April 3, 2001
- Flagman ok: hearing that NASCAR Winston Cup Chief Starter Jimmy Howell was absent from the flagstand on Sunday at Texas as he spent Friday and Saturday in the hospital having test run. BGN Chief Starter Matt Abernathy took Howell’s place on Sunday. Howell plans to be back in the stand Sunday at Martinsville. Howell and Rodney Wise rotate week to week, so it was Wise’s turn to flag on Sunday(4-3-2001)
- Spiderman? hearing the #9-Bill Elliott and #19-Casey Atwood Dodge’s will run a Spiderman (the movie) paint scheme at Charlotte, not sure if it’s in May or Oct(4-3-2001)
- BBBSA and Benson: Johnny Benson’s performance in the #10 Valvoline Pontiac, combined with contributions from Valvoline and NASCAR fans, has brought the current total raised for Big Brothers Big Sisters since 1999 to $556,845. Valvoline is donating $5,000 for every Winston Cup race Benson wins, $2,500 for each pole, $1,000 for a top-10 finish, $500 for a top-20 result and $20 per lap Benson leads in this “Caring Hands” program. Valvoline will donate $1 million to Big Brothers Big Sisters if Benson is able to win both the Winston Cup pole and race on the same weekend(Valvoline PR)(4-3-2001)
- The Winston to Move? UPDATE 2: It is possible, but not likely, that The Winston will move to another track after this year’s May 19 running of Winston Cup’s all-star race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Rick Sanders, president of Sports Marketing Enterprises, the marketing arm of series sponsor R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., said Saturday that discussions are under way about the future of the event. The Winston has been held at the Charlotte track 15 times in the 16-year history of the event. It was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1986, the second year of its existence. Sanders said that Winston would prefer having The Winston continue to stand alone on its own racing weekend, rather than be included as part of activities during a regular points event. Another option that is being considered for The Winston, Sanders confirmed, is naming the trophy that goes to the winner of the event the Dale Earnhardt Trophy.(That’s Racin’)(3-31-2001)
UPDATE: There is speculation out of North Carolina that The Winston all-star race could move after this year and that it might wind up at Texas Motor Speedway. A contract with Charlotte’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway runs out after this year. Sponsor R.J. Reynolds can keep the race in Charlotte, where it has been a major success, or make a change. Options include some kind of rotation system or taking it to another track(Dallas Morning News)(4-1-2001)
UPDATE 2: heard from some readers that Eddie Gossage of Texas Motor Speedway said on local (Texas) radio NewsTalk 820 (WBAP) out of Dallas that the Winston would not be moving to Texas Motor Speedway despite the rumors and that Bruton Smith was not buying Darlington Raceway(4-3-2001) - #43 finishes well: Body Dynamics Racing Bodies, Inc. continues to build cars that run up front. Jay Sauter’s best career finish came to him in Texas this past weekend and he did so with a race car fabricated by Body Dynamics Racing Bodies, Inc. This week the #43 team will be dropping off a car to be worked on and you can see it live on the webcams of www.bodydynamicsracing.com and for the rest of the Jay Sauter story(4-3-2001)
- MacDonald out Longer UPDATE Hensley in: Randy MacDonald may have to sit out longer than originally expected due to injuries suffered in the Daytona crash. Because of MacDonald’s situation Steve Portenga drove the MacDonald Motorsports Craftsman #72 truck entry at Bakersfield. With a 10th place qualifying run, the team was confident that he would finish in the top five, but due to an electrical problem, finished down from what he and the truck were capable of. MacDonald Motorsports recently moved into their newly acquired 14,000sq/ft race shop, in Thomasville, NC. The new shop is well equipped to run a CTS team as well as it is home to 2 new BGN cars and a new ASA car. The MacDonald Motorsports team is prepared and experienced and is now looking for the right driver to replace MacDonald. If you are experienced, and are working with a sponsor interested in the NASCAR Craftsman truck series, contact MacDonald, see my CTS Team Address page for address/phone info(Truckseries.com)(3-31-2001)
UPDATE: After impressive positive feedback, leftbehind.com, the official web site of the best-selling Left Behind Series, has renewed its title sponsorship of Randy MacDonald’s #72 Chevrolet for the CTS race Martinsville Speedway. MacDonald, who was injured in a crash at Daytona earlier this year, has delegated the driver duties at Martinsville to veteran competitor Jimmy Hensley, who previously placed first at that track(Truckseries.com)(4-3-2001)
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