NASCAR Cup

News 97-10-26

NASCARFans E-Mail List Well, that chimichanga (sp?) I had for dinner last night has been wreaking revenge early this morning......so, here's some news, since I can't sleep anyway: ===== "Assigned other duties in the Hendrick Motorsports ...

Edited: May 8, 2001, 12:19 PM

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Well, that chimichanga (sp?) I had for dinner last night has been wreaking revenge early this morning......so, here's some news, since I can't sleep anyway: ===== "Assigned other duties in the Hendrick Motorsports organization after being forced to resign as crew chief for Terry Labonte several weeks ago, DeHart remains a much-respected director, and several sources have said he'll wind up with young driver Steve Park next season. Asked yesterday about the possibility, Park smiled and turned his palms toward the sky."(Skip Wood,Times-Dispatch Staff Writer)/Jayski ===== "Several drivers have expressed concern about the high speeds and overall condition of the track during recent test sessions at the re-configured Atlanta Motor Speedway. Ernie Irvan, for one, jokingly asked his soon-to-be former owner, Robert Yates, if it would be OK if he left the team before the Nov. 16 race. Irvan's comments, or varying versions, spread quickly through the garage area yesterday here at North Carolina Motor Speedway. Perhaps because Irvan and next year's No. 28 driver, Kenny Irwin, raced each other quite hard last weekend at a Truck race, the hot rumor yesterday had Irvan either quitting or being fired three races before the relationship officially ends. The Irvan camp quickly - and with amusement -discredited the rumor."(Skip Wood,Times-Dispatch Staff Writer)/Jayski ===== And Jayski heard from some readers that the Oct 25 Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a story: "ANGRY IRVAN TRADES JABS WITH IRWIN, YATES by Tom McCollister, Staff Writer Rockingham, NC - "It's been an interesting few days for Robert Yates, who's had to balance the bruised egos of departing veteran Ernie Irvan and incoming rookie Kenny Irwin. Things reached a boiling point Sunday on the final lap of the Craftsman Truck No Fear Challenge and ensuing cool-down lap at California Superspeedway. The two drivers raced hard, door to door, bouncing off each other with smoke visible from contact. They took the checkered flag with Irwin half a truck ahead. Words were exchanged. "I gave him room every time that he got in front of us," Irwin said. "Every time I'd get my truck's nose under him, he had to get out of it [and back off the gas]. Evidently, he didn't like it." Irvan's only comment was, "I'm not real happy about Kenny Irwin." Feelings escalated during testing at Atlanta Motor Speedway early this week when Irwin knocked off the week's fastest lap of just over 193 mph. Irvan cut short his session and told Atlanta Motor Speedway's Richard Sowers he was leaving, adding, according to others on hand, that the track was too fast and he would ask Yates to fire him at Atlanta so he wouldn't have to race it. Yates viewed that as a tongue-in-cheek comment. "Ernie's fine. He's cool," Yates said. Irvan had no comment."(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)/Jayski ===== Rockingham Notes: There are 31 pit stalls along the frontstretch; In 64 races at Rockingham, 41 races have been won by drivers starting 1-4 and 53 from the top 10; JD Gibbs, Joe Gibbs son failed to make the Rockingham BGN race (Jayski) ===== Dick Trickle makes his 250th career WC start Sunday at Rockingham (Jayski) ===== Jayski heard BACE will test (a) roofless car on Tuesday and heard Bruton wants to start a convertible class. Roll bars will remain intact but roof will be removed from top of windshield to the deck lid. The main concern is losing the roof flaps. Other rumors include something to do with NASCAR's 50th anniversary. ===== There's a great article by David Poole of the Charlotte Observer about Robert Yates, Ernie Irvan, and Kenny Irwin, Jr. for those of you with web access:

http://www.charlotte.com/nascar/97/pub/045996.htm ===== "We knew it would be a big weekend at North Carolina Motor Speedway, but we didn't know it would be this big, this soon. Two drivers achieved major milestones when Mark Martin won the ACDelco 200 NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division race.

Martin's fourth straight NASCAR Busch Series win at Rockingham gave him the series' all-time record for career wins, with 32. Martin has won an amazing eight of the last 11 races at The Rock. And Randy LaJoie became the third driver in NASCAR Busch Series history to win back-to-back driver championships. LaJoie didn't have the best car, but after Todd Bodine wrecked and left the race, LaJoie's 20th-place finish was enough for the clincher.

Martin fought off a pack of competitors at the end of the race. Dick Trickle finished in second, with Ricky Craven and Jeff Burton, who both battled Martin at the front all day long, placing third and fourth, respectively. Hermie Sadler placed fifth, running with the lead pack all day long even though he never seriously contended for first." (NASCAR Online) ===== "The No. 94 McDonald's team, headed up by crew chief Mike Beam, laid their claim as the best pit crew in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, just edging out the defending champion Kellogg's team in the Union 76/Rockingham World Championship Pit Crew Competition at North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham on Saturday. " (NASCAR Online) ===== Hope those of you for whom it is applicable set your clocks back last night, or you're going to be very early for church this morning <grin> ===== Mike Irwin (mailto:mike@nascarfans.com) NASCAR Fans _______________________________________

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