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Welcome to the Cup Scene Daily for
August 30,2003
Vol. II,No.VIXII FINAL EDITION
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7 DAY ARCHIVE
INSIDE TODAY'S ISSUE: Spencer makes smashing return to the track Green out Andretti in at DEI Harvick Heads the Field for Busch Race Marlin says no thanks to peace offering Stewart says people made difference in decision to stay Donnie Allison Says Busch Way Out Of Line Busch wears seal of disapproval Give Swap A Chance 'Generation Nextel' drivers are raring to go Under a new light The Cup Scene Daily Newsletter off line for now, new one to debut soon! Next Race Race Shop RACE Tickets Fantasy Garage NEW!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Mike Helton
TODAYS FRONT PAGE<
FLYIN' RYAN
Ryan Newman did it again: he brought his qualifying "mojo" to Darlington Raceway
After losing the top position to Elliott Sadler on the 1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval in qualifying in the spring, Newman had just enough speed Friday and will start out front in the Southern 500. Newman's fast lap of 169.048 mph in a Penske Racing Dodge barely outstripped the 168.862 of Jimmie Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. The time difference was just 0.032-seconds. "That was just a good enough lap to beat Jimmie," Newman said. "He had a good car, too." Johnson said, "I was so close to Ryan. I left a little on the table in [turn] four, getting back into the gas. Probably all I needed was just a little bit. But I'm just very happy because track position is very important here." The "Track Too Tough To Tame," which will lose its traditional Labor Day weekend date to California Speedway in 2004 after a 54-year run and move the Southern 500 to November, is supposed to be the most difficult in NASCAR for young drivers. "Its a great racetrack," Newman said. "It's a driver's racetrack." Johnson said, "You have to respect this place because it can just eat you up in a minute, but I love racing here." The series-leading sixth pole of the season for Newman matched his total last year, when he was the top Winston Cup rookie, and gave him a career total of 13 in just 69 races.
Terry Labonte was third in another Hendrick Chevy at 168.538, followed by Sadler's Ford at 168.451, the Monte Carlo of Bobby Labonte at 158.227 and series points leader Matt Kenseth at 158.158 in a Taurus. For Kenseth, who will go into Sunday's race with a whopping 351-point lead over runner-up Dale Earnhardt Jr., it is only his seventh top-10 qualifying spot in 25 races this season. Jimmy Spencer, returning after a week's suspension for punching Kurt Busch in the face after the race Aug. 10 in Michigan, had a difficult day, crashing during his qualifying run. He had to fall back on a provisional start and will be 38th in the 43-car field on Sunday. "We had a really good car and we're going to a backup now," Spencer said. "We made a mistake and tore it all to pieces." Jeff Gordon, the defending champion and winner of five Southern 500s, will start 14th, while Busch, coming off a victory last Saturday night in Bristol, will start 31st. Some people might be happy not to be here on a day like Friday, with air temperatures hovering in the mid-90s and the track temperature considerably higher, making the asphalt surface treacherous. But Terry Labonte, who won the 1980 Southern 500 - the first of 21 wins for the two-time series champion - is one of many drivers who have expressed regret that they will no longer be racing at Darlington on Labor Day weekend. "With the track hot and slippery, this is a perfect Darlington weekend," Labonte said. "It won't be the same in November." Spencer makes smashing return to the trackAugust 30 Jimmy Spencer was back at the racetrack Friday, apologetic about the altercation with Kurt Busch that led to a one-week suspension and determined to put it behind him.
The ruckus may have livened up things in the stock-car garage. But in the corporate world - among the guys who write the multi-million dollar checks that keep NASCAR rolling - the controversy isn't sitting very well at all. Busch's sponsor chewed him out this week for his part. Spencer's sponsor said in July it would not be renewing, and his Michigan punch may make it more difficult for car owner Jim Smith to sign a new sponsor. So while Busch, 25, may be fighting for his reputation, Spencer, 46, may be fighting for his career. Spencer was appropriately apologetic yesterday after his weekend off, but he tried to put things into perspective, while his crew repaired a car he backed into the wall during his qualifying run for Sunday's Southern 500. 'I've come through tougher things than this,' Spencer said. 'I was there when Dale Earnhardt died.... and when Clifford Allison died ... and when Richie Evans died. Missing Bristol ain't nothing. Those are tough times when you're at a track and someone loses their life. 'It was a hard to sit and watch a race, especially Bristol. But I spent Saturday night with an older lady who has cancer, and that puts things in perspective. 'I can't describe all the support I've gotten. And why should I change the way I drive? Richard Petty once said when you quit running you're going to be in a lot of trouble. 'Jim Smith deserves a lot of credit for the way he stood up for his driver and his team. The way he does things a lot of other owners should learn from that. 'I respect every driver, every official, every fan. But it's like chocolate and vanilla - you can't be everything to everybody. That's just life. 'That's the great thing about TV and radio - the on-off switch. And I didn't read any of the articles.' And he said he's not going to talk to Busch. 'I have no reason to talk to him. There is a lot of stuff still coming out about Michigan. There was never a feud -- it was always just racing. 'But as far as I'm concerned, it's all over with. We missed Bristol, and you can't turn back time. 'I said I was sorry for what happened at Michigan. There are a lot of things I'd like to say, but I'm not going to. The sport of racing has changed a lot. There is more media, TV and sponsors. Sometimes there seems like there's too much of it. But you can't turn back the clock. You just have to grow with the sport.'
Spencer's return did not go particularly well. He crashed during his qualifying run and will have to start from the back of the field in his backup car. Two weeks ago, it was Spencer who approached Busch's car in the garage area following the race two weeks ago at Michigan and punched Busch in the face as he sat in his car. Tapes of radio chatter between Busch and his crew later revealed that he intentionally tried to flatten Spencer's bumper during the race. And, an in-car camera showed that Busch egged Spencer on in the garage area, possibly provoking the punch that gave Busch a bloody nose and a chipped tooth. NASCAR barred Spencer from driving in any NASCAR-sanctioned event for a week and fined him $25,000. Busch was also fined $10,000. In the aftermath, though, it is Busch who has become the villain in the eyes of many fans. He was heartily booed after winning last Saturday night in Bristol, and his sponsor, Rubbermaid Newell, lectured the young driver and plans to set up a mentoring program to help guide his behavior. Meanwhile, the journeyman Spencer, with two victories in 15 seasons, has gained some added celebrity from the fight. His Ultra Motorsports team said Spencer's trackside souvenir sales increased 40 percent over the three-day Bristol weekend, the 160,000 fans at the race cheered his No. 7 Dodge when it was rolled onto pit road, even though it was Ted Musgrave driving. Spencer said he has received "hundreds of e-mails and letters from fans." Spencer, who said he watched the Bristol race at home on TV, said he was shocked by the outpouring of support. "I've had more phone calls from drivers and crew members than I've ever had in my life," he said. Asked Friday if he has spoken with Busch to clear the air, Spencer said, "I have no reason to talk to Kurt. There's a lot of stuff coming out about what happened at Michigan that NASCAR's looked into. ... That was two weeks ago. I missed Bristol and you can't turn back the time. Now we're at Darlington." The fight in Michigan was the latest episode in a long-running conflict between Spencer and Busch, two of the more aggressive drivers in the Winston Cup series. But Spencer insists there is nothing personal in the situation. "There was never a feud to start with," he said. "I don't have a feud with anybody. I don't call it nothing but racing." |
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