May 8, 2003
- Looks like Steve Park to the #30 AOL car UPDATE 4 It’s Official: hearing Mike Wallace could drive the #30 AOL Chevy at Lowe’s Motor Speedway for the Winston Open and Coca Cola 600 and could be the driver for the rest of 2003. Other rumors have RCR’s Busch driver, Ron Hornaday, former RCR dirver, Mike Skinner [unlikely] and Busch Driver, Stacy Compton as possible drivers in the car.(5-6-2003)
UPDATE: hearing it could be a driver swap, with Steve Park in the #30.
UPDATE 2: Steve Park, released Tuesday from Dale Earnhardt Inc., is the leading candidate to take over the #30 Chevys for Richard Childress Racing, ThatsRacin.com has learned. Sources confirmed Wednesday the deal is “all but done” for Park to take over the ride in time for next weekend’s Winston all-star activities at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Park would replace Jeff Green, who was released Monday from RCR and, ironically, hired Tuesday to drive Park’s former ride at DEI.(ThatsRacin.com)(5-7-2003)
UPDATE 3: Steve Park told Fox Sports Net’s Totally NASCAR’s Sean Pragano Wednesday afternoon that he has several opportunities to consider after being released by DEI on Tuesday. Park will talk to Pragano on Thursday’s Totally NASCAR for an update.(Fox Sports)(5-8-2003)
UPDATE 4: Steve Park has been named the driver for Richard Childress Racing’s (RCR) #30 America Online Chevrolet team. He will make his RCR debut May 17 in The Winston Open at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, NC. “Steve is going to give the America Online team a fresh start going into the summer months of the season,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “He’s a proven winner in Winston Cup and I know he has what it takes to work with Mike Beam (crew chief) and the rest of the AOL team to get the program headed in the right direction. I’ve talked with Kevin (Harvick) and Robby (Gordon) and they’re both excited about him driving for RCR. ”
“America Online is committed to winning and we’re proud to have Steve Park in the driver’s seat,” said Richard Taylor, Senior Vice President of Brand Promotions for America Online. “To have the opportunity to drive for RCR and America Online is exciting,” said Park. “A mentor like Richard and a change of scenery is something I’m really looking forward to. I’m lucky to have a primary sponsor like AOL with their marketing power behind me. My goal is to build consistency and to revitalize the AOL/RCR NASCAR Winston Cup program so we can finish the season on a high note.”(RCR Site)(5-8-2003) - Fellow to run #1 at road courses: Jeff Green said Ron Fellows will race the #1 car at both road course events, Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen. Green said he was a bit disappointed, but understands the decision. He will still travel with the team to help in any way he can. Fellows was slated to run a 4th DEI car, #81.(PRN’s Garage Pass Radio Pass)(5-8-2003)
- Cogswell doing fine: #66 Crew Chief, Gary Cogswell, recently underwent surgery and was back at work and recovering well. It was reported that he had more testing to go thru, but he has no more testing to go through and all is fine. Cogswell had an ablation procedure to correct a heart arrhythmia that he has had for ten years and the procedure appears to have been a success and no more tests are scheduled.(5-8-2003)
- Parker to be Jarrett’s new crew chief? Makar NOT leaving Gibbs UPDATE 3 Parker named, new car chief too: Shawn Parker could become Dale Jarrett’s new crew chief, according to sources close to the Robert Yates team. And crew chief Greg Zipadelli says that there is nothing to the rumors that his own boss, General Manager Jimmy Makar, might move on to join the Yates team to work with Jarrett. Parker is a chassis specialist for the Elliott Sadler-Raymond Fox half of the Yates team. Parker was once a key member of the Jack Roush operation before moving on.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-26-2003)
UPDATE: hearing shawn Parker has been named as the crew chief of the #88 UPS Ford and driver Dale Jarrett.(5-7-2003)
UPDATE 2: Shawn Parker, former car chief for Winston Cup driver Elliott Sadler’s #38 Fords, is the new crew chief for Salder’s Robert Yates Racing teammate, Dale Jarrett, ThatsRacin.com has learned. An official annoucement of Parker’s promotion is expected Wednesday afternoon, but sources confirmed the move has been completed. Parker joined Sadler’s team this season from Roush Racing, where he served as car chief for driver Kurt Busch. Parker has no previous experience as a Winston Cup crew chief. The team released crew chief Brad Parrott last month and team manager Todd Parrott took an indefinite leave of absence. Garth Finley, who has served as interim crew chief for Jarrett since Brad Parrott’s departure, is expected to return to the role of team manager.(ThatsRacin.com)(5-7-2003)
UPDATE 3: Also announced was the return of Jason Burdett to RYR as the #88’s car chief. Burdett previously worked with the team and was a part of the 1999 championship team. He left RYR following the 2000 season and joined the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team and helped contribute to its 2001 championship effort. Burdett served as the car chief for Hendrick’s #48 car since 2002.(Ford Racing), former #88 car chief, Darrell Morrow, was named the Shop Forman, Pit Crew Chart has been updated.(5-8-2003) - Cogswell doing fine: #66 Crew Chief, Gary Cogswell, recently underwent surgery and was back at work and recovering well. It was reported that he had more testing to go thru, but he has no more testing to go through and all is fine. Cogswell had an ablation procedure to correct a heart arrhythmia that he has had for ten years and the procedure appears to have been a success and no more tests are scheduled.(5-8-2003)
- Roush Street: NASCAR multi-team owner Jack Roush was the keynote speaker during a luncheon Wednesday for the Motorsports Madness 2003 event held at Concord Regional Airport by the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce. The event unites businesses related to motorsports. Roush’s company employees about 1,800 people in five states, 350 of which are employed in this region. With Roush moving his world headquarters and museum to Cabarrus County, many more jobs are expected. Concord Mayor Scott Padgett honored Roush Wednesday by designating the road that leads to Roush Headquarters as Roush Place NW. It was formerly Downwind Boulevard.(Independent Tribune)(5-8-2003)
- Mayfield to run a Truck? Among the quickest of the more than 30 Truck Series teams testing Wednesday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway was surprise visitor and Winston Cup veteran Jeremy Mayfield, who joined Ted Musgrave and Jason Leffler in a trio of Ultra Motorsports Dodges. The same #7 Mayfield piloted was driven by Stuart Kirby on Tuesday and, at this point, there has been no announcement of who will actually be in the seat for the May 16 Hardee’s 200.(Lowes Motor Speedway PR)(5-8-2003)
- Bruton Smith to sponsor IROC? Bruton Smith confirmed that one of his companies, zMAX, is negotiating to become the sponsor of the International Race of Champions series. The True Value chain of hardware stores will end its association with IROC after this season. “I am not interested in buying IROC,” Smith said. “But I do have people who I’m quite sure have talked a couple of times about maybe becoming a sponsor. We are discussing that with them.” Smith said that while he would leave the management of the series up to IROC president Jay Signore and his team, that does not mean Smith wouldn’t have ideas for possible changes in the series. “We might have some suggestions,” Smith said. “I would like to see it really be an international race of champions. It doesn’t seem they ever quite get that.” Smith said he thinks a “consolidation” of the IROC schedule might be necessary “if you really want to have a championship,” but would not elaborate further. The potential sponsor, zMAX, is a line of engine lubricant products made by a company Smith bought in 1997.(ThatsRacin.com)(5-8-2003)
- Johnson Grand Marshal: The entertainment lineup for the ninth annual Speed Street, sponsored by Food Lion, was also announced Wednesday. The event opens at noon on May 22 and concludes Saturday evening with 10 p.m. concerts headlined by David Lee Roth, Aaron Tippin and The Presidents of the United States at three separate stages in a eight-block area in uptown Charlotte. A fireworks display will follow those shows. Racing legend Junior Johnson will be the grand marshal for the annual 600 Festival parade on May 20 in uptown Charlotte.(ThatsRacin.com)(5-8-2003)
- Get Well: RJR’s/Winston’s Denny Darnell had a heart attack yesterday while attending Church on Sunday. Fortunately, they were about 10 minutes from the hospital. They arrived at the emergency room at 12:00noon, and he was in the operating room by 1:00pm. Turns out, he had three blocked arteries which were treated with stents and a balloon. He does have some light to moderate damage to the wall of the heart, but he seems to be doing well. Last night, they said he’d be in CCU for at least one night, and he was moved to a private room this morning. Darnell will be in the hospital until Wednesday or Thursday before going home. Get well Denny.(5-5-2003)
UPDATE: Darnell is getting out of the hospital around mid day today. He still has a somewhat irregular heart beat, but after three hours of tests yesterday, the cardiolgists feel it will be normalized in time. No word yet on how long he will be out of work It depends on how quickly the heartbeat gets back to normal.(5-8-2003) - Park Released? UPDATE 4 YES and Green in the #1 thru Sept: hearing from sources that Steve Park and Dale Earnahrdt Inc have parted ways or that Park will step out of the #1 Pennzoil ride for a few races.(5-6-2003)
UPDATE: Steve Park has been released by Dale Earnhardt Inc., reports ESPN’s Mike Massaro. No word yet on who’ll replace him in the #1 Pennzoil Chevy.(ESPN), rumors I have posted in the past month (see my #1 Team News and Links page) include Jason Keller and Sam Hornish, which both have been denied.
No word on if Park will still drive Dale Earnahrdt Jr’s Chance 2 Busch Series cars which have been quite heavily marketed.
UPDATE 2: Dale Earnhardt, Inc. has released Steve Park from his driving duties of the #1 Pennzoil Chevrolet. Steve, DEI’s first full-time Winston Cup driver, began driving for the team in the fall of 1996 before racing a full season in the NASCAR Busch Series in 1997. He contended for the NBS Championship that year, finishing third in the series point standings and clinched the Rookie of the Year title. He went on to compete in the NASCAR Winston Cup series beginning in 1998, where he made 157 starts and had two victories and three poles. His best finish in the points standings was 11th in 2000. “Steve was instrumental in DEI’s first NASCAR Winston Cup program,” stated Teresa Earnhardt. “Our loyalty to each other was hard to overcome. However, the time came where we simply had to make a change. We wish Steve the best in his future endeavors.”(DEI PR)
UPDATE 3 – Jeff Green in: Just one day after Richard Childress Racing released driver Jeff Green, Dale Earnhardt Inc. has decided to release Steve Park has names Green as his replacement.(ThatsRacin.com) AND Dale Earnhardt Inc. announced on Tuesday that NASCAR veteran Jeff Green will take over the driving duties of the #1 Pennzoil Chevrolet starting with the Winston Open at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on May 18th. Green will drive the #1 Pennzoil Chevrolet on an interim basis.(DEI PR)(5-6-2003)
UPDATE 4: Fox Sports Net’s Totally NASCAR’s Krista Voda reported that Jeff Green will be in the Dale Earnhardt Inc. #1 Pennzoil Chevy at least until September. Green was released from the Richard Childress Racing #30 AOL Chevy on Monday.(Fox Sports)(5-8-2003) - Park’s Comments: Driver Steve Park told PRN’s Garagepass his release from DEI: “Feels like this big weight has been lifted off my shoulders”. Park said, “I really thought I was shouldering things pretty well and was trying not to let the pressure get to me, I really didn’t feel it, but I guess it’s one of those things were you wanna perform and you want things to get better, but if you look at the last year with coming back from being hurt and Paul Andrews leaving and getting new people we’ve been through a tremendous amount”. Park says he has no regrets about his time with DEI and that he was very happy with sponsor Pennzoil, his fans, and teammates. “Getting the opportunity to go to work for who I felt was a mentor to me the late-great Dale Earnhardt is something that I’ll never regret and that I’m very glad and very positive that it lasted five years. I got to spend a large amount of time not only with him (Dale Earnhardt). But got to meet Teresa and spend time with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip, winning races and poles. It’s just a shame the last year, year-and-a-half it’s just kinda gone downhill, but I wouldn’t trade it for nothin’ in the world.” Park added, “The one thing I want to see is the Pennzoil team to be successful and if it’s with my departure, so be it, but the biggest fan they’ll have is me. It appears Park will be named this week to drive the AOL Monte Carlo vacated when Jeff Green was let go on Monday.(5-8-2003)
- Some Paint Scheme Stuff: Rusty Wallace’s #2 Dodge did not carry the 600th consecutive start logo on the rear quarter panel at the Richmond race last weekend. Wallace plans to run it at the Coca Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Also the #30 RCR Chevy was to run a Kraft scheme in honor of the 100th Anniversary of Kraft, with the driver change, the program has been put on hold.(5-8-2003)
- New Car Chief for the #48: Team Lowe’s Racing and Hendrick Motorsports announced today it has promoted Ron Malec to car chief of the #48 Lowe’s Chevy effective immediately. Malec, 28, has been with Hendrick Motorsports and Team Lowe’s for the past two seasons as a team mechanic and rear tire carrier on race day. He replaces Jason Burdett, who recently left the team to pursue other racing interests [car chief of the #88].(See my #48 Team News and Links page for the full PR)(Golin Harris PR)(5-8-2003)
- Richmond Broadcast #1 on Cable: The FX broadcast of the Winston Cup race from Richmond was last week’s highest-rated broadcast on cable television. The race garnered a 4.1 rating, drawing 3.3 million homes. This is even with last year’s 4.1 rating, but is an increase of 200,000 households due to more homes that receive FX. The telecast averaged 5.3 million viewers for the race. The demos were strong, with #1 wins for the week in Adults 18-49 (2.9 million), Adults 25-54 (3.3 million), and Men 25-54 (2 million). The other programs in the top five for the week on cable were two WWE broadcasts, the Presidential Address, and Spongebob Square Pants.(MotorsportsTV)(5-8-2003)
- Congrats: Veteran Busch Series Marketing and PR person for Camp and Assocates, Charlies Roakes and wife Grace welcomed a new arrival on Wednesday, Tyler McKay Roakes was born at 1:59pm, Tyler weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces and is 20 1/2 inches long.(5-8-2003)
- NASCAR Executive to Address Symposium: George Pyne, NASCAR’s chief operating officer, is scheduled to address the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium in Dearborne, Mich., Thursday as part of a NASCAR awareness program. NASCAR’s “unperformed maintenance” awareness program is designed to help fans maintain their vehicles and add value to the more than 30 aftermarket sponsors who back NASCAR. “Research shows that NASCAR fans own more vehicles, drive more miles, are more likely to own older vehicles and buy more auto parts to service their vehicles,” Pyne said in advance of his address. “Using our media properties and relationships to encourage fans to take good care of their vehicles is good for them and our automotive sponsors.”(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(5-8-2003)
- Justin Timberlake NASCAR Reporter: N’sync’s Justine timberlake can add sports reporter to his entertainment resume. Timberlake is joining Turner Sports as a special correspondent. He’ll contribute features and make appearances on a variety of the network’s sports programs including NBA events, NASCAR and professional golf tournaments.(KLAS-TV)(5-8-2003)
- Points Leader [#92 Bodine] to miss Richmond? UPDATE 3 gets a 6 race sponsor: Because of lack of sponsorship, it appears unlikely the team of Busch series points leader Todd Bodine will compete this weekend at Richmond, Va., team officials confirmed. Bodine, who was testing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway with his Winston Cup team Tuesday night, declined to comment on the situation when asked. Bodine’s team, which is expected to remain in business, has been without a sponsor since the start of the season.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-30-2003)
UPDATE: Todd Bodine’s Busch team will make the trip to Richmond this weekend after all. Bodine, the Busch Series points leader in the #92 Chevy, said Wednesday that his Busch Series team has found a sponsor to keep the team going for the next few races. “We weren’t going to Richmond as of last night,” Bodine said. “But we have a sponsor that was going to sponsor us for four or five races starting at Charlotte that agreed to move that up. …It just buys us some time.” Bodine said three car owners in the Busch Series offered to put him in their cars at Richmond if his current team didn’t make it. One owner offered to build him a new car, but the car would have been entered past the NASCAR deadline and therefore he would not have been eligible for points had he driven that one. Bodine said the team is talking to another sponsor about a long-term deal for the rest of the season.(ThatsRacin.com)
AND Busch series points leader Todd Bodine secured enough financing Wednesday to race Friday night in Richmond. Employer Supporting Guard and Reserves will sponsor the #92 Chevy for the next four to five events, Bodine said.(Sporting News/AP)(5-1-2003)
BUT hearing that ESGR will not be the sponsor at Richmond, but a company Garmin will be. Garmin is a leader in Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and an innovator in consumer electronics.
UPDATE 2: thegpsstore.com with help from Global Positioning Systems (GPS) manufacturer Garmin have signed on for a one-race deal allowing the #92 to run in Friday’s Hardee’s 250 at Richmond.thegpsstore.com came on board this past week in order to allow Todd Bodine and his crew to continue their quest for the 2003 NASCAR Busch Series championship. Even with a 99-point lead over second place, the points lost if they were to miss the event this weekend could send the team plummeting in the standings. With the considerable media covering the team’s sponsorship plight, Herzog Jackson Motorsports caught the eye of The GPS Store business owner Drew Reger. Fortunately, thegpsstore.com with help from Global Positioning Systems (GPS) manufacturer Garmin signed on for a one-race deal allowing the #92 to run in Friday’s Hardee’s 250 at Richmond. thegpsstore.com came on board this past week in order to allow Todd Bodine and his crew to continue their quest for the 2003 NASCAR Busch Series championship. “The media we have generated these past weeks has allowed us to be here today. In fact, our sponsor, Drew Reger, heard about our situation on XM Radio. He tracked us down and made us an offer. That’s the power of NASCAR’s media and NASCAR’s fans,” explained team co-owner Randy Herzog. “He heard about our situation and as owner of The GPS store he was able to make something happen for us – I can’t believe our good fortune. Drew understands the business benefits of NASCAR. Our job is to run up front and make sure our fans know that thegpsstore.com made it possible. I am so excited to be on the No. 92 Chevrolet Monte Carlo this weekend,” explained Reger. “I have been a NASCAR fan for years and I know the business opportunities a NASCAR sponsorship can provide. With this team running as well as it has, it just made sense for us to help out. We are all going to be on hand to see the race. Hopefully thegpsstore.com Chevrolet Monte Carlo will make its way to victory lane.”(Eclipse Management PR)(5-2-2003)
UPDATE 3: Busch Series points leader Todd Bodine and #92 Herzog Jackson Motorsports (HJM) have signed a six-race partnership deal with ESGR (Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve) that will allow the team to continue its quest for the 2003 Busch Series Championship. The #92 HJM Chevy has been unsponsored for most of the season. The team, which is co-owned by Bill, Randy and Stan Herzog along with baseball Hall-of-Famer Reggie Jackson, ran without funding for the first nine races of this season. Questionable to run last weekend at Richmond, the team managed to land a one-race partnership deal with thegpsstore.com, an online site which specializes in the sales of Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Garmin, a leading manufacturer of GPS equipment, partnered with thegpsstore.com for the event. ESGR’s partnership with the HJM team allows the racing organization’s future to be less uncertain. Locations named in the partnership deal include: Gateway (Ill.) International Raceway, Nazareth (Penn.) Speedway, Lowe’s (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and Kansas (Kan.) Speedway. Chartered in 1972 by Presidential Proclamation, the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense agency that acts as a liaison between those serving in the Guard or the Reserve and their full-time civilian employers. Based in Arlington, Virginia and using a network of 4,200 volunteers nationwide and overseas, ESGR serves as the official employment rights information source for members of the Guard and Reserve and their civilian employers. Herzog Jackson Motorsports and ESGR will team up for the first time this weekend for the running of the Charter Pipeline 250 at Gateway (Ill.) International Raceway in Madison, Illinois. For more information on Herzog Jackson Motorsports, Todd Bodine and ESGR, please visit www.hjmotorsports.com, www.reggiejackson.com, www.todd-bodine.com and www.esgr.com.(Eclipse Management PR)(5-8-2003) - Busch Cars and Trucks? Cats and Dogs? With rain on both Monday and Tuesday shuffling the schedule, the Busch Series cars, preparing for the May 24 CARQUEST Auto Parts 300, and the Truck Series machines, testing for the inaugural Hardee’s 200 on May 16, shared the 1.5-mile superspeedway from 8:30am until rain ended the session 30 minutes early at 9:30pm. According to those in the garage area, it was the first time since the truck series debuted in 1995 that the pickups had shared a race track with the cars. “It was a really neat experience,” said David Starr, driver of the #75 Spears Manufacturing Chevy truck. “The cars were obviously much faster and I really had to watch my mirror and rely on my spotter in order to give them the right of way. We gave each other room and it worked really well after we got the hang of it. It was a cool situation and I would like to thank Lowe’s Motor Speedway because it gave drivers in both series more track time and considering the weather the last two days we all really needed it.”(LMS PR)(5-8-2003)
- Scary Time for Tuna: Ed Susen (aka Tuna), motorcoach driver for Braun Racing team owner – Todd Braun – was the latest victim of a tornado in the Midwest. With his self labeled – Tuna Tour 2003, Tuna and the Newell motorhome began their trek to the Gateway International Raceway yesterday in preparation for this weekend’s NASCAR BGN Series event. As he approached the Illinois state line last evening, Tuna literally drove right into a tornado. The force picked up the motorhome and tossed it around before depositing it into a roadside ditch. Tuna, who was thrown around heavily in the encounter, received only minor injuries. Being towed behind the motorhome was a brand new enclosed trailer containing a company van, scooter and golf cart. It is believed at this point that everything is a total loss, but more importantly Tuna is doing well.(Braun Racing site)(5-8-2003)
- Congrats: Veteran Busch Series Marketing and PR person for Camp and Assocates, Charlies Roakes and wife Grace welcomed a new arrival on Wednesday, Tyler McKay Roakes was born at 1:59pm, Tyler weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces and is 20 1/2 inches long.(5-8-2003)
- Gateway Grand Marshal: Marine Pvt. Adrian Fakes, wounded in the battle of Al-Nasiryah during Operation Iraqi Freedom in March, will be the Grand Marshal for this year’s Charter Pipeline 250 at Gateway International Raceway. Fakes, a 21-year-old from Elsberry, Mo., is a member of the Second Combat Engineers Battallion. He was coming from the southern Iraqi city where he had succeeded in destroying a military installation when his unit encountered machine gun, grenade and rocket fire from Iraqi forces. He was wounded in the leg during the action.(Gateway International Raceway PR)(5-8-2003)
- TV Ratings: After nine races of the NASCAR Busch Series season, the key demographic group ‘Male 18-34’ showed a 48% increase in television viewership for America’s No. 2 motorsports series. Also, after nine races the average household viewership for NASCAR Busch Series races was 2 million, a 4% increase from 2002. These increases can be traced, in part, to incredibly impressive numbers from the season-opening race, the Koolerz 300 at Daytona International Speedway. Broadcast by FOX, the race was the highest-rated (4.0) and most-watched (4,247,000) NASCAR Busch Series race in broadcast history. (Note: All figures compiled by Nielsen Media Research.)(NASCAR PR)(5-8-2003)
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