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| January 23,2003 |
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Stirrin' The Pot
France speaks: the NASCAR World listens
INSIDE TODAY'S ISSUE: Rick Mast's Career-ending Illness Prompts Carbon Monoxide StudiesYears of breathing fumes in a race car has given NASCAR driver Rick Mast carbon monoxide poisoning that will end his career. -Aikman Plans Major Announcement With Jeff Gordon Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman plans to hold his first NASCAR-related news conference on Jan. 29 at Texas Motor Speedway -Rudd Happy In New Ride Ricky Rudd, understandably, feels he's ahead of where he was at this time last year, when he was recovering from back surgery and unable to test for the Daytona 500 - Success Keeps Marlin Young At Heart Driver eager to return from vertebra injury that ended '02 season - Little 'E' Re-Signs With DEI Junior keeps it in the family Davis' Team Fights Battle To Survive Don't derail the little teams that could --First Members of Virginia Motorsports Hall of Fame To Be Inducted Ceremony will take place during the 2002 South Boston Speedway awards banquet at 6 p.m. on Jan. 25. -- Classifieds
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NDN Staff Report,January 23,2003
Bill France's surprising announcement on Tuesday afternoon about his plans for some major changes to the Winston Cup tour's 2004 schedule - which France has dubbed 'Realignment 2004' - has set off a firestorm around the stock-car tour. But there's more than a little confusion over what France has put on the table. Some of the points France made on Tuesday were quite different from what Mike Helton, who runs NASCAR for France, was saying just a few feet away, indicating how quickly some of these ideas may have been put together in NASCAR's Daytona Beach headquarters. That may also indicate that the plans for the schedule changes may be coming from within the France family's International Speedway Corp, rather than from within NASCAR.
There has been considerable speculation about France's announcement. First, it appears that he wasn't scheduled to make any announcement at the media gathering on Tuesday at NASCAR's new shop in Mooresville, but France stood in the audience to clarify some points about the schedule changes that he felt weren't that clear. With that, France quickly became the center of attention, which he clearly enjoyed, although some other NASCAR executives might have been uncomfortable with the boss expanding so dramatically on such a sensitive issue. But it was the possible changes to the 2004 schedule that drew the most attention. Late Tuesday night, Bruton Smith and Humpy Wheeler, his second in command, appeared to be stunned by the proposals, which seemed to have caught them off guard, particularly France's highly unusual proposal that one track might rent a Winston Cup date to another track. "He said 'rent'?" Wheeler asked about that novel proposition. So what does Wheeler think is going on? "I just think Bill was firing for effect," Wheeler said with a smile. But Smith wasn't smiling. He was angry at the idea that he might have to move a date from one of his tracks to another. Smith dismissed Bill France Jr.'s proposal that Smith move a Winston Cup date from either of Smith's tracks in Charlotte or Atlanta to his Texas Motor Speedway. "No way," Smith said. "We're not swapping dates. Get that out of your vocabulary. But buying dates, oh yeah, that works for me. I am willing to buy a date, of course. "Atlanta is not going anywhere. As a matter of fact, the state of Georgia is building this nice six-lane highway right into the speedway, off I-75. That's a huge market for any pro sport, and you want to have a lot of presence in that market. It's a big one." Smith is offering a counter proposal to France - sell him either the Darlington or Rockingham track, or both. "If one of those places is for sale, I'm in a mood to buy," said Smith, who would take two of those dates to TMS and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "If you want to talk about moving a date, let's talk about Homestead," Smith said, referring to the South Florida track that has been heavily criticized for producing boring, follow-the-leader races. "That's the last race of the year, and you were terrible about beating up on that speedway, unmercifully, about how terrible it was. That would be an ideal date to move ... and we'd like to move it to Las Vegas. If we could make a deal with Mr. France to move that last race to Las Vegas, we're prepared to do that. If you're worried about finding rooms, I'll guarantee you I can find you some rooms in Las Vegas. We've got 125,000. "Las Vegas is the place for the Winston Cup championship race. That's where the season should end. Don't you think NBC would rather be in Las Vegas than down in Homestead? "If they want to work a deal, we'll start trying to work a deal now, seriously ... and if they will let us move Homestead, we'll pay them ... if they will rent us that date, we'll take it to Las Vegas. Not Texas now, Las Vegas." Texas, Smith said, is non-negotiable: "I'm thinking we should already have that date." Ed Clark, who runs Atlanta Motor Speedway for Smith, said that when Smith wanted to move his Sears Point Winston Cup date to Las Vegas, as a second Cup date there, NASCAR first approved the move, then said no. And Clark said that France's suggestion that Smith and Wheeler move a Cup date from Atlanta or another of their tracks to Texas for a second Winston Cup race is nothing new. "People are asking about us losing a date, but I don't see that in the cards," Clark said. France said he and Helton will be meeting with the tour's track owners and promoters this season to pin down the changes for 2004. Clark said he'll be ready. "I am encouraged that they're thinking about juggling the schedule some, and TV is asking for more Saturday night races," Clark said. "I've been trying to get a night date for our spring race for years; I've told them that the priority for us was moving that March race, and that I was willing to run it as late as June, on Saturday night. "Since I heard about this, I've pulled out the file of my five or six suggestions for schedule changes that I gave Mike two years ago, and I'm dusting it off." Clark, perhaps the most neutral track executive in this frequently bitter debate between Smith and France, has some interesting suggestions for France to consider when pondering next year's tour: "Here's my ideal scenario," Clark said. "We could switch our March race with California (which has a late April date). You could run in California in March, and we could run in April, on Saturday night. "Another move would be to move the July 4 Daytona race to the last race of the year (in mid-November). Daytona is going to be full of people July 4, race or no race. And around Thanksgiving the weather in Daytona is absolutely beautiful, but there's nobody there. So what a boon to the Daytona economy if they moved. "Then take Chicago (now in mid-July) and run it July 4. There's a big city, a big market, and the July 4 weekend. "And then give us that Chicago date and let us run that Saturday night. That would be a win-win-win for the sport, for everybody. "And having the last race of the season at Daytona would be great, although I don't think the car owners would be thrilled by it, especially if they were holding just a 10-point lead going into the last race on a restrictor-plate track. But it would be huge for the sport." Eddie Gossage, who runs the Texas track for Smith, said he didn't see any help for his track or any of Smith's other tracks in France's proposal. "You can only surmise there will be two dates in California and Kansas City next year," Gossage said, somewhat dejectedly. "And that's easy to do when you've already given yourself a first date. "I've talked with Bruton probably half a dozen times the last 24 hours, and he is adamant that NASCAR do for us what it's done for themselves at California, Kansas, Homestead and Chicago. "Mr. France did talk about criteria (for a second date). Certainly, when you consider accommodations, market-size, TV ratings, purse, live attendance, we should be getting more than two dates here at Texas. If those are the criteria, then there are tracks that should be looking over their shoulder, that should be concerned. "But I imagine if they talk to us, it would be 'If you want a second date in Texas, move something.' But that does not address the fundamental issue of treating this incredibly successful speedway that does sell all of its tickets, in the seventh-largest market in the country, as fairly as they have treated their own tracks." Two specific issues that Smith, Wheeler and Clark have brought up in this debate are ticket sales and on-track competition. France raised the issue of empty seats, and he suggested that if Atlanta can't sell out, can only draw 80,000, and if Texas can draw 160,000, then Smith should move that date to Texas where it would be more profitable. That left Smith and Clark sizzling. "You can tell Mr. France we're selling 50 percent more tickets for our worst event than what they are in Chicago and Kansas City," Clark said. "If he wants to talk ticket sales, he needs to look at Darlington, Rockingham, Kansas City and Chicago. We're still selling way more tickets than they are. And if they would work with us on a better date, that wouldn't be a factor." |
DAILY BRIEFS BRETT BODINE SCALES BACK EFFORT Owner/driver Brett Bodine announced yesterday that he will enter his No. 11 Ford in only 20-25 Winston Cup races this season instead of attempting the full schedule. He said the car would again be sponsored by the Hooters restaurant chain
KEVIN GRUBB AND LANCE NORICK TO SHARE RIDE
Carroll Racing says veteran Kevin Grubb and rookie Lance Norick will share the driving duties of the team's No. 26 Dodge in the 2003 Busch Series. Grubb is scheduled to drive in 24 races, while Norick handles the other 10. Dr Pepper will be the primary sponsor on their car and an associate sponsor on the team's No. 90 car, which Carroll Racing plans to enter in five events for the 34-year-old Norick.
COCA-COLA EXTENDS 600 SPONSORSHIP
The Coca-Cola Co. has announced a 10-year extension with Lowe's Motor Speedway as title sponsor of the Coca-Cola 600, held annually during Memorial Day weekend at the track in Concord, N.C. Financial terms were not disclosed for the race sponsorship, which began in 1985 and is now the longest continuous race sponsorship in the Winston Cup Series.
NASCAR TO HIRE SECURITY DIRECTOR
NASCAR plans to hire a new director of security to help it form policies for garage-area security at events.
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Aikman Plans Major Announcement With Jeff Gordon  January 23,2003 Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman plans to hold his first NASCAR-related news conference on Jan. 29 at Texas Motor Speedway. Aikman and Roger Staubach, a former Cowboys quarterback who has become a prominent developer, have formed Hall of Fame Racing with the intention of entering the Winston Cup Series in 2004. Published reports say Speedway Motorsports Chairman Bruton Smith and four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon are scheduled to be at the press conference, along with Indy Racing League champion Sam Hornish Jr.
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Mast's career-ending illness
Prompts Carbon Monoxide Studies
Years of breathing fumes in a race car has given NASCAR driver Rick Mast carbon monoxide poisoning that will end his career. Mast, who has not raced since May, said Wednesday he is suffering from acute and chronic carbon monoxide poisoning that carries symptoms similar to "the worst hangover in your life." "You wake up feeling nauseated and you want to throw up and you can't," Mast said. "Your head is pounding all the time and you just feel awful. That is what I lived with for five and a half weeks, seven days a week." Mast, who made 364 starts over a 15-year Winston Cup career, said he began feeling ill in March but didn't get out of the car until May. It took dozens of visits to various doctors before he was finally diagnosed in November — he said he lost 43 pounds in that time — and there is no timetable for when the poisoning will be out of his system. The only thing he knows for certain is that he can no longer be around chemicals that are spinoffs of carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that is in everything from a car's exhaust to poorly ventilated heating systems. That means everything from racing cars to using a lawnmower and riding a tractor on his Virginia farm are off limits to Mast. "I cut grass one day in June and the air was blowing just a certain way and the fumes were blowing and I was down for five days after it," Mast said. The 45-year-old driver from Virginia can't pin his illness on NASCAR, although he is now working with the sanctioning body to educate other drivers on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. Because he has been around race cars since he was 4, Mast said the lifetime of exposure to the fumes is probably to blame. "I was a grease monkey of sorts," he said. "In the wintertime, we worked in the garage with the doors shut and the windows closed and all the cars running." Still, NASCAR is taking a proactive approach to the problem. Gary Nelson, NASCAR's managing director of competition, accompanied Mast while he discussed the illness during an informal announcement at the annual media tour. Mast first told NASCAR about the poisoning after he was diagnosed in November, and the sanctioning body immediately went to work on ways to prevent it. A lab was built into NASCAR's new research and development center, and all drivers were asked if they had an air filter system they used in their car that they wanted NASCAR to test for them. "We have found plenty of systems that didn't work that were being used," Nelson said. "What we're looking for is a way to get drivers to breathe the freshest air possible in the car. The way to do that is to find a way to bring air from the outside through a hose into the helmet." NASCAR has even tested some drivers for toxic levels in their body, including Jimmy Spencer after his fiery wreck in the season-finale in Homestead, Fla. Nelson said Spencer's toxic level was less than 3%. Major problems begin when the level nears 20%, Nelson said. Spencer, the only driver on the Winston Cup circuit to still use an open-face helmet, thinks that choice has kept his levels of toxicity fairly low. "I think I get less of the carbon monoxide than the full-face helmet guys because I've got a lot more circulation," he said. "You have to have the air circulating and moving. You cannot sit there in that dirty air." Both Mast and Spencer applauded NASCAR for aggressively targeting the problem. Earlier this week, even before Mast's announcement, the sanctioning body said developing an air filter system for the cockpits of the cars was a goal for its new R&D center. "I have been pleasantly surprised with the way NASCAR has handled this and attacked this," Mast said. "From the moment I told (NASCAR president) Mike Helton, they have taken this thing and run with it in trying to get data on it and solve this problem."
Sterling Marlin's age isn't as high as the combined ages of his two rookie teammates in the 2003 racing season -- but it's close. At 45, Marlin drives the No. 40 Dodges owned by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, joined by teammates Jamie McMurray, 26, and Casey Mears, 24. While Marlin may be a little longer in the tooth than McMurray and Mears, he's certainly not short on youthful enthusiasm as he prepares to return from a cracked vertebra that ended what could have been a magical 2002 Winston Cup season. "When you're running good and you can be competitive week in and week out, it's fun," Marlin said Wednesday on the UAW-GM Motorsports Media Tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I'm having the most fun I've ever had."
"You know when you're hurt," Marlin said. "When I hit the wall at Richmond, it happened so quick I didn't even have time to brace myself. I couldn't move my arms or my legs or anything. I sat there for 10 or 15 seconds before the feeling came back, and I could hardly get out of the car. "Kansas, I just sort of hit and it didn't really hurt." The injury put Marlin out of the final seven races of the season. His team, however, showed its mettle at Concord by putting a car under McMurray that was good enough to give him a victory in his second career Cup start. "That team just works so well together," McMurray said. "We were at Charlotte and I came in to change a sway bar on the car. I was amazed at how fast they got it changed. ... They've been around together for so long." McMurray hadn't won a race in NASCAR's Grand National series before he was picked to drive for Ganassi's new third team of No. 42 Dodges in 2003. Mears didn't win, either, in his one year of Grand National racing before getting the call to replace Jimmy Spencer in the No. 41 Intrepids. Times have changed, Marlin says. "When I came along, there were five to eight good rides and you had 20 drivers looking for cars," he said. "Now, with all the sponsors, owners and money that have come into the sport, rookies come in and step right into a good car and don't have to struggle two or three years." There's little evidence Marlin resents his teammates. He welcomes, in fact, the addition of veteran crew chiefs Donnie Wingo (with McMurray) and Jimmy Elledge (with Mears) as cohorts with his crew chief, Lee McCall, and team manager, Tony Glover. Most of all Marlin is happy he's going to go racing again |
Rudd Happy In New Ride
Ricky Rudd, understandably, feels he's ahead of where he was at this time last year, when he was recovering from back surgery and unable to test for the Daytona 500. Wood Brothers, Rudd's new car owner, has built five superspeedway cars but has only tested two. It now must decide which ones to take to Daytona. Rudd's results were 28th fastest overall, but he's still pleased. "Last year we were at the bottom of the speed chart, so I'm encouraged," he says. "There's a lot of days left between now and Daytona." Rudd also was adapting to Roush chassis during the tests. Wood Brothers' alliance with Roush Racing should provide resources and data that will help with setups throughout the season
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Little 'E' Re-Signs With DEI
Dale Earnhardt Jr. won't be leaving the family team any time soon. After balking for several months, he said Tuesday he would drive for Dale Earnhardt Inc. through the 2007 season. The team was founded by his father and now owned by his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt. "It was not a big issue," Earnhardt said at the DEI race shop on the second day of the UAW-GM Motorsports Media Tour. "We were passing the contract back and forth from building to building, and we hadn't all got in the same room yet," he said. "We just did yesterday and spent about four hours and got everything agreed upon."
"Little E" has said many times in recent weeks how much he enjoyed driving a Busch Series car last season in Daytona for Richard Childress, his father's longtime car owner. Earnhardt said driving a Winston Cup car for Richard Childress Racing someday was an enticing idea. The popular young driver also wanted his personal appearances for DEI to be limited to a smaller number than in recent seasons. "I got what I wanted," Earnhardt said, grinning. It was also announced Tuesday that Dale Jr. and Teresa Earnhardt have formed a separate team — Chance 2 Motorsports — and that the younger Earnhardt will run it. The new team will compete in at least eight Busch races and three Winston Cup events. Dale Jr. will run three Busch races, all at Daytona and Talladega, while DEI teammate Steve Park will race in five more. Martin Truex Jr., a 23-year-old driver from the NASCAR North series, will drive in five to seven Busch races for Chance 2. Ron Fellows, a road racing star, will drive the new team's Winston Cup Chevrolet in the road races in Sonoma, Calif., and Watkins Glen, N.Y, while 2002 Busch Series runner-up Jason Keller will drive the car in the Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway. "It's pretty neat to be a car owner," Dale Jr. said. "I have had a lot of fun over the winter helping put this team together and watching them work and mature." Earnhardt finished out of the top 10 in points last season in Winston Cup. Davis' Team Fights Battle To Survive
Winston Cup Racing needs car owners like Bill Davis. Unfortunately, the evolution of the sport has made it difficult for owners like Davis to survive. Bill Davis Racing, which fields cars for Ward Burton and Kenny Wallace, is a second-tier operation. Though Caterpillar has been a dependable sponsor for Burton's No. 22 Dodge, the money and manpower available to the Hendrick, Roush, Gibbs, Penske and Ganassi organizations dwarf the resources at Davis' command. Davis perseveres, but the consistency necessary to contend for a championship continues to elude him.
Burton's dramatic win in last year's Daytona 500, for example, should have been a springboard to his best season in Winston Cup, but victory lane was nothing more than a dead end. After Daytona, Burton dropped hard and fast in the points standings and finished the season 25th. Accidents, engine failures and handling problems beset Burton with alarming frequency in 2002. He failed to finish nine of the 36 points races. Last season's inconsistent performance was a microcosm of Burton's Winston Cup career, which began in 1994. During the last nine seasons, Burton, 41, failed to finish 64 of the 286 races he started. That's a DNF rate of 22 percent -- hardly championship caliber when you consider that Jeff Gordon has won 61 of 329 races (18.5 percent) over the last decade. Like Davis, Burton perseveres. The key to the 2003 season, Burton says, is simple: "Don't break, and don't wreck." During the last six months, Davis has made wholesale changes. He hired Wallace, 39, a younger brother of former Winston Cup champion Rusty Wallace. Along with Wallace, who drives the No. 23 Dodge, came a sponsorship from Stacker II worth an estimated $10 million, a quantum leap from the subsistence-level support BDR got from Hills Brothers Coffee, which backed the No. 23 in 2002. A veteran of the Busch and Winston Cup series, Wallace gained invaluable experience driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. as a substitute for injured Steve Park in 2001 and early 2002. |
First Members of Virginia Motorsports Hall of Fame To Be Inducted January 14, 2003 Richmond native Ray Hendrick, a legendary Modified racer who won more than 700 races in a 34-year career, and Danville's Wendell Scott, the only black driver to win in NASCAR's premier division, are the first members of the Virginia Motorsports Hall of Fame. The late drivers will be represented by their families at the induction ceremony, which will take place during the 2002 South Boston Speedway awards banquet at 6 p.m. on Jan. 25. Tickets for the banquet cost $30 and are available through the track at (877) 440-1540
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MOPAR PLANS John Fernandez, the new director of Dodge Motorsports Operations, says the game plan for NASCAR in 2003 is to make all of its teams more consistent. The 2002 awards ceremony in New York "was pretty painful," Fernandez said. "I sat in the balcony of the theater and watched Pontiac, Ford and Chevy parade across the stage. I don't want to be in that position again," he said. The highest-finishing Dodge driver was Bill Elliott in 13th. Sterling Marlin, who led the standings most of the season missed the last six races because of injury and wound up 18th.
CREW CHANGES AT RCR
Richard Childress Racing is freeing car chief Scott Naset of catch-can work with Kevin Harvick's No. 29 car so he can concentrate on managerial duties. That seems to be a trend among teams. Keeping a car chief off pit duty allows them to focus completely on race strategy. Kirk Almquist will move to the catch-can job, and Kenny Barber will take his place as the rear tire carrier
MFRYE GOING TO THE PITS
Danielle Frye is leaving her position in NASCAR's public relations office and will become a member of the Motor Racing Network's broadcasting crew as a pit reporter
HARRAH'S TO SPONSOR LARRY FOYT
Harrah's Entertainment Inc. has announced plans to serve as the primary sponsor of driver Larry Foyt in A.J. Foyt's No. 14 Dodge in the 2003 Winston Cup Series. The casino company said it had reached a two-year sponsorship deal with the team. No financial terms were announced. Larry Foyt, the 25-year-old son of team owner A.J. Foyt, is scheduled to make his Winston Cup debut in the Daytona 500, a race his father won in 1972. Separately, NASCAR.com reports that Mike Hillman has left the team and says team engineer Craig "Butch" Lamoreux is becoming the car's crew chief.
LARRY/WALLY LOOKING TO FORM TEAM
Fox Sports analyst and former crew chief Larry McReynolds is in discussions with NBC analyst and driver Wally Dallenbach to start up a new Busch Series team for the second half of the season. "We'd like to find an existing team and see if they're interested," McReynolds says. He says his ability to work on cars will enhance his value on the broadcasts.
BODINE LOOKING FOR PARTNER
Brett Bodine, among the last drivers who own their cars, is working on a partnership with Bob Brooks of Hooters Restaurants. Bodine, 44, says the move should give him a better outlook. "We just haven't been able to get ahead of things," Bodine says. "The last few years, we were going backward." He missed four races last season and finished 36th in points.
BACE, RAINES PLAN FULL CUP SCHEDULE
BACE Motorsports has announced plans to run the entire 2003 Winston Cup schedule with Tony Raines driving the team's No. 74 Chevrolet. The team, which has won three Busch Series championships, says Larry Carter, who was crew chief for Todd Bodine at Haas/Carter Motorsports last year, will be the crew chief for the car. "We're excited to make the transition to the Winston Cup level with the No. 74 team," owner Bill Baumgardner says. Raines, who joined BACE in 1999 as driver of its No. 33 Busch Series entry and won rookie-of-the-year honors in that series, competed in seven Winston Cup races for the team last year and will compete for rookie honors in the series this season. He will be competing against Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears, Larry Foyt, Jack Sprague and Greg Biffle for the rookie title. Michael "Dover" Kadlecik, who was crew chief for the team's Busch Series entry last season, will be the head engineer for the Winston Cup effort.
7 NASCAR DRIVERS LINED UP FOR IROC
Seven NASCAR drivers have been named to the 12-man field to compete in this year's True Value International Race of Champions Series. Winston Cup drivers scheduled to participate include Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Ryan Newman. Greg Biffle, who will drive in the Winston Cup Series this year, was named to the field as last year's NASCAR Busch Series champion, along with reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Mike Bliss
MARIAH CAREY TO SING ANTHEM AT DAYTONA
Daytona International Speedway announced Thursday that Mariah Carey will sing the national anthem prior to the running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 16. Carey is a two-time Grammy Award winner who has recorded 15 No. 1 singles.
NADEAU STILL ACHES
Jerry Nadeau, who injured his ribs and right shoulder in a go-kart accident late last season, said he feels nearly 100 percent but may one day still require surgery.
Nadeau, who will drive the No. 01 Pontiac for MB2 Motorsports this season, said he would re-evaluate the need for surgery at the end of the season.
TONY FURR JOINS MORGAN-MCLURE
Morgan-McClure Motorsports has hired a new competition director to prepare for the 2003 season. Tony Furr, who began his Winston Cup career in 1989, joins the Abingdon, Va.-based team to assist team manager Tim Weiss and crew chief Chris Carrier.
Furr, 46, is native of Concord, N.C
2 CHANGES ANNOUNCED FOR KENSETH CREW
Robbie Reiser, crew chief for Roush Racing's No. 17 Ford driven by Matt Kenseth, has named two new pit crew members for the 2003 Winston Cup season. Reiser has named Justin Nottestad and Jeremy West to the squad that has won the last two Unocal 76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Competitions. Nottestad moves up from front tire carrier to the tire changer position with the team, while West, who is new to Roush Racing, will be the rear tire changer. They replace Phil Drye, front tire changer, and Dave Smith, rear tire changer. "We hated to see those guys go," said Reiser. "But we understand that they made the decision to move to another team because they felt like that was what was best for them personally. I can appreciate and respect that. I knew it wasn't going to be easy to replace those two -- they're both really talented -- but we have filled the positions, and we're excited about next year."
There are published reports this week that NASCAR officials are moving toward smaller spoilers and working with Goodyear to use softer tire compounds, but the officials aren't ready to say when the changes will be made. While drivers such as Rusty Wallace are urging the change as early as the season's second race, the Subway 400 at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, Winston Cup Director John Darby said that the changes may not come that quickly. He also said Goodyear has agreed to produce softer tires if NASCAR can reduce downforce, which Darby said the sanctioning body intends to do. The changes would make cars less dependent on aerodynamics and might make for more competitive racing by reducing the aero-push and increasing passing. "It's going to take some time, and it's hard to pinpoint how long that will be," Darby said.
KEVIN GRUBB LEAVES TEAM BRISTOL
Kevin Grubb and Team Bristol Motorsports owner Rick Goodwin are parting ways, freeing Grubb to take a ride in Carroll Racing's No. 26 entry sponsored by Dr Pepper. Goodwin has a short list of potential replacements for Grubb, but he may hold off on making a decision. Grubb will replace Ron Hornaday at Carroll Racing, which is also making the switch to Dodges for 2003.
NASCAR TO LIMIT GARAGE PASSES NEXT SEASON
NASCAR is talking seriously about limiting the number of garage and pit passes given out at races next year.
Word has it, NASCAR will take drastic action in cutting down on the foot traffic around the garages and pits. This will be a move welcomed by drivers, the media and team members who debated the issue with NASCAR most of last season.
CHEVY ANNOUNCES 2003 DAYTONA FANFEST
The 18th Annual Stock Car Racing Fan Fest presented by Chevrolet and co-sponsored by Sierra Entertainment, will be February 12-14, 2003 at the Ocean Center (101 N. Atlantic Ave.) in Daytona Beach, FL. the event was formerly known as the Circle Track Racing Expo.
More than 30,000 expected attendees can peruse 60,000+ sq. ft. of exhibitor space featuring the latest product innovations, racing parts, and participate in daily pit crew challenges with more than $10,000 in cash prizes. The 3-day show will also feature driver appearances including autograph sessions with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and more than 10 other NASCAR drivers, an engine building contest, on-site 4x4 truck build up, a fishing "cast-off" contest sponsored by Pure Fishing and seminars on a host of racing-related topics. Fan Fest 2003 also includes activities for the whole family including a slot car racing area, video and interactive family games, as well as racing collectibles and souvenirs for sale at the show.
Sports management firm IMG is selling its motorsports business to Elevation Motorsports, a newly formed IMG-affiliated company.
IMG will continue to promote CART's Cleveland Grand Prix and a CART race in Australia and will represent NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon.
Elevation will take with it the marketing and management services for drivers Dale Jarrett, Steve Park, Gil de Ferran and Jason Leffler, Mo Nunn Racing and clients such as Albertson's, General Mills, UPS, AT&T Broadband and Pioneer Electronics.
Elevation Motorsports will be launched Jan. 2 with 20 employees, some from IMG. It will be based in Cleveland and have offices in Charlotte, N.C., and Fort Lauderdale
STEWART GOES NORTH
Other Winston Cup drivers scheduled to race include Dave Blaney, Kurt Busch, Jeff Green, Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth. They will compete in the ISA's June 28-29 Canada Day Million Dollar Shootout and a Sept. 9 race. The two events are part of the ISA's "Super 6," which showcases top racing personalities at select venues across Canada.
EARNHARDT SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE
A sponsorship program will allow race fans to help fund a Dale Earnhardt Tribute plaza surrounding a statue of Earnhardt in Kannapolis. Programs are available from $75 for bricks in the perimeter garden up to $5,000 for steps leading the statue. For information, check the city's OFFICAL WEBSITE or call the City of Kannapolis at (704) 938-5133 or the Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau at (704) 782-4340.
RANDOLPH JOINS PPC RACING
Doug Randolph has been named Crew Chief of the No. 10 Nestlé Nesquik Ford Taurus Team at ppc Racing. Randolph comes to ppc Racing from the No. 41 Winston Cup Team of Chip Ganassi. Randolph will assume crew chief duties effective immediately to prepare for the upcoming 2003 NASCAR Busch Series season
DAVID GREEN LANDS BREWCO RIDE
Brewco Motorsports owner Clarence Brewer Jr. says veteran David Green will drive a Pontiac for the team in the 2003 Busch Series. Green, a 44-year-old native of Owensboro, Ky., won the series championship in 1994 and finished second in 1996. He drove a partial schedule this year and finished out the season in Hendrick Motorsports' No. 5 Chevrolet after Ricky Hendrick retired. In 12 starts this season, he had three top-five finishes.
STEADMAN MARLIN TO DRIVE FOR BRAUN
PPM RACING TAPS BRIAN WINTERS
|
SHELL TO SPONSOR YATES
Shell Lubricants has announced a multiyear sponsorship deal with Robert Yates Racing. As part of the agreement, Shell will be the exclusive lubricant supplier for Robert Yates Racing, which is entering drivers Dale Jarrett and Elliott Sadler in this year's Winston Cup Series. Terms of the deal, which will kick off with the Daytona 500, were not disclosed
MBNA DROPS ONE WEEKEND SPONSORSHIP
MBNA is dropping its sponsorship of the September NASCAR weekend at Dover International Speedway, according to a report in the Delaware News Journal. The Wilmington, Del.-based credit card bank, however, is extending its sponsorship of the track's June race weekend. MBNA's sponsorship of the September event is worth between $1 million and $1.75 million, Denis McGlynn, president and chief executive of Dover Motorsports Inc., which owns the track, told the newspaper. He said the track will seek a new sponsor for the September events
LAS VEGAS PLANNING EXPANSION?
Las Vegas Review Journal reporter Jeff Wolf says sources expect Las Vegas Motor Speedway to begin construction to add 20,000 seats to its existing 120,000 seats after this year's March 2 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Winston Cup race.
BUSCH CAR SPONSOR RENEWS
Sta-Rite, a pump manufacturer based in Wisconsin, says it is renewing its limited sponsorship of Tommy Baldwin Racing's Busch Series program as driver Damon Lusk seeks the rookie-of-the-year title. In two races in the car last year, Lusk finished 42nd at Richmond after an accident and 22nd at Atlanta
HAMILTON TO STICK TO TRUCKS
Veteran Winston Cup driver Bobby Hamilton announced yesterday that he would focus on his Bobby Hamilton Racing team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this year. Hamilton said he would drive his No. 4 Dodge for the entire Truck Series season with sponsorship from Square D, which had sponsored the Andy Petree Racing car Hamilton drove in the Winston Cup Series last year. Hamilton also intends to enter Chad Chaffin in his No. 18 Dodge, replacing Robert Pressley, for the entire season, and he will enter a truck for Bill Lester in the season-opening race at Daytona. Newt Moore, who was crew chief for MB2 Motorsports' entry for Ken Schrader in the Winston Cup Series, will be Hamilton's crew chief for the No. 4 truck. Hamilton, 45, has started 368 Winston Cup races since he first entered the series in 1989 and collected four wins and 20 top-five finishes. He has also run the truck team for the past five seasons
NASCAR IMPLEMENTS NEW RULE FOR SUPERSPEEDWAYS
NASCAR has implemented a new rule effective for the four superspeedway races at Daytona and Talladega this season requiring the total rear weight of the right rear and the left rear to not exceed 50-percent of a car's minimum weight. For example, a car required to weigh 3400 pounds must not weigh more than 1700 pounds across the rear wheels. Winston Cup series director John Darby said Tuesday the rule was adapted to prevent teams from circumventing the rear shock and spring requirements at Daytona and Talladega. "Teams were starting to add more and more weight to the rear of the cars, which was sitting on a specified spring," he said. "Part of the direction teams were using to beginning to head in was actually changing some of the tubing sizes which could affect the crushability of the rear of the car." Darby said NASCAR did not want to allow teams to chance compromising the safety advantage in rear crushability.
MARTINSVILLE BUILDING NEW FACILITIES
Martinsville Speedway owner Clay Campbell says the Virginia track will have a new infield care center and victory lane for the April 13 Virginia 500 Winston Cup race. "We took a look at some of the other care centers at other tracks and tried to incorporate all of the good things that we saw at those tracks into our new center," says Campbell. The new infield care center will include a four-bed examination area, a two-bed trauma area, a waiting room, a family waiting room, a lounge and a reception area. The former infield care center is being converted into a work area for team public relations representatives and will also have two radio production and transmission booths.
FITTIPALDI TO DRIVE FOR PETREE AT DAYTONA
Andy Petree Racing announced Monday it will enter the Daytona 500 with open-wheel star Christian Fittipaldi and sponsor Monaco Coach. Monaco will also sponsor APR in four NASCAR Truck series races this season. The team continues to search for a sponsor to run the entire Winston Cup schedule as well as additional Truck events. Petree will be borrowing the services of Fittipaldi from Petty Enterprises, who is entering Fittipaldi in several Cup, Grand National and Automobile Racing Club of America races this season. "We feel Christian Fittipaldi will add a lot to our effort. He is a rookie at the big ovals but with his Formula One and Indy car background, he is no stranger to going fast," Petree said. "We're looking for a very strong Speed Weeks." APR has scaled back its staff since the conclusion of the 2002 season. The team lost its sponsor on the No. 55 Chevrolet.
NO BULL NO MORE
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. announced on Monday its Winston brand will not continue the Winston No Bull 5 program in 2003. The No Bull 5, a bonus program for both drivers and fans, was introduced in 1998 in celebration of NASCAR's 50th anniversary. Five races were picked prior to the start of each season in which one of five drivers was eligible to win $1 million if he won the race. In recent seasons, fans were paired with the drivers, allowing a fan to win $1 million as well if one of the eligible drivers won the event. "The Winston No Bull 5 program was a very successful program for the Winston brand," said Ned Leary, president of RJR's Sports Marketing Enterprises. "However, we are constantly evaluating the allocation of resources. "For 2003, the decision has been made to deploy those resources in other areas." Leary said the decision to end the bonus program did not affect the company's sponsorship of NASCAR's Winston Cup series, which RJR has sponsored the past 32 years. PEMBERTON LEAVES PETTY Petty Enterprises announced today that Robin Pemberton will not return in 2003 after spending the past year as the team manager. "We really appreciate the knowledge and experience Robin brought to our race teams and wi sh him nothing but the best as he continues his career," said Petty Enterprises CEO Kyle Petty. No announcement was made about what the veteran crew chief who has worked in the past with Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace, among other drivers, might do next.
ARMY TO BECOME NASCAR SPONSOR
The U.S. Army is becoming the first branch of the military to become an official sponsor of NASCAR and will spend at least $16 million as part of its deal with the sanctioning body. The Army, which had already announced plans to sponsor driver Jerry Nadeau in MB2 Motorsports' renumbered 01 Pontiac this season, is also working on media buys for NASCAR events on Fox and NBC. Reporter Terry Lefton says a deal with International Speedway Corp.'s 12 Winston Cup tracks is complete, and additional venue deals are being negotiated. The Army plans mobile marketing recruitment stations at all NASCAR races, along with "Army Nights" at NASCAR Weekly Racing Series events. The story says MB2 is changing the number of Nadeau's car from 36 to 01 to reflect the service's "Army of One" campaign. MICHAEL WALTRIP TO APPEAR AT MOTORSPORT 2003 EXPO Michael Waltrip, winner of the 2001 Daytona 500 will visit with fans and sign autographs at Motorsports 2003, taking place at the Fort Washington, PA Expo Center, January 10th thru 12th, 2003. Waltrip will chat with fans and sign autographs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday night, opening night (January 10th) at the show. Donnie Allison, one of the all time great drivers in NASCAR Winston Cup history, will be part of the Motorsports Saturday Night Heroes special autograph session. This session, featuring Allison (part of the famous Hueytown, Alabama Allison family), will have several motorsports legends signing special show collector hero cards at the Area Auto Racing News display area. Also appearing at the show are: Kenny Schrader, NASCAR Winston Cup driver, Kenny Wallace, NASCAR Winston and Busch Series racer, Dave Blaney, NASCAR Winston Cup driver and former World of Outlaws sprint car champion, Rusty Wallace, 1989 Winston Cup champion, Mark Green, NASCAR Busch Series driver, Kerry Earnhardt, oldest son of the late Dale Earnhardt, now racing in Busch Series and planning some Winston Cup events.
NASCAR GETS NEW CEO
George Pyne has been promoted to chief operating officer of NASCAR and has been named to the stock-car racing sanctioning body's board of directors, joining four members of the France family and NASCAR president Mike Helton. Pyne's title has been senior vice president of NASCAR. The change does little to change his job -- he will continue to lead day-to-day operations of all of NASCAR's departments. Brian France, the son of NASCAR chairman William C. France Jr., also has a new title. He was executive vice president, and now will share the title of vice chairman with his uncle, Jim France
SPORTSCAR DRIVER BINGHAM ENTERS NASCAR
Grand-Am GTS Series Champion Chris Bingham and Jay Robinson Racing will join forces for the 2003 NASCAR Busch Grand National season. Bingham, in Daytona testing last week for the upcoming ARCA 200, has signed to drive the Jay Robinson No. 49 NASCAR BGN Ford for the 2003 season. Winston Cup driver and TV analyst Derrick Cope will serve as a driver consultant for Bingham in 2003. JASPER ADDS CREWMEMBERS The #77 Jasper Motorsports team has added six new team members for the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, including four crew members who will augment the team's existing pit-stop unit for it's over-the-wall efforts in support of driver Dave Blaney.
NASCAR TO SPELL OUT RED-FLAG POLICIES
Fox television analyst Jeff Hammond says NASCAR expects to do a better job next year of letting fans know when the sanctioning body might red-flag a race. "There's going to be a better and clearer definition of a red-flag situation, so the fans should know what to expect if track conditions warrant a red flag near the end of a race," Hammond writes today on the Fox Sports Web site. "I'm really excited about NASCAR's new approach to let fans know that their decisions aren't pulled out of their hats at the last second." Hammond says that the Fox broadcast team learned of the intention when they met with NASCAR President Mike Helton and Vice Presidents George Pyne and Jim Hunter last week.
BILL DAVIS NAMES BUSCH CREW CHIEF
Bill Davis Racing has named Chris Rice to be the crew chief for Scott Wimmer in the 2003 Busch Series. Rice, a 28-year-old native of South Boston, Va., joined Bill Davis Racing this year as the shock specialist for the team's No. 23 Winston Cup car.
CREW MEMBER PASSES
Don Stiteler, gas man for Ed Rensi's No. 25 Grand National team, died Sunday. He had been with the team since 1999
PPI HIRES NEW CREW CHIEF
PPI Motorsports has announced the hiring of Scott Miller to be the crew chief for the No. 32 Pontiac to be driven by Ricky Craven in the 2003 Winston Cup Series. Miller, who has worked at PPI in the past, is returning to the team from Richard Childress Racing, where he had been a shock and chassis specialist. Roy McCauley was to have been the crew chief for the Cal Wells-owned team for next year, but reports have said that he has left the team.
NASCAR WILL TEST SAFER BARRIER NASCAR managing director of competition Gary Nelson plans to visit the University of Nebraska this week to test a modified version of the impact-absorbing SAFER barrier that is designed to fit short tracks. Dean Sicking, the barrier's designer, and his staff have built a mock-up of the high-banked, short-radius turns at Richmond International Raceway and will hit the modified SAFER barrier with an unoccupied race car. If it achieves impact-absorbing results similar to those from the barrier's first deployment at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, SAFER could be installed at more tracks next season. The barrier was used on the inside retaining walls at Talladega Superspeedway in October. |
| No. |
Driver |
Sponsor |
Make |
Owner |
| 0 |
Jack
Sprague |
NetZero |
Chevrolet |
Gene
Haas |
| 1 |
Steve
Park |
Pennzoil |
Chevrolet |
DEI |
| 01 |
Jerry
Nadeau |
U.S.
Army |
Pontiac |
Thomas
Beard |
| 2 |
Miller
Lite |
Dodge |
Roger
Penske |
|
| 4 |
Kodak |
Pontiac |
Morgan-McClure |
|
| 5 |
Terry
Labonte |
Kellogg's |
Chevrolet |
Rick
Hendrick |
| 6 |
Mark
Martin |
Viagra/Pfizer |
Ford |
Jack
Roush |
| 07 |
Kenwood |
Dodge |
James
Smith |
|
| 7 |
Jimmy
Spencer |
Sirius |
Dodge |
Smith/Evernham |
| 8 |
Budweiser |
Chevrolet |
DEI |
|
| 09 |
Miccosukee
Indian Gaming |
Ford |
James
Finch |
|
| 9 |
Dodge
Dealers/UAW |
Dodge |
Ray
Evernham |
|
| 10 |
Johnny
Benson |
Valvoline |
Pontiac |
Nelson
Bowers |
| 11 |
Brett
Bodine |
Hooters |
Ford |
Brett
Bodine |
| 12 |
Ryan
Newman |
ALLTEL |
Dodge |
Roger
Penske |
| 14 |
Larry
Foyt |
Harrah's |
Pontiac |
A.J.
Foyt |
| 15 |
Michael
Waltrip |
NAPA |
Chevrolet |
DEI |
| 16 |
Greg
Biffle |
Grainger |
Ford |
Jack
Roush |
| 17 |
Matt
Kenseth |
DeWalt |
Ford |
Mark
Martin |
| 18 |
Bobby
Labonte |
Interstate
Batteries |
Chevrolet |
Joe
Gibbs |
| 19 |
Dodge
Dealers/UAW |
Dodge |
Ray
Evernham |
|
| 20 |
Tony
Stewart |
Home
Depot |
Chevrolet |
Joe
Gibbs |
| 21 |
Ricky
Rudd |
Motorcraft |
Ford |
Glen
Wood |
| 22 |
Ward
Burton |
Caterpillar |
Dodge |
Bill
Davis |
| 23 |
Kenny
Wallace |
Stacker
2 |
Dodge |
Bill
Davis |
| 24 |
Jeff
Gordon |
DuPont |
Chevrolet |
Rick
Hendrick |
| 25 |
Joe
Nemechek |
UAW/Delphi |
Chevrolet |
Rick
Hendrick |
| 29 |
GM
Goodwrench |
Chevrolet |
Richard
Childress |
|
| 30 |
Jeff
Green |
America
Online |
Chevrolet |
Richard
Childress |
| 31 |
Robby
Gordon |
Cingular
Wireless |
Chevrolet |
Richard
Childress |
| 32 |
Ricky
Craven |
Tide |
Pontiac |
Cal
Wells |
| 38 |
M&M's |
Ford |
Robert
Yates |
|
| 40 |
Sterling
Marlin |
Coors
Light |
Dodge |
Chip
Ganassi |
| 41 |
Casey
Mears |
Target |
Dodge |
Chip
Ganassi |
| 42 |
Jamie
McMurray |
Havoline |
Dodge |
Chip
Ganassi |
| 43 |
John
Andretti |
Cheerios |
Dodge |
Petty
Enterprises |
| 45 |
Kyle
Petty |
Georgia-Pacific |
Dodge |
Petty
Enterprises |
| 48 |
