March 25 – Today in Jayski’s NASCAR history

March 25, 2005

• • • NASCAR Tech Award: NASCAR Technical Institude recently awarded Junior Acheievement of Iredell County [NC] $1,000 to expand its programs in Iredell County and reach a group of high-schooled children with business and economics courses. The institute also volunteered with Junior Achievement in local classrooms. JA reaches about 1,200 students in fourth and fifth grades at Lakeshore, Lake Norman and Mount Mourne elementary schools and Mooresville Intermediate School. JA uses hands-on activities to teach business and economics to students of all ages. Details at: jacarolinas.org.(Charlotte Oberver/Iredell Neighbors section)(3-25-2005)
  • • Testing at Bristol: #31-Jeff Burton, in his first full Nextel Cup season with RCR, tested at Bristol Motor Speedway Tuesday. Meanwhile, #29-Kevin Harvick was among a large group of Busch and Nextel Cup drivers at BMS Thursday. #14-John Andretti tested Wednesday.Bristol Herald Courier)(3-25-2005)
  • • Mayfield, Labonte test at Kentucky: Aerodynamic changes that helped #19-Jeremy Mayfield to a season-best 13th-place NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series finish in Atlanta last week led to a possible season-changing breakthrough during a test at Kentucky Speedway Thursday. After closing out last season 10th in the 10-race Chase for the NEXTEL Cup, the #19 team averaged a 23rd -place finish through the first three races of the season while working with the new Dodge Charger body and adjusted spoiler height mandated by NASCAR. When changes made for the Atlanta race led to improved results, Mayfield and his team made a commitment to further explore those changes by testing during the series off week. “We started the season with a lot of new Chargers and, with the new rules, we got a couple of races into it and thought, whoa, we need to rethink this whole thing,” Mayfield said. “We were trying to do something a little bit different.” Joe Gibbs Racing Driver #18-Bobby Labonte also tested in an attempt to rebound from the poor luck that has plagued him in three of the four series races. After losing an engine in the Daytona 500, Labonte rebounded with a 12th-place finish in the second race of the season in California. His resurgence was stopped cold when his involvement in early-race accidents in Las Vegas and Atlanta caused his plummet to 37th in the series standings.(Kentucky Speedway)(3-25-2005)
  • • Congrats: Josh Mick, front tire carrier for #29-Kevin Harvick and Kelly Tomassetti, Marketing and Sales Coordinator for Team Caliber, are getting married today, Friday, March 25, 2005.(3-25-2005)
    • Garone leaves MWR for new Busch team UPDATE: Joe Garone, former Director of Competition for Michael Waltrip Racing, has left that position to accept a crew chief job with a brand new NASCAR Busch Series team, Furniture Row Racing, based in Denver, Colorado. Furniture Row Racing and Garone are a perfect match considering Colorado is his home state. The newly-formed team will field Chevrolets driven by NASCAR Regional Champion Jerry Robertson. Robertson will compete in a limited schedule through the 2005 season with aspirations of running an entire Busch Series season beginning in 2006.(1-1-2005)
      UPDATE: Newly formed Furniture Row Racing of Denver, Colo., says it will enter Jerry Robertson in its #78 Chevrolet in Saturday’s Pepsi 300 Busch Series race at Nashville Superspeedway. Robertson, 43, competed in three series races in 1997 and has been competing in NASCAR’s Northwest Regional Series, where he won the 2003 and 2004 championships. Joe Garone will be the crew chief.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-25-2005)
  • • Sauter and the #56 return at Nashville: The Lester Buildings #56 Chevrolet returns to NASCAR Busch Series action this weekend with the running of the Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway. For Mac Hill Motorsports and driver Tim Sauter, Nashville is a track that holds special moments, memories and a few solid runs. Mac Hill Motorsports Owner Jack McNelly debuted his NBS entry at Nashville Superspeedway on June 8, 2002 when Richard Mitchell piloted the team to a 34th place finish. An accident just past the race’s halfway point wiped out a 25th place qualifying effort. Less than two years later, MHM would return to Nashville with driver Regan Smith who would give McNelly and the team their highest finishing spot ever by finishing 17th. Mac Hill Motorsports also finished 17th in July of 2003 at New Hampshire with current MHM driver Tim Sauter at the controls. Sauter has also had his share of success on the Music City’s 1.33 mile, concrete tri-oval. One of his nine career NBS top-tens came at Nashville in April of 2002, when he took a starting position of 14th and ran it to a 10th place finish. Later that same season, Sauter claimed one of his six career NBS top-ten starting positions when he qualified 7th for the Inside Traxx 300. A blown engine while leading the race left Sauter with a 32nd place finish. After Nashville, Mac Hill Motorsports will take the Lester Buildings Chevrolet to Bristol Motor Speedway next weekend for the Sharpie Professional 250. Lester Buildings and Mac Hill Motorsports are continuing to develop activation plans for the sponsorship, which include a Busch series-exclusive building sweepstakes in which one lucky fan will win a 1,200 square foot Lester hobby/storage building, valued at $25,000 in a season-end drawing. Also, Lester is extending to the Racing Community an exclusive rebate offer of 50 cents per square foot, which can save $2,000 on a 50′ x 80′ structure. Plans also include activation through their new joint web-site: www.machillmotorsports.com. For more about Lester Buildings, visit www.lesterbuildings.com.(Victory Sports Group/Mac Hill Motorsports)(3-25-2005)
  • • Crew Chief change at the #4? UPDATE: hearing Greg Tester is the new crew chief for Ryan Hemphill in the #4 Biagi Bros. Racing Dodge. Mark Tutor is the listed crew chief.(3-22-2005)
      UPDATE: Biagi Bros. Racing announced the hiring of Greg Tester as the crew chief of the #4 GEICO Dodge. Tester is being reunited with Ryan Hemphill to rekindle their winning combination in the ARCA Re/Max Series where Hemphill consistently placed in the top of the field, catapulting him into the NASCAR Busch Series with Biagi Brothers Racing in the GEICO Dodge for the 2005 Season. Hemphill and Tester put together 6 wins in only 14 races in the ARCA Re/Max Series in 2004. The duo sat on the pole six times, scored 9 top five finishes and set two track records in that same span. Team owner, Fred Biagi said that “we are thrilled to add a crew chief of Greg’s caliber and are looking forward to Ryan and Greg picking up where they left off.” Brian Klaasmeyer, Biagi Brothers Racing Team Manager said, “Our goal is to be a top contender in 2005 and we’re confident that this combination will allow us to be more competitive each week. The driver-crew chief relationship is critical to any team’s success and we’re confident Greg and Ryan can find the same success in the Busch Series as they had in the ARCA Re/Max Series.”(Biagi Bros. Racing), no word on former crew chief, Mark Tutor’s plans.(3-25-2005)
  • • Morrison’s Golf Cars Sponsoring Jay Robinson: Morrison’s Golf Cars has joined Jay Robinson Racing as an associate sponsor for the 2005 season. The company will be an associate on the #49 Advil Taurus of driver Steve Grissom. Morrison’s Golf Cars, established in 1992, is a family-owned and operated business that specializes in reconditioning Club cars of all year models. Morrison’s can custom build from standard golf car bodies with all types of accessories to Jeep or Hummer kits, ’57 Chevy kits and ’47 Chevy truck kits. The company carries a large selection of parts and accessories for all makes and models of golf cars, as well as a large selection of gas and electric cars.(Williams Company)(3-25-2005)

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