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Countdown to Daytona
Daytona Countdown: '93
Jarrett wins first 500; Kulwicki, Allison die in air-related accidents
By Mark Aumann, NASCAR.COM
With his father cheering him on from the television booth, Dale Jarrett edged past Dale Earnhardt for the win in the 35th Daytona 500 on Feb. 14, 1993.
Running third on the last lap behind Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon, Jarrett used a push from Geoff Bodine to pull even with Earnhardt, then bumped his way past as for the fourth time, Earnhardt had been leading with less than 10 laps remaining and failed to finish first.
ALSO IN 1993 ...
• For the first time, Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is officially observed in all 50 states (Jan. 18)
• North Korea says that it plans to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and refuses to allow inspectors access to nuclear sites (March 12)
• Los Angeles Police Department raids the home of Hollywood Madame Heidi Fleiss (June 9)
• Lorena Bobbitt cuts off the penis of her husband John Wayne Bobbitt (June 23)
• Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar is gunned down in Medellín when police tries to arrest him (Dec. 2)
Courtesy: Wikipedia
On Jan. 20, Bill Clinton was inaugurated as the 42nd President of the United States. Jarrett's win was the first under a Democratic President since Richard Petty's 1979 victory while Jimmy Carter was in office.
A story on Dateline NBC that showed some GM pickups could easily catch fire in accidents caused General Motors to sue NBC on Feb. 8. NBC settled the lawsuit for $2 million the next day after admitting the crashes were rigged.
In fact, studies of fatal crash records showed GM pickups to be 10 percent safer than the average passenger car, 50 percent safer than compact pickups and almost identical in safety to other full-sized pickups.
If Jarrett had been interested in 1993 GMC Sierra K3500 two-door regular cab pickups, he could have purchased 12 at the retail price of $18,576 with his first-place check for $238,200.
Michael Jordan retired from basketball on Oct. 6 to try his hand at minor league baseball. He batted .202 with three home runs for the Birmingham Barons in 1994. Jordan then returned to basketball in 1995, retired again in 1998, then returned to the court again in 2001.
Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray, was in movie theaters in February. The plot involved a weathercaster who relived the same day over and over. Janet Jackson's Again was the No. 1 song on Cash Box's singles chart in December.
Martin Sheen, Tom Berenger and Jeff Daniels starred in Gettysburg, which was released on Oct. 8. If Jarrett had wanted to drive his GMC Sierra to see the Gettysburg battlefield site in person, the 436-mile trip from Hickory, N.C., would have taken him a little over seven hours at highway speeds -- or two hours and 49 minutes at the race-winning speed of 154.972 mph.
Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address took less than three minutes to recite in 1863. Former General and President Dwight Eisenhower and baseball great Eddie Plank both had Gettysburg addresses.
Twelve days after Jarrett's win, a bomb inside a van parked under the North Tower of the World Trade Center exploded, killing six and injuring more than a thousand people. On March 4, Mohammad Salameh was captured and charged with the bombing.
Janet Reno was selected by President Clinton as U.S. Attorney General on Feb. 11 and was confirmed by the Senate on March 11. On Feb. 28, federal agents raided the Branch Dividian compound in Waco, Texas, attempting to arrest cult leader David Koresh. Four agents and five Davidians were killed and a 51-day standoff ended with the compound engulfed in flames on April 19, leaving at least 70 people dead.
The World Health Organization declared tuberculosis a global emergency on April 23. According to WHO, two million people each year die from the disease, which affects the respiratory system. Jimmie Rodgers, the Singing Brakeman, died of tuberculosis in 1933.
Intel shipped the first Pentium chips on March 22. In 1999, Weird Al Yankovic released It's All About The Pentiums.
In December, Microsoft released MS-DOS 6.0. The last version MS-DOS version released by the company was 6.22, before it turned its attention to Windows 95.
Richard Depew accidentally sent 200 copies of one message to a newsgroup on March 31 and Joel Furr called it "spam," the first reported instance of the use of the word to describe what is now considered junk e-mail. IBM's earnings got slammed in 1992 when the company posted a $4.97 billion loss, the largest single-year corporate loss in U.S. history to that point.
There was sad news in NASCAR in 1993, as Alan Kulwicki and Davey Allison were killed in separate aircraft accidents. Kulwicki's best finish in seven Daytona 500 starts was a fourth in 1992, the race which Allison won. Allison also made seven 500 starts.
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The Asylm
Sidewalk Jokes
Tiger has been out on the street..
well on the sidewalk anyway..
trying to find the best of the Clean Jokes around..
if you are interested.. and not scared..
then you too can subscribe to them..
by sending a blank e-mail to:
TA_SideWalk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Sidewalk Jokes
Tiger has been out on the street..
well on the sidewalk anyway..
trying to find the best of the Clean Jokes around..
if you are interested.. and not scared..
then you too can subscribe to them..
by sending a blank e-mail to:
TA_SideWalk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Oh, Yeah.. did I mention that they are free too??
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That's history.... NASCAR’s Checkered (Flag) Past, One Story at a Time
Graveyard Shift
Amy Henderson
In an era where even large tracks like Darlington and Rockingham succumb to the changing economy of racing, it’s hard to imagine that they were once the big tracks. Where the Nextel Cup circuit now graces only a handful of tracks with its presence, that was not always the case. Before NASCAR’s post-1972 “Modern Era”, its top series, then called Grand National, visited dozens of tracks of all shapes and sizes, in small towns and cities alike.
Ranging from tiny dirt ovals to the Superspeedway at Darlington, the Grand National Schedule often included upwards of 60 points-paying events. Eventually even bigger tracks were added at Daytona and Talladega, but still the small tracks flourished. Many hosted local legends as well as NASCAR’s heroes of the day.
One such track was the tiny clay oval in Fonda, New York, a small upstate town on the banks of the Mohawk River that reported a population of 810 in the 200 census. The ½ mile track, which is still in existence, today features IMCA Modifieds and several feature classes. But in the 1950’s and 60’s, Fonda played host to names such as Petty (both Lee and Richard raced there), Allison (Bobby and Donnie), David Pearson, Baker (both Buck and Buddy) Junior Johnson, and the Flock brothers, among others in the four Grand National races that Fonda hosted. Richard Petty won twice at Fonda. Pearson and Johnson account for the other two races. The winner’s purse ran around $1200.
Often, local racers overshadowed racing’s biggest stars. Maybe they didn’t beat them, or even race against them, but their names were held in equal if not higher regard as their more famous colleagues. Rome, New York is located northwest of Fonda, and produced Modified legends Richie Evans and Jerry Cook, who between them won fifteen NASCAR Modified championships. In a row. They ran at Fonda, as did countless others. Four-time NASCAR Sportsman Division (now Busch Series) champion Rene Charland ended his career at Fonda. Local racer Lou “The Legend” Lazzaro raced at Fonda from the 1060’s until his death in 2000, winning 113 feature races and winning races in 30 different years at the speedway. Lazzaro certainly deserves the nickname he earned on those statistics.
One other thing about the small tracks in NASCAR’s past: without the facilities of today, officials and drivers sometimes had to improvise. Daytona’s new infield, they did not possess. One of my favorite stories about Fonda Speedway involves a messy crash and no room for the field to go under caution. NASCAR did not throw the red flag, presumably because there wasn’t enough room for that, either. Thinking on the fly, the pace car driver led the field down an access road off turn two. The thing was, the access road led into the local cemetery, where the filed wound, single-file, around the headstones of deceased locals, and back onto the track, thus avoiding the wreck. Although many of the graves had been moved when the fairgrounds on which the track is located was built in 1863, many families could not afford such an endeavor, and so their loved ones were treated to a front row seat some 100 years later. The cemetery was completely moved in 1980.
Fonda Speedway has not hosted a NASCAR Nextel Cup race since 1968. However the track, and countless others like it, continue to produce the kind of racing that is the very heart of NASCAR. Yes, that’s definitely history.
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Fogie's Follies, Frolics & Funnies
It ain't your grandma's web site!
The FREE humor ezine with jokes, lists,
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reader mail and, of course, Fogie's Folly!!!
http://fogiesfollies.com
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"I ran 19 years to win my first million dollars. Now they pay these drivers a million dollars just to walk from the bathroom to the car, OK? So from that standpoint, it looks to me like you ought to look after yourselves, OK?"
-Richard Petty, on whether NASCAR should offer driver pensions
"They named a highway in Junior Johnson's honor in Wilkes County, N.C. I told him that they should have named that highway after me as many times as he told me to hit it."
-Darrell Waltrip refferring to his former team owner
Mark is the essential ingredient that built Roush Racing. To look at Mark and see what he's done. He's a true competitor. He inspires us to look at him and want to be like him."
-Kurt Busch speaking about teammate Mark Martin
"I'm gonna go with the Eagles. I don't really have a reason other than that our old tire guy "Twinkie" always cheered for the Eagles. So I hope they win."
-- Greg Biffle on his pick for the Super Bowl
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THE NASCAR NATION AWAKENS
Speedweeks 2005 begins this week
By Greg Engle
The German and Norwegian flags along with the folks with the strange accents will depart Daytona Beach today having completed the Rolex 24 Grand Am race. The International moniker of the Daytona Speedway name will step aside and make room for the purely American sport of stock car racing.
The NASCAR Nation will roar to life this week and begin the annual celebration known as Daytona Speedweeks this Saturday night with the Budweiser Shootout.
And so will begin the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup series season.
It begins this Thursday when drivers will meet with the media to discuss everything from handling with new spoilers and tires to the new qualifying rules that guarantee the top 35 teams a spot in the field.
Last years pole winners and the past winners of the Shootout will then take to the track Friday to practice for Saturday night’s event.
Saturday also will feature the first practice sessions in preparation for Sunday’s qualifying for the Daytona 500 pole.
Seven days later, on the following Thursday, drivers will compete in the newly renamed “Gatorade Duel”. The qualifying races once known as the “Twin 125’s” are now a pair of 150-milers that will set the rest of the 500 field. The next day is filled with Cup practice, Busch qualifying, the Crown Royal IROC Series opener and the Craftsman Truck Series opener.
The Busch race is scheduled for Saturday after the final Cup “Happy Hour” practice, followed by the 47th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday with Dale Earnhardt Junior looking to defend his title.
Junior will be one of the big stories of Speedweeks 2005 after swapping crew chiefs, crews and even cars last year with his Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate Michael Waltrip.
And while both drivers and teams have insisted adamantly that the transition has gone smoothly, the real test will come at the track where they have won five of the past eight races and the Earnhardt legend looms large.
“I anticipate that we might struggle a little bit in qualifying,” Earnhardt said last month after a less than stellar testing session at Daytona. “I think we’ll draft well and race well.”
Johnson and Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports teammates could be the spoilers.
Their restrictor-plate program improved enough last spring that Gordon was able to end DEI’s string of five consecutive victories at Talladega.
A lot of focus will be on the new Dodge Charger. A Dodge hasn’t visited victory lane at Daytona since Richard Petty won the July race in 1977.
If early reports are any indication, the Charger may be ready to make a big statement: "I haven't seen anybody outrun me yet," Rusty Wallace said after two days of testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this past week. "My car is flying."
Other stories sure to watch include Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace beginning their last full season in Cup. Both drivers will want to go out with a Daytona 500 win. Also Boris Said’s attempt to make the transition from road-course driver to superspeedway driver, and the beginning of Kyle Busch’s rookie campaign.
Several high profile sponsors will be making their debut as well.
Carl Edwards will showcase Office Depot in the No. 99 and Jason Leffler is returning to Joe Gibbs Racing to drive for the new No. 11 team, sponsored by Federal Express.
Robby Gordon, whose split with Richard Childress Racing late last year is still being debated, has formed his own No. 7 team with backing from several new sponsors.
Gordon said he's not worried about getting into the 500, even though it will take a fast run in qualifying next Sunday or an up-front finish in one of the twin 150-mile qualifiers to earn a spot.
"Every other new team has to worry about that," he said. "If we don't qualify that good, we're going to have to run good in the 150s. So we have two chances to make mistakes, and hopefully we can get through one of them without making a bad mistake."
This week the NASCAR Nation will start to slip from it’s winter hibernation and one week from today the 2005 Season will get underway in earnest.
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Bits and PiecesStewart spent testing season down under
2002 Cup champion Tony Stewart was one of the few drivers who did not participate in offseason testing at the Daytona.
Stewart went to Australia to race sprint cars with the driver of his World of Outlaws team, Danny Lasoski. He doesn’t think his absence will make any difference at all in his team’s preparations for the Daytona 500.
“From a driver’s perspective, Daytona testing is kind of like watching paint dry,” said Stewart. “You go out there and try not to miss one of the three shifts you’ve got to make once you leave first gear. Testing at Daytona is more for the knowledge that ‘Zippy’ (crew chief Greg Zipadelli) and the teams learn than anything.
“It was a privilege and a pleasure to have Mike McLaughlin down there in the car so that I had an extra few days of vacation time to get ready for this season.”
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Unwanted Crash Testing At California And Las Vegas: The most serious incident during Wednesday's testing at Fontana, Calif., came when Kasey Kahne blew a tire and backed into the wall. He was uninjured. Three hours east of the California track, Busch drivers tested at Las Vegas, and Carl Edwards wiped out his car when he crashed in the third turn after spinning in oil from David Reutimann's blown engine. Reutimann was subbing for Joe Nemechek.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harvick to Penske? The biggest question facing #2 [and #12, #77] owner Roger Penske this season is signing someone to take Rusty Wallace's place [after he retires at the end of 2005]. The most obvious answer, of course, is Jamie McMurray, who is already in the Dodge camp and driving Wallace's Busch cars. But McMurray is still under contract to Chip Ganassi [supposedly thru 2007], whose rivalry with Penske is well-known and who is not going to give up his own No. 1 driver easily. Penske shies away from even talking about McMurray. "I will tell you at this point I have not even had one conversation with Jamie McMurray about driving on this race team," Penske insisted. "Yes, he would be a great driver, but he's already under contract with Chip." One name that has just come up on Penske's tentative list, according to sources, is Kevin Harvick, who has been driving for Richard Childress since Dale Earnhardt's death in 2001. Miller Brewing, a longtime Penske-Wallace sponsor, has been pressuring the team for more results, in light of the impressive performance by Bud-sponsored rival Dale Earnhardt Jr. In fact, Miller execs, according to sources, have wanted Penske to bring Ryan Newman, Wallace's teammate - sometimes estranged teammate, as at the moment - into the Miller sponsorship fold.(in part from the Winston Salem Journal)~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Earnhardt Junior on QVC this ThursdayDale Earnhardt Jr. and reigning Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr. are scheduled to appear on the QVC shopping channel's "For Race Fans Only" show at 8 p.m. (Eastern time) Feb. 10.
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Toyota in Busch in 2006? in Cup in 2007? Rumblings in the garage have Toyota testing the Busch Series waters next season before jumping to Cup in 2007, the first year all teams could be running NASCAR's new engines. Those engines will be constructed on common platforms but still will maintain manufacturer identities. Toyota's possible entry into the Busch Series also might accelerate the learning curve for Honda, which could be racing in the truck series as early as 2006. The Big Three U.S. automakers have expressed concern that if Toyota and Honda are given the specifications of this new engine now, the Nextel Cup Series soon could resemble the IndyCar series, meaning Detroit would be severely outspent and unable to compete.(FoxSports/Sporting News)~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Childress and Blaney visit JD: Nestled in the tiny town of Lynchburg (POP. 361), Tenn., sits an American icon. Lynchburg is home to the world-renowned Jack Daniel Distillery and is the primary sponsor of Richard Childress Racing’s (RCR) #07 Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven by Dave Blaney. On Jan. 24, Childress, Blaney and members of the RCR staff made the pilgrimage to Lynchburg to see how Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey is made and what makes it one of the most popular brands of whiskey in the world. The answer is simple, time. Much like RCR hand-crafts every one of its race cars in Welcome, N.C., every drop of Jack Daniel’s is charcoal-mellowed, aged and bottled in Lynchburg today in the same time-honored tradition as it was when Jack Daniel himself registered his distillery with U.S. Government in 1866. Childress, Blaney and company were treated to a guided tour by Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller Jimmy Bedford himself. At the end of the tour, Bedford presented Childress with a hand-selected barrel of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Drivers to appear at California RaceFestSeven-time NASCAR Cup champion Richard Petty is expected to join a number of current drivers who will sign autographs during the Feb. 24 Fontana RaceFest in California.
Jimmie Johnson, Terry Labonte, Michael Waltrip, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Jeremy Mayfield, Rusty Wallace, Brian Vickers, Sterling Marlin, Dave Blaney, Jeff Green, Kyle Petty, Kerry Earnhardt and David Green are among those expected to take part.
RaceFest, which will run from 4 to 9 p.m., will also have show cars, displays, race simulators and other attractions. California Speedway says a free shuttle will be available to take guests from the track to the festival, which will take place in four blocks surrounding the Civic Center Campus and A.B. Miller Park.
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Template Inspection at Vegas to get to California: Cup teams had to roll through template inspection at Las Vegas to receive a voucher to continue testing at California. In the offseason, NASCAR takes its templates to race shops for early comparisons, but in the past teams would go early to Rockingham, previously the second race of the season, to check for accuracy. "We want the crews to know how we're applying the templates and what the procedures are," NASCAR inspector John Drager says. "This gives teams the opportunity to see the entire template package." Changes include Dodge's 14 identity templates, all spoiler templates because spoiler heights have been decreased an inch to 4.5 inches and the Chevrolet taillight template.(FoxSports/Sporting News)~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nextel makes $100,000 donation to Victory Junction Nextel today announced its continued support of The Victory Junction Gang Camp, a state-of-the art medical camping facility for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses, with a donation of $100,000. The money represents a portion of the proceeds from the sales of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup SeriesTM merchandise and phone accessories sold since the end of August.
The most recent donation is just one of the many ways that Nextel has supported Victory Junction. In June, Nextel announced a $1 million contribution to the camp, and has continued to support the program in various ways throughout its inaugural year as the title sponsor of NASCAR's premier series, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.
"We are very thankful to our customers and NASCAR fans who enabled us to make this contribution," said Frank Franzese, vice president of direct distribution and Nextel Cup business development and a member of the Victory Junction Board of Directors. "Nextel is committed to enhancing the experience for the campers and their families and this donation is one example of the many ways in which we will continue to support the camp and their efforts."
Nextel constructed a cellular site and provided more than 20 wireless phones and free service to the camp so that administrators and medical professionals could have instant communication throughout the 72-acre facility in Randleman, N.C.
The Victory Junction Gang Camp was founded by NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and his wife Pattie, in honor of their late son, Adam. The camp, which opened June 20, houses a total of 32 buildings, including a dining hall, gym, pool, theater, therapeutic equestrian center, arts and crafts center, race shop and cabins. The camp also offers a sophisticated, professionally-staffed medical facility capable of administering to the campers' special needs, including chemotherapy treatment. The camp is free of charge to campers and is supported solely by contributions and donations from corporations, individuals and foundations.
"Nextel has been a wonderful partner to the Victory Junction Gang Camp," said Pattie Petty, founder of Victory Junction. "They have fully embraced the camp and are constantly looking for ways their products and services can benefit our program. We appreciate their support and look forward to our continued partnership in 2005 and beyond."
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NASCAR marks Black History monthNASCAR kicked off a series of events tied to Black History Month Thursday with a Drive for Diversity forum for students in the North Carolina A&T State University Motorsports program. The seminar featured representatives from NASCAR, Drive for Diversity, the Joe Gibbs/Reggie White Driver Development Program and other industry experts answering questions from students about the opportunities in motorsports.
"The events surrounding Black History Month are a part of our ongoing attempt to raise awareness in all communities about NASCAR's on-track and off-track opportunities throughout the sport," said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. "We are committed to making our sport – on and off the race track – look more like America."
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Series Managers named for Canada and Mexico: NASCAR has selected tour directors for its Canada and Mexico series. Richard Buck, a former team manager in Winston Cup and CART, will oversee the Canadian operation. Former driver and TV commentator Chad Little will manage the Mexico series.(FoxSports/Sporting News)~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dodge celebrates return to NASCARAfter a 27-year hiatus, the Dodge Charger is to return Friday to Daytona International Speedway with a new limited-production 2006 Charger R/T, DaimlerChrysler AG said in a news release.
"To celebrate Dodge Charger's return to NASCAR, we're introducing a limited-production Daytona R/T model that offers a little slice of history with all the performance and handling characteristics to satisfy modern muscle car enthusiasts," said Darryl Jackson, vice president, Dodge marketing.
The first models will have a metallic-orange paint scheme named Go ManGo! A version with Top Banana paint will follow.
The rear-wheel-drive Charger will be powered by a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine with an estimated 350 horsepower -- 10 more than the previous 5.7-liter Hemi -- and 390 pound-feet of torque.
The interior will feature performance front seats with suede inserts and embroidered Daytona logos on the front headrests. Body-color accent stitching will appear on the seats and on the leather-wrapped steering wheel. It'll have a Daytona Limited Edition display on the electronic cluster and a sequentially numbered limited-edition Daytona badge on the instrument panel.
Pricing is not yet available.
Production of the 2006 Dodge Charger SE, SXT and R/T models is to begin in spring at the Brampton, Ontario, plant, where the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum are built. They are expected to be available in early summer.
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Tony Stewart Learning & Spending Money Quick On Newly Acquired Track: NASCAR star and Davidson resident Tony Stewart has picked up a new hobby in the off-season: running a racetrack rather than running on one. Stewart recently purchased a small speedway outside Dayton, Ohio, and he's already sweating his new duties. "I'm learning how to spend a lot of money in a very short period of time," he says, noting that previously unthought-of issues -- safety fences and restrooms for the fans -- have become paramount. "It's a neat learning experience, but there's a big mortgage on that place." To help pay the bills, Stewart will return to his day job later this month at the Daytona 500. - Charlotte Business Journal~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dale Jr. wins RACER award: RACER magazine’s 10th annual survey of its readers’ views of the outstanding auto racing performers of the season produced a number of firsts. Chief among them was the selection of Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the overall Racer of the Year for the first time. The Daytona 500 champ, who also topped the “RACER’s Dozen” list of the most powerful and influential people in racing compiled by the editors of the magazine last June, edged Michael Schumacher for the top award by three percentage points, 24-21, in balloting conducted online at SpeedTV.com throughout the month of December.(Speed Magazine)~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mexico City event will include country's best female racerBy Cammy Clark
Miami Herald
The best female racer in Mexico will compete in NASCAR's Busch Series road-racing event in Mexico City next month.
Mara Reyes will drive a Jay Robinson Racing Ford in the first NASCAR points race south of the border.
The 27-year-old has been racing for 14 years, including the Mustang Series. Last season she won a pole and finished sixth in the Corona Challenge Series, the top stock car series in Mexico and a series backed by NASCAR.
''I'm very nervous to race against people like Jeff Gordon,'' she said.
But she has the confidence to do so. Last month in California she received her license to compete in NASCAR events on road courses and short ovals.
Reyes, who is sponsored by AMD, Sun Microsystem and Advil, will probably also compete in about seven other Busch races this season. Countryman Michel Jourdain will compete in the entire Busch schedule.
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NASCAR Driver Jimmie Johnson & Team Finish 2nd, While Tony Stewart Falls Short Once Again Due To Late Mechanical Failure In Rolex 24: The No. 10 Pontiac Riley, driven by Max Angelelli, Wayne Taylor and Emmanuel Collard, captured the Rolex 24 at Daytona this afternoon. ...Despite a competitive field of 29 Daytona Prototypes, the No. 10, which started second in the 62-car field, beat the No. 4 Pontiac Crawford entry by a whopping 11 laps. The No. 4 was driven by Butch Leitzinger, Elliott Forbes-Robinson and Jimmie Johnson. The No. 20 Pontiac Crawford, of Andy Wallace, Jan Lammers and Tony Stewart was third. The No. 20 was on the lead lap through the 23rd hour before a gearbox failure sent them to the garage for late repairs. - The Daytona Beach News-Journal~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jarrett wins golf contest: In the final round of a pre-Super Bowl charity event, Nextel Cup driver #88-Dale Jarrett was the only player to put a drive onto the celebrated island par-3 17th green at the TPC at Sawgrass, winning $10,000 for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. As part of the FOX Super Bowl XXXIX pregame show, Jarrett, Robert Yates Racing teammate Elliott Sadler and Penske Racing's Rusty Wallace with coach PGA Tour player Fred Funk made up one of three teams of professional athletes to take part in the charity event. An MLB team was made up of Atlanta Braves starting pitcher John Smoltz, Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Royce Clayton and Florida Marlins starting pitcher Al Leiter with Senior PGA player Fuzzy Zoeller as coach. And an NFL team was represented by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Trent Green, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis and Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher with Senior PGA player Jim Thorpe as coach. In the final round, Jarrett faced off against Green and Smoltz, and the Pro Bowler and All-Star missed the green while the three-time Daytona 500 winner put only the third ball of the 18 struck in the competition on the putting surface.(FoxSports.com)~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Preview: Jeff Gordon
Continuing to compete for the championship is team's goal
By Mark Spoor, NASCAR.COM
LAS VEGAS -- Jeff Gordon says the real impact of the plane crash that killed 10 members of the Hendrick Motorsports family last October was felt not long after the checkered flag fell on the 2004 season.
"I think we were just numb through the last few races (of 2004) because there was always a race the next weekend," Gordon said. "Once the offseason hit, it sunk in a little more.
"The business continued to move."
That is to say, replacements had to be made in key positions in the Hendrick hierarchy. Now, with preparations for 2005 well under way, Gordon is confident his team won't lose a step.
"Rick (Hendrick) is fortunate to have great people around him," Gordon said. "I'm really proud of how that transition has gone.
"We're in a great place right now."
The No. 24 bunch was in a pretty good place in 2004. Gordon led the Nextel Cup Series in top-10s, average finish, races led, wins from the Bud Pole, races leading the most laps and points earned during the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
If the 2004 season were run under the 2003 points system, Gordon would have been the champion.
If anything, Gordon says the team might have tried a little too hard to get ready for the Chase.
"We may have put a few too many tests at the end of the year," he said. "We spent the last few races before the Chase doing a lot of testing because we knew we were already in it.
"I think it's a balance of being prepared for those last 10 races and making sure you're in it."
While many Cup teams spent the offseason sweating over NASCAR's spoiler modifications and Goodyear's new tire compound, Gordon says he's thrilled with the changes and says they may help him return to the dominance that helped make him a household name.
"The grip level seems to be pretty good," said Gordon. "I am interested to see how much it is going to drop off when we make a lot of laps.
"I think it will make for better racing and it allows our team to perform better as well," Gordon said. "That is where we are at our best -- when we have to get the car handling well."
At the end of the day, Gordon says he's expects the same amount of effort from his team in 2005 and hopefully for him and his team, a little more success.
"Our communication was good," Gordon said. "It's hard to control everything. I'd really like to see us continue to be put in that position where we can compete for the championship."
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Rogers' Racers By Greg Engle
If you ever chance to see Roger Penske walking by, don’t hesitate to say hello. Most likely he’ll return the greeting. And if he has time, he might just stop and chat awhile. Because that’s just the kind of guy he is. Friendly, down to earth and personable.
And after 40 years he has risen to become one of the most powerful figures in the world of motorsports. "I guess it all began when my dad took me to Indy back in 1951," Penske said recently. "Sitting there with my dad, like so many kids have done, I decided right then I wanted to be a driver, I wanted to go racing.
"One thing led to another, and racing has been a common thread throughout my life."
Penske began his career as a racer in the late 1950’s. After winning races in the Sports Car Club of America Series as well as a NASCAR Grand National Race and being named the New York Times Driver of the Year in 1962, he hung up his helmet in 1965.
Starting his empire with a single Chevrolet dealership in 1966, today Penske owns five teams competing in two major series; Indy Car as well as NASCAR. His teams record includes, 247 major race wins, 13 Indianapolis 500 wins, 265 pole positions, and 18 National Championships.
Having recently started the process of settling into the mammoth Penske Racing South’s new headquarters in Mooresville North Carolina, Roger Penske now faces several daunting questions, as the 2005 season prepares to drop the green flag.
The first task will be to clear up some unfinished business, namely settling a feud, real or imagined, between two of his biggest stars, Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace.
It started last October at Martinsville when Newman decided he needed to push Wallace, his teammate and ironically a part owner of Newman’s car, out of the way while racing. Newman went on to finish third, while Wallace struggled and finished 10.
After the race, Wallace let his feelings known very publicly by slamming into Newman on pit road, drawing a fine from NASCAR and beginning a war of words that has continued through the off season.
Penske insists however, that the feud is over.
"They've talked and they're going forward based on they've got a job to get done.” Penske said.
“These are grown men, and obviously this is an energy-charged sport. You take one night when one guy thought he could win the race and got bumped by the other one. It's just one of those things. I guess I'd rather have to grab the back of their belt than be kicking them in the butt.”
"I like that they're feisty and that they both like to win races," Penske said. "It's unfortunate we had the issue we had at Martinsville. But they're professionals, and they know what they have to do. I don't think it's out of hand; if I did, I'd be more public about it. As far as I'm concerned, I forgot it as soon as I left the track.
"They're in good shape."
However, at a recent awards dinner at the new headquarters there was a decided chill in the air as the observation was made that Wallace and Newman remained apart, even to the point that a chair reserved for Newman at the table shared by Wallace and Penske remained empty throughout the meal.
"I don't think you could find three race drivers.... These guys are competitive and want to win, and they want to make sure their teammate doesn't hamper them," Penske said. "Rusty and Ryan made a lot more out of it than they should have. These guys understand, they've talked.
"They know they've got to go racing."
"I need to have a conversation with him,' said Wallace during the tests at Daytona three weeks ago. "I think he's in a position where he's a good driver. He's doing really good. He wants things. I'm not going to say he's demanding about things, but there are some things he emphatically believes, him and his crew chief.
"When I put the car owner hat on, me and Penske built this thing and this is what I want. Above all, what I want is some respect. I'm not in the mood for dealing with no respect. I felt like we've done a lot for him, and I want him to realize that, and I want him to race me like his teammate and owner, not just some other driver that he doesn't like.
"We're really not saying anything, but I promise you before the Daytona 500 we'll sit down. I'll be the one to ask for the meeting. I just don't feel like it's going to come from the other side of the camp. I'm going to do it and diffuse it all and try to get at least this last year working together.'
Before stepping into his car for the final day of testing at Fontana last week, Newman said he was not the problem.
"I am doing fine,' said Newman. "I think Rusty's got a little harder feelings than anyone else. But that is not the first time that that has happened. I understand where Rusty is coming from as a car owner. He has responsibilities.
"It is a drawback for the way this team is setup and organized. I have to ignore that aspect of it when we are racing because I have to make a living and please my sponsors.”
The other question facing Penske is signing someone to fill the void that will be left by the departure of Rusty Wallace.
"Who do you replace him with? That's one of the $64 questions I've got to figure out over the next four or five months," Penske said. "Do we bring up another young driver, or do we go with a seasoned pro?
"I can tell you one thing, it's going to be a tough seat to fill.
"Rusty will have some input. But we've got to be careful we don't do this by committee. I want to take the lead in that, as I have in the past. It will be a very interesting process."
For his part, Wallace, may be reconsidering the whole retirement issue:
"I'd be lying to you if I told you I hadn't been thinking about that a thousand times. I've been lying in bed wondering if I made the right decision or if I pulled the trigger too quick. . . . I had no idea that Mark Martin and Terry Labonte were going to [announce Cup retirements] also. I did it because I wanted to be the only guy doing it, and I wanted to do a really good tour, and that's what I'm going to do. I'm sticking with my decision right now."
If Wallace does go through with his retirement, one of the names floating around is Jamie McMurray, who is already in the Dodge camp and dating Wallace's daughter and driving Wallace's Busch cars. But McMurray is still under contract to Chip Ganassi, whose rivalry with Penske is public knowledge and who is not going to give up his own No. 1 driver easily.
Penske shies away from even talking about McMurray.
"I will tell you at this point I have not even had one conversation with Jamie McMurray about driving on this race team," Penske insisted. "Yes, he would be a great driver, but he's already under contract with Chip."
Penske and Wallace are co-owners of the team, with Penske being the majority owner.
"Rusty has been a tremendous ambassador for us, and he's a great friend," Penske said.
“But he also understands we've got to move on.... And Rusty is making the decision at the right time. He's going out at the top. Many other great drivers have waited until it's too late."
Miller Brewing, the longtime Penske-Wallace sponsor and sponsor of Wallace’s “Last Call” tour has been pressuring the team for more results, especially in light of the impressive performance by Bud-sponsored rival Dale Earnhardt Jr.
In fact, Miller execs, according to sources, have wanted Penske to bring Ryan Newman, Wallace's teammate into the Miller sponsorship fold. Newman had nine poles last year and two wins, and he finished seventh in the championship chase.
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Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain, 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
"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt
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