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NASCAR History: Car Number 32 and Ricky Craven

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by JamesJ, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Sundays of my youth consisted of NASCAR racing and cold bottles of Mountain Dew. Thirty years later not much has changed for me. However, nearly everything has changed in NASCAR.

January 16, 2010 9:56 pm UTC No Comments

Over the next several weeks we’ll be featuring car numbers in NASCAR history. We started with #50 and are working our way down the line. With each car number we’ll take a brief look at a couple stats related to the featured car number, NASCAR Driver Ricky Craven car number 32but we’ll primarily spotlight either a driver, sponsor, car owner, manufacturer or other significant subject closely tied to the car number of the day.

One of the best NASCAR Cup series finishes in recent history involved car number 32 at one of my all-time favorite race tracks, Darlington. For that reason, I must confess that I didn’t even give consideration to any other possible sponsor, car owner or past driver of car number 32 than Ricky Craven.

NASCAR Cup Driver Ricky Craven

Stats for all cars running the #32:

  • Number of Races: 641
  • Number of Wins: 2
  • Number of Top 5s: 35
  • Number of Top 10s: 109
  • Number of Poles: 3

Check out current NASCAR race statistics here at On Pit Row!

Spotlight Subject: Driver Ricky Craven

Ricky Craven’s Cup Series career spanned 11 years. He has two Cup wins to his name, and both of those came in car #32 (Martinsville & Darlington); making Ricky the only driver to put the #32 in victory lane. In 278 Cup races, Ricky recorded 6 poles, 17 top fives and 41 top tens. But Ricky also holds the distinction of being part of two great and historic finishes in Cup Series racing.NASCAR Driver Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch dramatic finish at Darlington Raceway

The first historic finish would come in the 1997 Daytona 500. While he didn’t win the race or lead any laps, he would be part of a 1-2-3 finish for owner Rick Hendrick’s multi-car team. Jeff Gordon would win the race with teammates Terry Labonte in second and Ricky Craven in third. That third place finish stands as Ricky’s only top ten finish at Daytona in Cup Series competition.

The second finish is a very special one. For one, it came at one of my favorite tracks “The Lady in Black,” Darlington Raceway. A track with such rich history and deep roots in NASCAR racing, it’s only fitting that the track was the site for what now stands as the closest margin of victory and one of the most exciting finishes ever! Kurt Busch and Ricky Craven battling it out hard the last few laps of the race, nose to tail rubbing, fenders smacking the outside walls, tires sliding and smoking, drivers sawing the steering wheel as they put it all out on the line for the final laps of the race. It all came down to Ricky being scored as the leader for one lap, the final one. Literally nose-by-nose Craven and Busch crossed the line with a margin of victory of .002 seconds in favor of the the #32 Tide car.

The win would be Craven’s last and he hasn’t raced in Cup Series since 2004. However, it sure was a great win to go along with the 1992 Busch Series and 1995 Cup Series Rookie of the Year titles. That victory at Darlington was one of the most exciting finishes making me jump up off the edge of my seat as I watched Craven and Busch battle it out. To then see Kurt Busch visit Ricky in victory lane to congratulate him on the win was just awesome. I guess perhaps the two of them knew then that they just put on an awesome show for the fans, and in the process made a mark in the history books. Either way, it was a great show of sportsmanship by Kurt Busch and his stock went up dramatically in my book that day.

Ricky Craven Battles Kurt Busch at Darlington Raceway

There is no way possible to do this spotlight without also posting the video clip of this record setting finish.

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NASCAR History: Car Number 33 and Harry Gant

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by JamesJ, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Sundays of my youth consisted of NASCAR racing and cold bottles of Mountain Dew. Thirty years later not much has changed for me. However, nearly everything has changed in NASCAR.

January 16, 2010 6:18 pm UTC 1 Comment

Over the next several weeks we’ll be featuring car numbers in NASCAR history. We started with #50 and are working our way down the line. With each car number we’ll take a brief look at a couple stats NASCAR Driver Harry Gant car number 33related to the featured car number, but we’ll primarily spotlight either a driver, sponsor, car owner, manufacturer or other significant subject closely tied to the car number of the day.

There are some sponsors and car numbers that really stick out in my mind when I think about NASCAR. Valvoline and the #6, STP and the #43, Goodwrench and the #3, and one of my all time favorites, Miller Genuine Draft and the #2. Another one for me is the #33 Skoal Bandit car.

Stats for all cars running the #33:

  • Number of Races: 915
  • Number of Wins: 20
  • Number of Top 5s: 136
  • Number of Top 10s: 270
  • Number of Poles: 23

Check out current NASCAR race statistics here at On Pit Row!

Spotlight Subject: Driver Harry Gant

It was the Pepsi 400 at Daytona in 1994. I had just left the souvenir trailer for Rusty Wallace and my bag was full with Miller Genuine Draft shirts, decals and of course a beer koozie to keep the can cool from the blistering summer heat. As my co-workers and I made our way back towards the stands I made a maneuver to avoid a line of customers at one trailer. Thinking it was probably one of the Earnhardt trailers I looked up and was surprised to see that the line was there because Harry Gant was in the souvenir trailer signing autographs. I stopped for a moment and shot a pic with my camera. I’m glad I did because it would be the last time I would see Harry Gant since he retired at the end of the 1994 season. The thing that really stuck out to me was that Harry had a huge smile on his face and seemed to be soaking in the fans as they chatted during the autograph signing. Unfortunately Harry didn’t get to leave Daytona with a decent finish that day or the smile would likely have been even bigger. He finished 31st that day, but looking at his overall record at Daytona he never really was consistently in the top runners at Daytona.

NASCAR Driver Harry GantHarry did excel though with multiple wins at three of my all time favorites on the Cup circuit, Darlington, Dover, and Martinsville. These are tracks that I really look forward to during race season. For me, they rank right up there with Bristol and Richmond. If you can’t tell, I love the shorter tracks. I dream of reaching an early retirement, buying an RV and going to these races each year. After researching Harry Gant’s stats a little for this spotlight write-up, I would have loved to have been a fan of his in 1991 and traveling the circuit. Harry earned himself the nickname “Mr. September” in 1991 when he took consecutive victories at Darlington, Richmond, Dover, and Martinsville! During this time he also recorded two Busch series wins at Richmond and Dover (note, the next race was in October at Charlotte, but he won that one too resulting in a total of 3 consecutive Busch Series wins). Talk about riding a wave of momentum! Harry would have a total of 5 wins that Cup season marking 1991 as the year he scored his most wins in a single season. Dale Earnhardt would win the championship that year while “Mr. September” would finish 4th in the standings with 15 top fives and 17 top tens.

Filed under: James Jones, NASCAR, NASCAR History 

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NASCAR History: Car Number 34 and Wendell Scott

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by JamesJ, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Sundays of my youth consisted of NASCAR racing and cold bottles of Mountain Dew. Thirty years later not much has changed for me. However, nearly everything has changed in NASCAR.

January 11, 2010 10:34 am UTC No Comments

Over the next several weeks we’ll be featuring car numbers in NASCAR history. We started with #50 and are working our way down the line. With each car number we’ll take a brief look at a couple stats related to the featured car number, but we’ll primarily spotlight either a driver, sponsor, car owner, manufacturer or other significant subject closely tied to the car number of the day.NASCAR driver Wendell Scott car number 34

We’re seven days away from Martin Luther King Day. It was 1963 when King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, and in 1964 King was honored as the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end segregation and racial discrimination. During this same time one man was facing significant discrimination in a “white man’s sport.” The discrimination didn’t only come from some of the competitors, but it also came from NASCAR itself. However, the blatant discrimination didn’t stop him from winning, only from initially being recognized as the winner.
NASCAR Driver Wendell Scott

Stats for all cars running the #34:

  • Number of Races: 679
  • Number of Wins: 2
  • Number of Top 5s: 27
  • Number of Top 10s: 173
  • Number of Poles: 2

Check out current NASCAR race statistics here at On Pit Row!

Spotlight Subject: Driver/Owner Wendell Scott

In 1963 Wendell Scott was enduring discrimination in NASCAR. But he would make an impact and would force NASCAR to list him among the ranks of winners in the sport. It was December of 1963 in Jacksonville, Florida when Wendell led a total of 27 laps in a 200 lap event. He was the first to complete the 200 laps, but NASCAR wouldn’t wave the checkered flag for another two laps when Buck Baker crossed the finish line. Wendell knew he had won the race and he kept on making laps, which explains why he is now credited with 202 laps in a 200 lap race, and the 2nd place driver is credited with 200 laps.

Wendell’s son, Franklin Scott, recounted the story (which can be found on LegendsOfNASCAR.com. “Dad had won the race and he knew it. They just wouldn’t drop the checkered flag. They gave it to Buck Baker and kept Daddy there all that time. Then they came out and said, ‘Wendell, you did win.’ “My dad went off then. He said, “Give me my damn money.” Buck got the real trophy. The thing we got was junk. They gave us a trophy about a month later at Savannah. But it wasn’t the real thing.”

The “trophy” that NASCAR gave Wendall Scott speaks volumes about their attitude at the time. While I haven’t seen photos of this item, the reports are that there is no brass nameplate, no engraving with the date, location, nor finish position. Not even Wendell’s name. There’s nothing flashy or prestigious about it, rather it’s actually just some off-color wood with no varnish or other finishing touches. And, as Franklin Scott claimed, it wasn’t even presented to Wendell until some 28 days later.

Roland at LegendsOfNASCAR.com has collected many, many great articles and images of Wendell Scott [a couple images in this spotlight are from Roland's site!]. Thankfully part of that collection includes accounts of drivers supporting Wendell in his struggles. Struggles not only on the track in the competitive nature of the sport itself, but also with the struggles he dealt with from racist competitors. Driver’s such as Richard Petty, Ned Jarrett, Tiny Lund, Joe Weatherly and Fireball Roberts are all examples of some of the sports biggest icons supporting Wendell’s participation in NASCAR despite the blatant prejudices often shown towards Wendell. Ned Jarrett once arranged for Wendell to purchase a used race car for $1.00 so that he could keep on racing. NASCAR driver Wendell ScottTiny Lund once gave Wendell tires to qualify on. Joe Weatherly once apologized for the actions of other competitors.

As you might imagine, it wasn’t uncommon for Wendell to be verbally abused before and/or after a race. Also, he often was purposefully wrecked during a race. Joe Weatherly visited Wendell after one such race and said, “Wendell, I just came to apologize for the rest of those stupid sons of bitches.”

It sure was a different time then. Just as Martin Luther King was making great strides in breaking down segregation and discrimination in society, so too was Wendell Scott through his determination to make it in the deep south in a “white man’s sport” called NASCAR. Wendell was a brave and determined man who stood tall against competitors, the NASCAR organization, and even the Ku Klux Klan’s threat not to go racing in Atlanta. I for one think the story is a great one, and it makes me not only admire Wendell, but also some of those competitors that supported him. Through it all Wendell managed a racing career of 13 years, 495 races in which he had 1 pole, 147 top tens, 20 top fives, and one very important win.

I encourage you to read more about Wendell Scott at Legends Of NASCAR.

Filed under: James Jones, NASCAR, NASCAR History 

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NASCAR History: Car Number 35 and Benny Parsons

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by JamesJ, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Sundays of my youth consisted of NASCAR racing and cold bottles of Mountain Dew. Thirty years later not much has changed for me. However, nearly everything has changed in NASCAR.

January 10, 2010 7:15 am UTC No Comments

Over the next several weeks we’ll be featuring car numbers in NASCAR history. We started with #50 and are working our way down the line. With each car number we’ll take a brief look at a couple stats related to the featured car number, but we’ll primarily spotlight either a driver, sponsor, car owner, manufacturer or other significant subject closely tied to the car number of the day.Benny Parsons car number 35

For car number 35 I’m going to touch on a driver who signed on with Hendrick Motorsports to be a relief driver for an ailing Tim Richmond. I really can not do this subject justice as it is impossible to convey in such a short post this man’s impact on the sport and just how greatly admired he was by competitors, fans, and everyone in between.

Stats for all cars running the #35:

  • Number of Races: 231
  • Number of Wins: 0
  • Number of Top 5s: 11
  • Number of Top 10s: 38
  • Number of Poles: 1

Check out current NASCAR race statistics here at On Pit Row!

Spotlight Subject: Driver Benny Parsons

So much could be wrote about Benny Parsons and it wouldn’t be fair to narrow it down to simply his races in any one car number, especially the #35 since it was a relatively short run. His best finishes in the #35 were three 2nd place runs. One of which came in the 1987 Daytona 500 where he would follow Bill Elliot to the checkers by three car lengths. But there’s so much more to the man’s career and influence in NASCAR. Sure, I can list his career stats such as 21 wins, 199 top fives, and 283 top tens. Or the fact that his driving career spanned 21 years and 536 races in which he won the 1973 Cup championship and the 1975 Daytona 500. I could also tell you how he was once a taxi cab driver for the company his father ran in Detroit, Michigan. Or perhaps the story how while working at a gas station he was pumping fuel for some customers who were taking a race car to the local track when they invited Benny to come out to the race. Alan Bestwick, Rusty Wallace and Benny ParsonsWhen he showed up at the track he learned that the scheduled driver for the car didn’t show up and Benny ended up driving the car in the race later that night.

Or maybe you’d find it interesting to know that he was so loved by his friends and the people of Wilkes County North Carolina, that he had a stretch of Highway 421 named the “Benny Parsons Highway” in his honor. But many of today’s race fans only remember Benny from his time in the broadcast booth from where he called the races after retiring from driving. And most all of us have fresh memories of January 2007 when we lost Benny Parsons to his battle with lung cancer. While it was in remission, his aggressive treatment of the ailment led to his death. Before his death at the end of the 2006 season, NASCAR Driver Benny ParsonsBenny won the Myers Brothers Award, honoring his contributions to racing.

All of these things are really just small highlights in the career of a man who really became a fan favorite for all generations. In the garage, he was admired by his fellow drivers and team members. To me, Benny just always seemed like a gentle giant. He was by far my favorite race analyst with his commentary delivered in such a smooth, intelligent, calm, and most of all genuine manner. When I think of all the stars in the sport that are or ever have been, I really got the impression that Benny would be the individual most easily approached by the common man. He seemed so real and down to earth, and despite all that he had accomplished and all the connections and influence he must have had, none of it seemed to go to his head. To me, he appeared very happy and appreciative of the position he held in the sport. From my perspective Benny was just one of those guys that if you knew him personally, you were very fortunate. And if you didn’t know him personally, you wished you did.

TNT Benny Parsons Tribute

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., James Jones, NASCAR, NASCAR History 

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NASCAR History: Car Number 36 and Ernie Irvan

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by JamesJ, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Sundays of my youth consisted of NASCAR racing and cold bottles of Mountain Dew. Thirty years later not much has changed for me. However, nearly everything has changed in NASCAR.

January 9, 2010 7:00 am UTC 2 Comments

Over the next several weeks we’ll be featuring car numbers in NASCAR history. We started with #50 and are working our way down the line. With each car number we’ll take a brief look at a couple stats related to the featured car number, but we’ll primarily spotlight either a driver, sponsor, car owner, manufacturer or other significant subject closely tied to the car number of the day.

NASCAR Driver Ernie IrvanToday’s subject closed out his career in the #36 car. While the stats he put up in the #36 car [Photo credit: Jayski.com] were not impressive when compared to earlier in his 13 year career, the fact that he was able to choose to walk away from the sport is a miracle in itself. Today, he uses his celebrity and NASCAR association to actually walk the tracks that he once competed on.

Stats for all cars running the #36:

  • Number of Races: 541
  • Number of Wins: 0
  • Number of Top 5s: 32
  • Number of Top 10s: 122
  • Number of Poles: 5

Check out current NASCAR race statistics here at On Pit Row!

Spotlight Subject: Spotlight Subject: Driver Ernie Irvan

The year is 1994. Ernie Irvan would start the year off with champion caliber form. He already had one Daytona 500 win to his record from his 1991 season with Morgan-McClure Motorsports, but he was looking to take another in 1994 with car owner Robert Yates. He would win the first Gatorade Twin 125 Qualifier races and then go on to lead 84 laps in the Daytona 500 and finish in second place. The Car owner Robert Yates and NASCAR Driver Ernie Irvanmargin of victory over Irvan was 0.19 seconds and was handed to him by Sterling Marlin in car #4 which was owned by Morgan-McClure Motorsports (the team from which Irvan went through lawsuits the year before to free himself from). But don’t think for a minute he was second guessing his decision to join Robert Yates Racing [Photo of Irvan & Yates: credit Jayski.com]. Ernie would keep the hammer down on the start of the 1994 Cup season with phenomenal finishes. In the first 13 races he would finish outside the top 7 only once (a 33rd at Bristold due to engine failure). His strength during just these first 13 races was impressive! Check out the stats!

  • 3 Wins
  • 4 Second Place Finishes
  • 10 Top Fives
  • 4 Poles
  • 1,408 Laps Led
  • 1 33rd place DNF, thus an avearge finish of 5.3

Ernie was truly giving his competitors “the business” on the track. However, his championship run came to a halt later in the season after a tire failure sent his car slamming into the wall at over 170mph at MIS (Michigan International Speedway). He would need to be air lifted to the hospital and was given only the slightest change of survival. His lungs were damaged and he sustained severe brain damage. Amazingly, he would recover and take the stage during the season’s awards banquet to accept the 1994 Hard Charger Award. He was a “hard charger” too! Not only as evidenced by his performance at the beginning of the 1994 season, but also by the fact that after his recovery he made a concentrated focus to return to Cup level competition. And he would succeed in doing so too! Once he returned for Cup events it would take him only a dozen races to once again sit on the pole, and only 7 additional races to take the checkered flag at Loudon. He would go on to win two more races during his career with his final Cup victory coming at the track where he nearly lost his life 3 years earlier.

NASCAR Driver Ernie IrvanA move to MB2 Motorsports came in 1998 as Ernie would continue his Cup career in the #36 Skittles car. His career would end with the team and the #36 after competing in 51 races. During his ride in the #36 he would add 3 poles and 16 top ten finishes to his stats. In an eerie twist of fate, exactly 5 years after his near fatal wreck at MIS, Ernie would once again crash at Michigan requiring him to once again be flown to the hospital and once again be diagnosed with lung and brain damage. Yet the “hard charger” would recover from this accident as well. After making his recovery though he would also call it quits on racing.

Having been given the chance at life, twice, after such harrowing and similar accidents, Ernie put his “hard charger” drive to work on a new focus, helping others who suffer from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). He started his own organization named Race2Safety that focuses on educating parents and their children about head injuries and how to prevent it with safety equipment such as bicycle helmets. In addition to this organizations work, he also helped in LAPS Walk events held at NASCAR tracks during race weekends. Participants were given the unique opportunity to walk on the racetrack along with NASCAR drivers and other celebrities.

It’s unfortunate that Ernie’s career was cut short. But it’s nice to know that he was able to take those terrible events, survive them, and then come out on the other side to try and help others. Ernie Irvan is a leader on and off the track.

Filed under: James Jones, Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR, NASCAR History, Robert Yates Racing 

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NASCAR History: Car Number 37 and Tony Raines

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by JamesJ, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Sundays of my youth consisted of NASCAR racing and cold bottles of Mountain Dew. Thirty years later not much has changed for me. However, nearly everything has changed in NASCAR.

January 8, 2010 3:00 pm UTC No Comments

Tony Raines car number 37Over the next several weeks we’ll be featuring car numbers in NASCAR history. We started with #50 and are working our way down the line. With each car number we’ll take a brief look at a couple stats related to the featured car number, but we’ll primarily spotlight either a driver, sponsor, car owner, manufacturer or other significant subject closely tied to the car number of the day.

While looking at subjects to consider for today’s post I came across a driver who came into NASCAR Cup racing at an age out of the norm. The Cup rookies of recent years seem to be getting younger and younger. If I were comparing today’s subject to a young rookie referred to as “Sliced Bread”, I’d have to refer to this driver as “Sour Dough Bread.”

Stats for all cars running the #37:

  • Number of Races: 403
  • Number of Wins: 1
  • Number of Top 5s: 16
  • Number of Top 10s: 73
  • Number of Poles: 2

    • Check out current NASCAR race statistics here at On Pit Row!

    Spotlight Subject: Driver Tony Raines

    NASCAR Driver Tony RainesIn a time where most all the new Cup drivers are these young guys coming in, Tony got his break in to the top series of NASCAR when he was in his 40s. Tony will tell you, “Racing is a lot of luck, both on and off the track.” In 1998, luck off the track was with him. The story goes, “I was flying home from the Truck Series Race at Sonoma (Calif.). A guy came onto the plane and sat down next to me and asked me what I did. I told him I raced in the Truck Series. He told me he owned a Busch Series team called BACE Motorsports. I was looking for a job, and he was looking for a driver. Two weeks later, we signed a contract. It was pretty wild how it came together.”

    And thus Tony Raines began his Cup rookie season in 2003 totaling 41 races for BACE Motorsports. His best finish for BACE was a 6th place at Rockingham and he finished 33rd in the championship standings. He finished third in the Rookie of the Year standings. The team managed to run the vast majority of the year without major sponsorship. At the end of the season, when BACE couldn’t secure sponsorship, they closed the doors on their Cup operation and the following year ran a part-time schedule in the Busch Series with Tony. During the 2004 and 2005 seasons Tony would bounce from ride to ride around from the Cup, Busch and Truck Series driving for numerous team owners. One such owner was John Carter and his #37 Dodge. While Tony was primarily running a Busch Series car for Kevin Harvick at this time, Tony was determined to take as much seat time in the Cup series as possible. Those 5 races in the #37 would add to his Cup level experience, especially in the draft at Talladega where Tony would start dead last, but finish 22nd. Since that race he has equaled or bested that finish position in each of the four times he has returned to Talladega.

    The determination and seat time paid off finally in 2005 when he got the call from the newly formed Hall of Fame Racing. HoF was a new race team owned by Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach. Tony met with HoF Racing and shortly thereafter was offered the job. Finally, Tony would have a team with major sponsorship to compete in the Cup series. Winston Cup champion Terry Labonte was also hired to assist Tony and the new organization to help ensure they made the first few races with the added security of his champions provisional. In 2007 Tony had an average finish of 25th, and his best finish of 9th came at none other than Talladega while driving for HoF.

    Despite finishing 29th in the 2007 Cup series standings and thereby keeping the HoF Racing team in the top 35 in owner points, Tony Raines was released at the end of the 2007 season. In 2008 HoF Racing put JJ Yeley behind the wheel of the DLP Toyota. Tony ran only limited Cup schedule in 2008 and mostly “start-n-parks” in 2009.

    On an unrelated note, take a look at the #37 Patron Tequila car above. One of the complaints about the Car of Tomorrow has been that they’re ugly. But in my opinion the last generation of cars have always looked pretty ugly in their own right too. There’s hardly any symmetry to them. The front fenders were warped differently on each side, and same goes for the rear fenders. The green house always looked odd to me and the nose looks off center too. Nothing pretty about those cars either.

    Filed under: Hall of Fame Racing, James Jones, NASCAR, NASCAR History 

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