May 4, 2001
- No Coverup: NASCAR president Mike Helton issued a statement to the media Friday at Richmond, following a meeting with Winston Cup drivers and team owners to answer their questions about the on-going investigation into Dale Earnahrdt’s death in a crash at Daytona on Feb. 18. See That’s Racin’ for the Transcript of Helton’s statement (5-4-2001)
- Kenseth to RCR? UPDATE: it was reported on ESPN2’s RPM 2Day on Sunday that #17 DeWalt driver, Matt Kenseth could be headed to Richard Childress Racing in 2002. Didn’t say which car, the #30 AOL Chevy or the #31 Lowes Chevy if Skinner leaves(4-29-2001)
UPDATE: Matt Kenseth comments on Roush Racing.com – “Why would I consider going anywhere else?” Matt Kenseth said. “I have the crew chief of my choice, a great group of people building cars for me, the support of DeWALT and the unlimited resources of the equipment and employees at Roush Racing. I’d be foolish to give this up.”(Roush Racing Site)(5-4-2001) - Penalties UPDATE: NASCAR Officials announced today the suspension of a NASCAR Winston Cup Series crew chief for rules violations discovered in inspection prior to Sunday’s NAPA 500 at California Speedway in Fontana, CA. Mike Beam, crew chief of the #32 Ford Taurus, received a two-race suspension (until May 22, 2001-suspended from the next two NASCAR Winston Cup Series Championship or Invitational Events) and a $5,000 fine for not having the manufacturer’s date visible on the seat belts. Beam was penalized under Section 12-4-Q in the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series rule book, “Any determination by NASCAR Officials that parts and/or equipment used in the Event do not conform… or have not been approved by NASCAR…” Along with the above-mentioned penalty, Beam was issued another $500 fine for rules violations (roof camera shell not within the proper dimension) discovered in inspection prior to the Talladega 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. He was penalized under Section 12-4-Q, “Any determination by NASCAR Officials that parts and/or equipment used in the Event do not conform… or have not been approved by NASCAR…” Robin Pemberton, crew chief for the No. 2 NASCAR Winston Cup Series team, was penalized for rules violations (fuel cell top rack) discovered in inspection prior to the NAPA 500 at California Speedway in Fontana, CA. Pemberton was fined $500 and penalized under section 12-4-Q in the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series rule book. Additional fines were levied against the following crew chiefs for rules violations discovered in inspection prior to the Talladega 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and were penalized under Section 12-4-Q in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series rule book: #96-Joe Garone, Roof camera shell not within proper dimension, $500; #28-Michael McSwain, Fuel cell top rack, $500; #8-Tony Eury, Sr, Fuel cell top rack, $500; #15-Scott Eggleston, Fuel cell top rack, $500; #1-Paul Andrews, Lightened lug nuts, $500(NASCAR PR)(5-2-2001)
UPDATE: PPI Motorsports will not appeal the seat belt related fine and two-race suspension of Tide crew chief Mike Beam announced yesterday by NASCAR. Statement by Cal Wells, owner, PPI Motorsports, regarding the penalty: “As safety conscious as this team is, we would never do anything to impede the safety systems in our race cars. It’s not uncommon – nor against the rules – to remove the manufacturer name labels from seat belts to help tighten the buckles. There was an error in judgment at the car prep stage when the date labels, not just the manufacturer name labels, were also removed from what are essentially new belts. We are extremely frustrated and embarrassed by the penalty and Mike’s suspension, especially since this was not his mistake. However, I have to commend NASCAR for being consistent in enforcing the importance of paying attention to seat belts and other safety elements in Winston Cup cars.” Roy McCauley, race engineer for the No. 32 Tide Ford, will serve as interim crew chief for the next two races(Richmond and The Winston)(PPI Motorsports PR)(5-4-2001) - Ward Hospitalized UPDATE 6 Will Race – Wimmer(not Sacks) to stand by: Winston Cup driver Ward Burton was admitted to Loma Linda Medical Center in Riverside(actually in Loma Linda), CA Sunday after he was involved in a wreck during Sunday’s NAPA 500 at California Speedway. Burton and Mark Martin were involved in a wreck on Lap 225 in Turn 2. Martin apparently hit Burton from behind, putting Burton’s car into a spin and then the wall. Burton was diagnosed with a concussion but was awake and alert at the hospital. He was being held for additional CAT scans(That’s Racin’)(4-29-2001)
UPDATE: A NASCAR official confirmed that Burton was wearing the Simpson Decelerator, a new head-restraint system from Simpson Performance Products. Like the HANS device and other head restraints, the Simpson Decelerator is designed to reduce the violent whiplash a driver can suffer in a crash and lead to a basilar skull fracture, which killed Dale Earnhardt, Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin(Roanoke Times) UPDATE 2:hearing Ward Burton will not the Cup race at Richmond due to the concussion and possible torn neck ligaments he suffered at California. No word on who will be sub for him but am hearing it could be Kenny Wallace if the Eel River Racing team decided not tot run at Richmond
UPDATE 3: Rumor has it that Ward Burton will sit out this weekend’s Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond International Raceway(NASCAR.com Buzz)(4-30-2001)
UPDATE 4: Ward Burton, driver of the #22 Caterpillar Dodge, was released from Loma Linda University MedicalCenter last night at approximately 10:00pm/et. He was released following hospitalization for observation and a series of tests after a late-race incident at California Speedway Sunday. Burton was diagnosed with a concussion and was given clearance from the medical staff to return to his home in Virginia(Bill Davis Racing PR). No word on his plans for the race at Richmond this weekend
AND ESPN2’s RPM 2Night reports that Burton has been cleared to race at Richmond and a team spokeman says Burton is scheduled to run at Richmond, but Burton is still experiencing pain in his neck(5-1-2001)
UPDATE 5: Winston Cup driver Ward Burton returned to his Virginia home Tuesday following two nights in a California hospital but his status for Saturday night’s Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond, Va., remains questionable. While Burton recovers from injuries he sustained in a wreck in Sunday’s NAPA 500 at California Speedway, NASCAR continues to examine the head-restraint system Burton used in the race. Although Burton’s team hopes he can compete this weekend, it is making contingency plans. Bill Davis, owner of Burton’s team, contacted driver Kenny Wallace this week about driving for Burton at Richmond. Wallace’s team was rumored to be shutting down this week. Wallace, however, informed Davis his team had picked up a sponsor, Geico, and would be racing this weekend. Davis has contacted other potential replacement drivers as well, sources said. Dave Blaney, would likely replace Burton in the team’s scheduled test Monday and Tuesday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in preparation for The Winston and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte later this month(That’s Racin’)
UPDATE 6: PRN’s Garage Pass radio show reports Ward Burton will run Richmond with Greg Sacks standing by as a back-up driver. Burton was checked out today by a neurosurgeon at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC and was cleared to race.(PRN Garage Pass)(5-2-2001)
UPDATE 6: Scott Wimmer of the Busch Series(#23 Bill Davis Pontiac) will be on stand-by for Ward Burton for Saturday night’s race at Richmond. Burton suffered a concussion after being involved in a crash at Fontana and stayed overnight in a local hospital. He has been cleared by doctors to race(Atlanta Journal Constitution)(5-4-2001) - Stewart in the Indy 500 Part II and an UPDATE 4: Tony Stewart is close to heading back to the Indianapolis 500. Sources close to Stewart’s Joe Gibbs racing operation say that Stewart has been granted permission to compete in this year’s 500-miler, provided that he meets several stipulations. Stewart must agree to a rigorous strength and conditioning program to prepare him for the potential 1,100 miles of racing he will put his body through on May 27. Gibbs reasons that such a program will provide his driver with some much needed athletic development that will pay off during the remainder of NASCAR season. The proposed ride for Stewart is rumored to be in the Target car owned by Chip Ganassi Racing. Target’s sponsorship is another stipulation the source indicated needs resolution before Stewart can drive at Indy. Home Depot must have a presence on any car that Stewart races at the Brickyard. As late as last week, Stewart scoffed at his rumored return to the race that first thrust him into national prominence. During FOX TV’s pre-race coverage, Stewart told Chris Meyers that he was “bringing a two-car team to Indy with Larry McReynolds and Jeff Hammond (two former NASCAR mechanics and current Fox commentators) as my drivers.” When asked about a possible Stewart ride, Chip Ganassi said “the drivers in the cars now are the ones scheduled to run Indy.” Those two drivers are Ganassi’s CART team of rookies Bruno Junqueira and Nicolas Minassian. Previous reports linked both Jimmy Vasser and Paul Tracy as potential Ganassi Indy 500 drivers, but Ganassi denied any move to replace either of his two rookies with Vasser or Tracy.(ESPN)
(NOTE: I missed this interview, but my understanding is that Tony Stewart’s comments on Fox last week concerning him possibly running the Indy 500 to Chris Meyer’s were.. .that he was bringing a two car team to Indy with Darrell Waltrip and Matt Yocum as the drivers,(not Larry & Jeff), makes more sense, but it was just a tongue in cheek statement by Stewart because of all the rumors). See the past news on this on my #20 Team News and Links page
UPDATE: Despite recent rumors to the contrary, seeing Tony Stewart in the Indianapolis 500 is wishful thinking, a team spokesman said Friday. The spokesman said that the major conflict with the issue, other than the obvious fact that the Coca-Cola 600 is run the same day, deals in the high-dollar realm of sponsorship equity in drivers(NASCAR.com Buzz)(4-27-2001)
UPDATE 2: from a story on ESPN’s site by Robin Miller – A story that started out as a rumor on RPM2Night two weeks ago is almost a reality. Tony Stewart will drive for Chip Ganassi in next month’s Indianapolis 500. Despite Ganassi’s contention it’s not a done deal, ESPN.com has confirmed that Stewart will be in a Target G-Force/Aurora for the 85th Indianapolis 500. A source close to the NASCAR star said the contract was agreed on Friday(more at ESPN)(4-29-2001)
UPDATE 3: Tony Stewart has not finalized a deal with Chip Ganassi to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and said Tuesday that he is running out of time to make it happen. Reached at his home in North Carolina, Stewart said he has until Thursday to pull the Indy Racing League program together. Stewart would not elaborate on the specific obstacles standing between him and a chance at a fifth 500 start. Left unresolved though is the business relationship between Ganassi’s sponsor (Target) and the company that funds Stewart’s Winston Cup ride with Joe Gibbs Racing (Home Depot). Gibbs and Ganassi could not be reached for comment Tuesday(Indianapolis Star)(5-2-2001)
UPDATE 4: Tony Stewart said Thursday he still does not have a contract to drive one of Chip Ganassi’s IRL cars in this month’s Indianapolis 500, although rumors continue to swirl that he has one. Stewart previously said he wanted the deal finalized before he went to Richmond, Va., for today’s stock-car qualifying. The 500 opens for practice Sunday. Ganassi has been pursuing Indy veterans to possibly replace his CART rookies, Nicolas Minassian and Bruno Junqueira. In Nazareth, Pa., where CART will race this weekend, Minassian said he would be disappointed if he’s replaced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But he would abide by Ganassi’s wishes(Indianapolis Star)(5-4-2001) - TV at California: A NASCAR Winston Cup race on FOX Sports posted an overnight rating under 5.0 for the first time this season. Nonetheless, the 4.8 overnight for the race at California Speedway was up nearly 40 percent from last year and the small-market bump pushed the final national rating to 5.4 with a 14 share, keeping the string of 5m-plus household audiences intact through 10 races.(SpeedVision)(5-4-2001)
- Foyt and Childress Team Up at Indy UPDATE: A.J. Foyt has taken on a partner for this year’s Indianapolis 500. NASCAR Winston Cup championship team owner Richard Childress is now the co-owner of the No. 41 Dallara/Oldsmobile Aurora Indy car to be driven by Robby Gordon in this year’s Indy 500. A.J. Foyt filed an entry change listing RCR Racing as the co-entrant (along with A.J. Foyt Racing) of Gordon’s car last Saturday. .I was talking to Richard at Talladega,. said Indy’s first four-time winning driver, .and asked him if he wanted to be my partner in the second car at Indy this year. Richard and I have been friends for many, many years and I know he has enjoyed coming to Indy in the past so I figured I.d give him a reason to come again. The difference is he.ll be a team owner this year. “Being involved in some way in the Indy 500 is something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Childress. “A.J. and I have been friends for a long time and there isn’t anyone else I’d rather be a co-owner with for that race. We have both been fortunate enough to get to Victory Lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and I think we have a real shot at getting there together this year with Robby, who is a very talented driver.” Childress was a frequent visitor to the Speedway in May during practice and Pole Day qualifying in the 1980’s. Childress won the Brickyard 400 in 1995 with the late Dale Earnhardt, who led the race’s final 28 laps. Foyt last visited Victory Lane at the Speedway in 1999 when Kenny Brack won the 500 in Foyt’s No. 14. Foyt’s last victory as a driver came in 1977 when he became the first man to win the race four times. Eliseo Salazar is driving Foyt’s famed No. 14 Harrah’s entry in this year’s 500. Salazar is currently second in the Indy Racing Northern Light Series standings(Foyt PR)(5-3-2001)
UPDATE: A.J. Foyt announced that he will team up with his NASCAR marketing partner Conseco for the Indianapolis 500. Robby Gordon will pilot the #41 Conseco/Dallara-Aurora which is co-owned by Foyt and Richard Childress.(Foyt PR)(5-4-2001) - NASCAR meets with BGN drivers: NASCAR president Mike Helton met with drivers and car owners from the Grand National series Thursday night to speak of safety concerns raised by a number of media reports over the past week involving the death of Dale Earnhardt. The group left the infield of Richmond International Raceway about 6:20 p.m. in a caravan of vans to a location outside the track and returned at 7 p.m. The Grand National series held qualifying Thursday night in preparation for Friday night’s Hardee’s 250. (Matt Kenseth won the pole). Helton said Thursday night’s meeting was one of two planned for the weekend – a similar meeting will be conducted Friday morning with owners and drivers from the Winston Cup garage. “It was just a conversation with drivers and owners about the current headlines and our issues that we wanted to make sure they knew where we were coming from,” Helton said. “It wasn’t a conversation about us being in a (peeing) match with anybody and it wasn’t a conversation about down-playing anything. It was a very frank conversation between NASCAR and the core of the sport – the drivers and the owners – about where we stood and about why we were doing things the way we were doing them and did they have any questions. We owe them answers. That’s basically what it all boiled down to.” Jeff Green, last season’s Grand National series champion, called Thursday night’s meeting “very productive.”(That’s Racin’)(5-4-2001)
- Nemechek and Jarrett: The Jarrett/Favre Driving Adventure announced that Joe Nemechek has joined its ranks. Nemechek and Dale Jarrett said the company’s focus is becoming the nation’s premier driving adventure company this year. Nemechek is taking a significant equity position in Jarrett/Favre and has signed a personal services contract with the company that allows the use of his likeness for endorsements as well as personal appearances. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.drivingadventure.com or call the company at 1-888-GO-RACE-1 (1-888-467-2231) with any questions(Williams Co PR)(5-4-2001)
- NASCAR Lawyers meet with firefighter: NASCAR attorneys met Thursday with an Orange County firefighter who says the driver’s seat belt did not break during a crash at the Daytona 500. During a 75-minute meeting at the firehouse where he works, Tommy Propst continued to insist that he found Earnhardt’s seat belts intact after the #3 Chevy hit the concrete wall of Daytona International Speedway. “He was interrogated, and he told the exact same story he has always told,” said his attorney, Elizabeth Faiella of Winter Park. “They believe Tommy is telling the truth, but that he’s mistaken that the belt is not severed.” Controversy about the belt and whether it broke occupied NASCAR lawyers in Orlando and Daytona Beach on Thursday. While two interrogated Propst, another blocked an attempt by seat-belt maker Bill Simpson to win an apology from NASCAR officials he accuses of maligning his product.(Orlando Sentinel)(5-4-2001)
- Kenseth Wins Pole at RIR: #17-Matt Kenseth turned a lap at 125.780 mph to win the pole for Friday night’s Hardee’s 250 (8 p.m. Eastern, FX). It’s Kenseth’s third BGN pole of the season. Fellow Winston Cup drivers Kenny Wallace and Jimmy Spencer will start second and third, respectively. Ryan Newman, running a varied schedule of Grand National and Winston Cup events, was fourth and defending series champion Jeff Green fifth. See qualifying results at That’s Racin’: NASCAR lawyers grill firefighter(5-4-2001)
- New Busch Program: Busch beer has implemented a new Top 10 driver and team promotion for the 2001 NASCAR Busch Series racing season. The program is designed to generate friendly competition between drivers and teams in the garage area and recognize excellence at each race during the tour. During the season, NASCAR Busch Series drivers will receive two special decals for each top 10 finish (see attachment for an example of the decal): one for the driver’s race helmet and a second for a special Top 10 helmet presented to each team. Similar to helmet decals presented to college football players at universities such as Ohio State and Florida State, the Busch Top 10 decals will be a visible sign of a successful race or season. At the end of the 2001 season, the driver with the most Top 10’s will win one year’s supply of Busch beer for his entire team. (Limit 20 people per team -must be 21 years of age or older to qualify. Also subject to local/state regulations.) In addition, the team that features the Busch Top 10 helmet in the most creative/consistent manner during the season will also receive one year’s supply of Busch beer for the entire team. (Limit 20 people per team – must be 21years of age or older to qualify. Also subject to local/state regulations.) (fingerprint.inc/Budweiser PR)(5-4-2001)
- #02 News: Don’t be surprised to see Jim Inglebright break his career best finish this weekend at the Gateway International Raceway. Since finishing 15th in Bakersfield, Calif., Inglebright has tested twice; once in a truck and the other in a Southwest tour car. The Fairfield, Calif. native spent two days testing at the Irwindale Speedway gaining critical seat time in his #02 Jelly Belly Chevrolet. Inglebright, along with the entire Roadrunner Motorsports Inc crew have devoted countless hours toward preparing for this race. “It was the first time I’ve ever tested in a truck,” said Inglebright. “I needed the seat time real bad. I have to admit I was at a great advantage. Rick Carelli flew in to help me out!” Carelli, a former driver for Phelon Motorsports on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series brings many years of experience and knowledge racing trucks. He was recently released from his driving duties when Phelon Motorsports closed its doors due to lack of sponsorship. Rodney Haygood, crew chief for the #02 Jelly Belly Chevrolet is no stranger to Carelli’s presence. Both Carelli and Haygood have worked together in the past, producing two truck series wins in 1999. Between the two, Inglebright has learned a lot about the truck. Inglebright is not the only one preparing for this weekend’s race. The pit crew has been practicing pit stops and developing strategies the past few weeks. They put forth a great effort at the Mesa Marin Raceway earlier in March as pit strategy and quick pit stops placed Inglebright as high as second before a cut tire forced him to pit. The 39-year-old Southwest Tour veteran is excited to get back to racing. Inglebright, in particular, is looking forward to the Pikes Peak race in Fountain, Colo., where the Jelly Belly Candy Co. will sponsor the truck race.(Roadrunner Motorsports PR)(5-4-2001)
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