The Tide, the Tigers, and Mongo
Aaron's 499 Advance - Talladega Superspeedway

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 2, 2003) - There's something to be said about a place that boasts one of the most exciting races of the year and still ranks it below spring football, which is nothing more than a month of glorified practices.

"But that's Alabama," says Jimmy Spencer, an avid fan of the gridiron.  "College football rules in Alabama.  If you don't like it, they'll tell you to go somewhere else, because they're not changing."

Nor should they.  Between the University of Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn University Tigers, there is little room for a 500-mile race.  Perhaps that is why Talladega Superspeedway hosts the only 499-miler on the schedule -- because to run that 500th mile would require an extra 52 seconds that could be better spent discussing which freshman recruit ran the fastest 100-yard gasser.

Nonetheless, the NASCAR Winston Cup boys will still get their turn on Alabama's center stage this weekend with Sunday's running of the Aaron's 499 (1 p.m. ET on Fox), and will do so in front a crowd of more than 160,000.  The SIRIUS Dog Pound has been itching for another chance at a restrictor-plate race ever since an early accident in the Daytona 500 (Feb. 16) prohibited it from truly flexing its superspeedway muscles.

With race eight of 36 now upon us, Spencer slows down to discuss a handful of topics, including this weekend's race, his Talladega win in 1994 and, of course, football in Alabama.  According to Spencer, Dennis Franchione isn't high on Mongo's list either.

Jimmy Spencer's thoughts:

A Chevrolet has won each of the last eight races at Talladega.  Do the Dodges have a chance this weekend?
"Well, I think they have a chance every weekend.  It's obvious the DEI (Dale Earnhardt Inc.) teams are very strong, and so is the whole GM speedway program.  But with Ryan Newman breaking through for Dodge last week, that was big.  The Dodges have been qualifying well; they just weren't getting to Victory Lane until last week.  The Dodges seem to run well on superspeedways, and with the new body rules, I think we'll be more competitive in these restrictor-plate races."

You've always liked Talladega.  Why is that?
"Because it's fast, there's a lot of room to race, and it's great for the fans.  I don't care what people say about how the racing is too close, and that it's a recipe for disaster.  The restrictor plates are here to stay.  I've always liked Talladega and Daytona because they are high adrenaline tracks and they require strategy.  It's everything you could want in a race."

Because of the restrictor plates, most people expect a big wreck at these superspeedways to take out 10 or 15 cars in one swipe.  Do you expect the "big one" again?
"I hope it doesn't happen, but it usually does.  I know I catch flack for saying this, but I honestly believe that 99 out of 100 times, the 'big one' is started by driver error.  Some teams come in with a strategy on how to avoid it, but it's really a game of chance."

Then what is your philosophy - patience or aggressiveness?
I don't think you can predict what you're going to do.  I think it depends on how your car is handling.  The 13-gallon fuel cells will play into it, because it's obvious you're going to be making pit stops under green.  A lot of things will happen on the pit stops that will dictate how the race comes out."

What do you remember most about your win here in 1994?
"I remember that I had a chance to win the spring race at Talladega, but I made a mistake and ended up finishing third or fourth.  So I went back to the fall race convinced I wouldn't make that mistake again.  My mistake was that I waited too long to make my move, and I ended up getting boxed in.  So in the fall race, I had already decided that if I could make a move and get to the front, I'd do it and take the results as they came.  That's what I did.  I got to the front of the pack and held off Bill Elliott for the win."

What's it like to win in front of the fans in Alabama?
"There's nothing like it.  Talladega is such an extraordinary place, and a lot of that has to do with the fans there.  I met a guy about 10 years ago at Talladega, and he said he'd been coming to the races for 13 or 14 years, and I've seen him about every year since I met him.  I remember he told me there are only two things in life he looks forward to: Alabama football and Talladega race weekends.  I hope I see him again this year, because I'd love to ask him what he thinks about their new head coach."

Or better yet, ask him what he thinks about their old coach.  Those people in Alabama didn't think too fondly of Dennis Franchione leaving to take the coaching job at Texas A&M.
"Boy, that's the truth.  I've heard all kinds of funny stories about some of the ways Alabama fans voiced their displeasure.  The way I see it, if he was doing what was best for his family, it's hard to fault a guy for that.  But it ticked Mongo off.  Mongo is an upbeat kind of dog, but when Franchione left, Mongo listened to the blues channel on his SIRIUS radio for about a month.  He wasn't happy."

I didn't know Mongo was an Alabama fan.
"Mongo likes everybody.  He's a lover, not a hater."

Spencer qualifies 35th at Talladega
Aaron's 499 Qualifying Report - Talladega Superspeedway

TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 4, 2003) - More than a month-and-a-half ago, Team SIRIUS crew chief Tommy Baldwin already knew his work would be cut out for him once the circuit hit the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway.  A wreck in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 16 demolished the team's primary superspeedway car - the same car it had tested so well here at Talladega several weeks before.

"The car we took to Daytona was by far our best car for the superspeedway tracks," Baldwin said.  "The car we brought here this weekend we also tested, and it didn't test as well as the other one.  But we think it will race well."

It will have to for Team SIRIUS to be a contender in Sunday's Aaron's 499 NASCAR Winston Cup race - the eighth event of the season.  Jimmy Spencer will start 35th after qualifying the SIRIUS Dodge with a time of 52.334 seconds (182.979 mph) around the 2.66-mile track.  He avoided taking his first provisional of the season by two spots, as Todd Bodine squeaked in right behind Spencer in the 36th position.

"We knew we wouldn't be in the top 10 or top 15, but we thought we could run a 52-flat," Spencer said.  "We've got a lot of work to do on the SIRIUS Dodge tomorrow to get it ready for the race.  But the good thing about this track is that we can race our way up to the front if we can get a good handle on the car.  This is just a chess game, and really the first 495 miles don't matter as long as you can survive it.  You just try to put yourself in position for the final two laps."

Jeremy Mayfield won the Bud Pole Award with his speed of 186.489 mph.  Kevin Harvick will start second followed by Elliott Sadler, Jeff Gordon, and Bill Elliott.  Three drivers did not make the field of 43 - Mike Wallace, Brett Bodine, Larry Foyt.  However, Wallace was awarded the final starting position after David Green's time was disallowed after his car was found to be a half-inch too low in the rear.  Green had qualified sixth.  Green's disqualification will actually move Spencer up one spot to start 34th on Sunday.

The Aaron's 499 is slated to start at 1 p.m. (ET) and will be televised live on Fox.

Pit Notes:  Spencer will be appearing for a 45-minute autograph session on Sunday, April 6, before the Aaron's 499.  The autograph session will take place at the SIRIUS Rhythm of the Road exhibit outside the track from 8:15 a.m. - 9 a.m. 

"The Big One" takes out Team SIRIUS
Aaron's 499 Race Report - Talladega Superspeedway

TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 6, 2003) - Neither the SIRIUS Racing Team nor 26 other cars could escape "the big one" Sunday afternoon in the Aaron's Rent 499 NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, as a massive wreck on lap five turned what was a promising field of competitors into a spattering of survivors.

SIRIUS driver Jimmy Spencer was collected in the tumultuous pile-up in turn two, which started when the left rear tire of Ryan Newman's No. 12 Dodge cut down.  The blown tire left Newman out of control, and it spearheaded a domino-effect crash that left the entire corner of the speedway littered with wreckage. Spencer was drafting mid-pack and nearly escaped the melee, but a spinning car shot in front of him, and he t-boned into it.  Spencer finished the race 38th.

The multi-car accident was out of sight from pit road, but the eerie sounds of Spencer's impact were heard over the radio.  Not until the car finally came to a rest was the crew assured of their driver's condition.

"I'm all right," the driver said to his team.  "There was nothing I could do."

Baldwin immediately prompted the team to return to the garage.  The Dog Pound spent the next half-hour cutting away the front clip of the Dodge Intrepid.  Meanwhile, Spencer was taken to the infield care center, examined and released.  He soon returned to the track in a severely battered race car, but NASCAR allowed Team SIRIUS only four laps before sending the orders to load the car.

Talladega's 2.66-mile track carries a reputation for collecting cars in one massive wreck, hence the name, "the big one."  It's long been argued that the NASCAR-mandated restrictor plates are to blame.  The plates, which fit over the carburetor, bog down the airflow into the engine and, in turn, slow down the car.  NASCAR uses the plates to keep the speeds from exceeding 200 mph at Talladega and Daytona.

It was the second 20-plus car wreck in as many days at Talladega.  An identical incident took out half of the NASCAR Busch Series field the day before in the Aaron's 312.  That, too, was started by a blown tire.

THE YELLOW LINE:  Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his fourth consecutive race at Talladega Superspeedway, but this one didn't come without controversy.  In going for the lead on lap 185 of 188, Earnhardt drove beneath the yellow line, which separates the racing grooves from the apron.  NASCAR implemented a rule two years ago saying drivers cannot steer beneath the yellow line to make a pass at superspeedway tracks.

But NASCAR did not penalize Earnhardt.  The decision sparked significant post-race speculation.  But NASCAR vice president for communications, Jim Hunter, said Earnhardt had already passed Kenseth's car when he dipped below the line.  Earnhardt went on to take the win.  Kevin Harvick finished second, followed by Elliott Sadler, Ricky Craven and Terry Labonte.

SPENCER'S TAKE:  Disappointed the day ended so early, Spencer immediately returned to the garage after being cleared at the infield care center.  There, he reflected on the incident.

"There was nothing anybody could do," he said.  "I just thank the Good Lord nobody got hurt. It was a bad deal. You can't avoid it. It didn't take long. You could blame it on restrictor plates, but it wasn't restrictor plates. Something cut the tire down. Drivers have no control of the cars when they blow tires. I'm just glad nobody got hurt.

"The same deal happened in the Busch race.  A tire cut down off somebody's car, and it's chaos after that.  You have cars sliding all over the track.  You're looking for a hole, but it closes up so fast.  I thought I'd found a way to get through.  I went low, and before I knew it, a car slid right in front of me and I slammed into it.

"Rusty Wallace, Greg Biffle, and myself were coming up through there pretty good.  I could tell our car was a lot better under racing conditions than it was on qualifying runs.  I was going to just stay locked up with Rusty because we were headed to the front.  Unfortunately, we never got that chance.  We'll be back.  We're looking forward to Martinsville next week."

ROOM TO SMILE:  A half-hour's worth of work on the front clip of the car certainly gave the SIRIUS Dodge a different look.  The Dog Pound cut, tore and sawed sheet metal away from the entire front portion of the car, leaving the Mike Ege engine fully exposed.  That prompted Baldwin to look over at Spencer and ask, "What does this look like to you?"

Knowing exactly what Baldwin was implying, Spencer yelled back, "A modified!  It's Riverhead!"

Spencer and Baldwin both graduated from the NASCAR National Modified Series.  One of the classic Spencer/Baldwin duals took place at Riverhead (N.Y.) Speedway, where the Baldwin family beat the Spencers in dominating fashion.

PIT NOTES:
** With his 38th-place finish, Spencer took a hit in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings, dropping six spots to 30th (740 points).

** More than 200 SIRIUS Racing fans greeted Spencer with chants of "Mongo, Mongo, Mongo" Sunday morning at the SIRIUS "Rhythm of the Road" exhibit.  Spencer signed autographs for nearly 45 minutes, and he even took time to talk to his favorite SIRIUS disc jockey, Lenny Block.

"I recognized his voice," Spencer said.  "I'm always listening to Channel 15, the classic rock channel, in my truck.  That's far and away my favorite channel.  So I'm sitting there signing, and I hear this voice over the loud speakers, and I said, 'That sounds like the guy on the rock channel.'  Sure enough, it was."

Spencer momentarily halted the autograph procession line to go shake Block's hand and tell him he was a big fan of Channel 15.

"He just made my day," Block said.

** The NASCAR Winston Cup Series will go from the biggest race track to the smallest, as it hits the half-mile oval of Martinsville (Va.) Speedway next weekend.  The Virginia 500 is slated to start at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday and will be televised live on Fox.