March 29 – Today in Jayski’s NASCAR history

March 29, 2013

• • • Sadler expected to fill in for Hamlin? Martin? UPDATES – Martin, then Vickers: Elliott Sadler has been chosen as the primary sub for Denny Hamlin. All that’s preventing an official announcement, as of Wednesday morning is a few details to work out with sponsor Fed Ex. Sadler, who was long pegged as the likely choice is driving full-time for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Nationwide Series and was scheduled to drive a fourth Cup car in a limited schedule later this season. There are no conflicts on the Nationwide schedule that would affect Sadler until early June.(Frontstretch)(3-27-2013)
      UPDATE: Joe Gibbs Racing said Thursday morning that they were not prepared to announce a replacement driver for Denny Hamlin yet. The Associated Press’ Jenny Fryer tweeted, “the word on the street is [Mark Martin] is in play for #11 in a straight swap with [Michael Waltrip Racing] for [Brian Vickers], except Talladega.”(3-28-2013)
      UPDATE 2: Joe Gibbs Racing is looking at several driver scenarios, including fellow Toyota driver Mark Martin, to replace Denny Hamlin while he recovers from a back injury. Multiple sources told ESPN.com that one scenario that JGR has considered is Martin driving all five races in the # 11 car while Hamlin is out. Brian Vickers would pick up Martin’s schedule in the Michael Waltrip Racing # 55 that includes Texas, Kansas and Richmond. Michael Waltrip is in the #55 at Talladega. Another scenario, according to sources, is that Vickers would pick up Hamlin’s schedule for four races after next week at Martinsville, where he is scheduled to drive the # 55 for Martin. Martin or Elliott Sadler would drive at Martinsville. Sources said another scenario would have Sadler drive for Hamlin the entire way, although that is the most unlikely option. Both Vickers and Sadler drive a full-time Nationwide Series schedule for JGR. Gibbs said for the sake of continuity, he would prefer to go with one driver versus multiple drivers. MWR, according to sources, would like to keep Vickers in the 55 for as much as possible because he is the likely replacement for Martin next season.(ESPN)(3-28-2013)
      UPDATE 3: Joe Gibbs Racing announces that Mark Martin will drive the #11 FedEx Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series while Denny Hamlin recovers from an L1 Compression Fracture suffered during an accident on March 24 at Auto Club Speedway. “We’ve been real fortunate to have never been in this situation with the need to find someone to fill in for an injured driver,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “A lot goes into a decision like this but we are really pleased to have someone of the character and caliber of Mark Martin to fill in while Denny is out. Obviously we’re not exactly sure how long that is going to take, but Mark’s career speaks for itself and our team knows it will have the opportunity to compete for a win every week.” Martin will make his first start for JGR in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, April 7. Martin has made one previous appearance for JGR when he started in the NASCAR Nationwide Series last March at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and finished second. “I’m happy to have this opportunity to help out JGR, FedEx and Denny,” said Martin. “Hopefully I can keep those guys up front and compete for wins while Denny heals up.”(Joe Gibbs Racing)(3-28-2013)
      UPDATE 4: Michael Waltrip Racing announced that Mark Martin will fill in for injured Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin in the #11 Toyota Camry next weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Martin will return to the #55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota at Texas Motor Speedway on April 13 and resume his previously scheduled run of events with MWR for the remainder of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint cup season. As previously announced, Brian Vickers will race MWR’s #55 Jet Edge Toyota Camry for MWR at Martinsville.(MWR)(3-29-2013)
      UPDATE 5: Joe Gibbs Racing announces that Brian Vickers will take over behind the wheel of the #11 FedEx Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series for the injured Denny Hamlin starting on April 13 at Texas Motor Speedway. It was previously released that Mark Martin would handle the duties behind the wheel for the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing team while Denny Hamlin recovered from injury. Martin will drive the car in Martinsville, but Vickers will now take over the duties beginning in Texas. “Obviously having to find someone to fill in for Denny is not an ideal situation to have to be in and when you start a process like this you obviously begin to look at the drivers that are not only available but also able to drive for your race team and manufacturer. We were a bit premature in determining Mark’s status past Martinsville however,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “We’re real happy to have the opportunity to get Brian in our Cup cars and with him driving Nationwide for us we think we have some continuity there that is beneficial.(JGR)(3-29-2013)
    • Vickers expected to pick up Martin’s races at MWR: Michael Waltrip Racing didn’t announce who will drive Martin’s #55 Toyota in his absence, but it will most likely be [Brian] Vickers, who was slotted to drive nine of Martin’s races this year. The team is believed to be considering Vickers as Martin’s potential replacement, and this would give MWR a lengthier preview. Thursday [J.D.] Gibbs said his preference was to use just one driver in the #11 while Hamlin is sidelined. The organization has Elliott Sadler and Vickers running Nationwide Series cars, but neither was totally free of commitments to drive Hamlin’s Cup car. Vickers had the Martinsville conflict and Sadler has a deal with sponsorship to run a fourth JGR car at Kansas and Talladega.(Associated Press)(3-29-2013)
    • Jack Roush to be inducted in Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame: Jack Roush’s success at Texas Motor Speedway has become a part of the speedway’s growing history. It was Roush who became the first team owner to sweep both events at “The Great American Speedway!” during the inaugural season in 1997. His success has not stopped there as he has since gone on to win 18 races as a car owner across NASCAR’s top three national series at Texas Motor Speedway, including a record nine in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition. His dominance at Texas Motor Speedway has earned him the honor of becoming the 15th member inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame. Roush will be honored Thursday, April 11, during the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Gala benefitting Speedway Children’s Charities that will be held in The Speedway Club’s Grand Ballroom.
      Roush’s induction culminates an evening that celebrates the accomplishments of motorsport’s most talented drivers and contributors. Other honorees will be five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson; 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch; IZOD IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal; and legendary motorsports journalist Chris Economaki posthumously.
      Johnson will receive the Texas Motor Speedway Racer of the Year award. In the AAA Texas 500, Johnson became just the second driver to win from the pole for his second career victory at Texas Motor Speedway.
      Busch has been instrumental in helping Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter raise funds to benefit children in North Texas. He will be recognized as this year’s recipient of the Maj. General Thomas Sadler Award. Busch has helped Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter raise more than $40,000.
      Rahal will receive the Texas Motor Speedway Sportsmanship Award for displaying a demeanor both on and off the track that exemplifies the meaning of sportsmanship.
      Economaki, motorsport’s most noted and accomplished journalist, will be honored posthumously with the Bruton Smith Legend Award.(TMS)(3-29-2013)
    • Kyle Busch to appear on ‘Anger Management’: #18-Kyle Busch apparently will make fun of, of all people, Kyle Busch when he appears on upcoming episode of the FX comedy “Anger Management.” According to TMZ, Busch will play himself and seek counseling from the character portrayed by Charlie Sheen, who of course isn’t exactly known as the most stable person in the world. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is one of the most polarizing personalities in the Sprint Cup Series thanks to his incredible talent, aggressive moves and an, at times, off-track surliness. Kyle Busch’s wife, Samantha, posted a couple of photos of her and Kyle with Sheen on the set of the show Monday.(Sporting News)(3-29-2013)
    • Congrats: to Richard Childress Racing driver #2-Brian Scott on his engagement to Whitney Kay Thursday.(3-29-2013)
    • Hines to drive for Thorsport at Eldora: Two-time USAC open-wheel champion Tracy Hines will attempt to boost his victory total at one of his favorite race tracks this summer when he drives a Toyota Tundra in a reunion with ThorSport Racing at Eldora Speedway’s inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series dirt-track race. When NASCAR scheduled its first national series’ dirt race since 1970, it anticipated an all-star cast of dirt-track specialists entering. Hines, 40, of New Castle, Ind., brings much more than a notable dirt pedigree to his ThorSport entry in the July 24 mid-week NCWTS round at the half-mile speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Hine has 52 career Truck Series starts — 48 of them for ThorSport in 2004-2005 — but he’s been an ace on dirt, where he’s won 85 main events across USAC’s three primary divisions, putting him fourth on USAC’s all-time wins list. Those victories include Hines’ 12th career Eldora win, in a USAC sprint car in September 2012. Hines’ next Eldora start will come in a USAC sprint car on April 20 — an event he won a year ago.(Thorsport PR)(3-29-2013)
    • Sport Clips, VFW return as Darlington Nationwide race sponsors: Longtime partners, Sport Clips Haircuts and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW), announce the return of the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 Nationwide Series event at Darlington Raceway on Friday, May 10, 2013. It is the second consecutive year the two organizations have partnered to sponsor the Nationwide Series event at Darlington. Sport Clips and the VFW will continue to use their NASCAR partnership to raise awareness about the struggles many military families are facing and the VFW’s mission to support active-duty military, veterans and their families. As the “Official Haircutter” of the VFW, Sport Clips has donated almost $2 million to the organization’s Operation Uplink free call days program through its annual “Help a Hero” campaign. Since the first contribution of more than $80,000 was made in 2007, Sport Clips’ donations have increased annually. The company’s most recent donation of a record-breaking $500,000 was presented to the VFW at the national headquarters on December 10, 2012.(Darlington Raceway)(3-29-2013)

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