result of this outpouring of support, Andretti’s fan website, jafanpage.com are going to institute a fund drive for a charity. Details will be posted there in the next few days.(3-19-2004)
UPDATE: John Andretti has issued a letter thanking fans trying to organize a fund-raising campaign to sponsor a Nextel Cup entry for him but urged them to abandon the plan. “I feel blessed and honored to have such outstanding individuals and families that support me even to the level of giving me their hard-earned dollars. This will never be forgotten,” wrote Andretti, who has made only two starts this year in a partial campaign in Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s No. 1 Chevrolet. He urged fans to use their money to support the sponsors who back their favorite teams and added, “For those who would like to donate otherwise, we will again be hosting the Race for Riley Hospital for Children just prior to the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-19-2004) - Busch on the pole: #5-Kyle Busch won his first career Busch Series pole at Darlington Raceway for the Diamond Hill Plywood Co. 200 with a speed of 168.619mph. The rest of the top five are: #38-Kasey Kahne, #23-Kenny Wallace, #60-Greg Biffle Ford abd #00-Jason Leffler. Missing the race were #94-Eddie Beahr and #84-Norm Benning.
Motorsports One, BGNRacing.com, ThatsRacin.com or NASCAR.com.(3-19-2004) - NASCAR Examing the #14: Rick Crawford left the Atlanta Motor Speedway in a way that no one would want to — in the back of an ambulance. Crawford found himself there after an unfortunate, some might say horrific, incident in the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Crawford got tangled up in a lap 45 incident when he drove into a stationary vehicle that was sitting on the track. The hit was savage and resulted in the three drivers who were involved being sent to local area hospitals. Now, several days after the incident Crawford is resting at home, with two broken bones in his left foot. Thankfully Crawford will not require surgery; and if he follows doctors orders of staying off the injury he should be in good shape for the series’ next event, which will take place April 17, at Martinsville Speedway. TFR spoke with team spokesman, Jeff Opalach, who relayed this information regarding Crawford’s health. Opalach also told TFR that the remnants of Crawford’s truck had been hauled to NASCAR’s research and development center in Conover, N.C., where inspections were taking place on the #14 Circle Bar Motel & RV Ford. While Opalach did not have a specific number for the g-forces applied to Crawford’s rig, he did say that, according to NASCAR, it was a heavy hit that Crawford rode through. Crawford’s safety “cocoon” within the vehicle held up nicely, and the Head And Neck Safety device that he wears likely saved him from more serious, injury. Opalach also noted that this was only the second event where his driver had worn a full-faced helmet, one of the new Impact Racing units being produced by longtime safety advocate Bill Simpson. Crawford, until this year, wore an open-face helmet due to previous preferences. But the new helmet was chosen due to its unique air inlet system, which blows air down onto the driver from a port in the top of the helmet. Simpson helped Crawford make the switch with his meticulous attention to detail, accommodating the drivers’ needs at every step of the process. The new Impact branded helmet is gaining in popularity within the garage, as Simpson visits with the drivers to help educate them regarding the newest technology.(Ford Racing)(3-19-2004)
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