NASCAR BGN: Spencer looks to continue consistency at Richmond
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
May 4, 2001
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After back-to-back top 10 finishes – second-place at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and seventh-place at California Speedway – #1 Yellow Racing driver Jimmy Spencer, believes that continued consistency is the key to returning Phoenix Racing to the top 10 in NASCAR Busch Grand National Series point standings. With that in mind, Spencer hopes to continue his string of strong performances in this Friday night’s Hardee’s 250 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (RIR) – the race track where Phoenix Racing won its first Busch race.
That first Busch victory came in the 1996 spring race at Richmond with driver Jeff Purvis. Now that Spencer is behind the wheel of the #1 Yellow Chevrolet, the team hopes to bring another RIR trophy back to its Lynn Haven (Fl.)-based race shop. A victory Friday night is important to Spencer. But as he points out, to win races in NASCAR, one must first learn to walk before one can run.
"While the point standings don’t reflect it yet, we’re a top-10 team," said Spencer. "We need to build on some more top-10 performances because you just don’t go from our current position in the point standings to winning a race. You have to first finish in the top 10, week after week. The wins will come once you establish some consistency. We’re going to Richmond with the attitude that we will be in the top 10. Then, if circumstances in the race go our way, we will contend for the win late in the event."
"I really like Richmond," said Spencer. "I think it’s one of the best short tracks in the country. It’s a track that you can race two-wide all night long. It has two distinctive grooves. One is up high; the other is down on the bottom. The track does get a little slippery, but it still provides some great racing."
Just like Phoenix Racing, Spencer has had success at RIR. He earned two top fives and five top 10s in twelve Busch starts. Spencer is very comfortable at the .75-mile oval and has seen firsthand the challenges that this weekend presents.
"During the day, the track at Richmond is very slick," said Spencer as he spoke about preparing for Friday’s race. "It will have a lot more grip at night when the lights come on. Track conditions will change drastically between practice and the race. You’re practicing in the heat of the day and racing after the track cools off, so you don’t know how the race car is going to perform until the checkered flag falls.
"We’re hoping that we can hit the right race setup for Friday night. You need to rely on the records from past Richmond races. One good thing is that Phoenix Racing has won at Richmond. Between the race team and myself, we have a lot of notes about this track."
Text provided by Chris Hunt
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