April 26, 2000
- Sears Point Testing: Dale Earnhardt Jr. made his first trip to Sears Point Raceway this week for a NASCAR Winston Cup Test Session, and he won’t soon forget it. Earnhardt Jr., who was joined in the Tuesday-Wednesday session by #18-Bobby Labonte, #43-John Andretti and 31-Steve Park, survived several spins on the twisting 10-turn, 1.94-mile road course and came away with much-needed experience. NASCAR comes to Sears Point Raceway June 22-25 for the Save Mart/Kragen 350. Earnhardt Jr. turned one of his best laps in the Wednesday morning session at 1 minute, 13.4 seconds(95.150mph). Park reported the fastest time of the session at 1:12.12(96.839mph), followed by Andretti (1:12.55 – 96.265mph) and Labonte (1:13.1 – 95.540mph). Andretti has placed third the last two years at Sears Point, while Labonte was 27th a year ago. Earnhardt Jr. prepared for the test session by using a simulator, but still found the terrain tough. He twice suffered spins exiting Turn 7, both times landing in the gravel trap. Boris Said, who won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Sears Point in 1998, served as a personal coach to both Earnhardt Jr. and Park during the session(Sears Point PR)(4-26-2000)
- Evernham says…: Ray Evernham said in an interview broadcast on a Charlotte, NC, radio station that he has a second driver to join his two-car Dodge entry for next season. Evernham didn’t say who his driver will be, but he has said that he wanted to sign BGN driver Casey Atwood to join Bill Elliott(who signed weeks ago). Evernham said in the interview that an announcement would be made next month when the series is at Lowe’s Motor Speedway(Roankoe Times)(4-26-2000)
- AJ Crew Chief UPDATE 4 Engines: Crew chief Terry Wooten was released from the #14 A.J. Foyt/Conseco team after the team failed to qualify at Martinsville. Foyt and general manager Waddell Wilson will serve in the crew chief’s role this weekend at Talladega. The team is looking to hire a crew chief next week(Roanoke Times)(4-12-2000)
UPDATE: a new crew chief is expected to be hired soon, possibly as early as Monday(Times-Dispatch)(4-16-2000)
UPDATE 2 – New #14 Crew Chief: Philippe Lopez has been named the crew chief for the #14 AJ Foyt Conseco team. Lopez was the crew chief for the #41 Hedrick Motorsports team and follows Mast over from there. Other changes in the team are expected to be announced within the next week(RPM2Nite). Hearing the changes may include team manager Waddell Wilson leaving the team and changing to an engine supplier such as Hendrick(4-18-2000)
UPDATE 3 – Engines: Crew chief Phillipe Lopez and engine builder David Evans followed driver Rick Mast to A.J. Foyt’s operation(Times-Dispatch), well it’s not Hendrick engines, but a new head engine builder for the team(4-25-2000)
UPDATE 4: Foyt finished his housecleaning by releasing Waddell Wilson as general manager of the #14 team and bringing nephew Tommy LaMance on board. LaMance has been with Foyt since 1994 when he served as team manager with A.J. Foyt Enterprises. Foyt also hired engine builder David Evans away from Hedrick Motorsports(#41), along with much of his engine crew(SpeedVision) AND current engine builder Greg Wilson(Waddell’s son) remains to work with Evans and several of Evans’ other co-workers have joined him at Foyt’s, from NASCAR Online and another story at TNN(4-26-2000) - No #50? UPDATE: even though on the NOL Entry list, I hear that the #50 Midwest Transit Chevy and driver Ricky Craven will not be going to California for the NAPA Auto Parts 500
UPDATE: the team will skip California and test at Greenville Pickens Speedway in preparation for the race at Richmond(Midwest Transit Racing Site)(4-26-2000) - Guerrero/HRT News UPDATE 3 no go at Calif: on Sunday, TNN’s Raceday reported that former CART/IRL driver Roberto Guerrero, would drive in ten races in the BGN series for the HRT Motorsports team. The HRT stands for Hispanic Racing Team. They used #41 in 1999 when they attempted Homestead. Larry Hedrick. owner of the #41 CUP team helped out. More news from an AP story at SpeedNet: Roberto and his 28-year-old brother, Jaime, will share a ride this season in the Busch Series. Roberto will drive in 11 events, beginning with Texas. Jaime will drive in five events in 2000 and race for Busch Series rookie of the year in 2001. The brothers will be driving a Chevrolet fielded by the new Hispanic Racing Team. It was formed by Rudy Rodriguez and Mike Vazquez, first generation Cuban-Americans(3-16-2000)
UPDATE: See full SpeedVision story at: HRT Looks To Spread NASCAR Gospel. ALSO, heard the Roberto Guerrero was testing at Charlotte today and wrecked the car. Plan were for the team to run next week at California, but early reports have him with a hairline fracture of the scapula and two fractured ribs(4-20-2000)
UPDATE and PR: HRT (Hispanic Race Team) Motorsports experienced a slight set back yesterday during a testing session at Lowes Motor Speedway. After twenty-five very impressive laps, HRT driver Roberto Guerrero was involved in minor accident after having a mechanical problem with the throttle approaching turn three. Guerrero, a former IRL open wheeled standout, was then forced in use the brake, sending the right front quarter-panel of #72 car into the wall. Guerrero was taken to a local Charlotte hospital for observation, where it was determined that he suffered a hair line fractured to two ribs and his right scapula. It’s not probable that Guerrero can return for Fontana next week, which was scheduled to be the first race of the 2000 schedule for HRT Motorsports. ” This is only a little bump in the road. We are just lucky that Roberto was able to walk away from the accident. Many great drivers have similar incidents in turn three at Lowes,” said Rudy Rodriguez, co-owner of HRT. HRT’s number two driver is Roberto’s younger brother, South American road course legend, Jaime Guerrero. NASCAR has not yet cleared Jaime to drive on super speedways such as next weeks track at Fontana, so HRT is discussing the possibility of bringing in a another driver for next weeks race if Roberto is unable to get behind the wheel. “We have made a commitment to race at Fontana, but we just need to make the best decision possible for HRT. If that means finding another driver to take the seat for next week or re-focus our efforts on another race…we will make a decision in a few days,” said Mike Vazquez co-owner of HRT. HRT will return to Charlotte on May 8 and 9 for additional testing. Roberto is scheduled to get the lions share of the laps in preparation for his NASCAR debut on May 27th at Lowes. Prior to the accident yesterday, Roberto had already reached lap times that would have easily qualified him for last years race at Charlotte. “This is racing and anything can happen, but I am excited to get back behind the wheel soon. Before the crash we were running some really fast times and I was driving conservatively. I feel that if I had gotten the most of the car, we could have ran times that would have us near the pole, based on last years qualifying times.” ” We were tickled with how quick Roberto came up to speed….He was definitely fast enough to be in the show and then some. Unfortunately we had a mechanical problem that set us back a bit, but I am very well pleased with Roberto and HRT. Roberto’s talent level and experience will definitely show through in NASCAR” said Tony Burgess HRT’s crew chief. About HRT: Formed in 1999, HRT is the only Hispanic owned and driven team in NASCAR racing. The team efforts are spearheaded by two Cuban-American cousins, Rudy Rodriguez and Mike Vazquez. HRT’s primary focus is to expose the Latin community to the sport of NASCAR Racing and in turn, introduce the brand loyal Hispanic community to U.S. based corporations through integrated marketing campaigns and sponsorship(HRT PR)(4-21-2000)
UPDATE 3: Roberto Guerrero planned to make his Busch Series debut Saturday at the Auto Club 300 at California Speedway. But HRT Motorsports has withdrawn Guerrero’s entry for BGN race at California after he sustained a broken right scapula and two cracked right ribs in a crash during testing a week ago at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. After 21 laps, Guerrero’s throttle stuck as he headed into Turn 3 and he slammed into the wall. Because the driver’s seat wasn’t designed for him, the support that wraps around the right side fit tighter than usual, causing the injury. The two-time runner-up at the Indy 500 plans to return to his Chevrolet when the team begins testing May 9 in preparation for the Carquest Auto Parts 300 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway(Orange County Register)(4-26-2000) - CBS Sportsline: Life in the NASCAR Busch Series by Jason Jarrett(4-26-2000)
- Hooper to the #0: Alumni Motorsports announces that Lance Hooper will drive the teams #0 Chevrolet in the Auto Club “300” this weekend at the California Speedway. Also, the team announces that it will be sponsored by WorldBestBuy.com at the California race(PR)(4-26-2000)
- Two Grubb Cars: Brandon Butler, 27, has been selected to drive the second Grubb Motorsports car at Richmond International Raceway. Wayne Grubb drives the primary car, which will be sponsored by SunCom at both of the Busch Grand National races at RIR this season. Butler will attempt to qualify the #52 Graybar-sponsored Chevrolet for the Hardee’s 250 on May 5. Graybar also will sponsor that car at the RIR race in September, and Grubb’s #83 Chevrolet in the Busch race at Bristol, Tenn., in August. Butler currently is signed to drive only in the Hardee’s 250(Grubb Motorsports PR)(4-26-2000)
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