Sunday, November 19, 2000
Auto Racing Insider
Luyendyk mulling a return to Indy
The Indianapolis 500 has lacked big names in recent years, but a big one might be returning. Arie Luyendyk, a two-time Indy winner who retired after the 1999 race, reportedly has told friends he wants to return in 2001.
The 47-year-old Luyendyk would drive for either Chip Ganassi or Fred Treadway, the Indianapolis Star reported.
“I'm really bored and I really miss the rush that racing gave me,” Luyendyk said.
Luyendyk, a native of Holland who now lives in Phoenix, won the Indy 500 in 1990 and '97.
LEPAGE OUT: Car owner Jack Roush has shut down the No.16 Winston Cup team, which featured driver Kevin Le page, for next season. Roush will continue in 2001 with Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch driving his Winston cars.
Lepage, at last rumor, was the top candidate for the vacant No.4 Kodak car for next season.
MORE CHANGES: Team Sabco/Ganassi Racing released driver Ted Musgrave from the No.01 Chevrolet for this weekend's Winston season finale at Atlanta. Bobby Hamilton Jr., son of the Winston driver, took over the No.01 this weekend. Hamilton Jr. has been driving in the Busch series.
Musgrave had been driving the No.01 since the death of the team's previous driver, Kenny Irwin. Musgrave's best finish was 13th, but he had failed to make two of the previous three races.
GIRL POWER: Shawna Robinson, who drove at Kentucky Speedway this year, finished seventh in the ARCA stock car series' points race. She became the first female to finish in the top 10 in the final standings of a national oval-track series, and also the first female to complete a full season in one of those series.
Robinson's promotional literature carries the theme, “You Go, Girl.” A married mother of two, the 35-year-old Robinson hopes to run a partial Winston Cup schedule in 2001.
Robinson is also the only woman to have won a Busch series pole, which she did in 1994.
K-MART CLOSURE: Whatever Robinson drives in 2001, it won't be under the “Kmart Kids Race Against Drugs” banner she used this year.
Kmart said last week it will end its role as a sponsor in auto racing, after announcing a $67 million third-quarter loss. Kmart hopes to exit its auto sponsorship agreements before the 2001 season, according to reports.
Kmart reportedly has spent nearly $40 million annually on auto racing sponsorships, including the No.66 Ford of Darrell Waltrip the past two seasons.
Kmart has been the primary sponsor of a NASCAR team for five years. The company also has been an associate sponsor of the Newman/Haas CART Texaco team for many years.
Kmart plans to continue selling its NASCAR merchandise in stores.
WALTRIP MAY RETURN: Waltrip's farewell race today may not be the end, after all.
The three-time Winston Cup champion said last week he would consider being a fill-in driver during the second half of the 2001 season. During the first half of next year, Waltrip will be in the TV booth with the new Fox team.
Waltrip, 53, also is expected to continue as a paid consultant to Jerry Carroll's Kentucky Speedway.
WINTER BREAK: With the Winston Cup season ending today and most series shut down for the winter, this column also will take a break. The plan is to return in February, probably the week of the Daytona 500.
Thanks to all the readers, e-mailers and news tippers for their feedback this season. To keep us updated during the winter, please e-mail the address below.
E-mail: tgroeschen@enquirer.com
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Auto Racing Insider
