April 17, 2002
- Nemechek to the #44? UPDATE 2 No Grissom in Jones Out: rumors are afloat that place Joe Nemechek (recently released by Haas-Cart Motorsports) in the #44 Georgia Pacific Petty Racing Dodge at Martinsville this weekend. Buckshot Jones is the current driver.(4-9-2002)
UPDATE: checked with a few more sources and been told that Nemechek is still under contract with Haas Carter Motorsports and that the team is hoping sponsorship will come through soon.(4-9-2002)
UPDATE 2: Effective this week for the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega, Steve Grissom will drive the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge. Grissom, a former BGN and NASCAR All-Pro series champion, has worked with Petty Enterprises over the past year helping them test and develop their Dodge Intrepid race cars. “Buckshot did a good job for us, and I personally appreciate everything he has done for us at Petty Enterprises,” said Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. “We continue to have the utmost respect for Buckshot as an individual and as a Winston Cup driver. We have not performed to our expectations, and we felt like it was time to make a change. Sometimes you change the coach, and sometimes you change the quarterback. This time we decided to shake up the chemistry by changing the quarterback. We believe that Steve, because he’s been around us and has helped us with these cars, can step in and move the Georgia-Pacific team forward. Because of the way we’ve done our testing with our R&D program, Steve has more laps in some of our cars than I do or John does. Ordinarily you’d expect some disruption with a change of drivers, but Steve has worked with the team, and has won a Busch Series championship with crew chief Bryant Frazier, so we expect him to step in and not skip a beat.”
“I’m excited to get the opportunity to drive the Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge,” said Grissom. “Everyone can see the great strides that Petty Enterprises has made this year. Having the opportunity to assist in the testing and development of these cars means that I know how good they are. The team that Kyle Petty and Robin Pemberton have put together is a winning combination. I’m confident that I can come in and work well with the team and that we will have success.”(Williams Company PR)(4-17-2002) - Furr and the #25 part ways: Tony Furr stepped down Wednesday as crew chief of the #25 Delphi Automotive/UAW-GM Chevys driven by Jerry Nadeau for Hendrick Motorsports. Furr said he is leaving to pursue other opportunities in Winston Cup competition. Ken Howes, director of competition for the Hendrick teams, will replace Furr on an interim basis. Howes, who has been with the Hendrick operation since 1985, was crew chief on the #25 team from 1992 until 1995. Furr had been the team’s crew chief since the beginning of the 1998 season.(ThatsRacin.com and a story at Hendrick Motorsports site)(4-17-2002)
- #99 Special Schemes: hearing that #99 Jeff Burton will be running three special paint schemes this year. CITGO Peel In Reel out and Win at the Winston and Sears Point (image in Paint Scheme Gallery), CITGO BASS Fishing (Daytona, July 6th) and MDA Charity Citgo (Darlington).(4-17-2002)
- New Hampshire starts work: Crews from Pike Paving in Tilton started work Monday on the New Hampshire International Speedway second racing groove project, which will extend the racing surface toward the infield area. Existing pavement in the corners was removed and work started in the new subsurface for the pavement, which will be laid down later this week. The change in the corners will not alter the 12-degree grade of the racing track but will create more opportunities for passing and side-by-side racing, which NHIS officials are hopeful will create more exciting racing. The asphalt to be used in the turns comes from Trinidad, where the hottest tar pits in the world are located. Track officials said it was sent to Germany for pre-treatment and only recently arrived, in pellet form, in New Hampshire. The new surface will get its first test runs April 30 and May 1 during an open NASCAR test session for the NASCAR Busch Series, Busch North Series and Featherlite Modified Series teams. The speedway opens its season with a NASCAR Busch Series and Busch North Series doubleheader on May 11.(Union Leader)(4-17-2002)
- Yunick to be Awarded: Prolong Super Lubricants, Inc. announced that Henry “Smokey” Yunick, the leading innovator in motorsports engineering, will be posthumously presented Prolong’s “Racing Angel” award for 2002 in conjunction with the 12th annual International Motorsports Hall of Fame induction in Talladega, Ala., on April 17th. The “Racing Angel” award identifies and acknowledges individuals exemplifying extraordinary achievements, determination and charitable goodwill within the motorsports community. The award will be presented by Linda Vaughn, the first lady of motorsports, who also is a Hall of Fame inductee and a tireless motorsports goodwill ambassador. Mr. Yunick from Daytona Beach, Florida, was well known for Smokey’s, “The Best Damn Garage in Town.” It most certainly was, as he fielded stock cars that won eight victories in 61 starts as an owner and more than 50 winners as a crew chief, chief mechanic or engine builder. In 1960, Mr. Yunick was crew chief for Jim Rathmann, the winner of the Indianapolis 500. Prolong’s “Racing Angel” award, conceived by Linda Vaughn, was previously given to T. Wayne Robertson, the sports marketing legend, and Bill France Jr., president of NASCAR. Noted motorsports sculptor Ivan Fuller created the striking bronze sculpture depicting a racing angel, which is on permanent display at the Motorsports Hall of Fame museum in Talladega (a great place to visit by the way).(Business Wire)(4-17-2002)
- Martinsville TV numbers: FX’s coverage of last weekend’s Cup race from Martinsville drew the network’s highest rating, delivering 3.4 million homes and 5.4 million viewers.(Roanoke Times)(4-17-2002)
- More on Jerry Jones and Petree: Car owner [#’s 33 and 55] Andy Petree said his talks with representatives from the Dallas Cowboys continue. Petree has been in discussion with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones since last October about partnering. “We still haven’t finalized anything about what we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it, but we are talking really daily,” Petree said. “If we’re going to do something, we’re probably going to need to get something done in the next 30 to 45 days.”(Roanoke Times)(4-17-2002)
- International Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction: One of the world’s greatest road racers, Jacky Ickx, and a pair of NASCAR’s greatest driver-owners, Glen Wood and Alan Kulwicki, head the list of the six men who will be inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in April of 2002. Ickx, who excelled in a number of different racing series’, won the 24 Hours of LeMans an incredible six times, claimed championships in World Endurance and Can-Am, and was one of the top competitors in Formula 1 for a decade. Wood and Kulwicki were both chosen as one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers. Wood is half of the original Wood Brothers team that listed many of the greats as their drivers. Kulwicki was the last driver/owner to win a Winston Cup championship, and also was a top ASA driver before moving to NASCAR. Joining them in the Class of 2002 are Italian car builder and engine designer Ettore Bugatti, New Zealander Denis Hulme who won the Formula One World Championship in 1967, and stock car racing great Tim Richmond. Bugatti’s cars dominated European racing from 1911 until 1947, winning some 4,000 races. During World War I, he designed an aircraft engine for the French, and developed high-speed boats, trains and planes. Hulme, in addition to his F1 title, also won two Can-Am championships, and was Rookie of the Year at Indy in 1967. Richmond was also an Indy Rookie of the Year (1980), and won 13 races in his abbreviated NASCAR career. The 2002 Induction Ceremony will be held on April 18th in the Speedvision Dome at the international Motorsports Hall of Fame. Reservations for tickets for the 12th Annual Induction Ceremony are being taken now at the Hall of Fame. Anyone interested should call 256/362-5002.(IMHF Site)(4-17-2002)
- M&M’s Vote: Ken Schrader knows that the future of his car is in his fans’ hands – at least the future color of the #36 “M&M’s”® Pontiac. As candy lovers around the world cast their vote for the new color in the famous “M&M’s”® candy mix – pink, purple or aqua – NASCAR fans have to keep a second thing in mind. The winning color – whether it be pink, purple or aqua – will be the color of the #36 car (and Schrader’s uniform) for a one-race paint scheme at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. This weekend, NASCAR fans by the thousands will have the opportunity for their voice to be heard. Fans at Talladega Superspeedway will be able to cast their vote for pink, purple or aqua at a special “M&M’s”® GLOBAL COLOR VOTE(tm) voting tent. The tent will be located near souvenir alley, which is close to the North Entrance of the track. Fans will be able to cast their all important vote Friday from 8:00am to 3:00pm, Saturday/Sunday from 8:00am to 1:00pm. Fans can vote as many times as they want each day. Each voter will receive an “I VOTED” sticker and a Fun Size package of “M&M’s”® for their vote. Schrader isn’t worried about fans picking the color of his car – even if one of the choices is pink. In fact, he hopes that the fans line up to vote for the new color. “Hey, I keep telling people that I look good in pink,” Schrader said. “I don’t care what color my car is – what matters to me is that it gets around the track fast. I’ll drive whatever color race car “M&M’s”® gives me. People keep giving me a hard time about maybe driving a pink car. I just want the fans to get out there and vote.” If history is any indication of how the people will respond to the GLOBAL COLOR VOTE(tm), Schrader will get his wish for long lines and lots of votes. In 1995 when “M&M’s”® asked consumers across the United States to vote for a new color, millions of people responded. An astounding 10,234,142 votes were cast and the color Blue won in a landslide – and that was just in the United States. This time around though, the question is being poised to people worldwide in 75 countries.(M&M’s Racing-IMG Motorsports PR)(4-17-2002)
- Price Motorsports Next Race: Despite narrowly missing the Virginia 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race by only eight one-hundredths of a second, the members of Price Motorsports team of Raleigh, N.C. are not disappointed. The upstart team, in only its 2nd qualifying attempt in Cup, outran three series regulars but it wasn’t enough. Although their time was easily fast enough to join the show, they lacked enough ownerss points to make the race using a provisional. The next stop for the #59 Price Motorsports team will be an attempt to qualify for the May 4th race at Richmond. Driver Randy Renfrow has run well at the D-shaped oval during his CTS career. In addition to the aforementioned Richmond event, the team is planning to hit several other racing venues in 2002. Other planned races: Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Bristol, Atlanta, Indianapolis and second trips to Rockingham and Martinsville(Price Motorsports PR)(4-17-2002)
- Parrott is “IRWIN Rough to the Finish” award winner: #88 crew chief Todd Parrott is this week’s “IRWIN Rough to the Finish” award winner. The team finished fourth in Sunday’s Virginia 500 at Martinsville Speedway. In a caution-filled race, Dale Jarrett avoided several incidents on his way to his first top-five finish of the 2002 season. Jarrett started the Virginia 500 in 31st place. “Track position is everything here and you had to really plan your strategy,” said crew chief Todd Parrott. “It worked out for us today and we were able to get a good top-five finish.” Jarrett lost a lap early in the race when the team was penalized 15 seconds for having to use a back-up air wrench. After getting back on the lead lap during a caution on lap 254, the team climbed as high as second before slipping to a fourth-place finish. “We really didn’t think we had a chance for the win after we got a lap down,” Parrott said. “The guys did a really good job and got Dale back on the lead lap. It was a hard fought battle.”(Golin Harris PR)(4-17-2002)
- Testing at Richmond UPDATE: Eighteen NASCAR Winston Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series drivers are scheduled to test at Richmond International Raceway over a four-day period next week in preparation for their visit to “The Action Track” May 2-4. Tentatively scheduled to test NASCAR Winston Cup Series cars on Monday, April 15 and Tuesday, April 16 are #36-Ken Schrader, #10-Johnny Benson, #6-Mark Martin, #32-Ricky Craven and #77-Dave Blaney. Testing their BGN rides will be #10-Scott Riggs, #46-Ashton Lewis, #59-Stacey Compton, #37-Jeff Purvis, #48-Kenny Wallace, #30-Christian Fittipaldi and #1-Jimmy Spencer. Fittipaldi, who will continue to race in CART this year, is expected to make his 2002 BGN debut in the Hardee’s 250 at Richmond in the #30 Mike’s Hard Lemonade Chevy. Joining that group on Tuesday will be Cup drivers #2-Rusty Wallace, #12-Ryan Newman and #1-Steve Park. Wallace, Newman and Park will also test on Wednesday, April 17 when a new group of drivers moves in to test, including #9-Jeff Burton(BGN), #02-Hermie Sadler(Cup) and #66-Casey Mears(BGN) and will also expected to test on Thursday, April 18. The grandstands will be open to the public all four days from 9:00am to 5:00pm/et.(RIR Site)(4-15-2002)
UPDATE: Fifteen Cup and BGN drivers tested at Richmond International Raceway on Monday and Tuesday in preparation for their visit to “The Action Track” May 2-4. Drivers were greeted with unseasonably warm conditions, as temperatures soared into the mid 90’s. The teams worked on mostly race set-ups, as they were working with a “green” track after Richmond International Raceway officials applied a customary off-season coat of sealer to the track. Testing Winston Cup cars were #36-Ken Schrader, #2-Rusty Wallace, #12-Ryan Newman, #6-Mark Martin, #32-Ricky Craven, #77-Dave Blaney. Testing their BGN #10-Scott Riggs, #46-Ashton Lewis, #48-Kenny Wallace, #30-Christian Fittipaldi, #47-Shane Hmeil, #14-Larry Foyt, #1-Jimmy Spencer, #66-Casey Mears, #98-Kasey Kahne. Teams reported the following unofficial lap times (only Martin, Schrader and Mears attempted qualifying runs). Jeff Gordon holds the track record of 21. 344 seconds (126.499 mph).
#6-Mark Martin, 125.00mph; #36-Ken Schrader, 122.84; #32-Ricky Craven, 122.73 mph BGN: #66-Casey Mears, 124.14mph; #46-Ashton Lewis, 122.73; #48-Kenny Wallace, 122.17; #47-Shane Hmeil, 121.90; #98-Kasey Kahne,121.35; #30-Christian Fittipaldi, 120.00. Wallace and Newman are expected to stay another day to test and will be joined by Jeff Burton (Busch car) and Hermie Sadler (Cup car) today.(RIR Site)(4-17-2002) - Hendrick remains off the track: BGN rookie #5 Ricky Hendrick will remain sidelined this week at Talladega Superspeedway and next week at California. Hendrick, who needed reconstructive shoulder surgery after a crash at Las Vegas last month, could return for the May 3 race at Richmond. Although his rehab is going well, doctors want Hendrick to sit at least two more weeks to allow the torn ligaments to heal.(Daytona Brach News Journal)(4-17-2002)
- Assoc sponsor for Hmiel: Innovative Motorsports announced that Amarr Garage Doors will become an associate sponsor on the #47 Thomas Pacconi Classics Chevy driven by Shane Hmiel. Amarr’s logo will adorn Hmiel’s #47 at Talladega, California, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Chicagoland and Phoenix. Amarr Garage Doors has been known and respected for its standard of excellence since 1951. Since opening its doors in Winston-Salem, North Carolina as a local building supply house, Amarr has strived to deliver superior products and service.(IMI PR)(4-17-2002)
- Vickers BGN driver [#40] Brian Vickers will tour the Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, as a guest of the U.S. Army on Wednesday, April 24. He will then visit the White House, as a guest of Congressman Bart Stupak, on Thursday, April 25. The 18-year-old high school senior drives the #40 Engineered Machined Products/U.S. Army National Automotive Center Dodge in the BGN. “It is an honor to be invited by the U.S. Army to tour the Pentagon, and by Congressman Stupak to visit the White House,” said Vickers, who hails from Thomasville, N.C.. “The Pentagon and White House are institutions, and symbols of America after the events of Sept. 11, this is even more evident. To have this opportunity is very special It is sure to be a great learning experience.” Congressman Stupak represents Michigan’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Engineered Machined Products, headquartered in Escanaba, Mich., is the primary sponsor of Vickers’ #40, and is located in the First Congressional District. Vickers will travel to the Washington, D.C. area after a two-day test session (April 22-23) at Richmond International Raceway. The test is to prepare for the Hardee’s 250 NASCAR Busch Series race at that venue on May 3.(Vickers PR)(4-17-2002)
- Record TV audience: The return of Darrell Waltrip to NASCAR meant big ratings for the Craftsman Truck Series at Martinsville. The race scored an impressive 1.19 rating, the highest ever for the Truck Series on ESPN2. This means the Truck race did a higher rating than the overnights for the CART race on Fox! Of course, the household reach was probably about the same because Fox is an OTA network. Nevertheless, it’s impressive for the Trucks and dreadful for CART.(MotorsportsTV)(4-17-2002)
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