April 24, 2003
- Fellows fastest in 2nd day of testing at Infineon Raceway: Infineon Raceway says #81-Ron Fellows, a road-racing veteran running a limited Winston Cup schedule with Dale Earnhardt Inc. this year, posted the fastest stock-car lap ever at the Sonoma, Calif., road course to lead six Winston Cup drivers testing Wednesday. Fellows, who will compete for DEI at Infineon and Watkins Glen, lapped the 10-turn, 2-mile circuit at 1:16.24 (94.439mph). #20-Tony Stewart holds the official track record of 1:16.64 (93.946), set in 2002. “The equipment and resources I have at DEI are incredible, and it showed in this test,” said Fellows, who has twice won at the track in the American Le Mans Series driving a Corvette. #6-Mark Martin was second-fastest Wednesday at 1:16.47 (94.155) followed by his Roush Racing teammate #17-Matt Kenseth at 1:17.19 (93.276). Chip Ganassi Racing’s #42-Jamie McMurray at 1:17.24 (93.216) and #41-Casey Mears at 1:17.47 (92.939) were fourth and fifth, and Haas/CNC Racing’s #0-Jack Sprague rounded out the test at 1:18.04 (92.260).(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-24-2003)
- Fukuyama Plans California Run: Hideo Fukuyama says he will attempt to qualify Travis Carter’s #66 Ford for Sunday’s Auto Club 500 Winston Cup race at California Speedway. The Japanese driver, who made his 2003 debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, made his most recent run in an ARCA event but tested at California Speedway on April 15-16. “The test results weren’t too bad, but I didn’t run near as fast as the course record, so I’m still concerned over whether I can qualify at the California Speedway,” Fukuyama says.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-24-2003)
- So…what is up with that #20 impounded car? Meanwhile, NASCAR Winston Cup series director John Darby updated Autoweek on the #20 Home Depot Chevrolet, impounded by NASCAR on March 28 at Texas Motor Speedway after a template irregularity was found during the initial inspection process. The Joe Gibbs Racing, Tony Stewart car remains at NASCAR’s Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. “We’re close to finishing up our [assessment] process on the car,” Darby said. “After that we’ll make a determination on what to do further.”(Autoweek)(4-24-2003)
- Spys at Daytona USA?After Michael Waltrip won his second Daytona 500 in February, his #15 NAPA Chevy was rolled into Daytona USA for public display — or easy pickings? There are whispers out there that several Winston Cup teams, bound and determined find the strength of DEI’s restrictor-plate fleet, sent people to photograph and measure Waltrip’s sitting duck car. “It’s a great story to say people are going to Daytona to look at our car,” Waltrip said Wednesday while doing a media tour in California. Daytona officials said no one carrying a tape measure has entered Daytona USA after paying the $16 adult admission price. Nobody has taken measurements of the car and nobody better try it in the future. “There’s no way they can get close to the car,” Speedway spokesman David Talley said. “We don’t allow anybody to get close to the car or touch it. They can come take pictures if they want, but they can’t take out a tape measure and get up to the car, touch it or measure it.” Daytona USA has at least one employee near the car at all times and security makes regular sweeps through the building. Talley said if somebody was caught messing with Waltrip’s car, they’d get the bum’s rush. “We’d call security and escort them out of the building,” Talley said. NASCAR heard the same story about spies doing detailed measurements of Waltrip’s car and immediately called the Speedway about it.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(4-24-2003)
- Cope gets a sponsor for California UPDATE: Great Barrier Reef announces today their sponsorship of Derrike Cope a Winston Cup driver scheduled to race in the Auto Club 500 at the California Speedway April 27, 2003. Cope is a former Daytona 500 winner and a television analyst for Fox Sports News’ “NASCAR This Morning”. “Getting involved in the fastest growing sport in the United States fulfills a marketing objective of increasing our brand awareness”, stated Mike Hardy, Chief Operating Officer for Great Barrier Reef. “We believe that the demographics of NASCAR coincide closely with the demographics of our target customer base. We will use this relationship with Derrike to bring the excitement of NASCAR to our subscribers and the value of our service to an even wider population.” Hardy also stated “We at Great Barrier Reef are pleased to enter into this venture with Derrike Cope. We feel he represents the same values in which we strongly believe:. Hard work, value for you money and quality performance.” Great Barrier Reef, Inc. (GBR) provides Internet access services to subscribers across the United States. They offer unlimited Internet access for $9.95 per month, or just $110 per year. GBR is a 56k dialup service. GBR has grown rapidly to serve most major cities in the US. Dedicated to providing quality service to our customers, they offer FREE 24-hour support, unlimited access, V.92 high-speed dial-up connections, multiple email accounts, UseNet news feed and up to 10 MB of personal web space. For further information please visit the GBR website at www.gbronline.com.(Williams Company PR)(4-22-2003)
IMAGES added to the Paint Schemes Gallery.(4-23-2003)
UPDATE: The United States Coast Guard is pleased to be associated with Derrike Cope and Quest Motor Racing for a select schedule of NASCAR events. The recruitment initiative possibilities that evolve from a NASCAR relationship are a valuable promotion. NASCAR has a tremendous following. The Coast Guard wants to present its’ message to the many millions of loyal fans. Many people are not aware that the U.S Coast Guard was over in.the Mid-East.during recent hostilities as well as keeping the waterways safe here too. They will.appear.on the #37 Winston Cup car along with Great Barrier Reef Online.”(4-24-2003) - Mario Andretti survives wild wreck: Racing Legend and former Indy 500 and Daytona 500 winner Mario Andretti ran well Wednesday at Indianapolis until crashing hard just before the session ended. Sweeping through the first turn with the throttle wide open, Andretti found the short chute littered with debris from Kenny Brack’s car, which had just pounded the outside wall. Andretti’s car ran over a piece of Brack’s car and launched the 1969 Indy 500 winner into the air like Evel Knievel. His car soared some 20-to-25 feet in the air [check out the video clip – quite wild], nearly cleared the spectator fence and somersaulted four times before slamming back down to earth — thankfully — rightside up. Andretti hopped out and, incredibly, only suffered a scrape on his chin. Brack also escaped injury.(see full story and video at ESPN)(4-24-2003)
- SunTrust Bank to Partner with MB2 Motorsports SunTrust Bank, Mid-Atlantic has partnered with the MB2 Motorsports NASCAR Winston Cup team for the May 3 PontiacExcitement 400 at Richmond International Raceway. One of the nation’s largest and strongest financial holding companies, SunTrust Bank will be featured as an associate sponsor on the #01 U.S. Army Pontiac driven by Jerry Nadeau for the action-packed night race at the 0.75-mile track.(MB2/MBV Motorsports PR)(4-24-2003)
- Teen driver needs liver transplant: Four days after doctors at the Ohio State University Medical Center performed life-saving emergency surgery on teenaged racing sensation Kyle Jones to stem bleeding caused by cirrhosis of the liver, Jones isn’t thinking about the fact he nearly died last week. He wants to get back in a race car and do everything he had planned for 2003, a year that promised to add a couple of highlights to his already impressive racing resume. Despite the fact that cirrhosis of the liver kills 25,000 people in the United States every year, it isn’t Jones’ liver, per se, that’s putting his career on hold. It’s the swelling of the spleen, which is the gateway for blood into the liver, that is keeping him in the pits. “My spleen is so enlarged that (the doctors) said if I get hit, it would probably explode,” Jones said. “Otherwise, I could drive.” He could die, too, if his spleen ruptured. The doctors politely refused to remove the organ, which people can live without, just to get Kyle back on the track. But the mere fact he asked provides sharp insight to how Kyle is dealing with his ordeal. Everything was finally coming together for Jones’ racing career in 2003. Six years of driving everything from Quarter Midgets to E-mods to Late Models, and winning at every level, had landed him the opportunity he’d been hoping for: A ride on the bigger circuits that lead to NASCAR. Jeff Miller and the J-VEE-M Racing Team in Columbus were giving him that opportunity. Miller and Kyle had five-race schedules planned for the American Speed Association (ASA) circuit and the CRA/Sunoco Super Series as well as a three-race schedule on the Main Event Racing Series circuit. The doctors haven’t given the Joneses a timetable for how soon Kyle will need to undergo the liver transplant. He is on the list to receive a new liver, but doesn’t know where on the list he is. So for now, he’s on hold as doctors keep an eye on the progression of the disease and determine what treatments he will need. The shunt will remain in his liver until the transplant is done. Kyle’s road back to the track could be a long one and will most definitely be a hard one — physically, mentally and financially. Kyle’s aunt and cousin have set up the Kyle Jones Medical Fund with National City Bank, where people can donate money to help the family with medical costs that will total in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Donations can be made at any of the Springfield-area National City Bank locations. (See full story at the The Springfield News Sun)(4-24-2003)
- Sadler colors at California: #38-Elliott Sadler will sport the Pedigee Brand colors this weekend at California Speedway. He will visit a plant that produces Pedigree Dog Food in Vernon, CA before heading to the track.(M&M’s Motorsports)(4-24-2003)
- Some California Speedway facts: Jeff Gordon Holds Many California Speedway Records: Four-time Winston Cup Champion Jeff Gordon holds numerous California Speedway records, including the best averaging finishing position, 5.8, in the six previous Winston Cup races here. He holds that distinction despite his worst finish in last year’s event, 16th. It also marked the first time Gordon had not completed every mile of the 500-mile event. He holds the record with 2,998 miles completed. Other records for Gordon, who has won this event twice (1997 and 1999), include most laps led, 331, and most money won here, $737,745. Gordon was also the youngest winner here at 25-years-old when he won the Inaugural race in 1997.
Miles/Races: Michael Waltrip has logged more miles than any other driver around California Speedway’s two-mile oval. Waltrip has competed in 13 races in six years at the speedway, including Winston Cup, Busch Series and Craftsman Truck. He has completed 4,600 miles, 2,792 in Winston Cup, 1,496 in the Busch Series and 312 in the Truck Series. Ken Schrader has competed in 13 races here as well. Schrader has run all six Cup races, along with five Winston West races and two Craftsman Truck Series events here.
A NASCAR Sweep: Kevin Harvick, Mike Wallace and Ron Hornaday are the only drivers to compete in at least one of every NASCAR-sanctioned event at California Speedway. The trio has competed in Winston Cup, Busch Series, Craftsman Truck and Winston West at one time or another over the previous six years.(California Speedway PR)(4-24-2003) - Haas Automation to Sponsor #79 Car on NASCAR Busch Series: Haas Automation will sponsor the #79 car in three NASCAR Busch Series races with Troy Cline behind the wheel. The #79 Haas Automation Chevy is owned by John Aramendia, while the Haas CNC Racing team is providing the car and technical support. The #79 Chevy makes its debut in the 1-800-PIT-STOP.COM 300 at California Speedway on Saturday, April 26. The #79 Haas Automation car will then race at Richmond International Speedway on May 2 in the Hardee’s 250, and at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on May 24. “I am excited about this weekend’s race because we tested at the track and the car performed really well. I am really excited about going back there and racing,” said Cline. This weekend’s race will be the fourth Busch Series career start for Cline, whose career best finish was 21st place in the Stacker2 200 at Nazareth Speedway in May 2002. “We are looking forward to our Busch Series debut and seeing what Troy can do behind the wheel,” said Joe Custer, general manager for Haas CNC Racing. “I know that we have a good car, and we hope to finish near the top.”(Haas CNC Racing PR)(4-24-2003)
- Waltrip’s Looking to run full time in 2004: If he has his way, Michael Waltrip’s budding racing operation will compete in the complete Craftsman Truck Series next season. Waltrip said his older brother Darrell’s successful outing in the Advance Auto Parts 250 at Martinsville Speedway provided the final incentive for him to seek enough sponsorship to field a driver next season in the Truck Series. Darrell Waltrip drove a #17 Tide Chevy in the debut outing of Leroy’s Boys Racing, which honors the pair’s late father. “I was real proud for him and real proud of my team for providing him with such a great truck to race,” Michael Waltrip said. “We’re very interested in trying to run a full Truck Series season in 2004 with our team, to provide someone with an opportunity to run for a championship.” Waltrip, whose Michael Waltrip Racing also competes in a select schedule of NASCAR Busch Series races, said his brother’s racing aspirations would dovetail well with a full program for another driver. “I think a nice complement to that (full schedule) would be Darrell running in a second truck,” Michael said. “That would be for as many races as he wants or as many as (wife) Stevie would let him — so we’ll have to see what develops.” Darrell Waltrip will drive the #17 truck, which Leroy’s Boys purchased from Hendrick Motorsports, in August at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Michael’s Busch Series crew chief Bobby Kennedy and veteran mechanic Buddy “Red Dog” Barnes lead Leroy’s Boys’ truck effort.(NASCAR.com)(4-24-2003)
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