The Buzz: July 23, 2001

July 23, 2001
6:17 PM EDT (2217 GMT)

Sorry to say, Robby Gordon had a Mike Skinner-like debut in Richard Childress Racing’s No. 31 Lowe’s Chevrolet Sunday in the New England 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. However, by the time the race was over and Gordon recorded a 25th-place finish from a 36th-place start, Childress had confirmed that Gordon would get a second chance in next Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway.

Gordon is on a race-to-race deal with Childress while Skinner, who was injured in a crash July 15 at Chicagoland Speedway in the Tropicana 400, recuperates.

"I'm glad,” Gordon said. “Unfortunately, when you're a fill-in driver, it's a race-to-race deal. I know it's Mike's ride and he'll get it back as soon as he's ready. But being able to go test at Indianapolis (this week) with the guys will give Royce (McGee, crew chief) and myself and everybody a little more time to work with each other and they can learn what I like as a feel.

“We were just a little bit tight most of the day (Sunday). I know we were sideways coming off the corner, but it was because we were tight in the middle."

COOK-ING WITH NELSON?

Garage talk at New Hampshire had NASCAR competition administrator Jerry Cook seeking to relocate from Daytona Beach, Fla., to the Hickory, N.C., area where he will work at NASCAR’s planned technical and research and development facility. When the facility gets completely up and running, Cook will join Gary Nelson, who is currently Winston Cup director, at the facility.

Cook is a six-time NASCAR national Modified champion who was named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers” in 1998. Cook, a native of Lockport, N.Y., who raced out of Rome, N.Y., as the chief rival of the late nine-time national Modified champion Richie Evans, has long been based at NASCAR’s corporate headquarters in Florida.

SCHOOLING A COMEBACK

Ken Bouchard, a former Winston Cup Rookie of the Year, was prowling the New Hampshire garage area while taking a break from his most current endeavor, running a driver training school and recreational driving program for NASCAR Modifieds at Thompson (Conn.) Speedway.

Bouchard

Bouchard, who formerly worked as a driving instructor for the Richard Petty Driving Experience before starting his own, growing program three years ago, said there is some talk of bringing his program to New Hampshire; but that he would rather be back in his own race car.

Bouchard, who had a successful NASCAR Modified career before winning the 1988 rookie award, said he was trying to put together his own Winston Cup program to run a limited schedule of races in the Northeast, including New Hampshire, Dover and Pocono.

DODGE BALL

Rumor has it, on the one hand, that Dodge’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rams are going to get back some of the front downforce they lost when NASCAR changed the rules in mid-season to “level the playing field” among the three manufacturers fielding pick-up trucks in the series.

On the other hand, pre-race garage gab indicated there was no way a Dodge would be anywhere near competitive at New Hampshire or anyplace similar to it until the Intrepid got some help in the front downforce department.

Dodge trucks won the season’s first eight races and seven of the first eight Bud Poles. After a couple rule changes, Chevrolets have won four of the next six races and all five Bud Poles that have been contested.

At New Hampshire’s Winston Cup race, the best Dodge was Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Casey Atwood’s, that got a lap back late in the race and ended up 12th. Sterling Marlin in 17th and Ward Burton in 20th were the only other Dodges in the top 20.

TOLSMA TAKES OVER IN NO. 25

The Buzz learned Monday through a Team Rensi team spokesman that Randy Tolsma will drive the No. 25 Chevrolet Monte Carlo this weekend at the Busch Series NAPA AutoCare 250 event at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo., and at the Kroger 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park on Aug. 4.

Randy Tolsma

The Busch race at PPIR is scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

This will be Tolsma's second trip this season to the one-mile tri-oval in Fountain. He finished 28th in the Craftsman Truck Series race May 20.

Tolsma, who is Team Rensi's full-time driver in the NCTS, will also pilot the team's No. 61 truck Aug. 3 in the Power Stroke 200 race Aug. 3 at IRP. Team Rensi, meanwhile, has not finalized any plans for its Busch Series program beyond the IRP race Aug. 4.

SANTERRE WILL ALSO BE THERE

Andy Santerre has been entered as the driver for the No. 11 Channellock Chevrolet for PPIR's Busch Series race.

Andy Santerre

Santerre, who drove the Channellock car Saturday night at Loudon, N.H., was supposed to make his debut in the Santerre-Reece Motorsports No. 01 Chevrolet at Pikes Peak.

If history is any indication, Santerre should do well at PPIR this weekend. His only Busch Series win came at the track in 1999 and last year he came in third at PPIR's Busch race behind Jeff Green and David Green.

CARELLI'S COMEBACK CONTINUES

Rick Carelli will be competing at Pikes Peak International Raceway in the RE/MAX Challenge Series race -- the Rent-Rite West 150 Saturday following the Busch Series event.

Rick Carelli

Carelli, who is a native of Arvada, Colo., has raced in the Craftsman Truck Series every year since its inception in 1995. Carelli lost his NCTS ride early this season when Phelon Motorsports closed its doors.

However, Carelli is going to compete full-time in the truck series in 2002 as the driver for Kevin Harvick's new team.