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10:22:
Days, Hours, Minutes and Seconds to the Daytona 500
Richard Petty has the most wins at Rockingham.
from Lugs
well i'm suprized that Kyles going to Hendrick Racing an i thougt Kenseth
would forsure go to DEI next year an take DeWalt with him, cuz Dale Jr
wants him as a teammate. Hendrick is a good team for Kyle but he
won't win as many races being in a Chevy as he would in a Jack Roush FORD
LOL.
Peace....
...Lugs
Yea, yea yea, we will see now won’t we Luggy….Kyle’s gonna kick major butt in Hendrick Chevies!
Shootout to feature 20-lap break,
race to finish
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The inaugural nighttime running of Saturday's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway will have an added twist with a new format.
There will be some slight modifications to the format to Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway –the "unofficial" start to the 2003 Winston Cup season.
NASCAR officials confirmed Tuesday the 70-lap all-star event – which features pole winners from the 2002 season and past winners of the event – will be split into two segments.
The first segment will consist of 20 laps after which a 10-minute intermission will be held. Teams may make pit stops and do other work that transpires during a normal pit stop during this time.
The second segment will be 50 laps and must end in a green-white-checkered finish. Caution laps will count toward the total in both segments so the second segment may extend beyond the scheduled 70-lap total.
In the event of a red flag, crews will be permitted to work on the cars; however, all work must be performed on pit road or in the garage. When the race is resumed, all cars must immediately be ready to return to competition.
All re-starts will be double-file re-starts. All lapped cars will re-start at the rear of the field.
The Shootout format was changed from a 20-lap race to two 10-lap segments in 1991. The move to a 25-lap event in 1998 marked the third format change of this prestigious event.
The format was again changed in 2001, this time to a 70-lap event.
The list of drivers eligible for the Budweiser Shootout is a who's who of NASCAR and consists of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace, Ryan Newman, Ward Burton, Matt Kenseth, Ricky Craven, Ricky Rudd, Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin, Geoffrey Bodine, Ken Schrader, Todd Bodine and Terry Labonte.
Stewart, the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion, will be gunning for a record third straight Budweiser Shootout victory. In 2001, he held off the late Dale Earnhardt and in 2002 he withstood a furious challenge from Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS - A man in town for a business convention died of natural causes while driving at a racing school named for Richard Petty.
Philip Jerome Malarkey's death at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was attributed to coronary atherosclerosis, a common cause of heart attacks, the coroner's office said Tuesday.
Malarkey, 58, of Arnold, Md., paid several thousand dollars to participate in the Richard Petty Driving Experience.
After classroom instruction, Malarkey became unconscious while driving a race car similar to those used in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, said Brad Mark, driving school general manager.
Mark called Malarkey's death the first in 13 years at the race driving school.
The maximum speed for the cars is about 160 mph, but Malarkey was not traveling at top speed when he became unconscious and his car scraped the wall on the 1 1/2-mile oval, officials said. His car did not hit any other vehicles.
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive
CENTRAL CITY, Ky. -- For Hank Parker Jr. it's a chance to shed some light on a career that was momentarily in the dark.
For Chase Montgomery and Joey Clanton it's a chance to walk on one of
NASCAR racing's
brightest stages.
Brewco Motorsports will run the three drivers representing a pair of sponsors in its No. 27 Pontiacs in the 2003 NASCAR Busch Series, team owner Clarence Brewer Jr. announced Wednesday.
Montgomery, 19, was the first to lock-in his plans when he previously announced a plan to run seven races with Brewco. Now, the Mount Juliet, Tenn., teenager will open his season in the Feb. 15 Koolerz 300 driving the No. 27 TrimSpa Pontiac.
Montgomery became the youngest driver to win a pole at Daytona when he qualified fastest for the ARCA RE/MAX Series event last Speedweeks at the 2.5-mile track. Montgomery tested the car at Daytona last month preparing for the Koolerz 300.
Parker Jr., who was left on the sidelines at the end of 2002 when sponsor GNC left the sport, was jilted again when TrimSpa -- a competitor to Bill Davis Racing's Busch Series sponsor Stacker 2 -- nearly put together a full-season deal with him as the driver at Roush Racing.
Now, he will compete in the season's second race at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham on Feb. 22 before Montgomery gets back into the car for the next race, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Parker's only other confirmed ride this season will come at Darlington Raceway on March 15.
By Robin Miller
ESPN.com
R.J.
Reynolds and NASCAR recently announced this year's Winston Cup point fund
will be a record $17 million. What they didn't say was that whoever snares
the $4,250,000 for first place in 2003 may also be the final Winston Cup
champion.
ESPN.com has learned that R.J. Reynolds is seriously looking at ending its long and rich association with the stock car world after 33 years. This follows by just a few days Union 76's announcement that it would cease its 50-year relationship as NASCAR's official fuel and oil. A top-level source inside the tobacco industry and another source close to the situation said RJR is prepared to shut down this remarkable partnership and that NASCAR is already pursuing a replacement.
"There are five years left on the contract, but RJR would walk away as the title sponsor if a suitable replacement could be found," said the source, who requested anonymity. "With all the lawsuits and litigation surrounding the tobacco industry now, Winston feels like it's time to step aside.
"And NASCAR is actively looking for a new title sponsor."
UPS, Coca-Cola and McDonald's are thought to be very interested in hitching their wagon to the marketing monster that has become NASCAR.
"We just re-established our relationship with R.J. Reynolds and we look forward to continuing our long-standing and beneficial relationship," said NASCAR vice president of corporate communications Jim Hunter when asked about the possibility of losing NASCAR's sponsorship.
Asked if NASCAR had a waiting list of potential title sponsors in the event RJR did bail before its contract expired, Hunter said:
"In a hypothetical world, if the need ever came, we think it's a pretty good property."
Denny Darnell, senior manager of media relations for Sports Marketing Enterprises, denied the report had any validity.
"That would be a shock in that we have a 33-year relationship with NASCAR and we have a multiyear contract with NASCAR," said Darnell, whose agency handles all of RJR's involvement with the series that has exploded into the national consciousness the past decade.
"Our intentions are to continue to grow with NASCAR in the future."
NASCAR's drivers, teams and partners have reaped the rewards of an estimated $100 million in purse, bonus and point fund money since becoming the Winston Cup Series in 1971.
Rusty Wallace also reacted with disbelief, but said replacing RJR would be nearly impossible.
"First of all, I've never heard one word on the subject of RJR leaving and I'd have a hard time believing it," replied the 1989 Winston Cup champ. "The Union 76 thing was a big surprise, but this would be a shocker.
"To lose a sponsorship like Winston would be catastrophic."
Wallace knows firsthand all the little things RJR has done throughout the years.
"When a lot of us were coming up we didn't have anything and Winston would buy us uniforms. If you were a little stock car track Winston would supply all the paint so we had all these red and white tracks across the country.
"I mean they did so many good things for so many people."
Winston, which ended its sponsorship of the National Hot Rod Association and professional golf in order to comply with the Master Settlement Tobacco Agreement, dropped NASCAR's No Bull 5 Program for 2003 after a five-year run. That was a bonus program that offered $1 million to a driver and a NASCAR fan in five selected events.
RJR also continues to sponsor NASCAR's Winston West stock car series.
While the Indy Racing League has failed to keep its title sponsors (Pep Boys and Northern Light) and is currently seeking one, Championship Auto Racing Teams had PPG Industries during 1979-96, FedEx during 1997-2002 and now has Bridgestone and Ford. After losing Winston, the NHRA acquired POWERade last year.
But no racing series can approach the numbers (years and dollars) that NASCAR has had with Winston.
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A spokesman for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco said Tuesday night that there's no validity to an Internet report saying the company is considering ending its sponsorship of NASCAR's top series after the 2003 season.
An ESPN.com story quotes an anonymous source as saying RJR, which has the name of one of its brands of cigarettes on the Winston Cup series, "would walk away if a suitable replacement could be found."
But Denny Darnell, senior manager of media relations for Sports Marketing Enterprises, the division of RJR that directs the NASCAR program, said the company isn't looking to leave.
"We have just signed a multi-year deal with NASCAR to continue our long-running partnership," Darnell said. "We're looking forward to the 2003 season and beyond."
Winston began its sponsorship of NASCAR's top series in 1971 and has spent millions in bonus and points fund money since.
Credit: ASP
MBNA, Bass Pro Shops to sponsor Atlanta race
HAMPTON, Ga. -- Atlanta Motor Speedway officials have announced that MBNA America, the world's largest independent credit card lender, and Bass Pro Shops, the nation's leading outdoor retailer, will be the title sponsors of the track's NASCAR Winston Cup race on Sunday, March 9.
The race, the fourth stop on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit, will be known as the MBNA Bass Pro Shops 500. MBNA also sponsored the spring Winston Cup race last season.
"Being a sponsor of one of the biggest single-day sporting events in Georgia continues MBNA's decade-long relationship with Atlanta Motor Speedway, one of our valued customers," said Richard K. Struthers, executive vice chairman of MBNA American Bank.
Bass Pro Shops is beginning its foray into race sponsorship with this partnership. Headquartered in Springfield, Mo., Bass Pro Shops currently operates stores in 14 cities nationwide, including Atlanta.
The MBNA Bass Pro Shops 500 is the culmination of an action-packed weekend of racing, beginning with Georgia Power Qualifying on Friday, March 7, the fastest qualifying session on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit. The excitement continues on Saturday, March 8, when the up-and-coming stars of racing compete for the trophy in the ARCA 400.
Dealers 400, the historic 100th NASCAR Winston Cup Series’ visit to Darlington
Raceway, is presented his trophy during pre-race ceremonies, the award
will have a different look than in years past. Following a three-week contest
and three days of very difficult judging, the track has selected a new
design for its pole day trophy. The winning designer is Mark McKellar of
Mt. Pleasant, SC. ...For his winning design, McKellar – a Johnny Benson
fan – will receive four tickets to all pole day events at Darlington Raceway
through the year 2007; four tickets to the March 16 Carolina Dodge Dealers
400 at Darlington Raceway; four admissions to the “Darlington Stripe Zone”
fan hospitality area on Sunday, March 16; a guided track tour; and a one-time
cash award of $1,000. He will also present the new trophy to its first
winner during pre-race ceremonies for the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400
The Associated Press
LOGANVILLE, Ga. – The wife of NASCAR driver Brett Bodine was charged with making harassing phone calls and threatening a woman she suspected was involved with her husband.
Diane Bodine surrendered to authorities Tuesday and was released on $6,500 bond. Her lawyer said she denies all the charges.
Police said she was calling a 43-year-old Loganville woman, a corporate employee of the restaurant chain Hooters of America, one of Brett Bodine’s NASCAR sponsors. Her name was not released.
Terroristic threats is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, Walton County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Jeff Johnson said. The harassing phone calls charge is a misdemeanor.
Diane Bodine was accused of making the calls since last July. Johnson said she made up to 10 harassing phone calls a day at one point and continued to call after police warned her to stop in January.
She was arrested in Volusia County, Fla., where the Bodines have a home, on Jan. 16 and agreed to appear in Walton County with her attorney to avoid an extradition hearing. Temper Temper!
Daytona Preview Series
Ultra Motorsports PR
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 4, 2003) - Not many things leave Jimmy Spencer speechless, but as he watched CNN's coverage of the space shuttle Columbia breaking apart over Texas Saturday morning, everything around him froze in time. A cold stare and a numb feeling was all he had to offer, for in his mind he couldn't help but think about the seven families who were left waiting at the end of a runway somewhere in Florida.
It was a moment Spencer would love to forget but never will.
"I can't imagine what the families are going through," he said. "I know that we're all going to leave this place eventually, and there is no way around that. But those astronauts were 16 minutes from home, and you know they couldn't wait to see their families to tell them about their trip to space. When my son or daughter goes on a trip, I want to know all about it when they come back. I don't know how I would handle myself if I knew they weren't coming back to me."
Spencer says he plans to write the families to express his condolences. At the same time, he joins the millions of people who feel that abandoning the manned space program would be a mistake.
"I don't know if abandoning the manned space program is something NASA is even talking about, but I sure hear a lot of people making that debate on television," Spencer said. "I think it's a natural reaction, and that's fine. But look where we are because of manned space flight. Look where we are because of the space shuttle. I drive for a sponsor that wouldn't be where it is today without the space program. SIRIUS Satellite Radio has three of those satellites floating around in space, and FedEx or Yellow didn't have a thing to do with getting them up there. I drive to the shop every day listening to my satellite radio, and I'm captivated by all the things it does. But never once did I stop and think about how this is even possible. But now I do, and I hate that it took the events from Saturday morning for me to stop and appreciate the things we have in life."
It bothers Spencer to draw comparisons between NASA and NASCAR, but the similarities are almost unavoidable. First and foremost, both have dealt with loss. And drivers - like astronauts - know and accept the risks they take before ever strapping into their vehicles.
"Had we quit racing after the loss of Neil Bonnett or Dale Earnhardt, we'd be in big trouble when the time comes that we meet up with them again," Spencer said. "I think the same is probably true with those astronauts, especially since their mission was specifically geared around science, and experimentation that only humans can do. I think NASA knows that, and I think they'll learn from this, make it better, and keep going."
FINISHING TOUCHES: The No. 7 SIRIUS racing team is working its final full day at the Ultra Motorsports race shop before the first wave of crew members departs for Daytona on Wednesday. Spencer will be among the first group, as NASCAR Media Day on Thursday, Feb. 6, kicks off the Speedweeks schedule for Winston Cup teams.
THE FANS HAVE SPOKEN: Of all the mail Spencer receives at the shop, one in particular caught his attention on Tuesday - a box containing the glass trophy with the inscription "Driver You'd Least Like to See in Your Rearview Mirror." The award was part of the NASCAR.com 2002 Fans Voice Awards, and Spencer took first prize in the "Rearview Mirror" category. Said Spencer with a laugh, "I'll take that as a compliment."
RACING PERSPECTIVES
Remembering Speedweeks 2001:
A Speedweeks of Highs & Lows - Part 1
by R. Mark Stiles - Senior Editor & News
Director
02/05/2003
In November of 2000, I got a call from Daytona International Speedway track announcer Bill Bowser to come down to Daytona Beach, and to assist him during Speedweeks. Of course, this was an experience of a life time, and in no way was I going to pass up the invite.
This was going to be my first venture to the historic track, and the excitement of starting it all off with the Rolex 24 Hours race and ending with the Daytona 500 was overwhelming.
I enjoy almost all forms of auto racing, and follow to the best of my ability, all the different series, especially ones driven by my all-time favorite driver, the late Mark Donohue. And, with the Rolex 24 Hours being one race that Donohue had won in, as well as that year's race was going to have both Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., participating in, I could hardly wait for my departure on January 30th to come.
Arrangements were all made, I was going to stay with my cousin outside of Orlando, and commute back and forth. This turned out to be an experience all by itself with having to deal with the traffic surrounding Orlando, and trying not to get run over on I-4 (and I thought I-95 near the Washington D.C beltway was bad). As I look back, I guess you can say it was one way to get pumped up for racing, as what would usually take over an hour to drive the distance from Orlando to International Speedway Blvd., would only take 45 minutes going 90 mph (and still getting passed).
Finally the time arrived for my trip to Daytona, and I had decided that I would drive from home in Chesapeake, VA. It took about twelve hours to make the trip and it gave me plenty of time to think about what I was in for, and what I was going to see. I really had no idea what was involved in being a track announcer's assistant, but I was pumped up and ready to tackle what lay ahead.
I arrived in Windermere, which is on the west side of Orlando, around 8:00 pm and got reunited with my cousin and her family. They didn't really follow NASCAR that much, but I really appreciated their hospitality, and putting me up for the 18 days that I was going to be there.
I got up early the next morning, anxious to get to the track and start my journey of a life time.
Now, as I got closer to the intersection at International Speedway Blvd., I could see the Winston Towers in the distance. I can tell you that trying to describe what I see as I get closer, won't give the scenery it's due justice, and it's just something that you have to experience on your own. Basically to sum it all up in one word is complete AWE.
Practice and qualifying is now underway for the Rolex 24 Hours cars, and I quickly follow the signs, telling those that are here to pick up their credentials, need to be over in the far left lane. As I drive pass the track, still in awe, I roll down all the windows in the car and can clearly hear the cars on the track. By now the excitement has hit another high, but it doesn't hit its highest level until I got up into the announcer's booth on the sixth floor of the Winston Tower.
I get over to the credential office and pick up my awaiting credentials and then head over across the street to the track. To the left of me at the entrance is the famed Daytona USA, and to the right is the gate entrance to the Winston Towers where I needed to go and start my day.
It is here that as I get off the elevator on the sixth floor, that I see the pictures of Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., and the various legends of racers to have won at the famed, historic track.
I make way over to the entrance area of the booths, and what I mean by booths is that the TV booth, MRN Radio booth, control booth, and the PA booth are all right there. There is a little "bar/lounge" area where everyone working in those booths can come to get some Pepsi or coffee and take a break when needed.
Now, it is here, as I walk through the PA/Timing and Scoring System booth doors, and look out through the huge windows overlooking the speedway, that the overwhelming sensation of what you are seeing takes over. The sight of the 2.5 mile track, the garage area, the infield, and Lake Floyd hits you, and to be able to see where drivers like Richard Petty, Cal Yarborough, Mario Andretti, Dale Earnhardt, and all of the other legends of racing that have walked and driven there, comes flooding into your mind. I'm finally here!
After being in the announcer's booth and after I finished taking in all of what I am seeing, track announcer Bill Bowser comes in and we finally get to meet face to face. Bill then introduces to me his fellow track announcing team of Al Robinson and Mike Paz, as well as, DIS PR Director of Communication Glyn Johnston and then at the time assistant Mike Manning (Mike is now involved with Daytona USA).
It was Friday and there wasn't really much to do that day, I pretty much stayed back and watched them work the practice and qualifying session for the Rolex 24 Hours and support series that was there. My big day didn't really start until the following day on Saturday, as this was the beginning of the Rolex 24.
Stay tuned for part 2, as I will discuss working in the announcer's booth for the 39th running of the Rolex 24 Hours, and the Earnhardts make their debut. In Part 3, NASCAR comes, ARCA, Goody Dash and Cheever gets a touch of Earnhardt in IROC, and in Part 4, "The Great American Race," the Daytona 500; we lose a hero.
You can reach Mark Stiles at: mstiles@...
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