Mark Day (NASCAR)
Encyclopedia
Mark Day is a former NASCAR
driver, racing for a number of years in NASCAR's higher division. In addition, his family currently owns the #05 31-W Racing Chevy in the Busch Series
. That team races in that series on a part-time basis and full-time in the ARCA RE/MAX Series
.
, starting 37th. A mid-race wreck claimed his car and gave him a finish of 36th. It did not get much better for Day. He best finish on the year would end up being 31st at Talladega
and had only a best start of 36th at Bristol
. Simply put, it was not Day's dream season.
Day would scale down to one race for 1998 and for the rest of the years of his career, for that matter. He started 40th and finished 36th at Pikes Peak
. He only competed fifty laps due to engine failure.
Day's one start in 1999 turned out to be just as poor. After starting 34th in the August Bristol race, Day managed 41st after a crash early in the event.
Another crash sideline Day in his 2000 start. He started 24th at Nashville, and this would turn out to be his best career start. He only finished 40th, however, due to a major late-race crash.
Day closed out his Busch career in 2001, finishing it with two consecutive starts. He did not finish either, but ironically, Day had his best career finish in that. After a 36th finish at Texas, Day was crashed out early of the inaugural event at Nashville Superspeedway
. However, it turned up to be a 31st place finish and his best career showing.
After an 8 year hiatus from NASCAR's 2nd tier division. Day returned to the now NASCAR Nationwide Series for a one-race deal on October 23, 2009 at Memphis Motorsports Park for the Kroger On Track For The Cure 250. This was the final NASCAR Nationwide race for the Memphis Motorsports Park after announcing that the track will cease operations at the end of the year. Driving for Wayne Day in the #05 31-W Insulation Chevy on a two-race deal. Day ended the 1st Practice Session 30th out of 50 cars entered. By the Final Practice Session Day was 19th out of the 48 cars left. Day easily made the show qualifing the #05 31-W Insulation Chevy solidly in the top 10 with a career high 9th place starting position. However the race did not end so high for Day. After 86 laps, Day pulled the #05 31-W Insulation Chevy into the garage due to overheating issues and he finished 33rd, but this could have been a start and park
effort.
so that he could file a protest (per NASCAR rules).
According to the book Along For The Ride by Larry Woody
(Chapter "Lap XIX: Women, Wendell and Willie"), "Day admitted early on that he was not convinced that women belonged on a race track" but that his problem was not with Renshaw because she was female, instead because she was a "bad driver." Woody noted that track promoter Dennis Glau had "gotten wind of the scheme prior to the race" and contacted NASCAR, who instructed him to disallow the protest. Her father Dan Renshaw, however, felt there was nothing to lose and allowed officials to search the engine. Unfortunately, a minor violation was found and her car was declared illegal. The protest was not only for Renshaw, but her male teammate Chevy White.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver, racing for a number of years in NASCAR's higher division. In addition, his family currently owns the #05 31-W Racing Chevy in the Busch Series
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
. That team races in that series on a part-time basis and full-time in the ARCA RE/MAX Series
ARCA RE/MAX Series
-History:The series started as a local touring group. Led by John Marcum, the Midwest Association for Race Cars was formed with drivers like Iggy Katona and Nelson Stacy being early drivers.The series became a part of the Daytona Speedweeks in 1964...
.
Craftsman Truck Series
Day only made one career CTS start. It came at Nashville Speedway USA in the #50 R & Z Motorsports truck. He started 23rd, but only managed 31st in the thirty-four car field. This is after he had mechanical woes.Busch Series
Day made his debut in 1997, running five races for his family's 31-W Insulation team. He made his debut in the inaugural race at TexasTexas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
, starting 37th. A mid-race wreck claimed his car and gave him a finish of 36th. It did not get much better for Day. He best finish on the year would end up being 31st at Talladega
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...
and had only a best start of 36th at Bristol
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961...
. Simply put, it was not Day's dream season.
Day would scale down to one race for 1998 and for the rest of the years of his career, for that matter. He started 40th and finished 36th at Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak International Raceway
Pikes Peak International Raceway, also known as PPIR, is a participant focused racetrack located in Fountain, Colorado, south of Colorado Springs and north of Pueblo...
. He only competed fifty laps due to engine failure.
Day's one start in 1999 turned out to be just as poor. After starting 34th in the August Bristol race, Day managed 41st after a crash early in the event.
Another crash sideline Day in his 2000 start. He started 24th at Nashville, and this would turn out to be his best career start. He only finished 40th, however, due to a major late-race crash.
Day closed out his Busch career in 2001, finishing it with two consecutive starts. He did not finish either, but ironically, Day had his best career finish in that. After a 36th finish at Texas, Day was crashed out early of the inaugural event at Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville Superspeedway is a motor racing complex located in Gladeville, Tennessee , United States, about 30 miles southeast of Nashville. On August 2, 2011, it was announced that Nashville Superspeedway will not host any NASCAR events in 2012. It is a concrete oval track 1 1/3 miles in...
. However, it turned up to be a 31st place finish and his best career showing.
After an 8 year hiatus from NASCAR's 2nd tier division. Day returned to the now NASCAR Nationwide Series for a one-race deal on October 23, 2009 at Memphis Motorsports Park for the Kroger On Track For The Cure 250. This was the final NASCAR Nationwide race for the Memphis Motorsports Park after announcing that the track will cease operations at the end of the year. Driving for Wayne Day in the #05 31-W Insulation Chevy on a two-race deal. Day ended the 1st Practice Session 30th out of 50 cars entered. By the Final Practice Session Day was 19th out of the 48 cars left. Day easily made the show qualifing the #05 31-W Insulation Chevy solidly in the top 10 with a career high 9th place starting position. However the race did not end so high for Day. After 86 laps, Day pulled the #05 31-W Insulation Chevy into the garage due to overheating issues and he finished 33rd, but this could have been a start and park
Start and park
Start and park is a term used in NASCAR-sanctioned and other auto racing sanctioning bodies to describe the practice of racing teams starting races but pulling the car off the track after just a few laps in order to collect prize money while avoiding expenses such as replacement tires, engine wear...
effort.
Late Model Racing
Day won the 2006 Late Model Championship, and several races in the Late Model Division at Music City Motorplex in Nashville, TN. In conjunction with the Music City Motorplex (Fairgrounds Speedway) and its sponsor Dollar General started Operation Big Chance during the 2006 race season for chance to race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in Martinsville, VA in the #2 Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI) Chevy Silverado in the 2007 season. Day was the Dollar General Operation Big Chance winner after being the track champion with the most points at the end of the year between all late model and super truck series drivers. After being announced the Operation Big Chance winner KHI offered Day a chance to qualify at Martinsville Truck Series race in 2007, but Day declined due to prior engagements with his late model series team. The next in line for the chance was 2nd place Willie Allen but Allen had just signed to drive the #13 Chevy Silverado for ThorSport for the full 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. MCM and Dollar General finally announced Daniel Pope the Dollar General Operation Big Chance winner and made is debut at Mansfield Motorsports Park.Controversy
In 2002, Day had a friend enter a car in a NASCAR-sanctioned late model race at Nashville Speedway USA for the sole purpose of finishing behind rival Deborah RenshawDeborah Renshaw
Deborah Renshaw-Parker is a former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver. She currently does not have a ride.-Pre-CTS:...
so that he could file a protest (per NASCAR rules).
According to the book Along For The Ride by Larry Woody
Larry Woody
Larry "Woodrow" Woody is a retired sports writer for The Tennessean, the morning newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a three-time winner of the Tennessee Sports Writer of the Year award and is the author of several books, including Along For The Ride.Woody covered NASCAR from the early 1960s...
(Chapter "Lap XIX: Women, Wendell and Willie"), "Day admitted early on that he was not convinced that women belonged on a race track" but that his problem was not with Renshaw because she was female, instead because she was a "bad driver." Woody noted that track promoter Dennis Glau had "gotten wind of the scheme prior to the race" and contacted NASCAR, who instructed him to disallow the protest. Her father Dan Renshaw, however, felt there was nothing to lose and allowed officials to search the engine. Unfortunately, a minor violation was found and her car was declared illegal. The protest was not only for Renshaw, but her male teammate Chevy White.