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Today In Nascar History
April 11, 1965
Marvin Panch, wins at Atlanta in the 700th race in Grand National history. It is also the seventh in a string of 32 consecutive victories for Ford, which won NASCAR-record 48 races in 1965.
Do You Think Dale Earnhardt Jr. Should Have Been Given the Black Flag for the Pass on Kenseth Under the Yellow Line at Talladega?
from O'Sure
Doing some research on the "passing below the yellow line rule" and
found the below site that explains it very well to all who might want to
read up on it. Also, an important excerpt from that site.
O'SURE
http://tricklefan.topcities.com/guide/rules.html
Child: What happens when someone breaks a rule?
NASCAR: Depends.
Child: Depends on what?
NASCAR: Who he is, who his sponsor is, how much we like him, whether
he's a pain in the butt, how long it's been since he won, how many fans
he's got ... You know, just the important things.
Child: Oh.
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BRAD PARROTT REJOINS ROUSH
Roush Racing announced today that Brad Parrott has been rehired to
join Jeff Burton's No. 99 Ford team and will report to crew chief Paul
Andrews. Parrott's hiring comes one day after he was ousted as crew
chief for Dale Jarrett's No. 88 Ford at Robert Yates Racing. "We are excited
to bring Brad back to Roush Racing," said Burton. "Our Busch Series team
had a lot of success last year, and Brad was a big contributor to that
success, so we think he can come in and help the No. 99 team this year."
Burton and Parrott scored five wins in 14 Busch Series starts last year.
Andy Petree Racing owner Andy Petree has announced an 18-race schedule for 22-year-old Paul Menard that will include Winston Cup, Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series events in addition to ARCA races. The schedule calls for Menard, who is pursuing a degree in business at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, to run in three Cup, six Busch, five truck and four ARCA races. The Cup schedule includes the two road course events at Sears Point and Watkins Glen and the race at Phoenix. Petree said Turtle Wax will sponsor Menard's entries in Chevrolets in the different series.
GEICO insurance says it has extended its sponsorship of the Busch Series efforts of Biagi Bros. Racing and driver Mike Wallace in the team's No. 4 Pontiac to include Saturday's Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway and two additional races. "Initially we were going to sponsor only 10 races, but with the success that Mike and the Biagi Bros. race team has had this season, it makes it easy for us to stay onboard and take advantage of the opportunity," said Ted Ward, vice president of Marketing for GEICO. The company is now scheduled to sponsor 13 of the first 17 races.
Long Brothers Racing says it will make its Busch Series debut in Saturday's Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway with Joe Buford driving the team's No. 8 Ford. The team owned by Robert and Charlie Long has competed in the Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series. The team says it will use a chassis purchased from Robert Yates Racing for the Busch event.
Speedway Children's Charities says its 23rd annual Charity Ball on May 23 in Charlotte, N.C., will honor R.J. Reynolds Co. for its promotion of racing, particularly in the Charlotte area. The black-tie event, which will be sponsored by the UAW-GM motorsports coalition, raises money for the non-profit foundation that aids children in need of medical, educational and social services. Tickets are $250 each, or a table for 10 can be purchased starting at $2,000. Information is available by calling (704) 455-4396.
By HANK KURZ Jr.
The Associated Press
MARTINSVILLE, Va. - Kevin Harvick will have a better outcome at Martinsville Speedway than a year ago - even if he finishes last Sunday.
He was banned last April from the Winston Cup race by NASCAR for rough driving a day earlier in the truck series. It was an unprecedented move by the sanctioning body, one that contributed to Harvick's 21st-place finish in the standings and enhanced his reputation as a hot head.
“I had a barbecue at my shop, watched the race with my friends and learned
my lesson," 
Harvick
said. "I obviously wanted to be racing, but I put myself in that spot and
that's the way it works.
"Actually, it was kind of relaxing."
This weekend, Harvick will drive in both races, hoping to continue an early season run that has him ninth in the Cup standings after a second-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway. Perhaps more important: He's staying out of trouble.
The 27-year-old Californian spent virtually all of last season on probation. His skirmish with Coy Gibbs during the truck race at Martinsville was the low point. Harvick vowed over his car radio to spin out Gibbs - which he did.
Harvick won't do it again, but he has no plan to drive sheepishly in the Virginia 500, one of two races each year on the shortest Winston Cup track - where bumping and banging are commonplace.
"I can go back and race harder than I did last time there," he said. "I'm not in trouble, and I know what I need to do. I know how to handle situations better."
Harvick is not the only driver who has trouble with the tight turns and long straightaways at Martinsville.
The race begins with everyone knowing there will be plenty of beating, banging and flaring tempers. Dealing with it all becomes a key to success.
"You learn how to protect the car," said series champion Tony Stewart, who once recommended turning Martinsville into a bass pond, but has one victory and five top-10 finishes in his last six races here. "You learn how to not beat it up.
"You learn it's a lot more fun racing when you get a lot more patience."
The problem, Kyle Petty said, is everyone is fighting for the same thing.
"It's more than two cars trying to get to the same spot," Petty said. "It's 43 cars trying to get to the same place - the checkered flag - before the rest of them do."
The last 11 Winston Cup races at Martinsville have produced 11 different winners. Bobby Labonte won this event last spring, and Kurt Busch was the winner in the fall.
Virtually every car ends up with black tire marks on its sides at Martinsville, and drivers often resort to using their banged-up vehicles to exact revenge.
"What you have to do is overcome a lot of that," Petty said. "Just like in any sport, being a little mad can help you out. Being a lot mad is when you run into problems."
Special to Turner Sports Interactive
Life Lessons
Life is a team sport.
Michael Waltrip
Racing is the most fulfilling and exhilarating thing that I have ever done.
Racing is a part of me, a part of who I am. I was literally born into
a racing family. My brother Darrell was sixteen when I was born and already
on his way to a racing career. I can remember
my parents taking us down to Daytona for Speed Weeks when I was a kid.
Nobody else's parents were taking them out of school to go to races. Nobody
else's brother was rubbing fenders with Richard Petty. I mean, think about
it -- it was huge for me. From the time I was a kid, I said, "That's what
I want to do. I want to drive race cars." Those early years gave me some
valuable experiences and taught me some valuable lessons that I still carry
to this day. Here are a few of them:
In whatever you do, you need to have your own personal support network. My parents, brother and sisters supplied my network as a child. Now it has expanded to include my wife and children as well as my extended racing family of my crew and support staff. I have always thought that one of the cool things about racing is that it is a family endeavor. I think that is why we have such strong fan appeal. Racing, just like life, is a team sport.
If you want to be successful, you must visualize yourself as a success. This has been an extremely important discipline for me. I believe that you need to see yourself as a winner. See yourself taking the checkered flag. This sort of vision can be applied to all aspects of life.
Dream with your eyes open. I do not remember who said it, but there is an old saying that goes something like this: "You shouldn't only dream when you are sleeping or when your eyes are closed, but you should dream with your eyes open, envisioning the possibilities." I think that I have learned to do this from a very young age. It comes from the belief that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to and that the greatest obstacles we face are the ones of our own making.
Rely on faith. I find that it takes a great deal of pressure off of me when I remember to leave life in God's hands. This philosophy comes from my conviction that there is more to who you are than what you are while you're on this Earth. I think we all get too caught up with this life. I guess it's the fear of the unknown, but not for me. I know exactly where I want my next destination to be.
Use your life accomplishments as inspiration. A couple of years ago, I ran in three marathons, the most significant being the Boston Marathon. I thought that if I could run on my feet for four and a half hours, then when I am racing it wouldn't matter how hot or how steamy it was in the South on a summer day. I could sit there for four hours on my butt for sure. I knew that this accomplishment would make me mentally stronger than my competition. So while you may look at running a marathon as an individual sport, I was doing it not only for myself, but for my team.
Be unyielding in pursuit of your dreams. Persistence and determination are powerful forces in the face of criticism. Believe me, I know. When I won the Daytona 500, I ended a 462-race winless streak. The easiest thing to do would have been to simply throw in the towel and concede to the critics, but because of my own personal conviction of my abilities, I was able to block the negative comments from adversely affecting me and actually use them as motivation.
Train yourself to think in constructive and effective ways. I believe that if you are going to be successful at any endeavor, then you need to construct a plan of what you want to do. Mark your path to success with timeline mile markers and take efficient steps to consistently achieve your goals.
Learn to use life words. Life words are words that build up, encourage and accentuate the positive. They are meant to counteract the destructive, negative and confidence-shattering messages that we are constantly bombarded with during tough times. The need for life words is something I am acutely aware of as I have had my share of ups and downs in my racing career. We all need to have a way to reinforce our beliefs and our commitment to our goals in the face of a world that can eventually wear you down if you let it. Use life words when you speak with others, but more importantly, use life words when you talk to yourself. Stray from sarcasm, which is very destructive.
Seek out others who share your vision for success. I was blessed to have known my friend Dale Earnhardt. Just before my win at the Daytona 500, Dale gave me a great car to drive, and he gave me unyielding confidence when he showed his faith and belief in me as a driver and told me, "You'll win in my car."
I do not know if this list is the secret to success, but so far it has worked for me. I wish you the best in your pursuit.
-- Michael Waltrip
Life Lessons by Michael Waltrip. Reprinted by permission of Michael Waltrip. C2002 Michael Waltrip.
By Mark DeCotis
FLORIDA TODAY
The feud between Jimmy Spencer and Kurt Busch has been reignited. Spencer made sure of that when he ripped Busch in an interview earlier this week. And since Sunday's race is at the beating and banging bullring at Martinsville, fireworks are in the forecast.
Veteran
Spencer and young gun Busch went at it much of last season after Busch
muscled Spencer out of the way en route to victory in the spring race at
Bristol. Spencer then punted Busch at Indy and Busch struck back verbally,
saying Spencer was a "decrepit old has-been" and had "the brain of a peanut."
And the hot-tempered Busch never missed a chance to further gig Spencer, going as far as saying Spencer tried to kill him.
But this week, it was the old-timer who got in the jabs.
"I don't talk to Kurt (Busch)," Spencer told reporters. "I don't get along with Kurt. I think he has a lot of problems mentally that Jack Roush is working on, so to me, I think Kurt Busch is a heck of a competitor and a great racer. He does have a lot of problems, and I think NASCAR has talked to him, and I think Jack is talking to him."
Spencer was just getting warmed up.
"Once he gets to the level of getting that all straightened out personally, I think he's going to be a lot better competitor than he is now. To me, the drivers I talk to, he's cocky, he doesn't respect them," Spencer said.
"He's got a lot of things he needs to address himself personally. He's no Bobby Labonte, Bill Elliott, Jeff Burton or Mark Martin. He's no Matt Kenseth. You can win races and contend for the championship and not have that attitude he has. That attitude he has will be a major player in him not becoming a Winston Cup champion until he learns to get along with his fellow competitors and not have that chip on his shoulder."
And then Spencer issued what could be construed as a warning.
"I learned a long time ago . . . when you've got people mad at you, you can't be successful because there's always somebody in that woodpile that's going to grab you and knock you down to earth.
"He had a confrontation with Tony Stewart again Sunday. I watched it on TV. I think he'll learn eventually how to handle himself."
Ouch.
There's no disputing that despite his inexperience, Busch isn't afraid to speak his mind -- and that has not endeared him to some drivers. He also is not afraid to use a fender to make a point. And although Busch passed on the opportunity to respond verbally to Spencer's most recent comments, Sunday could be another story.
Spencer, on the other hand, has tempered his approach through the years. He is in no way cookie-cutter or vanilla or any other of the labels many NASCAR drivers so richly deserve. But he also admits to learning from some hard lessons.
"I think I've got a file folder in Daytona probably bigger than any driver," Spencer said. "I learned you are racing against your fellow competitors and we're all racing the same cars, so we all have to respect one another. I learned that a while ago. And ever since then, I haven't been pulled into the truck (NASCAR trailer) for anything."
That's not entirely true since both Busch and Spencer visited the principal's office last year at Indianapolis.
Spencer took a much more benevolent approach to another of NASCAR's young hotheads, Kevin Harvick, who ticked off his share of competitors and earned himself a stiff penalty for misconduct last spring at Martinsville.
Harvick had a run-in with Coy Gibbs during the truck race the day before
the Cup event, then
basically told NASCAR to stick it when it black-flagged him. NASCAR retaliated
by parking Harvick for the Cup race and Harvick has been better-behaved
-- save for a Daytona run-in with Busch -- ever since.
"NASCAR
didn't try to tone down his personality," Spencer said. "They tried to
show how the sport has been run for the past 25 years. They tried to show
that to Jimmy Spencer five years ago or whatever it was. They show it to
you. They get their point across.
"The bottom line is that, when you have 43 competitors on the race track, NASCAR has to answer to all 43 competitors. If they have one guy who's not doing the job that the other 42 are, then it's their job to straighten it out. They do an excellent job. . . . They make some calls, black flag guys, put them in penalty boxes, they do everything they're supposed to do in that respect. In my opinion, they do an awesome job of it. I think they've done a good job with Kevin Harvick. I know they've done a great job with Jimmy Spencer."
Think Busch would agree with that? Only time will tell.
RACING PERSPECTIVES
Kerry Earnhardt Looking To Surpass
2002 Surge
by Brad Harrison-Guest Contributor
Racing is now more than a hobby for Kerry Earnhardt.
Entering
his second full season on the Busch Grand National Series circuit and with
Fitz-Bradshaw Racing, Earnhardt is looking to continue a wave of momentum
over the latter half of a 2002 highlighted by a second-place run at Kansas.
The finish gave the 33-year old from Kannapolis, N.C. a 22nd place finish
in the point standings.
“We finally got the cars turned around. We got the bodies, engineering and support and engines going. Plus my confidence level,” Earnhardt said. “My confidence got higher as I got more comfortable with the team and the guys on the team that are put together. That’s my life in that seat and I have to be cautious of that. I’m confident that I can get into that car and go racing and not worry about the car falling apart.”
Now Kerry Earnhardt and the team want to surpass the successes of 2002.
“Every team out here is going to have room for improvement. It’s the way I look at things, there is always room for improvement,” Earnhardt said. “I try and focus on what things need to be improved and try to improve them as quick as you can and make the team better.”
And of course a good showing in the point standings accompanied by some trips to victory lane wouldn’t hurt either.
“The reality goal I guess is to finish top-five in points and have some wins. Anything above that is going to be a bonus,” Earnhardt said.
Though Earnhardt doesn’t drive for family-owned Dale Earnhardt Inc. or Chance2 Motorsports, his cars in the Fitz-Bradshaw stable have DEI power under the hood in the form on engines and bodies.
“If there’s anyone I can trust more than anything it’d be family. I believe in that 100 percent because I know they produce great engines and awesome bodies,” Earnhardt said. “We’ve got DEI doing our bodies and engines and all that engineering stuff and everything. I think that’s been a real big help to us. We’re using a different strategy package on the engineering side and it’s been a big positive for us.”
Earnhardt and the team appeared to be on their way to a strong start early, with top-15 finishes in the first three races at Daytona, Rockingham and Las Vegas. He wasn’t as lucky the next three weeks though, as the No. 12 Chevrolet Monte Carlo was caught up in accidents at Darlington and Bristol while mechanical problems forced Earnhardt back in the field. He was a victim of the ‘big one’ last weekend on the 10th at Talladega that caused damage that relegated him to a 17th place finish. Earnhardt is currently 20th in points heading into Nashville this weekend.
Earnhardt will make attempts at Winston Cup races this year for Fitz-Bradshaw as well. His next attempt will be at Fontana for the April 27 event.
“I’m being cautious with that not for just me, but for this team. If I was to go and try and make the cup race at Daytona and not make the show, then it would have reflected on our Busch performance because both are in the same house and everyone is involved in this.”
Earnhardt’s only Winston Cup start came in June of 2000 at Michigan when he ran Dave Marcis’s No. 71 Real Tree Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
“It’s always been my goal to be in racing because I love doing it. I even loved it when it was just a hobby when it was dirt track racing. It’s just fun being out there. It’s a lot more competitive and a lot more competition.”
You can reach Brad Harrison at: bharrison@...
Your
Momma
"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 won't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
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