With NASCAR on a temporary hiatus, news is going to be slow in the coming weeks. To help fill the NASCAR void, we plan on taking you on a daily trip down memory lane spanning the years since the Jayski’s site inception. Using our news archives pages, here’s a look back at what’s happened on this date through the last 23 years in NASCAR:
This day in NASCAR history: March 30
Years we have pulled today’s main items from: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2011, 2010, 2006, 2004, 1998
Top see everything from this date over previous years: 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997
Note: Many links on older stories don’t work. There’s not a lot of the same websites around anymore.
To see previous articles covering “Today in History”, click here.
2016:
- Erik Jones says next year already planned out: Rookie Xfinity Series driver Erik Jones said Joe Gibbs Racing knows what they plan to do with him in 2017. “There’s a plan in place that will be in motion here later in the
year,” Jones said Wednesday at Texas Motor Speedway’s Media Day at Gilley’s. “There’s a plan in place and really, my performance this year isn’t going to be indicative of where that’s going to end up.” Jones didn’t give specifics on the team’s plan. All four Sprint Cup rides at JGR are filled, but the team formed a technical alliance with Furniture Row Racing before this season. Furniture Row Racing owner Barney Visser has expressed interest in fielding a second car. “It’s the first time in my career where I’ve been in a position like this, where I am set in my future at this point at least, and that’s a great feeling as a young driver, not to really have to really fight every week,” Jones said. “I still fight every week, like I have always, but it’s nice not to have that added pressure of not knowing what the future holds or what’s going to happen. It’s definitely a little bit more relaxed knowing that I can just go out and do my best and hey, if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out.”(NBC Sports)(3-30-2016)
2015:
- Latest on Kyle Larson: #42-Kyle Larson watched Sunday’s NASCAR race on a laptop in a hospital after failing to get medical clearance to drive after fainting during an autograph session. Larson was in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was taken for further testing. “He’s good. No change since he woke up from fainting,” team owner Chip Ganassi said from the IndyCar Series season-opening race in St. Petersburg, Florida. All tests have come back negative, and the team maintains Larson feels fine. But doctors at Carolina’s Medical Center, where Larson traveled to by helicopter Saturday night after leaving Martinsville Memorial Hospital, are giving him a battery of tests. Larson is also seeing a neurologist in North Carolina as a precaution. “You are trying to do the right thing and you want to be safe, and you want to err on the side of safety,” Ganassi said. “I want to respect the professionals and respect what they are saying, but we want to be realistic, too.” Dr. Jerry Petty, a neurosurgeon who works closely with many NASCAR teams, has visited Larson. A member of NASCAR’s care center team also has assisted.(Associated Press)(3-30-2015)
- Patrick ties most top 10s by a woman: Danica Patrick knows sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. On a long Sunday afternoon at Martinsville, she was both lucky and good. Patrick enjoyed a seventh-place finish in the STP 500 with a little luck, good driving and a good car. One off her career best of sixth set in August at Atlanta, this marked her fifth top-10 finish, which ties her with Janet Guthrie for the most top-10s by a woman in the Sprint Cup Series. The finish was by far her best of the season — she hadn’t finished in the top 15 this year — as she moved up seven spots in the standings to 16th. It was the first race this year where it appeared she and crew chief Daniel Knost made significant gains in getting the car better.(ESPN.com), see more stats on the Female NASCAR drivers page.(3-30-2015)
2014:
- Kurt Busch wins at Martinsville Speedway: #41-Kurt Busch won the STP 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway for his 1st win of 2014, his 2nd at Martinsville Speedway and his 25th career win. It is his first win since Dover in October 2011.
It is the first win for car #41 since Curtis Turner won at Rockingham on October 31, 1965.(3-30-2014) - NASCAR team tests at Kennedy Space Center: When it comes to testing, many NASCAR teams head to places such as Road America, Nashville, or a variety of other racing facilities sprinkled across the country. Yet for one team, they took their test session to a whole new level — space. On March 11, an unidentified NASCAR team tested the 3.2-mile Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. According to the NASA release, on the same day, the space agency tested the experimental Morpheus lander, Starfighters Aerospace tested “modified jet fighters through their afterburner evaluations, and medical evacuation helicopters conducting safety checks and procedure tests.” The uniqueness of the March 11 test day was that the runway was used by a multitude of people for a variety of reasons. Prior to March 11, the facility made famous by rocket launches and space shuttle landings was used by only one group at a time. While this particular test was the first to mention a NASCAR team, the Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility has hosted “car tests” in the past. It is unclear whether any of these previous tests were conducted by NASCAR teams or not, and attempts to contact NASA were not returned at time of publication. In the past, teams have used large facilities such as the Toyota’s North America Proving Grounds in Arizona for test purposes such as these.(FoxSports)(3-30-2014)
2011:
- Stremme gets ride with new team: Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody has learned that 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year David Stremme will return to the series at Richmond later this
month with the new Inception Motorsports team. Stremme will drive the #30 Inception Chevy in a select schedule of events this season, beginning with the Crown Royal Presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 at Richmond on April 30, with a goal of running the full 2012 Sprint Cup schedule. Veterans Steve Lane and Gus Larkin will be a part of the new operation, with Lane serving as crew chief and Larkin — who most recently served as the Team Manager at JR Motorsports -– managing managing the team’s day-to-day business. Inception Motorsports will be based in Mooresville, N.C., and will be privately funded through the Inception Investment Group. “The plan is solid,” said Stremme, who has a combined total of 20 Top-5 and 52 Top-10 finishes in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, Penske Racing, Rusty Wallace Racing and Braun Racing. “We’re going to pick our shots this season, earn respect and establish ourselves as a competitive race team. Then we’ll make a points run in 2012. The exciting thing about Inception is that everyone involved is experienced in the sport,” he said. “I think this will be a good deal. We all share a common belief system about how to build and operate a successful race team.”(Sirius Speedway)(3-30-2011)
2010:
- New driver named for #90 Keyed-up Motorsports ride: Keyed-Up Motorsports team owner Raymond Key
announced that Scott Riggs will drive the #90 Keyed-Up Motorsports Chevy at Phoenix and Texas. “We are thrilled to have Scott in our car,” Key said today. Riggs, the current driver for the #09 RAB Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, will make his 2010 Sprint Cup debut at Phoenix in the #90 Keyed-Up Motorsports Chevy. The team started the season with Casey Mears behind the wheel, but Mears’ contract was for the first six races only, and he opted to be a back up driver for Denny Hamlin in the #11 FedEx Toyota while Hamlin recovers from ACL surgery. “Casey is a great guy and did a good job for us,” Key said. “Both parties fulfilled the 6-race deal and parted on good terms, we have even discussed the possibility of having Casey back later this year.” The team has qualified for only one (1) of the first six (6) races this season. Key added, “We had competitive speeds this year in qualifying attempts but the ‘Top 35’ rule has kept us from racing. We now look to Scott for his input on how we can succeed in getting into the top 35 in points with him behind the wheel.”(Keyed-Up Motorsports)(3-30-2010)
2006:
- LMS testing, restrictor plate doubtful UPDATE: Official lap times were not reported during a tire test at Lowe’s Motor Speedway Tuesday and Wednesday, but #43-Bobby Labonte said he came within .3 second of the last October’s pole-winning lap, Elliott Sadler’s 27.948-second lap at 193.216 mph. “It’s going to be faster [than 2005],” Riggs said. “Is it going to be fast enough that we’re going to need restrictor plates? Absolutely not … even if we are going to break the track record. Anytime you come out with a new tire or new paving, we always break track records. I don’t think just because we are going to run faster than the track record previously, it’s not by two seconds or 10 miles an hour.” Goodyear is testing tires to determine a compound to use when Nextel Cup teams test on the newly paved track May 1-3. The Nextel Cup series races at the track twice in May, for the all-star event and the Coca-Cola 600. Tire problems marred both races at Lowe’s after the track surface was ground down last year, but this year, the track has been repaved. “Anytime you come out to a test like this, there are a lot of unknowns,” said Rick Heinrich, Goodyear’s Nextel Cup product manager. “We knew the conditions would be severe. We knew there would be a lot of speed. New asphalt generally generates a lot of wear. Conditions were a little more severe than we anticipated but not out of the ordinary.” Labonte, Riggs, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and the truck of Bobby Hamilton Jr. participated in the test. Riggs said he did not think speeds were so fast that restrictor plates would be needed in May. Heinrich said the wear is coming on both sides of the car and front and rear. The loads are similar to loads from last year, he said. “Right now, there’s a little bit too much wear, but that’s kind of expected because the asphalt is real fresh,” Heinrich said. “The more laps … will slow that wear down.”(SceneDaily.com)(3-29-2006)
UPDATE It could take weeks for Goodyear to decide what tire will be best because the track surface will continue to change as more and more cars drive on it. The only thing that’s certain is that the speeds should reach record highs. Labonte said his laps Wednesday were just a tick off of Elliott Sadler’s track record 193.216 mph. But Sadler’s mark was set in qualifying, when a car is designed to go as fast as possible for only one lap. The times posted during the test were in race trim, when a car is supposed to be much slower. “It would not surprise me if you saw a 197-mph lap,” track president Humpy Wheeler said. Although using horsepower-sapping restrictor plates is an option, no one really wants to use them.(AP)
UPDATE 2: Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president of competition, was at LMS monitoring the situation. NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said no decision will be made on whether the sanctioning body will step in to lower speeds until after a full Cup test session in early May.(NASCAR.com)(3-30-2006) - Steve Wallace Full Time in 2007: Steve Wallace said March 24 he’ll run the full Busch Series season in 2007 for Rusty Wallace Inc. Wallace is due to enter 15 Busch races and seven ARCA events this year. “My future is to run two years in Busch, and [dad is] trying to negotiate a [Cup] program right now.”(NASCAR Scene)(3-30-2006)
2004:
- Lepage out? Spencer In? UPDATE 2: hearing reports that Kevin Lepage and the #4 Morgan-McClure team have parted ways and that Jimmy Spencer will driver the #4 Chevy at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend.(3-29-2004 – 10am/et)
UPDATE: Fox Sports Net’s Totally NASCAR reports that #4 crew chief Tim Brewer told them Spencer will be in the car starting at Texas and for the next several races.(3-29-2004)
UPDATE 2: Jimmy Spencer says he will replace Kevin Lepage in the Morgan-McClure team’s #4 Nextel Cup car for this weekend’s events at Texas Motor Speedway. “As of right now, that’s what we’re doing,” Spencer said Monday. A team spokesperson said Spencer is expected to be in the car for the next few races, with likely sponsorship from Featherlite; the team began the season with sponsorship from a Web site, yoketv.com, but the
deal apparently has fallen through. Spencer, 47, finished 24th in the season-opening Daytona 500 but was left without a ride when the #7 team lost its primary sponsor.(USA Today)
UPDATE 3 its OFFICIAL: Morgan-McClure Motorsports announces that “Mr. Excitement”, Jimmy Spencer, will pilot the #4 NEXTEL Cup Series car for the upcoming Samsung Radio Shack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Additionally, Featherlite, the “Official Trailer” and “Official Luxury Coach” of NASCAR, will be the primary sponsor of the #4 Chevy at Texas. Featherlite is a North American leader in manufacturing and marketing high quality aluminum trailers, specialized transporters, custom mobile marketing trailers, and luxury motor coaches. A highly diversified product line is offered of standard to custom models of car, recreational, horse, livestock, utility and commercial trailers through a dealer network in the U.S. and Canada. Featherlite, which is well known in the NASCAR community for its high quality and superb service, is a major supplier of leading-edge racecar transporters. A premium line of NEXTEL Cup licensed Featherlite Car Care products is available at automotive stores and www.featherlitecarcare.com.
The 47-year-old Spencer will take over the wheel of the #4 Featherlite Monte Carlo at Texas while starting in his 441st career NASCAR Cup Series event. The Berwick, Pa.-native has two wins in the elite series since his first Cup Series start in 1989, each taking place in 1994 with victories at Daytona and Talladega. He has garnered 28 top-fives, an amazing 80 top-10s and three pole positions.
Larry McClure quotes: “We are extremely proud to have Featherlite as a sponsor on the car for Texas. Everyone involved with the company is top-notch. We are changing drivers to evaluate our race team. Jimmy Spencer has a lot of experience which should help us determine a positive direction for the team. “He will bring a lot of excitement to the No. 4 Monte Carlo and the NEXTEL Cup Series this weekend. We are happy to have him in the car with Featherlite sponsoring it.”
Conrad Clement, Featherlite CEO, quotes: “Featherlite is excited to have the unique opportunity to be on the No. 4 car for the Texas race. Morgan-McClure Motorsports has always been a class act, and with Jimmy in the driver’s seat this combination will keep fans excited throughout the race.”
Jimmy Spencer quotes: “I am happy to be in the No. 4 Monte Carlo this weekend. They are looking for a sponsor and I am looking for a ride. I know I do not have a lot of years left to drive in this sport. I have never seen any more determined group of people than Larry McClure and his brothers. When I drove for Junior Johnson, Tim Brewer worked for Kranefuss. Although I never worked with him, I knew Tim for years through Junior. I think he is one of the savviest crew chiefs out there, especially calling races and making pit calls. I look forward to working with him. I have been watching the races this year. I am not real sure what to expect with the new tires. I think once I take the race car around the track a few laps, it will give me a better idea of what the car needs. Larry and the guys are very open minded for changes. You have to be somewhere where you want the team to do well. A driver cannot start blaming the crew or the crew chief and they cannot start blaming the driver. A team will soon deteriorate when this begins to happen. I realize a team has to work together. If one guy makes a mistake or the driver makes a mistake, the team has to pull together. If a guy starts pointing fingers, it is sure to fail. You know, I think having a hands on car owner like Larry who prefers aggressive driving styles will benefit us both. We still have a desire to compete and to win.”(Morgan-McClure Motorsports PR)(3-30-2004)
1998:
- Jeff Gordon will run a special paint scheme in the 1998 Winston at Charlotte, May 16th. It will be the #24 Dupont Chromalusion Chevy. This car is painted with the a revolutionary paint that has a holographic and 3D effect and costs $37/ounce. I hear the car will change colors as it circles the track during the race.(thanks Ian)(3-30-98)
Click a link below for a full listing of news from each year:
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997