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I have added a Rookie Winners page.
If you want info on the Busch Clash previous winners or past Winston Cup Champions check here.
Check back often as I intend to add much more info in the next couple of weeks.
Chad Little got his career best finish today. (2nd)
His previous best was 7th at Daytona this February.
Robert Pressley got his career best finish today as well. (3rd) His previous high was a 4th at North Wilkesboro (where we saw lots of side-by-side racing for years) 2 years ago this month.
Mike Skinner suffered a broken right scapula (shoulder) and a head wound that required stitches in his accident at Texas. No idea how this will effect his future racing plans for the next race at Martinsville in two weeks.
Skinner in addition to the broken shoulder also has possible ligament damage in his right knee and will undergo tests to determine the extent of the injury.
Richard Childress is currently stating privately that Mike will sit out the next few races to heal up from these injuries. Morgan Shepherd may drive the car at Martinsville
Texas Motor Speedway announced today a reconstruction of the racing surface following Sunday's Texas 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race. Bruton Smith said that it was obvious the changes made after the inaugural race were not adequate. Plans are to make it similar to Charlotte since it is the same size and configuration as Charlotte. Smith said the turns would be modified to make entrance and exits compatible for the big NASCAR Winston Cup cars. They will repave with a much smoother and tighter asphalt mix that will drain quickly and install a more complete drainage system to solve the seepage problem. Smith said he estimated the new revamping at $1 to $2 million. Completion date on the revamping will be decided upon soon. They expect to fix the seeping problem in the next few weeks. The next racing at Texas is the NASCAR Craftsman Truck/Pep Boys Indy Racing League weekend June 5-6. Smith said he will confer with a team of engineers and asphalt specialists, as well as NASCAR officials, drivers and crew chiefs to determine the exact changes to be made.
Jeff Green tested the #30 Gumout Pontiac at Martinsville on Monday(4-6) and will also test there Tuesday in preparation for the Goody's Headache Powders 500 on April 19th. He will sub for Derrike Cope who is injured from a qualifying accident in Texas
Darrell Waltrip is currently driving DEI's Pennzoil Monte Carlo.
Darrell Waltrip has broken off relations with Speed Block and announced that he will be selling the team to an undisclosed buyer after Darlington.
Ricky Craven will be out of action for 3 months on physicians order because of "Post Concussion Syndrome".
Derrick Cope sustained broken ribs and must wear a flack jacket to protect them.
Mike Skinner was injured in his accident and will be relieved by Morgan Shepherd.
Starting with this weekend's race the provisional positions are going to be awarded on 1998 owner points.
Greg Sacks has landed in the seat vacated by John Andretti leaving to go to the King's 43 car. Greg finished out the season in the Sabco Coor's car after Robby Gordon left to persue a Cart ride in 1998.
Dale Jarrett wins at Phoenix and pushes himself into a battle for the Nascar Winston Cup Championship, with a close-up final battle won by Jeff Gordon.
Nascar announced that the Winston Million would be changed to the Winston No Bull 5 for the 1998.
We also removed another driver out of the points race. The top 6 in the standings are the only drivers with a mathematical (yet improbable) shot at the title. Realistically, it's still just a three man race. Dale Jarrett will have to win every remaining race in order to beat Mark and Jeff for the championship.
Dale Jarrett won at Charlotte by virtue of a late race pit stop on which a spring rubber that the team had talked about removing fell out. The ironic part is that the team forgot to remove it and after Dale pulled away from the stall they remembered it and noticed it laying on pit road. This was Robert Yates Racing's 5th victory at Charlotte with 3 different drivers. The late Davey Allison won two here, Ernie won one in dominating fashion in 1993, and this was Jarrett's second victory for Yates on this track in as many years.
Jeff Burton won his first short track win with a win at Martinsville after Rusty Wallace was black flaged for jumping the restart with about 25 laps to go.
Mark Martin won at Dover in what turned out to be a race of fuel mileage. By winning from the pole Mark also took home the Unocal Bonus of $114,000. Kyle Petty had the strongest car all day leading 191 of 400 laps. Dale Earnhardt had a strong run and finished second. The race had only one caution brought out by Mike Waltrip hitting the wall and involved Ricky Craven. Jeff Burton had a strong run from 39th to 11th and going the whole distance at the Monster Mile, makes you wonder how he would run if he were at 100% and could have qualified the car himself.
NASCAR officials announced Tuesday modifications to the Pontiac Grand Prix for competition in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Through a technical bulletin, officials announced a one-quarter inch increase to 6.50 inches to the rear spoiler size in height and a one-quarter inch reduction of the front air dam height to 3.50 inches.
The changes will be effective for this weekend's NASCAR Winston Cup Series CMT 300 at the New Hampshire International Speedway.
Well MY worst nightmare was realized by Jeff Gordon winning the Winston Million. Jeff Burton finished second with what I consider the best race car on the track. He had just about the worst pits stops on the track every single time in. Dale Earnhardt was injured on the first lap and was taken to the hospital for over night observation. Dale Jarrett was about this close () to winning the Southern 500 for most of the day. Bill Elliot ran strong all day long, and lead the most laps, but had to settle for 4th. Ernie ran decent until he was caught in an accident and was forced to struggle with a slightly shortened Yates Rocket and finished 33rd.
Ernie Irvan was marked as the driver of the MB2 Motorsports #36 Skittles Pontiac today(8-28-97).
Dale Jarrett wins first short track race at Bristol, and Mark Martin takes over the Nascar Series point lead for the First time since 1990. Jeff Gordon was involved in an early accident and finished 35th, and lost the WC points lead to Mark Martin. David Green was involved in a scary accident that took him to the hospital with a broken tooth and a fractured clavicle.
Off Track News
Deere and Company today announced the signing of a multi-year agreement with Roush Racing to sponsor a NASCAR Winston Cup Series team. Roush Racing, of Livonia, Mich., has acquired an interest in the team owned by Mark Rypien Motorsports (MRM).
The agreement means that John Deere sponsorship will remain with the No. 97 race car and driver Chad Little for the 1998 NASCAR season and beyond. "In the marketplace, Deere has a reputation for pursuing perfection," said Bill Becker, Deere's Manager, Event Marketing -- Motorsports. "By aligning ourselves with Jack Roush, we've taken a big stride in that direction with our racing program."
The team will continue to be operated from its newly built headquarters in Mooresville, N.C., and Roush plans to continue to race the Pontiac Grand Prix for the remainder of the 1997 season.
"John Deere is a world-class organization," said Roush Racing owner Jack Roush, "and we're extremely pleased that we have been selected to help fulfill their sponsorship objectives. Our mission for John Deere, as it is with everything we pursue, is to provide them a world-class racing program."
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and the Roush organization will take over operation of the team immediately. Former MRM team owner Greg Pollex will remain with the team as a shareholder.
On the Track
Mark Martin came back from 2 laps down to win at MIS, with help from leader at the time Jeff Burton, for his 21st career win and his 3rd at MIS all in the fall race. Roush Racing had very strong cars this weekend as their three drivers lead a total of 177 of 200 laps, and all finished in the top ten, with 1st, 3rd, and 8th place finishes. Jeff Gordon had a solid 2nd place car all day long. Dale Jarrett, and Ernie Irvan were strong runners all day long but were never able to lead the race and finished 5th and 4th respectively.
Older News
Congratulation to Ricky Rudd for his win at the Brickyard, with that win Ricky has extended his winning streak to 15 years. Dale Jarrett, Ernie Irvan and Mark Martinall had strong cars close to the end but had problems with Dale finishing the best with a third.
Off Track Kenny Irwin Jr. was named to drive the 28 Texaco car in 1998 and the Ford Taurus was named to be the T-Bird replacement. Todd Bodine announced that he will be returning to WC in 1998 with Tobasco as a sponsor (ED. note: I knew about this at MIS in June, and it was reported on Jayski's site.)
Dale Jarrett gave me a late birthday present by winning the Pennsylvania 500. Roush Racing had another solid race week with a 3-4-5 finish. Ted musgrave came close to winning his first but a bad pit stop earlier in the race caused him to have to fight his way back up front. Mike Skinner finished sixth to be the top finishing rookie. Terry Labonte had a bad race and finished 35th and lost the points lead. Rusty Wallace(defending race champ) and to take a provisional to get into the race and by mid race seemed to be a contender before a engine failure dropped him from the race. Lots of rumblings as to announcements the week before Indy.
Announced 7-22 that Bill Engle and Jerry Nadeau were released from their respective teams. Bill was on Nascar Live(MRN) and said that he found out at a test session at Watkins Glen.
I have coined a new name for Michael Waltrip. The name is Waldo Waltrip, this stems from his antics at the Winston. I was watching and he kept popping up. I looked at a buddy of mine and said "Where's Waldo going to pop up next?" I think the name fits well. On a similar note did anyone notice that on DW's car from the in car shots that he had "Elvis" on the dash.
