April 10, 2005
- Gordon wins at Martinsville: #24-Jeff Gordon won the Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville Speedway, after being down three (3) laps early in the race when he had a vibration and had to pit under green. But the crew kept working on the car, Gordon got two of the laps back the old way, racing the leader to get 2 laps back, then got the ‘Lucky Dog’ lap back during the 9th caution on lap 276. The win is Gordon’s 6th at Martinsville and 71st career win. It is also Hendrick Motorsports 12th win at Martinsville. #24-Gordon and #97-Busch got together late in the race, with Busch going into the wall and finishing 19th. #9-Kasey Kahne finished 6th, his 6th career 2nd place finish and first of 2005. The rest of the top-5 was #6-Mark Martin, #12-Ryan Newman and #2-Rusty Wallace. #48-Jimmie Johnson was down 2 laps at one point and ended up 8th and increased his points lead to 160 [was 94]. The race will re-air on Speed Channel, Thursday, April 14th at 3:00pm/et
See my Martinsville Race Info/Rundown Page for unofficial full race results, results links, my race rundown.coverage, lap leaders, caution and notes narriatives.
And see Jayski’s UNOFFICIAL Martinsville Race Results page for full race results.(4-10-2005) - Marlin doesn’t expect to be back with Ganassi in 2006 UPDATE: #40-Sterling Marlin said Friday he is “99.9% certain” that he won’t be back with Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2006 Nextel Cup season. Marlin, 47, has been driving for the team formerly owned by Felix Sabates since the start of the 1998 season. He’s won four races with the team after having six victories in the previous four seasons at Morgan/McClure. Marlin, who will be making his 646th career Nextel Cup start in Sunday’s Advance 500 at Martinsville Speedway, is in the final year of his contract. Marlin said he has a few very preliminary discussions with others about potential rides for 2006 and beyond, but nothing substantive yet.(David Poole/ThatsRacin.com)(4-8-2005)
UPDATE: FOX’s Jeff Hammond said on the Martinsville Pre-race show, that he had heard one scenario had Jamie McMurray, driver of the #42-Texaco-Havoline Dodge for Ganassi, moving over to the #40 Coor’s Light Dodge, with Busch Driver David Stremme possible in the #42. Also have heard that McMuarry could still end up in the #2 Miller Lite Dodge to replace retiring Rusty Wallace, with Stremme and Reed Sorenson moving up into the #40 and or #42.(4-10-2005) - Labonte Golf Tourney Raises over $130k: The Bobby Labonte Celebrity Golf Classic presented by ConAgra Foods raised more than $130,000 for the Bobby Labonte Foundation, officials from the foundation announced April 10. The Bobby Labonte Foundation supports numerous charities and non-profit organizations, including the Victory Junction Gang Camp and the North Carolina Quarter-Midget Association. The event took place over two days at the prestigious Ballantyne Resort in Charlotte, N.C., with dinner and auction on April 4 followed by golf on April 5. In addition to Labonte, NASCAR drivers Terry Labonte, Tony Stewart, Jason Leffler and Johnny Benson participated, as did J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, Steve Addington, Labonte’s crew chief and Greg Zipadelli, Stewart’s crew chief. Jim Cantore from The Weather Channel, Marty Roe, lead-singer for Diamond Rio and Larry Ziegler from the PGA Champions Tour also participated.(Camp and Associates)(4-10-2005)
- Edwards races, surprises crowd: Racing fans thought Carl Edwards would only be there [24 Raceway in Moberly MO] to sign autographs. As it turned out, the NASCAR star did more. Edwards, a 25-year-old Columbia [MO] native, drove on the same track as his younger brother, Kenny, in the Hornet car race at 24 Raceway in Moberly Saturday night. Driving in his first race, Kenny Edwards, 22, won the first heat. Carl Edwards finished in fifth place. Kenny Edwards again finished ahead of his brother in the feature race. He was third; Carl Edwards was seventh. Carl Edwards announced his plans to be on hand to watch his brother on Thursday. On Saturday, he flew to Moberly for the race in fellow Roush Racing driver Mark Martin’s jet. He returned to Martinsville, Va., for the Advance Auto Parts 500 race Sunday afterward.(Columbia Missourian)(4-10-2005)
- Villeneuve in NASCAR? haven’t heard this rumor in a few years……Formula One driver Jacques Villeneuve has expressed an interest in driving in NASCAR, according to some who have talked with him, and that could be a good sign for NASCAR’s proposed Canadian racing project. Last spring, when Villeneuve’s F1 career seemed all but over, and he was searching for a ride, Villeneuve inquired about NASCAR opportunities. But last fall he managed to land another F1 ride, though it wasn’t a great one. At 34, Villeneuve may well be nearing the end of his career on the international circuit. Some say that Villeneuve may not have the attitude for NASCAR’s “got-to-get-along” world, or the gumption for the grinding 38-week-a-year tour. An intriguing aspect to NASCAR’s Canadian venture is that Vancouver may be a player, because that beautiful city, just two hours north of Seattle, could give the sport its long-awaited Northwest anchor. Given the problems that NASCAR has had finding 800 acres and political support for construction of a track in the Seattle area itself, Vancouver could be a solution. And Vancouver has a racing tradition with street-course CART Indy-car races.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-10-2005)
- Did ya know? #24-Jeff Gordon has been running at the finish of every race he’s ever run at Martinsville Speedway. That’s 24 in a row with 5 wins.(Gaston Gazette)
Make is 25 races.(4-10-2005) - MRN Announcer Honored: Danielle Frye, an announcer for Motor Racing Network (MRN), was the recipient of the 2005 Outstanding Alumni Public Relations Award from Troy University School of Journalism. Frye received the award during a special ceremony at the Alabama institution, Thursday, April 7. Frye, a 1993 communications graduate from Troy University, was NASCAR’s senior manager of communications before taking the MRN post at the beginning of 2003. Frye also worked as a NASCAR public relations team representative and as a freelance writer for racing publications. While at Troy University, Frye was a member of the women’s basketball team. Frye, her husband Jay and the couple’s 15-month-old daughter Addison Rece, reside in Mooresville, N.C.(PR)(4-10-2005)
- Hendrick may attend Martinsville: Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick is leaning toward attending today’s Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville Speedway. It’s the first event at the track since a Hendrick plane crashed on the way to Martinsville last October. Engine builder Randy Dorton, General Manager Jeff Turner, President John Hendrick and Vice President Ricky Hendrick were among the 10 killed in the crash. Besides his brother and son, Rick Hendrick also lost two nieces.(Richmond Times Dispatch)
NOTE: Hendrick is at the track today for the race.(4-10-2005)
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