March 30 – Today in Jayski’s NASCAR history

March 30, 2011

• • • #78 Crew Chief fined over infraction: Peter Rondeau, crew chief for the #78 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has been penalized for a rule violation committed last week at Auto Club Speedway. Rondeau has been fined $25,000 for violating sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 20-2.3A (improperly attached weight) of the 2011 NASCAR rule book.
      The violation occurred during practice on March 25.(NASCAR)(3-30-2011)
    • 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)
    • NASCAR show car goes on display at Reagan Library: President Ronald Reagan was not only the first sitting president to attend a NASCAR race, but also the first president to give the command, “Start your engines, Daytona.” Because of Reagan’s love for the American sport, a red, white and blue NASCAR show car emblazoned with his name was unveiled Monday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley. The #98 Chevy, delivered by Curb Records and the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma, will be part of a special temporary exhibit May 27 to Oct. 23 that will feature Reagan’s interest in car racing. “I am positive that President Reagan would’ve really enjoyed seeing his name on this car,” said John Heubusch, executive director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, as the car was unveiled inside Air Force One Pavilion in front of an audience that included children from local elementary schools. Also on hand were former California Lt. Gov. Mike Curb, national recording artist Tim Dugger, and Austin Dillon, a 20-year-old NASCAR driver and grandson of famed NASCAR driver Richard Childress. Twelve NASCAR and Indy 500 cars on display in the new racing exhibit at the Reagan Library. Also on display will be the #2 Chevy that Dale Earnhardt Sr. drove in his first Winston Cup Championship, along with personal items, artifacts, photos and videos that showcase Reagan’s interest in the sport.(vcstar.com) see images at that site or on my #98 Team Schemes page.(3-30-2011)
    • BB&T return to the #33 at Martinsville: The #33 Chevy of Clint Bowyer will sport a different paint scheme this weekend as longtime RCR partner, BB&T, adorns the car. Bowyer last ran the maroon and yellow paint scheme two weeks ago at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Jeff Byrd 500 (RCR), see images at that site or on my #33 Team Schemes page.(3-30-2011)
    • Martinsville Marks Milestones: Longevity and performance are hallmarks in the career of #5-Mark Martin due to celebrate his 800th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start in Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Martin’s signature start comes nearly to the day of his first NASCAR Sprint Cup appearance (April 5, 1981) at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway where the then 22-year-old Batesville, Ark., native finished 27th. Over the course of 29 seasons, Martin has:
      • Won 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup races and posted 96 victories across three national series, tops among active drivers.
      • Finished among the top three in NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings nine times, most recently in 2009 when he finished second.
      • Martin is only the eighth NASCAR Sprint Cup competitor to reach the 800-start plateau and likely will pass Darrell Waltrip (seventh with 809) and Kyle Petty (fifth with 829) later this year. His combined 1,055 national-series starts are second only to the 1,185 appearances of NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty.
      Martin isn’t the only NASCAR Sprint Cup driver celebrating career milestones at Martinsville.
      • #16-Greg Biffle and #1-Jamie McMurray will mark career starts No. 300. Biffle, a former NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, will make his 625th national series appearance.
      • #14-Tony Stewart remains one top-10 shy of career No. 250.
      Additionally, Kyle Busch could reach yet another lap-leader milestone in the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500. Busch, who celebrated his 10,000 NASCAR Nationwide Series lap led on March 19 at Bristol Motor Speedway, is 332 laps from leading his 20,000th across the three national series.(NASCAR)(3-30-2011)
    • NASCAR may let fans stay forever UPDATE voted down: NASCAR fans who consider Daytona International Speedway their home away from home could soon make it their final resting place, too — albeit less quiet and peaceful than a traditional cemetery. Legislation making its way through the Florida House and Senate would allow construction of an on-site columbarium — a building or structure that houses urns — at both Daytona International Speedway and Homestead Miami Speedway. International Speedway Corp. spokesman Lenny Santiago said many NASCAR fans have inquired over the years about having their ashes laid to rest at Daytona International Speedway. “We have a lot of fans that are very, very loyal to NASCAR races and to Daytona in general,” Santiago said. “This opens that door, this bill, and we’re hopeful that this will get passed.” If it passes, the bill would become law July 1. It has been approved by two House committees and has its first Senate committee hearing today. Daytona International Speedway doesn’t have a proposed location for the structure yet or any timeline for building it until the bill passes, Santiago said, although it would be somewhere public that fans would be able to see. He also said he didn’t know what kind of fees the Speedway might charge to fans looking to place their ashes there.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(3-29-2011)
      UPDATE: Racing fans who might have dreamed of making the Daytona International Speedway their eternal home had their hopes dashed Tuesday as a Florida Senate committee voted down a bill that would have made those dreams possible. The Senate Committee on Regulated Industries rejected the bill by a 5-7 vote, which would have allowed columbariums to be built at both Daytona International Speedway and Homestead Miami Speedway. Columbariums are buildings that house urns. The state House companion bill had already passed two committees and was scheduled for its third and final committee hearing Thursday. “I just felt very strongly that to have people’s remains, cremated remains, at the same place where there’s NASCAR racing and a motorsports entertainment complex was not appropriate,” said state Sen. Maria Lorts Sachs, D-Delray Beach, the committee’s vice chairwoman. “A lot of that has to do with the fact that I love NASCAR, and I love Daytona, and I didn’t want it to turn into a partial cemetery.”(Daytona Beach News Journal)(3-30-2011)
    • At Martinsville Speedway::
      · Opened in September 1947 by H. Clay Earles, Martinsville, originally a dirt track, is one of the oldest continuously-operating race tracks in the United States.
      · The first NASCAR-sanctioned race at Martinsville was on July 4, 1948.
      · The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was Sept. 25, 1949.
      · The track was paved in 1955.
      · The first 500-lap event at Martinsville was in 1956.
      · Concrete corners were added atop asphalt in 1976.
      · There have been 124 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, one in the inaugural year and two races per year since 1950.
      · Curtis Turner won the pole for the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville in 1949.
      · Red Byron won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
      · 55 drivers have won poles, led by Darrell Waltrip with eight. Jeff Gordon, with seven poles, can tie that mark this weekend.
      · Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Darrell Waltrip share the consecutive pole record, each with three.
      · 45 different drivers have won, led by Richard Petty’s 15.
      · Jeff Gordon leads active drivers with seven wins. Jimmie Johnson has six and Denny Hamlin has four.
      · 19 races have been won from the pole, the last by Denny Hamlin in October 2010.
      · Petty Enterprises has won 19 races, more than any other organization. Hendrick Motorsports, with 18 wins, can tie that mark this weekend.
      · Kurt Busch won the 2002 fall race from the 36th starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.
      · Three active drivers average a top 10: Jimmie Johnson (5.3), Denny Hamlin (6.0) and Jeff Gordon (7.0).
      · There have been 270 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Virginia.
      · 160 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Virginia.
      · There have been 18 race winners from Virginia in NASCAR’s three national series.(NASCAR)(3-30-2011)
    • NASCAR The Game 2011 released on Xbox, PS3: NASCAR racing is back in the hands of the fans with the release of NASCAR The Game 2011. Activision Publishing, Inc. and leading independent developer Eutechnyx announced the release of NASCAR The Game 2011 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation3 computer entertainment system. NASCAR The Game 2011 captures the thrill and spectacle of NASCAR with a complete field of 43 cars and drivers, 23 authentic tracks, full damage modeling, realistic wrecks, pit stops and truly authentic details from pre-race flyovers to victory spinouts. A partnership with Sprint brings enhanced game replays, a special unlockable Sprint decal pack and even Miss Sprint Cup into the game. NASCAR The Game 2011 is available now on Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 system for $59.99 MSRP and on the Wii System from Nintendo later this Spring for $49.99 MSRP. It is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB. For more information visit www.NASCARTheGame.com.(NASCAR)(3-30-2011)
    • Biffle says extension with Roush Fenway is close: #16-Greg Biffle says he’s close to signing an extension with Roush Fenway Racing, and would be surprised if teammate #99-Carl Edwards does not do the same. Biffle has said since the start of the season that he’s working on a new deal with team owner Jack Roush. He said Tuesday at an event at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s zMAX Dragway that he’s not had an overwhelming interest to test the free-agent market. He says a combination of the economy, the current driver lineups and the improvement at Roush Fenway has made him comfortable driving the #16 Ford. Biffle also believes that the organization has shown so much improvement through the first five races of this season, that teammate Edwards would have a hard time finding a job better than the one he has.(Associated Press)(3-30-2011)
    • Truex has wrist surgery: #99-Ryan Truex had minor wrist surgery Tuesday, but the Nationwide Series rookie is not expected to miss any races while recovering. The 19-year-old Stafford Township native broke the bone about two years ago, and it had started bothering him in recent months, his father, Martin Truex Sr., said in a telephone interview shortly after the surgery in Cornelius, N.C. He planned the surgery for this week since the Nationwide Series does not race again until April 8. “I’m good,” Ryan said in a phone interview later Tuesday. “Everything’s all right. It wasn’t really bothering me (while driving). The bone was just broken and needed to be fixed for the future.” (Press of Atlantic City)(3-30-2011)
  • • ABF returns to Turner Motorsports: Turner Motorsports is pleased to announce the addition of longtime marketing partner, ABF, to the sponsorship line-up of its No. 30 Chevrolet. The freight transportation services company will adorn the hood of the #30 Impala in four NASCAR Nationwide Series events, [Talladega, Richmond, Dover & Texas], piloted by NASCAR Camping World Truck Series young gun, James Buescher. Returning to Turner Motorsports in 2011 will mark ABF Freight’s seventh year as a Nationwide Series team sponsor.(Turner Motorsports PR)(3-30-2011)
    • Long honored at PSA Awards banquet: From a Super Bowl, to a Snowball Derby, to dominance at the high school and college levels, this year’s Pensacola Sports Association Annual Awards were clearly defined by one reverberating theme: Championships. Thirty individuals and two title-winning prep teams were celebrated during the 57th annual PSA Awards Banquet at New World Landing on Tuesday night. [Josh] Sitton joined NASCAR racing phenom Johanna Long as the PSA’s Professional Athletes of the Year. After winning the prestigious Snowball Derby in December, Long, 19, has jumped up to run on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series full-time. She accepted her award in person on Tuesday, just 10 hours before catching a plane to Martinsville, Va., for a race this weekend. “(Sitton) has done a lot more than me,” she said, laughing. “I have to make my name in NASCAR, for sure. So I have a long ways to go.”(PensacolaNewsJournal.com)(3-30-2011)
  • • Bodine still looking for elusive short-track win: As Martinsville Speedway gets its turn on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule this weekend, Todd Bodine and the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra team are looking forward to continuing to build on what they had at the Virginia short-track last fall when the Chemung, NY, native led 83 laps en route to a third-place finish. The team seems to have the pieces put together. Bodine hopes this weekend could signal the end of Germain Racing’s nil in the win column in the short-track category.”We’ve run well at Martinsville , just never got it done. The guys have done a great job putting a truck together that’s specific for Martinsville . Hopefully we can use it the best we can and finally get it done,” explained Bodine.(Germain Racing PR)(3-30-2011)
  • • Rookie News & Notes – Martinsville:
      *Cole Whitt was the Sunoco Rookie of the Race in the “Too Tough To Tame 200” at Darlington Raceway.
      *Whitt ranks second in the championship standings following Darlington — the highest ever by a freshman after the season’s first three races.
      *Whitt scored an eighth place finish after winning his first series pole at Darlington Raceway.
      *Whitt was the only rookie to record a top-10 finish at Darlington, backing up a run of sixth at Phoenix International Raceway.
      *Whitt claimed top Sunoco Rookie honors for the second consecutive race in just three series starts.
      *Whitt leads Jeffrey Earnhardt by 10 points (39-29) in the overall Sunoco Rookie standings entering the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway.
      [Complete rookie standings following Race #3 at Darlington Speedway are posted on the Darlington Results page.](Nancy/Jayski)(3-30-2011)
  • • RWR ends relationship with Jeffrey Earnhardt: UPDATE: RWR & JEI mend fences; headed to Martinsville: Rick Ware Racing recently became aware how small of a sandbox the NASCAR community is. Over the past few weeks the out pouring condolences from fans/drivers and team owners resulting from the death of two crew members of RWR (Dean Shaut and Stephen “Dirt” Masch) has been uplifting but the same network of owners also delivered disturbing news to the organization within the same week. “We have been informed by several team owners that our driver (Jeffrey Earnhardt) and his management company (Jeffrey Earnhardt Inc) has been shopping around for another team, eluding that sponsorship was coming with them,” stated owner Rick Ware. This aggressive move by Jeffrey Earnhardt Inc. has resulted in a breach of contract between RWR and JEI. Rick Ware Racing will now put the focus on finding a driver for the #1 Fuel Doctor Chevy at Martinsville and the rest of the season. “We have proven that our equipment can get to the front. We have had several top 10 qualifying and finishes in the past eight months and we won’t let this stop us!”(Rick Ware Racing PR)(3-29-2011)
      UPDATE: Unfolding today were some disturbing events for Jeffrey Earnhardt and Jeffrey Earnhardt Inc. as they were informed through a press release written today by Rick Ware Racing that Jeffrey would not be driving for their team effective immediately. In addition to the release stating that Jeffrey will not be driving the #1 NCWTS Fuel Doctor Racing truck and continuing his battle for the Rookie of the Year standings where he currently sits in 2nd in points, the team also made an announcement that contains erroneous claims that JEI and Jeffrey have breached their contract with RWR. “To read that release was very upsetting and I’m disappointed to hear the inflammatory and disparaging statements personally made by Rick Ware about me and my company. The facts support that we did reach out to other race teams after the sponsor notified Rick Ware and my group that they were pursuing alternative marketing venues and after we were contacted by Rick Ware informing us that he would be unable to support me without the sponsor’s funding. This past Sunday, Rick advised us that he would only race me in Martinsville providing we signed a release to allow him out of his contract with JEI. That release never arrived and we notified him in writing on Monday that we expected to drive the #1 truck in Martinsville, in accordance with our contract. To suggest anything other than these facts does not reflect the truth and is unfair to the fans and us.” stated Earnhardt. “We are extremely thankful for Fuel Doctor’s support over the past two years and will avoid compromising our progress this season by giving credence to the misinformation coming from RWR. This news speeds up the need to find an alternative ride and we look forward to continuing our run for rookie of the year with a new team,” said Earnhardt. JEI is taking the official position that there will be no further comment.(Jeffrey Earnhardt Inc. PR)(3-29-2011)
      UPDATE 2: As one day ends, another one begins and the relationship between Rick Ware Racing and Jeffrey Earnhardt Inc continues. Emotions and a lack of communication between Rick Ware Racing and Jeffrey Earnhardt Inc in a stressful time have been resolved. Why? “We just want to race, and sometimes the issues of business just seem to make us lose focus on why we are here!” stated Rick Ware. The two sides have come to an agreement for Jeffrey Earnhardt to compete in the #1 Fuel Doctor Chevy at Martinsville Speedway. “Jeffrey will be in the truck at Martinsville and we will work hard to continue to keep him in that seat. The amount of effort we have poured into his career and having a place for him to perform is important in his development. He is young and there is a lot of promise in him and both the management of RWR and JEI have the same goal for him,” continued Ware. Rick Ware Racing will be strenuously looking for marketing partners to keep Jeffrey competing in the truck series for 2011.(RWR PR)(3-30-2011)

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