April 6, 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)
- No Penalty on the #20 team UPDATE: In a surprise announcement, John Darby, NASCAR Competition Director, said on Saturday morning that no penalties will be assessed to Joe Gibb’s Racing or crew chief Greg Zipadelli for infractions on the #20 Home Depot Chevrolet, confiscated at Texas last weekend. Also, no penalties will be given on the two cars of David Green and Larry Foyt, disqualified after Winston Cup qualifying on Friday. Darby said missing the race was penalty enough.(Insider Racing News)
AND NASCAR will issue no points penalties or suspensions to defending Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart’s team after impounding the team’s primary car before qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway a week ago. “Our conclusion is that any further penalty to (crew chief) Greg Zipadelli or the team itself will not happen,” Winston Cup series director John Darby said Saturday morning. Darby said that while the violation on Stewart’s car was severe, the violation was with the car’s body and that, in most cases, NASCAR allows teams to fix problems with cars’ bodies. The difference in this case, Darby said, was that the violation was such that it could not be fixed at the track by adding or sanding away body material to conform. He said NASCAR elected to impound the car to take it out of competition for the weekend at Texas, then took it back to its research and development center in Concord, NC, to inspect the car further and learn more about what caused the violation. Darby said the impounded #20 Chevrolet never made it onto the track for competition. While points have been deducted from at least two teams for infractions that never made it on the track, Darby said those penalties were assessed for equipment designed to thwart measuring devices used to enforce special rules for restrictor-plate races or to circumvent rules in place at those tracks to even competition. When asked if he thought the violation on the #20 Chevrolet at Texas was motivated by a desire to confound the rules, Darby said his opinion on the matter would be subjective. “Is it a rock solid, black and white, infraction that was done for purely a competitive gain?” Darby said. “I can’t say that. I also can’t say it was an accident. So we step aside from that and just say that it is what it is.”(ThatsRacin.com). NO mention if the team will get the car back.(4-5-2003)
UPDATE: NASCAR’s Jim Hunter was interviewed by FSN’s NASCAR This Morning’s Winston Kelley and said that NASCAR still reserves the right to penalize Joe Gibbs Racing, but it is unlikely they will be. NASCAR still has not decided if the team will get the car back and that would be quite a large penalty if they do not get it back.(Fox Sports Net NASCAR This Morning)
BUT NASCAR yesterday announced that it will not return the #20 Chevrolet of Tony Stewart, impounded before last week’s race at Texas. A NASCAR spokesman said further tests will be conducted on the car, but no ”additional” penalty will be assessed for Joe Gibbs Racing. The penalty, the spokesman said, will be the loss of the entire race car, valued in excess of $100,000.(Tennessean)(4-6-2003)
- M&M’s Announcment UPDATE: M&M’s” Racing will make an announcement in the Talladega infield media center at 2:00pm on Friday April 4th.(4-3-2003)
UPDATE: Hundreds of thousands of families live each day with Autism, including some in the NASCAR Winston Cup garage area. Elliott Sadler, driver of the #38 M&M’s Ford, knows full well the affects Autism has on a family. Sadler’s niece and brother Hermie’s daughter, Halie Dru, was diagnosed with the disability in 2001. Halie has inspired her Uncle Elliott to support Autism research, and this year he’s come up with a creative and fun way to raise some much needed funds.
M&M’s Hoops For Hope with Elliott Sadler is a charitable basketball game set for May 15, 2003 at Halton Arena on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The game will pair NASCAR drivers and other local celebrities with members of the motorsports media pool in a one-hour shootout. Sadler, the all-time leading scorer for his high school basketball team in hometown Emporia, VA, will certainly practice his jump shot in preparation.
“M&M’s knew my interests when we signed up together. When the idea of a charity basketball game to benefit the Autism Society of America came up I immediately jumped on board,” explained Elliott Sadler. “Autism is something that hits really close to home for me because my niece, Halie is autistic. I’ve seen her progress from a social and developmental standpoint in the time she’s been attending the Faison School for Autism in Richmond. That encourages me and my family to help her and others with this complex developmental disability. This basketball game will give NASCAR stars a chance to help others and April is National Autism Awareness Month so this is a great time to announce our intentions.”
All proceeds from M&M’s Hoops for Hope with Elliott Sadler will go the Autism Society of America to fund research and the search for a cure. Artie Kempner, Coordinating Director of NASCAR on FOX, is on the ASA board and will take part in the event.
“This is a tremendous event for the autism community in that it will not only raise money, but more importantly, raise awareness and better educate people about autism,” said Kempner. “As the parent of a son with autism, I see the challenges that this disorder presents on a daily basis. I am so impressed with “M&Ms”, Elliott and the NASCAR family in their commitment to help fund research efforts to find a cause, and eventually a cure for autism.” “M&M’s” was happy to support their driver’s charitable initiative and has signed on to underwrite the cost of the event.
”We are happy to take part in such an exciting event for a great cause,” said Scott Hudler of Masterfoods USA. “We knew of Elliott’s charitable interests and wanted to take help him raise money for his cause. The game is going to be very exciting and I think we should get a tremendous response.”
Drivers scheduled to appear in addition to Elliott Sadler include Hermie Sadler, Brian Vickers, Jeff Burton, Tony Raines, Jamie McMurray and Dale Jarrett. Tickets will go on sale April 7th, 2003 at UNCC Halton Arena box office by calling 1-866-MYTICKET to charge over the phone. Doors will open at 5:30pm with an autograph session with Elliott and Hermie Sadler. The session will be limited to the first 250 people in line who receive wrist bands. The basketball game will start at 7:00pm along with a halftime “Shoot for Loot” show. For more details please go to www.mmsmotorsports.com or www.SadlerFanClub.com, or call 704.595.0118.(4-6-2003)
- To the Back – Little E and Green, plus B Labonte and Skinner: #30-Jeff Green lost an engine during happy hour and will have to go to the rear of the field before the green flag for the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega on Sunday. Green was to start 30th.(4-5-2003)
UPDATE: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr’s team didn’t like some things they saw in the engine after Happy Hour practice and have changed the engine, so Dale jr will have to fall to the rear of the field before the green flag, he was to start 13th.(Fox Sports Net’s NASCAR This Morning)
UPDATE 2: add #4-Mike Skinner and #18-Bobby Labonte, who’s teams also changed engines and have to fall to the rear of the field.(Fox Pre-Race coverage)(4-6-2003)
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