April 26 – Today in Jayski’s NASCAR history

April 26, 2007

• Some Talladega Facts: Hendrick Motorsports teammates #24-Jeff Gordon and #48-Jimmie Johnson have entered the Talladega spring race in the top 10 in the points standings in each of the past six seasons, the only drivers to do so. … Each Talladega spring race since the 2001 event, which ran green from start to finish, has had at least one wreck involving at least 10 cars. The annual breakdown for the biggest spring wrecks includes 24 cars in 2002, 27 in 2003, 10 in 2004, 25 in 2005 and 15 last year.(Alabama Live)(4-26-2007)
• Newman testing at the Rock: #12-Ryan Newman is scheduled to test at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, NC on Tuesday, May 1st.(Penske PR)(4-26-2007)
• 360 OTC leaves World of Outlaws as title sponsor UPDATE 2: World Racing Group announced today, effective immediately its national late model touring series will be known as the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, removing 360OTC as title sponsor. “We enthusiastically promoted the 360OTC brand and were delivering, and even over delivering, on our obligations in the partnership,” said World Racing Group CEO Tom Deery. “Unfortunately, Rockford-Montgomery Labs and its 360OTC brand were not able to live up to its responsibilities and obligations and we are effectively ending the sponsorship.(WoO site), no word how or if this effects sponsorship of the #36 Bill Davis Racing Nextel Cup team of Jermey Mayfield or the BDR Truck Series team of Tyler Walker. BDR has no comments about the situation. BDR reps responded to email with a ‘no comment’ when asked about the sponsor.(4-23-2007)
  UPDATE: 360 OTC returns as the primary sponsor of Johnny Benson’s #23 Toyota for the second Truck Series race in a row this weekend at Kansas Speedway. Benson will join BDR teammate Tyler Walker in representing 360 OTC on the side of his #36 truck. This will be the second of 10 races this season with 360 OTC as the primary sponsor on Benson’s truck, and is also Walker’s first attempt to race at the Kansas Speedway.(BDR PR)(4-23-2007)
  UPDATE 2: Rockford-Montgomery Labs Inc. and its 360 OTC brand have been removed as the title sponsor to the World of Outlaws. But for now, it doesn’t have anything to do with the company’s sponsorships in NASCAR. The Athens, Ga.-based company has sponsorships with two trucks, driven by Tyler Walker and Johnny Benson, in the Craftsman Truck Series, as well as Jeremy Mayfield’s #36 Toyota in the Nextel Cup Series. All three are scheduled to race this week – the trucks at Kansas, Mayfield at Talladega, AL. All three teams will carry the green and black colors of 360OTC, a team spokeswoman said.(Augusta Chronicle)(4-26-2007)
• Dark M&M’s paint for Gilliland at Talladega: #38-David Gilliland welcomes the return of M&M’S Dark Chocolate Candies. In fact, Gilliland made his debut for Team #38 in the M&M’S Dark Ford last August at Michigan International Speedway. The special paint scheme features the same color purple featured on the packaging for M&M’S Dark Chocolate Candies as well as “Miss Green,” marking her first ‘on-track’ appearance of 2007. M&M’S Dark Chocolate Candies were permanently introduced last year after being made available for a limited time during 2005. M&M’S Dark Chocolate Candies are identified with the word “Dark” printed underneath the “m” on many of the dark chocolate candies in the bag. The candies boast a smooth and delicious dark chocolate center in the same Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Orange and Brown color candy shells.(M&M’s Motorsports PR)(4-26-2007)
• Villeneuve Still Eyeing Montreal Race: The rumors of Jacques Villeneuve’s impending move to NASCAR racing eased off following the Canadian’s naming, earlier this year, to drive one of the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP diesel prototypes with which the French manufacturer will tackle the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But the fact remains that JV would love to be a part of the Busch Series race that will mark NASCAR’s debut on Canadian soil, the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve next August. “Obviously I’d like to do a home race, but it’s more important to take the time to set things up properly,” the 1997 Formula 1 world champion told his official website. “We have the time to do it properly so there is no point in rushing.”(SpeedTV.com)(4-26-2007)
• NASCAR alters restrictor plates to slow Busch cars: NASCAR has ordered its Busch Series teams to use restrictor plates with smaller hole sizes after officials determined that speeds from Thursday’s first practice were too high as Phoenix Racing’s Mike Wallace posted a lap of 197.342 mph at Talladega Superspeedway. The original restrictor plates had holes of 30/32nds of an inch. The new restrictor plates have holes of 29/32nds of an inch, meaning less air will flow through the carburetor. NASCAR Vice President Jim Hunter said the engines are expected to turn out 15 to 20 less horsepower as a result. Rookie practice was cancelled. The new plate was run in the Nextel Cup Series in 2004.(SceneDaily.com)(4-26-2007)
• NASCAR Countdown: ESPN on ABC Talladega Superspeedway Highlights: ESPN on ABCs NASCAR Countdown will preview the NASCAR Busch Series at Talladega Superspeedway action Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET, with the race to start at 3 p.m. Brent Musburger will host the telecast with studio analyst Brad Daugherty. Analyst Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN Cutaway Car.
  The race telecast team including Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett, and Andy Petree will also contribute. NASCAR Countdown will also include reports from pit reporters Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Mike Massaro as drivers and teams prepare to race on the 2.66-mile superspeedway.
  NASCAR Countdown will originate from Talladega Superspeedway and will be telecast from ESPN’s state-of-the-art mobile pit studio as it sets the stage for coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series race Saturday afternoon, April 28. Highlights will include:
  Jeff Burton in the Booth Jeff Burton, a two-time winner in the NASCAR Busch Series this season, is not competing at Talladega and will join Brent Musburger and Brad Daugherty in the ESPN Pit Studio for NASCAR Countdown. The South Boston, Va., native will share his views about racing at NASCAR’s biggest track, how to avoid “The Big One” multi-car crash that often occurs at Talladega and Daytona and his success in the Nextel Cup Series this season.
  Huffman and Earnhardt Go Navy: NASCAR Busch Series driver Shane Huffman and his team owner, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., recently visited the USS Cleveland off the coast of San Diego and NASCAR Countdown went along. ESPN’s Shannon Spake will report on the visit to the U.S. Navy amphibious transport dock vessel by Huffman and Earnhardt. Huffman’s car carries sponsorship of the Navy in the NASCAR Busch Series.
  Truex Goes For Four Straight: Former NASCAR Busch Series champion Martin Truex, Jr., is going for his fourth consecutive NASCAR Busch Series win at Talladega. Though he is only running a limited schedule in the series this season, his past record at Talladega still ranks him as a favorite to win.(ESPN PR)(4-26-2007)
• Mike Wallace to Have Special Guests at Talladega: Mike Wallace will head to Talladega this weekend in hopes of repeating his success at Daytona, but he will do it with the Hoover High School football coaching staff in tow. Head coach, Rush Propst, wide receivers coach, Shawn Sutton, along with defensive coaches, Chris Davis, Kevin Sherrer, and Tony Pugh will be on hand to cheer Wallace on for both the Busch Series and the Nextel Cup races. The coaches will be introduced at the Busch Series driver meeting on Saturday morning. MTV’s ‘Two-A-Days’ is a reality show that profiles the nation’s top high school football program, Hoover High School, in Hoover, Alabama. The television viewing audience is exposed to the inner workings and nuances associated with both playing and coaching in America’s premier high school football program.(Player Management International PR)(4-26-2007)
• Roush Fenway Racing to field part-time ARCA team with Darnell: UPDATE 2:Darnell scores second place finish: Roush Fenway Racing has announced that it will begin fielding a part-time ARCA RE/MAX Series team in 2007 with multiple drivers at the wheel. The #99 team will debut this weekend at Kansas Speedway with Erik Darnell, driver of the #99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford in the Craftsman Truck Series, assuming driving duties. Darnell competed in the ARCA RE/MAX Series in 2005. In five career starts, Darnell’s best finish is a fourth place at The Milwaukee Mile. Longtime Roush Fenway Racing employee Jeff Campey has been named crew chief of the #99 Ford Fusion. Most recently Campey worked as Roush Fenway’s Craftsman Truck Series shop manager. Campey has spent time atop the pit box, having called races for Greg Biffle and David Ragan.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(4-24-2007)
  UPDATE: Roush Fenway Racing has announced that Simply Wow, a division of Source Direct Holdings, will sponsor it’s #99 Ford Fusion in the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Kansas Speedway on April 27 and at Kentucky Speedway on May 12. Roush Fenway Racing driver Erik Darnell will be behind the wheel for both events.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(4-26-2007)
  UPDATE 2: Erik Darnell, driving the #99-Simply Wow Ford, scored a second-place finish in Roush Fenway Racing’s 2007 debut in the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Kansas Speedway on Friday night. Darnell had to fight hard for his runner-up finish, after starting the race in the 41st position following a procedural rule infraction before qualifying.(Roush Fenway PR)(4-28-2007)
• Xpress Motorsports names driver for Kansas: Entry list shows former Busch & Truck Series driver, Kenny Hendrick as the driver of the #16 Xpress Motorsports Chevy for this weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway. Sponsor to be announced.(4-26-2007)
• Lynch teams up with sponsor Cooper Bussman for six races: UPDATE: First race – Kansas: Team owner, Mike Mittler has announced that 2003 Grand Nat’l West Series Champion, Scott Lynch has signed a six-race deal with MB Motorsports to drive the #63 Ford beginning with the June 1st race at Dover. Other events include; ORP [Indianapolis], Gateway, Las Vegas, Atlanta and the season closer at Homestead. Sponsor for all races is Cooper Bussman Hughes based out of St. Louis, Missouri. (MB Motorsports)(2-3-2007)
  UPDATE: Cooper Bussmann joins MB Motorsports at Kansas Speedway for the first of Craftsman Truck races in 2007. Scott Lynch will handle the driving duties for all the Cooper Bussmann sponsored races.(MB Racing PR)(4-26-2007)

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