May 1, 2000
- New Points System? Mike Helton, NASCAR’s chief operating officer, says NASCAR officials are looking at ways to revise the points system for next season. Some issues being looked at is leading laps and being in the top 10 but would not include qualifying or any bonus points for being the fastest(Roanoke Times) What would the standing look lie if F1 or CART systems were used? See RPM Designs(5-1-2000)
- Mayfield turns down Benny: NAPA Auto Parts 500 winner, Jeremy Mayfield has declined to appear on PRN’s “Fast Talk with Benny Parsons” radio program on Monday May 1. The show traditionally interviews the winner of the weekends Winston Cup race. It is one of the few times in the seven year history of the show that the winner was “unavailable.” Penske officials are aware of NASCAR’s decision regarding the #12 car, but asked for the decision NOT be announced at California. The show can be listened via Real Audio at www.goprn.com(5-1-2000)
- Radio News: Hearing that Capitol Sports who produces the daily five minute radio show, Winston Cup Today, has decided to discontinue the daily radio show as well as the weekend magazine show effect May 31st 2000. There was a dispute between NASCAR and Captiol Sports concerning trademark, copyright and track credential issues in which an agreement could not be reached. The show can still be heard on the radio and via the Internet at Raceshop.com(5-1-2000)
- Race Tidbits from California. If #17-Matt Kenseth had won, he and fellow rookie, #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. would had been the first two rookies to win a CUP race in the same since since 1981, when Morgan Shepherd won at Martinsville, VA and Ron Bouchard at Talladega. #6-Mark Martin lost his power steering halfway through the race(Crosswalk)(5-1-2000)
- #7 Team: Talk continues about Jim Mattei selling or taking on a partner for his race team, which fields #7 Chevy for driver Michael Waltrip. The discussion centers on Jim Smith, who owns the #2 CTS team(Mike Wallace). One source(That’s Racin’ source) said Sunday that Smith may be in Richmond next weekend to make an announcement about becoming involved in the team(That’s Racin’)(5-1-2000)
- Stewart Moonlights: Tony Stewart drove a super late model at Irwindale Speedway(CA) on Saturday night. He started 17th and finished seventh(Roanoke Times) also see story at RacingWest(5-1-2000)
- Mo Money: 2nd place Bobby Labonte takes home over $9,000 more than winner Jeremy Mayfield. Think those Winners Circle and other contingency plans don’t add up?(Rumblings-Henry Dubert)(5-1-2000)
- Helton Steps Down: Motor Racing Outreach senior chaplain and founder Max Helton has served his final race as the lead chaplain for the touring ministry. Helton, who founded MRO 12 years ago, told the Sunday morning chapel service he would be like a crewman “back at the shop,” working more from the ministry’s base in the Charlotte, NC, area. Dale Beaver will take over Helton’s duties on the road, but Helton said he would still come to some races(Total Sports)(5-1-2000)
- Glick Award: Before Sunday’s CUP race, Dan Gurney, a former Indy car, Formula One and NASCAR driver, won the first Shav Glick Award, presented to the person who is judged the “Distinguished Achiever in Motorsports in Southern California” by a blue-ribbon panel(LA Times)(5-1-2000)
- Skinner/Lowes/Red Cross: Topping off a second place finish at Talladega, Ala., and a strong performance during the month of April, Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse NASCAR driver Mike Skinner was also a winner for the American Red Cross and victims of natural disasters. At the NAPA Auto Parts 500 race in Fontana, Calif., Skinner crossed the finish line for the Racing for Relief program, having raised $114,370 for American Red Cross disaster relief during the month of April. During the month long program, Skinner raised the $114,370 donation by leading 75 laps and completing a total of 1,270 laps. Under the program, Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse pledged $31 (Skinner’s car number) to the American Red Cross disaster relief fund for every lap Skinner completed and $1,031 for every lap he led during April, the beginning of severe weather season(PR)(5-1-2000)
- Talladega Purse: In the DieHard 500 at Talladega, where the purse was listed as $2,904,027, the actual amount paid to the teams after the race added up to $2,354,541, or 81.1 percent of the advertised amount(Gaston Gazette)(5-1-2000)
- Memphis Race News: Quaker State Motor Oil will become the title sponsor of the May 12-13 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Memphis Motorsports Park and Memphis-based AutoZone will become presenting sponsor of the event. The race will be officially called The Quaker State 200 Presented by AutoZone(Memphis Business Journal)(5-1-2000)
- No race at Evergreen? UPDATE: Looks like the CTS race at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA may not take place as scheduled. NASCAR’s Owen Kearns, publicity director for the series, said yesterday he could “neither confirm nor deny” that the race will be dropped. Any announcement would come from NASCAR headquarters in Daytona Beach, Fla. Such an announcement is expected as soon as today. Although Craftsman Truck Series schedules show the Evergreen race set for June 3, the track’s general manager, Mickey Beadle, said the event never has been finalized officially beyond “to be announced” status(Seattle Times)(3-23-2000)
UPDATE: I hear the truck race is on and Sears will sponsor the race, to be known as the Sears 200(5-1-2000)
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