March 31, 2004
- Be a Star, Extra’s needed for Earnhardt Movie: Want to be in a TV movie and support one of your favorite NASCAR drivers? Extras of all ages are needed for the ESPN original movie, “3: The Dale Earnhardt Story,” which will be filmed in the Charlotte and Concord areas over the next month. Barry Pepper, who also appeared in “Saving Private Ryan,” “The Green Mile,” and “We Were Soldiers,” will star as racing legend Dale Earnhardt in the upcoming ESPN original film. Pepper also starred as New York Yankee slugger Roger Maris in the 2001 HBO film “61”. Extras casting director Tona Dahlquist is looking for many extras, all types, males and females of all ages. However, due to the nature of the periods covered in the story, there is a special need for adult males. Anyone with pit crew experience is also needed – as well as infant and toddler identical twins of both sexes. If interested, you must bring a non-returnable current photo to one of two casting sessions: 4-8 p.m. Eastern Friday, April 2nd; or 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 3rd. Both sessions will be held at the Center Court at the Carolina Mall, 1480 Concord Pkwy, Concord, N.C.(ThatsRacin.com)(3-31-2004)
- Dale Jr. causes caution UPDATE 3 Penalized, docked points and a statement: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. admitted repeatedly after Sunday’s race he spun out on purpose on Lap 431 of 500 to prevent from having to pit under green and lose one or more laps. “I had a loose wheel and I didn’t have any choice but to spin the car out to get a caution. So I went down in the corner, had some clear room behind me, and I just spun it out,” Earnhardt Jr. said after the race. The caution came out, I put the clutch in and got going. What the hell else was I supposed to do? Go a lap down? Go two laps down?” Earnhardt Jr. also engaged in a profanity-laced exchange with his crew over his radio regarding NASCAR’s decision to extend cautions late in the race to blow debris from the track. That earned Earnhardt Jr. a trip to the NASCAR hauler. His admission of intentionally causing a caution – an act which has been penalized previously by NASCAR – did not seem to raise the ire of series director John Darby. ” ‘I spun a car out’ – that’s a great excuse for spinning a car out, but proving that is another story,” Darby said. “To brag about it is not enough for me to make a move on it.”(ThatsRacin.com)(3-29-2004)
UPDATE: NASCAR is reviewing the post-race comments made by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in which he admitted intentionally spinning out to cause a caution, NASCAR spokesman Mike Zizzo said Tuesday. “This issue is still being looked at,” Zizzo said. Following Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Earnhardt Jr. admitted repeatedly he spun out on purpose on Lap 431 of 500 to prevent from having to pit under green and lose one or more laps. In the 2002 Winston all-star race, Kurt Busch admitted after the race he intentionally spun driver Robby Gordon to bring out a caution. Later in the week, NASCAR fined him $10,000 for intentionally wrecking another competitor. Sunday, Nextel Cup series director John Darby said initially he didn’t think Earnhardt Jr. deserved a penalty. However, on Tuesday Zizzo said Darby had heard only Earnhardt Jr.’s comments over his two-way radio after the race, not any comments Earnhardt Jr. made to the media. NASCAR should reach a decision on Earnhardt Jr. by Wednesday.(Kansas City Star)(3-30-2004)
UPDATE 2: Section 12-4 (N) in the NASCAR Nextel Cup rulebook prohibits such action and lists what type of action is to be taken. It also states Earnhardt could be fined, lose championship points and lose his finishing position in the race.(Roanoke Times)(3-31-2004)
Dale Jr. penalized #10G’s and docked 25 points: Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was penalized with a loss of 25 championship driver points, a $10,000 fine and probation until June 1 for his actions during Sunday’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, NASCAR officials announced today. The penalty also will extend to the team as Dale Earnhardt Inc. will lose 25 championship owner points for the actions of its driver. Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #8 Busweiser Chevrolet, was penalized for intentionally causing a caution condition during the race and as a result was in violation of Section 12-4-A (Actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-N (Any driver who, in the judgment of NASCAR officials, intentionally causes or attempts to cause a caution condition by stopping or spinning out or any other action) of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Rule Book.
“The driver of the No. 8 car was quite vocal in admitting he intentionally spun out his car to cause a caution condition on the track, which is clearly prohibited in the NASCAR Rule Book,” NASCAR President Mike Helton said. ” We have several rules in our Rule Book that have been in place for quite some time to prevent someone from altering the outcome of an event. This was a clear-cut case of that. Actions such as this will not be tolerated. We will always react to protect the integrity of our sport.” Earnhardt Jr.’s championship points total will be adjusted to 832 points as a result of the penalty, but he will still maintain third in the championship standings. DEI also will be adjusted to 832 points with the 25-point penalty and remain third in the owners’ championship standings.(NASCAR PR)
STATEMENT: TERESA EARNHARDT COMMENTS ON NASCAR PENALTY:
Teresa Earnhardt, Owner of the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in NASCAR Nextel Cup competition, commented today on the penalty levied against the team by NASCAR following Sunday’s Sharpie 500 in Bristol, TN. The fine, assessed for a late race spin, cost the Dale Earnhardt Incorporated team $10,000 and 25 owners and drivers championship points. “We regret what this has cost us in our pursuit of the Nextel Cup Championship. In the heat of battle, a lot of things can happen and decisions can be made that come at a high cost. It was a mistake we’ve all learned from and we have to move past it. Our goal is regaining the ground we’ve lost and continuing our focus on winning.”(DEI PR)(3-31-2004)
- Marlin’s Pit Crew Takes Bristol Win: #40-Sterling Marlin’s pit crew won the McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Sunday’s (March 28) Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Marlin’s crew earned $20,000 for the victory and became the sixth different winner in the first six races of the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season. Kurt Busch’s #97 crew, which finished second to Marlin’s crew in Bristol, remains in first place in the McDonald’s/POWERade standings with 236 points. #38-Elliott Sadler’s crew is second (220) and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s crew is third (219). The season pit crew champion will receive a $200,000 bonus. Marlin’s fourth-place finish at Bristol was helped by his Coors Light pit crew. His #40 Dodge spent 250.170 seconds on pit road, six seconds fewer than Busch’s Sharpie Ford. Michael Waltrip’s NAPA Chevrolet was third with a time of 315.650. “I think it is great that McDonald’s and POWERade put on a program that allows the pit crews to compete against other pit crews and show what they do every weekend,” said Lee McCall, crew chief for the No. 40 team. “We had some good stops at Bristol and I am really proud of the guys. The Coors Light pit crew works hard every week and this time we were able to get a top-five finish.” Marlin’s over-the-wall crew consists of Steven Wolfe (front-tire changer), Trent Davis (front-tire carrier), Randy Cox (rear-tire changer), Tim Shore (rear-tire carrier), Mark Jacobs (jackman), Randy Hildreth (gasman) and Mike Motil (catch can). The team’s pit crew coach is Lorin Ranier.(DMF Communications PR), see the top 10 at Bristol and season standings on my Pit Crew Page.(3-31-2004)
- McCall chosen Crew Chief of the Week: Lee McCall, crew chief for Sterling Marlin’s #40 Coors Light Dodge, has won the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race for his efforts in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Fans who logged on to www.WYPALL.com concurred that Lee McCall’s pit strategy earned him this week’s top spot in the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge. Although McCall made good calls in the pits from the start, it was the two-tire pit stop during the caution on lap 201 that made the difference. With fresh tires on the right side, Marlin came out front and maintained the lead for the next 67 laps. Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ultimately managed to sneak past Marlin to secure 2nd and 3rd place spots and then the five cautions during the last 120 laps served to keep the track position intact. McCall joins #48-Chad Knaus, #42-Donnie Wingo and #17-Robbie Reiser in a tie for 2nd place in the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge, at one win each. #8-Tony Eury, Sr., with two wins, leads the challenge. The crew chief with the most weekly wins at the end of the season will be named WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and receive $10,000.(ThatsRacin.com)(3-31-2004)
- Milestone for Rudd: Ricky Rudd, driver of the #21 Motorcraft Racing Taurus, will reach another milestone this weekend when he makes 810th-career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start to move ahead of Darrell Waltrip into sole possession of third place on the series’ all-time list. Rudd, who made his Cup debut in 1975, trails only Richard Petty (1,185) and Dave Marcis (883).(Ford Racing)(3-31-2004)
- Matt Martin wins a championship: Mark Martin left Bristol shortly after the final Happy Hour session on Saturday as he was headed to Lakeland, Fla., to see his son, Matt, recognized for winning the American Speed Association FastKids Winter Heat Series on Saturday night. Matt told his Daddy, to be there when the young driver was introduced as that series’ champ during the ASA series season opener. “He told me he was going to do it — get that jacket [the award for winning the Winter Heat], and I’ll be darned if he didn’t go out and do it,” said Martin, who was smiling widely. “He’s a little racer and I’m proud of what he’s done so far.” Mark’s got a special affinity for the ASA Series, as would any four-time champion of any race series. ASA was where Martin got noticed and is clearly the stepping-stone to today.(Ford Racing)(3-31-2004)
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