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: April 2
Years we have pulled today’s main items from: 2017, 2014, 2010, 2009, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999
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.
2017:
- XFINITY, Truck banquet moving to Charlotte: NASCAR’s lower-tier national series will be feting their champions at a slightly later date in a new location this season. NBC Sports has learned the awards ceremony for the Xfinity and Camping World Truck series will be moved to Charlotte in December this year after a run of several years in South Florida on the day after the Cup Series season finale. [More](4-2-2017)
2014:
- France says ‘significant’ engine changes coming: NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that modifications to the engines — which would likely bring a reduction in horsepower — are the next step in further enhancing the sport’s on-track product, although he was unsure if such changes would be in place for next season. “We’re going to make that happen, and that’s part of the overall rules packages that we design that hopefully control costs, hopefully make the racing better,” France said. “The engine is an integral part of that. We also have to be in step as much as possible with the car manufacturers and where they’re going with technology and different things. It all has to come together, and that’s the next significant part of the rules package. … The engine will get a significant change. I’m not going to say (for) ’15, but we are certainly sizing that up. It’s very important for us to get that right.” According to representatives of NASCAR’s three manufacturer partners, who took part in a conference call with reporters Tuesday, a potential reduction in engine horsepower is still in the very early stages. Sprint Cup Series engines generate 850 horsepower, and are built by five manufacturer-specific companies — TRD and Triad Racing Technologies (Toyota), Roush-Yates Engines (Ford) and Earnhardt Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet). Most of the changes made in recent years have focused on the cars, beginning with the rollout of the more brand-identifiable Generation-6 vehicle for the 2013 season, and an aerodynamic package that was further refined before this year.(NASCAR.com)(4-2-2014)
2010:
Catch Can Gig Going away? At the start of the 2010 season, NASCAR introduced a new style fuel can for the Truck Series that eliminated the need for a catch can guy. Because of this new can, NASCAR limited the number of over-the-wall crew members in the Truck Series to six: two tire changers, two tire carriers, a jackman, and a fueler. Teams could still technically use a catch can guy, they would just have to eliminate one of the other positions. NASCAR Insiders are hearing now that NASCAR is seriously considering bringing this new style fuel can to both the Nationwide and Cup Series for the 2011 season. If this happens, it would mean the elimination of the catch can man for both of these two series as well.(NASCAR Insiders)(4-2-2010)
2009:
- Regan Smith Takes Impressive Streak to Texas: #78-Regan Smith, who returns to Sprint Cup action this weekend, will take an impressive streak to Texas Motor Speedway, site of Sunday’s Samsung 500. The Furniture Row Racing driver has competed in 43 career Cup races and has finished every one of them. He has never had a DNF (did not finish). Smith’s 43 Cup races include seven in 2007 (six with Ginn Racing, one with DEI), 34 with DEI in 2008 and two this year with Furniture Row Racing. “Honestly, I don’t think about it (the streak) at all,” said the 25-year-old Smith. “I go out there the same way every week and focus on finishing races, completing laps and getting the most I can out of the race car without tearing it up. I can’t get better if you’re constantly fixing racecars.” The Texas event will be the third race of the season for both Furniture Row Racing and Smith as the Denver, Colo.-based team is running a part-time schedule in 2009. After Texas, Smith and the Furniture Row team will compete at the next two Cup races — April 18 at Phoenix International Raceway and April 26 at Talladega Superspeedway. The team’s current schedule includes 13 Cup races for 2009.(DMF Communications/FRR PR)(4-2-2009)
2006:
- Smaller fuel cells at LMS and road courses? UPDATE: hearing that NASCAR is looking at putting the smaller fuel cells in the cars at Lowe’s Motor Speedway to force cars to pit somewhere between 35-40 laps, due to the tire wear with the new surface. NASCAR may also due this in the future at all road races to break up the pit strategies and could also use the smaller fuel cells when they return to Atlanta in the Fall.(4-1-2006)
UPDATE: Smaller fuel tanks might be a way to deal with excessive tire wear at tracks like Atlanta Motor Speedway and the newly paved Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The idea is that if drivers ran out of fuel after 30 laps or so, they’d make pit stops before tires could wear to a dangerous point. NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said it’s too soon to tell whether the smaller tanks, which are used at Daytona and Talladega to add pit stops and therefore break up big packs of cars, will be used elsewhere. “Our primary focus in preparing for the upcoming races at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May is testing the tires and getting them right,” he said.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(4-2-2006)
2004:
- What does it cost to run a Cup race? there is a story in the USA Today: ‘Field-filler’ has dreams of making big time, quotes from Andy Belmont, driver of Hermie Sadler’s #02 Pontiac. Total expenses: $49,163.50 [see story for the breakdown]; Income Winnings from finishing 37th at Darlington: $51,225.00; Total profit $2,061.50.(USA Today), also see my #02 Team News and Links page for a transcipt Belmont did with XM Radio’s Claire B. Lang.(4-2-2004) NOTE: This link STILL WORKS!
2003:
- Aikman/Staubach sponsors? UPDATE 2: the two rumors I am hearing for the Hall of Fame Racing team with Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach is Pizza Hut [always seems to be a rumored sponsor] and/or Radio Shack will be
the primary sponsor of the team, supposedly Pizza Hut has signed and that Acme Brick signed as an associate sponsor.(3-11-2003)
UPDATE: Hall of Fame Racing, the new Winston Cup team being started by Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, is talking with several Dallas-Fort Worth companies about sponsoring the team. One of those companies is Fort Worth-based RadioShack. Staubach is directly involved in the negotiations with several corporations in an attempt to cut through the red tape and go directly to the CEOs and the board of directors. “With the amount of money involved and the high-profile nature of this, we felt it was better for Roger to use his contacts and speak with the top executives,” said Hall of Fame Racing spokesman Starke Taylor. “We have a handful of companies that are genuinely interested.” Taylor and Staubach have some impressive figures to show corporate executives what their investment in Winston Cup is worth.(Dallas Morning News – need to register to read)(3-13-2003)UPDATE 2: Roger Staubach says he is again [again??] trying to put together a NASCAR team, with Troy Aikman. The next moves depend on attracting sponsorship. One of the companies the two are talking with is Radio Shack, the electronics firm headquartered in Fort Worth [TX].(Winston Salem Journal)(4-2-2003)
2002:
- Earnhardt Jr in People: Dale Earnhardt Jr, driver of the #8 Budweiser Chevy, is featured in the April 8 double-issue of People magazine. It is his third appearance since being named among “The Sexiest Men of 2000.”(St Petersburg Times)(4-2-2002)
2000:
- A Little History: On This Date In Wood Brothers History: The date was April 2, 1967 when Cale Yarborough qualified the Wood Brothers Ford on the pole and went on to win the Atlanta 500. The win marked the 10th superspeedway win for the Wood Brothers and the 1st for Cale Yarborough(Cox Marketing Group-see PR’s)
- BGN TV UPDATE: For the third year in a row, rain delays at Texas Motor Speedway forced CBS into a backup plan for its coverage of the Busch race Saturday. The network showed a condensed version of this year’s February Busch race from Daytona won by Matt Kenseth. Because CBS was under contract to carry the NCAA Final Four from Indianapolis, it was forced to switch from Texas Motor Speedway at 4pm. Plans to carry the race on CBS-owned cable network TNN were also scrapped when the rain delay lasted longer than four hours. “We’re disappointed,” said CBS technical manager Steve Stum. “You don’t like to set all this up for nothing. Anytime you do an outdoor sport, though, you have to have a plan for rain.”(Dallas Morning News) – folks who wish to complain, don’t email me, go to my TV/Media page and contact CBS and or TNN via email, phone, fax or regular mail(sorry postal workers, no insult intended calling it snail mail)(4-2-2000)
UPDATE: TNN decided Saturday not to pick up coverage from partner CBS of Saturday’s rain-delayed BGN race at Texas and that decision has provoked considerable controversy in the NASCAR garage, and concern among some Winston Cup team owners, worried about how disinterested this season’s lame-duck broadcasters might really be about covering this sport over the rest of the year, the last year of their contracts. CBS carried the start of the race and, at the rain delay, announced coverage would switch to TNN, its business partner, because of the rain. However, TNN decided not to pick up the race, instead showing cartoons, despite demands and pleas from NASCAR officials, according to sources. TNN and CBS wouldn’t even tape the race for later broadcast(PitNow)(4-3-2000)
1999:
- Elliott Changes: Bill Elliott Racing announced the following organizational changes: Citing personal reasons Joe
Garone has resigned as crew chief. Jerry Pitts, who served as advisor to the crew chief, has been named interim crew chief, overseeing the #94 McDoanld’s Drive-Thru Ford. Team engine builder Ernie Elliott will have additional responsibilities in his new role as race track performance supervisor. Pitts joined Bill Elliott Racing in 1998 as crew chief of the #13 Ford Taurus. Before entering the NASCAR Winston Cup series in 1995 for Bahari Racing, Pitts served as crew chief in the Craftsman Truck and Southwest Tour series. He is a native of Bakersfield, Calif. Ernie Elliott has long been regarded as one of the premier engine builders and has provided the power for his brother’s race cars for all but three seasons (1992-94) in Bill’s 24-year career. Ernie also served as his brother’s crew chief for 13 seasons (1976-86 and 1988-89). During Ernie’s tenure as crew chief, Bill won 26 races and the 1988 Winston Cup series championship. Ernie resides in Dawsonville, Ga. Garone, was named crew chief on Elliott’s car following the 1997 season(McDonald’s Team PR)(4-2-1999)
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