The Buzz: July 7, 2001

July 8, 2001
2:56 AM EDT (0656 GMT)

Jimmy Spencer made no bones about the fact he is a Britney Spears fan before the Pepsi 400 drivers’ meeting began.

Tough guy Spencer made a point of cozying up to Spears, the pop hearthrob, and getting a photograph made with her while enjoying the barbs thrown his way.

THE LATEST CHAPTER

Tony Stewart wrote the latest chapter in his oft-contentious relationship with the media Saturday night after the Pepsi 400.

Stewart was reportedly livid after he was black flagged by NASCAR for driving beneath the yellow line at the bottom of the race track in the last five laps of the race.

When he was approached by veteran journalist Mike Mulhern, he slapped the reporter’s tape recorder out of his hands, then kicked it under a row of trailers before Mulhern could stoop to retrieve it.

No comments were available from Stewart after the event, though his crew chief, Greg Zipadelli commented at length on the ultimate penalty of 20 positions.

HEAD AND NECK RESTRAINTS

According to a count released by NASCAR after the start of the Pepsi 400 regarding head and neck restraint systems in use Saturday night, 23 drivers in the field were wearing the HANS device, 10 were wearing a restraint system developed by Richard Childress Racing engineer Bobby Hutchens and 10 apparently were not using any special system.

DAYTONA DOES OIL DEAL

In a pre-race announcement, Daytona International Speedway and Valvoline announced a deal in which the oil company will become an official corporate sponsor of the Daytona 500 as one of a “select, elite, prominent” group of eight sponsors, speedway president John Graham said. Graham noted there would be no name change involved with the Daytona 500.

In addition, there was no conflict with TOSCO, whose 76 product is the “Official Fuel” of DIS and NASCAR, as opposed to Valvoline, the “Official Motor Oil.”

Geoffrey Bodine

GEOFFREY BODINE TO RETURN TO CUP

Since being let go from his No. 60 Chevrolet Winston Cup ride last year, Geoffrey Bodine has been striving to get back into NASCAR's top level. Well, it looks like he's going to do just that for at least one race.

The elder Bodine will attempt to qualify for the August 25 night time event at Bristol Motor Speedway in a deal with Brett Bodine. He was supposed to run one race in Charlotte this year, but that deal fell through.

"This deal is a definite," Geoffrey said. "Right now, it looks like it's going to be a go for the Bristol event."

LEWIS STILL HANGING ON

Ashton Lewis

On the verge of closing due to a lack of funds, Ashton Lewis will be able to make it through the upcoming Chicagoland Speedway event next weekend. It was earlier reported the unsponsored No. 46 Chevrolet was going to have to shut down after this weekend's Watkins Glen event.

The team has talked with many potential sponsors, but nothing solid for this year.

"Most everyone (sponsors) we talked to is looking at next year," Lewis said. "After Chicago, we may have to do a partial deal for the rest of the year and hope for something next year. All that means is we would be more competitive in 2002."

Lewis has had good qualifying efforts in the first 18 BGN events this year with five top-10 starting spots.

BERRIER PRACTICES FOR HARVICK

Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick is logging more frequent miles on race tracks and in airplanes than any NASCAR driver this year. With his current point leading BGN campaign and rookie of the year efforts in Winston Cup, it's been tough to be in two places at once sometimes.

So, with a little help from his friends he's managing. Such was the case Saturday during Happy Hour for Sunday's GNC Live Well 200 at Watkins Glen. Ed Berrier jumped into the BGN No. 2 Chevrolet as Harvick was en route back to Daytona for Saturday night's Pepsi 400 in Daytona.

Both Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mike Bliss have previously filled in at a practice or Happy Hour session in one of his cars.