Kmart on Atwood’s #27: many questions on this, let’s clear it up: wondering what Kmart was doing on Casey Atwoods #27 BGN car and thought it may be something to do with Atwood’s Cup team in 2000? Am being told by sources close to the situation that the Kmart thing is a 12 race marketing deal between Kmart and Castrol and has nothing to do with sponsorship. Pep Boys and Advance Auto Parts will also share space in the future(7-30-2000)
Buckshot Racing changes? UPDATE: hearing crew chief Sandy Jones(no relation) and the #00 Buckshot Jones team has parted ways. Hearing Gary Cogswell, formerly of the #17 Visine Racing team, will be working as the interim crew chief on the #00 Buckshot Racing Chevy in Pikes Peak this weekend and possibly longer(7-21-2000) UPDATE: Gary Cogswell, who worked earlier this season as crew chief for Winston Cup rookie Matt Kenseth’s BGN (#17) team, has been named interim crew chief for Buckshot Racing, which fields the #00 Chevy’s for Buckshot Jones. Cogswell replaces Sandy Jones, who left Buckshot Racing prior to last week’s race at Pikes Peak(That’s Racin’)(7-27-2000)
Marlin to the BGN: Team SABCO NASCAR Winston Cup driver Sterling Marlin will pilot the #01 BellSouth Mobility/Ericsson Chevrolet in the remaining six NASCAR Busch Series events on the team’s 2000 schedule. Kenny Irwin, who was fatally injured in a practice crash July 7 at New Hampshire International Speedway, piloted the then #42 entry in 10 Busch Series races earlier this season. Out of respect for Irwin and his memory, Team SABCO and BellSouth Mobility/Ericsson chose to permanently change the number of the Busch Series entry from #42 to #01, in addition to changing the paint scheme. Marlin is slated to enter the events at Bristol, Darlington, Richmond, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Memphis and Homestead-Miami. Although Marlin has never run a full season in the Busch Series, he has posted two wins, one pole position, eight top-five and 14 top-10 finishes in 48 starts. In March of this year, he drove the #82 Channellock/Team SABCO Chevy at Bristol. Marlin will continue to compete in the Cup Series driving the #40 Coors Light Chevy, on which BellSouth is an associate sponsor(SABCO PR)(7-25-2000)
Markham at Gateway: Curtis Markham will the #29 Hot Rod Magazine Pontiac at Gatway this weekend(7-25-2000)
#26 News UPDATE: Carroll Racing has announced that Baywatch Restaurants, Cafes and Nightclubs, the primary sponsor of the Bobby Hamilton Jr.’s #26 BGN Chevy’s, will move to an associate sponsorship position immediately. Carroll Racing will now focus on searching for a primary sponsor for the remainder of the 2000 season and beyond UPDATE: Carroll Racing has signed a one-race sponsorship agreement with Williams TravelCenters, Inc., owners and operators of 43 interstate locations across the United States. Williams TravelCenters will serve as primary sponsor for the BGN #26 Chevrolet at Gateway International Raceway. Carroll Racing decided to field the Williams TravelCenters Chevrolet for Brewco Motorsports when the #26’s primary sponsor, Baywatch Restaurants, Cafes and Nightclubs moved to an associate sponsor earlier this week. Carroll Racing is currently looking for a primary sponsor for the remainder of the 2000 season and beyond(Carroll Racing PR)(7-25-2000)
#11 News: The Rayovac MAXIMUM #11 BGN team with driver Hut Stricklin will sport CARQUEST Auto Parts signage at the CARQUEST 250 NASCAR Busch Grand National event, July 29th, at Gateway. Stricklin, 39, took over for Jason Jarrett last weekend at the race in Pikes Peak, CO(CARQUEST PR)(7-25-2000)
Team Marines Change? I hear that John Bisci is leaving his post as Hank Parker’s Jr.’s Media Services Manager and will be moving with his wife to Las Vegas. Bisci’s last race with Team Marines will be Gateway, this weekend. Also, something I missed, The Team Marines team now uses Fischer Engines since earlier in the season(7-25-2000)
Musgrave and SABCO: Ted Musgrave, currently driving the #01 BellSouth Chevy for SABCO/Ganassi, will drive the SABCO BGN #82 ChannelLock Chevy for the rest of season(Ted Musgrave Site)(7-24-2000)
Nashville Tix: Nashville Speedway’s ticket office is processing applications for tickets to next year’s NASCAR Busch and Truck races at new Nashville Superspeedway. For information call the track office at 726-1818.(Tennessean)(7-21-2000)
#48 News: hearing Wes Ward, former #11 Jarrett crew chief was helping out the #48 Team Goulds team and driver Mike McLaughlin as a consultant at Nazareth and is still weighing his options in the Cup, BGn and CTS circuits. The team is still without a full time crew chief(7-21-2000)
#77 Changes? UPDATE: hearing that the #77 Lear team and driver Chad Chaffin have parted ways after Nazareth. Supposedly Scott Gaylord will drive the next BGN race at Pikes Peak and CTS driver Mike Wallace may drive some races for the team(7-20-2000) UPDATE: Wallace will run the final 12 races of the BGN season for car owner Tony Hall’s #77 Team Lear/UAW Ford Tauruses beginning at Gateway(St Louis)(NOL)(7-21-2000)
#82 Driver this week: Winston West driver Austin Cameron ran the #82 ChannelLock Chevy at Nazareth and is scheduled to run the car at Pikes Peak. Cameron will be racing a few of Winston West events after Monroe but, has not decided which ones at this point in time. Right now my focus is solely to try to drive the wheels off the Busch car and try to obtain a ride next year(Racing West Site)(7-20-2000)
Dr Pepper Returns: Dr Pepper will be joining Cicci-Welliver Racing as an Associate Sponsor of AFG Glass Team 34, driven by David Green, for the balance of the season. Dr Pepper remains the Primary Sponsor of the Washington Erving Motorsports #50 Monte Carlo. However, the team has suspended operations with no disclosed resumption date. With Washington Erving not actively competing, Dr Pepper made the decision to become an associate sponsor on another car in the BGN Series to fulfill this season’s commitments to Dr Pepper consumers, bottlers and retailers(PR)(7-20-2000)
ARCA News: ARCA Champ, Bill Baird, will drive the #79 T.R.I.X. Racing Chevy, still looking for a primary sponsor with assoc sponsor help from Gizmo Fahooji(7-20-2000)
Sadler and Whitaker: Hermie Sadler and Veteran Busch Series owner Ed Whitaker announced today they will team up to run at the Bristol and Richmond BGN races. Sadler is also running a limited BGN schedule in the #30 Little Tree’s Chevy with Innovative Motorsports. Although Sadler has not competed full-time in the Busch Series this season, he has spent very little time away from the track. Sadler spent the past several months substituting for Lance Norick in the CTS and has also worked for MRN as a pit reporter and commentator. Sadler’s plans for next season have yet to be determined but Sadler admits all he wants to do is race. In addition to the added races of Bristol and Richmond, Sadler’s remaining races on the 2000 BGN schedule with Innovative Motorsports include Pikes Peak, Gateway, Indianapolis, Memphis and Homestead(Cox Marketing)(7-18-2000)
Stricklin lands Jarrett BGN ride: Hut Stricklin will be in the seat for #11 Jarrett/Favre Motorsports car for at least the next three races, beginning this week at Pikes Peak. The team, co-owned by defending Winston Cup champion Dale Jarrett and Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, is expected to announce today that Stricklin will replace Jason Jarrett behind the wheel. The 24-year-old son of Dale Jarrett and grandson of Ned Jarrett is struggling in his first full season of BGN racing. The announcement will include plans for Jason Jarrett to continue racing and gain experience at a less-competitive level(Alabama Live)(7-18-2000)
Kitchens to return UPDATE – CORRECTION: hearing Jimmy Kitchens has just signed a deal to have ChannelLock sponsor a new BGN team to be run by Kitchens and his brother in 2001. Kitchens will handle the driving chores. Kitchens, from Alabama, has run a few limited BGN deals in the past and some CTS events in 2000(7-14-2000) UPDATE – CORRECTION: ChannelLock sources tell me that they have NOT talked to Kitchens and have not signed him to any contract regarding the 2001 season. ChannelLock is signed with SABCO for the rest of the 2000 BGN season(7-17-2000)
Why 44 spots? Why no Jarrett? There are 44 starting spots at Nazareth’s BGN race brcause it is one of the few that are NASCAR Busch Series/Busch North Series, NASCAR Touring combination events. That is also why #11-Jason Jarrett failed to make the race and Mike Olsen, Bryan Wall and John Preston made the race as a few of the provisionals were slotted for BGNN drivers. Not sure how many, but looks like the last 3 were BGNN and the first 7 were BGN provisionals UPDATE: Fastest 34 cars through time trials. Ten provisional starting positions, including either six or seven based on the 2000 NASCAR Busch Series owner points and possibly one provisional position for a former champion of the circuit plus either two or three based on the 2000 Busch North Series, NASCAR Touring Championship point standings and possibly one provisional position for a former champion of the circuit(from NASCAR)(7-15-2000)
Speedway Illustrated:Nazareth Preview with Jeff Green(7-14-2000)
Roper to CTS: Tony Roper, who started the season out in the #50 WEM/DR Pepper BGN ride before that team folded, announced that he will be running several races in the CTS later this year for Mike Mittler’s #26 team. Plans are for Roper to debut at IRP on August 3. Other races include Richmond, Texas, Chicago, and possibly Nashville(Tony Roper Site)(7-13-2000)
Jarrett/Farve Motorsports Sponsor CORRECTIONs plus new CREW CHIEF: Verizon Wireless, formerly Bell Atlantic Mobile, announced its sponsorship of Jason Jarrett and Jarrett/Favre Motorsports. As a corporate partner, Verizon Wireless is now the official communications provider for the #11 BGN owned by Dale Jarrett, Ned Jarrett, and Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Brett Favre. Jason Jarrett, 24-year-old son of Dale Jarrett and grandson of Ned Jarrett, is racing the #11 Rayovac Maximum Pontiac with associate sponsorship from Verizon Wireless. This is Jarrett’s first full season of Busch Series competition and marks his return to Jarrett/Favre Motorsports following 23 starts in partial seasons since 1997. AND Jarrett / Favre Motorsports announced today that former shop chief Ricky Bowman has been appointed crew of the Rayovac Maximum Racing team. Bowman has filled the role of interim crew chief for the past two races since the departure of former chief Wes Ward. The 39-year old Hickory(NC)-native takes up the permanent post for driver Jason Jarrett, who is running his first full season of Busch Series competition; however, it’s not his first time atop the box. Bowman was crew chief during a pair of partial Busch seasons for Dale Jarrett in 1997 and ’98, the latter of which included 10 Busch starts for the younger Jarrett(Mach One Marketing PR)(7-13-2000)
#34 Crew Chief UPDATE 2: Crew Chief Jay Guy has left the #34 AFG Glass and Cicci-Welliver Racing team, no word on a replacement yet(6-30-2000) UPDATE: Team manager Clyde McLeod will be the interim crew chief on the #34 until a full time crew chief is found(PR)(7-2-2000) UPDATE 2: C.R. Miller has been named the crew chief of the #34 car effective at this weeks race at Nazareth, PA(RPM 2Night)(7-12-2000)
#0 Changes UPDATE: hearing that crew chief Mike Steurer and driver Lance Hooper were both released Monday from the #0 Alumni Motorsports BGN team. No reason was given for the changes, Lance Hooper, who qualified 2nd at Dover for the team, will continue racing for the #9 CTS at Michigan. The #9 team owner, Martin Walsh, said he will race as long as he can go out of his pocket or if he can secure a sponsor. Hooper, former Winston West champ will continue to pursue a full time ride with a sponsored team(7-11-2000) UPDATE: Alumni Motorsports announced that they have made changes with the selection of a new driver and crew chief. The team announced that Johnny Rumley will be back in the seat of the teams #0 Chevrolet. Rumley, who replaces Lance Hooper, was in the seat while the team qualified 18th at Nashville earlier this year and also at Talladega where the teams qualifying chances were washed out by rain. In a second move, the team promoted car chief Doylan Mathis to the position of crew chief. Mathis replaces Mike Steurer who was released from his duties by the team on Monday. The new duo of Rumley and Mathis will debut this weekend in the EconoLodge “200” at the Nazareth Speedway. The team is continuing its search for sponsorship for the second half of this year while also already working on programs for next year(Alumni Motorsports PR)(7-12-2000)
#36 Looking for a 2001 Sponsor UPDATE: Cicci-Welliver Racing announced Tuesday(7-11) that they are in search of a new sponsor for the 2001 season in the BGN series for the #36 Chevy driven by Tim Fedewa. The announcement comes in response to the decision of long-time sponsor The Stanley Works to complete its successful 10-year run in racing to emphasize other brand-building programs aimed at positioning Stanley as the brand of choice for professional tool users and people who think like them. Stanley will fulfill its contract with Team 36 and Cicci-Welliver Racing through the 2000 season. At the end of the season, Stanley will still have a presence in racing through the Stanley Motorsports Department, which includes MAC and Husky brand tools, McCluskey said. The Motorsports department will focus on team and track sponsorships in NASCAR, NHRA, World of Outlaws and other racing entities(IMG Motorsports PR). Not really clear if it will move to another BGN team or not(7-11-2000) UPDATE: Stanley will not move to another team but will maintain a presense in the series with their Mac and Husky Tools brands(RPM 2Night)(7-12-2000)
Spencer Team Changes: Jimmy Spencer announced that he has restructured his BGN operation, Spencer Motor Ventures, that fields the #5 Schneider National Chevy with driver Dick Trickle and the #12 Zippo Chevy. They also field a CTS Truck along with Winston Cup and Busch Series cars for driver Boris Said and sponsor Federated Auto Parts. The new generation Goodyear tire has Spencer and Busch Series teams challenged. This became even more apparent to Spencer when he reviewed the race day chassis set-up that Dick Trickle and crew chief Bryan Shaffer ran at The Milwaukee Mile. The team could not get the front tires of the Schneider Chevrolet to grip in the middle of the turns during practice, a problem that has plagued Busch Series drivers this season. Bryan Shaffer and most of the crew chiefs ran an unconventional set-up on race day at Milwaukee. The conventional set-ups that have been used successfully in the past at Milwaukee did not allow the cars to turn in the middle during practice. What happened at Milwaukee confirmed Spencer’s suspicion that the chassis set-ups that have been used in the past are no longer applicable with the new generation tire. Therefore, Spencer concluded that his Busch Series operation must develop an in-house Research and Development program to find these new set-ups. Spencer has charged Bryan Shaffer to develop and manage this R&D program, effective immediately. Shaffer has been Dick Trickle’s crew chief since 1996, and has 240 races under his belt as a NASCAR Busch Series crew chief. Shaffer will also the call the shots on Spencer’s #12 Zippo Chevy. Al Cretsinger will replace Shaffer as the crew chief on the #5 Schneider Chevy. Cretsinger was the crew chief on the #12 Zippo Chevy, where he posted four wins with Spencer. Cretsinger was also Dick Trickle’s Busch Series crew chief in 1995(Spencer PR)(7-11-2000)
#17 Crew Chief Gone? UPDATE: hearing that the #17 BGN has released crew chief Gary Cogswell, citing “nonperformance”(two wins?). There was a lot of friction between the crew in recent months. Russ Strupp, the car chief, is likely the interim if not permanent replacement for Cogswell. Cogswell is considering offers with other BGN teams, possibly will appear as a “temp” in a few one-race deals before making a decision UPDATE: Team owner Robbie Reiser announced today that Russ Strupp has been named crew chief of the Visine Chevrolets driven by Matt Kenseth and Jason Schuler in the NASCAR Busch Series. Strupp, a Wisconsin native, has been working with Reiser since the early eighties when Reiser began his driving career in Wisconsin. Reiser formed his own team in 1995, and Strupp moved to North Carolina to work on the cars. When Reiser reduced his daily role at the No. 17 shop in December, Strupp remained on board as car chief(Keystone Marketing/Cicci-Welliver Racing PR)(7-10-2000)
#48 Crew Chief gone? hearing that Crew chief John Monsam and the #48 Goulds Pumps team have parted ways. the team is searching for a crew chief now(7-9-2000)
#21 Crew Chief Change: Scott Naset has been named interim crew chief of the #21 Rockwell Automation Racing BGN team fielded by Richard Childress Racing and driven by Mike Dillon. The team is currently in 20th place in the 2000 NASCAR Busch Series point standings, with one top-10 and eight top-20 finishes through the first 18 races. Naset, 29, had been with RCR since last November and served as the car chief for the #21 Rockwell Automation team. He replaces Lance Deiters, who was released July 6th from the first-year Busch Series program(RCR PR)(7-7-2000)
Penske to BGN? NO? How about Newman to CUP? UPDATE: Stan Herzog of Herzog Motorsports announced Sunday that primary sponsor ALLTEL has decided to leave his #92 BGN team and driver Jimmie Johnson after the 2000 season. The company was expected to renew its sponsorship this past weekend with a plan to expand into Winston Cup in 2001. The deal fell through on Friday when ALLTEL called Herzog and informed the team of its intentions to switch sponsorship to Team Penske in 2001(St Joseph News-Press(MO)). I hear Ryan Newman will drive the Penske BGN car. He has tested Cup and ARCA cars recently and run in a few ARCA races for Penske UPDATE: hmm…hearing now that this will be another Penske Cup team, with Newman driving(7-5-2000)
#92 Loses Sponsor: #92 driver Jimmie Johnson and his Herzog Motorsports team will lose sponsor Alltel at the end of the 2000 season. The sponsor will remain in the series but will join another team beginning next season. Johnson and Herzog plan to continue their relationship and the team is working on finding a new primary sponsor for next season(That’s Racin’)(7-2-2000)
