PAST NEWS MARCH 1998

(3-31-98)

  • UPDATE: Gary Bradberry said during a interview on WNOX in Knoxville, TN that he and the #78 Pilot Ford team will attempt to make the Texas race, but after that they will skip some races so they can build some more cars and test. He said that the team would probably skip short tracks races and/or road courses(3-30-98) – Have not seen or heard this elsewhere, so not sure what is up with the team(3-31-98)


  • Ricky Craven was supposed to drive the #2 Ricky Craven Motorsports/New Holland
    Chevrolet in the BGN race at Texas this weekend, since Ron Barfield will drive in the Truck race in Homestead, Jeff Green will substitute for him this weekend in that ride. Craven is also scheduled to drive the #2 Busch car at both Dover races this year.(no idea who will driver there yet)(3-31-98)


  • Kyle Petty will be driving John Andretti’s #96 Big A Auto Parts BGN car at Texas as Mike Stefanik has a conflict of schedules.(John Andretti Fan Page)(3-31-98)


  • Randy LaJoie will fill in for Ricky Craven in the #50 Budweiser car for at least the next two races(Texas and Martinsville), if not the rest of Ricky’s recuperation period(depending on BGN conflicts)(3-31-98)


  • Mark Cronquist is expected to be promoted to head engine builder for Bobby Labonte, with John Wilson moving to another position, according to sources close to the team.(JournalNow)(3-31-98)


  • NASCAR officials announced fines, in the amount of $2,000 dollars each, to two
    drivers, Mike Waltrip and Mike Dillon. The fines stem from an incident in the pits where the two met after wrecking on lap 214 of Moore’s Snacks 250 in Bristol. NASCAR, after reviewing tapes and talking with officials on the scene determined that the actions were “detrimental to automobile racing or to NASCAR.”(GoRacing)(3-31-98)


  • Jason Keller and the #57 BGN Progrossive Motorsports Chevy team will be running a one race test sponsorship for The Justin Boot Company in the Coca Cola 300 at the Texas Motor Speedway. Justin Boots, headquartered in the Ft. Worth area, is the very involved in rodeo event sponsorship, but this will be their first venture into team sponsorship. The team is currently in 10th place in the BGN points. The team is still seeking sponsorship for the balance of the seaon.(3-29-98)


  • NASCAR legend Tim Flock died today from the liver and lung cancer that invaded his body. The strong battle that Flock mounted against the sickness spanned a three month period but in the end he was not able to fight on. Flock, who met the press at the old Charlotte Raceway in mid-January to kick off NASCAR’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, was a strong man with a clear booming voice that still felt the excitement of driving a race car in his heart. The youngest of three brothers, Tim Flock had a very successful career that showed 40 wins in 187 starts as well as two championships (1952 and ’55) in what would be called the Winston Cup series today. Flock retired from a full time schedule in 1956 and his last race came in 1960. Flock was perhaps most remembered for having a pet monkey ride with him while he drove races. The last time the monkey rode with Flock in a race it got loose and started to bother the driver. Flock figured it cost him $750.00 to stop and hand the monkey over to the crew chief as he lost a position on the track. As mentioned Flock was the youngest of three racing brothers as both his brother Bob and Truman Fontell “Fonty” Flock ran in the NASCAR series. Flock is survived by his wife Frances and sons Richard, Donald and Carl and daughters Joy Kirkpatrick and Peggy Black. Flock said earlier this year, “I’m proud of my record and I hope people never forget what I’ve done.” We won’t Tim.(GoRacing – Tim Flock Passes at 73 also see the story at TNN: Tim Flock: Racing Loved Him Back), Memorial donations honoring NASCAR pioneer Tim Flock can be made to: Hospice at Charlotte, 1420 E. Seventh St., Charlotte, NC 28204.(3-31-98)

    (3-30-98)

  • Jeff Gordon will run a special paint scheme in the 1998 Winston at Charlotte, May 16th. It will be the #24 Dupont Chromalusion Chevy. This car is painted with the a revolutionary paint that has a holographic and 3D effect and costs $37/ounce. I hear the car will change colors as it circles the track during the race.(thanks Ian)(3-30-98)


  • Look for the Heilig Meyers Taurus to have a different paint scheme for the rest of the season. With Junie Donlavey watching the races at home these days he discovered that it was hard to pick out his #90 Heilig-Meyers Ford in a crowd, considering
    how many cars have black roofs. The car will now have a green roof to help it stand out.(Thanks Greg), it didn’t have the different look at Texas(3-30-98)


  • Diamond Ridge will take some time off, and will NOT compete in either Texas or
    Martinsville WC races. DRM will do some internal reorganization. Jeff Green will remain the driver for the WC team. A 2nd team has been started to field cars (#92 Chevy) for Sadler in 5 races, starting at Charlotte. Diamond Ridge is NOT closing. Simply restructuring due to poor performance this year. Gary Bechtel is 100% committed to fielding both Cup & BGN teams now and in the future. Elliott Sadler is NOT replacing Jeff Green at Texas or any where else. Jeff Green may substitute drive for some other teams in the meantime.(3-30-98)


  • Rich Bickle will be driving the #17 Sears-Diehard Truck of newly named T.J. Motorsports at this weekend’s NCTS race at Homestead, FL. Tim J. Beverley, the new owner of Darrell Waltrip’s #17 organization, has secured the driving services of Bickle for a one-race Truck deal. Bickle’s former NCTS crewchief Dave McCarty and a mixed cadre of Truck and WC crew members from the #17 shops will prep and crew the Truck. #17 Truck is unsponsored for this race, but the team is working to remedy that before race time.(TNN- www.country.com)(3-30-98)


  • Waddell Wilson, General Manager, was let go effectively immediately from the #17 Tim Beverley Team(the old DW team), also Keith Waltz the Communications Director quit.(3-30-98)


  • I hear Morgan Shepherd may replace Wally Dallenbach permanently in the #46 First Union Chevy and that the team was ecstatic with his performance at Bristol.(3-30-98)


  • I hear the reason for Dale Earnhardt’s poor finish at Bristol was not his car but a problem with their rear tire changer who twice failed to tighten the lug nuts which
    forced the team to bring the car back to pit road costing them valuable positions. Larry McReynolds told one trackside reporter that the car was capable of a top-10 finish(3-30-98), I also hear it was a hub problem(3-31-98)


  • Bill Ingle crew chief/team manager of the #10 Tide Ford was fined $2,000 for the weight box with lead that fell out of Ricky Rudds Ford and Rusty Wallace ran over causing him to crash. Ingle will appeal the fine.(NASCAR Today Radio/RPM2Nite)(3-30-98)


  • Three crew members from the #81 Square-D Ford team and driver Kenny Wallace were fined $500 each for running on the track when Wallace wrecked. Crew Chief Newt Moore, and crew members Buddy Cram and Jason Shapiro fined(RPM2Nite)(3-30-98)


  • Jason Jarrett will run Chevy’s instead of the Fords for DAJ Racing, his Dad’s BGN team. Father Dale will continue to drive the #32 Ford’s while Jason will drive the #32 Chevy’s, starting at Hickory on 4/11. The team hopes to improve it’s performance by running the Monte Carlo(NASCAR Online)(3-30-98)

    (3-29-98)

  • Texas Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith angrily denied a rumor(never posted here) that next Sunday’s Texas 500 in Fort Worth is in jeopardy of being postponed by NASCAR because of water seepage in the racetrack’s surface. See the rest of the story at TMS owner, NASCAR deny postponement rumor,(That’s Racin’)(3-29-98)


  • Condolences to ESPN commentator Dr. Jerry Punch who’s mother Betty Jo Punch died Saturday morning in Charlotte, NC, after a lengthy struggle with cancer. Jerry Punch was to have been on the ESPN announcing team for the Bristol races. Ray Dunlap will fill-in for him in Sunday’s Food City 500.(3-28-98) – Funeral services for Betty Jo Punch, the mother of ESPN motorsports commentator Dr. Jerry Punch and motorsports PR rep Dennis Punch, will be at 11am Monday (March 30) at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Newton, NC. Visitation for Mrs. Punch, who passed away Saturday morning in Charlotte, NC, after a long battle with cancer, will be Sunday night from 6 to 8 at the Drum Funeral Home in Conover, N.C.(NASCAR Online)(3-29-98)


  • Ricky Craven visited Bristol on Saturday. His rehabilitation at the University of North Carolina Medical Center in Chapel Hill includes eye exercises and head movement
    exercises. He will also have his right knee operated on Tuesday morning.(no idea what was wrong with it)(NASCAR Online)(3-29-98)


  • Remember the Pontiac the #50 Bud team was supposed to test and run at Atlanta? From NASCAR Online: The weather never allowed the team to test the car so they gave it to their truck team and truck driver Jack Sprague might run it in the Winston Open at Charlotte.(3-29-98)


  • Thanks to Rusty Wallace’s crew, he was able to get the #2 Miller Lite Ford back out on the track after his accident and pick up two spots and keep the points lead(NASCAR Online)(3-29-98)


  • I hear Robby Gordon may help Kenny Irwin and Robert Yates test at Sonoma in May and he is definitely testing with David Green at Charlotte in April in a Buz McCall chevy and possible run a few races for McCall’s team. Also rumors are still floating around that he may considered for the #50 Bud ride(Raceday)(3-29-98)


  • Alan Winninger, who has been involved with NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing for the past 15 years, primarily in the racing apparel aspect, has formed Speed Apparel, Inc. Winninger, who most recently was with Exquisite Designs of Denver, Colo., will base the new company in Fairfax, Va.(NASCAR Online)(3-29-98)


  • I hear the #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevy that Dale Earnhardt will drive in the Winston is on display at The Bass Pro Spring Fishing Fair is in Springfield, MO thru the end of this week. The street location is the corner of Campbell and Sunshine.(3-29-98)


  • After Kenny Irwin dropped out of the Food City 500 he subbed for Geoff Bodine in the #7 Philips Ford for a while. Hut Stricklin who got t-boned by Kenny Wallace(who had no where to go), he was taken to a local hospital and released with no major injuries, Mike(not Matt doh) Dillon who was standing-by for Mike Skinner took over in the #8 for Stricklin and ran some laps. Robert Pressley, who crashed was airlifted out of Bristol to Wellmont-Bristol Regional Hospital, since the race had been completed and the huge crowd had snarled the road system. Pressley, who complained of a sore shoulder, was treated and released after a CAT scan of his shoulder proved negative.(NASCAR Online)(3-29-98)


  • UPDATE: I hear that the #91 LJ Racing Chevy will have Pilot decals and sponsorship on the car today since the #78 Pilot Ford failed to make the Food City 500 – Didn’t happen, the car was blue and bare(3-29-98)


  • Joe Gibbs Racing is building a new facility that will be 120,000 square feet with 100,000 devoted to shop space and the remainder to offices. There will also be a museum and an auditorium. It will be located in Huntersville, NC. It will house the Cup and BGN teams with the possibility of the NHRA teams moving there from Indy. The shop should be open in November 1998. The current shop is 34,000 square feet(WC Scene)(3-29-98)


  • Second Round fastest was Jimmy Spencer at 122.521mph, DW took another Champ Provisional. See the story and tables at my new and improved Jayski’s Provisional Status Page, I added a few things and tried to clarify some of the rules. Gary can no longer do the page for me and I want to take a moment to thank him for all the work in getting the page started last year, I plan on keeping it going and updated since I can not find another like it out there. Also added Laps Lead by Manufacturer to the Jayski’s Stats Page.(3-28-98) updated to current Owners points(3-29-98)

    (3-28-98)

  • Steve Park returned to the race track for the first time since his practice accident at Atlanta. Hobbling around on crutches, he made his way slowly through the infield at Bristol on Saturday morning.(many sources)(3-28-98)


  • Jeff Green who did not make the Food City 500, will stand by for Derrike Cope and the #30 Gumoyt Pontiac if needed as Cope is still hurting from his Atlanta wreck. BGN driver Mike Dillon will stand by in case Mike Skinner needs relief in the #31 Lowes Chevy as he too is still hurting from his Atlanta wreck.(ESPN2)(3-28-98)


  • NASCAR officials on Friday rejected an appeal of penalties levied against BGN driver Phil Parsons and his crew chief, Gene Nead, for their role in a scuffle last week at Darlington, S.C.(SpeedNet)(3-28-98)

    (3-27-98)

  • From the Tribute to the Labontes Page: Terry Labonte will be running a different paint scheme in the #5 Kelloggs Chevy, starting in Texas, and in 6 other random events during the rest of the season. The car is mostly yellow, with red, white, and green pinstripes slashing up the of the car, and that only Cornelius the rooster will be on the hood and quarterpanels. Also there will be Fruit Loops car to run in Charlotte, not sure if it will be The Winston, Coke 600, or the UAW-GM 500. The car will be very similar in color to the Spooky scheme, but would feature Toucan Sam, rather than Frankenstein.(3-27-98)


  • It’s Official: Three of auto racing’s most prolific names joined forces Friday when Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Pennzoil announced that three-time Winston Cup Champion Darrell Waltrip will drive the #1 Pennzoil Monte Carlo until Steve Park returns from injuries suffered March 6 at Atlanta. The Pennzoil Monte Carlo Waltrip will drive this weekend at Bristol was built by Darrell Waltrip Motorsports and is the same car Waltrip drove here last August. This weekend it will be maintained by a mixed crew of employees from both Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Darrell Waltrip Motorsports. The Pennzoil crew will resume fielding the car next week at Texas Motor Speedway. See more of the story at DW’s Official Page: Darrell Waltrip’s Hot News(3-27-98)


  • Who is Tim “T.J.” Beverley, DW’s new owner? This via Pennzoil: T.J. Beverley’s career in aviation began as a line boy, pumping gas at an airport near Chicago. He eventually moved into aircraft sales and parlayed that sales experience into a business that has become one of the world’s leading dealers of corporate aircraft. Beverley founded Tyler Jet Aircraft in March of 1986. The company initially had two employees, Beverley and a secretary, and was housed in a one-room office at the airport in Tyler, Texas. Today, Tyler Jet Aircraft includes both sales and interior refurbishment divisions in addition to an FBO operation. The company, of which Beverley is the president and sole proprietor, specializes in the sale of mid-size and large corporate jet aircraft and has nearly 150 employees. Beverley is also active in commercial and residential property development. Racing Background: An avid automotive enthusiast, Beverley was involved in motorsports as a sports car owner and driver for nearly 10 years. His driving career started in open-wheeled Formula Fords and included two seasons in the Shelby Can-Am Series. His driving resume also includes an appearance in the 1989 24 Hours of Daytona, this country’s premier sports car race. He has held competition licenses in both the Sports Car Club of America and the International Motor Sports Association. Beverley has also attended stock car driving schools at four different race tracks. Hobbies: When time away from his businesses allows, Beverley enjoys boating, water skiing and snow skiing. Residence: Tyler, Texas, Children: Austin, Brent, Christin and Alaina(Pennzoil)(3-27-98)


  • Some type of merger may be in the works between Penske Motorsports and Bill France’s International Speedway Corporation, according to sources close to the situation. The two public stock companies haven’t been generating a lot of thrills on Wall Street lately, despite the bull market. The France family owns about 62 percent of ISC.(JournalNow)(3-27-98)


  • Check this out from the Go200mph newsletter: Darrell Waltrip will drive the #1 car until Park returns (Estimated by Indy now). When Park returns, plans are for DW to go back and drive the 17 car for the remainder of the season and all of 1999. The car that he qualified today was one of his and the two teams will combine resources and crews for Sunday’s race. By next week, the #1 Crew will be handling the business at hand. The #17 crew will begin building new cars as Dale Earnhardt Inc. steps up to the plate and helps the #17 Team with Sponsor and Marketing efforts. Tim Beverly of Texas is the new owner and will have Earnhardt’s assistance as the two teams (1 & 17) will form an alliance and become a unified team. Translation – Park and Waltrip to be teammates.(3-27-98)


  • Two Morgan Shepherd fans footed the tire bill for Shepherd to attempt the TranSouth 400 last week at Darlington. Charlie and Michelle Sprinkle of Blythewood, SC provided the funds to allow Morgan to attempt the race, which he failed to do. Goodyear tires Cup uses cost $353 a piece. Shepherd also mentions that he is talking with a potential sponsor and hoped to have something finalized soon so he could be ready for the Coca Cola 600 in May(WC Scene)(3-27-98)


  • Jim Long is working this weekend as the crew chief for the #8 Stovola Bros Circuit City Ford and driver Hut Stricklin. Long said on RPM2Nite that it was a 99% done deal that he would stay full-time(RPM2Nite)(3-27-98)


  • I didn’t see qualifying but I hear Jeff Burton and Todd Bodine were sporting slightly different paint schemes in qualifying today. Jeff Burton’s usually all black
    car, was painted in all purple from the windshield forward covering the hood
    and nose of the car, w/ black Exide logos on the hood. Todd Bodine’s usually plain orange, had a new neon-day-glow orange color.(thanks Dave of the Labonte Tribute page)(3-27-98)


  • Buddy Barnes will be the permanent crew chief for Lyndon Amick and the #35 BGN Pontiac(WC Scene)(3-27-98)


  • Michael Waltrip wrecked his primary #21 Citgo Ford during practice and had to go to his backup. Ken Irwin tagged the wall during his qualifying run but didn’t do much damage(3-27-98)


  • 47 cars are scheduled to make a qualifying run at Bristol for the Food City 500. So four drivers will go home after second round qualifying. Bristol has 22(RPM2Nite said 21) front stretch pit stalls.(3-27-98)


  • Hmmm…an interesting twist to the DW saga: “After a long talk with Dale Earnhardt, D.W. has decided to drive the Pennzoil Chevrolet in Bristol. As reported last night, we said D.W. would remain the driver of the #17 as a result of the sale of his team to a Texas businessman. Earnhardt and Darrell had a long chat, and the
    result was he would help Earnhardt out this weekend in Bristol. Waltrip will drive the #17 Monte Carlo after Bristol for the remainder of the season for the new owner who is a friend of Rick Hendrick.”(Quote from WESH Website via the StockCar Fans newsletter, story at the WESH News site)FALSE(3-27-98)


  • Blaire Dalton, 24, of Fort Belfour, Va. has been selected the newest Miss Winston Cup for R.J.Reynolds Tobacco Co.’s Sports Marketing Enterprises. The 1997 N.C. State graduate has a degree in communications. Dalton will assist the Winston Cup operations
    staff at NASCAR Winston Cup events with the other Miss Winston Cup, Renee Perks.(SpeedNet)(3-27-98)


  • Current crewman Billy Ryan will serve as interim crew chief this weekend at Bristol for the Ricky Craven owned #2 New Holland BGN Chevy while the team is interviewing for the job. The teams driver, Ron Barfield, will remain behind the wheel. Vic Kangas left the team last week(NE Racing)(3-27-98)

    (3-26-98)

  • Darrell Waltrip, a three-time Winston Cup champion, will be named Friday as the
    interim driver of the #1 Chevrolet owned by Dale Earnhardt Inc. Waltrip will drive the car in this weekend’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway and will stay in it until the injured Steve Park returns. Waltrip’s sale of his Winston Cup team, NASCAR truck series team and facilities in Harrisburg to Tim Beverley, a businessman from Tyler, Texas, was completed Wednesday. Beverley intends to put the Winston Cup team on hiatus for about 10 weeks while he seeks sponsorship and reorganizes the operation.
    When Park returns, Waltrip will move back to the No. 17 and drive the remainder of the season for Beverley. See the complete story at Waltrip forges new alliance with Earnhardt.(That’s Racin)(3-26-98)


  • Wally Dallenbach, will miss the Bristol WC race as he has a hernia. Morgan Shepherd will drive the #46 First Union SABCO Chevy at the Food City 500 Sunday. Dallenbach hopes to return for Texas, if not Shepherd would fill in there also(NASCAR Online)(3-26-98)


  • Nissan British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) star Anthony Reid could be facing the green flag at the start of a NASCAR Winston Cup round this August. Plans are afoot to enter the 38-year-old Scot for the Watkins Glen road course race in New York State on August 9, in between the BTCC rounds at Thruxton and Knockhill. The owner of the unidentified team planning to run Reid in a Ford Thunderbird – possibly rebodied as a Taurus – is said to be a friend of Alec Poole, the touring car boss of Nissan Motorsports Europe, who recently attended a Winston Cup encounter at Rockingham.(AutoSportMag)(3-26-98)


  • Derrike Cope will be back in the BGN #92 Kraft Chevy at Bristol after missing the last two BGN events because of a accident at Atlanta during the Cup race a few weeks ago. David Green had run the car at Nashville and Darlington(NASCAR Online)(3-26-98)

    (3-25-98)

  • As most of the readers know, I have followed Chris Trickle’s shooting since it happened, so I am sorry to report this: Race car driver Chris Trickle, who spent 13 months in a coma after being shot on a freeway overpass, died Wednesday at a Las Vegas hospital. He was 25. Trickle, a promising stock car driver and the nephew of Winston Cup driver Dick Trickle, was never able to fully come out of
    the coma caused when he was shot in the head on Feb. 9, 1997, while driving to play tennis with a friend. His death came less than a month after Trickle made a public appearance at a fundraiser held before the Las Vegas 400 Winston Cup race. Though not conscious, his parents brought him in a wheelchair to the fundraiser that raised $20,297 to help pay for his care. A hospital spokeswoman confirmed the death, but said the family wanted no details released. The full AP story is at Nando Net(NandoNet/WRAL/AP) and other AP sites.(3-25-98)

    Services are set for Sunday for race car driver Chris Trickle, who fought for more than a year before succumbing to a bullet wound to his head. Trickle died Wednesday after spending more than a year in a coma, the result of being shot in the head on a darkened freeway overpass near the Las Vegas Strip. The cause of death was lung complications.(SpeedNet/AP)(3-27-98)


  • #88 Ryder Chevy BGN Team owner David Ridling, who formed the Ridling Motorsports NASCAR Busch Series team three years ago, completed the sale to driver Kevin Schwantz last week. Ridling, a Florida native who moved to Mooresville, N.C., when he formed the Busch Series team midway through the 1995 season, told Speedway Scene in a telephone interview last week that he was selling now because he “got tired of the ownership role.”(3-25-98)


  • Nancy who does some on-track reporting for the StockCarFans email newsletter has some Transouth 400 pictures up on her website at Kendrick Kreations.
    Also, Nancy has an e-mail campaign going, with this question: Are you in favor of keeping the spring race at Darlington?(3-25-98)


  • “Monday, crew chief Doug Richert and driver Kevin Lepage met to discuss their future. Shortly after the meeting, the two called owner Joe Falk and announced that they would be spending the remainder of the season with the team. Both Kevin and Doug feel that the team will find a sponsor and that the long term prospects are high, coming off a top 15 finish at Atlanta and a top 10 start at Darlington. The team was in Martinsville yesterday, and Kevin is scheduled to join them today in preparing for the Goody’s 500 race held there on April 19th.” see the story at LJ Racing Page. That should squash the LePage to the #1 rumors.(see below), also LePage tested at Martinsville today in the #91 Chevy and ran in the 20.40 second range last year’s Pole times were 20.153 in the spring and 20.272 in the fall(NASCAR Online)(3-25-98)


  • Jim Long has resigned as crew chief on the #10 Tide Ford owned and driven by Ricky Rudd. Bill Ingle has assumed crew chief duties. Long is supposedly working in the #8 Circuit City Chevy shops, not sure if he’ll be the new crew chief for Hut Stricklin(3-25-98)


  • Former NFL coach Jerry Glanville will attempt to make his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut in the June Richmond race. Glanville races periodically in the Craftsman Truck Series, USAR Hooters ProCup Series, Winston West Series, and anything else he can find. When not at a touring series race he often runs regular super late model shows at Peach State Speedway in Jefferson GA. At Richmond, Glanville will be in his own #51 Ford with sponsors HBO Sports and Unifirst Uniforms. (Source: John Kaiser of Racing Information Systems via StockCar Fans Newsletter)(3-25-98)


  • Mike Wallace will drive the John Andretti owned #96 Big-A Auto Parts BGN Chevrolet at Bristol this weekend as well as the Hickory and Nazareth races(NASCAR Online)(3-25-98)


  • Elliott Sadler will make his first (1998) WC attempt at the Coca-Cola 600 in May, followed by efforts at Indianapolis, Darlington’s fall race, the second Charlotte race and the season finale in Atlanta.(TNN-www.country.com)(3-25-98)


  • UPDATE: NASCAR Online reports that DW will drive the #1 Pennzoil Chevy subbing for injured driver Steve Park until Park can return(NASCAR Online)(3-25-98)
  • Pennzoil and Dale Earnhardt Inc. plan a major announcement regarding an interim driver for the #1 Pennzoil Monte Carlo on Friday at 10 a.m. in the infield media center at Bristol Motor Speedway.(Pennzoil)(3-25-98)


  • I hear that Darrell Waltrip is in the #1 Pennzoil Chevy this weekend at Bristol and until Park is fit to get back in the car. Ron Hornaday will not attempt to make the race. Also there will not be a #17 entry in the race. Announcement to be made sometime Friday(3/27) morning. New owner of the #17, Earnhardt and DW will be there. No idea what plans the new owner has or who his driver will be.(3-25-98)


  • While an AP story says DW will drive the car thru Bristol(WRAL)(3-25-98)

    (3-24-98)

  • Ricky Craven began rehab at the University of North Carolina Medical Center on Wednesday and he hopes to be back in the #50 Bud Chevy by July 1st but realizes his condition could keep him sidelined for 6 months or be career threatening.(WC Today Radio/PRN-RPM2Nite), get well soon Ricky, see related story in the Stories section below(3-24-98)


  • Brett Bodine has a new crew chief: Gere Kennon who was the shop foreman with the #36 Skittles Pontiac team and the former crew chief on the #75 team was named crew chief of Bodines Team Scandia #11 Paychex Ford(RPM2Nite)(3-24-98)


  • RPM2Nite mentioned that Randy LaJoie may run 10 of the next 12 races in the #50 Bud Chevy, didn’t mention anyone else but possibly Robby Gordon(3-24-98)


  • A Ford led every lap of the TranSouth 400, the first time a manufacturer has done this since the fall of 1985 at the Holly Farms 400 in North Wilksboro(WRAL-WC Today Radio), check out the stats at Jayski’s Stat Page.(3-24-98)


  • Ricky Rudd is made his 600th career start at Bristol(WRAL)(3-24-98)


  • From the StockCarFans Newsletter thru a source: “NASCAR was asked about the reportedly illegal rear deck lid on the car it took to the wind tunnel. They had not originally intended to take the 2 car, Rusty’s. They were planning to take the 99, but
    then it wrecked on the final lap. So they had to scramble to pick another Ford and they didn’t get to it in time to wave Rusty off from going to the gas pumps. They ran over there, told the crew to stop what it was doing right then. They had already pulled one of the clips holding the rear deck down because they were getting ready
    to fill it with gas so it could be weighed. When they fill the car from the pumps, they have to raise the deck lid to do it. So one pin was off and then they started pushing it to pit road. One crew chief (Evernham, the NASCAR guy said) saw the pin off and started wondering if there might be some illegal device at work. For a spring
    gizmo to work to raise or lower the lid, supposedly, the pin or pins would have to be out. That may be utter crap, but that’s what NASCAR told me when I asked about it.”(StockCarFans)(3-24-98)


  • Dick Trickle did double duty today at Martinsville as he tested his #90 Helig Meyers Ford and Kevin LePages #91 LJ Racing Chevy as LePage was in Charlotte on business and is rumored to be taking the seat in the #1 Pennzoil Chevy as the sub for injured Steve Park. Lake Speed also tested at Martinsville.(WC Today Radio/PRN)(3-24-98)


  • Randy LaJoie(#50), Wally Dallenbach(#46) and Andy Hillenburg(#95) were at Texas Motor Speedway today, but didn’t get track time as even though the weather was perfect, the ‘weepers’ were still present, water seeping thru the track.(WC Today Radio/PRN), Dallenbach scraped the right side of his car against the outside wall at the exit of Turn 4 during a solo run. No other runs were attempted. The teams hope to test on Wednesday and Dave Marcis may take some laps in the #46.(That’s Racin)(3-24-98)


  • NASCAR has fined BGN driver Phil Parsons and Gene Nead, crew chief for Parsons’ No. 10 Dura-Lube Chevrolet, $2,500 each due to their actions before Saturday’s
    Busch Series Diamond Hill Plywood 200. Nead will be suspended until April 15th and both Parsons and Nead will be on probation until December 31st, 1998. This actions comes after a garage area fight between Need and BGN driver Blaise Alexander. Parsons was not in the fight but did nothing to stop it. Nead was upset over an on-track run-in between Parsons and Alexander during the race on 3/15 at Nashville. Parsons said he would act as crew chief during the three races scheduled while Nead is suspended(many sources)(3-24-98)


  • Bobby Labonte announced in victory lane that he would donate his winnings from the
    Diamond Hill Plywood 200(BGN) to injured bullrider Jerome Davis. Davis of Archdale, N.C. was seroiusly injured in a bullriding accident in Fort Worth, Texas one week ago.(3-21-98) – A fund has been set up to help cover Jerome Davis’ medical expenses. Contributions may be made to: Wachovia Bank, c/o Pam Shaw or LeeAnn Leach, 10806 N. Main Street, Archdale, N.C., 27263. Davis suffered a compression fracture of two vertebrae at the base of his neck when he was knocked unconcious and thrown to the
    ground head first. He underwent two hours of surgery Sunday and remains hospitalized at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. According to Justin Sportsmedicine Director Tandy Freeman, Davis is in stable condition but is paralyzed from his chest down. His long-term prognosis is unknown.(StockCarFans), best wishes Jerome(3-24-98)


  • The cars dyno tested were the following: (we watched most of process and have
    pictures of the cars waiting to be tested which will be added to the website
    today (http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/lig/r/a/racecar3/)):#2 Rusty Wallace;
    #24 Jeff Gordon; #12 Jeremy Mayfield; #99 Jeff Burton; #5 Terry Labonte; and
    #88 Dale Jarrett. All these cars were lined up for the dynotest. The #24 was tested 1st, and inline were the #2, #12 #5 and #99. When we came back from Victory Lane, the
    #99 and #5 were gone and the #88 was tested prior to the #2 and #12 cars. We never witnessed the #99 and #5 being tested, but they were in the lineup. Also, both had been moved from the lineup, along with Gordon’s car to the another location of the garage area.(StockCarFans/Nancy)(3-24-98)


  • Here’s an interesting rumor from a Dutch autosport site, courtesy of Harald via StockCarFans Email Newsletter: “Ex-F1 driver Gerhard Berger reportedly wants to go to NASCAR. It has been reported that Michael Kranefuss (of German origin) has offered Gerhard Berger a testdrive. Gerhard Berger attended the first race of the Fedex-CART championship. He said he has no ambition in that direction. ” NASCAR seems to me a lot more fun” he added.(StockCarFans)(3-24-98)

    (3-23-98)

  • Nashville Area fans: “On The Circuit”, the first live call-in racing talk show returns to the airwaves, March 23, 1998 at 6:00 PM on WHTN-TV CH. 39. The one hour live racing talk show will feature guests from the world of racing. “On The Circuit”, is hosted by John Jenkins. “On The Circuit” will be geared to take calls from the viewing audience, allowing them to talk to their favorite drivers, crew chiefs and owners. The tentative schedule is for “On the Circuit” to air for forty weeks, but plans are now being made to keep the program on year round.(3-23-98)


  • Randy LaJoie will test the #50 Budweiser Chevy at Texas on Tuesday and Wednesday(3/24-25/98), LaJoie will drive the car at Bristol and probably at Texas(RPM2Nite)(3-23-98)


  • I hear that Clyde Mcleod (team manager for Team 34 in the BGN Series) was on the radio calling some shots for Brett Bodine at Darlington. I now hear this was just a friend helping out a friend(3-23-98)


  • Donnie Richeson former crew chief of Brett Bodine’s #11 Paychex Ford team the the past two years, is expected to move back to the Stavola brothers’ team to work with Hut Stricklin in the #8 Circuit City Chevy.(JournalNow)(3-23-98)


  • Claude Queen, engine man for the #17 DW team is being courted by Larry McClure and Sheldon Pittman to come to work for their Abingdon, Va., team, according to sources close to the situation. Waltrip is negotiating to sell his team to a relatively unknown Texas businessman, and Waltrip’s crew is in the dark over what that might mean or how many men, if any, might be laid off.(JournalNow)(3-23-98)

    (3-22-98)

  • Jim Long, crew chief for Ricky Rudd, probably will find another job soon. Rudd hired Bill Ingle after Daytona as team manager. Ingle and Rudd work well together, and Long may feel odd-man-out. Other teams looking for a crew chief are those of Hut Stricklin, Jeff Green, and Brett Bodine.(Speednet), Jayski note: on NASCAR2Day they mentioned that Bill Ingle was calling the shots on the #10 car today as crew chief in place of Long, no mention of why he was not at the track, just that he was absent(3-22-98)


  • “Robby Gordon, in line for Hiro Matsushita’s ride in CART when King Hiro retires early this season, continues to make waves in NASCAR, even with consideration of his abortive drive for Felix Sabates last season. Gordon will test for Buz McCall’s No. 96 Winston Cup team soon, and McCall and other members of his former road-racing group are hot to check out Robby. That hasn’t set well with present McCall pilot David Green, who despite official denials may be headed elsewhere.”(SpeedNet)(3-22-98)
  • “Robby Gordon also apparently is the top choice as sub driver of Rick Hendrick’s No. 50 Budweiser car. Regular wheelman Ricky Craven stepped down this weekend due to an accumulation of injuries over the past two seasons, especially at Texas (April 1997) and Phoenix (last November). He has what is called “post-concussion syndrome” and will sit out for three months on doctors’ advice. Busch champion Randy LaJoie will drive the 50 this weekend and possibly next.”(SpeedNet)(3-22-98)


  • Darrell Waltrip, interviewed on NASCAR2Day said he plans to stay with the #17 team and the new owner. He has a deal in principle with the new owner.(3-22-98)


  • Even though Darrell Waltrip ran the #300 during practice and qualifying, he had to go back to his normal #17 as NASCAR does not allow three digit car numbers(NASCAR2Day)(3-22-98)


  • Dale Jarrett will donate his $10,000 half-way leader bonus from Darlington to Tim Flock(3-22-98)


  • I hear Vic Kangas, the crew chief for Ricky Craven’s #2 New Holland BGN Chevy will leave the team after Darlington(3-22-98)


  • Randy LaJoie said on NASCAR2Day that he thinks he’ll be on the #50 Bud Chevy through the Texas 500(3-22-98)


  • There have been reports that Ricky Craven is considering quitting racing, disheartened as he is by his condition. Crew chief Tony Furr said he believes in Craven’s talent and added, “I think he’ll be back. He’s just feeling kind of low right now.”(SpeedNet)(3-22-98)


  • UPDATE: Richard “Slugger” Labbe has been promoted to crew chief on the #28 Texaco
    Ford driven by Kenny Irwin.(NASCAR Online TranSouth Notebook)(3-20-98) – Labbe will move from the #88 as front tire changer to the #28 as crew chief and front tire changer. Robbie Hancock, moves from the #28 to #88 as the front tire changer(3-22-98)


  • I hear NASCAR had the chassis dyno at Darlington and tested two BGN cars, the #9 Track Gear Ford, driven by Jeff Burton and the #66 Phillips Chevy driven by Elliott Sadler(3-22-98)

    (3-21-98)

  • Two fans who are helping Billy Standridge with his fan-supported Winston Cup team recently were selected as the ‘Fan of the Race’ and honorary pit crew member for the 4/5 Texas 500. Scott Hunt, from Lake Como, PA, is the honorary crew member, and Willie Ingle of Ellenboro, NC, is the fan for that event. Ingle will get his picture on the #47 Ford Taurus deck lid(WC Scene)(3-21-98)


  • Bud Moore Engineering has dissolved its proposed partnership with the Steele family and plans to return to WC soon. The team is looking for a sponsor and is converting its Tbirds to Tauruses and hopes to get back on the track soon. The team plans on hiring a part-time driver to fill in until Steele is ready to return(WC Scene)(3-21-98)


  • I hear conflicting reports that Darrell Waltrip will take the #1 ride, while reports from Friday have DW’s team sold and DW retaining that seat as driver only(3-21-98)


  • UPDATE: “Rumors are spreading that NASCAR found a spring operated mechanism on the trunk lid of one of the cars they took to the wind tunnel. The device reportedly could be locked out for inspection but then released to allow air pressure to push the trunk down, removing more of the spoiler from the air steam. If this is in fact the case we will all hear about it soon when NASCAR publicly clobbers the individual with an impressive fine.”(Tom Hintz – Thinkin’ Racing)(3-15-98) – I hear that this was just a rumor and did not happen and that all the cars taken to the wind tunnel were legal(3-21-98)


  • Gene Nead, crew chief for Phil Parsons’ Busch Series team, has been suspended indefinitely by NASCAR. Tim Sullivan, a spokesman for the sanctioning body, said only that Nead was involved in a fight Friday night and was suspended for “activity detrimental to the sport.” The trouble Friday apparently stemmed from a confrontation a week ago during the Busch Series race at Nashville, Tenn. Nead showed up at Darlington Raceway Saturday, but was escorted from the grounds by security personnel.(WRAL)(3-21-98)


  • The #96 Buz McCall Caterpillar Chevy team may have Robby Gordon test one of their cars at an upcoming test at Charlotte(NSSN)(3-21-98)


  • Second round qualifying proved to be most interesting. Kenny Wallace cut a lap of 168.30mph which would have had him on the front row if he had done it on Friday. For info on who had to use provisionals and who went home see Jayski’s Provisional Page.(3-21-98)


  • Ron Hornaday backed the #1 Pennzoil Chevy into the turn 4 wall early in second round practice. The team had to go to a back up. Jeff Green also destroyed his
    primary car, in morning practice. Team Monte Carlo and Taz will be back on the #29 at Darlington(3-21-98)


  • Hut Stricklin, who drives the car sponsored by Richmond, Va.-based Circuit City, still hasn’t found a permanent crew chief or a full-time engineer. After crew chief Bill Ingle left the team to join Ricky Rudd after last month’s Daytona 500, Stricklin had hoped to have a new man in place by this weekend. As it is, Stricklin is 42nd in the points standings. He said his car owner, Bill Stavola, hasn’t given him any indication he should be worried about his job.(Skip Wood/Times-Dispatch)(3-21-98)


  • Kathryn “Kat” Teasdale announced she will run five BGN races in 1998 and race for rookie of the year in 1999 and will make her debut in August on the road course
    at Watkins Glen and also attempt Milwaukee, Indianapolis Raceway Park, Michigan and Dover.(WRAL/WC Scene)(3-21-98)


  • Watkins Glen has extended its contract with ESPN to televise NASCAR events through 2001(NSSN)(3-21-98)

    (3-20-98)

  • It has been confirmed by Charlotte News 6 that Randy LaJoie will be in the #50 Bud Chevy for Darlington, subbing for Ricky Craven. No permanent sub has been named yet, Rick Bickle is rumored and there is an outside shot that LaJoie could take the job. Also possible that LaJoie will run the car at Bristol(3-20-98)


  • 49 Cup cars are scheduled to attempt to make the TranSouth 400 including Morgan Shepherd in the #05 Pontiac. Shepherd is scheduled to relieve Mike Skinner in the #31, no idea what happens if he makes the race in his own car. Remember, provisionals are now awarded based on 1998 owners points, for the updated list see Jayski’s Provisional Status Page.(3-20-98)

    (3-19-98)

  • Ricky Craven, driver of the #50 Budweiser Monte Carlo for Hendrick Motorsports, has been directed by his doctor not to race for 90 days. Official press releases from Hendrick Motorsports and Budweiser will be forthcoming. Craven has been diagnosed with “post-concussion syndrome,” and this prevents him from driving. The immediate plans for the #50 at Darlington are that the team is looking at putting a BGN regular in the seat, although one has not been officially specified at this posting. Randy LaJoie is a leading candidate to drive the #50 at Darlington. See the story at www.country.com (3-19-98)


  • Darrell Waltrip plans on making 1999 his final year as a driver in the Cup series. He is in the process of selling his team and hopes to drive for another team owner for the rest of 1998 and 1999 with 1999 serving as a Farewell tour, similar to the Richard Petty tour of 1992. More of this story can be seen at: WRAL and choose the Waltrip Plans for 1999 Season to be his last story.(WRAL)(3-19-98)


  • There had been speculation that Ricky Craven had been released (like on this page), John Hendrick, Rick’s brother who is running the organization says that is not true(RPM2Nite)(3-19-98)


  • Kenny Lane, Budweiser PR person, told North East Racing News this afternoon that Ricky Craven is suffering from post-concussion syndrome. The condition will cause Craven to miss this weeks race in Darlington, and keep him out of the car for up to ninety days. Lane could give no details about the injury yet. It is not known if the condition is a result of a prior accident or a new injury. He did say that Ricky is expected to recover and return to drive the #50 Budweiser Monte Carlo within 90 days. No driver has been named yet to sub for Craven. See the story at North East Racing Site. (also NASCAR Today Radio reports the same), my sources tell me Jack Sprague will be at Darlington(3-19-98)


  • While driver Tim Steele continues to recover from a recurring vision problem that flared during a test in January, Cup owner Bud Moore has started to look for a sponsor. Steele wrecked last fall during a test at Atlanta and suffered a concussion. Two months ago, he got out of the car after a test and complained of double vision, and he has not been cleared to drive. Moore, who started racing in the Winston Cup series in 1948, had proposed a partnership with Steele and his father, Harold, for this season. The partnership was never completed, and the team feels it must move on. Moore said the team is preparing Ford Taurus’ and possibly could run as early as the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte on May 24.(SpeedNet)(3-19-98)


  • UPDATE II & Correction: I hear Ricky Craven is out of the #50(sorry not #25) Bud Chevy and Jack Sprague may take the seat(3-18-98) – The rumor mill continues to
    swirl around the Hendrick #50 Bud team, with a major announcement expected today, I hear an announcement will be made on RPM2Nite, another rumor has David Green in the car. This also may open the door for Craven to go to the #1 Pennzoil Chevy(3-19-98) – Craven is out, Sprague supposed to run Darlington and Rich Bickle is a candidate for the full-time ride in the #50 Bud Chevy(3-19-98)


  • No testing was done at Texas Motor Speedway on Wednesday(3-18). From what I hear the track was not ready in time for the #40, #46 and #13 teams to test in the morning, so they left without testing at all in the three day’s they were there. The FastTrack driving school was at the track in the afternoon and the teams were gone.(BGNFan)(3-19-98)


  • David Green will sub once again for Derrike Cope in the Darlington BGNrace Saturday(RPM2Nite)(3-19-98)

    (3-18-98)

  • Per TNN – General Manager of DW’s team, Waddell Wilson confirmed that Darrell has been asked to consider driving the #1 Pennzoil Monte Carlo in place of the recuperating Steve Park, but he also noted that, again, this is another option for the three-time Winston Cup champion to consider. He could sell his current sponsorless team outright and stay as the driver, or proceed to look elsewhere. According to Wilson, the unconfirmed buyer of the team is businessman Tim Beverly from Tyler, TX. Bechtel and a Florida businessman were also in the mix but appear now to have dropped from consideration. Waltrip is scheduled to be in his race shop close by the Charlotte Motor Speedway tomorrow.(www.country.com)(3-18-98)


  • According to an AP news story, Darrell Waltrip will sell his race team after this Sunday’s Darlington race. He said he has spent $1 million dollars out of his own pockets this season, that he can’t continue doing that, and that he tried owning his own team, and it just isn’t working. He said he was not sure how the sale would affect him, and whether he will race March 28 in Bristol, Tenn., and the rest of the 1998 Winston Cup schedule.(WRAL/StockCarFans)(3-18-98)


  • DW’s plans for this weekend at Darlington: The car will have Flock’s old number on it, #300 and will have his name, NASCAR’s 50th Anniversary logo, as well as both Tim Flock’s funds on it. They are working with the diecast folks and will donate the proceeds from the diecast/aparrell/souvenirs etc to the two Tim Flock funds. DW is also going to challenge all the teams, drivers, owners and fans to pitch in. Do you realize that in his entire racing career, Tim only won something like $109,000. That is DW’s goal, to at least equal that on the Darlington weekend. The addresses for the funds can be found towards the bottom of the page in the Past News section(3-18-98)


  • “Wind Tunnel test results are being leaked. This is definitely not a quote from Nascar officials or other key personnel, but rumor has it that the Fords have a 16-20% downforce advantage over the Chevys and a 10% advantage over the Pontiacs.”(Go200mph)(3-18-98)


  • Junie Donlavey was discharged from our hospital today, he said he is feeling very well but will be staying home for a few weeks. He is planning to stay away from the shop for a while also and I think his wife will see to that. Before he left the
    hospital he made sure that any staff members who wanted a picture of the Heilig Meyers Taurus with Dick Trickle and signed by him got one.(thanks Greg)(3-18-98)


  • Looks like Morgan Shepherd will not attempt to make the TranSouth 400 but will take over for Mike Skinner at the first caution as Skinner has not healed from the Atlanta accident. Skinner will practice, qualify and start the #31 Lowes Chevy(Thats Racin)(3-18-98)


  • “Bobby Labonte will drive the #44 Shell Pontiac in the upcoming Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington Raceway in place of Tony Stewart. The March 21 event marks Labonte’s first 1998 appearance in NASCAR Busch Grand National Series (BGN) competition. Darlington is the first of nine NASCAR BGN events Stewart will miss due to the contractual commitment he has with Menard Racing to compete in the full 1998 Indy Racing League (IRL) schedule. Labonte will assume Stewart’s driving duties for the majority of the remaining eight conflicting BGN events.”(Shell PR)(3-18-98)


  • Testing at Texas Motor Speedway was once again rained out on Tuesday and three of the teams that were to test, #5, #25 and #42 left while the #13, #40 and #46 will attempt to test on Wednesday(Thats Racin), the #96 was not present either Monday or Tuesday as was previously rumored here(3-18-98)

    (3-17-98)

  • I hear Hardee’s will definitely be sponsoring a Winston Cup car before the end of
    this season. No idea who the driver or team will be but the car plans on making it’s debut around July 4th.(Pepsi 400?), doesn’t sound like DW, maybe Bud Moore or Washington-Erving??(3-17-98)


  • Just In: A press release was released that Ron Hornaday will be at the wheel of the #1 Pennzoil Monte Carlo for Darlington and Bristol. No statement as to who would drive the car afterwards(3-17-98)


  • The Rules Change: Beginning with Sunday’s TranSouth 400 at Darlington (SC) Raceway, Fords will be required to use 55-inch wide rear spoilers on their new Tauruses and any leftover Thunderbirds remaining in their racing fleets. That’s two inches narrower than the spoiler width of 57 inches that Fords, Chevrolets and Pontiacs have all been using for Winston Cup competition. Here is the breakdown:


    Ford Taurus: Rear spoiler must be 55 inches wide and 4.75 inches tall. Front air-dam clearance is 5 inches.


    Ford Thunderbird: Same as Taurus, except spoiler must be 4.5 inches tall.


    Chevrolet Monte Carlo: Rear spoiler must be 57 inches wide and 5 inches tall. Front air-dam clearance is 5 inches.


    Pontiac Grand Prix: Rear spoiler must be 57 inches wide and 5.375 inches tall. Front air-dam clearance is 4.625 inches.


    The rules are not in effect at Daytona and Talladega(That’s Racin – David Poole)(3-17-98)

  • In a RPM2Nite interview DW says he and his wife Stevie have paid all of the bills since February and will be able to do so for a few more weeks. He said he has a few sponsorship possibilities. Unless he gets sponsorship, DW plans to run some Tim Flock lookalike cars this week at Darlington and the following week at Bristol to help raise money for Flock’s increasing medical bills. Even mentioned running the #300 like Flock once did in the 1950’s. DW also would not confirm or deny if he has talked Dale Earnhardt about taking over the #1 Pennzoil ride(RPM2Nite)(3-17-98)


  • Mike Skinner is still very sore after his accident at Atlanta and will start the Darlington race but will have Morgan Shepherd standing by as a relief driver. Shepherd plans on attempting to make the race with his own #05 Pontiac team but has told Richard Childress that the #31 will be his top priority if he is needed.(RPM2Nite) – No idea what happens if Shepherd makes the race and Skinner needs relief and at this point don’t plan on speculating(3-17-98)


  • The #18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac that won the Atlanta race is in Detroit at a GM wind tunnel for private team testing and will run at Darlington(RPM2Nite)(3-17-98)


  • Sparky from iRACE hears that the Caterpillar/American Equipment Racing team has released David Green as driver, and that Green may be a candidate to fill in for the injured Steve Park. Green, you may remember, was tabbed to substitute for Park’s car owner, none other than Dale Earnhardt himself, at Watkins Glen after The Intimidator was banged up in ’96. Others in the hunt for the Pennzoil seat include Rich Bickle and Mike Wallace, but we suppose they would also be candidates for the Cat car.(iRACE)(3-17-98)


  • Testing at Texas was rained out on Monday, Sterling Marlin, Terry Labonte, Joe Nemechek, Wally Dallenbach, Ricky Craven and Jerry Nadeau were on hand. They’ll try again Tuesday(WinstonCup Today)(3-16-98) – Defending Craftsman Truck Series champion Jack Sprague joined his Hendrick Motorsports teammates for the test. Sprague said he is supposed to drive a “research and development” car for the team.(Thatsracin)(3-17-98)


  • I hear Darrell Waltrip is in the process of selling part of his race team to a businessman in Texas(3-17-98)

    (3-16-98)

  • I also continue to hear that David Green will be out of the #96 ride soon and that he is a candidate for the #1 Pennzoil ride(3-16-98)


  • Tim Flock’s health has taken a turn for the worse and he is bedridden at his home in Charlotte(WC Today)(3-16-98)


  • The David Pearson Performance Racing Programs will be held at Martinsville
    Speedway starting in May. The program features hot laps sessions and beginner driving schools and will be held in May, July, October and December. See the story at NASCAR Online.(3-16-98)


  • Here is a rumor I have been hearing, can’t hurt to try: “The following is an email address for Hardee’s Restaurant Corps. They’re considering sponsoring Darrell Waltrip, but are trying to ascertain if there would be enough interest to warrant them getting involved.”[email protected], I went to the Hardee’s website and they just signed up a new advertising agency, let’s hope they like the NASCAR kind of thing.(3-16-98)


  • Hear that DW and Dale Earnhardt have talked about DW taking over the #1(3-16-98)


  • Also, I hear that Dale Earhardt has said that if he does hire a full time driver for the rest of the year, if he has sponsorship, he will keep the replacement driver for a 2nd team next year. I hear Ron Hornaday was pretty upset at not getting the ride for Darlington and Bristol.(3-16-98)


  • From Inside NASCAR on TNN Sunday: Rich Bickle is not with the Washington-Erving Motorsports team anymore and will run selected BGN and Truck series races with an eye towards getting a Cup ride. I continue to hear he is a candidate for the #1 Pennzoil ride(3-16-98)


  • Steve Park returned to his Cornelius, North Carolina home on Saturday after time in Georgia Baptist Hospital in Atlanta and Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Park has already begun rehabilitation under the care of Dr. Walt Beaver, an orthopedic surgeon. Park said he is still in pain from the injury but uses crutches to move around his house.(Pennzoil)(3-16-98)

    (3-15-98)

  • Casey Atwood, the 17 year old who took the pole at Nashville in his second BGN start. plans on running at least 15 races in 1998 and all after Charlotte if the team gets sponsorship. Plans are to run a full 1999 BGN season and maybe even a Cup start or two.(TNN)(3-15-98)


  • Richmond car owner Junie Donlavey is expected to return home sometime this coming week from Columbia Chippenham Medical Center after undergoing successful surgery last Tuesday to replace a faulty heart valve. Donlavey’s wife, Phyllis Donlavey, said doctors wanted to observe him for a week to 10 days before he’d be discharged. Donlavey owns the No. 90 Ford driven by Dick Trickle and sponsored by Richmond-based Heilig-Meyers.(3-15-98)


  • The Dale Earnhardt Inc team is looking for a driver to sub for Steve Park who will miss at least four months. Ron Hornaday tested in the #1 Chevrolet for two days this week at Darlington, then Mike Wallace drove it on the final day. Both Hornaday and Wallace have rides in the NASCAR Truck series, so either would only be used for the next two Winston Cup races, at Darlington and Bristol. It’s possible, however, that the team will have a long-term substitute ready to go by next Sunday’s TranSouth 400 at Darlington. Ty Norris the team’s general manger would not elaborate on whom the team might be considering. Rich Bickle’s name has been mentioned most often in speculation surrounding the ride.(ThatsRacin), I also hear Morgan Shepherd is being considered and another Cup driver who is in a full time ride(3-15-98)


  • Winston Cup teams will be testing at RIR on most every available day during May(Times-Dispatch)(3-15-98)


  • “Just got news from two separate, usually reliable sources that in this case are in direct conflict with each other. One reports David Green will leave the #96 Caterpillar team to replace Steve Park for the rest of this year in the Dale Earnhardt # 1 Pennzoil Winston Cup Monte Carlo and then drive a second team car for Earnhardt in 1999. The second source is certain Rich Bickle will replace Park for as long as necessary without a promise of a ride afterwards, though in todays climate in Winston Cup a second Earnhardt team would seem likely at some point. If I(Tom) had to guess I(Tom) think I’d go with Bickle as he is a proven talent, available and has a hard driving style much like the prospective boss. Either would seem like a good choice and niether brings a big wad of sponsor money to the table so that advantage is eilminated.”(Tom Hintz – Thinkin’ Racing)(3-15-98)


  • “After having the aero numbers I(Tom) received analyzed it appears the Monte Carlo figures fall in line with 2 year old data especially when compared to specific portion of the car. Without more authentication we can not consider these numbers valid. The common information floating around is that the Taurus develops up to 30 % more downforce than the Monte Carlo with similar drag characteristics, something most aerodynamic experts are suspect of. If the Taurus is in fact making that much more downforce NASCAR will certainly make changes before Darlington. I’m(Tom) hearing that the wind tunnel tests this week will bring about at least a spoiler reduction on the Ford Taurus but that a modification to the C pillar on the Taurus is also being contemplated if trimming the spoiler is not effective. There appear to be some concerns that only so much can be taken off the spoiler without causing the cars to get overly loose on corner entry but bringing the C pillars outwards would reduce overall rear downforce and slow the cars on the straights as well. This modification could be coming for all three makes if speeds continue to increase.”(Tom Hintz – Thinkin’ Racing)(3-15-98)


  • Whew! Tom’s been busy: “Two sources and a set of aero data from the NASCAR wind tunnel test yesterday show the Taurus generating considerably more down force than either the Monte Carlo or Grand Prix, no surprise there. The wind tunnel data so far is suspect and being checked by those who know it. What does jive in both reports so far is the order in which the cars rated for aerodynamic efficiency, drag/downforce. 1. Rusty Wallace 2. Dale Jarrett 3. Bobby Labonte 4. Todd Bodine (I didn’t know his car was taken?) 5. Terry Labonte 6. Jeff Gordon (Tom Hintz – Thinkin’ Racing)(3-15-98)

    (3-14-98)

  • Brad Francis, general manager of the #96 Winston Cup team owned by Buz McCall, said Friday that David Green is still the team’s driver. “David is doing a good job, he really is,” Francis said when asked to address rumors regarding Green’s future with the team. “I am looking to improve the performance of the team, because that’s my job.”(ThatsRacin)(3-14-98)

    (3-13-98)

  • Upset by the way Speedblock treated DW? Don’t call the shop, here is Speedblock’s address and phone number: Dick Haas – President, Speedblock Inc., 174 Currie Hall Parkway, Kent, OH 44240 Phone:330-677-2210, Fax: 330-667-2207(3-13-98)


  • Chevy plans to run a redesigned Monte Carlo in 1999. The car will be unveiled sometime this year.(WC Scene)(3-13-98)


  • Chrysler Corp. is working on a heavily-revised pushrod V8 that it hopes NASCAR will approve for Dodge Craftsman Truc teams, prompting speculation about a Winston Cup three-factory circus. The King has an opinion.  “They’re working on an all-new engine
    for us,” said Richard Petty, whose truck team runs Dodges. “I can’t imagine them doing all that work and spending all that money just for the truck series.”(Autoweek/NASCAR Fans)(3-13-98)


  • Richard ”Slugger” Labbe, who worked with Kenny Irwin four races last fall with the #27 car, is helping out until Yates decides what to do about a crew chief for the #28 Texaco Ford.(JournalNow)(3-13-98)


  • More testing at Darlington on Thursday, the following tested: #10-Ricky Rudd 168.757; #29-Jeff Green 167.493; #44-Kyle Petty 166.981; #1-Mike Wallace 166.698; #4-Bobby Hamilton 165.966; #28-Kenny Irwin, Jr 167.265; #41-Steve Grissom 166.981. #42-Joe Nemechek; and #91-Kevin LePage tested but no speeds were given(SpeedNet and NASCAR Online)(3-13-98)


  • Jeff Gordon and Ray Evernham are looking to put together a BGN team to run a limited schedule. Pepsi would be the sponsor. Nothing is signed yet. If sponsorship can not be secured, Evernham and Gordon plan to try the team in 1999. Didn’t mention Gordon as the driver(WC Scene)(3-13-98)


  • There were some earlier reports that the team used a SABCO motor in Atlanta and Las Vegas, and Joe Falk wanted to clear that rumor up, “The #91 car has run on Fisher engines in all three of the races they have made this year”. Lepage was the third fastest Chevy at Atlanta, all thanks to Dennis Fisher and Fisher Engines.(Victory Lane Online)(3-13-98)
  • Crew Chief Buddy Barnes, who left the SABCO #40 after Daytona, while not being officially named the crew chief is helping out the BGN effort of Lyndon Amick and the #35 Pontiac Team. Barnes is keeping his options open for now(WC Scene)(3-13-98)


  • Hickman Motorsports has announced that Curtis Miller will drive the BGN Peco Foods Chevy in at least 5 races(3-13-98)


  • From Greg: “Junie Donlavey was moved out of SICU and to the Progessive Care Unit (PCU), which is a step down unit, yesterday afternoon. When I stopped in to see him he was tired and didn’t say much but he did give me a thumbs up when I asked how he was doing. Today he was more talkative and went for a walk down the hall with a couple of the staff members from cardiac rehab. His wife told me that he will probably be discharged in the middle of next week.”(3-13-98)


  • UPDATE: Robby Gordon will make an announcement about his racing plans for the 1998 season on Friday 3/13. It looks like a full-time CART ride(RPM2Nite)(3-12-98) – Gordon announced he will run most of the CART season in the Panasonic CART car starting at Nazareth(3-13-98)


  • Sterling Marlin will attempt to qualify the #1 Marlin Racing/Coors Light-sponsored Chevrolet in this weekend’s BGN BellSouth Mobility/Opryland 320 at Nashville Speedway USA.(NASCAR Online)(3-12-98) – See a story and an image of the car at Sterling Marlin BGN Racing At Nashville, thanks TNN – www.country.com(3-13-98)


  • Randy Porter will go back behind the wheel of the #48 BGN Chevy at Nashville. Dale Shaw left the ride recently(NASCAR Today)(3-13-98)

    (3-12-98)

  • The #96 Caterpillar Team will be at Texas next week for testing, along with
    the Hendrick and Sabco Teams.(3-12-98)


  • The April 5 Texas 500 purse will be $4,033,914. The winning driver should net around $400,000.(SpeedNet)(3-12-98)


  • More from GoRacing: “We walked up on a Robert Yates mechanic with a file in his hand as he worked on the #28 Texaco Taurus. He was filing off the spoiler to a 4.5″ height. Curious, we asked why he was going to 4.5″ when NASCAR mandates a 4.75” spoiler he just smiled. When we asked if that was the “new” rule the smile got a bit wider and he joked, “for today at least.”(GoRacing)(3-12-98)


  • Mike Wallace tested #1 Pennzoil Chevy on Thursday at Darlington. It looks like Ron Hornaday will not run the Winston Cup race at Darlington or Bristol as was the plan as recently as Tuesday of this week. An announcement is due out the end of this week. No idea who may get the nod on this long term assignment. Mike Wallace was quick to point out that he was not one of the drivers in the running as he is enjoying the time with handling driving duties with Kenny Schrader in the truck series. See the rest of the story and more at Darlington TranSouth Testing Notebook – GoRacing.(GoRacing)(3-12-98)


  • Dan Pardus, who attempted to make the Daytona 500 in the #07 Midwest Transit Monte Carlo was testing at Texas on Wednesday and hit the wall in turn one. Pardus was reported to be conscience but had a mild concussion. Even if he is cleared at the hospital his testing session is over due to not having a back-up car.(SpeedNet)(3-12-98)


  • More sharing of info: The #77 Jasper Engines team and the #75 Butch Mock Remington Team are sharing information similar to the #21/23, #10/90 deals(3-12-98)


  • David Green will be driving for Derrick Cope at Nashville in the BGN #92 Kraft BGN car(3-12-98)


  • The NASCAR Goody’s Dash Series has made three changes to its 1998 schedule. The Sub-compact series will return to Langley Speedway in Virginia in September and make its debut at Louisville Speedway two weeks later. The Louisville event, which replaces an event at South Boston Speedway, will be the most Northern event in Series history.(Fastlane)(3-12-98)


  • Because of the Primestar 500 being run a day late a few of the teams that were to test at Texas have decided not to. Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Joe Nemechek, Sterling Marlin, Wally Dallenbach canceled. Next week 3/16-19/98 Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte and the three SABCO chevys will test at Texas.(That’s Racin’)(3-12-98)


  • The #24, #3 and #28 were tested on NASCAR’s chassis dyno after the Atlanta race. (iRACE) No results listed(3-12-98)


  • “We don’t have definitive numbers from any testing but what we’re hearing is that the chassis dyno numbers were close – and that the advantage may in fact go to the SB2 GM power plant. The differences were described as “minimal”.”(GoRacing – see link above)(3-12-98)

    (3-11-98)

  • Charlotte Motor Speedway has set its testing dates before the 5/24/98 Coca-Cola 600. Winston Cup testing will be from 3 to 10pm/et on 4/21 and 4/22 and from 9am/et to 5pm 4-23(Thatsracin)(3-11-98)


  • Reports say the Ford Taurus will lose another half-inch or more from the height of its rear spoiler before the TranSouth Financial 400. After the Primestar 500 on Monday, NASCAR took five cars to take for a wind tunnel test. Results of NASCAR testing are never revealed, but sources indicated that the Taurus would lose more spoiler before Darlington.(Speedworld)(3-11-98)


  • Darrel Waltrip Motorsports announced that it has terminated its sponsorship
    agreement with Speedblock Inc of Kent OH. Waltrip indicated the contract was terminated immediately due to Speedblock officials grossly failing to fulfill the terms of the contract. The team will begin looking for sponsorship immediately. Anyone out there looking to sponsor DW feel free to email me.(3-10-98) Part of the Speedblock deal was Builders Square/Hech. but they were not responsible for the termination and will not remain on the car, that was Speedblocks idea. The team will be at Darlington and the car will look basically the same without any of the sponsor decals. Sorry, could not track down a website or email address for Speedblock.(3-11-98)


  • I hear that Jimmy Spencer will be running a special Winston Lights gold and red paint scheme at the July 4th Pepsi 400(whoops) in Daytona to celebrate the first Winston Cup race under the lights at Daytona. As more info becomes available expect news on this at the Spencer Fans Page.(3-11-98)


  • Truck driver Stacy Compton said during his NASCAR Online Chat that the team may run a race at Martinsville in a #86 RC Cola Ford, no mention on if it would be a Tbird or Taurus(thanks Brad)(3-11-98)


  • The BGN Stihl Power Tools 300, which was postponed due to rain last weekend at Atlanta will be run on Saturday 11/7/98 and joins the Cup cars at Atlanta for the weekend. Qualifying will also be held that weekend for the race.(NASCAR Online)(3-11-98)


  • A few testing speeds at Texas Motor Speedway: #94-Bill Elliott 180.000; #35-Todd Bodine 177.632; #81-Kenny Wallace 177.398. Andy Hillenburg hit the wall but was uninjured(RPM2Nite)(3-11-98)


  • More testing speeds for the second day of testing at Darlington:
    #42-Joe Nemechek 167.721; #13-Jerry Nadeau 167.436; #29-Jeff Green 167.265; #44-Kyle Petty 167.038; #91-Kevin LePage 166.981; #3-Dale Earnhardt 166.811; #10-Ricky Rudd 166.165; #1-Ron Hornaday 165.020; #4-Bobby Hamilton 164.964; #28-Kenny Irwin, Jr 164.743; #41-Steve Grissom 164.193.(RPM2Nite & NASCAR Online), see the speeds at NASCAR Online. (3-11-98)


  • I hear former #28 Texaco crew chief Marc Reno is up for a high profile BGN job and will not be in Cup this year(3-11-98)


  • Elliott and Hermie Sadler practiced their BGN Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevy’s at Charlotte today. No speeds given, Elliott hit the wall but was on(Winston Cup Today Radio/PRN)(3-11-98)


  • Derrike Cope left the hospital on 3-10-98. He has two cracked ribs, but will wear a flack jacket and race at Darlington(RPM2Nite)(3-10-98) – Cope will not race as scheduled at Nashville this Sunday(Winston Cup Today/PRN)(3-11-98)

    (3-10-98)

  • Junie Donlavey’s operation was scheduled for 10:30am Tuesday and he got out of the OR and into the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) around 3:00pm and he is doing fine, he will most likely spend the next several days in that unit(3-10-98)


  • #1 Pennzoil Monte Carlo driver Steve Park returned to Charlotte on Tuesday after undergoing successful surgery Friday night in Atlanta to repair a broken right femur suffered in a severe crash during practice Friday for the PRIMESTAR 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Park is resting in a private room at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte and will be there for a couple of days. (Pennzoil)(3-10-98)


  • Some Darlington test speeds today: #10-Ricky Rudd 166.135; #4-Bobby Hamilton 165.020; #29-Jeff Green 164.743; #13-Jerry Nadeau 163.592; #3 Dale Earnhardt 162.297. Ward Burton holds the track record at 173.797mph.(RPM2Nite). Dale Earnhardt had three cars there and Mike Dillon was helping out with the test(3-10-98)


  • Testing this week: Darlington – #’s 1(Hornaday),3, 4, 10, 13, 29, 41, 43 and 99 along with BGN JD Gibbs and #’s 34 and 36. Texas – #’s 2, 6, 13, 18, 22, 28, 40, 41, 42, 46, 77, 81, 94, 95 and 98.(NASCAR Online)(3-10-98)


  • Rumors floating around that David Green may get released from the #96 Caterpillar ride soon(3-10-98)


  • BGN drivers Mark & Jeff Krough and Truck driver Jack Sprague tested at
    Greenville-Pickens Speedway on 3-10. Sprague was expected to stay two days but was fast and decided to go on home. Tomorrow the Kroughs will will be back along with Robert Pressey, Hut Stricklin and Mark Green(Get well RacinRadar)(3-10-98)


  • Hut Stricklin said the hunt for a permanent crew chief is going slower than he expected, largely because his team — owned by the Stavola brothers and sponsored by Richmond, Va.-based Circuit City — isn’t willing to go the quick-fix route. Stricklin said he approached noted crew chief Gary DeHart about the opening last weekend at Las Vegas but added that the man who led Terry Labonte to the 1996 Winston Cup championship no longer has interest in being a crew chief or a team manager. DeHart, who recently left the team of Busch driver Lyndon Amick, apparently wants to start his own racing-related business.(Skip Wood – Times-Dispatch)(3-10-98)

    (3-9-98)

  • Junie Donlavey will be having a valve in his heart replaced on Tuesday, 3-10-98. He will be going to the OR very early in the morning and asks that the racing fans keep him in their thoughts and prayers. Donlavey probably won’t be able to return to the race track for about a month following the procedure, to allow proper time for recovery. The team requests that any get-well cards be sent to Donlavey Racing, 5011 Old Midlothian Pike, Richmond, Va., 23224.(3-9-98)


  • NASCAR pioneer car owner W.C. “Junie” Donlavey, 73, underwent heart-related surgery Monday in Richmond, Va., for an aortic valve replacement. Donlavey,
    bothered for a long time by the defective heart valve, said he considered the operation “preventive maintenance.” He is expected to be back with his team in about a month.(Speedworld)(3-9-98)


  • Billy Standridge(#47 FCR Ford) will be appearing at a Racing Mall Show that Don Black (TBS Motorsports, Columbus, OH) and Jeff Nuckles(Columbus Motor Speedway) are
    promoting this Saturday, March 14th. The show -RaceDays ’98- will be held at River Valley Mall in Lancaster, OH; 10 miles southeast of Columbus. There will be 30 to 40 race cars plus 25 memorabilia dealers set up Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Billy will
    sign autographs from 1:00 – 3:00 Saturday afternoon.(3-9-98)


  • Bill Brodrick, aka “The Hat Man” was back in the winners circle today in Atlanta. This is the first time we have seen him in 1998. Since the winner’s circle ceremonies are controlled by the track or race organizers, I guess Bruton Smith hired “The Hat Man” for his tracks. Welcome back.(3-9-98)


  • The AP reports that the #18, #2, #88, #5 and #24 were the cars chosen to go to the wind tunnel test this week at Lockheed Aviation in Marietta. At the end of the PRN broadcast and on RPM2Nite they also showed #28 and #35 being held. Also the chassis dyno was used, not sure what cars were put on the dyno. But it was a few of the above listed. NASCAR has their own transporter to truck the cars to the wind tunnel(3-9-98)


  • Derrike Cope was injured when a front tire blew and he hit the wall, he has a bruised chest. Mike Skinner hit the was hard early in the race and has a concussuion and will stay in the hospital over night. CAT scans on Skinner were negative(RPM2NIte)(3-9-98)


  • Wally Dallenbach, who had the flu, was relieved by Sterling Marlin during the Primestar 500(3-9-98)


  • I hear Felix Sabates is talking to at least one other team about purchasing their assets to expand his operation. One of the teams reportedly owns a building with additional property that would be beneficial should Sabates really want to expand his operation to “more teams than Roush.”(Thinkin’ Racing)(3-9-98)


  • Where crew chief Marc Reno might land has been the subject of considerable talk. Reno could end up back with Ernie Irvan, according to one report. But Jay Frye, team manager of Irvan’s team, discounts that report.(JournalNow)(3-9-98)

    (3-8-98)

  • Sterling Marlin will miss his first Winston Cup race since November 16, 1986. That race was the Winston Western 500 at Riverside, CA. Marlin had 332 consecutive starts in Winston Cup(3-8-98)


  • Washington-Erving update: The Stihl 300, whenever it is run, will mark the second Busch race of the season for Jimmy Foster, driver of the #50 Dr. Pepper Ford owned by Joe Washington and Julius Erving. The team had planned to compete with a Winston Cup car, but the sponsorship never came together. They have enough of a challenge on their hands with the Grand National series, having missed the season’s first two races at Daytona and Rockingham. Foster ran at Las Vegas, but was involved in a crash and finished 41st. General Manager Jimmy Martin said Washington-Erving still plans to run some Winston Cup races this year.(News and Record Online)(3-8-98)


  • Kevin LePage’s #91 LJ Racing Chevy will now be sponsored at Atlanta by Coors Light since Sterling Marlin failed to make the Primestar 500. No idea if First Union will be on the car too(TNN’s Raceday)(3-8-98)


  • Ernie Irvan has an engine expire in Friday morning practice and had a new engine in the car for qualifying and will race the new engine when the the Primestar 500 is run(TNN’s Raceday)(3-8-98)

    (3-7-98)

  • UPDATE: Dale Earnhardt’s #3 Chevy for the Winston Select in Charlotte will be solid gold with a black strip down the center of the car with the Bass Pro Shop logo on the hood. The official announcement will be made at Atlanta on March 6th or 7th(2-20-98) – Announced officially in Atlanta, can be seen on NASCAR Online at Primestar 500 Saturday Notebook.(3-7-98)


  • Looks like Ron Hornaday is expected to drive the #1 Pennzoil Chevy at Darlington and Bristol(he has a conflict for Texas). Hornaday will test at Darlington and if goes well, he will drive the car. Looks like Steve Park is going to be out four or five months. While the car was so torn up it may never be known for sure, it appears a shock pin broke in the right front of the car causing the wreck. I also hear Morgan Shepherd may run some races in the car. Dale Earnhardt would like to get one driver in the car once things settle down so the crew does not have to deal with a revolving driver situation. There is also talk about running Park in three races in the fall and running for Rookie of the Year in 1999(3-7-98)


  • Former BGNN champion, Dale Shaw, has resigned from the #48 UniFirst BGN team. See the story at North East Auto Racing Page.(3-7-98)


  • On this date (3-7) in 1993, the late Davey Allison won his last race at Richmond, VA(RPM2Nite)(3-7-98)


  • Ford Credit will donate $10,000 for every Winston Cup race Jarrett’s Robert
    Yates Ford wins, $7,500 for each runner-up finish, $5,000 for each third place
    and $5,000 for each pole to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation of
    Dallas.(iRACE)(3-7-98)

    (3-6-98)

  • Steve Park’s parents have requested that everyone be updated immediately on
    Steve’s condition. Steve is currently in surgery having a pin inserted into his right femur which was broken earlier today in an accident during practice. This injury
    is the same as that suffered by Bill Elliott at Talladega last spring. Steve also suffered a fractured left clavicle and fractured left scapula.(Speedworld)(3-6-98)


  • During WC practice in Atlanta on Friday, March 6th, which was televised in the Qualifying time slot, Steve Park had a really nasty crash and had to be cut out of the car. The only update on his condition is he is conscious, and aware of what happened. It was a scary wreck because after hitting the outside wall three times, he wound up crashing on pit road, and almost hit Jimmy Spencer’s car also. I now here that Park has a broken right leg and that Phil Parsons will attempt to qualify and race the car. No idea who a long term replacement will be at this time for Park. Mike Wallace and Dale Earnhardt, Jr are among the rumored drivers so far. More news on this story at Park breaks leg in Atlanta accident – NASCAR Online.(3-6-98)


  • UPDATE III: I hear crew chief for the #28 Texaco Ford, Marc Reno may be released from the team soon. No info on who may replace him(3-4-98) – Sources tell me Reno was released on Wednesday from Robert Yates Racing. No word on a new crew chief for the #28 or what Reno may do.(3-5-98) – I hear Robert Yates will crew chief the #28 Texaco Ford in Atlanta and that Richard “Slugger” Labbe will be Reno’s replacement and is an in-house move. It seems Texaco was putting on the pressure for a change and are not happy with 1998 results so far, one rumor has Reno replacing Ryan Pemberton on the #36 Skittles Pontiac, but this one seems doubtful, even though Ernie Irvan, driver of the #36 is good friends with Reno and Reno was Irvan’s crew chief on the #28 in 1997(and former owner/cc in 1987). It’s official: Per RPM2Nite, Reno has been released. Richard Labbe, who was Irwin’s crew chief on the #27 Ford in 1997 will assume the crew chief duties on the #28. He will act as the crew chief on Saturday. On Sunday he will handle his job as the #88 Front tire changer and take over the job at Darlington. Robert Yates and Raymond Fox will handle the duties on race day this Sunday(RPM2Nite)(3-6-98)


  • The crew chief Silly Season is upon us! Crew chief Donnie Richeson has been let go from the #11 Paychex Team Scnadia Ford team driven by Brett Bodine. No idea on a replacement yet, but the team is interviewing candidates and will have a new crew chief in place at Darlington. I hear Gary DeHart has said no.(3-6-98)


  • 10 years ago today, Neil Bonnett won his last Winston Cup race at Rockingham(RPM2Nite/Tom Higgins)(3-6-98)


  • Kevin LePage’s #91 LJ Racing Chevy will be sponsored at Atlanta by First Union as told here a few days ago, but the car will look quite different too. It’s be black and white, actually looks pretty nice, hope to have an image next week(WC Practice-ESPN2)(3-6-98)


  • Todd Bodine is running the black and green color scheme on the Tabasco #35 Pontiac again this week after missing last weeks race in Las Vegas and this from the Tabasco website: “To reassure all of you racing fans, McIlhenny Company is committed to Team
    TABASCO for the long term. Like all new teams, we are experiencing growing pains but are confident that our investment of time and energy will prove successful!”(3-6-98)


  • BGN qualifying cancelled, the field will be set through a combination of 1997 points, past champions, past race winners and entry postmarks.(3-6-98)


  • Morgan Shepherd will be attempting to make the field at Atlanta with his own team, the #05 Pontiac. See a picture of the car at Jayski’s Paint Scheme Page.(3-6-98) – he didn’t make it(3-7-98)


  • Beverage Source Worldwide will be a major associate sponsor on the #55 Bobby Jones owned, Larry Pearson driven BGN Pontiac and will display its Rawlings brand Thirst Quencher drink for 24 BGN races in 1998.(Phatman/AP)(3-6-98)

    (3-5-98)

  • NASCAR has asked all Cup and BGN drivers to keep all of their celebration activities in the designated area of each track. The Winner’s Circle. It appears that NASCAR officials are no longer interested in having post-race activities by race winners such as spin-outs, polish victory laps, etc.(Go200mph.com)(3-5-98)


  • Tony Glover will remain the crew chief of the #40 Coors Light Chevy driven by Sterling Marlin for the time being. The team still plans to hire a replacement for Buddy Barnes who left last month because of things the team and Barnes didn’t see eye to eye on.(NASCAR Online)(3-5-98)


  • Gary DeHart, the crew chief of Terry Labonte’s 1996 Championship team, has opened his own race car operation which will be named TurnKey Performance. The new race car shop is located outside of Charlotte in Mooresville, NC. Dehart had announced last year that he would team up with BGN driver Lyndon Amick for the 1998 season, but announced his resignation from that position following SpeedWeeks ’98.(Go200mph.com)(3-5-98)


  • Rusty Wallace and the Miller Lite Team ran its first Penske-Kranefuss chassis. Mayfield had driven the car once before during the 97 season and captured a 5th place finish at The Brickyard.(Go200mph.com), it was a Kranefuss-Hass chassis in 1997(3-5-98)


  • The #91 LJ Racing Chevy will be sponsored by First Union at Atlanta as will the #46 SABCO Chevy with regular driver Wally Dallenbach, see the story at Victory Lane.(3-5-98)


  • Maybe we helped out with our email messages! – “Lycos, Inc., will announce its sponsorship of the #17 Chevrolet and driver Matt Kenseth on the NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division in a press conference Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Lycos, Inc. will also unveil plans for dedicated areas on Lycos for Team Lycos and NASCAR racing, located at www.lycos.com.”(NASCAR Online)(3-5-98)


  • The #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac sport a new PLAYERS INC. paint scheme this week in Atlanta. Players Inc is an associate sponsor on the Petty cars and truck in 1998. Players Inc paint schemes will also be featured on the #43 STP Pontiac and Jimmy Hensley’s #43 Cummins Dodge Truck later in the season. In addition, all three paint schemes will be available as Hot Wheels diecast collectible vehicles. Also PLAYERS INC will send a number of NFL stars to this season’s WC and Truck races where they will work with the crews(Players Inc is the marketing and licensing subsidiary of the
    NFL Players Association).(NASCAR Online), have not seen an image of the car and have no idea at present time where to find it(3-5-98)


  • The official release from NASCAR on the rules change at GoRacing.(3-5-98)


  • The Truck race in Colorado on 7/25, held since the series inception in 1995 at Colorado National Speedway near Denver, will move this season to Pikes Peak International Raceway(NASCAR Online)(3-5-98)


  • Casey Atwood was at Nashville testing his Larry Lockamy-owned BGN Chevrolet today(3-5) and his best time was a 19.50, not the pole but would get him in the race.(3-5-98)

    (3-4-98)

  • There have been rumors that former Sterling Marlin crew chief Buddy Barnes would turn up back with his old pal Tim Brewer at Mattei Motorsports. Brewer says that will not happen, “Unfortunately I have me and two guys that fill in for me, so we don’t have room for him right now. Red Dog (Barnes’ nickname) will turn up some where
    don’t worry. He’s too good and been around too long.”(Marty-MRN Net)(3-4-98)


  • UPDATE II: Rich Bickle may be getting a Winston Cup ride in the next few weeks, according to sources close to Bickle.(JournalNow)(3-2-98) – I hear Bickle may be in line to take over the #78 Pilot Travel Network Ford for Gary Bradberry who has failed to make a race yet in 1998(3-3-98) – I hear there is absolutely no truth to the rumor that Rich Bickle will be replacing Gary Bradberry in the #78 Ford(3-4-98)


  • From Lyco’s(www.lycos.com): “Just a quick note to say thanks for all the e-mails about our sponsorship of Matt Kenseth, Reiser Enterprises and the #17 Lycos Chevrolet. We have big plans to provide the racing fans a great experience on Lycos around the team. This starts Friday when we conduct our first chat session with Matt on Friday, March 6th at 7pm(et). Please point your browser to http://chat.lycos.com/ to join in on the chat. If you have not been on Lycos chat, you will need to create an account before you can join in and ask Matt your questions.”(Lycos)(3-4-98)


  • Morgan Shepherd tested recently with team SABCO. Not sure if this for a 4th car/team or a possible replacement for one of the existing drivers, rumors have been circling the #46 First Union team and Wally Dallenbach(3-4-98)


  • Congrats to #43 BGN driver Stevie Reeves. Wife Melissa gave birth to the couples 3rd child, Fayth Ann Reeves at 11:43am/et, Tuesday morning, 3/3/98(Williams Co)(3-4-98)

    (3-3-98)

  • Joe Gibbs’ son, JD Gibbs, a rookie on the BGN series tested Tuesday at Darlington. The younger Gibbs tested two cars at Darlington and plans to run in the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 on 3/21/98. Gibbs’ ran a speed of 155.374mph, the track record is 166.337mph. Gibbs says he plans to run eight to 10 races this year.(WRAL)(3-3-98)


  • Sources tell me that a replacement for Kevin LePage has NEVER been discussed within the #91 LJ Racing Team.(3-3-98)

    (3-2-98)

  • Rules change: NASCAR has taken 1/4 inch of spoiler from the Fords for Atlanta and beyond. Ford will have 4 3/4″ spoiler and a 5″ airdam clearance. Chevy stays at 5″ and 5″ and Pontiac stay at 5.375″. Thunderbird spoilers will be lowered to 4 1/2″ from 4 3/4″. The spoiler heights will be in effect for all WC races except at Daytona and Talladega. NASCAR will continue to evaluate the changes. After the wind tunnel tests on Monday we’ll see. Benny Parsons on RPM2Nite speculated that there may be different rules for each type track(3-2-98)


  • During yesterday’s prerace drivers’ meeting, race-control chief David Hoots had a firm request: Whoever wins the race, go directly to victory lane and avoid doing grass-chewing doughnuts on the giant painted event logo. Giggles immediately were heard throughout the room. Earnhardt — who did the doughnut thing after winning last month’s Daytona 500 — just smiled. Added a grinning Hoots: “When you’ve done the race 20 times, then you can do it.” Actually, after winning his first Daytona 500 in 20 tries, Earnhardt radioed NASCAR control to ask permission before taking his victory-lane detour. That wasn’t the case last week at Rockingham, when Busch driver Matt Kenseth took to the grass after his win. NASCAR, not wanting such things to become the norm, was less than thrilled(Times-Dispatch)(3-2-98)


  • NASCAR Today radio show had a statement from Tabasco spokesman that no changes expected on the #35 Tabasco Pontiac team before Atlanta.(see rumors below)(3-2-98)


  • “A shakeup is expected in Todd Bodine’s race team, after failing to make the field for the season’s first three races. But Bodine’s job doesn’t appear to be in jeopardy.
    Crew chief Pat Tryson may be given more responsibility for car preparation, according to sources close to the team. Sponsor Tabasco has committed an estimated $30 million over three years to its NASCAR marketing program, and company officials are not pleased with the team’s start.”(JournalNow)(3-2-98)


  • Ernie Irvan tagged the wall early in the race causing him to make an unscheduled pitstop and putting a lap down. This was missed during ABC’s broadcast. All we heard was that Irvan made an unscheduled pitstop(3-2-98)


  • Some wild rumors have Morgan Shepherd may go to the #91 LJ Racing Chevy in place of Kevin LePage(Go200mph.com)- FALSE see above story(3-2-98)


  • Other news has the Morgan-McClure Team still using last years Chevy engine
    and not the new SB-2 motors(Go200mph.com)(3-2-98)


  • Chevy’s research and development engine programs, which are run through the Richard Childress and Rick Hendrick shops, aren’t filtering enough of the development work to General Motors’ other NASCAR teams, some top car owners are charging.(JournalNow)(3-2-98)


  • Buddy Barnes, one of the tour’s better known crew chiefs, is looking for a job, and insiders say that he might wind up back with Tim Brewer and driver Geoff Bodine (JournalNow) with the #7 Philips Ford team(3-2-98)


  • Bill Elliott’s crew performed an engine change on Sunday morning when the McDonald’s Ford crew discovered metal fragments in the engine oil. Elliott made good use of the new powerplant by running the top-10 all day and finishing ninth.(NASCAR Online)(3-2-98)

    (3-1-98)

  • Complaints or Accolades to ABC can be done at www.abc.com/vvoice where there is an email address or mail to ABC-TV, 77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023.(3-1-98)


  • Longtime Winston Cup car owner Junie Donlevy missed a Winston Cup race for the first time in over 25 years. Donlevy, 73, owner of the #90 Helig Meyers Ford with driver Dick Trickle, will have heart valve replacement on 3/9/98. His doctors recommended that Junie stay at home. He will also miss the Atlanta race next week(3-1-98)