April 3, 2004
- NFL QB vists Sadler: #38-Elliott Sadler ended up picking up a new pal along the way Thursday — Pittsburg Steelers quarterback, Tommy Maddox. Maddox recognized Sadler, who was in the local Dallas-Fort Worth area premier golfing facility, The Trophy Club. The Steelers QB wasn’t shy and introduced himself to Sadler by asking the question, “Hey aren’t you Elliott Sadler?” The two got together and apparently played a round together. Rumor had it that Sadler shot a 68 on the challenging course. The friendship made it through the night as Maddox was at the track with Sadler this morning, wearing one of Sadler’s sponsor’s caps as he hoofed around the garage getting the VIP treatment. Maddox made a special request to meet with Sadler’s driving partner, Dale Jarrett, which was fulfilled just prior to the Friday morning practice session.(Ford Racing)(4-3-2004)
- Stewart making amends: #20-Tony Stewart knows he has angered a few of his rivals the last few days and his own teammates. So he’s been making amends. First he called #22-Scott Wimmer to apologize for Sunday’s temper tantrum at Bristol. So Tony, why all the anger? “Leave the innocents out of this,” Stewart said with a grin, nodding toward his crew. “Just ask me.”(Winston Salem Journal)(4-3-2004)
- #22 Crew Chief Still Upset over Bristol penalty: Frank Stoddard, crew chief for #22-Scott Wimmer, will meet with Nextel Cup officials David Hoots and John Darby this morning to discuss a one-lap penalty assessed against Wimmer at Bristol. Stoddard was furious about the call after the race and remained dismayed yesterday. Wimmer and Tony Stewart both were punished when their cars collided after Wimmer braked hard to avoid hitting Ricky Craven. “We’re not in 1975 anymore,” Stoddard said. “They had plenty of time under caution to see replays and decide whether the 22 should have been penalized. Clearly, we shouldn’t have been based on what at least 4 million other Americans saw. We got a one-lap penalty for being an innocent bystander. After the race, people were spinning people on pit road and didn’t get a lap penalty. We got penalized for saving [Craven] from wrecking.”(Richmond Times Dispatch)(4-3-2004)
- No Retaliation from Kahne: #9-Kasey Kahne says Bristol’s troubles with Jamie McMurray are behind him: “I was really upset when it happened, to be out of the race that early. But Jamie started backing out when he realized there was no room. He apologized. He said he was probably too aggressive. I mentioned retaliation, but there is no retaliation.”(Winston Salem Journal)(4-3-2004)
- Sauter to run Truck race at Martinsville: Cup rookie Johnny Sauter said he’ll also compete in the truck race at Martinsville in two weeks for his own team. Sauter said he’ll use the race as an additional test for the Cup event.(Roanoke Times)(4-3-2004)
- McMurray Making Up: #42-Jamie McMurray said Friday he knew better than to spin Matt Kenseth’s Ford out on the cool-down lap following last week’s race at Bristol. “I’ve watched people do that and thought, ‘that idiot, what was he thinking?’” McMurray said. “I knew it wasn’t going to do any good, but it’s the only thing you can do,” said McMurray, who was angry at Kenseth after contact between their cars on the final lap of the Food City 500. “You can’t get out and fight. (Jimmy) Spencer got suspended for that, so I knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. You just want to do anything you can to get back at them, you don’t want somebody to think you’re going to let them push you around. But it’s not even about that, Matt isn’t that kind of guy. …He was just fired up like I was.” McMurray blamed the whole thing on Bristol. “That place will bring it out of you,” McMurray said. “I never get mad, but I was mad. That’s just what Bristol does.” McMurray also said he had talked to Kasey Kahne during the week, apologizing for an early race incident that knocked Kahne out at Bristol. Kahne promised to exact revenge on the track at some future time, but McMurray said he isn’t worried about that. “It’s over now,” McMurray said.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-3-2004)
- Jamie McMurray Announces “Drive for a Cure” Awareness Campaign: Jamie McMurray hopes to create awareness and raise money for the#42-Autism Society of America during his “Drive for a Cure” charity promotion announced Friday at Texas Motor Speedway. Throughout the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season, McMurray will donate $42 for every lap he leads to the Autism Society of America. In addition, the Joplin, Mo. native will donate $42 for every pole he wins in 2004. McMurray has a niece who has autism. So far during the 2004 season, McMurray has led a total of 116 laps, equaling $4,872 in money raised for the Autism Society of America. ChevronTexaco, who sponsors McMurray’s No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, is showing its commitment to this program by announcing today that it will match Jamie’s pledges during the 2004 season. For every lap and pole McMurray leads and wins in 2004, ChevronTexaco will match the $42 pledge. “The Autism Society of America is so grateful to Jamie, ChevronTexaco, and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates for their thoughtful and generous initiative,” said Artie Kempner, Autism Society of America Board Member and Coordinating Director of NASCAR on FOX. “The number of children being diagnosed with autism is growing at an alarming rate, and we need to find the cause and the cure for this disorder. Jamie’s efforts will not only raise much needed money for research, but will also generate great public awareness.” Demonstrating its one-team approach philosophy, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates also announced that it will match McMurray’s $42 pledges during the 2004 season. With the three pledge matches combined, McMurray, ChevronTexaco and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates have already raised $14,616 for the Autism Society of America.
To help activate the charity promotion, Action Performance has created a special “Drive for the Cure” t-shirt and decal that will be sold trackside and through retail. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the merchandise will go to the Autism Society of America.
McMurray will join fellow NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers on May 25 for the Elliott Sadler “Race for Hope” Celebrity Race at NASCAR Speedpark in Concord, NC. To learn more about autism or to make a donation, call 1-800-3AUTISM or visit www.autism-society.org.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)(4-3-2004) - Kenseth wins at Texas: #17-Matt Kenseth swept by #5-Kyle Busch on Lap 186 of Saturday’s O’Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway, then passed #25-Bobby Hamilton Jr. just as a caution was coming out on Lap 195. After the race was red-flagged, Kenseth then pulled away on the restart with three laps to go and went on to win easily. Kenseth had tried a two-tire stop early in the race. The decision “wasn’t the end of the world,” he said, but it did drop him back a bit as Busch led 147 of the first 178 laps. Hamilton Jr. took the lead after that, but by that time Kenseth was coming fast. #55-Robby Gordon wound up third, with #1-Johnny Benson fourth and Hamilton Jr. holding off #00-Jason Leffler for fifth thanks to a caution on the final lap that froze the field and kept Hamilton Jr.’s faltering Ford from losing more ground. #37-David Green finished eighth and took over the lead in the Busch Series driver’s standings. Nextel Cup regular and Busch Series part-timer Kevin Harvick led coming in, but he didn’t race on Saturday. Green now leads #8-Martin Truex Jr., who rallied from a lap down to finish 10th, by 17 points with Michael Waltrip 43 back and Busch 74 behind.(ThatsRacin.com report)
See results at ThatsRacin.com, BGNRacing.com, MotorsportsOne or NASCAR.com.(4-3-2004) - Sauter to run Truck race at Martinsville: Cup rookie Johnny Sauter said he’ll also compete in the truck race at Martinsville in two weeks for his own team. Sauter said he’ll use the race as an additional test for the Cup event.(Roanoke Times)(4-3-2004)
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