March 24, 2002
- Kurt Busch wins The Food City 500 at Bristol: #97-Kurt Busch won his first ever Cup race in his 48th career start. It puts Busch into the 2002 The Winston. It is the 4th ever win for a car #97 and the first time the car #97 has won since Parnelli Jones won using the number at Los Angeles on May 30, 1959. Busch also won from a back stretch pit stall. #41-Jimmy Spencer ended up 2nd and #28-Ricky Rudd was 3rd. #31-Gordon gave #8-Earnhardt Jr a nudge on Pit Road (expect a fine for that – remember Stewart last year). Gordon, Earnhardt Jr and their crew chief’s and owners have been called to the NASCAR trailer to discuss the situation.
The top ten finishers were:
1) #97-Busch (89 laps led)
2) #41-Spencer (54 laps led)
3) #28-Rudd
4) #8-Earnhardt Jr (laps led 181)
5) #18-Labonte
6) #17-Kenseth
7) #48-Johnson
8) #25-Nadeau
9) #2-Wallace
10) #29-Harvick
#20-Tony Stewart with Todd Bodine subbing ended up 15th.
2001 Cup Champ – #24-Gordon ended 31st, 20 laps down.
2002 Points Leaders – #40-Marlin ended up 19th, 1 lap down.
Cars on the lead lap: 18 of 43
Cautions: 14 for 101 laps
DNF’s (out of the race): #26-Nemechek (accident); #71-Trickle(?); #21-Sadler(accident); #10-Benson(?).
Lap Leaders: #24-Gordon; #41-Spencer; #8-Earnhardt Jr; #99-Burton; #20-Stewart; #97-Busch.
Caution 1 – didn’t take long, lap 4, #-1Park, tapped #44-Jones who spun out.
Caution 2 – lap 42, #14-Compton got spun out by #12-Ryan Newman and hit the inside retaining wall.
Caution 3 – lap 52, #43-Andretti spun out by #29-Harvick and went into the wall, but was able to drive it around and stay on the lead lap.
Caution 4 – lap 82, #1-Park, passed #55-Hamilton too low and lost the car and spun it around, no damage to the car.
Caution 5 – lap 112, #02-Sadler, got spun by #55-Hamilton, but didn’t hit anything until #88-Jarrett tried to go high to pass by Sadler and had no room, tapping Sadler in the left rear quater panel.
Caution 6 – lap 132, #10-Benson was tapped by #40-Marlin, Benson spun out and backed into the outside wall.
Caution 7 – lap 158, #24-Gordon went too low on the track and spun out, backing into the outside wall, quite a bit of damage, but should still be able to stay out on the track after repairs are done.
Caution 8 – lap 165, just after the green flag flew, #23-Stricklin and #26-Nemechek got together. The #26 Ford is damgaged quite a bit.
Caution 9 – lap 209, #20 Stewart tapped #12-Newman when Newman got loose. #90-Mast and #30-Green also spun out and got together behind the wreck. Newman’s car is extensively damage. The #24-Gordon car is back in the garage getting repaired.
Caution 10 – lap 282, the #99-Burton car got into the #12-Newman car (just after he returned back to the track after repairs), #88-Jarrett tried to stop but could not and bumped the #12.
Caution 11 – lap 242, #21-Sadler was tapped by #45-Petty and spun into the inside back stretch wall, and while #31-Gordon was checking up, #1-Park hit and spun Gordon.
Caution 12 – lap 365, #20-Stewart lost it and spun a bit, after that, Todd Bodine replaced Stewart in the car and stayed on the lead lap.
Caution 13 – lap 406, #1-Park spun by himself, #14-Compton spun slowing down, neither made contact. Leader #8-Earnhardt Jr came in to pit, the 2nd place car #97-Busch and #41-Spencer (3rd) stayed out.
Caution 14 – lap 476, #02-Sadler cut a tire and hit the wall, he drove away. #97-Busch let #20-Bodine get his lap back.
NOTES: On the start of the race, #31-Robby Gordon jumped the green flag start and was penalized a drive thru pit road. #15-Waltrip hit the wall with the side of his car, still out there running. #4-Skinner penalized for speeding on pit road. #24-Gordon was told after his accident to pick up the pace as he was running too slow. Todd Bodine is standing by to sub for Tony Stewart in the #20 Home Depot Pontiac.
See ThatsRacin.com for Sunday’s Food City 500 results and for Updated Winston Cup points standings and for two columns: Sunday’s Race Rewind – Plenty of trouble to go around and Busch’s win unforgettable, Spencer says.(3-24-2002) - Display Debut’s: ALLTEL debuted a new traveling display at Bristol that will visit many of the upcoming NASCAR Winston Cup races. Fans have many treats in store when they drop by, including racing simulators, interactive displays, the ALLTEL long-distance basketball toss and numerous items of interest concerning driver Ryan Newman and his ALLTEL-sponsored racing team. You can even charge your cell phone or make a free one-minute call, courtesy of ALLTEL.(Tom Roberts PR)(3-24-2002)
- Goodyear Employee Retires: Retirement’s lure finally hooked Goodyear’s longest serving salaried employee, Wayne Torrence, who joined Goodyear on Jan. 1, 1945, and has represented the Racing Division since 1969. Torrence has missed very few days in his 57-year-career and, in fact, his first day on the job was a day off – he was the only person reporting to work on that cold New Year’s holiday. “He’s at the beach right now,” revealed Greg Stucker, director of racing tire sales and marketing, “and definitely enjoying the start of a well-deserved retirement. Those in the race world who know him can be assured that Wayne will be attacking the golf courses with new gusto.” Torrence most recently had been the product manager for NASCAR racing, running Goodyear’s race tire warehouse in Concord, N.C., and also handling the at-track marketing and operations duties at many of the Winston Cup race weekends. The warehouse he coordinated serves the tire needs of the six Goodyear race tire distributors in the United States.(Goodyear PR)(3-24-2002)
- More races for Hermie Sadler? #02-Hermie Sadler is partnering with Fox in promoting autism awareness this weekend. Sadler’s daughter, Halie Dru, suffers from autism, and Sadler has the 1-800-3-AUTISM line on his car. “Our goal hopefully is to raise money for families with autistic children that need financial help,” Sadler said. “They tell us that through the 800 number on the car that we got about 200 calls, just through our qualifying efforts.” In racing news, Sadler is considering picking up more races. He’s about “50-50” on going to Texas the week after Easter and, with only 43 Winston Cup competitors showing up some weeks, is considering adding more races to his schedule.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(3-24-2002)
- No Indy 500 for Andretti in 2002: #43-John Andretti wants to run in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 this year. His NASCAR bosses are putting a halt to any double-duty plans. “John’s not going to do it,” Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises, said Saturday. “We’re just not in a position to let John do this at this time. I want John to do it, but we need his focus to be on the Winston Cup cars.” That’s disappointing news to Andretti, who tried the double in 1994. He’s been trying to do the grueling 1,100-miles of racing in the same day ever since and approached Petty on Friday to ask if he could do it this year. “I 100 percent want to do it, so I asked and then I listened for a while,” said Andretti, who is hopeful Petty might change his mind. (Daytona Beach News Journal/AP)(3-24-2002)
- No Stand-by for Stewart UPDATE: #20-Tony Stewart doesn’t plan to have a driver standing by in his pits today. Stewart, sore from last week’s crash at Darlington Raceway, underwent physical therapy at the Motor Racing Outreach trailer yesterday after the final practice yesterday.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(3-24-2002)
UPDATE: Todd Bodine was standing by for Stewart and ran the car the last 130+ laps after Stewart spun and was not feeling good. Bodine finished the car on the lead lap in 15th, allowing Stewart to stay in the 12th place Drivers points standings.(3-24-2002) - Dragster at start/finish line: Doug Kalitta, who won the top fuel class in the NHRA Mac Tools Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway last year, will have his top fuel dragster on display at the start-finish line at today’s Food City 500. “What we’re trying to do is bring a little more awareness to the Winston Cup fans that we’ve got a race coming up next month,” Kalitta said. “We’ll start our car so the fans can hear what it sounds like, and we’re just out here trying to promote the Mac Tools brand.”(Bristol Herald Courier)(3-24-2002)
- Mark Green ok: Mark Green was released 6:00pm/et from the hospital and has a bruised left foot. The x-rays & cat scans were all negative. The extra time he was in the car was for the safety team to free his left foot from the pedal area.(3-24-2002)
- #54 Changes Drivers….NOW UPDATE 4 Sponsor? 2nd team? Cup team?: Kevin Grubb will drive the #54 Team Bristol Motorsports Chevy at Las Vegas today, replacing Kelly Denton, who has been released from the team. Kelly Denton, who drove the #54 GC Toys Chevy at Daytona and Rockingham, was released from the ride Friday and replaced by Kevin Grubb. Rick Goodwin, team owner for nine months, said it was time to make a change and Denton was the result of that decision. Grubb will have to start at the tail of the field. Denton had qualified 34th.(NASCAR.com), doesn’t say if it is a one race deal or longer.(3-2-2002)
UPDATE: Kevin Grubb is in the #54 full time as of now. Also, crew chief Tony Lambert is looking for a car chief and a couple of fabricators right now and the team is very close on getting a sponsor. See my BGN Team Address page for ways to contact the team.(3-5-2002)
UPDATE 2: Several other changes are in store for Goodwin’s #54 team, which began operation last season. For starters, he plans to announce a full-time primary sponsor prior to the March 9 Atlanta race. Goodwin said his team will also run five Winston Cup races later this season, and attempt to run the full Winston Cup schedule in 2003. Goodwin said Grubb will be considered for the team’s Winston Cup effort, depending on his performance this year. Goodwin said he is also preparing to start a second team, and is close to signing a sponsor, believed to be the Golden Nugget/MGM-Mirage resorts, for that deal. The Golden Nugget was on Goodwin’s car at Las Vegas for a one-race deal. If everything goes according to plan, he said, the team will make its debut in late April at California Speedway. By landing two primary sponsors, Goodwin is definitely bucking a trend in the sport, as many Winston Cup and Busch team owners are struggling to find financial support. Goodwin said there’s no secret behind his success.(Winston Cup Scene – need sub to read)(3-7-2002)
UPDATE 3 and MORE: The Team Bristol Motorsports BGN team will have new sponsorship when the tour rolls into Bristol on March 23 and series regular Kevin Grubb has been tabbed to drive the team’s Chevrolets, team owner Rick Goodwin said Wednesday. Grubb, who replaced Bristol’s Kelly Denton last weekend in Las Vegas, will complete the 2002 BGN schedule in the car, with sponsorship from Toys R Us, a national toy retailer. The team also plans to run five Winston Cup races this season, Goodwin said. “We’ve signed Toys R Us as sponsor for the 54 car and we will launch that in Bristol. It’s a big deal for us and a big deal for NASCAR,” Goodwin said. GC Toys provides product to Toys R Us, Goodwin said. Despite the current sponsor troubles in Winston Cup and Busch, Goodwin has big plans for the Bristol-based team which also employs longtime BGN car owner Ed Whitaker of Bristol. “With this deal we plan to run five Cup races this year and we want to look to Winston Cup for 2003 or 2004,” Goodwin said. “The cars will continue to be fielded here by Team Bristol. We don’t have a Cup schedule yet, but the one I can tell you we plan to run is the August night race in Bristol. Running here is very important to me. To run and run well. The other races we’ll take one at a time,” Goodwin added. “We’ve already expanded the shop and we are currently discussing a second (Busch) team. We’re in negotiation with a sponsor and are looking at a second team. It may race out of Charlotte.”(Bristol Herald Courier)(3-7-2002)
UPDATE a sponsor: Team Bristol Motorsports owner Rick Goodwin announced a primary sponsorship agreement between Toys “R” Us and his Bristol, VA based BGN team. Toys “R” Us will serve as the primary sponsor on the # 54 BGN Chevy driven by Kevin Grubb. The Toys “R” Us Chevrolet competed in its first race, the Channellock 250 at Bristol.(Camp and Assoc PR)(3-24-2002)
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