April 2, 2000
- TV and Texas: from my understanding the BGN race will not be shown on TNN or CBS. Also I have found nothing to indicate that the DirecTV 500 Cup race will be re-aired(4-2-2000)
- The Winston and the Winners Circle: With Dale Earnhardt Jr’s win at Texas, he is now in The Winston All Star Race at Charlotte on May 20th. The win also puts the #8 DEI team in final wild card spot in the 2000 Winners Circle Program(4-2-2000)
- Sadler OK: As reported on CBS during the race, #21-Elliott Sadler, who wrecked early in the race, was ok after hurting his shoulder. The left shoulder is bruised and x-rays were negative. Kyle Petty who failed to qualify for the race, subbed in the car for a while, and finished 39th. Petty drove for the Wood Brothers back in the mid 1980’s(4-2-2000)
- Gibbs to Ford? UPDATE no: Pontiac driver Tony Stewart may be in a Ford or Chevrolet by the time the Winston Cup tour hits California in three weeks, crew chief Greg Zipadelli said yesterday, unless NASCAR gives Joe Gibbs’ two teams some aerodynamic relief. See the full story by Mike Mulhern at PitNow(3-27-2000)
UPDATE: TNN’s Raceday reports that the team has purchased a few Ford bodies in case NASCAR goes to common templates based on Ford as is rumored, but has NO intention of running Fords this year(4-2-2000)
- Lap Leaders: #32-Scott Pruett led his first Winston Cup laps at Texas. #5-Terry Labonte, #26-Jimmy Spencer, #33-Joe Nemechek and #42-Kenny Irwin all led their first laps in 2000. #4 drivers now have led a lap in 2000. To see who has led laps and who leads in the bonus points, see my Bonus Points Leaders Page(4-2-2000)
- Gordon Streak continues: Jeff Gordon has gone 12 races without a Top-Five finish. This is the longest that Gordon has gone without a Top-Five in his 230-race NASCAR Winston Cup Series career(4-2-2000)
- Adam does ok: #45-Adam Petty, making his CUP debut, was running in the mid 20’s when he lost an engine and ended up finishing 40th(4-2-20000
- Andretti milestone: #43-John Andretti made his 200th Winston Cup start at Texas in the DirecTV 500(4-2-2000)
- BGN TV: 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)
- Stats: Only five times in NASCAR’s modern era(1972-present) has the eventual champion not won by the sixth race of the season. Those champions were Benny Parsons in 1973, Terry Labonte in 1984 and 1996, Darrell Waltrip in 1985 and Dale Jarrett in 1999. Winners after the first six 2000 races were Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt, Ward Burton and Rusty Wallace(4-2-2000)
- Ingle Returns to the CTS. Former Winston Cup crew chief, Bill Ingle, has been named to the crew chief job with the #46 truck and driver Rob Morgan. Ingle replaces Tim Murphy who had been the crew chief since the beginning of the 1999 season. Ingle has worked with many Cup teams in the past including: Junior Johnson, Alan Kulwicki, Hendrick Motorsports, Rixky Rudd(twice) and Diamond Ridge Motorsports(NASCAR Online)(4-2-2000)
- Little to the BGN UPDATE 2: Hermie Sadler has been released from his #30 Innovative Motorsports BGN ride, Chad Little will run the #30 Little Trees Chevy at Texas and probably for the rest of the 2000 BGN season when there are no conflicts with the CUP schedule and the team will run an un-named rookie the remaining races
UPDATE: also see the story on NOL, along with another BGN driver getting released, Shame Hall from the #00 Alumni Motorsports car. The team will skip Texas and return at Nashville with an un-named driver(NOL: Sadler/Hall Lose Rides)(3-28-2000)
UPDATE 2: RJR Enterprises, Inc., an established race team owner of 5 years, announced a five race deal with Winston Cup driver Chad Little for the 2000 season. Races will include both Winston West and Featherlite Southwest Tour dates throughout the season. The #9 car of RJR Enterprises will make its debut in the Winston West Series on Friday, April 21, 2000 at Las Vegas with CUP driver Chad Little behind the wheel. The remainder of the dates will be on the Featherlite Southwest Tour, and include Sears Point on June 24, the Los Angeles Street Race on July 16, and the season ender at Phoenix on November 3. Little will also be driving in the Copper Classic at Phoenix in 2001(RacingWest)(4-2-2000) - 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)
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