March 28, 2002
- Texas Field down to 43 or 44?: The car count for NASCAR’s Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway next weekend has fallen from 45 cars to the full-field minimum of 43. Joe Nemechek’s #26 entry was pulled after Haas-Carter Motorsports announced it was suspending racing operations because of sponsorship problems emanating from Kmart’s bankruptcy filing. TMS officials also were informed by #02-Hermie Sadler that he was pulling his entry blank, and canceling hotel rooms.(Fort Worth Star Telegram), but have been informed that while the rooms were cancelled Sadler is waiting word on a sponsor and seeing how preparations go on a back-up car and will make a decision early next week, but its a better than 50% chance that Sadler will go to Texas.(3-28-2002)
- Gordon and the Indy 500 UPDATE 2: After being announced as the driver for the #31 Cingular Chevy for the 2002 season, Robby Gordon says he may still run the Indy 500 if the right deal can be worked out (and it is with Richard Childress)(Insider Racing News/FSN’s Totally NASCAR)(11-17-2001)
UPDATE: Word is that Robby Gordon will be pulling double duty Memorial Day weekend by driving in the Indy 500 and then flying from Indy to Lowe’s Motor Speedway to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 later that day. Gordon, the regular driver of the No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet, will have backing from his team owner Richard Childress in more ways than one. It is believed that Childress will be a financial backer of the Indy team Gordon would drive for — Menard Racing. It is also believed that Cingular will come aboard with some level of sponsorship as well. If he does the double duty, Gordon would join Tony Stewart and John Andretti as the only other NASCAR Winston Cup Series drivers to do so. Stewart completed the task in 1999 and 2001. Andretti did it in 1994. This would be the third time Gordon will attempt the 1,100-mile marathon. He attempted to do it in 1997, but was stopped by Mother Nature — the Indy race was delayed two days because of rain. Gordon also tried in 2000 but P.J. Jones started the car for Gordon.(NASCAR.com BUZZ)(3-27-2002)
UPDATE 2: Cingular Wireless will sponsor both race teams in Robby Gordon’s third attempt at the Indianapolis 500/Coca-Cola 600 “double” May 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Lowe’s Motor Speedway for car owners Richard Childress and John Menard. Gordon will drive the #31 Menard/Childress/Cingular Wireless Chevrolet-powered Dallara in the Indianapolis 500 and the #31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in the Coca-Cola 600. Gordon had high hopes for the Memorial Day weekend feat in 2000 and 1997 but never enjoyed a true ‘double’ due to weather delays both years. A rain delay in the 2000 Indianapolis 500 caused Gordon to miss the start of the Coca-Cola 600, while rain postponed the 1997 Indianapolis 500 until the following Monday.. Although he has not enjoyed the full ‘double’ experience, Gordon has logged four top-six finishes in seven Indianapolis 500 starts and was leading on the next-to-last lap of the 1999 race before running out of fuel (he finished fourth). This year’s ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ will not be Gordon’s first venture with Menard, either. Menard co-owned Gordon’s 1999 and 2000 Indy 500 teams, as well as his 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series team. Team Menard will build and crew the Menard/Childress/Cingular Wireless Dallara/Chevrolet. Gordon is also reuniting with his former crew chief Dave Forbes for the 500-mile race.. Forbes was Gordon’s crew chief during the 1999 CART Series and in the 1999 Indy 500.(RCR PR)(3-28-2002)
- Travis Carter Statement: The following quote is from Travis Carter, co-team owner of Haas Carter Motorsports regarding his next steps and future plans in NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing. “I¹m not quitting,” Carter said. “Just because Haas Carter Motorsports has closed its doors does not mean that I intend to leave NASCAR. I¹ve been in this sport for more than 30 years and racing is what I do. I still have a lot of work to do here and my main focus is to pursue sponsors and fight to survive. I¹ll work on deals that may open the doors up in a few months or that may allow us to race in 2003. Regardless, I¹ll keep working to open these doors again. Don¹t count me out. “I have every reason in the world to stay in NASCAR. My 20-year-old son, Matt, wants to be in the sport and I want to provide him with those opportunities. There have also been a lot of people who have worked here that I want to continue working with and supporting. “Emotionally, this has been a tough load to carry,” Carter added. “But through all of this, I¹ve had a lot of support from quality people in the racing community and I can¹t thank them enough for all that they¹ve said or done for me and this team.”(Cox Marketing PR)(3-28-2002)
- Changes at Talladega? UPDATE: this weeks Speedway Scene [March 15th edition] reports that NASCAR will likely bump up the spolier on the Fords and increase the size of the restrictor plate [for everyone] at Talladega.(3-27-2002)
UPDATE: NASCAR announced a ¼-inch increase for the rear spoiler height on the Ford Taurus to be used in next month’s Talladega 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Measurements for the rear spoilers on the Ford Taurus will now read at 6 inches tall by 57 inches wide. During the Daytona 500 in February, the Ford’s rear spoiler was 5 ¾ inches tall. The Chevrolet and Dodge teams rear spoiler will remain at 6 ¼ inches tall, while the Pontiac teams will measure at 6 ½ inches tall by 57 inches wide.(NASCAR PR)(3-28-2002)
- Elledge to leave Yates? UPDATE No: Dodge is wooing Jimmy Elledge, one of the Winston Cup tour’s rising young crew chiefs, to leave Robert Yates’ Ford #88 operation to join Ray Evernham’s Dodge gang as crew chief for #7-Casey Atwood on the Jimmy Smith-Buddy Barnes operation. And Barnes yesterday said that Elledge could be joining his team soon. Smith, the team owner in a partnership with Evernham, and Barnes, the general manager and interim crew chief, have been rebuilding the team since losing sponsorship last fall. Atwood finished 18th yesterday, his best of the year.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-25-2002)
UPDATE: #88-Dale Jarrett expects to have crew chief Jimmy Elledge with him, discounting recent rumors that Elledge might leave the Robert Yates Racing team. Jarrett said Elledge does not plan to leave and has told Jarrett that repeatedly this week. (Roanoke Times)(3-28-2002)
- No Rift: Jim Smith said there is no rift between him and Ray Evernham, co-owners of the #7 car driven by Casey Atwood. ”My relationship with Ray is excellent,” Smith said earlier this week, although he admitted he was not pleased with the team’s progress when he discussed the situation with The Tennessean two weeks ago. ”You’re never happy when you’re not performing up to expectations,” Smith said, ”but I didn’t mean that to be taken as a criticism of Ray. ”He wants Casey to do well just as much as I do.” (Tennessean)(3-28-2002)
- Petree tests at Martinsville UPDATE: It was a strange gathering in the garage area at Martinsville Speedway Tuesday: a Winston Cup team owner driving a BGN car, hoping to gain enough seat time to help him make the CTS race at the track on April 13. Andy Petree, owner of the #55 Schneider Electric Chevy driven by Bobby Hamilton and the unsponsored #33 Chevy driven by Mike Wallace has an opportunity to drive a truck at martinsville, but he felt like he needed some practice laps on Martinsville’s tight .526-mile oval. But in the CTS, private test sessions are not allowed. That’s why Petree showed up with a BGN car. “We got a Busch car to come here and make some laps and get a feel for the race track,” said Petree, who ran a handful of BGN races at Martinsville in the early 1990s. “It (the Busch car) has a somewhat similar configuration as the truck deal. It has the same motor, the same carburetor, so we’re just getting a little seat time and seeing what’s going on.” Petree had a little help in the pits with him Tuesday. Robert Pressley, who won the season-opening CTS race at Daytona last month, was sort of a track tutor for Petree. Pressley’s truck owner is Winston Cup driver Bobby Hamilton, who happens to be fielding Petree’s entry in the Advance Auto Parts 250.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(3-6-2002)
UPDATE: Actually, Petree will be driving the #33 Chevy (not a Dodge), so far no primary sponsor, but Petree may be close, and Craftsman and Sherwin Williams will be major associates on the truck.(3-28-2002)
- Coo Coo Recovering: Coo Coo Marlin, a four-time [Nashville] Fairgrounds Speedway champion and father of current Winston Cup star Sterling Marlin, recently suffered a mild stroke and is recovering at his home in Columbia, TN. ”I’m doing OK,” he said this week. Marlin had been active on his farm while also attending many of his son’s races and working with grandson Steadman on his race team.(Tennessean)(3-28-2002)
- 43 cars or No Pay? UPDATE 2: this is interesting, didn’t know this: NASCAR almost had a short field (fewer than 43 cars) last weekend at Darlington. If so, it would have been the first time since 42 cars ran at Talladega in October 1997. #49-Shawna Robinson and #71-Andy Hillenburg were late entries and ran only a few laps. Didn’t matter … they’d earned their money by showing up and filling the field. NASCAR probably will have to make midweek phone calls to rustle up enough cars to get to 43.(see story below, looks like 43). There’s a good reason for that number: The contract with NBC and Fox says NASCAR must present 43 cars each weekend. If not, the networks aren’t obligated to pay as much for the rights to televise the event.(Daily Press). NOTE: being told that NASCAR has asked the #49 BAM Racing and #71 Marcis Racing teams to go to the Cup race in California to insure a full field. The race is not on either teams schedule and Bristol could be the last race for the #26 car and Joe Nemechek unless a sponsor is found. UPDATE: But California is already on the #49’s planned scheduled, the #16 Ford with Greg Biffle is supposed to run, and the #74 BACE Motorsports team with Chad Little plans on debuting there.(3-20-2002)
UPDATE 2: Despite reports to the contrary, NASCAR executive George Pyne said that NASCAR TV contract with the networks doesn’t require that 43-car fields be provided in order to collect the full rights fees.(Winston Cup Scene – need sub to read)(3-28-2002) - Bessey Returns to the BGN: Picking up where he left off in 2001, Joe Bessey returns to the BGN at New Hampshire International Speedway on May 11 carrying the colors of Aubuchon Hardware. “NHIS has been a big part of my racing life,” said Joe Bessey “I always look forward to seeing my northern fans and friends. The track has so many great memories for me, and I love racing there. Maine is home and so is NHIS and it is wonderful to be representing a sponsor with such a major presence in New England.” Bessey’s return to New Hampshire will bring a chance to add to his list of accomplishments and personal history at the track, including 3 wins in the Busch North series, (1991,1994, 1995), the NHIS Busch North Series Track Championship in 1996, and a Busch Grand National Pole Award in 1998. Along with his three Busch North wins, Bessey has enjoyed racing at NHIS in three of NASCAR’s premiere racing series: Craftsman Truck, Busch Grand National, and Winston Cup, where he made his debut at Loudon in September of 2000, finishing 27th. Returning to his favorite track also reunites Joe with Aubuchon, who along with Glidden Paint were sponsors of the NHIS track championship award in 1996. Aubuchon Hardware, which operates 144 hardware stores and one lumber yard throughout New England and New York also has impressive racing history in the northeast. In addition to its long relationship with NHIS, Aubuchon Hardware is the primary sponsor of Carey Heath in the Busch North racing series, which returns to action on April 21 at Lee, New Hampshire, and will race in conjunction with the Busch Series on May 11. Aubuchon Hardware, with its familiar motorsport partners, aubuchon.com and Glidden Paint, welcome new racing partners BrickMill Marketing Services of Nashua, New Hampshire, and Pottle’s Transportation of Bangor, Maine. All will share the advertising design on Bessey’s #6 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, as well as the weekend’s activities.(Shamrock PR)(3-28-2002)
- Petree tests at Martinsville UPDATE: It was a strange gathering in the garage area at Martinsville Speedway Tuesday: a Winston Cup team owner driving a BGN car, hoping to gain enough seat time to help him make the CTS race at the track on April 13. Andy Petree, owner of the #55 Schneider Electric Chevy driven by Bobby Hamilton and the unsponsored #33 Chevy driven by Mike Wallace has an opportunity to drive a truck at martinsville, but he felt like he needed some practice laps on Martinsville’s tight .526-mile oval. But in the CTS, private test sessions are not allowed. That’s why Petree showed up with a BGN car. “We got a Busch car to come here and make some laps and get a feel for the race track,” said Petree, who ran a handful of BGN races at Martinsville in the early 1990s. “It (the Busch car) has a somewhat similar configuration as the truck deal. It has the same motor, the same carburetor, so we’re just getting a little seat time and seeing what’s going on.” Petree had a little help in the pits with him Tuesday. Robert Pressley, who won the season-opening CTS race at Daytona last month, was sort of a track tutor for Petree. Pressley’s truck owner is Winston Cup driver Bobby Hamilton, who happens to be fielding Petree’s entry in the Advance Auto Parts 250.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(3-6-2002)
UPDATE: Actually, Petree will be driving the #33 Chevy (not a Dodge), so far no primary sponsor, but Petree may be close, and Craftsman and Sherwin Williams will be major associates on the truck.(3-28-2002)
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