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Countdown to Daytona
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Quote of the Year
"I love what I do; I love this business."
-- Bobby Hamilton Sr, March 2006 as he announced he had cancer
Quote of the Day
-- Bobby Hamilton Sr, March 2006 as he announced he had cancer
Quote of the Day
“You’ll see this guy as the Nextel Cup champion in the next two years.”
-- Ganassi crew chief Brad Parrott on Ganassi’s signing of F1 star Juan Pablo Montoya.
Most Popular Driver Vote
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News gathered from multiple sources, including but not limited to: Jayski.com, Cup Scene Daily, Thatsracin.com, catchfence.com, nascar.com, yahoo!, espn.com and others.
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Comments from the Peanut Gallery
from Chip B
Dear NASCAR Momma: I notice that this year you have not included the countdown to Daytona at the beginiing of your newsletter. I miss that feature and wonder if you could reinstate it. It adds to the anticipation of a new and brighter NASCAR season. Thank you I remain a loyal and loving fan of NASCAR - Chip
Chip, will do....If I can remember that is....all I know is that I'm dying for my NASCAR race fix! How 'bout you?
from IBJack
Momma, thank you for including the Earnhardt, Jr. interview by Seth Livingstone today. It is such a breath of fresh air after reading all the other monotonous, repetitious efforts by some of the other columnists presented on a regular basis. Please include more of this type of material when possible.
Smilin' Jack
Holy makeral...I finally get a good comment about the Dale Jr/Theresa feud!
from William B
hello Momma
Just wanted to tell you how I enjoy reading Know your NASCAR. IS there any way you could make this:
I love what I do; I love this business."
-- Bobby Hamilton Sr, March 2006 as he announced he had cancer
Quote of the Year?
Pauli
Sounds like a good idea to me.....anyone out there agree?!
I think this is a great idea and a memory all year of Bobby Hamilton!!! Good thinking Pauli!!!
from Bob B
Sandy hoping you can help me.
Do any of thies Drivers have a semi full Cup ride in 2007
Brent Sherman
Stanton Barrett
Mike Bliss
Chad Chaffin
I searched Jayskie & A couple others could not find anything, hopefully you can help.
Thanks Bob Berry
Bob, to the best of my knowledge, none of the drivers except Mike Bliss have a ride for '07....Mike Bliss will be driving the Bam 49 Dodge again this year.
from RD
Momma, the print in your fine newsletter is too small for me. How about bumping it up a tad. Thanks in advance.
About Jr not testing the full session, those tests are not all that important. Hell Smoke never tests, at Daytona's first sessions.
About Smoke, I haven't seen his name in the list of drivers for the Rolex 24 Hours, wonder whats up with that.
rd
Don't know about Tony, he loves to race anything. Maybe he couldn't find a ride? What's wrong RD...you getting too old to read small print? LOL
from Chip B
Dear NASCAR Momma: I notice that this year you have not included the countdown to Daytona at the beginiing of your newsletter. I miss that feature and wonder if you could reinstate it. It adds to the anticipation of a new and brighter NASCAR season. Thank you I remain a loyal and loving fan of NASCAR - Chip
Chip, will do....If I can remember that is....all I know is that I'm dying for my NASCAR race fix! How 'bout you?
from IBJack
Momma, thank you for including the Earnhardt, Jr. interview by Seth Livingstone today. It is such a breath of fresh air after reading all the other monotonous, repetitious efforts by some of the other columnists presented on a regular basis. Please include more of this type of material when possible.
Smilin' Jack
Holy makeral...I finally get a good comment about the Dale Jr/Theresa feud!
from William B
hello Momma
Just wanted to tell you how I enjoy reading Know your NASCAR. IS there any way you could make this:
I love what I do; I love this business."
-- Bobby Hamilton Sr, March 2006 as he announced he had cancer
Quote of the Year?
Pauli
Sounds like a good idea to me.....anyone out there agree?!
I think this is a great idea and a memory all year of Bobby Hamilton!!! Good thinking Pauli!!!
from Bob B
Sandy hoping you can help me.
Do any of thies Drivers have a semi full Cup ride in 2007
Brent Sherman
Stanton Barrett
Mike Bliss
Chad Chaffin
I searched Jayskie & A couple others could not find anything, hopefully you can help.
Thanks Bob Berry
Bob, to the best of my knowledge, none of the drivers except Mike Bliss have a ride for '07....Mike Bliss will be driving the Bam 49 Dodge again this year.
from RD
Momma, the print in your fine newsletter is too small for me. How about bumping it up a tad. Thanks in advance.
About Jr not testing the full session, those tests are not all that important. Hell Smoke never tests, at Daytona's first sessions.
About Smoke, I haven't seen his name in the list of drivers for the Rolex 24 Hours, wonder whats up with that.
rd
Don't know about Tony, he loves to race anything. Maybe he couldn't find a ride? What's wrong RD...you getting too old to read small print? LOL
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Ohio's Unsolved Mysteries
Many strange happening are occuring all around us-in the sky and on the ground. Unexplained
occurrences. This group serves those who want to learn more about the paranormal, ghost
sightings, UFO sightings, ancient Atlantean history, Egyptology, and other similar topics. The
area included is Ohio and it's bordering states, but all are welcome to join.
Bits and Pieces
Stewart wins Chili Bowl: Tony Stewart added another Golden Driller trophy to his collection as he raced to victory lane in Saturday night's 50-lap O'Reilly Chili Bowl Nationals championship feature event. "Smoke" gridded his Chevrolet/Bass Pro Shops #20 Spike Chassis fifth and made his way to second in the opening handful of laps before overtaking Shane Cottle for the lead on the tenth lap. Stewart was chased to the checkered flag by J.J. Yeley, Justin Allgaier, Cottle and Chili Bowl rookie Donnie Ray Crawford. See more at chilibowl.com.
Stewart wins Chili Bowl: Tony Stewart added another Golden Driller trophy to his collection as he raced to victory lane in Saturday night's 50-lap O'Reilly Chili Bowl Nationals championship feature event. "Smoke" gridded his Chevrolet/Bass Pro Shops #20 Spike Chassis fifth and made his way to second in the opening handful of laps before overtaking Shane Cottle for the lead on the tenth lap. Stewart was chased to the checkered flag by J.J. Yeley, Justin Allgaier, Cottle and Chili Bowl rookie Donnie Ray Crawford. See more at chilibowl.com.
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Martin has history with 01 car
Mark Martin will start this year's Budweiser Shootout (Feb. 10) in the No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet, marking the first time in 19 years he will drive a car other than the No. 6 in a Cup event.
However, what many may not realize is that while this will be Martin's first race with Ginn Racing and his first race with the Army on board, it will not be his first Cup event in the No. 01 Chevrolet.
In fact, Martin's history with the No. 01 goes back 24 years, even further back than Martin's history in the No. 6 Roush car. Martin started 16 Cup races in 1983, the 10th of which was at Charlotte, where he ran the No. 01 Activision Chevrolet. A humble beginning in the car, Martin started the race 20th and finished 29th after getting caught up in an accident.
"The car was actually owned by Emanuel Zerakis," said Martin. Emanuel was a great guy and I knew that he had a good car. Lowe's has always been one of my favorite tracks, and I needed a ride. Humpy Wheeler and the guys from the Speedway actually helped get the sponsorship together with Emanuel and Activision, which was the sponsor. So we called them and were able to put it all together.
"As for the race, we started 20th, but we crashed Lap 270. We made around $1700, which was big money back in those days, especially for wrecking. I guess when you think about it, it's kind of ironic that we'll be going back to the 01 this year. Of course, we'll be expecting to finish a lot better this time."
More than 20 years later, Martin ironically returns to the No. 01 where he looks to forge a new legacy in the latest chapter of his storied career.
However, what many may not realize is that while this will be Martin's first race with Ginn Racing and his first race with the Army on board, it will not be his first Cup event in the No. 01 Chevrolet.
In fact, Martin's history with the No. 01 goes back 24 years, even further back than Martin's history in the No. 6 Roush car. Martin started 16 Cup races in 1983, the 10th of which was at Charlotte, where he ran the No. 01 Activision Chevrolet. A humble beginning in the car, Martin started the race 20th and finished 29th after getting caught up in an accident.
"The car was actually owned by Emanuel Zerakis," said Martin. Emanuel was a great guy and I knew that he had a good car. Lowe's has always been one of my favorite tracks, and I needed a ride. Humpy Wheeler and the guys from the Speedway actually helped get the sponsorship together with Emanuel and Activision, which was the sponsor. So we called them and were able to put it all together.
"As for the race, we started 20th, but we crashed Lap 270. We made around $1700, which was big money back in those days, especially for wrecking. I guess when you think about it, it's kind of ironic that we'll be going back to the 01 this year. Of course, we'll be expecting to finish a lot better this time."
More than 20 years later, Martin ironically returns to the No. 01 where he looks to forge a new legacy in the latest chapter of his storied career.
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DEI signs development driver? hearing that Jeff Earnhardt, son of Kerry Earnhardt, has signed a development deal with DEI that will have him driving a second car owned by Andy Santerre to team up with Sean Caisse in the NASCAR Busch East Series, with a few potential Busch Series races with DEI.
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Settlement reached in Turner suit against Hendrick: Attorneys for Linda Turner have informed U.S. District Court in North Carolina that she has reached a settlement in her wrongful death lawsuit against Hendrick Motorsports and its pilots stemming from the death of her husband, team general manager Jeff Turner, in the Oct 24, 2004, accident that killed 10 people on the way to the race in Martinsville, Va. The terms of the settlement are confidential, and the court still must approve the settlement. The settlement provides for an equal distribution of settlement proceeds among Linda and her three children. Turner also has sued the U.S. government over the actions of the air-traffic controllers. That suit is still pending, as are two other suits from widows Dianne Dorton and Tracy Lathram against Hendrick Motorsports.(Scenedaily.com)
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SPEED Adds 50-Foot 'Fan Tower' to help fans locate SPEED Change: Fans won't have any trouble locating the SPEED Stage this season, as the network has commissioned a 50-foot "Fan Tower" to ensure fans can find their way through the crowd. The rotating SPEED logo at the top of the tower will be lit in the evenings. The SPEED Fan Tower will make its debut at Daytona, directing fans from anywhere on the 480-acre property to the main SPEED Stage outside the Turn Four Tunnel. At Speedweeks, SPEED will have multiple additional stages, including one in the Fan Zone, one on top of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series garages and another on a barge in the middle of Lake Lloyd in the infield of Daytona International Speedway.(Speed PR)
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Mike Wallace to run all three NASCAR races at Daytona, #09 to Chevy: Mike Wallace says that he will be attempting the "Daytona Triple" in the NASCAR 2007 season opening events February in Florida. Wallace will drive the #46 Morgan-Dollar Motorsports Chevy sponsored by DirecTV NASCAR Hot Pass in the Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday February 16th. He will then jump into his full time 2007 ride, the #7 GEICO Chevy for Phoenix Racing, in Saturday's Busch Series event. Sunday Wallace will drive the #09 Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts Chevy in the Daytona 500 Nextel Cup race. Both the #46 Truck and #7 Busch vehicles are locked into the field for their races based on last season's points. Wallace will have to qualify and race his way in the Daytona 500 with the #09 car. For more information on Mike Wallace, visit mikewallace.com.(Motorsports Lounge PR)
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Sirius and XM Radio to merge? Shares of satellite radio operators XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. rose Friday, on speculation that the companies might merge or combine in another way. "We believe a 50/50 enterprise value split or perhaps a slight premium to XM shareholders may be warranted in a merger scenario," Stifel Nicolaus analyst Kit Spring said in a Thursday client note, keeping a "Buy" rating on XM shares. RBC Capital Markets analyst Ryan Vineyard in a Friday note to investors said a combination would generate long-term value for shareholders, given slow retail channel growth. Advertising, office, retail incentives and other synergies total between $5 billion to $6 billion, he wrote. Vineyard believes XM would need to be the acquirer, since it has 7.6 million subscribers to Sirius's 6 million.(Business Week), so..what does this mean for NASCAR Radio, which is now on Sirius? no idea, but looks like total speculation at this point.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cingular name going away? UPDATE yes: The largest wireless service provider in the United States, Cingular Wireless, will soon undergo a name change. This carrier had been jointly owned by AT&T and BellSouth, but last week AT&T finally got Federal permission to acquire BellSouth. As the sole owner of Cingular, AT&T has said in the past that it intends to change the carrier's name to "AT&T Wireless". The re-branding is expected to happen over the next several months. This wireless service provider's headquarters will remain in Atlanta.(cdrinfo.com) MORE: Cingular's sponsorship contract with Richard Childress Racing expires at the end of the 2007 season, but the Cingular name will expire before then, leaving the branding of the #31 car driven by Jeff Burton up in the air, according to a story in this week's NASCAR Scene. With the Bell South-AT&T merger approved Dec. 29, AT&T has announced that it is phasing out the Cingular name and replacing it with AT&T. That's a problem for RCR's #31 team because it cannot change the name on the hood of the car. When Nextel became NASCAR's top series sponsor in 2004, the sponsorship agreement grandfathered in existing team-sponsor telecommunications relationships, but it does not permit any changes. Sprint Nextel's Dean Kessel confirmed that remains the group's position Jan. 3. Cingular spokesman Clay Owen would not speculate about the future of the sponsorship. "We look forward to the start of the 2007 NASCAR season with Jeff Burton behind the wheel of the #31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet," Owen said in a statement Jan. 5. "It's an exciting time as we begin the early planning stages of transitioning our brand into the AT&T family." Kessel said there is no wiggle room to allow a change. "We grandfathered in the companies that were involved in the sport, and that was our take," he said. "We're not looking to renegotiate anything." Part of the Bell South-AT&T merger includes yellowpages.com. Kessel said Sprint hadn't investigated whether that would be permissible as a possible replacement for the team. Cingular could still sponsor a car in the Busch Series or Craftsman Truck Series.(SceneDaily.com)(1-10-2007) UPDATE: AT&T Inc. will begin next week to extinguish the brand of cellphone operator Cingular to imprint its more-than-century-old name firmly across its services. AT&T (Charts), which took full control of No. 1 U.S. mobile carrier Cingular with its $86 billion purchase of BellSouth Corp. last month, will launch a campaign Monday to mark the change. In its first stage, Cingular will share its orange logo of a bouncing jack with the AT&T globe logo on everything from television ads to sales uniforms and monthly bills. AT&T's name and logo will eventually replace Cingular in a process expected to take several months, with the exact timing determined as more customer feedback comes in, Wendy Clark, vice president of advertising at AT&T, said. One new ad will portray a familiar Cingular image - grain harvesters mowing a field to represent "bars" showing maximum cellphone reception. But in a new take, the harvesters will change direction and mow the AT&T globe out of the stalks. The new AT&T was formed in the merger of SBC Communications and AT&T Corp. in late 2005. Adding to the mix, in late 2004 Cingular bought AT&T Wireless, eradicating that brand because of its poor reputation among customers.(CNN) NO WORD how this effects the sponsorship of the #31 Chevy Jeff Burton drives for Richard Childress Racing as it is not mentioned in the article and have not heard.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mears plays hard coast-to-coast in offseason
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla -- Seldom will a driver in NASCAR's premier series proclaim his eagerness to get back to the driver's seat to take a break from having fun -- but that was right where debuting Hendrick Motorsports driver Casey Mears found himself, at the turn of the new year.
With a transition from Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates to Hendrick's group, which includes 2006 Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet team, looming, Mears knew some time off was critical.
But he had no idea what he was in for.
"Yeah, my off season was pretty productive -- almost too productive, really, as far as having fun," Mears said, grinning at the memories. "It was so busy [because] I got a lot of free time to spend and relax a little bit."
Earlier this season, Mears took delivery of a high-powered "off-road car" -- basically a hopped-up dune buggy -- and he could hardly wait to put it to use back in his home state, California. But first he did some throwback open-wheel racing at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway.
"Right after Homestead, I ran Turkey Night [at Irwindale, Thanksgiving evening] and ran the Midget and Sprint Car," Mears said. "That was a lot of fun. I didn't have the best night, but it was a good experience.
"From there, I took the new off-road car down to Glamis [Calif., a legendary off-road playground] for a couple of days and rode around the sand dunes with my parents."
For a couple weeks, family time was prime time for Casey and the Mears clan.
"We went down to Baja to my dad's house and spent a couple of weeks there," Mears said. "I helped my dad work on his house a little bit, we framed some walls and did some drywall and some concrete and plumbing.
"It was actually kind of relaxing. Every now and then we'd take a break and do a little fishing.
"From there we went to Zihuatanejo, Mexico, with my brother and sister-in-law and my mom and dad and niece and nephew and spent Christmas."
A brief stop at home in the Carolinas preceded a trip to Florida, where Mears visited a favorite haunt of car owner Rick Hendrick.
"We came back home," Mears said, "and went down to Key West and met up with Rick and did a little fishing and went back up to Orlando [Florida] and spent New Year's with some friends."
"Now I'm back," Mears said, shaking his head with relief, "and it's good to be back working so I can rest a little bit."
Mears, who still seeks his first career Nextel Cup Series victory after 144 starts, feels he's in the perfect position to make it happen this season.
"Going to Hendrick Motorsports and knowing there's not a question about whether the equipment is there or not, feels good," Mears said. "It allows me to just focus on what I need to improve on and what I need to do."
By GODWIN KELLY /MOTORSPORTS EDITOR
DAYTONA BEACH -- Ken Schrader tugged on his ball cap, folded his arms and looked down at the asphalt below his feet in the garage area at Daytona International Speedway on Friday.
It was an emotional day for the veteran racer.
"It's tough," he said. "It's tough on everybody."
Schrader is driving the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entry owned by Bobby Hamilton, 49, who died from cancer on Jan. 7 at his home in Mount Juliet, Tenn.
Hamilton asked Schrader to pilot his flagship No. 18 Dodge in 2007 when the two men met during a race weekend at Martins- ville (Va.) Speedway last October.
"We did our deal at Martins- ville," Schrader said. "Our deal went like this: 'Will you drive it?' 'Yes.' 'You got to meet the Fastenal people.' 'Yes.' I fly over and meet them. They said, 'OK.' And that's our deal. That's how long it took Bobby and I to do a deal."
Bobby Hamilton Racing, fielding a two-truck effort this season, will move forward guided by a management team which includes Hamilton's wife, Lori.
Hamilton started his truck team in 2003 after becoming disillusioned with the pressures and politics of Nextel Cup Series racing.
In 2004 he reached the zenith of his racing career by winning the NCTS title scoring four victories along the way. He ended his driving career with wins in truck (10), Cup (4) and Busch (1).
Hamilton's last race was on March 17, 2006, when he finished 14th in a NCTS race at Atlanta. At that point, he handed the wheel over to his son, Bobby Jr.
"I was thrilled when he asked me to run it, but later when he got to asking me about running it full-time I was like 'Uh-oh, that ain't good,' " Schrader said.
Schrader, who drives the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford in Nextel Cup, said this week has been brutal on the race team. Hamilton's funeral was Wednesday.
"They went back to the shop (after the funeral) and worked until midnight to get everything ready to come down here," Schrader said. "You know, that's tough. But Bobby was a racer. This is the way you're supposed to do stuff."
The stuff is Jackson Hewitt Preseason Thunder, the NASCAR testing program at the Speedway. The trucks will continue testing through Sunday.
It's now apparent that Hamilton selected Schrader to help shepherd his racing program forward in his absence. Schrader thought he would see limited duty in the No. 18 Dodge.
"He came to Martinsville and looked good, but then he was asking me to run it all year," he said. "I didn't think about it at first.
"I was thinking, 'I can get it through Daytona, Fontana and Atlanta and surely you'll be able to go from there.' Obviously, Bobby knew more than I did."
"It's pretty big," he said about being hand picked by Hamilton to drive the truck. "I'm very honored by it. I'd like to be a team truck to him, but I'm pretty honored by it."
The team will announce another driver before Speed Weeks who will share the wheel with Schrader this season. Schrader will do all he can to assist Hamilton's team, his racing legacy.
"I'm going to run that truck any time I can and they tell me they want me to," Schrader said. "I'm here to help them as long as they need help. I'm here because Bobby called me. I wasn't looking for a truck to drive for 17 or 18 races."
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla -- Seldom will a driver in NASCAR's premier series proclaim his eagerness to get back to the driver's seat to take a break from having fun -- but that was right where debuting Hendrick Motorsports driver Casey Mears found himself, at the turn of the new year.
With a transition from Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates to Hendrick's group, which includes 2006 Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet team, looming, Mears knew some time off was critical.
But he had no idea what he was in for.
"Yeah, my off season was pretty productive -- almost too productive, really, as far as having fun," Mears said, grinning at the memories. "It was so busy [because] I got a lot of free time to spend and relax a little bit."
Earlier this season, Mears took delivery of a high-powered "off-road car" -- basically a hopped-up dune buggy -- and he could hardly wait to put it to use back in his home state, California. But first he did some throwback open-wheel racing at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway.
"Right after Homestead, I ran Turkey Night [at Irwindale, Thanksgiving evening] and ran the Midget and Sprint Car," Mears said. "That was a lot of fun. I didn't have the best night, but it was a good experience.
"From there, I took the new off-road car down to Glamis [Calif., a legendary off-road playground] for a couple of days and rode around the sand dunes with my parents."
For a couple weeks, family time was prime time for Casey and the Mears clan.
"We went down to Baja to my dad's house and spent a couple of weeks there," Mears said. "I helped my dad work on his house a little bit, we framed some walls and did some drywall and some concrete and plumbing.
"It was actually kind of relaxing. Every now and then we'd take a break and do a little fishing.
"From there we went to Zihuatanejo, Mexico, with my brother and sister-in-law and my mom and dad and niece and nephew and spent Christmas."
A brief stop at home in the Carolinas preceded a trip to Florida, where Mears visited a favorite haunt of car owner Rick Hendrick.
"We came back home," Mears said, "and went down to Key West and met up with Rick and did a little fishing and went back up to Orlando [Florida] and spent New Year's with some friends."
"Now I'm back," Mears said, shaking his head with relief, "and it's good to be back working so I can rest a little bit."
Mears, who still seeks his first career Nextel Cup Series victory after 144 starts, feels he's in the perfect position to make it happen this season.
"Going to Hendrick Motorsports and knowing there's not a question about whether the equipment is there or not, feels good," Mears said. "It allows me to just focus on what I need to improve on and what I need to do."
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Schrader in full gear in wake of owner's death By GODWIN KELLY /MOTORSPORTS EDITOR
DAYTONA BEACH -- Ken Schrader tugged on his ball cap, folded his arms and looked down at the asphalt below his feet in the garage area at Daytona International Speedway on Friday.
It was an emotional day for the veteran racer.
"It's tough," he said. "It's tough on everybody."
Schrader is driving the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entry owned by Bobby Hamilton, 49, who died from cancer on Jan. 7 at his home in Mount Juliet, Tenn.
Hamilton asked Schrader to pilot his flagship No. 18 Dodge in 2007 when the two men met during a race weekend at Martins- ville (Va.) Speedway last October.
"We did our deal at Martins- ville," Schrader said. "Our deal went like this: 'Will you drive it?' 'Yes.' 'You got to meet the Fastenal people.' 'Yes.' I fly over and meet them. They said, 'OK.' And that's our deal. That's how long it took Bobby and I to do a deal."
Bobby Hamilton Racing, fielding a two-truck effort this season, will move forward guided by a management team which includes Hamilton's wife, Lori.
Hamilton started his truck team in 2003 after becoming disillusioned with the pressures and politics of Nextel Cup Series racing.
In 2004 he reached the zenith of his racing career by winning the NCTS title scoring four victories along the way. He ended his driving career with wins in truck (10), Cup (4) and Busch (1).
Hamilton's last race was on March 17, 2006, when he finished 14th in a NCTS race at Atlanta. At that point, he handed the wheel over to his son, Bobby Jr.
"I was thrilled when he asked me to run it, but later when he got to asking me about running it full-time I was like 'Uh-oh, that ain't good,' " Schrader said.
Schrader, who drives the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford in Nextel Cup, said this week has been brutal on the race team. Hamilton's funeral was Wednesday.
"They went back to the shop (after the funeral) and worked until midnight to get everything ready to come down here," Schrader said. "You know, that's tough. But Bobby was a racer. This is the way you're supposed to do stuff."
The stuff is Jackson Hewitt Preseason Thunder, the NASCAR testing program at the Speedway. The trucks will continue testing through Sunday.
It's now apparent that Hamilton selected Schrader to help shepherd his racing program forward in his absence. Schrader thought he would see limited duty in the No. 18 Dodge.
"He came to Martinsville and looked good, but then he was asking me to run it all year," he said. "I didn't think about it at first.
"I was thinking, 'I can get it through Daytona, Fontana and Atlanta and surely you'll be able to go from there.' Obviously, Bobby knew more than I did."
"It's pretty big," he said about being hand picked by Hamilton to drive the truck. "I'm very honored by it. I'd like to be a team truck to him, but I'm pretty honored by it."
The team will announce another driver before Speed Weeks who will share the wheel with Schrader this season. Schrader will do all he can to assist Hamilton's team, his racing legacy.
"I'm going to run that truck any time I can and they tell me they want me to," Schrader said. "I'm here to help them as long as they need help. I'm here because Bobby called me. I wasn't looking for a truck to drive for 17 or 18 races."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tom Higgins' Scuffs
Written On The WindTHIRD IN A FIVE-PART SERIES ON FEBRUARY RACING DECADE-TO-DECADE AT DAYTONA BEACH, FLA.
The Daytona 500 of Feb. 20, 1977 should be remembered as the NASCAR classic in which Cale Yarborough "out-winded" his opponents.
Literally.
Having his car handle better than anyone else in cold, hard winds--blowing off the ocean over Daytona International Speedway at 30 mph--concededly was the critical factor for Yarborough and his team owned by the legendary Junior Johnson.
"Some of them could race right even with me on the straightways, but I wore them out in the turns," said a delighted Yarborough, winning the sport's biggest event for a second time. "The wind almost seemed to be picking their cars up and moving them over a whole lane. I could just pull away from them."
Credit the late Herb Nab, Yarborough's crew chief, for that.
Nab was no golfer. Never played the game even once.
But a few hours before the race he was plucking blades of grass from the area between the track and pit road, then flipping them in the air a-la Jack Nicklaus to determine wind direction and velocity.
He went through the procedure several times, bringing stares from bewildered bystanders.
Nab then hustled back to the garage area and the famous 2.5-mile speedway and made chassis adjustments on the Yarborough-Johnson team's No. 11 Chevrolet.
Nab refused to divulge what he did, but said, "You can bet it had to do with how the car handled in the wind.
"When it's gusting as bad from the northeast as it was today, it changes the complexion of the whole race track. The second and third turns, especially, change a surprising amount."
These corners were the spots where Yarborough mostly was able to keep foremost challenger Benny Parsons at bay over the final 29 of the 200 laps.
Yarborough finished 1.39 seconds ahead of runnerup Parsons, who had won the 500 in 1975.
"It's disappointing to get this close again and not win," said Parsons. "But Cale was handling so strong I couldn't make a move on him."
The high wind created problems other than poor handling for a lot of drivers in the 42-car field.
It whipped tons of trash--such as hotdog wrappers--out of the grandstands and onto the track. The debris plugged the cars' radiators and caused overheated engines. Among these victims were Richard Petty, David Pearson, Neil Bonnett and Dave Marcis.
Two of the race's six yellow flags were flown so that maintenance crews could clear the worst of the trash from the track.
They tried mightily, but mostly the effort was to little avail.
The wind-blown trouble was so bad that it left only 16 drivers running at the finish.
Declared Yarborough, "It was as tough conditions as I've ever seen at Daytona. The paper and sand blew onto the track the whole race. The wind was so strong the car sort of felt like an airplane sometimes."
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Point (still) is, fans are tired of points racing
By DAVID POOLE/IN MY OPINION
It’s not too late.
NASCAR apparently has decided to expand the Chase for the Nextel Cup field from 10 to 12 drivers and to alter the points system only by giving the winner of each race an additional 10 points over what he gets now.
The additional points for a winner is a baby’s half-step in the right direction, and the change to go to 12 in the Chase is worse than staying at 10 but better than going to 15 and much better than slapping some bizarre “wild-card” appendage on the format.
On the good side, going to 12 gets rid of the ridiculous notion that anyone gives a flip about who finishes 11th. And for people who find some kind of reason to care who finishes 10th and gets to make a bad speech in New York, the new format means two guys who make the Chase won’t actually finish in the top 10 at season’s end.
Wow, that should really solve the whole problem with flat TV ratings, huh?
Tweaking the Chase format in such minor ways would be perfectly fine if NASCAR had the courage to address the real problem, though. The problem isn’t with how many people get to be in the sport’s version of the playoffs, the problem is with the overall system of how points are counted.
I’ve said this until people are tired of hearing me say it, but the problem is that winning races should be the predominant factor in determining who qualifies for the Chase and then for who wins it.
NASCAR can change that. Nothing has been announced yet – the changes will be unveiled on Jan. 22 on the first day of the Lowe’s Motor Speedway preseason media tour. There’s still time to make the kind of bold move that would actually fix the problem that makes the championship part of the problem in this sport and not the core of the solution.
Winning has to matter more than anything else.
More than “having a solid points day.”
More than “keeping our nose clean.”
More than “putting ourselves in position to win.”
More than any of those platitudes that are really nothing more than euphemisms for “points racing” or, in the pejorative term that people in the sport once used more than they do now, “stroking.”
I don’t keep bringing up my idea to address this real problem just to drive fans nuts, and I honestly don’t care if somebody else steals the idea and takes all the credit for it.
I’ve done the math, folks. I know that giving a driver a 500-point bonus for his first win – not each win, just the first -- in the regular season and again in Chase would put the kind of emphasis on winning there should be in the Nextel Cup Series.
Retro-fitting results to a new system isn’t an exact science, but using just the 500-point bonus system (and not any of the other changes I’ve proposed over the past few months) you would have had Tony Stewart leading Jimmie Johnson by four points going into the final race last year, then Johnson winning the title by 26.
People would have raced differently, though. You might say that Stewart wouldn’t have gambled on fuel mileage to win at Homestead, but he might have if he thought he could win his first Chase race and get his 500-point bonus that way.
The math would make your eyes glaze over, trust me. I’ve modeled every season back to 1996 and you’ll just have to trust me when I tell you that I can readily defend the champion the 500-point plan would have produced every year.
The number scares people, but it could be 500,000 points and still have the same effect. Once two drivers have won, they’re competing against each other exactly the same way they do now. You could have 12 in the Chase and give 10 extra points for all wins and still use the bonus plan. All the bonus does is make winning the first priority for making and then winning the Chase.
NASCAR is scared of giving “too many” extra points for race wins for two reasons. First, it doesn’t want teams to be able to skip races and still contend for a championship. That’d be possible if you gave 50 or 100 points more for every win. Second, it wants the Chase to stay close down to the end. That’s why it likes the 10-point addition, because the models for the past three years show that would have kept things even closer than they have been.
I’ve written this before, but it’s true. One NASCAR official, a man who I think has one of the best minds in the sport, once told me that my 500-point plan puts “too much of an emphasis on winning races.”
I nearly fell off the chair.
Until the people running NASCAR understand you can’t possibly put too much of an emphasis on winning, they’re hopelessly missing the point.
By DAVID POOLE/IN MY OPINION
It’s not too late.
NASCAR apparently has decided to expand the Chase for the Nextel Cup field from 10 to 12 drivers and to alter the points system only by giving the winner of each race an additional 10 points over what he gets now.
The additional points for a winner is a baby’s half-step in the right direction, and the change to go to 12 in the Chase is worse than staying at 10 but better than going to 15 and much better than slapping some bizarre “wild-card” appendage on the format.
On the good side, going to 12 gets rid of the ridiculous notion that anyone gives a flip about who finishes 11th. And for people who find some kind of reason to care who finishes 10th and gets to make a bad speech in New York, the new format means two guys who make the Chase won’t actually finish in the top 10 at season’s end.
Wow, that should really solve the whole problem with flat TV ratings, huh?
Tweaking the Chase format in such minor ways would be perfectly fine if NASCAR had the courage to address the real problem, though. The problem isn’t with how many people get to be in the sport’s version of the playoffs, the problem is with the overall system of how points are counted.
I’ve said this until people are tired of hearing me say it, but the problem is that winning races should be the predominant factor in determining who qualifies for the Chase and then for who wins it.
NASCAR can change that. Nothing has been announced yet – the changes will be unveiled on Jan. 22 on the first day of the Lowe’s Motor Speedway preseason media tour. There’s still time to make the kind of bold move that would actually fix the problem that makes the championship part of the problem in this sport and not the core of the solution.
Winning has to matter more than anything else.
More than “having a solid points day.”
More than “keeping our nose clean.”
More than “putting ourselves in position to win.”
More than any of those platitudes that are really nothing more than euphemisms for “points racing” or, in the pejorative term that people in the sport once used more than they do now, “stroking.”
I don’t keep bringing up my idea to address this real problem just to drive fans nuts, and I honestly don’t care if somebody else steals the idea and takes all the credit for it.
I’ve done the math, folks. I know that giving a driver a 500-point bonus for his first win – not each win, just the first -- in the regular season and again in Chase would put the kind of emphasis on winning there should be in the Nextel Cup Series.
Retro-fitting results to a new system isn’t an exact science, but using just the 500-point bonus system (and not any of the other changes I’ve proposed over the past few months) you would have had Tony Stewart leading Jimmie Johnson by four points going into the final race last year, then Johnson winning the title by 26.
People would have raced differently, though. You might say that Stewart wouldn’t have gambled on fuel mileage to win at Homestead, but he might have if he thought he could win his first Chase race and get his 500-point bonus that way.
The math would make your eyes glaze over, trust me. I’ve modeled every season back to 1996 and you’ll just have to trust me when I tell you that I can readily defend the champion the 500-point plan would have produced every year.
The number scares people, but it could be 500,000 points and still have the same effect. Once two drivers have won, they’re competing against each other exactly the same way they do now. You could have 12 in the Chase and give 10 extra points for all wins and still use the bonus plan. All the bonus does is make winning the first priority for making and then winning the Chase.
NASCAR is scared of giving “too many” extra points for race wins for two reasons. First, it doesn’t want teams to be able to skip races and still contend for a championship. That’d be possible if you gave 50 or 100 points more for every win. Second, it wants the Chase to stay close down to the end. That’s why it likes the 10-point addition, because the models for the past three years show that would have kept things even closer than they have been.
I’ve written this before, but it’s true. One NASCAR official, a man who I think has one of the best minds in the sport, once told me that my 500-point plan puts “too much of an emphasis on winning races.”
I nearly fell off the chair.
Until the people running NASCAR understand you can’t possibly put too much of an emphasis on winning, they’re hopelessly missing the point.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stubborn Shelmerdine perseveres
By GODWIN KELLY
Kirk Shelmerdine admits to a stubborn nature which keeps him coming back to the track with a low budget and high expectations.
The formula worked last year when he shocked the world by qualifying 42nd for the Daytona 500 then finishing 20th on the lead lap.
Shelmerdine, who owns and drives the No. 27 Chevrolet, made the 43-car field based on his speed in time trials. This year he faces a more formidable challenge because of several new teams vying for the eight open slots on the Daytona 500 grid.
The top 35 cars in 2006 Nextel Cup Series owner points are guaranteed a starting position NASCAR's richest race, scheduled for Feb. 18, which will put a new premium on the qualifying process.
Shelmerdine knows he is in for one gigantic brawl.
"It was impossible last year," Shelmerdine said. "That's what we do here --the impossible."
Shelmerdine tested his car from Monday to Thursday with the hopes of squeezing more speed from it. He termed the test session a success.
"The car is much faster in testing than it was a year ago, relative to the other cars, and we've found a few things since then," he said. "We still think it's a pretty good shot at it."
LOOKING FOR SPEED
Those going to battle, but without owner points, in the 500 have two ways to make the show. They can race their way in via the Gatorade Duel At Daytona (two 150-mile qualifying races) or they gain entry with a hot speed run in time trials.
Shelmerdine is counting on posting a lap good enough to get him into the show. He never once ran his No. 27 in race trim during last week's test. All his efforts went to finding raw speed.
"The whole thing for me is to get that one lap in and that's what we're spending all of our test time on," he said.
Will it be one and done or one and fun?
Shelmerdine said he went to 10 races in 2006 but only made the field three times --all restrictor plate races. He qualified 22nd for the first race at Talladega and returned to Daytona to start 27th in the Pepsi 400.
He is a plate-race specialist.
"It's not out of the realm of possibility," when asked if he could make the Daytona 500. "We're just got to make sure we have all of our little tumblers aimed in the same direction."
SERIOUS RACERS ONLY
Shelmerdine could get a good paying job as a crew chief or a driver. He's knowledgeable in both areas. He was Dale Earnhardt's crew chief in the 1980s.
But Shelmerdine prefers to follow his own path with his own team as his own pace.
"We've kind of got a toehold going on here," he said. "This is something that can't be done and we're doing it.
"The kind of thing we get to do here, it's hard to replace. I don't know what else you could do that has the same satisfaction when you're successful. Right now this is where we are at."
Kirk Shelmerdine Racing has a modest sponsorship deal with a company called Lilly Trucking. Like any race team, he's looking for more support to get through Speed Weeks.
"Everybody would like to see us succeed and when something good does happen, it's something satisfying for everybody," he said. "They know their money well spent."
There's only one way Shelmerdine would give up his independent racing project --if he got an offer to drive a decent race car.
"If it's somebody serious, somebody I consider a serious racer, and they want to talk about whatever, you can't discount anything these days," he said. "There are a lot of yah-whos out there."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~By GODWIN KELLY
Kirk Shelmerdine admits to a stubborn nature which keeps him coming back to the track with a low budget and high expectations.
The formula worked last year when he shocked the world by qualifying 42nd for the Daytona 500 then finishing 20th on the lead lap.
Shelmerdine, who owns and drives the No. 27 Chevrolet, made the 43-car field based on his speed in time trials. This year he faces a more formidable challenge because of several new teams vying for the eight open slots on the Daytona 500 grid.
The top 35 cars in 2006 Nextel Cup Series owner points are guaranteed a starting position NASCAR's richest race, scheduled for Feb. 18, which will put a new premium on the qualifying process.
Shelmerdine knows he is in for one gigantic brawl.
"It was impossible last year," Shelmerdine said. "That's what we do here --the impossible."
Shelmerdine tested his car from Monday to Thursday with the hopes of squeezing more speed from it. He termed the test session a success.
"The car is much faster in testing than it was a year ago, relative to the other cars, and we've found a few things since then," he said. "We still think it's a pretty good shot at it."
LOOKING FOR SPEED
Those going to battle, but without owner points, in the 500 have two ways to make the show. They can race their way in via the Gatorade Duel At Daytona (two 150-mile qualifying races) or they gain entry with a hot speed run in time trials.
Shelmerdine is counting on posting a lap good enough to get him into the show. He never once ran his No. 27 in race trim during last week's test. All his efforts went to finding raw speed.
"The whole thing for me is to get that one lap in and that's what we're spending all of our test time on," he said.
Will it be one and done or one and fun?
Shelmerdine said he went to 10 races in 2006 but only made the field three times --all restrictor plate races. He qualified 22nd for the first race at Talladega and returned to Daytona to start 27th in the Pepsi 400.
He is a plate-race specialist.
"It's not out of the realm of possibility," when asked if he could make the Daytona 500. "We're just got to make sure we have all of our little tumblers aimed in the same direction."
SERIOUS RACERS ONLY
Shelmerdine could get a good paying job as a crew chief or a driver. He's knowledgeable in both areas. He was Dale Earnhardt's crew chief in the 1980s.
But Shelmerdine prefers to follow his own path with his own team as his own pace.
"We've kind of got a toehold going on here," he said. "This is something that can't be done and we're doing it.
"The kind of thing we get to do here, it's hard to replace. I don't know what else you could do that has the same satisfaction when you're successful. Right now this is where we are at."
Kirk Shelmerdine Racing has a modest sponsorship deal with a company called Lilly Trucking. Like any race team, he's looking for more support to get through Speed Weeks.
"Everybody would like to see us succeed and when something good does happen, it's something satisfying for everybody," he said. "They know their money well spent."
There's only one way Shelmerdine would give up his independent racing project --if he got an offer to drive a decent race car.
"If it's somebody serious, somebody I consider a serious racer, and they want to talk about whatever, you can't discount anything these days," he said. "There are a lot of yah-whos out there."
RCR opens door for Dale Jr.
Childress would like to talk if racer leaves DEI
By LARRY WOODY/Tennessean
Richard Childress is not about to inject himself into the Teresa Earnhardt/Dale Earnhardt Jr. family squabble, but said if Junior ever needs a ride he knows where he can find one — in his late father's famous black No. 3.
"If things don't work out over there (at Dale Earnhardt Inc.) and he ever does leave, I hope he'll come and talk to me first," said Childress, in Nashville for Saturday's Sprint Sound & Speed fan festival.
Dale Jr. and Teresa, his stepmother who runs DEI, have swapped sharp words in recent weeks. Teresa appeared to question Junior's driving commitment in a Wall Street Journal interview, and during testing at Daytona last week, Junior said the remark stung and added that driving for DEI "hasn't been a bed of roses."
Childress, who provided the cars in which Dale Earnhardt Sr. drove to fame and fortune, declined to comment on the simmering feud that could affect the future of Dale Jr., NASCAR's most popular driver.
"I don't want to comment because it's too personal," Childress said. "I wish them both the best."
Childress holds the rights to the No. 3 that hasn't been used since Earnhardt's death in the 2001 Daytona 500. It is widely assumed that Junior will someday join Richard Childress Racing and take over the car.
"I've never said that I expect Dale Jr. to drive for me," Childress said. "All I've said is that if he ever does decide to leave DEI I'd like to talk to him."
Childress said his focus now is the continued comeback of RCR, a once-dominant team that went into decline after the death of Earnhardt Sr.
Childress admitted that he lost his enthusiasm after Earnhardt's death and that team morale sagged. Last year, however, he started a comeback.
Two of Childress' drivers made the Chase for the Championship — Kevin Harvick finished fourth and Jeff Burton was seventh — and rookie Clint Bowyer came in 17th.
"We gave it a good run with two cars in the Chase, and now we want to keep it going," Childress said. "This is a big season for us and I'm really excited about it."
This season, NASCAR will introduce its Car of Tomorrow — a boxier car intended to lessen the emphasis on aerodynamics and create more side-by-side racing,
"It's a little different to look at with the wings," Childress said, "but my guys tell me it drives good and that's what counts. "
Some fans think the car is too radical; Childress disagrees.
"I've been in this sport for a long time, and any time there's change there's opposition to it," he said. "Fans say, 'Aw, NASCAR's not stock car any more.' Change is tough to accept but they'll get used to it. If we can improve the show, fans will accept it."
Childress would like to talk if racer leaves DEI
By LARRY WOODY/Tennessean
Richard Childress is not about to inject himself into the Teresa Earnhardt/Dale Earnhardt Jr. family squabble, but said if Junior ever needs a ride he knows where he can find one — in his late father's famous black No. 3.
"If things don't work out over there (at Dale Earnhardt Inc.) and he ever does leave, I hope he'll come and talk to me first," said Childress, in Nashville for Saturday's Sprint Sound & Speed fan festival.
Dale Jr. and Teresa, his stepmother who runs DEI, have swapped sharp words in recent weeks. Teresa appeared to question Junior's driving commitment in a Wall Street Journal interview, and during testing at Daytona last week, Junior said the remark stung and added that driving for DEI "hasn't been a bed of roses."
Childress, who provided the cars in which Dale Earnhardt Sr. drove to fame and fortune, declined to comment on the simmering feud that could affect the future of Dale Jr., NASCAR's most popular driver.
"I don't want to comment because it's too personal," Childress said. "I wish them both the best."
Childress holds the rights to the No. 3 that hasn't been used since Earnhardt's death in the 2001 Daytona 500. It is widely assumed that Junior will someday join Richard Childress Racing and take over the car.
"I've never said that I expect Dale Jr. to drive for me," Childress said. "All I've said is that if he ever does decide to leave DEI I'd like to talk to him."
Childress said his focus now is the continued comeback of RCR, a once-dominant team that went into decline after the death of Earnhardt Sr.
Childress admitted that he lost his enthusiasm after Earnhardt's death and that team morale sagged. Last year, however, he started a comeback.
Two of Childress' drivers made the Chase for the Championship — Kevin Harvick finished fourth and Jeff Burton was seventh — and rookie Clint Bowyer came in 17th.
"We gave it a good run with two cars in the Chase, and now we want to keep it going," Childress said. "This is a big season for us and I'm really excited about it."
This season, NASCAR will introduce its Car of Tomorrow — a boxier car intended to lessen the emphasis on aerodynamics and create more side-by-side racing,
"It's a little different to look at with the wings," Childress said, "but my guys tell me it drives good and that's what counts. "
Some fans think the car is too radical; Childress disagrees.
"I've been in this sport for a long time, and any time there's change there's opposition to it," he said. "Fans say, 'Aw, NASCAR's not stock car any more.' Change is tough to accept but they'll get used to it. If we can improve the show, fans will accept it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daytona's past fading into the Florida sunset
Memories all that's left of former beach and road course
By Mark Aumann, NASCAR.COM
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- In Florida, the past is continually making way for the future.
Corrosive salt spray has all but rusted away the original gantry at Cape Canaveral where Alan Shepard wedged himself into a tiny Mercury capsule for a 15-minute ride into space in 1961.
The scars left by the 1985 Palm Coast fire are all but completely healed. Where there once were acres of charred trees and dozens of scorched homes, now it's almost impossible to tell where the fire had been.
The old Port Orange rest stop on Interstate 95 is now a tangle of palmettos, pines and scrub, with just the hint of a building that advertises "snacks" as a reminder that travelers once took a welcome break from the monotony of the highway here.
And traveling down South Atlantic Avenue -- or A-1-A -- from the legendary Streamliner Hotel at dusk on a warm winter's evening, it's all but impossible to find remnants of what once was one of racing's most unique layouts.
The last race on Daytona's old beach and road course was run in 1958, but you'd be hard-pressed to find more than a couple of casual references to the place. Near where the north turn deposited cars from the hard-packed sand to the two-lane highway, a restaurant now sits.
At the other end of the old course, there's a street named South Turn Circle, and a small cut in the dunes at Beach Street, just a few hundred yards from Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. Cars can still navigate the beach here -- when the tide cooperates.
At a sedate 35 mph, the highway feels obscenely narrow and dangerous, with the vegetation crowding you from both sides of the road. How more than 70 racecars battled door handle to door handle at speeds in the triple digits is almost impossible to imagine.
A collection of high-rise condominiums and million-dollar homes now sit next to the blacktop that made up the paved portion of the old course.
Where once there was the roar of the engines and the fans, the roar of the ocean is all that's left. There are terns -- and seagulls and sandpipers -- where the turns used to be. And sea oats, not horsepower, are the main feature where the sand meets the surf.
Still, if you listen hard enough, like putting a shell to your ear to hear the ocean waves, the whispers of the drivers who braved this place not that long ago come alive. It's almost as if Big Bill France is still holding court.
The echoes of past celebrations by legends like Red Byron, Tim Flock and Lee Petty still linger, as do the voices of native sons Marshall Teague and Fireball Roberts.
Teague won twice on the beach before being killed at the brand-new speedway, built a few miles away on the mainland. Roberts was a fresh-faced 21-year-old when he made his NASCAR debut on the beach in 1950.
It's somewhat sad that so little remains of this landmark, which reaches all the way back to NASCAR's beginnings.
However, that's Florida -- home of NASCAR -- where the past is continually making way for the future.
The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Racer Profile: The Remarkable Bobby Hamilton
An Opinion /By Allen Madding
Born May 29, 1957 in Nashville, TN, Bobby Hamilton’s racing career began at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway where he was track champion in 1987 and 1988. Hamilton began competing with the Busch Grand National Series in 1988. In his first outing in the All Pro 300 at Charlotte, Hamilton started 30th and finished 14th in his own No. 16 Hamilton Racing Chevrolet. In the AC-Delco 200 at Rockingham, he finished 20th after starting 35th.
Hamilton made a go at running the complete NASCAR Busch Grand Nationals Series schedule in 1989 driving the No. 8 Lighting and Fans Buick. He qualified for 28 of the 29 events. He recorded a second place finish in the Granger Select 200 at his hometown track at Nashville, a third place finish followed in the Carolina Pride / Budweiser 200 at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. On September 9, 1989, Hamilton won his first NASCAR Busch Grand National event, the Commonwealth 200 at Richmond. When the series competed at Rockingham for the AC-Delco 200, Hamilton recorded another third place finish. All told, in his first full season in the Busch Series, Hamilton had recorded 1 win, 4 top-5s and 6 top-10s. Hamilton’s first Winston Cup start was on Nov. 5, 1989 at Phoenix as part of the filming of the “Days of Thunder” stock car racing movie driving a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
Hamilton drove Filmar Racing’s No. 8 Transport Industries Oldmobiles in NASCAR Busch Series competition in 1990 competing in all 31 events recording 7 top-5s and 14 top-10s. Hamilton made 3 Winston Cup Series starts in 1990 driving Gary Bechtel’s No. 68 Diamond Ridge Racing Pontiac in the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte, Tri-star Motorsports No. 68 Country Time Pontiac in the Mello Yello 500 at Charlotte and in the Atlanta Journal 500 at Atlanta.
In 1991, Hamilton entered the NASCAR Winston Cup Series full-time driving the No.68 Country Time Lemonade Oldsmobile for trustier Motorsports and won the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year Award. He recorded 4 top-10 finishes during his rookie season including a 6th place finish in the AC Delco 500 at the North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina. Concentrating on NASCAR Winston Cup competition, Hamilton only made one Busch Series start in 1991, driving the No. 68 Country Time Lemonade Oldsmobile at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Hamilton suffered through the 1992 Winston Cup Series schedule experiencing mechanical failures in 4 events and crashing in another. Hamilton recorded only 2 top-10 finishes during the year including an 8th place finish in the Pyroil 500k at Phoenix. He again entered the Busch Series event at Indianapolis Raceway Park but crashed on lap 38.
Hamilton started the 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup season once again behind the wheel of the Tri-Star Motorsports No. 68 Ford, but after failing to record a top-10 finish in the first 8 events of the season, Hamilton was released from the team. Hamilton drove Brad Akins and Bob Sutton’s No. 38 Holgate Toys Ford in the Budweiser 500 at Dover and finished 10th. He piloted Dick Moroso’s No. 20 Fina Lube Ford in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona finishing 17th. He then drove the Holgate Toys Ford in the Miller Genuine Draft 500 at Pocono recording a 19th place finish. Hamilton finished out his abbreviated schedule driving Moroso’s No. 20 Fina Lube Ford in four more events. Hamilton entered 7 Busch Series events during the season scoring a 9th place finish in the Kroger 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Felix Sabates selected Hamilton to drive his No. 40 Kendall Motor Oil Pontiacs in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series for 1994. Hamilton’s lone top-10 finish of the season came in the Food City 500 at Bristol where he finished 9th.
In 1995, Hamilton signed to drive the No. 43 STP Pontiac for Petty Enterprises. Hamilton scored a 4th place finish in the Food City 500 at Bristol, a 5th in the Miller Genuine Draft 400 at Richmond, a 2nd place finish in the MBNA 500 at Dover, and a 4th in the Goody’s 500 at Martinsville. All told, Hamilton racked up 4 top-5s and 10 top-10s in the Winston Cup Series during 1995. Hamilton also made 4 NASCAR Busch Series starts during the year in the No. 42 Band-Aid / Service Merchandise Pontiac.
Hamilton qualified on the pole for the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Miller 400 at Michigan and for the Hanes 500 at Martinsville where he finished 3rd. Hamilton won the Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix and closed out the year with a total of 2 poles, 1 win, 3 top-5s, and 11 top-10s. He drove Terry Labonte’s No. 5 Bayer Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series event at Homestead-Miami. Hamilton made his first two starts in the NASCAR Crafstman Truck Series in 1996 qualifying on the pole in his first outing, the Hanes 250 at Martinsville. A mechanical failure on lap 143 dropped him from competition after leading 116 laps.
Hamilton and Petty Enterprises continued their relationship in 1997 with Hamilton behind the wheel of the No. 43 Pontiac. Hamilton qualified on the pole for the Pocono 500 and for the Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix. He finished 5th in the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond, 2nd in the Goody's Headache Powder 500 at Martinsville, 3rd in the CMT 300 at Loudon, New Hampshire and in the Hanes 500 at Martinsville. He won the AC Delco 400 at Rockingham after qualifying 28th. In 32 NASCAR Winston Cup starts in 1997, Hamilton recorded 2 poles, 1 win, 6 top-5s and 8 top-10s. In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Hamilton made 2 starts driving his own No. 1 and No. 51 Southern Pride Trucking Chevrolet finishing 6th at Topeka and 5th at Martinsville.
Hamilton left Petty Enterprises at the end of the 1997 season. He began driving for Morgan-McClure in the No.4 Kodak Chevrolet in 1998. He qualified on the pole for the Goody's Headache Powder 500 at Martinsville winning the event after leading 378 laps of the 500-lap event. In 33 NASCAR Winston Cup starts in 1998, Hamilton recorded 1 pole, 1 win, 3 top-5s and 8 top-10s. Hamilton competed in 3 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events in 1998 driving his own No. 40 and No. 1 Chevrolets but suffered mechanical woes in all three outings.
In 1999, Hamilton recorded a 4th place finish in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond. He logged 1 top-5 and 10 top-10s for the season. He drove the No. 94 and No. 80 Hot Tamales Chevrolet for three NASCAR Busch Series events. The best, a 15th place finish in the MBNA Gold 200 at Dover. Hamilton campaigned his No. 4 and 04 Dana Corporation / Chelsea / Spicer Chevrolet and Dodges in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series making 5 starts. He qualified on the pole for the Virginia is for Lovers 200 at Richmond but finished 31st due to a rear-end failure after leading 81 laps. Hamilton finished 4th in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at California Speedway.
In 2000, Hamilton had a disappointing season in NASCAR Winston Cup Series competition recording 2 top-10s, a 7th place finish in the Mall.com 400 at Darlington and a 9th place finish in the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 at Rockingham. He made 5 starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driving his No. 4 Dana Corporation Dodge winning the NAPA 250 at Martinsville and qualifying on the pole for the Quaker State 200 at Memphis logging 1 win, 1 pole, 1 top-5 and 2 top-10s.
In 2001, Hamilton moved to Andy Petree Racing to drive the No.55 Square D Chevrolet in NASCAR Winston Cup Series competition. The first year at APR, Hamilton won the Talladega 500 recording 1 win, 3 top-5s, and 7 top-10s. In the Busch Series, he drove Dave Carroll’s No. 08 Dr. Pepper Chevrolet at Daytona and James Finch’s No. 1 Yellow Freight Chevrolet at Nashville. He raced his No. 4 Dana Corporation Dodge in 5 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events in 2001, winning the Darlington 200, finishing 4th in the Power Stroke Diesel 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and 7th in the Kroger 200 at Richmond.
Hamilton continued to drive APR’s No. 55 Schneider Electric / Square D Chevrolet in 2002 recording 3 top-10 finishes. He drove his own No. 4 Square D Dodge in two Craftsman Truck Series events but failed to finish in each outing.
When sponsorship for the Andy Petree Winston Cup Series team was not available for the 2003 season, Hamilton left the team to drive for his own Truck Series team full-time while also fielding the No. 18 for Chad Chaffin and the No. 8 for Bill Lester. He won the Craftsman 200 at Darlington, qualified on the pole for the MBNA Armed Forces Family 200 and finished 2nd. He qualified on the pole the following week for the O’Reilly 400k at Texas and finished 7th. Third place finishes followed in the Power Stroke Diesel 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park and in the New Hampshire 200 at Loudon. He then capped the season off by setting on the pole and winning the last race of the season, the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami. At season’s end, Bobby Hamilton had accrued 3 poles, 2 wins, 10 top-5s and 18 top-10s finishing 6th in the points standings.
In 2004, Hamilton scored 4 wins in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – the Easycare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 at Atlanta, the O’Reilly 400k at Texas, the Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, and in the Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville Super Speedway, and he qualified on the pole for the Kroger 200 at Martinsville. By season’s end, Hamilton had racked up 4 wins, 12 top-5s and 16 top-10s to win the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship title. He drove James Finch’s No. 16 Yellow Transportation Dodge at IRP and finished 16th.
In 2005, Hamilton was invited to compete in the International Race of Champions. He scored one pole, two wins, 6 top-5s and 12 top-10s in his Bailey’s No. 04 Dodge in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He entered his own No. 04 Dodge in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in two events and drove James Finch’s No. 09 Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts in a third. Hamilton also drove Earl Sadler’s No. 95 Dodge in 5 NASCAR Busch Series events scoring 1 top-10 finish.
In 2006, Hamilton started the season driving his No. 18 Fastenal Dodge in three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events. Following the John Deere 200 at Atlanta, Hamilton went to a dentist for work on his wisdom teeth. During the dental exam the dentist discovered Hamilton had a tumor in his neck. Hamilton had the tumor removed in February and postponed his driving career in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in March of the year for radiation and chemotherapy treatment at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. Bobby Hamilton died January 7, 2007 after a year-long battle with cancer.
Career Accomplishments:
2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship
NASCAR Winston Cup Series career: 368 starts, 4 wins, 20 top 5’s, 67 top 10’s (1989-2002)
NASCAR Busch Series career: 79 starts, 1 win, 11 top 5’s, 21 top 10’s (1988-2001)
NASCAR Truck Series career to date: 64 starts, 10 wins, 23 top 5’s, 37 top 10’s (1996-2004)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~An Opinion /By Allen Madding
Born May 29, 1957 in Nashville, TN, Bobby Hamilton’s racing career began at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway where he was track champion in 1987 and 1988. Hamilton began competing with the Busch Grand National Series in 1988. In his first outing in the All Pro 300 at Charlotte, Hamilton started 30th and finished 14th in his own No. 16 Hamilton Racing Chevrolet. In the AC-Delco 200 at Rockingham, he finished 20th after starting 35th.
Hamilton made a go at running the complete NASCAR Busch Grand Nationals Series schedule in 1989 driving the No. 8 Lighting and Fans Buick. He qualified for 28 of the 29 events. He recorded a second place finish in the Granger Select 200 at his hometown track at Nashville, a third place finish followed in the Carolina Pride / Budweiser 200 at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. On September 9, 1989, Hamilton won his first NASCAR Busch Grand National event, the Commonwealth 200 at Richmond. When the series competed at Rockingham for the AC-Delco 200, Hamilton recorded another third place finish. All told, in his first full season in the Busch Series, Hamilton had recorded 1 win, 4 top-5s and 6 top-10s. Hamilton’s first Winston Cup start was on Nov. 5, 1989 at Phoenix as part of the filming of the “Days of Thunder” stock car racing movie driving a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
Hamilton drove Filmar Racing’s No. 8 Transport Industries Oldmobiles in NASCAR Busch Series competition in 1990 competing in all 31 events recording 7 top-5s and 14 top-10s. Hamilton made 3 Winston Cup Series starts in 1990 driving Gary Bechtel’s No. 68 Diamond Ridge Racing Pontiac in the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte, Tri-star Motorsports No. 68 Country Time Pontiac in the Mello Yello 500 at Charlotte and in the Atlanta Journal 500 at Atlanta.
In 1991, Hamilton entered the NASCAR Winston Cup Series full-time driving the No.68 Country Time Lemonade Oldsmobile for trustier Motorsports and won the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year Award. He recorded 4 top-10 finishes during his rookie season including a 6th place finish in the AC Delco 500 at the North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina. Concentrating on NASCAR Winston Cup competition, Hamilton only made one Busch Series start in 1991, driving the No. 68 Country Time Lemonade Oldsmobile at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Hamilton suffered through the 1992 Winston Cup Series schedule experiencing mechanical failures in 4 events and crashing in another. Hamilton recorded only 2 top-10 finishes during the year including an 8th place finish in the Pyroil 500k at Phoenix. He again entered the Busch Series event at Indianapolis Raceway Park but crashed on lap 38.
Hamilton started the 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup season once again behind the wheel of the Tri-Star Motorsports No. 68 Ford, but after failing to record a top-10 finish in the first 8 events of the season, Hamilton was released from the team. Hamilton drove Brad Akins and Bob Sutton’s No. 38 Holgate Toys Ford in the Budweiser 500 at Dover and finished 10th. He piloted Dick Moroso’s No. 20 Fina Lube Ford in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona finishing 17th. He then drove the Holgate Toys Ford in the Miller Genuine Draft 500 at Pocono recording a 19th place finish. Hamilton finished out his abbreviated schedule driving Moroso’s No. 20 Fina Lube Ford in four more events. Hamilton entered 7 Busch Series events during the season scoring a 9th place finish in the Kroger 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Felix Sabates selected Hamilton to drive his No. 40 Kendall Motor Oil Pontiacs in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series for 1994. Hamilton’s lone top-10 finish of the season came in the Food City 500 at Bristol where he finished 9th.
In 1995, Hamilton signed to drive the No. 43 STP Pontiac for Petty Enterprises. Hamilton scored a 4th place finish in the Food City 500 at Bristol, a 5th in the Miller Genuine Draft 400 at Richmond, a 2nd place finish in the MBNA 500 at Dover, and a 4th in the Goody’s 500 at Martinsville. All told, Hamilton racked up 4 top-5s and 10 top-10s in the Winston Cup Series during 1995. Hamilton also made 4 NASCAR Busch Series starts during the year in the No. 42 Band-Aid / Service Merchandise Pontiac.
Hamilton qualified on the pole for the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Miller 400 at Michigan and for the Hanes 500 at Martinsville where he finished 3rd. Hamilton won the Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix and closed out the year with a total of 2 poles, 1 win, 3 top-5s, and 11 top-10s. He drove Terry Labonte’s No. 5 Bayer Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series event at Homestead-Miami. Hamilton made his first two starts in the NASCAR Crafstman Truck Series in 1996 qualifying on the pole in his first outing, the Hanes 250 at Martinsville. A mechanical failure on lap 143 dropped him from competition after leading 116 laps.
Hamilton and Petty Enterprises continued their relationship in 1997 with Hamilton behind the wheel of the No. 43 Pontiac. Hamilton qualified on the pole for the Pocono 500 and for the Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix. He finished 5th in the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond, 2nd in the Goody's Headache Powder 500 at Martinsville, 3rd in the CMT 300 at Loudon, New Hampshire and in the Hanes 500 at Martinsville. He won the AC Delco 400 at Rockingham after qualifying 28th. In 32 NASCAR Winston Cup starts in 1997, Hamilton recorded 2 poles, 1 win, 6 top-5s and 8 top-10s. In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Hamilton made 2 starts driving his own No. 1 and No. 51 Southern Pride Trucking Chevrolet finishing 6th at Topeka and 5th at Martinsville.
Hamilton left Petty Enterprises at the end of the 1997 season. He began driving for Morgan-McClure in the No.4 Kodak Chevrolet in 1998. He qualified on the pole for the Goody's Headache Powder 500 at Martinsville winning the event after leading 378 laps of the 500-lap event. In 33 NASCAR Winston Cup starts in 1998, Hamilton recorded 1 pole, 1 win, 3 top-5s and 8 top-10s. Hamilton competed in 3 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events in 1998 driving his own No. 40 and No. 1 Chevrolets but suffered mechanical woes in all three outings.
In 1999, Hamilton recorded a 4th place finish in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond. He logged 1 top-5 and 10 top-10s for the season. He drove the No. 94 and No. 80 Hot Tamales Chevrolet for three NASCAR Busch Series events. The best, a 15th place finish in the MBNA Gold 200 at Dover. Hamilton campaigned his No. 4 and 04 Dana Corporation / Chelsea / Spicer Chevrolet and Dodges in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series making 5 starts. He qualified on the pole for the Virginia is for Lovers 200 at Richmond but finished 31st due to a rear-end failure after leading 81 laps. Hamilton finished 4th in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at California Speedway.
In 2000, Hamilton had a disappointing season in NASCAR Winston Cup Series competition recording 2 top-10s, a 7th place finish in the Mall.com 400 at Darlington and a 9th place finish in the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 at Rockingham. He made 5 starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driving his No. 4 Dana Corporation Dodge winning the NAPA 250 at Martinsville and qualifying on the pole for the Quaker State 200 at Memphis logging 1 win, 1 pole, 1 top-5 and 2 top-10s.
In 2001, Hamilton moved to Andy Petree Racing to drive the No.55 Square D Chevrolet in NASCAR Winston Cup Series competition. The first year at APR, Hamilton won the Talladega 500 recording 1 win, 3 top-5s, and 7 top-10s. In the Busch Series, he drove Dave Carroll’s No. 08 Dr. Pepper Chevrolet at Daytona and James Finch’s No. 1 Yellow Freight Chevrolet at Nashville. He raced his No. 4 Dana Corporation Dodge in 5 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events in 2001, winning the Darlington 200, finishing 4th in the Power Stroke Diesel 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and 7th in the Kroger 200 at Richmond.
Hamilton continued to drive APR’s No. 55 Schneider Electric / Square D Chevrolet in 2002 recording 3 top-10 finishes. He drove his own No. 4 Square D Dodge in two Craftsman Truck Series events but failed to finish in each outing.
When sponsorship for the Andy Petree Winston Cup Series team was not available for the 2003 season, Hamilton left the team to drive for his own Truck Series team full-time while also fielding the No. 18 for Chad Chaffin and the No. 8 for Bill Lester. He won the Craftsman 200 at Darlington, qualified on the pole for the MBNA Armed Forces Family 200 and finished 2nd. He qualified on the pole the following week for the O’Reilly 400k at Texas and finished 7th. Third place finishes followed in the Power Stroke Diesel 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park and in the New Hampshire 200 at Loudon. He then capped the season off by setting on the pole and winning the last race of the season, the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami. At season’s end, Bobby Hamilton had accrued 3 poles, 2 wins, 10 top-5s and 18 top-10s finishing 6th in the points standings.
In 2004, Hamilton scored 4 wins in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – the Easycare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 at Atlanta, the O’Reilly 400k at Texas, the Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, and in the Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville Super Speedway, and he qualified on the pole for the Kroger 200 at Martinsville. By season’s end, Hamilton had racked up 4 wins, 12 top-5s and 16 top-10s to win the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship title. He drove James Finch’s No. 16 Yellow Transportation Dodge at IRP and finished 16th.
In 2005, Hamilton was invited to compete in the International Race of Champions. He scored one pole, two wins, 6 top-5s and 12 top-10s in his Bailey’s No. 04 Dodge in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He entered his own No. 04 Dodge in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in two events and drove James Finch’s No. 09 Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts in a third. Hamilton also drove Earl Sadler’s No. 95 Dodge in 5 NASCAR Busch Series events scoring 1 top-10 finish.
In 2006, Hamilton started the season driving his No. 18 Fastenal Dodge in three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events. Following the John Deere 200 at Atlanta, Hamilton went to a dentist for work on his wisdom teeth. During the dental exam the dentist discovered Hamilton had a tumor in his neck. Hamilton had the tumor removed in February and postponed his driving career in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in March of the year for radiation and chemotherapy treatment at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. Bobby Hamilton died January 7, 2007 after a year-long battle with cancer.
Career Accomplishments:
2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship
NASCAR Winston Cup Series career: 368 starts, 4 wins, 20 top 5’s, 67 top 10’s (1989-2002)
NASCAR Busch Series career: 79 starts, 1 win, 11 top 5’s, 21 top 10’s (1988-2001)
NASCAR Truck Series career to date: 64 starts, 10 wins, 23 top 5’s, 37 top 10’s (1996-2004)
"Championships have always driven me to win races. That 3 car pulling into the track would cause people to look around and wonder what we were doing, to see how to beat us."
-Dale Earnhardt
-Dale Earnhardt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain,
Your
Momma
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants wins't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt Sr.
This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
221 W. 57th Street 18B
Loveland, CO 80538
970/663-6967
Your
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants wins't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt Sr.
This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
221 W. 57th Street 18B
Loveland, CO 80538
970/663-6967
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