The Buzz: August 8, 2001

August 8, 2001
6:26 PM EDT (2226 GMT)

One of NASCAR's most eligible bachelors is eligible no more.

On Monday afternoon, Hank Parker Jr. popped the question to his girlfriend of the past two years, Wendy Alexander.

The young couple first met at their high school, Northside Christian Academy, and attended the prom together in Parker's junior year. The two fell out of touch for several years before resuming their romance after seeing each other at a party.

Hank Parker Jr.

While the 26-year-old Parker has focused on his racing career, Alexander, 24, has been busy getting her B.S. in Public Health Nutrition from the University of North Carolina. Alexander now needs only to pass her written examination to become a Certified Dietician.

"I couldn't be happier," Parker said of his impending nuptials. "Wendy is not only beautiful, she's got the heart of an angel. She's one of my biggest supporters and one of my best friends. I'm excited to start the next chapter of our life together."

Parker wouldn't reveal the setting in which he asked for Alexander's hand in marriage, for fear of the ribbing he would receive from his fellow drivers, especially from his buddy, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

"It was very romantic," Parker offered, "but that's all I'm saying. Let's just say I did it the right way and made it something special. If they knew how I went about asking her, Junior and some of those other guys would be merciless. It's better if I just keep it to myself."

Parker and Alexander have tentatively decided on Saturday, December 5, 2001, as the day they'll exchange their wedding vows.

SHOE DROPS FOR 61 TRUCK

Team Rensi Motorsports’ NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series program apparently is no more. The operation, which began the season with a pair of unsponsored trucks for series veteran Randy Tolsma and rookie David Donohue, dropped Donohue’s truck after three races but ran Tolsma in the first 15. He had two top-five finishes and was 10th in points when the plug was pulled after last weekend’s Power Stroke Diesel 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Tolsma will reportedly move over to the Rensi brothers’ No. 25 U.S. Marines Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series. Chad Chaffin started the season in that car but was fired and Donohue was put into the car before he, too, was released.

DITTO FOR 50 WINSTON CUP CAR

Employees of Midwest Transit Racing were forced to hit the streets in search of employment this week when a long-running dispute between former trucking company and race team partners Mike Witters and Hal Hicks apparently came to a head.

The team’s closing unfortunately came after Rich Bickle made a respectable run in the Brickyard 400, starting 17th and finishing 32nd in the Speedway Records Chevrolet. Rick Mast had suffered a number of lumps earlier in the year driving for Midwest before he relocated to Eel River Racing, where he continues to get knocked around.

HASELEU'S SABBATICAL CONTINUES

Roush Racing appears to have found a keeper in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Jon Wood, who has been in the seat of the No. 50 Eldon Ford since he made his debut for the team at Memphis Motorsports Park in May.

Nathan Haseleu

On the other hand, the team’s No. 99 Eldon F-150 continues its revolving door policy of using the best driver available for a given facility. Former RE/MAX Challenge Series driver Nathan Haseleu, who began the season in the No. 99 only to be put out to graze when Roush sought to reorganize his youthful program, was replaced at Nashville by 2000 champion Greg Biffle.

At Nashville Superspeedway team manager Max Jones reported Roush wunderkind Kurt Busch’s younger brother Kyle, 16, would be in the truck for the Sears Craftsman 175 at Chicago Motor Speedway Aug. 18; while Busch would be in the No. 99 truck for the Aug. 25 Chevy Silverado 200 at Nazareth Speedway. Kyle Busch made a stunning debut himself at IRP, where he recorded a top-10 finish in his first truck race, making him the youngest driver in series history to record a top-10 finish in his series debut.