Jimmy Spencer
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Spencer is a current television commentator, and a former NASCAR
driver. He formerly hosted the NASCAR inspired talk show, “What’s the Deal?”, on SPEED. He is the former co-host, with John Roberts
and Kenny Wallace
, of the SPEED's pre-race and post-race NASCAR shows NASCAR RaceDay
and NASCAR Victory Lane
. Spencer now has a segment on SPEED's NASCAR Race Hub
offering commentary and answering viewer questions (Tuesdays & Thursdays). During his days racing modifieds
, he was nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", for his aggressive racing style. Spencer is one of the few drivers to have won a race in all three of NASCAR's top series: Sprint Cup, the Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series.
in Pennsylvania
. He captured his first racing win in the Late Model division at Port Royal Speedway
in 1976. He moved to NASCAR Modifieds at Shangri-La Speedway
(Owego
, New York
), then branched out to bigger events throughout the Northeast.
In 1984, Spencer was one of the top contenders for NASCAR's National Modified Championship, at a time when all sanctioned races counted toward that title; after running over sixty races, he was second to Richie Evans
in the final standings. When NASCAR changed the National Modified Championship into the smaller-schedule Winston Modified Tour (now Whelen Modified Tour
) in 1985, Spencer continued to run, and won the title in 1986 and 1987.
Spencer debuted in the Busch Series
in 1985, finishing 19th at North Carolina Motor Speedway in the #67 Pontiac for Frank Cicci Racing
, which was also his Modified team. The team ran twice in 1987 with a best finish 36th, then ran the full season in 1988, finishing seventh in the point standings in the #34. In 1989, Spencer won his first career Busch race at Hickory Motor Speedway
, then won two more races over the course of the season, finishing fifteenth in the final standings.
In 1989, he moved to the Winston Cup Series, driving the #88 Crisco
Pontiac for Buddy Baker
's team in 17 of the 29 races. He posted three top-tens and finished 34th in points. He then ran full-time in 1990
, finishing in the top-ten twice for Rod Osterlund Racing. During the season, he posted two top-tens in the #57 Heinz Pontiac
and finished 24th in points. In 1991, Spencer moved to the #98 Banquet Frozen Foods Chevrolet
for Travis Carter Motorsports
. Despite six top-ten finishes, Spencer dropped one position in the standings due to twelve DNFs. He began 1992 with Carter, but moved down to the Busch Series to drive the #20 Daily's 1st Ade Oldsmobile
for Dick Moroso after Carter's team folded early in the season. He responded with wins at Myrtle Beach Speedway
and Orange County Speedway
.
Late in the 1992 season, Spencer joined Bobby Allison Motorsports
' Cup team and posted three top-fives in the last four races of the season. He signed to drive Allison's #12 Meineke
Ford Thunderbird
full-time in 1993, and finished in the top-five five times, resulting in a career-best fifteenth-place in the final standings. In 1994
, he drove the #27 McDonald's
Ford for Junior Johnson
and won his first two and so far only career Cup races, at Daytona and Talladega. He also won his first career pole at North Wilkesboro Speedway
.
After finishing 29th in the standings in 1994, Spencer left to reunite with Travis Carter
, who was now fielding the #23 Smokin' Joe's Ford. He finished in the top-ten four times in 1995 and in 1996, Spencer had two top-fives en route to a fifteenth-place finish in points. He fell to twentieth in 1997.
In 1998, Winston/No Bull
became his team's new primary sponsor and he was eleventh in points when he suffered injuries at the Brickyard 400, forcing him to sit out the next two races to recover and fall to fourteenth in points. During the season, Spencer formed his own NASCAR team, Spencer Motor Ventures, which fielded the #12 Zippo
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
in the Busch Series for himself and several other drivers. The team expanded to two cars in 1999, fielding the #12 and the #5 Schneider National
Chevy for Dick Trickle
. In 2000, he moved his team up to Cup to run the road course races with Boris Said
in the #23 Federated Auto Parts Ford Taurus
. The team ceased operations at the end of the season.
After a 20th-place finish in 1999, Winston left the team, and Kmart
became the team's new sponsor, causing Spencer to switch to the #26 to accommodate the new sponsor, who was already backing the #66 car driven by Spencer's teammate, Darrell Waltrip
. Spencer had two top-fives and in 2001 won the pole positions at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
and Lowe's Motor Speedway
and advanced to sixteenth in points. He departed the team at the end of the season.
and drive the #41 Target
Dodge Intrepid
. He began the season by failing to qualify for the Daytona 500
, then had a streak of four top-five qualifying efforts, including at Bristol Motor Speedway
, where he started fourth and was leading the race when he was bumped by Kurt Busch
to win, starting a long rivalry between the two. After another DNQ at Watkins Glen International
, Spencer was released from the ride at the end of the season, causing him to file a lawsuit against the Ganassi organization, saying his dismissal was a violation of his contract. During the season, he also won his most recent Busch Series race to date at Bristol driving for James Finch
.
Spencer joined Ultra Motorsports
in 2003, piloting the #7 Sirius Satellite Radio
Dodge. After some on-track incidents with Kurt Busch
, Spencer confronted Busch after the GFS Marketplace 400
while Busch was still in his car. Spencer was arrested shortly after the incident at the racetrack while still in his fire suit after punching Busch in the face. Spencer spent 15 days in the Lenawee County Jail after the season as part of his sentence. He was suspended for the next week's race, the Sharpie 500
at Bristol Motor Speedway
while Busch was placed on probation. Despite the events that took place at Michigan, he had four top-tens and ended the season 29th in points. He was also hired to drive three races for in the #2 Team ASE Racing Dodge Ram
for Ultra's Truck Series team, winning the pole and the race in his second start at New Hampshire International Speedway
. He became a part-owner of the Cicci organization that season, when he put Stuart Kirby in Cicci's #34 United States Air Force
Chevy, but that partnership soon dissolved. He continued to remain involved as a part-owner, when he leased his shop to Bang! Racing
in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004.
He began 2004 with Ultra's Cup team at the Daytona 500, but when the team closed down due to a lack of sponsorship, he replaced Kevin Lepage
at Morgan-McClure Motorsports
, which had also been running unsponsored. Spencer's best finish that season had been 13th, when on October 25, he was arrested after trying to interfere with the police, who had a warrant to arrest his son for vandalism. The incident cost Spencer his job at Morgan-McClure, and he sat out the rest of 2004.
Spencer returned to the #2 Ultra truck in 2005. While he failed to win a race, he had nine top-ten finishes and finished twelfth in points. He did come close to a victory, however, in the season opener at Daytona. He held the lead late in the race and held off 2004 series champion Bobby Hamilton
until just before the caution came out on the last lap. Assuming he was in the lead when NASCAR froze the field, he completed the caution lap then pulled into victory lane, only to be told by an official that, in fact, he had finished second. He also ran part-time in Cup, running nine races in the #50 Arnold Motorsports
Dodge, and one race apiece for Peak Fitness Racing
and R&J Racing
.
When Arnold was unable to locate a sponsor and Ultra closed its doors following a fallout with the Ford Motor Company
, Spencer began working full-time on SPEED. He had run both Cup races at Pocono Raceway
for Furniture Row Racing
in 2006, finishing 32nd and 36th, respectively. Spencer now works full time as an analyst for SPEED TV and was the host of his own show What's The Deal?, along with Ray Dunlap in 2010. The show was cancelled the same year. His segments on the Tuesday & Thursday editions of NASCAR Race Hub are done from the studio of that show.
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. He formerly hosted the NASCAR inspired talk show, “What’s the Deal?”, on SPEED. He is the former co-host, with John Roberts
John Roberts (SPEED Channel host)
John Roberts is host of the Speed Channel shows NASCAR RaceDay, and NASCAR Victory Lane. John was born in Washington, D.C.. His career started in 1986 at WHSV TV in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He then worked at WBTV in Charlotte before moving to Fox Network owned Speed Channel to host NASCAR RaceDay...
and Kenny Wallace
Kenny Wallace
Kenneth Wallace is an American stock car driver who currently drives the #09 Family Farmers/University of Northwestern Ohio/Federated Auto Parts/American Ethanol/Iowa Corn/G-Oil/Marquis Energy Toyota Camry for RAB Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series...
, of the SPEED's pre-race and post-race NASCAR shows NASCAR RaceDay
NASCAR RaceDay
NASCAR RaceDay is a pre-race show on Speed Channel. Hosted by John M. Roberts, the show features driver–analysts Kenny Wallace and Kyle Petty, as well as pit reporter Wendy Venturini, who provide news from the track right before each weekend's race. Hermie Sadler came on board in 2008...
and NASCAR Victory Lane
NASCAR Victory Lane
NASCAR Victory Lane is a post-race show on Speed Channel that recaps every Sprint Cup event. Hosted by John Roberts, NASCAR Victory Lane also features driver/analysts Kenny Wallace and Kyle Petty as well as reporter Bob Dillner. The show analyzes the day's event with highlights, post-race...
. Spencer now has a segment on SPEED's NASCAR Race Hub
NASCAR Race Hub
NASCAR Race Hub is a NASCAR race-themed show on Speed Channel. It essentially is a replacement for NASCAR Nation and This Week in NASCAR . The show gets its name in part since it is broadcast from Charlotte, North Carolina, which is the 'hub' of most NASCAR teams...
offering commentary and answering viewer questions (Tuesdays & Thursdays). During his days racing modifieds
Modified racing
Modified stock car racing, also known as Modified racing or simply Modified, is one of the oldest types of racing in the United States, dating back to the days of the post-World War II coupes. The name for modified racing cars come from the fact that they are not stock but, rather, modified...
, he was nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", for his aggressive racing style. Spencer is one of the few drivers to have won a race in all three of NASCAR's top series: Sprint Cup, the Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series.
Early life
Jimmy Spencer followed his father, Ed Spencer Sr. (Fast Eddie), in racing. Spencer started in Late ModelsLate model
A "late model car" is a car which has been recently designed or manufactured, often the latest model. The term is broadly used in car racing, and often appears in common use, as in "The officer was driving an unmarked, late model sedan."There is no precise...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He captured his first racing win in the Late Model division at Port Royal Speedway
Port Royal Speedway
Port Royal Speedway is a half mile dirt racetrack in Port Royal, Juniata County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It was opened on September 10, 1938. Like all of the tracks in the United States, it closed during the World War II years and re-opened in 1946. Port Royal Speedway hosts a weekly...
in 1976. He moved to NASCAR Modifieds at Shangri-La Speedway
Shangri-La Speedway
Shangri-La Speedway was a speedway in Owego, New York. It was a half-mile oval race track facility. Over a span of fifty years, Shangri-La hosted automobile races of various kinds, including a NASCAR Grand National race in 1952, AAA Championship Cars, stock cars, Modifieds, Supermodifieds, and...
(Owego
Owego (town), New York
Owego is a town in Tioga County, New York, USA. The population was 20,365 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the Iroquois word Ahwaga, meaning where the valley widens....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
), then branched out to bigger events throughout the Northeast.
In 1984, Spencer was one of the top contenders for NASCAR's National Modified Championship, at a time when all sanctioned races counted toward that title; after running over sixty races, he was second to Richie Evans
Richie Evans
Richard Ernest Evans , was an American racing driver who won nine NASCAR National Modified Championships, including eight in a row from 1978 to 1985. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame lists this achievement as "one of the supreme accomplishments in motorsports"...
in the final standings. When NASCAR changed the National Modified Championship into the smaller-schedule Winston Modified Tour (now Whelen Modified Tour
Whelen Modified Tour
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified division. The Modified division is NASCAR's oldest division, and its one of two open-wheeled divisions...
) in 1985, Spencer continued to run, and won the title in 1986 and 1987.
Spencer debuted 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...
in 1985, finishing 19th at North Carolina Motor Speedway in the #67 Pontiac for Frank Cicci Racing
Frank Cicci Racing
Frank Cicci Racing was a NASCAR Busch Series team. The team was owned by Frank Cicci of Elmira, New York and was last driven by Jay Sauter.- Beginnings :FCR first began racing as a short track team in Upstate New York...
, which was also his Modified team. The team ran twice in 1987 with a best finish 36th, then ran the full season in 1988, finishing seventh in the point standings in the #34. In 1989, Spencer won his first career Busch race at Hickory Motor Speedway
Hickory Motor Speedway
Hickory Motor Speedway is a short track located in Hickory, North Carolina. It is one of stock car racing's most storied venues, and is often referred to as "The World's Most Famous Short Track" and the "Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars"....
, then won two more races over the course of the season, finishing fifteenth in the final standings.
1989–1994
Crisco
Crisco is a brand of shortening produced by the J. M. Smucker Co. popular in the United States. Introduced in June 1911 by Procter & Gamble, it was the first shortening to be made entirely of vegetable oil...
Pontiac for Buddy Baker
Buddy Baker
Elzie Wylie Baker, Jr. , nicknamed "Leadfoot" or more famously Buddy, is a former American NASCAR racecar driver.-Early life:...
's team in 17 of the 29 races. He posted three top-tens and finished 34th in points. He then ran full-time in 1990
1990 in NASCAR
The 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup began on Sunday February 11 and ended on Sunday November 18. Because of a highly controversial penalty to Mark Martin early in the season, Dale Earnhardt with Richard Childress Racing was crowned the Winston Cup champion for the fourth time, edging out Martin by 21...
, finishing in the top-ten twice for Rod Osterlund Racing. During the season, he posted two top-tens in the #57 Heinz Pontiac
Pontiac
Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
and finished 24th in points. In 1991, Spencer moved to the #98 Banquet Frozen Foods Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
for Travis Carter Motorsports
Travis Carter Motorsports
Haas-Carter Motorsports is a former NASCAR and USAR Pro Cup team. It was mostly owned by former crew chief Travis Carter and Carl Haas. The team previously fielded entries in the Winston Cup Series before closing...
. Despite six top-ten finishes, Spencer dropped one position in the standings due to twelve DNFs. He began 1992 with Carter, but moved down to the Busch Series to drive the #20 Daily's 1st Ade Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
for Dick Moroso after Carter's team folded early in the season. He responded with wins at Myrtle Beach Speedway
Myrtle Beach Speedway
The Myrtle Beach Speedway, originally named Rambi Raceway, was built in 1958 and is located on U.S. Route 501 near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.The speedway is a semi-banked asphaltic oval track that spans...
and Orange County Speedway
Orange County Speedway
Orange County Speedway is a 3/8 mile asphalt oval in Orange County, near Rougemont, North Carolina. It first opened in 1966 as 1/4 mile and 5/8 mile dirt ovals, which operated until 1967 and 1973, respectively...
.
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
' Cup team and posted three top-fives in the last four races of the season. He signed to drive Allison's #12 Meineke
Meineke
Meineke may refer to a number of people and organizations:*Augustus Meineke , German classical scholar*Christoph Meineke , German politician, mayor...
Ford Thunderbird
Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
full-time in 1993, and finished in the top-five five times, resulting in a career-best fifteenth-place in the final standings. In 1994
1994 in NASCAR
The 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began on Sunday February 20 and ended on Sunday November 13. Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing was crowned champion at season's end, winning consecutive Winston Cups for the third time in his career and tying Richard Petty for the record of most top-level...
, he drove the #27 McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
Ford for Junior Johnson
Junior Johnson
Robert Glenn Johnson, Jr. , better known as Junior Johnson, is a retired moonshiner in the rural South who became one of the early superstars of NASCAR in the 1950s and 1960s. He won 50 NASCAR races in his career before retiring in 1966...
and won his first two and so far only career Cup races, at Daytona and Talladega. He also won his first career pole at North Wilkesboro Speedway
North Wilkesboro Speedway
North Wilkesboro Speedway was a short track that held races in NASCAR's top three series from NASCAR's inception in 1949 until its closure in 1996...
.
1995–2001
Travis Carter
Travis Carter is a former car owner and crew chief in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. He served as crew chief for two decades, winning championships with Benny Parsons and Cale Yarborough in 1973 and 1978, respectively. Carter was the winning crew chief when Parsons won the 1975 Daytona 500. He...
, who was now fielding the #23 Smokin' Joe's Ford. He finished in the top-ten four times in 1995 and in 1996, Spencer had two top-fives en route to a fifteenth-place finish in points. He fell to twentieth in 1997.
In 1998, Winston/No Bull
Winston (cigarette)
Winston cigarettes are manufactured by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company or its newer incarnation as RJR Nabisco and/or its affiliates.The brand was introduced in 1954, and became the best-selling brand of cigarettes in the United States...
became his team's new primary sponsor and he was eleventh in points when he suffered injuries at the Brickyard 400, forcing him to sit out the next two races to recover and fall to fourteenth in points. During the season, Spencer formed his own NASCAR team, Spencer Motor Ventures, which fielded the #12 Zippo
Zippo
A Zippo lighter is a refillable, metal lighter manufactured by Zippo Manufacturing Company of Bradford, Pennsylvania, U.S. Thousands of different styles and designs have been made in the seven decades since their introduction including military ones for specific regiments.-Establishment:George G...
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo was an American-made two-door coupe introduced for model year 1970, and manufactured over six generations through model year 2007. It was marketed as a personal-luxury coupe through most of its history, with the last model version being classified as a full-sized coupe...
in the Busch Series for himself and several other drivers. The team expanded to two cars in 1999, fielding the #12 and the #5 Schneider National
Schneider National
Schneider National, Inc. is the largest privately owned truckload carrier in North America. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the company maintains 23 regional operating centers in the United States. The company was founded in 1938 by A.J. Schneider....
Chevy for Dick Trickle
Dick Trickle
Richard "Dick" Trickle is a retired American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle has competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC.In more than an estimated 2,200 races, Trickle has logged...
. In 2000, he moved his team up to Cup to run the road course races with Boris Said
Boris Said
Boris Said is an American race car driver from Carlsbad, California but considers his hometown to be Stamford, Connecticut. His father, Bob Said, was a Formula One race driver and US Olympic bobsled driver in 1968 and 1972. He drove the #26 Ford Fusion for Latitude 43 Motorsports in the NASCAR...
in the #23 Federated Auto Parts Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
. The team ceased operations at the end of the season.
After a 20th-place finish in 1999, Winston left the team, and Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
became the team's new sponsor, causing Spencer to switch to the #26 to accommodate the new sponsor, who was already backing the #66 car driven by Spencer's teammate, Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Lee Waltrip is a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion , 3-time runner-up , winner of the 1989 Daytona 500 and 5-time winner of the prestigeous Coca-Cola 600 ,...
. Spencer had two top-fives and in 2001 won the pole positions at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
and Lowe's Motor Speedway
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
and advanced to sixteenth in points. He departed the team at the end of the season.
2002–Present
For the 2002 season, Spencer would join Chip Ganassi RacingChip Ganassi Racing
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates is an automotive racing organization with teams competing in the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Rolex Sports Car Series. It is owned by businessmen Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates. They have won 4 Champ Car, 3 Indy Racing League and 1 Grand-Am championships...
and drive the #41 Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
Dodge Intrepid
Dodge Intrepid
The Dodge Intrepid is a large four-door, full-size, front-wheel drive sedan car model that was produced for model years 1993 to 2004. It was mechanically related to the Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Chrysler New Yorker, Eagle Vision, and also the 300M sedans...
. He began the season by failing to qualify for the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
, then had a streak of four top-five qualifying efforts, including at Bristol Motor Speedway
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...
, where he started fourth and was leading the race when he was bumped by Kurt Busch
Kurt Busch
Kurt Thomas Busch is an American NASCAR and NHRA driver. He drives the No. 22 Shell Oil Company/Pennzoil Dodge Charger in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and will race on an "opportunity permitting" basis in the Pro Stock division of NHRA...
to win, starting a long rivalry between the two. After another DNQ at Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International is an auto race track located near Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The facility is owned by International Speedway Corporation...
, Spencer was released from the ride at the end of the season, causing him to file a lawsuit against the Ganassi organization, saying his dismissal was a violation of his contract. During the season, he also won his most recent Busch Series race to date at Bristol driving for James Finch
James Finch
James Finch is a Panama City, Florida-born businessman. He is the owner of Phoenix Construction, a construction company that specializes in airport construction, and the Phoenix Racing team in NASCAR. They field the #1 Chevrolet driven by Landon Cassill and Jamie McMurray in the Nationwide Series...
.
Spencer joined Ultra Motorsports
Ultra Motorsports
Ultra Motorsports was a NASCAR Winston Cup & Craftsman Truck Series racing team. Jim Smith helped start the team and the Craftsman Truck Series. It ran full time in the Craftsman Truck Series from 1994 to 2005, earning many wins and a 2005 championship with Ted Musgrave...
in 2003, piloting the #7 Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
Dodge. After some on-track incidents with Kurt Busch
Kurt Busch
Kurt Thomas Busch is an American NASCAR and NHRA driver. He drives the No. 22 Shell Oil Company/Pennzoil Dodge Charger in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and will race on an "opportunity permitting" basis in the Pro Stock division of NHRA...
, Spencer confronted Busch after the GFS Marketplace 400
GFS Marketplace 400
The Pure Michigan 400 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race being held annually at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan since 1969. However, during the 1973 season it was not held after Roger Penske replaced the race with a Champ car event. The inaugural event was scheduled to be 600...
while Busch was still in his car. Spencer was arrested shortly after the incident at the racetrack while still in his fire suit after punching Busch in the face. Spencer spent 15 days in the Lenawee County Jail after the season as part of his sentence. He was suspended for the next week's race, the Sharpie 500
Sharpie 500
The Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. It is one of two Sprint Cup races held at Bristol, the other being the Food City 500, but it is by far the more popular of the two...
at Bristol Motor Speedway
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...
while Busch was placed on probation. Despite the events that took place at Michigan, he had four top-tens and ended the season 29th in points. He was also hired to drive three races for in the #2 Team ASE Racing Dodge Ram
Dodge Ram
The Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC. As of late 2010, it has been sold under the Ram Trucks brand. Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge lineup of light trucks...
for Ultra's Truck Series team, winning the pole and the race in his second start at New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic...
. He became a part-owner of the Cicci organization that season, when he put Stuart Kirby in Cicci's #34 United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Chevy, but that partnership soon dissolved. He continued to remain involved as a part-owner, when he leased his shop to Bang! Racing
Bang! Racing
Bang! Racing is a former NASCAR team. It was owned by entrepreneur Alex Meshkin, as well as Larry McReynolds and fielded entries in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. It only ran one season, in 2004....
in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004.
He began 2004 with Ultra's Cup team at the Daytona 500, but when the team closed down due to a lack of sponsorship, he replaced Kevin Lepage
Kevin Lepage
Kevin Lepage is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #52 car, for Jimmy Means Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Lepage is the only NASCAR driver from Vermont to qualify for the Daytona 500.-Early career:...
at Morgan-McClure Motorsports
Morgan-McClure Motorsports
Morgan-McClure Motorsports is an American auto racing team that competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series full time until 2007 and now occasionally attempts races. It has been in operation for 27 years, starting in 1982. The team is most notable for running the #4 from 1983 to 2009.-Starting...
, which had also been running unsponsored. Spencer's best finish that season had been 13th, when on October 25, he was arrested after trying to interfere with the police, who had a warrant to arrest his son for vandalism. The incident cost Spencer his job at Morgan-McClure, and he sat out the rest of 2004.
Spencer returned to the #2 Ultra truck in 2005. While he failed to win a race, he had nine top-ten finishes and finished twelfth in points. He did come close to a victory, however, in the season opener at Daytona. He held the lead late in the race and held off 2004 series champion Bobby Hamilton
Bobby Hamilton
Charles Robert Hamilton, Sr. was a driver and owner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series circuit and the winner of the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship. Hamilton owned Bobby Hamilton Racing, which fielded three entries in each NCWTS event...
until just before the caution came out on the last lap. Assuming he was in the lead when NASCAR froze the field, he completed the caution lap then pulled into victory lane, only to be told by an official that, in fact, he had finished second. He also ran part-time in Cup, running nine races in the #50 Arnold Motorsports
Arnold Motorsports
Arnold Motorsports was a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series team owned by Don Arnold. 1983 Winston Cup champion Bobby Allison was the Vice President of operations and also served a consultant. The team debuted in 2003 as the #79 car , with All-Pro driver Billy Bigley Jr. driving, the team originally planned...
Dodge, and one race apiece for Peak Fitness Racing
Peak Fitness Racing
Peak Fitness Racing was a former NASCAR team. It was owned by Hermie Sadler from 2001-2004, and Jeff Stec from 2005-2006, before it was sold.The team was formed in 2001 by Hermie Sadler as SCORE Motorsports. Sadler fielded the #13 Ford Taurus sponsored by the Virginia Lottery for three races that...
and R&J Racing
R&J Racing
John Carter Racing was a NASCAR Sprint Cup team. The team currently fields the 08 U.S. Chrome/SoBe Ford Fusion/Toyota Camry for Terry Labonte. It is owned by John Carter...
.
When Arnold was unable to locate a sponsor and Ultra closed its doors following a fallout with the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, Spencer began working full-time on SPEED. He had run both Cup races at Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond...
for Furniture Row Racing
Furniture Row Racing
Furniture Row Racing is a NASCAR team based in Colorado and fields the #78 Chevrolet Impala for Regan Smith. The team is owned and sponsored by the U.S. furniture store chain Furniture Row and is the only NASCAR team headquartered in Colorado....
in 2006, finishing 32nd and 36th, respectively. Spencer now works full time as an analyst for SPEED TV and was the host of his own show What's The Deal?, along with Ray Dunlap in 2010. The show was cancelled the same year. His segments on the Tuesday & Thursday editions of NASCAR Race Hub are done from the studio of that show.
External links
- Official Site (Inactive)
- Official Site (Archive.org Jun 02, 2006)
- Biography (Archive.org Jun 02, 2006)
- SpencervilleUSA
- SpencerCountry
- Spencer bio at nascar.com
- Spencer career stats at nascar.com
- Career stats at racing-reference.info
- 1on1: Jimmy Spencer
- 10 questions with Jimmy Spencer
- NASCAR.com announcement of the Modified all-time Top 10