NASCAR WCUP: Jimmy Spencer always looks forward to home state race at Pocono
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
June 14, 2001Jimmy Spencer, driver of the No. 26 Kmart Taurus, is preparing for a big week as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series heads to Pocono for Sunday's Pocono 500. Spencer, who is a native of nearby Berwick, Pa., will be hosting his annual charity golf outing on Thursday and will then celebrate Father's Day on Sunday with his father, Ed, at Pocono Raceway. Both Spencer's talked about this weekend's homecoming.
JIMMY SPENCER --26-- Kmart Taurus -- WHAT KIND OF MEMORIES DO YOU HAVE AS A YOUNGSTER GOING TO POCONO? "I was one of the first fans to ever see a race on the two-and-a-half mile Pocono. I saw the late Mark Donahue win up there and Richard Petty and Pearson. I went there many times and then when I had my first opportunity to drive a Cup car there, that was special. Doc and Rose (Mattioli) treat you really great, but it was special for me because I had a good car and looked forward to running Pocono in a good car. We ended up with a decent day. I think we finished 12th, which was pretty neat for that being my first time at Pocono. I have a lot of friends and family and I always have a problem at Pocono because I could fill up 10 lists with the names of people who would like to come to that race. I like going to Pocono because that's where I was born and raised. I won on the three-quarter mile, so I'd like to have a good day on Sunday if I could."
WHAT WAS IT LIKE GROWING UP IN THE POCONO AREA AND WATCHING YOUR DAD, ED, RACE? "My dad ran Pocono's three-quarter mile when I wasn't even driving yet. He used to go in there and race, but I can remember going with him and thinking that when you grow up and you want to race, and you know that 45 minutes up the road is a superspeedway, that's something you want to do. You want to race at Pocono. My dad never raced Winston Cup or Grand National. He was always racing on Saturday nights while he raised our family, so when I got my opportunity I think that brought some life to him too. I think he has really enjoyed all of this the last few years. The neat thing about Pocono is that it's a unique race track. It's not just that it's unique, but it's one of the race tracks that you get fogged out. I've never heard of that before, but you get fogged out. I've been fogged out at that race track many times. I think Winston Cup qualifying has even been fogged out, so it's a pretty unique place. Pocono is gorgeous, but some weird things can happen there that don't happen at other places. I can remember I was leading there one time and it was raining. Everyone was saying I was going to win because the rain was gonna last all day, but I knew differently. I'd been there too many times and, sure enough, the rain stopped and it cleared up and we ended up finishing eighth or ninth. The other unique thing about Pocono is that sometimes you can have two or three lead changes on the same lap and it's never official because of the tunnel turn and the short chute and stuff like that."
WITH FATHER'S DAY FALLING THIS WEEKEND. WILL IT BE MORE SPECIAL TO BE AT HOME AND SHARE THAT DAY WITH YOUR DAD? "It will. I've always said that I think we should leave Mother's Day alone. I don't think we should ever race on Mother's Day, but Father's Day is sort of different because if they want to come to the race they can. I think it's pretty neat that we'll get to go to the race on Sunday together and it means even more that it's taking place in my hometown. My dad has been very supportive over the years. He's come to a lot of races and he's in his seventies right now, but I'm lucky because he's still got good health and he loves coming out and watching me race."
YOUR DAD GETS VERY EMOTIONAL WATCHING YOU RACE. WERE YOU THE SAME WAY GROWING UP AND WATCHING HIM? "I think a child looks at it differently than a father. I just never thought my dad could get hurt in a race car. He won a lot of races and was really successful, so I just worked on the car never thought of that stuff. I think as a father looks at his son racing, he doesn't want him to get hurt. I think it's a lot different from me watching my dad and my dad watching me. My son (Jimmy) has started to race a little bit. I don't concern myself a lot with him getting hurt now, but once he starts getting on bigger tracks and racing professionally -- if he decides to do it -- then I think I'll go through what my dad goes through now."
YOU'VE WON AT DAYTONA AND TALLADEGA, BUT IF YOU COULD PICK ONE PLACE YOU'D LOVE TO WIN AT WOULD IT BE POCONO? "Without question. I've come close there a couple of times and I've run well. I'm looking forward to Pocono this year. We've got a car that's run well at Darlington and we've got a combination that has run well at California and Las Vegas. Those tracks are similar to Pocono in a way, plus we've got good motors. I would love to win at Pocono. It would be big for me, but I think it would be even bigger for the fans. I think I've got a really good fan base up there and I'm the only Pennsylvania driver in the Winston Cup Series right now, so I feel like a lot of those fans pull for me for that reason. I'd like nothing better to win for them. I don't want to let them down."
ED SPENCER, Jimmy's Father -- WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU WHEN YOU WATCH JIMMY RACE FROM THE PIT BOX? "It's nerve-wracking. I'm glad when the checkered flag comes out, but I can't talk to anybody until the checkered is out. When that flag drops and the race is over I'll talk, but when the race is over I can't be bothered because it's too nerve-wracking."
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING DURING THE RACE? ARE YOU COACHING HIM FROM THE PITS? "No, I don't have to coach him. I drove all my life and I know he drives just like I do. I'm not worried one bit about him. He's a way better driver than I ever was because this sport has gotten so far more advanced than when I raced."
DID JIMMY TALK A LOT ABOUT WANTING TO RACE IN WINSTON CUP? "We've had tickets at Daytona for about 30 years and I can remember when Jimmy was a teenager we went there one year and were sitting in the stands when he said to his mother, 'Someday I hope I can race here.'"
HOW DID JIMMY GET STARTED RACING? "When Jimmy turned 16 or 17 he was always telling me he wanted to race, but I always tried to discourage him. Well, him and his buddies went off on their own and built a car on their own that I didn't know about. When they finally got it done he went to Selinsgrove (Pa.) and from that point on I started going with him. It turned out really good."
WHY DID YOU TRY TO DISCOURAGE HIM? "I think it's something that's kind of natural as a parent because racing is a dangerous sport and I didn't want him to race at that time. It's going to get even harder for me to stand it because little Jimmy is starting to race. His dad has already got his car built. He's racing Bandoleros and has won already. Little Jimmy is really good -- not that I'm bragging about my grandson or anything."
NOW JIMMY IS GOING TO KNOW WHAT YOU GO THROUGH, RIGHT? "I was talking to my wife (Francis) the other day and she told me, 'Now Pat and Jimmy will realize what we're going through.'" W
HAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR SON'S CAREER IN NASCAR WINSTON CUP? "There aren't many like Jimmy. Jimmy is super. I'm thrilled with the way things have happened. It's something you dream about. I'm really happy with Jimmy and the way things have turned out."
Text provided by Greg Shea
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