April 17, 2001
- Get Well: Judy Bisci, wife of Las Vegas Motor Speedway public relations director John Bisci, went to the doctor a few weeks ago for problems with her throat (had a biopsy performed on a “mass” on her thyroid) and the Doctor said results are “leaning toward cancer,” and decided to operate, which is set for Apr. 25th(Speedway Scene Print), get well Judy(4-17-2001)
- Brooks and Dunn Return: The #40 Coors Light Dodge has gone country for this weekend’s race at Talladega. Driven by Sterling Marlin, the Coors Light Dodge will feature a paint scheme touting the country music duo Brooks & Dunn’s upcoming Neon Circus & Wild West Show tour. A known country music lover, Marlin hopes to give the duo’s tour a little more exposure by parking his Coors Light Dodge in Victory Lane on Sunday afternoon. Marlin is also scheduled to run the special Brooks & Dunn paint scheme at the Winston and Coca Cola 600 in Charlotte and the inaugural race at the Kansas Speedway(Ganassi PR)(4-17-2001)
- Rain/Wind Derails Michigan Test: After grabbing what little track time was available on Wednesday, April 11, for the first day of a two-day test at Michigan International Speedway, the Ray Evernham Motorsports Dodge team had hoped for an improvement in the rainy weather for the second day. Though the rain subsided, whipping winds greeted the team for Thursday, April 12, and forced them to re-think their testing efforts. Driver Casey Atwood got about two and a half hours of track time on Wednesday when rain ruled the day. His top speeds were clocked at over 202 mph on the straightaways. On Thursday, Atwood was hindered as a vicious wind made stepping on the pedal a bit dangerous. Evernham said his top speed the second day was 196 mph, “but that was with a 45 mile-an-hour cross wind.” Still, the test proved successful in logging miles on the car and getting Atwood more experience on the 2-mile oval where he’s started just two BGN races.(MIS Site)(4-17-2001)
- Hover Motorsports/Morgan Shepherd News: Stan Hover Motorsports – Team #80 has just completed sponsorships for the (2) upcoming races at Lowe’s Motor Speedway for the Winston Open and Coca-Cola 600 next month. Hayes Jewelers of Lexington, NC and Aramark Uniform Service will be sponsors on the #80 Ford Taurus. Cup Veteran Morgan Shepherd will be driving. Stan Hover Motorsports are very excited about the sponsorships. The #80 team plans are to compete in (16) Cup Races this year. Stan Hover Motorsports shop is based in Salisbury, North Carolina.(DCM Racing/Stan Hover Motorsports PR)(4-17-2001)
- More BGN NHIS News: Kenny Wallace has joined fellow Cup drivers Steve Park and Kevin Harvick on the entry list for the CVS/pharmacy 200 Presented by Bayer NASCAR Busch Series race at New Hampshire International Speedway on May 12(off weekend in Cup)(NHIS PR)(4-17-2001)
- Testing at RIR: hearing that #92-Stacy Compton and BGN drivers: #27-Jamie McMurry, #20-Mike Mclaughin and #7-Randy Lajoie are testing this week through Wednesday(4-17-2001)
- TV Ratings: FOX had a 5.4 final national rating for its coverage of the Martinsville Winston Cup race was up 46% from 2000. That’s huge for a race that never has scored big in the ratings department. However, for the first time this year, the audience came in under six million households – 5.519 million to be exact. Year to date, FOX Sports has averaged a 6.8 national rating and a 17 share for its coverage of Winston Cup. See full story and ratings at SpeedVision: TV – Final National Ratings from April 6-8(4-17-2001)
- New #01 Crew Chief: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Team Manager Andy Graves announced today that Matt Chambers will replace Kevin Cram as crew chief of the #01 Cingular Wireless Dodge Intrepid R/T. Chambers will assume the crew chief role immediately, and will be at the team’s test tomorrow at Richmond. According to Graves, Cram’s departure from Chip Ganassi Racing was a mutual decision. He believes Chambers, who previously worked as crew chief for driver Kurt Busch in the NASCAR Winston Cup and Craftsman Truck Series, will be a solid addition to the team. “Chip Ganassi Racing is continuing to build and learn and we believe Matt’s broad experience will be an asset to our organization,” Graves said. #01 Cingular Wireless Dodge driver Jason Leffler currently sits fifth in Rookie of the Year points standings(Chip Ganassi Racing PR)(4-17-2001)
- IROC Testing: The True Value IROC team concluded their first day of testing Monday at Talladega Superspeedway in preparation for round two of the 2001, 25th anniversary season. Veteran test drivers Dave Marcis, Dick Trickle, Jim Sauter and Andy Hillenburg were on hand to put the Pontiac Firebirds through initial test runs. Dave Marcis said, “We worked a bit today with the roof pieces, the NASCAR air deflector. What we have on the IROC cars is the equivalent to what we have on the Winston Cup cars and we all agree that the cars are extremely comfortable. They draft really well, so if you fall behind you can draft back up again.” Dick Trickle said, “The cars are driving like baby buggies and we’ll have to remind the drivers they’re still in race cars going 180 MPH. Andy Hillenburg said, “To give you an example of how much fun it is to drive these cars, Jay Signore told us to go out and just run a few laps, well, we ran an entire race and didn’t come in until Dave (Marcis) ran out of gas.” IROC President, Jay Signore said, “Talladega is one of our favorite tracks. We’ve had some great races here over the years and always look forward to the next one. For our 25th anniversary we are paying tribute to all of our past champions. We have four dedicated test cars, and at each of the four races we have those four cars lettered with the names of past champions. We have 16 champions total, so it works out perfectly. For Talladega we have the 1975 champion Bobby Unser, 1984 champion Cale Yarborough, 1989 champion Terry Labonte and 1993 champion Davey Allison.” He continued, At Daytona, IROC paid tribute to 1974 champion Mark Donohue, 1979 champion Mario Andretti, 1980 champion Bobby Allison and the 2000 reigning champion Dale Earnhardt. In tribute to Dale Earnhardt, IROC will run eleven cars for the remainder of the season. Jay Signore said, “Dale Earnhardt was a great champion and we feel it is a fitting tribute to run one man shy.” The True Value IROC Talladega race takes place this Saturday, April 21 at 2:30 p.m., following the NASCAR Busch series race. More info on my 2001 IROC page.(IROC PR)(4-17-2001)
- Petty’s Crew Chiefs to Embark on Year-Long Trek Across America: A recent survey of ASE-certified Master Auto Technicians revealed that a properly maintained and operated vehicle will run more efficiently, will be safer and will last up to 50 percent longer. Findings such as these, along with the concern that people have gotten out of the habit of taking care of their cars, have prompted NASCAR-legend Richard Petty and his crew chiefs to share with people their best practices for engine maintenance: the `All 3 Every 3′ program, which recommends Americans practice proper engine maintenance by simply following these easy steps every 3,000 miles: (1) Change Your Oil (2) Clean Your Fuel Injectors (3) Check Your Belts, Hoses and Fluids. Richard Petty has enlisted the help of his Petty Enterprises’ crew chiefs – Greg Steadman, Bryant Frazier, Chris Hussey, and Howard Comstock – in order to educate Americans about the importance of automobile maintenance. From March through November, Petty’s crew chiefs will travel across America to introduce the `All 3 Every 3′ program. Tour stops with the crew chiefs will include a brief talk about the maintenance steps involved with the `All 3 Every 3′ program, a car care question and answer session and then actual “under the hood” demonstrations and tips. Launching in Greensboro, N.C., the `All 3 Every 3′ tour is scheduled to hold car maintenance events in Bristol, Tenn.; Roanoke, Va.; St. Louis, Mo.; Charlotte, N.C.; Memphis, Tenn.; Daytona Beach, Fla.; Lexington, Ky.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Nashville, Tenn.; Richmond, Va.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Atlanta, Ga.(Petty PR)(4-17-2001)
- Sad News: Des Moines, Iowa race driver Mark Wilson, 30, was killed Saturday night when his sprint car crashed during practice at Knoxville Raceway. Wilson was on the third lap of warm-ups just after the track opened when his car veered suddenly to the right and into the fence in the fourth turn. Wilson was pronounced dead at Knoxville Area Community Hospital of head injuries. Witnesses said it appeared as if something broke on the car, causing it to hit the fence and flip. An investigation by K & K Insurance, which insures the track, will be held to determine the cause of the accident. Track officials are holding Wilson’s car until investigators arrive later this week.(Des Moines Register and see a SpeedVision story: Tragedy in Knoxville by Jeff Olson) thoughts out to family and friends(4-17-2001)
- Amick News: Team Amick Motorsports announced that its top priority for the remainder of 2001 will be to conduct an “extensive re-engineering” effort fully capable of fielding two state-of-the-art Busch teams in the 2002 NASCAR season. While the team plans to run a limited schedule of races this year, Amick’s management will devote most of its attention to testing and refining its technology and design, in what the team calls “a new quest for excellence.” “We are making a major investment in quality engineering” team owner Bill Amick said. “Our plan is to focus as much time as possible this year to refining our engines, developing twenty-first century technology and fielding a world-class stable of cars that will set new standards for precision and excellence in stock car racing.” Amick said his strategy is designed to win races and to impress sponsors with the team’s commitment to the business of racing. “Sponsors are looking for a solid return on their investment,” Amick said. “We believe the key to that return is making a total commitment to quality in every phase of racing technology, from the hood to the exhaust pipe.” Team Amick Motorsports also plans to refine its human resources as well as its technology. “The driver and the rest of the crew must perform with the same precision as the best engines. An important part of re-engineering will be to make certain that our people as well as our cars do the right thing, the right way at the right time.” Amick said he will begin recruiting sponsors now for the 2002 season. “We are seeking sponsors for next year who share our view that a total commitment to quality will give this racing team a winning edge. The return on investment we seek can be expressed in two words: winning races,” Amick said. “That’s what excites us, and that what we are committed to.”(Amick PR)(4-17-2001)
- #34 Sponsor: J.B.Williams will be sponsoring the #34 Cicci/Welliver Racing(CWR) Chevy MonteCarlo driven by David Green with it’s Aqua Velva brand at Talladega. This is the first of (4) races they will be the primary this year with CWR. The remaining races are, Watkins Glen 7/8, Chicago 7/14, Pikes Peak 7/28.(Cicci/Welliver Racing PR)(4-17-2001)
- Testing at RIR: hearing that #92-Stacy Compton(CUP), #27-Jamie McMurray, #20-Mike Mclaughin and #7-Randy Lajoie are testing this week through Wednesday(4-17-2001)
- More BGN NHIS News: Kenny Wallace has joined fellow Cup drivers Steve Park and Kevin Harvick on the entry list for the CVS/pharmacy 200 Presented by Bayer NASCAR Busch Series race at New Hampshire International Speedway on May 12(off weekend in Cup)(NHIS PR)(4-17-2001)
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