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 6
Years we have pulled today’s main items from: 2016, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1998
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.
2016:
- Cautions down sharply this season: Did You Notice? … No Sprint Cup race has had more than eight caution flags all season? The 51 laps we ran under yellow at Martinsville were the fewest for that track since 1996; overall, the number of slowdowns have dropped significantly for the first six events. Total caution flags for the first six races: 2007: 58, 2008: 66, 2009: 59, 2010: 56, 2011: 56, 2012: 38, 2013: 50, 2014: 54, 2015: 56, 2016: 34. It’s a 39 percent decline over 2015, green-flag momentum that began with this year’s relatively clean Daytona 500 and continued through Sunday’s Martinsville race that featured mostly one-car incidents. The drop is impressive considering the numbers through the years have been fairly consistent: six times over the past ten years we’ve had between 54 and 59 yellow flags during this opening stretch. What gives? It’s a small surprise considering NASCAR’s new rules package has made the handling package more challenging for the drivers over a long green-flag run; we’ve seen more people just “lose it,” like Denny Hamlin Sunday than we have in quite sometime. But for every self-induced incident, we’ve seen a sharp reduction in the number of DNFs and also a pretty strong track record by Goodyear (with the possible exception of Fontana). When your engine doesn’t break, your tires hold up and your speeds are controlled chances at running a clean race rise significantly.(Frontstretch)(4-6-2016)
2008:
- Edwards wins at Texas: #99-Carl Edwards won the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway for his 3rd win of 2008 and the 10th of his career. He dominated the race, leading 122 laps and surviving and green white checker finish. #48-Johnson was 2nd, followed by #18-Busch, #12-Newman, #11-Hamlin, #31-Burton [who continues to lead the points], #20-Stewart, #8-Martin, #17-Kenseth and #07-Bowyer. #24-Gordon wrecked early and finished 43rd, only the second time in his career that he has finished last [the other being Texas in 1999]. There were 16 lead changes among 6 drivers and 6 cautions for 27 laps.(4-6-2008)
- Teams Lining Up Drivers for Mexico Race: Juan Pablo Montoya won’t defend his crown when the Nationwide Series visits Mexico City in two weeks, instead opting for the rare weekend off with his family. While the Chip Ganassi Racing driver won’t be there, several road-course veterans will be, including Sam Hornish for
Penske Racing. Mexico native Michel Jourdain is in negotiations to drive the #32 car for Braun Racing. Adrian Fernandez, one of Mexico’s most well-known athletes, will drive for JR Motorsports but will not be able to practice or qualify because the American Le Mans Series is in Long Beach, Calif., that weekend. Hendrick Motorsports test driver David Green will practice and qualify the car, Vice President of Competition Steve Crisp said Saturday. Carlos Contreras also could drive in the race as he has driven for Fitz Motorsports the last few years and that team is using a variety of drivers in its #22 car. As previously announced, Boris Said will drive in place of #25-Bobby Hamilton Jr. for Team Rensi Motorsports. Patrick Carpentier will step into the #9 Gillett Evernham Motorsports car. Driving for the current leader in the owners standings, the #33 car of Kevin Harvick Inc., will be truck regular Ron Hornaday. Veteran road-racer Scott Pruett, who drives for Ganassi in Grand-Am, will drive one of the Ganassi cars while Kyle Krisiloff will pilot the other, team officials confirmed. Driving for Front Row Motorsports will be Brian Simo instead of Eric McClure, McClure said. Mexico City will be the site of Erik Darnell’s Nationwide Series debut for Roush Fenway Racing as he will drive the #17 car, while Craftsman Truck Series rookie Colin Braun, who has extensive road-course experience, will drive the #16 Roush car, according to team officials.(SceneDaily.com)(4-6-2008)
2006:
- Too Many Cautions? If you think too many caution flags interrupt NASCAR action these days, you’re not alone. #6-Mark Martin believes excess cautions not only diminish the racing on the track but creates more conflict. “We have 10 times more cautions than we used to,” Martin said. “If a drink bottle or a spring rubber falls out on the
track, we have a caution flag. We used to run over starters and alternators and all kinds of stuff. We’d hit them and knock them out of the way and we could keep racing. But things have changed. We have a lot of debris cautions.” As Martin points out, the cautions enable the field to pack in behind the leader, increasing the likelihood of contact — and more cautions. “Every time we pack the cars up, we have another caution,” Martin says. “Then the kids get excited, run over one another and we have another one. It seems that 10-15 laps is all we can go, typically. I don’t feel like we get a chance to race anymore. We run short little 10-lap bursts for 500 or 400 miles. It’s not a chance to really get out there and do your business. And it’s tough on the cars. They get wrecked a lot.” NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said it all boils down to safety. “Perhaps we look at it a little differently than they did years ago. Perhaps they did run over some things years ago. We don’t want to have anything on the racetrack at all that could pose a safety threat to drivers or the spectators.” Sunday’s race produced 16 cautions (only one for debris on the track) and meant 87 of the 500 laps were run under yellow. That wasn’t as disruptive as the 19 cautions last October at Martinsville Speedway.(USA Today)(4-6-2006)
2005:
Rusty’s First win…19 years ago..today: April 6 marks the anniversary of #2-Rusty Wallace’s first career win – coming on 4/6/1986 at Bristol – started 6th, led 3 times for 174 laps and cruised to victory in his 72nd career start.(Tom Roberts PR)(4-6-2005)- Hmiel and others penalized for actions at Bristol: NASCAR announced Wednesday that Shane Hmiel, driver of the #32 WinFuel Chevrolet, has been penalized and fined after a rule violation Monday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Additionally, five other NASCAR Busch Series teams were penalized following rule infractions at Bristol.
Hmiel was penalized 25 driver points and fined $10,000 for an inappropriate gesture, violating Section 12-4-A of the NASCAR Busch Series rule book (actions detrimental to stock car racing). Hmiel has also been placed on probation until August 31, 2005. The points deduction will not alter Hmiel’s ninth-place ranking in the standings. In addition, Hmiel’s car owner, Todd Braun, was penalized 25 owner points.
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #20 Chevrolet, was fined $5,000 and placed on probation until August 31, 2005 for hitting another competitor’s car after the completion of the race, a violation of 12-4-A.
Additionally, four crew chiefs received fines after being found in violation of Sections 12-4-A and 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules).
Brian Pattie, crew chief of the #41 Dodge driven by Reed Sorenson, was fined $2,000 for unapproved lug nuts on all four (4) wheels. Blake Bainbridge, crew chief of the #64 Dodge driven by Jeremy Mayfield, was fined $500 for unapproved lug nuts on one (1) wheel. Also, Todd Gordon, crew chief for the #10 Ford driven by Michel Jourdain Jr. and James Ward, crew chief of the #22 Ford of Kenny Wallace, were each fined $500 due to not having a rear bumper reinforcement bar.(NASCAR PR)
NOTE: a few readers and myself wonder……what happened to the 7-second delay for the Fox/FX broadcast of the race? While I don’t condone Hmiel’s action, couldn’t they had cut away since they had the delay option?
ANSWER: Fox does’t use any delay at all and has no plans to do so…..(4-6-2005)
2003:
- Dale Jr wins his 4th straight race at Talladega: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr fought back from an engine change,
being involved in the BIG Wreck on lap 4, and a controversal pass below the yellow line towards the end of the race [NASCAR ruled it a clean pass] and won his 4th straight race at Talladega Superspeedway, breaking the record he held with Buddy Baker(3). #29-Kevin Harvick was able to grab 2nd place. It was the 9th straight win at the track by a Chevy. Earnhardt Jr is the 8th different winner in 8 races in 2003. #74-Tony Raines had his bets career finish and was the highest finishing Rookie of the Year candidate. The 27 car ‘Big Wreck’ on lap 4 was the largest in track history. The 43 lead changes [16 drivers] are the most since the 2001 Daytona 500, which had 49 lead changes. See my Aaron’s 499 Race Info page for the top 10, lap leaders, cautions, race run down and notes.
Race Re-air: The race will be re-aired on Speed Channel, Wed, Apr 9th, 8:00pm/et (enhanced) and Thurs, Apr 10th, 1:00am/et and at 3:00pm/et.
Results Links at: Jayski’s 2003 Race Results – Talladega/Aaron’s 499 Results, Jayski 2003 Winston Cup Race Results page, ThatsRacin.com, NASCAR.com Motorsports One, Jayski – Driver/Owners Points after Talladega.(4-6-2003)
1999:
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- [Dave] Blaney to Cup: As reported here for the past few months, Bill Davis also plans to go to two teams in 2000. Dave Blaney is scheduled to follow the same timetable as Tony Stewart and move into a second Davis Pontiac(#93) on the Winston Cup circuit next season. Amoco, Blaney’s sponsor on the Busch circuit this season, has not decided if they will follow Blaney to Winston Cup in 2000. Blaney will attempt to qualify for five Winston Cup races in 1999(Inside Motorsports), see the planned schedule for races on the #93 Past News Team Page(4-6-1999)
1998:
- Texas Motor Speedway announced today a reconstruction of the racing surface following Sunday’s Texas 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race. Bruton Smith said that it was obvious the changes made after the inaugural race were not adequate. Plans are to make it similar to Charlotte since it is the same size and configuration as Charlotte. Smith said the turns would be modified to make entrance and exits compatible for the big NASCAR Winston Cup cars. They will repave with a much smoother and tighter asphalt mix that will drain quickly and install a more complete drainage system to solve the seepage problem. Smith said he estimated the new revamping at $1 to $2 million. Completion date on the revamping will be decided upon soon. They expect to fix the seeping problem in the next few weeks. The next racing at Texas is the NASCAR Craftsman Truck/Pep Boys Indy Racing League weekend June 5-6. Smith said he will confer with a team of engineers and asphalt specialists, as well as NASCAR officials, drivers and crew chiefs to determine the exact changes to be made.(4-6-98)
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