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News 97-12-05

NASCARFans E-Mail List First, the Jayski Report....... Steve Park will drive the ...

NASCARFans E-Mail List

First, the Jayski Report.......

Steve Park will drive the #1 Pennzoil Chevy owned by Teresa Earnhardt and fellow WC team owner Richard Jackson will switch to the #14 for 1998. Earnhardt likes the idea of running Park in the #1 car with it being his first full year in WC(NASCAR Online and iRace)

Roush Racing announced the promotion of Frank Stoddard to crew chief position for the WC #99 Exide Batteries Ford and driver Jeff Burton on the. Former crew chief Buddy Parrott will assume responsibilities of GM for both the Exide team and the #6 Valvoline Ford driven by Mark Martin, which share a shop in Mooresville, NC (NASCAR Online)

Ford and NASCAR signed a three-year agreement where Ford will be the official truck for all 12 NASCAR racing divisions. As part of the sponsorship, Ford will produce a limited number of 1998-model NASCAR special edition Ford F-150s.(NASCAR Online)

Bill Elliott was selected as NASCAR's most popular Winston Cup driver beating Dale Earnhardt 33,600 to 19,600 out of approx 80,000 votes cast (NASCAR Online)

More Money: As part of a comprehensive marketing plan in conjunction with NASCAR's 50th Anniversary, RJR's Sports Marketing Enterprises unveiled the remainder of the No Bull 5 promotion originally introduced earlier this year at Talladega. Thursday's announcement detailed a provision by which as many as five fans could collect a $1 million bonus. Fans will be asked to mail an entry blank to qualify. If an eligible driver wins the bonus, five names will be selected from and sent to the next No Bull 5 event. There, a drawing will be held to determine the winner.(NASCAR Online)

ESPN2 will be running two NASCAR race re-run marathon's on Christmas Eve/Christmas and New Years Eve/News Years Day.

Here are the listings:

12-24 beginning at 9pm(all times are Eastern):

1983 Carolina 500, Rockingham, NC, 9pm 1985 Southern 500, Darlington, SC, 12:30pm 1987 Winston 500, Talladega, AL, 5am 1988 Budweiser 400, Riverside, CA, 8:30am 1988 Bud at the Glen, Watkins Glen, NY, 11:30am 1988 Checker 500, Phoenix, AZ, 2pm 1989 Holly Farms 400, North Wilkesboro, NC, 5:30pm 1990 Valleydale Meats 500, Bristol, TN, 8:30pm

12-31 beginning at 6:30pm(all times are Eastern):

1991 Champion Spark Plug 400, Michigan, 6:30pm 1991 Goody's 500, Martinsville, VA 10:00pm 1992 Savemart Supermarkets 300, Sears Point, CA, 1:30am 1992 Budweiser 500, Bristol, TN, 4:30am 1992 Hooters 500, Atlanta, GA, 7:30am 1994 Pepsi 400, Daytona, FL, 11:30am 1995 Goody's 500, Bristol, TN 2:30pm 1996 Pontiac Excitement 400, Richmond, VA, 6:30pm 1997 Mountain Dew Southern 500, Darlington, SC 10:00pm

A Great way to spend your holidays (thanks to many (Jayski) readers for help on this)

"Keystone Motorsports", a new BGN team has been formed with rookie driver Blaise Alexander. Al Cretsinger will be owner/crew chief. Al is the former owner of Jimmy Spencer's #20 as well as crew chief. Jimmy Spencer will be a small part owner as well as Blaise Alexander's father. Sponsor's are Rescue Engine Formula and Lisa Express - all of which are from PA, hence, "Keystone Motorsports" the Keystone State, no car number yet, Jayski hears they will run Chevrolets

Thanks, Jay, for all the work you do on your site, and for allowing NASCARFans to use the results of your work. ===== NASCAR plans to use next year's celebration of its 50th anniversary to blast away at what few barriers remain in the path of stock car racing's explosive growth on the American sports scene.

More than 200 hours of prime-time television feature programming, backed by $50 million in advertising and promotional support from corporate partners, will spearhead a media blitz, said George Pyne, vice president of licensing and consumer products for NASCAR. (David Poole, Charlotte.Com) ===== David also has a good article at:

http://www.charlotte.com/nascar/97/pub/010472.htm

Here's a preview:

Gordon's achievements exceed his dreams NEW YORK -- Jeff Gordon comes to celebrate, not speculate. In New York to star in NASCAR's annual Winston Cup awards banquet at the Grand Ballroom of the fabled Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Gordon and his Hendrick Motorsports race team will, for at least one night, forsake the future to enjoy all they have accomplished. ===== Here's a good summary of the changes that happened in '97 toward the '98 season, also by David Poole of Charlotte.Com

HOW THE DOMINOES FALL FOR THE 1998 SEASON

When it comes to Winston Cup driver switches, one thing can lead to another. Many changes for the 1998 season can be grouped into two sets of falling dominoes:

GROUP 1

ROBBY GORDON left Team SABCO's No. 40 Chevrolet, opening a spot for ... STERLING MARLIN, who left Morgan-McClure's No. 4 Chevrolet, making room for ... BOBBY HAMILTON, who moved from the No. 43 Richard Petty-owned Pontiac, leaving that spot for ... JOHN ANDRETTI, who last season drove Fords for Cale Yarborough, who then hired ... GREG SACKS, who drove the No. 40 for Team SABCO after Gordon left.

GROUP 2

Robert Yates hired KENNY IRWIN, the NASCAR Truck series rookie of the year, to drive the No. 28 Ford, after Yares decided not to continue his relationship with ... ERNIE IRVAN, who found a new home with the No. 36 Pontiac. That bumped ... DERRIKE COPE into the No. 30 Pontiac owned by Chuck Rider, a ride that came open when ... JOHNNY BENSON was hired to drive for Jack Roush's fourth team. Benson's Fords will carry No. 26.

New teams

DALE EARNHARDT will continue as driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet, owned by Richard Childress, but Earnhardt and his wife, Teresa, will own a Winston Cup team. STEVE PARK, rookie of the year on the NASCAR Grand National circuit in 1996, will drive the No. 1 Chevrolet, with Pennzoil as the primary sponsor. BILL ELLIOTT owns the No. 94 Fords he drives, and in 1998 he and Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino will own a team. JERRY NADEAU will drive the No. 13 Ford, with FirstPlus financial as the primary sponsor. TODD BODINE will drive the No. 35 Pontiac, hoping he'll have a hot time with Tabasco signed on as the primary sponsor. JOHNNY BENSON will drive the No. 26 Ford in what will be a five-team stable for Jack Roush. No sponsor has been announced, but Cheerios cereal is reportedly the backer. Washington Erving Motorsports still plans to have a Ford ready for the Daytona 500, with RICH BICKLE reportedly lined up as driver. Race fans will get a chance to sponsor a team, with Arby's Restaurants helping coordinate the effort. No driver has been named for this team, which hopes to run the No. 64.

Key players

When TERRY LABONTE won the 1996 Winston Cup championship, ANDY GRAVES was an important member of the team. Graves was Ricky Craven's crew chief last year, but he'll move back to Labonte's team in 1998. With Graves gone from Craven's team, TONY FURR comes to Hendrick Motorsports to take his place. Furr was John Andretti's crew chief at Cale Yarborough Motorsports in 1997. Yarborough announced last week that MIKE HILLMAN will join his team as crew chief for Sacks. Hillman leaves Team SABCO. TONY GLOVER will become team manager at SABCO, overseeing the three teams. Carl ``Buddy'' Barnes comes over from Kranefuss-Hass Racing to become Sterling Marlin's crew chief. Scott Eggleston will be Joe Nemechek's crew chief. Hillman was in line to be Wally Dallenbach's crew chief before he took the job with Yarborough.

Playing the bills

GEOFF BODINE'S team lost QVC as its main sponsor. John Porter, one of Bodine's new ownership partners, is a major stockholder in a communications company that has been mentioned as a possible replacement. The Cartoon Network's sponsorship moves from Jeff Green's No. 29 car to LAKE SPEED and the No. 9. Green's team is looking for a sponsor. DARRELL WALTRIP'S search for a sponsor to replace Parts America is reportedly focused on ``America's Most Wanted,'' a television program that airs on the Fox Network. BRETT BODINE got hung up on by Catalyst Communications, makers of the Close Call phone cards, during the 1997 season. He's looking for a new carrier. JIMMY SPENCER'S checks will still be coming from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, but the company's Winston cigarette brand, not Camel, is the new primary sponsor. Pennzoil moves its primary sponsorship to STEVE PARK'S team. Pennzoil has a year left on its contract with Chuck Rider's No. 30, and will honor it by putting one of its subsidiaries, Gumout, on the Pontiacs Derrike Cope will drive. CALE YARBOROUGH has a new driver. Now, he's looking for a new sponsor to replace RCA.

Other changes MARK MARTIN'S team moves from Roush Racing's shop in Liberty, where he shared quarters with Ted Musgrave, to a shop in Mooresville, where he'll pair up with Jeff Burton's operation. HUT STRICKLIN will drive the No. 8 again next season, but it will be a Chevrolet instead of a Ford. BUD MOORE'S team will attempt to make a return, perhaps with Tim Steele, the defending Automobile Racing Club of America champion, driving the No. 15 Ford. PENSKE SOUTH decided against adding a second team to join Rusty Wallace, but Roger Penske is buying Carl Haas' half of the No. 37 team, which fields Fords for JEREMY MAYFIELD. Wallace and Mayfield won't be teammates, but are expected to share testing information and other research and development projects. RICKY CRAVEN'S Chevrolet will still be owned by Rick Hendrick and sponsored by Budweiser, but it will carry the No. 50 instead of the No. 25 to mark NASCAR's 50th season.

Thanks, David. ===== One of NASCAR's pioneers with more than 40 years as a car owner and race track operator, Paul Sawyer has been named the recipient of the 1997 Buddy Shuman Award. Presentation of the award was made Thursday afternoon at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in mid-town Manhattan. The Buddy Shuman Award is presented annually since 1957 to the person or persons who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing. The recipient is selected by a panel of manufacturers' representatives and the award is sponsored by Champion Spark Plug.

Past recipients of the award include Bill France Jr., Les Richter, Dick Beaty, Leo Mehl, Bobby Allison, and Smokey Yunick and in 1996, Jim Foster.

Sawyer, 81, is responsible for developing one of the finest racing facilities in the United States, along with building one of the biggest family operations in all of motorsports, at Richmond International Raceway. His vision to improve the facility throughout his ownership tenure is noteworthy.

"All in all, I would classify him as one of our top promoters," said NASCAR President Bill France. "His biggest asset all along has been that he really likes motorsports and he wants to move the sport ahead." (NASCAR Online) ===== Mike Irwin (mailto:mike@nascarfans.com) NASCAR Fans _______________________________________

NASCAR Fans Website http://www.nascarfans.com _______________________________________

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