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NASCAR WCUP: Crew Chief Club at the goracing.com 500

24 August 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Event: goracing.com 500 When: Sat., Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN
Where: Bristol Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)

* Together, Jimmy Makar, Larry McReynolds, Todd Parrott, Robin Pemberton, Tommy Baldwin, Jimmy Elledge, Ryan Pemberton and Greg Zipadelli have led their drivers to 88 wins, 482 top-five finishes, 796 top-10 finishes and 94 poles prior to this Saturday's goracing.com 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

* Zipadelli and driver Tony Stewart captured the Bud Pole in last year's Goody's Headache Powder 500. Sewart toured the .533-mile oval in 15.401 seconds at an average speed of 124.589 mph.

* Crew Chief Club member teams occupied six of the top-ten starting positions in last fall's event.

* Two members of the Crew Chief Club have seen their drivers to victory lane at the Bristol night race. Parrott and Dale Jarrett won in 1997, while Pemberton and Wallace took the checkered flag in 1996.

* In last year's Goody's Headache Powder 500, the Crew Chief Club finished in the following order: Zipadelli/Stewart Start: 1st Finish: 5th Status: Running

  • Baldwin/W. Burton Start: 5th Finish: 9th Status: Running
  • Elledge/K. Wallace Start: 3rd Finish: 11th Status: Running
  • Ro. Pemberton/R. Wallace Start: 2nd Finish: 18th Status: Running
  • Ry. Pemberton/Nadeau Start: 8th Finish: 20th Status: Running
  • McReynolds/Skinner Start: 6th Finish: 23rd Status: Running
  • Makar/Labonte Start: 21st Finish: 26th Status: Transmission
  • Parrott/Jarrett Start: 25th Finish: 38th Status: Running

IS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR AT BRISTOL?

Tommy Baldwin - Caterpillar Pontiac of Ward Burton - "It's real important that we're all on our toes at Bristol. It is certainly a track where anything can happen. You could be having a great run in the top five and then a lapped car get turned around and collect you in a minute. We need to make sure that doesn't happen. We've slipped a little in the points the past few weeks and Bristol would be a good place to make up some of those points."

Jimmy Makar - Interstate Batteries Pontiac of Bobby Labonte - "Bristol is one of those race tracks where you don't want to be racing every lap. You want to find yourself a little spot where you can sit and ride for most of the race, saving your car for a run at the end. So, track position is critical."

Larry McReynolds - Lowe's Home Improvement Chevrolet of Mike Skinner - "Planning your pit strategy is important. You want to have a good set of tires on your car for the last 75 laps or so, so you won't have to pit again, because lapped traffic just kills you. Once you're behind a bunch of cars that are a lap or more down, it's really tough to get by them."

Todd Parrott - Ford Quality Care Service/Ford Credit Ford of Dale Jarrett - "Pit strategy is important because you've got to have track position. You want to keep your car up front and away from all the lapped traffic."

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.