DAYTONA BEACH, FL: A Chevrolet Corvette carrying a NASA ÒAstronautÓ is part of the pre-race festivities at Daytona International Speedway, giving a plug to the Kennedy Space Center attraction. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL: A Chevrolet Corvette carrying a NASA ÒAstronautÓ is part of the pre-race festivities at Daytona International Speedway, giving a plug to the Kennedy Space Center attraction. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)
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March 30 – Today in Jayski’s NASCAR history

March 30, 2020 at 6:14 AM

March 30, 2004

      • Todd Bodine back in the #98: been told that Todd Bodine will be driving for Larry Gunselman again this weekend at Texas in the #98 Ford and will be spotting for Randy LaJoie in the Busch race.(3-30-2004)
      • 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)
      • McMurray Fined $$ – no points: #42-Jamie McMurray was fined $10,000 and placed on probation until Aug. 31 by NASCAR on Tuesday for spinning #17-Matt Kenseth on the “cool down” lap following Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Kenseth and McMurray traded bumps in the closing laps and then McMurray spun Kenseth’s #17 DeWalt Ford on pit road after the race was completed. Kenseth and McMurray and their crew chiefs were called to the NASCAR hauler after the race.(ThatsRacin.com)(3-30-2004)
      • Elliott close to a sponsor? hearing #91-Bill Elliott is close to announcing a four-race Cup deal, with one of the races bring the Brickyard 400, no word on the sponsor. Had heard rumors it could be McDonald’s, but sources tell me it apparently in NOT.(3-30-2004)
      • Benson in the #09 at Texas: Johnny Benson will drive the #09 Phoenix Racing Dodge at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, Joe Ruttman was listed on the early entry list.(3-30-2004)
      • Tennis Anyone? Jeff Gordon will be among the celebrities featured in a $3 million marketing effort to encourage more Americans to play tennis, this week’s Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal reports. The story says the campaign is being funded by the U.S. Tennis Association and the Tennis Industry Association. Gordon is scheduled to be part of a print advertising campaign that will also feature boxer Roy Jones Jr., television newsman Mike Wallace and actress and model Daisy Fuentes.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-30-2004)
      • Jackson Hewitt Declares ‘Army National Guard Appreciation Week’: Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc., the nation’s second largest tax preparation company, declared the week of March 29, 2004 “Army National Guard Appreciation Week” at the company’s more than 4,900 locations nationwide. To kick off the week, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service will launch its “Support America’s Troops” nationwide banner-signing initiative, with the help of Sharpie markers, where taxpayers can sign their names and send messages of support that will be sent to troops stationed across the world. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service and the Army National Guard have partnered on a number of programs aimed at the Army National Guard’s recruitment, outreach and charitable efforts. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service is a proud sponsor of the #16 National Guard Ford and Nextel Cup Series Driver Greg Biffle. In addition, Jackson Hewitt offers all National Guard members and their families a tax preparation discount at all Jackson Hewitt Tax Service locations. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service also proudly supports the soon to be announced Army National Guard’s “True Champions” charity that will support military servicemen and women deployed overseas. In honor of “Army National Guard Appreciation Week,” Jackson Hewitt will donate $5,000 to the “True Champions” charity. Earlier this year, Jackson Hewitt made the first donation to the charity with an initial $5,000 donation, which they presented to the Army National Guard in honor of their racecar sponsorship. In addition to that initial donation, Jackson Hewitt will donate an additional $5,000 for every race Greg Biffle wins on the Nextel Cup Series circuit in 2004. Sharpie, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and sponsor of fellow NEXTEL Cup Series driver Kurt Busch, donated markers for the banner signings across the country.(Yahoo Biz)(3-30-2004)
      • Gillette Young Guns Shooting Perfect: Through the first six races of 2004, all have been won by members of the Gillette Young Guns. Joining fellow Young Guns and 2004 race winners Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch was victorious for the first time this season and the for the third straight race at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Food City 500. Starting the day in the 13th position, Busch ran in the top-10 a majority of the race. While Busch only led once, he did it when it counted the most. Taking the lead for good on lap 382, Busch led the final 119 laps and was able to hold on for a 0.428-second victory over a hard-charging Rusty Wallace. With his victory and thus being the highest finishing Gillette Young Gun, a $1,000 donation will be made to the National Prostate Cancer Coalition (NPCC) on behalf of Kurt Busch. As part of his victory in the Food City 500, Busch also picked up the $4,800 Gillette Mach3Turbo Award for being the highest finishing driver participating in the particular contingency program. Through the sixth race of the season, Kenseth still leads the NASCAR NEXTEL point standings, though the other Gillette Young Guns are closing in with all six of them securely in the top seven – Busch (Second), Earnhardt Jr. (Third), Ryan Newman (Fifth), Jimmie Johnson (Sixth) and Kevin Harvick (Seventh). Only 125-points separate the top-seven drivers. Out of 1,978 laps run so far in 2004, the Gillette Young Guns have led a very impressive 1073 laps (54%).(Alan Taylor Communications PR)(3-30-2004)
      • Military Jet Crashes: A military jet crashed late Monday morning in Rhea County [TN], but the pilot ejected and escaped serious injury. The pilot of the Naval jet fighter plane was taken by ambulance to Erlanger Medical Center, reportedly with only a broken ankle. The plane was from the Naval Air Station in Atlanta and was reportedly returning with other military jets to Atlanta from a weekend NASCAR event [at Bristol].(chattanoogan.com)(3-30-2004)
      • Sad News: Mary Earles Weatherford, 73, of Martinsville, VA died Friday, March 26, 2004, at Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County. She was born Nov. 11, 1930, in Martinsville, to H. Clay and Mildred Warren Earles, both deceased. She was the vice president of Martinsville Speedway and a member of Starling Avenue Baptist Church. She graduated from Martinsville High School, attended Mary Washington College and graduated from Perry Business School in Martinsville. Surviving are her husband, Francis M. “Pete” Weatherford of the home; a sister, Dorothy E. Campbell of Martinsville; one niece and one nephew; two great-nieces and two great-nephews.(Martinville Bulletin)(3-30-2004)
      • Parker and RWI back at Texas: Even though Duraflame RWI Racing and driver Billy Parker turned a lot of heads in their Busch Series debut, Parker feels the team will be even better in its second race, the O’Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. “Our car was bad fast at Las Vegas, but we just didn’t have all of the pieces put together. We needed to be a little bit better in the pits, and we feel that we’ll definitely be better at Texas. Other than the gasman and catch can man, Rusty (Wallace)’s entire Miller Lite pit crew will be pitting our car at Texas. Larry Carter and all of the guys over at Penske South have really worked hard to put together a good group and I can’t wait to have them going over the wall for us this weekend. We had a great test, the team’s pumped up and I’m ready to go. This Duraflame team’s going to come out with guns blazing when we hit Texas.”
        The changes to the RWIR pit crew for Texas will be extensive, as Penske South crewmen DJ Richardson (Rear Tire Changer), Jay Hackney (Front Tire Changer), David Cox (Jackman), Andy Brown (Rear Tire Carrier) and Dave Littau (Front Tire Carrier) will be added to the RWIR roster. Existing Duraflame RWI Racing pit crew members Greg Rimmer (Gasman) and Phil Edgar (Catch Can) will remain in those roles for the Texas event. This lineup could prove quite potent, as the Penske Racing crew helped Wallace to a second-place finish and a near-victory in last Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
        Parker and Duraflame RWI Racing joined team owner, Wallace and his Penske Racing teammate, Brendan Gaughan, in a test at TMS earlier this month. Wallace was pleased with the results.
        “Billy, Blake and Barry seem to work better together every week. They took two cars down to Texas and picked out the fastest hot rod we had. Our Miller Lite car didn’t get on the track until the second day of the test, so on the first day, I definitely had my car owner hat on with Billy and Brendan. It was a lot of fun to be able to help them. It seemed as if both teams had a lot better handle on the race track when we wrapped up. I felt like I put 3000 miles on my shoes that first day-I was in the garage, on pit road, in the grandstands, on top of the truck, all over the place watching those two cars.”
        Taking into account the Texas test and the pit crew changes, Wallace feels optimistic about the team’s chances heading into Saturday’s O’Reilly 300. “Going into Texas, we have the cars tuned up. We took them home from Texas and buffed on them a little more, so they should be even better yet. Penske Jasper Engines found a little more power for us, too, so we should be better in that department as well. The pit crew changes will definitely help and needless to say, the driver is really confident after getting that first race under his belt. It’s all systems go for us. We’ll be ready for them.”
        The O’Reilly 300 will mark Duraflame RWI Racing’s second Busch Series attempt. Despite his veteran-like performance in the team’s first start at Las Vegas, Billy Parker will be making only his fifth career Busch Series start, should the team qualify for Saturday’s event. Duraflame RWI Racing will debut a brand-new car for this weekend’s event.(RWI PR)(3-30-2004)
      • Mike Garvey to run the Busch race at Nashville: Joe Auer, co-owner of Competitive Edge Motorsports, hopes his driver, Mike Garvey, can create the same level of excitement for his new team in the upcoming NASCAR Busch Series race at Nashville Superspeedway that Auer did when he returned the opening kickoff for a 95-yard touchdown in the first game of the Miami Dolphins’ inaugural season in the AFL. According to Auer, the excitement he felt when he raced down the field of the Orange Bowl in 1966 is already instilled in his team as it prepares for the Pepsi 300, slated for April 10. “I provided some game-opening excitement, but we were not able to get a win out of it against Oakland,” said Auer, who was the Dolphins’ MVP that first season. “There is already a lot of adrenaline surrounding this team. I don’t need to return another opening kickoff for a touchdown to get this team excited. We have a lot of confidence in Mike and the cars we have. We expect a solid start for our new team in Nashville.” Garvey, the Most Popular Driver in American Speed Association (ASA) last season, will drive a Chevrolet sponsored by NegotiationsSeminar.com. Auer founded the parent company, International Computer Negotiations (ICN) after retiring from professional football. NegotiationsSeminar.com is testing the power of NASCAR with a marketing program focused exclusively on its sponsorship of Competitive Edge Motorsports. NegotiationsSeminar.com will host three workshops in 2004 that are designed for any person in a position to negotiate a deal, from a personal real estate transaction to an acquisition or merger. NegotiationsSeminar.com will be with Garvey and Competitive Edge for several Busch Series races, and it will also sponsor the team in several Nextel Cup races this season. The team has only announced its plans for the Nashville Busch Series race. Last season Garvey finished 26th in the Busch Series race at Phoenix International Raceway after a 17th-place start. Garvey has competed in the ASA since 1988 and has visited victory lane 17 times, including a series best four times in 2003. Garvey also has 19 Busch Series starts under his belt, one in 1993, 13 in 1994, one in 1995 and 1998, three in 1999 and last year’s start in Phoenix.(Keystone Marketing PR)(3-30-2004)
      • Grissom and team to skip Texas: #36-DCT Motorsports has put its organization into “catching-up” mode, and will skip Saturday’s NASCAR Busch Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in order to fully prepare for races at Nashville, Tenn., and Talladega, Ala. “Since we were running a partial schedule anyway and we were a little behind on where we wanted to be with cars prepared and engines ready, we felt the best thing to do would be to concentrate on Nashville and Talladega,” said John McGill, who co-owns the team with Carl Natale. Both are from the Cleveland, Ohio, area. “We had a nice, solid run at Bristol and that’s what we’re looking for on a consistent basis,” he said, referring to driver Steve Grissom’s 15th-place finish in last week’s Sharpie Professional 250 at the demanding Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Taking some extra time to concentrate on our pre-race preparation will help along those lines.” The team had originally scheduled 25-29 events for the season. They will run Nashville and Talladega, then skip California, which had already been planned, before returning to race at Gateway, Richmond, Nazareth and Lowe’s. “This one additional week will help us in the shop,” said crew chief Ricky Pearson, considered one of the top mechanical minds in the NASCAR Busch Series. “We take this week off, then run Nashville. There is a week off between there and Talladega. Then we have the California week off before running four straight weeks. That extra time can help us a lot on the race track,” Pearson said. DCT Motorsports is led by championship veterans Grissom and Pearson. Named for the idea “Dreams Come True,” owners McGill and Natale – “two guys from Cleveland building a future in motorsports,” as they refer to themselves – have developed the sport’s most cost-efficient, sponsor-friendly marketing setup. It is based on giving full value to sponsors, and utilizing the many business-to-business contacts McGill, a developer, and Natale, a major earthwork contractor, have in place. DCT Motorsports, seeking sponsorship for next year and the remainder of this season, plans on running a 25-29 race schedule in 2004, hitting all of the major NASCAR Busch Grand National events and markets. One of the most comprehensive sponsorship packages in any form of motorsports, DCT offers a complete package of top racing equipment, hospitality, public relations, publicity, appearances and show cars.(Williams Company PR)(3-30-2004)
      • Starr to attempt Texas: #50-Holigan Racing, based in Dallas and owned by Dallas’ Michael Holigan, will compete in Saturday’s O’Reilly 300 NASCAR Busch Series race with Houston, Tex., native David Starr behind the wheel. Of course, if you have been tuned in to Spike TV every Saturday morning at 10:30am/et, you already knew that. That’s when Reality Of Speed, the nation’s most-watched motorsports reality television show airs. The show, the brainchild of Holigan, began airing Jan. 3, and will continue to air a new show every week for at least 52 total weeks. It follows the triumphs and travails of Holigan Racing’s Enzyte Chevrolet team with Starr and the Samsung/Radio Shack AMA Motorcross team, which is fielded from the same shops. What Team Enzyte is hoping to unveil this week at Texas is exactly how strong they are. The fluke mechanical problem at Las Vegas was disappointing, especially since the team has no owners’ points to fall back on for provisional starting positions. Following a good testing session at Texas Motor Speedway last week, Holigan, Starr and crew chief Todd Myers feel the team could quickly gel. “We have all of the ingredients,” Holigan said. “A little bit of luck, and we were in good shape at Las Vegas. We were going to be fine on qualifying time – not the pole but solidly in the field – and we felt we were going to have a good race setup too. I really feel a top-15 finish was in the cards for us there. Team Enzyte scheduled 15 NASCAR Busch Series races for this season (its next race is the Apr. 10 event at Nashville, Tenn.) but already has the pieces in place for a full-season Busch Series run in 2005, and an eventual multi-car team. Holigan is a former volume home-builder and contractor with his own nationally-syndicated television show. He purchased the assets of TKO Motorsports, a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team. Starr, one of the top names from NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series, drives the Busch car, and continues driving the NASCAR Truck Series entry of Spears Racing. Todd Myers, a veteran who has worked previously with such names as Jamie McMurray, Brendan Gaughan and Starr, is crew chief. Lifekey Healthcare, Inc. is sponsoring the Busch team through its brand of Enzyte, the once-a-day tablet for natural male enhancement. The show follows the lives of drivers, riders and members of both the NASCAR and AMA Holigan Racing teams as they prepare and compete on the grueling circuits.(Williams Company PR)(3-30-2004)
      • Teams test at Nashville: Four Busch Series Drivers tested at Nashville Superspeedway on Monday, March 29th: #25-Bobby Hamilton, Jr.; #22-Jason Keller, #37-David Green and #27-Johnny Sauter. No speeds reported. And on Tuesday, March 30th, scheduled to test include: #2-Ron Hornaday, #22-Jason Keller, and #87-Joe Nemechek.(Nashville Superspeedway PR)(3-30-2004)

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