Schrader hates to see Southern 500 date change


August 29

Ken Schrader might have the most practical question concerning moving the Labor Day weekend NASCAR Cup event to California: "Wonder if they have boiled peanuts in California?"

As is the case for most drivers and fans, Schrader, the driver of the No. 49 Dodge, hates to see the Southern 500 moved off its traditional spot on the NASCAR calendar. But he wonders how much difference it will make.

"Your first thought is, 'Man, I'd love to be the last guy to win a Labor Day weekend race at Darlington,'‘" he said. "Then you think, 'Man, I'd love to be the guy who won last week!'

"You could always figure Memorial Day at Charlotte, opening the season at Daytona, being off on Easter and Mother's Day, and Labor Day at Darlington. Life changes. The world changes. All you can do is go on."

Allison unveiling today
August 29

The Victory Lap program is designed to honor Winston for its 33-year sponsorship of NASCAR's top series and all of the drivers who won championships during that time. Allison, leader of the sport's "Alabama Gang," is scheduled to parade the car before the Sept. 28 EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

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Ricky Craven's Memorable Finish
August 29

Ricky Craven is an optimistic driver as he returns to Darlington Raceway this weekend for the Mountain Dew Southern 500

Ricky Craven raises the trophy in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 race Sunday, March 16, 2003, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C. Craven made NASCAR history, roaring in front to beat Busch by .002 seconds in the closest margin since Winston Cup introduced electronic timing in 1993. Craven will be back on that track for the Southern 500 on Sunday, August 31, 2003, the final time the event, first run in 1950, will be held on Labor Day weekend.

Craven won at Darlington in March, nipping Kurt Busch.

As Craven appeared to be making the winning move, his children were rushed to Victory Lane.

But when 11-year-old Riley Craven looked up, she saw Kurt Busch edge past her father on the final lap . "We better go back to the bus," she told her 7-year-old brother, Richard.

Not so fast, Craven was about to make NASCAR history, roaring in front to beat Busch by .002 seconds in the closest margin since Winston Cup introduced electronic timing in 1993.

The win "could have been by half a mile or it could have been by a car-length," Craven said. "But for me, it's about winning at Darlington, a track that has just so much history."

Craven will be back on that track for the Southern 500 on Sunday, the final time the event, first run in 1950, will be held on Labor Day weekend.

"For anybody in racing that truly has a passion for this sport, if you haven't been to Darlington, then you're cheating yourself," Craven said.

The Southern 500 also marks Jimmy Spencer's return to the track from a NASCAR suspension for punching Busch after a race in Michigan two weeks ago. Busch, who was placed on probation, suffered a bloody nose and a chipped tooth.

This past weekend, Busch spun out Sterling Marlin during a late pass on the way to a win at Bristol Motor Speedway. The crowd booed Busch in Victory Lane.

Earlier, a defiant Busch had pointed to his panel-to-panel race with Craven.

"I just don't understand what the difference is with you guys when Spencer and I are racing or you have a situation like we did in Darlington last spring," Busch said. "No one commented on how hard Ricky Craven and I raced in a negative way."

But Busch was contrite Thursday, issuing an apology to fans, his team and sponsors, NASCAR, the media and fellow competitors.

"I am still learning how to deal with public situations that are suddenly placed in front of me while filled with adrenaline from the racetrack," he said in statement released by Roush Racing. "It is obvious to me that I handled the situation poorly.

"I know very well that words are cheap and that my sincerity and commitment will be judged by what I do in the weeks and months ahead."

The Craven-Busch clip from March has been a staple of highlight shows all season. It also has been Darlington's main selling point this time around in TV and radio ads.

"I think we'll be talking about that one for some time," Darlington president Andrew Gurtis said.

With two laps left, the cars bumped and Busch hit the wall in turn one. Craven moved to the lead. Busch recovered and hit the back of Craven's car - "a little bit harder than he should have," Craven says, wryly - to regain first.

But Craven slid low and alongside Busch, the two bouncing off each other and grinding to the finish.

"It didn't matter to me if it were on the roof or on the side," Craven said. "I was determined to win that race."

And he did.

Craven's season hasn't gone as well as the March win would have led him to believe. He had three top-five finishes in the season's first eight races. But his eighth-place result in Bristol last week was just his second top-10 finish since late April. He stands 21st in points.

His year - and maybe career - probably will be defined by those few rattling, moments at Darlington six months ago.

"The finish was fantastic," he said. "I think it was great for the sport, and personally it was gratifying. But it has a lot more to do with winning at Darlington. Every driver who strapped on a helmet and race gear understands that." .

Terry Labonte rejuvinated by strong showings
By Rick Minter
Cox News Service,August 29

Terry Labonte, at age 46, is clearly a member of the Winston Cup circuit's graybeard class, but you can't tell it from the spring in his step, the hair on his head or the smile on his face.

After suffering through three winless seasons, the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet appears to be in the midst of a career resurgence.

After finishing 23rd and 24th in the past two points races, the two-time Winston Cup champion is now 12th in the standings with three top-five and six top-10 finishes this season.

Even his competitors have noticed the turnaround in his on-track performance and his outlook.

"Rusty Wallace came up to me the other day and said, 'I don't know what y'all are doing, but it's taken 10 years off of you,' " Labonte said. "I said, 'Man, we've just got our stuff working pretty good.' "

While other drivers, including his younger brother Bobby, 39, are seeing their hair turn gray and begin to thin, Terry still has a head full of hair.

"Bobby's just not pacing himself enough," Terry Labonte joked. "I still have all my hair." In all seriousness, he added, "I'm in as good a shape as I was in three or four years ago."

Labonte said his crew chief Jim Long, who took over in December 2001, deserves most of the credit for the new-found success.

"I wish we had hired Jim a couple of years before we did," Labonte said. "He's got this thing straightened out for us, and got us headed in the right direction."

Long and his crew built new cars and worked to make sure they were as aerodynamically efficient as possible.

"I'm really proud of them," Labonte said, adding that his team is close to being able to give him career win No. 22. But still they have to have the timely pit stops and shrewd race strategy to go along with the fast car.

"We haven't had the whole race go our way yet," he said. "At least we think we've gotten to where we can knock on the door. Things are a lot different than last year."

On Sunday the Winston Cup series returns to Darlington Raceway for the final Labor Day weekend running of the Southern 500 at the historic track.

The old, egg-shaped oval is hallowed ground to lots of drivers, Labonte included.

He made his Winston Cup debut there in the 1978 Southern 500, finishing fourth. Two years later he got his first Winston Cup victory -- also in the Southern 500, on one of the most difficult tracks on the circuit.

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Truck test ends early at Atlanta
August 28

Ford Racing's test of its 2004 F-150 entry in the Craftsman Truck Series ended prematurely Thursday after the truck driven by Rick Crawford lost its engine two hours into the session.

"We didn't get nearly as much on-track time as we'd hoped for on our maiden voyage, but I think we still learned a lot," Crawford said. The track says Crawford managed to lap in the 170-mph range in about 25 laps of testing. A Dodge truck test at the Georgia track ended Wednesday as Ultra Motorsports driver Ted Musgrave and Bobby Hamilton Racing driver Chad Chaffin took turns running.

NASCAR iNDemand wins Emmy

A jury of members of the Academy Of Television Arts & Science's Interactive Media Peer Group picked the NASCAR programming from 48 entries. The multichannel subscription package on digital cable offers subscribers flag-to-flag, in-car camera coverage from Winston Cup points events.

The package includes seven in-car camera channels, real-time in-car performance data on virtual dashboards and live team audio communications.

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