NASCAR BGN: Spencer looks for another win in Dover

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

September 20, 2001

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After sweeping both 2001 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series races at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, driver Jimmy Spencer and the #1 Yellow Racing team hope to duplicate their efforts at Dover (Del.) Downs International Raceway with a win in Saturday’s MBNA.com 200.

Spencer won the MBNA Platinum 200 on June 2 with a sound pit strategy and a bit of good fortune. While the Team Yellow Racing driver doesn’t care how he wins a race – only that he wins the race – this time, he doesn’t want to rely on anything but the #1 Yellow Chevrolet.

"I think we got lucky that day," Spencer said about his June win in Dover, which was his second victory of the season. "We didn’t have the best race car but the pit crew did a great job and we made an even better call late in the race. It was just a team effort and we prevailed that day at Dover. We had a top-five race car but we wouldn’t have won if it weren’t for our pit strategy."

In that race, crew chief Marc Reno advised Spencer to make a pit stop for four tires and fuel on lap 127, while the race was under yellow for its second rain delay of the event. Spencer, who was in ninth place, agreed. The #1 Yellow Chevrolet was the only car to pit on that lap. The rest of the drivers remained on the track holding their positions, believing that rain would end the race prematurely.

As the sun came out and the race returned to action on lap 133, Spencer inherited the lead after the drivers in front of him pitted. He held the top position for four laps, until Mike Skinner and Bobby Hamilton Jr., passed the #1 Yellow Chevy. On lap 179, however, Skinner and Hamilton Jr. collided, opening the door for Spencer to reclaim the lead. He led the last 22 laps and won by 2.119 seconds over Matt Kenseth.

The last person to accomplish the Dover sweep in the Busch series was Randy LaJoie in 1996. To try to duplicate the LaJoie’s feat, Spencer will return to Dover with the #1 Yellow Chevy that won there earlier this spring.

"We will take the same race car and notes to match," Spencer said. "What will really help us is that we learned a lot the first time around at Dover. We feel we should be a little better than last time and we’ll be a serious contender for another win there on Saturday."

Text provided by Chris Hunt

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