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NASCAR WCUP: Crew Chief Club at the New England 300

7 July 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
* Together, Jimmy Makar, Larry McReynolds, Todd Parrott, Robin Pemberton, Tommy Baldwin, Jimmy Elledge, Ryan Pemberton and Greg Zipadelli have led their drivers to 84 wins, 472 top-five finishes, 777 top-10 finishes and 92 poles prior to this Sunday's New England 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway.

* Baldwin has scored five victories in the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series at New Hampshire. Along with current tire specialist, Tracey Christiansen, he led NASCAR Winston Cup driver Steve Park to three victories and Jeff Fuller to two

* McReynolds has a win and a pole at New Hampshire with driver Ernie Irvan. The pole was scored in 1994 at the Slick 50 300 and the win came two years later in the 1996 Jiffy Lube 300.

* Pemberton's driver Rusty Wallace has the distinction of winning the inaugural event at New Hampshire in 1996.

* In last year's Jiffy Lube 300, the Crew Chief Club finished in the following order:

  • Elledge/K. Wallace Start: 6th Finish: 2nd Status: Running
  • Parrott/Jarrett Start: 9th Finish: 4th Status: Running
  • Zipadelli/Stewart Start: 10th Finish: 10th Status: Running
  • Baldwin/W. Burton Start: 22nd Finish: 15th Status: Running
  • Ry. Pemberton/Irvan Start: 20th Finish: 21st Status: Running
  • McReynolds/Skinner Start: 19th Finish: 23rd Status: Running
  • Makar/Labonte Start: 3rd Finish: 38th Status: Running
  • Ro. Pemberton/R. Wallace Start: 2nd Finish: 42nd Status: Accident

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS GOING INTO LOUDON THIS WEEKEND?Tommy Baldwin - Caterpillar Pontiac of Ward Burton - "I'm excited about getting back to New Hampshire. We made some major gains at Loudon last year. We hadn't finished better than 23rd until last year. We ran real well at the spring race and settled for a 15th place finish. I'm pleased with our progress, but we need to get a little better to contend for that win. We're going to run the same car we raced at Martinsville and Richmond.

Jimmy Elledge - Square D/Cooper Lighting Chevrolet of Kenny Wallace - "When we visited Loudon last July, we achieved a career-best finish for this team with our pit-strategy. It was a hero call that could've been a zero call, but we got the track position we needed to get that second place finish. Track position always ends up being the key element in a race especially at Loudon so you'll see a lot of teams planning their strategies early. Kenny loves this track and usually does well here, so we're hoping that first win isn't too far around the corner."

Larry McReynolds - Lowe's Home Improvement Chevrolet of Mike Skinner - "Loudon is the type of track that seems to suit Mike and we have a good handle on it. The car we're taking is the one we ran in Martinsville and Richmond earlier this year. While we started up front in both of those events, we didn't finish all too well. But I'm sure we'll have everything figured out by Sunday afternoon."

Robin Pemberton - Miller Lite Ford of Rusty Wallace - "We've struggled on and off at Loudon especially last year. We didn't do too well in July but had a great run in September so go figure. We don't really have a good base work off of. We usually attack this race like we've never been there before because that track goes through a change every year with the cold winters and everything."

Text provided by Heather McConnell

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.