13 Jun 1997: Jimmy Spencer moves past at the California 500 Practice at the California Speedway in Fontana, California. Mandatory Credit: Craig Jones /Allsport
All News Cup News O'Reilly Auto Parts Series News Today in History Truck Series News

April 15 – Today in Jayski’s NASCAR history

April 15, 2020 at 5:36 AM

April 15, 2009

  • Andretti will drive 34 races: John Andretti wasn’t sure how many Sprint Cup races he would enter when Front Row Racing offered him a ride for the Daytona 500. Turns out he will attempt all but two of 36. Andretti plans to miss only two races, the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway and Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte. He?ll be at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for both weekends, one for qualifying and the other for the Indianapolis 500. His replacement for those events hasn’t been named.(ESPN Insider)(4-15-2009)
  • McMurray team gone after 2009? The #26 Roush Fenway Racing team of Jamie McMurray is expected to be dumped by Roush when it has to cut back to four Cup teams after this season.(Virginia Pilot)(4-15-2009)
  • NASCAR Hall of Fame gets approval for companies to produce exhibits: Charlotte City Council unanimously approved $17.7 million worth of contracts Monday night for four companies to produce exhibits for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The city owns the hall of fame under a licensing agreement with NASCAR, and all contracts must be approved by the council. The total exhibit budget is $31 million. Kubik Maltbie will be the primary fabricator and installer of all exhibits. Its contract, including $1 million in contingency fees, is $9,991,527. Kubik Maltbie’s original asking price was just over $11 million before negotiations with the city. The firm’s past work includes projects at the Smithsonian Institution and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Electrosonic Inc. will do all of the audio-visual components and provide an on-site technician for one year for $6,652,859, including contingency fees of $500,000. Electrosonic’s original bid was about $6 million but did not include $1 million for a video screen and sound on the building’s exterior. Electrosonic, which has collaborated with Kubik Maltbie on numerous projects, has a long list of clients, including The Weather Channel sets, the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center and the World of Coca-Cola. Two much smaller contracts also were approved.(Scene Daily)(4-15-2009)
  • Todd Bodine in the #64 at Phoenix; Geoff at Talladega: Just like it has every race weekend, the Gunselman Motorsports #64 Toyota team heads to the next event hoping to qualify for the sake of survival and opportunity to compete. The Gunselman Motorsports team has been prepping the all-white #64 Toyota for Phoenix the last two weeks to ready for the one-mile oval. Having made three of the seven Sprint Cup races this year, the team will work heavily on qualifying runs during practice on Friday. Then, when it’s time to line up with the other “go or go-homers” later that day in qualifying, driver Todd Bodine will utilize his championship skills to make the race. The team will have Geoff Bodine driving the #64 Toyota at Talladega Superspeedway.(Gunselman Motorsports PR)(4-15-2009)
  • 300th start for Kurt Busch: Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch will be making his 300th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start in Saturday’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. In his 299-race Cup career that began on Sept. 24, 2000 (at Dover, Del.) he has had 299 starts, 19 wins (6.4%), 63 top-fives (21.1%), 119 top-10s (39.8%), and 10 Coors Light Pole Awards.(Tom Roberts PR)(4-15-2009)
  • Gordon, Johnson going for records at Phoenix: Hendrick Motorsports drivers have won four straight races at Phoenix International Raceway, with #48-Jimmie Johnson visiting Victory Lane during the last three events. #24-Jeff Gordon won the April 21, 2007, contest after starting from the pole position. During the last eight races at the track, Hendrick Motorsports drivers have claimed five victories and five pole positions. Last November, Jimmie Johnson made track history by becoming the first driver to win three consecutive races at Phoenix International Raceway. On Saturday, the three-time and defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion will attempt to extend that history with a fourth consecutive Phoenix victory – this time in the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500. Gordon, who ended a 47-race winless streak on April 5 with his first victory at Texas Motor Speedway, now has 82 in his career. He stands one behind fifth-place Cale Yarborough on the all-time victories list and only two away from tying Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for third.(Hendrick Motorsports PR)(4-15-2009)
  • Sorenson running Auto Value scheme at Phoenix: This Saturday’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 will mark the first time Sorenson climbs behind the wheel of an Auto Value-sponsored No. 43 Dodge. Auto Value, a longtime sponsor of the organization now known as Richard Petty Motorsports, begins its four-race 2009 NASCAR schedule.(RPM PR) See an image of the scheme on the #43 Team Schemes page.(4-15-2009)
  • Phoenix Rookie Notes: Joey Logano was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the April 5 Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Logano took top rookie honors for the fifth time in seven races this season and was credited with a 30th-place finish. Logano leads Scott Speed by 12 points (75-63) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the April 18 Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix (Avondale, Ariz.) International Raceway. Sam Hornish Jr. was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500, scoring a 20th-place finish. The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in four spring races at Phoenix is fifth by Clint Bowyer in 2006. The best qualifying effort by a Raybestos Rookie in four previous spring races at Phoenix is sixth by Denny Hamlin in 2006. The most laps led by a Raybestos Rookie in the spring race at Phoenix is 21 by Clint Bowyer in the 2006 event.(Camp & Assoc./Raybestos PR), see rookie history, past winners, stats, standings on my 2009 Rookies page.(4-15-2009)
  • Phoenix Raceway on the #47 this weekend: Phoenix International Raceway will sponsor Nationwide Series driver and Phoenix native Michael McDowell for the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 on April 17 at PIR. The hometown driver’s #47 car will feature a number of items unique to PIR’s “Semifinal Week” in the Chase for the Sprint Cup – which is centered around the Nov. 15 Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 – on his paint scheme for the nationally-televised (ESPN2) race, which starts at 6:30 p.m.(PIR PR)(4-15-2009)
  • “Thanks Chevy” scheme for Dillon: Austin Dillon will attempt to race 350 miles this weekend as he visits PIR’s flat, one-mile oval for the first time. The 18-year old will race in the Camping World West Series’ Jimmie Johnson Foundation 150 presented by Shamrock Fans on Thurs., April 16th before attempting to qualify for Friday night’s NNS event. The #2 “RCR Thanks Chevy” Chevy is a tribute to the 40-year partnership between Chevy and RCR team owner Richard Childress. Dillon, Childress’ grandson, will drive a black paint scheme in the NNS race, similar to the legendary #3 paint scheme made famous by the Dale Earnhardt.(RCR PR)(4-15-2009)
  • Sport Clips on the #20: Sport Clips will adorn the #20 Nationwide Toyota this weekend for the first of two primary races this season. Sport Clips is a national sport-themed hair-care franchise for men and boys that can be found in 36 states. Founded in 1995, the company has 650 stores nationwide. In addition to Phoenix International Raceway, Sport Clips will be the primary sponsor on Logano’s #20 Nationwide machine at Daytona International Speedway in July.(JGR PR), see an image of the car on the #20 Paint Schemes page. (4-15-2009)
  • flipNbags.com to sponsor Cope: flipNbags.com will sponsor Derrike Cope in five of his DCI NASCAR Nationwide efforts (Richmond, Darlington, Charlotte, Kentucky and Bristol) and one Cup event.(DerrikeCope.com)(4-15-2009)
  • Great Clips on the #10 at Phoenix: Two Great Clips Camrys will take to the track at Phoenix International Raceway in this weekend’s Nationwide Series race. In addition to Leffler’s black #38 Camry, Braun Racing’s #10 Toyota will be driven by Brian Scott and will feature a reverse Great Clips paint scheme.(Braun Racing PR)(4-15-2009)
  • NAPA Auto Parts to continue sponsorship of Montreal race: Officials from Circuit Gilles Villeneuve announced Wednesday that NAPA Auto Parts will continue as sponsor of the Canadian track’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race through 2011. This year’s NAPA Auto Parts 200 will be held Aug. 30 at the 2.71-mile, 14-turn road course.(Scene Daily)(4-15-2009)
  • Ventrilo partners with Germain Racing & Bodine starting at Kansas: Ventrilo, a product of Flagship Industries and the premier group voice communications program used in tournaments and multiplayer games, announced today that it is the primary sponsor of the #30 Ventrilo Tundra at Kansas Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Gateway International Raceway for the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. Veteran NASCAR racer, Todd Bodine, is the driver of the #30 Ventrilo Tundra of Germain Racing. (Germain Racing PR)(4-15-2009)
  • Price Chopper to sponsor Cobb at Kansas: Jennifer Jo Cobb’s ultimate goal is to be the first woman competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in over 8 years. Locally owned grocery chain Price Chopper recognized Cobb’s Kansas City spirit and is serving as the primary sponsor of the #74 “Price Chopper 400” Dodge Ram, owned by Derrike Cope, Inc. and directed by Rick Markle Racing. Regional bank Capitol Federal is proud to be an associate sponsor. Cobb is a Kansas City, Kansas, resident and began local racing at nearby Lakeside Speedway. Cobb’s Kansas Speedway experience includes the ARCA RE/MAX Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the always competitive NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.(Jennifer Jo Cobb PR)(4-15-2009)
  • SafeAuto enters into multi-year deal with Wyler Racing: SafeAuto Insurance Company, together with Stacy Compton and the Wyler Racing team, have announced the signing of a multi-year agreement naming SafeAuto Insurance Company as the primary sponsor of the #60 Toyota Tundra. The sponsorship agreement will kick off as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads into the 1.5-mile tri-oval of Kansas Speedway for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 on Saturday, April 25, 2009. SafeAuto offers quality, low cost, state required minimum limit car insurance at a price that is affordable. SafeAuto Insurance Company started in Ohio in 1993 and because of our unique approach to car insurance, and quickly expanded into other states: Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri.(Wyler Racing PR)(4-15-2009)

Main Page | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997