NASCAR BGN: Jimmy Spencer back in the seat for CarQuest Auto Club 300

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

May 25, 2001

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Team Yellow Racing has to be excited about its chances in Saturday’s CarQuest Auto Club 300 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series event at Lowe’s (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

Not only does the #1 Yellow Racing Team welcome back driver Jimmy Spencer – who won the 1997 fall BGN race in Charlotte – but it also has plenty of notes from a two-day test session (May 7, 8) earlier this month at the 1.5-mile oval. With all the track information that Spencer and the #1 Yellow Racing Team have under their tool belts, they feel like a student who has seen the test questions the night before the exam.

"We have a lot experience at that track," said Spencer. "I’ve won at Charlotte before, the race team knows this place and we tested here earlier this year. We were pretty happy with the way the #1 Yellow Chevrolet performed during testing this month. We should be one of the teams to watch this weekend.

"Lowe’s is a great race track," said Spencer. "Many people have tried to duplicate it and failed. It has two grooves, which make for good racing. The fast lane is on the bottom of each turn so it’s important to get your race car handling on the inside lane."

Spencer also has some personal reasons to look forward to racing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

"I really like this track because it’s close to home. I can sleep in my own bed," said Spencer. "There are also a lot of bragging rights to winning this race because most drivers consider Charlotte their hometown. People will always remember who won Charlotte."

As to how the new NASCAR rules regarding spring parameters and bump stops will affect the race cars on the track, Spencer has those questions covered as well … or at least for this weekend.

"I don’t think the new spring rule is going to hurt us at Charlotte," said Spencer. "It will change our set ups at the flat tracks – California, Michigan and other places like that. We have to find something new for those places, but this weekend we should be all right."

Text provided by Chris Hunt

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