April 27, 1998
- UPDATE: Mike Skinner may also miss the California Cup race next week and Morgan Shepherd may sub for him again in the #31 Lowes Chevy. Skinner has a doctor’s appointment on Monday at which time a decision will be made on his participation in the May 3 event. (4-25-98) – Shepherd will take over the driving duties of the #46 First Union Chevy after Dallenbach left and Mike Dillon will run the #31 Lowes Chevy at California.(4-27-98)
- Our first driver change of the year(not involving an injury and rumored here for weeks): Wally Dallenbach and Felix Sabates(SABCO) have decided to part ways. Morgan Shepherd will drive the #46 First Union Chevy as an interm driver with the exception of the two road courses(Sears Point & Watkins Glen) where Tommy Kendall will pilot the car. Dallenbach is now a candidate to sub for Ricky Craven in the #50 Bud Chevy after the May 31st Dover race.(RPM2Nite)(4-27-98)
- Speaking of Morgan Shepherd, I hear that Shepherd is close to signing with a sponsor for 10-15 Cup races this year and with a 2 year deal for Winston Cup in 1999 and 2000, running Pontiac’s out of his Conover, NC shop. The sponsor is supposedly an insurance company of some type.(4-27-98)
- Brett Bodine hasn’t been 15th in Winston Cup points since he drove for Kenny Bernstein in 1993, seems like new crew chief Gere Kennon, new sponsor and a great spotter have done wonders for this team.(4-27-98)
- A few readers heard this story on ‘NASCAR Country'(a radio show) on Sunday, April 26 that Darrell Waltrip would not be returning to the #17 car and would remain at Dale Earnhardt’s team running a second car, when Steve Park returns. They said that it was as yet unsponsored and no number had yet been assigned.(4-27-98)
- A spokesman for the team formerly owned by Darrell Waltrip Motorsports and now under the control of Texas businessman Tim Beverley said the organization hopes to have the No. 17 car back on the track by the May 24 race at Charlotte, probably with Rich Bickle as the temporary driver. Waltrip, who’s filling in for the injured Steve Park in the car owned by Dale Earnhardt, plans to resume duties in his old car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Aug. 1 Brickyard 400.(Times-Dispatch)(4-27-98)
- BGN driver Mike Dillon(#72 Detriot Gasket Chevy) will drive the #31 Lowes Chevy in place of injured Mike Skinner at California this coming weekend. Dillon is the son-in-law of #31 car owner Richard Childress.(RPM2Nite)(4-27-98)
- Harry Gant, former NASCAR driver (the famed #33 Skoal Bandit) was involved in a two-vehicle accident on Sunday(4-26). Gant, who started more than 470 races in a NASCAR career that began in 1973, wasn’t injured in the accident. A British tourist was killed and her husband critically injured. See the complete story at That’s Racin’.(4-27-98)
- After recording an eighth-place finish, Ward Burton did what some other drivers in his situation have not been man enough to do. He stepped up and took full responsibility for the accident. “I think I caused it and I know a lot of people in the past have speculated and speculated and nobody has taken the blame for it,” Burton said. “That’s not doing much good for all the (damaged) race cars right now. I think I got my left-front on the apron a little bit and that got me loose. I was getting off the throttle quick and I think I slid up a little bit and got into the back of the 3 (Earnhardt) car. I didn’t get him by much, but hell, it doesn’t take much. I feel really awful about it. I’m glad I wasn’t in it, but I was involved in it and that doesn’t make me feel too good about it.”(GoRacing)(4-27-98)
- Dale Earnhardt was treated for second-degree burns to his face and neck in the infield care center. “Just about the same thing happened to Elliott that happened to me here in ’96. The fire came off Elliott’s car and singed my hair and burned my mustache a little bit. After being checked out in the track’s medical facility Bill Elliott was flown in his own plane to Blairsville, GA to be seen by his personal physician Dr. Jim Heaton. Chest x-rays revealed a possible bruised sternum but EKG results were good. Elliott was alert and walking around and plans to be back in the car next weekend at California Speedway.(GoRacing)(4-27-98)
- “NASCAR is taking the rumors of Bruton Smith and Tony George starting their own stock car series very seriously in private but will continue to blow it off in public. One scenario has Hooters as the title sponsor and them bringing their Hooters cup cars in as the originating model for rules etc. I am still very concerned over whether this will happen or not, but with the fiasco at Texas and NASCAR threatening to pull out of there Bruton may feel he has to make a move. It is going to be risky but entirely possible. There are too many good drivers in NASCAR for the number of starting position available. Well financed teams in both Winston Cup and BUSCH go home without racing every week and that could make a new series very attractive to sponsors who want exposure, not just showing up on the DNQ list once a week.”(Bart’s NASCAR Site)(4-27-98)
- NASCAR has the windshield that popped out of the car driven by Stanton Barrett(not Brad Loney) and landed 10 rows up in the grandstand during a wreck in Saturday’s Busch series race. The windshield injured four people, one of whom was held overnight at a hospital with a cut on her right hand. NASCAR officials plan to examine the windshield and its mount to see if anything can be done to prevent such an occurence in the future. Regardless, if it’s revealed that the windshield was improperly mounted, expect NASCAR to hand down a hefty fine.(Times-Dispatch)(4-27-98)
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