Ready or not, the NASCAR marathon has begun
The Coca-Cola 600 Advance - Lowe's Motor Speedway

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 22, 2003) -- Jimmy Spencer has been logging many laps this week, but not driving the No. 7 SIRIUS Dodge Intrepid; rather he's been operating a Cat Skid Steer Loader tractor that he's using to move dirt in his flourishing front yard.

The way Spencer sees it, this is the last week he can devote this much attention to his landscape, because the NASCAR marathon is about to start.  And once it starts, there's no looking back.

This weekend's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway (5 p.m. EDT on Fox) begins a grueling 26-week-long string of races that will carry the NASCAR Winston Cup Series through the remainder of the season.  There are no more off weekends, and no more holidays.  It's all racing from now until the middle of November.

It's only fitting that the longest string of consecutive races starts with the longest event on the schedule.  Sunday's 600-miler will begin in daylight, end under darkness, and present a whole bucketful of challenges in between.  For that reason, much of the time Spencer has spent on his tractor has been in deep reflection on the past 11 races, and what the SIRIUS Racing Team can do to prosper in the 12th.

With the Coca-Cola 600 now upon us, Spencer climbs off his yard machine to discuss a handful of topics, including time at home, the upcoming schedule, and how Mongo should tackle a 600-mile event. 

Team SIRIUS driver Jimmy Spencer's thoughts:

No more off weekends.  Are you ready?
"There's no question that we're ready.  I think it's going to be important that we get some good finishes in this first month, because it sets the tone for the rest of the year.  Twenty-six weekends in a row is hard for any team, but it's even harder if you're not doing well.  This SIRIUS team has had some good runs this year, but we haven't gotten the finishes we're looking for.  I'm hoping that changes this weekend.  We need a good top-15 run this weekend."

How do you prepare yourself for a 26-week long race schedule?
"Everybody talks about how difficult it is for the drivers, but look at the guys on the crew.  They are the ones who are really roughing it.  Most of the drivers, myself included, have the opportunity to bring their wife and kids to the track each weekend, whereas guys on the team don't really get that chance, unless we're racing somewhere closer to home.  They are the ones who rarely get to see their families because we're gone Thursday through Sundays, and they work in the shop Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  That's a tough schedule."

Have you enjoyed the last two weeks here at home?
"It's the most refreshing time of the year.  I've been able to work on my yard, take my kids places, spend more time at home, and still go racing on the weekends.  I played a couple rounds of golf, and I watched American Idol.  I never really got into that show until last week.  My wife and daughter were watching it, and so I sat down and started watching it, and the next thing I know I'm calling up the number to place my vote."

Were you pleased with the results?
"Yeah, my guy won.  What's his name … Ruben?  Both of those guys were good, but Ruben captured the audience better than the skinny kid did, in my opinion.  The very last song he sang the other night, that's what did it for him.  I wasn't too sure if he was going to win until I heard him sing his last song.  I can't even remember what it was, but I know it was good."

Is Mongo ready for a 600-mile race?
"I've been feeding Mongo healthier food this week to get him in better shape -- none of that junk food.  We're taking a different car this week, one we think will really be good for us.  It's a long race, it's a test of endurance, and it tests how well you can adjust your car.  The change from day to night really throws you a curve ball, but it's one you're expecting, so you plan for it.  Tommy Baldwin is as sharp as they come, and if you've noticed, our car always gets better.  From the time we unroll off the truck, we consistently improve as the weekend rolls on, and we're usually pretty good by the time the green flag drops.  I really give Tommy, Trip Bruce, Nuck, (shock specialist Mike McCarville, often called "Canuck" or "Nuck") and all those boys credit.  They do a heck of a job."

Baldwin-led Dog Pound qualifies 14th for Coke 600
Coca-Cola 600 Qualifying Report - Lowe's Motor Speedway

CONCORD, N.C. (May 23, 2003) -- Ultra Motorsports owner Jim Smith wasn't at the track on Friday, but had he been, he would've seen just why he hired Tommy Baldwin as his crew chief.

Baldwin and the SIRIUS Dog Pound took a car that was no better than 32nd in Friday's first practice and qualified it 14th for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.  Driver Jimmy Spencer turned a lap around the 1.5-mile speedway at 182.593 miles per hour, which at the time was good for the eighth spot.  It was a drastic improvement from the practice session not even two hours earlier.  Spencer had problems even completing one lap during the first minutes of practice, as the car bottomed out several times and a tire rub left a trail of smoke coming out of the No. 7 SIRIUS Dodge.

"We had a lot of work to do," Spencer said.  "This car has a lot more grip than last week's car (in the Winston Open), and we were having problems with it bottoming out in turns 3 and 4.  We made a bunch of changes.  Tommy wanted to do one more thing and I wouldn't let him.  It was my fault.  He's got confidence in everything he does, and so do I.  The other thing he wanted to do wasn't a major change, but it would have helped it pick up three or four more tenths and possibly have put us in the top five."

In one of the more interesting storylines of the weekend, Team SIRIUS is running the same car in finished 12th with at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 23.  Not too many people would event think to use their Bristol car on the 1.5-mile speedways, but Team SIRIUS is, because this car was actually built for the Charlotte/Atlanta type speedways.  But after taking it to the wind tunnel three months ago, it appeared to have too much downforce.  The numbers were more ideal for Bristol, so the Dog Pound took it there and led 132 laps with it.  Since then, they've rebuilt the body-most notably the front fenders-and made it more fit for its original style of track.

"This car feels a lot better than the one we ran with in The Winston Open," Spencer said.  "Tommy knows what he's doing.  I'm sure there were some people who looked at him like he was crazy when he said he was bringing the Bristol car to Charlotte.  I really felt like we had an opportunity to qualify in the top five.  We didn't tighten the car up enough, but that was my fault.."

The Coca-Cola 600 is slated for a 5 p.m. EDT start and will be televised live on Fox.  Ryan Newman will start on the pole with his qualifying speed of 185.312 mph.  Elliott Sadler, Mike Skinner, Jeff Gordon and Jack Sprague round out the top five.

A Day for the SIRIUS Dog Pound
Coca-Cola 600 Race Report -- Lowe's Motor Speedway

CONCORD, N.C. (May 25, 2003) -- For anyone who doubted the potential of the new and improved No. 7 SIRIUS Racing Team, perhaps you're hearing the music a little more clearly now.

Team SIRIUS turned up the volume Sunday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway by recording its first top-five finish of the season.  Benefiting from lightning fast pit stops, Jimmy Spencer finished fourth in the Coca-Cola 600, which was really the Coca-Cola 414 after NASCAR called an early completion to the event because of rain.

The No. 7 Dodge never dropped out of the top 15 all night, although it did get caught a lap down when Ricky Rudd's spin brought out a caution moments after making a pit stop.  But the Dog Pound gained its lap back, and then moved up through the top 10 and into the top five before Mother Nature settled in over Lowe's Motor Speedway.

The fourth-place finish gave SIRIUS its first top five since becoming primary sponsor of the No. 7 Ultra Motorsports race car last year.  Additionally, it was Spencer's best race result since finishing fourth in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway last year, and it bested his season-best finish of seventh at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March.

Jimmie Johnson won the race, giving him the "Charlotte sweep" after winning The Winston all-star race last weekend.  NASCAR Winston Cup point leader Matt Kenseth finished second and Bobby Labonte third.  Spencer and Ryan Newman rounded out the top five.

KEY FACTOR:  The SIRIUS pit crew came to Lowe's Motor Speedway with its game face on, and it showed.  Spencer made four pit stops in the final 51 laps, each time leaving with better track position than when he came in.  In fact, a total of eight spots were gained on pit road during the final four stops -- none of which took longer than 14 seconds.

The most important stop was perhaps the fifth.  Having been caught a lap down because of an ill-timed caution, the Dog Pound peeled off a 13.8-second service call that put Spencer on the inside of row 1 for the restart.  When the green flag waved on lap 227, Spencer got a jump on leader Bobby Labonte and was able to put five car-lengths separation between him and the No. 18.  Then Team SIRIUS got its break when Steve Park brought out the yellow flag, enabling Mongo to go around and regain lead-lap status.

"The pit crew did that," said spotter Donnie "Fat Boy" Eppling from atop Lowe's Motor Speedway.  "Way to spank 'em, boys!"

Pitting the No. 7 car was the front-tire duo of Scott Ward (changer) and Trip Bruce (carrier), and rear-tire duo of Chaz Myer (changer) and Brent Wentz (carrier).  Rick Pennington jacked up the car, while Jeff Miles applied the gas and Craig "Skippy" Smith held the catch can.

CREW TALK:  Early in the night, Spencer was saying the car was tight, but he was able to remain in the top 15.   Crew chief Tommy Baldwin assured his driver he'd fix the car, but he wanted to remind Spencer to be patient.
Baldwin:  "It's a long night, and we've still got a long way to go.  Keep digging, bud, you're doing a good job out there."
Spencer:  "10-4, Mongo's not even breathing hard.  He's just wagging his tail right now.  I'm just too tight in the corner.  Every time I go in, it gets to pushing like a freight train."

The first of two red flags came out at lap 115, which stopped the cars for 17 minutes.  During that time, Spencer remained in the No. 7 Dodge while NASCAR officials dried the track.
Eppling:  "Tommy, NASCAR just said to put the drivers back in the car."
Spencer:  "I'm in my car, Fat Boy.  Did you go somewhere?"
Eppling:  "I got a little hungry."
Spencer:  "Are you eating a hot dog up there?"
Eppling: "No, actually, Mike Skinner's spotter is passing out carrot cake up here, so I went over and got me a piece.  I've never known you to stay in your car during a red flag.  This is a first."
Spencer:  "You do realize you're going to have to go to the bathroom in about 30 laps."
Eppling:  "That's OK.  Mike Skinner's spotter said he'll cover for me while I go."

During the third caution period, Spencer brought the car down pit road in 13th.  When he left, he was in ninth.
Baldwin:  "Good stop Dog Pound!  That's the way it should be every week."
Eppling:  "Check out that board, boys.  You gained four spots.  What do you think about that pit crew of yours, Jimmy?"
Spencer:  "I'm glad you're on my team.  Nice job in there, guys."

POST-RACE QUOTES:
Jimmy Spencer -- "I really gotta hand it to the pit crew.  They earned their money tonight.  Tommy has assembled a great group of guys.  We've all made some mistakes this year, but one of our goals after The Winston was not to make any mistakes. The boys didn't make any tonight. We had some absolutely incredible pit stops, 13.8, 13.9, 14.2. That's hard work. Tommy and Lance (Munksgard, pit coach) have really been working hard with these guys."

"I gave Tommy some bad information. We got the car too loose. Tommy said he was going to fix it and he fixed it for me. We got up there and got our lap back, and then we go on and finish fourth. If it had gone back to racing, who knows? Maybe we would've had a shot at those Chevrolets up front and Matt (Kenseth). All in all, I can't say enough about Tommy Baldwin and my guys. I've said it before. I wouldn't trade 'em.  I wish we could have gone back. I wanted a shot at it. Tommy hit the nail on the head and fixed the car, and yeah, I wish we could have raced some more."

"Tommy and I get along great and I trust him, and he knows that.  That is the most important thing you can have in this garage -- when your crew chief tells you what he's going to do, you now he's not lying to you.  When I made the changes on the car, we dropped to 15th.  When he made the changes on the car, we moved up into the top 10.  So from now on, I'm trusting Tommy's judgment.  He knows what he's doing.  I think the world of him."

"I believe this is the first top five for SIRIUS since they've been on board with Jimmy Smith, so congratulations to them.  They've waited a long time to get their car up front, and I'm glad we are able to do it for them.  A lot of people are realizing about SIRIUS, and how cool it is to be able to listen to music and entertainment 24-hours a day with no commercials and no static.  SIRIUS is a great sponsor to drive for, and Ultra Motorsports is a great race team to drive for.  I'm a lucky guy."

Tommy Baldwin -- "Tonight showed character in this race team.  It was real important to finish up front. Almost every race we were running 13th or better only to see something happen.  This is a good little race team we've got here. People, hopefully, will start noticing and paying attention."