April 27, 2002
- Donlavey Injured in Auto Accident: Junie Donlavey, owner of the #90 Dukes Mayo/Sauer’s Fords driven by Rick Mast, suffered cracked ribs on his left side and a cracked right kneecap in a traffic accident Thursday night after arriving in California. “We were just driving along when, all of a sudden, this car comes out of a side street running 60 or 70 mph and he nailed us,” said Donlavey, 78. “If we would have been a fraction quicker, he would have gotten us right in the door. As it was, he caught us right in front of the door. “…It was unbelievable. I’ve never been in a wreck like that. In 1939, I laid my A-model Ford over on its side, but that’s the only other wreck I’ve been in.” Donlavey and team manager Jason Hedlesky were in the car. They’d just landed at Riverside airport and were heading to their hotel in Pomona when the wreck happened. Hedlesky escaped major injuries, but he and Donlavey were both treated at a hospital in Fontana and released. Hedlesky said he called 911 after making sure Donlavey and the driver of the other car were OK, but had trouble getting help since he didn’t know exactly where they were. Mast flew out on the same plane with Donlavey and Hedlesky, but was in another car. “They were following me to Interstate 10,” Mast said. “We went through a light and then an intersection. I looked in the mirror and I didn’t see them behind me.” Mast kept going but got a call from Hedlesky and turned back. “I absolutely couldn’t believe it,” Mast said. “Those cars were absolutely torn all to pieces. I said to myself, ‘How in the world did they survive this?’ But they did.” Donlavey and Hedlesky were both wearing seat belts and the car’s air bags also deployed properly.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-26-2002)
UPDATE: during FX’s coverage of Happy Hour practice, it was mentioned that Donlavey is fine and at the track for the weekend.(4-27-2002) - Grubb to run Cup races: NASCAR team owner Rick Goodwin announced this morning a six race 2002 Winston Cup sponsorship agreement with his current BGN sponsor Toys “R” Us. The first of those six races will be next Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway, the hometown track of driver Kevin Grubb. The team will continue to compete in the remaining BGN races as well. The Toys “R” Us Chevrolet Monte Carlo will maintain the # 54 and continue with Grubb behind the wheel and veteran crew chief Tony Lambert calling the shots. Andy Petree Racing, a leading NASCAR Winston Cup team, will provide the Monte Carlos along with additional track support. .The Richmond race, the Pontiac Excitement 400, will be the first career Winston Cup start for the 24-year-old Grubb. “The first month of our Busch Grand National sponsorship with Rick Goodwin has been very successful for Toys “R” Us,” said Warren Kornblum, Chief Marketing Officer for Toys “R” Us. .”We are all very excited about this step forward for six Winston Cup races beginning next week. We look forward to our partnership with Kevin, Rick and Tony flourishing as we move together into the Winston Cup Series as well as our continued competition in the Busch Series. .Every Toys “R” Us associate is proud to have Kevin Grubb as a Toys “R” Us kid.” While the team has achieved success early on in the 2002 NASCAR Busch Grand National season, the move to the highest level of NASCAR competition will be an exciting challenge for the team based in Bristol, VA. “Our entire race team feels very fortunate to have such a quality sponsor like Toys “R” Us on board,” said Rick Goodwin, team owner. .”To be able to make this move into Winston Cup racing with Toys “R” Us is truly a dream come true. We recognize the magnitude of this move and feel confident with the program we have in place.”
“I can’t even begin to describe how exciting it is going to be making my Winston Cup debut at my hometown track of Richmond International Raceway,” said Kevin Grubb. .”Ever since I started racing as a kid, I have wanted to be a Winston Cup driver. I want to thank Toys “R” Us and Rick Goodwin for providing me with this opportunity. .I am very lucky to be a Toys “R” Us kid!” In addition to the Pontiac Excitement 400, the team will also compete in the following Winston Cup races; Dover, June 2nd, Bristol, August 24th, Richmond, September 7th, Dover, September 22nd and Kansas, September 29th.(Camp and Assoc PR)(4-27-2002) - Jarrett special scheme at Lowes: Look for a special paint scheme recognizing the Race Fans For A Cure program on Dale Jarrett’s car in the Winston and the Coca Cola 600 in May at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte. To Find Out More About Race Fans For A Cure or to get the booth track schedule, go to www.Racefansforacure.com.(NASCAR.com)(4-27-2002)
- Kyle on MTV: A new MTV show, scheduled to debut in July, will feature Sprint Dodge driver, Kyle Petty, along with a variety of top musical talents. The show, “All Access,” is a day-in-the-life type television show which follows each talent through a key time period. Petty is the only driver, in fact, the only person featured not because of his musical abilities. “I did offer to sing a little bit for them,” laughed Petty, who is known for a singing voice which allowed him to open once for a Hank Williams Jr. concert. “We’re still negotiating that part.” For Petty, that is this weekend at Fontana, Calif. An MTV crew began following him and the Sprint Dodge team this week, beginning Thursday with Petty’s appearances at a Sprint PCS store in the Los Angeles area and at the Georgia-Pacific Teen Safety program at Los Angeles-area high school. The crew stayed with Petty during practice and qualifying Friday at California Speedway, and will remain with him through Saturday’s practice and Sunday’s race. “It’s a little bit different deal because of who they are but it’s pretty much the kind of thing we’ve seen in this sport too,” Petty said. “Getting our race team and Sprint in front of the MTV audience is a good deal and it’s important. This is something that is just good for the sport, just like it is good for Petty Enterprises.”(Williams Company)(4-27-2002)
- TRAC News: The group of investors who are trying to organize a stock-car racing series under the moniker TRAC, with franchises and city locations around the country, may have some big names involved and some good money to play with. But, so far, the word out of Detroit is that TRAC has had no serious conversations with racing executives at either Ford or General Motors about involvement in the series. Ford officials have told TRAC that the use of the Mustang name – as was announced earlier this week in Charlotte as one of the cars that would be racing in the new series – had not been authorized by Ford Motor Company. There were tentative discussions between Ford and TRAC last year about Ford providing engines for the new series, but those talks went nowhere.(Winston Salem Journal). more info on the series on my TRAC page(4-27-2002)
- Hershel McGriff Says He Will Retire: One of the legends of stock car racing said that he’s tired of running in the back. Seventy-Four year old Hershel McGriff, who raced in the first Southern 500 at Darlington in 1950, says he not could not stand being uncompetive. McGriff is at the California Speedway to run the Winston West race and took the green flag but pulled off the track. “I just don’t feel comfortable running out there anymore, I’m used to running up front.” says McGriff. “It’s time to retire.” His credentials include being Winston West’s winningest active competitor with 34 victories, the winningest Bud Pole active competitor with 35 awards and the 1986 NASCAR Winston West Series champion. McGriff started racing in 1945 and competed in 86 Winston Cup events with 4 wins and 5 poles.(Insider Racing News)(4-27-2002)
- Atwood in the pink? NOT: Casey Atwood’s Dodge was missing an important part of its car Friday morning. The number was noticeably absent on the side of his blue car. It seems that Sirius Radio officials, Atwood’s sponsor, wanted to be able to pick the car out of a pack better, so Ultra-Evernham Motorsports team members put a neon-pink #7 on the car for Talladega. But Atwood protested, saying he wasn’t going to drive a pink-numbered car. So crewmen put on a neon-orange #7.(Racing One)(4-27-2002)
- Labonte and Unser: Bobby Labonte and Cody Unser, the 15-year-old daughter of Al Unser Jr., appeared together in California on Thursday to help promote a medical conference related to the disease that has left her paralyzed from the chest down. Labonte helped start The Cody Unser First Step Foundation (www.codysfirststep.org) by donating $60,000 he won for a second-place finish in the 1999 IROC series after he had filled in for her father. Labonte is the foundation’s honorary chairman. The two appeared at the Christopher Reeve-Irvine Research Center at the University of California-Irvine, one of the world’s top spinal cord research facilities.(Tampa Tribune)(4-27-2002)
- Riggs wins at California: Rookie #10-Scott Riggs won Saturday’s Auto Club 300 at California Speedway after a late-race caution and red flag bunched the field, but Riggs still held off #21-Jeff Green by .991 seconds for the win, his second of the season and second in the past three races. The rookie also won the BGN race at Nashville. #59-Stacy Compton was third; #24-Jack Sprague, who started on the pole [due to rain per points], was fourth; and #57-Jason Keller rounded out the top five. Sprague maintains his lead in the series points race. See results at ThatsRacin.com or BGNRacing.com.(4-27-2002)
- Hendrick Back at RIR…maybe: Ricky Hendrick, who suffered a shoulder injury in Las Vegas BGN race last month, plans to return to his #5 GMAC Chevy next weekend at Richmond. Before he can officially take back the wheel from substitute Ron Hornaday, however, Hendrick must first pass a test. Not one set by NASCAR, but one set up by his father, Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick. Ricky Hendrick will test at Concord (NC) Motorsports Park Tuesday and must run a simulated full-length race (approximately 200 laps) to make sure he has the endurance to compete at Richmond. “That’s the deal. I have to drive a whole race before they let me get in the car on race day,” Ricky Hendrick, 22, said. “It’s too soon for me to be a team owner and all I want to do is drive. It’s in my blood and I can’t wait to get back in the seat.”(ThatsRacin.com)(4-27-2002)
- #39 Crew Chief: Veteran George Church will serve as the crew chief for Steve Portenga Racing in upcoming CTS races, it was announced Wednesday.. The team fields the #39 Roto-Rooter Chevy for driver Steve Portenga in the CTS. “I’m pleased to have George Church join us,” Portenga said.. “He has a lot of experience in the truck series.. I think he’ll help our program immediately.” Church joins the team after it experienced a frustrating weekend at the Advance Auto Parts 250 in Martinsville. Portenga failed to qualify for that race, missing the event by three one-thousandths of a second. The first race for the Church/Portenga combination is the Ram Tough 200 at the Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill. That event is Sunday, May 5.(Liberty Sports PR)(4-27-2002)
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