Chat Transcript: Junie Donlavey

April 6, 2001
8:54 AM EDT (1254 GMT)

[Junie_Donlavey] Hello to everyone.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [#90fan] How do you plan on celebrating your birthday this weekend?

[Junie_Donlavey] I will be spending the full day at Martinsville Speedway. I think they want me to announce "Gentleman, start your engines" and then I hope I can enjoy our car running a good race.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Scotch] How prepared is the team for Martinsville?

[Junie_Donlavey] We have the car down at Robert Yates right now on the chassis dyno, so we are making sure the engine is dialed in. We have about the same set up that Hut qualified with at the last race up there. We hope we will get a good qualifying time and be able to run a good race.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [joey] How do you keep the team's spirits up when you don't make the race every week?

[Junie_Donlavey] We go over what we think is wrong and have a little meeting. Everyone has some input and after discussing everything, we agree that we go back to the shop and make sure that the things that were wrong don't happen again. Everyone then understands and feels that we are in pretty good shape.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [radicalrose] Junie, Hut has been having problems qualifying this year. Are y'all trying to improve for qualifying or concentrating on race set up?

[Junie_Donlavey] We are really working hard on the qualifying setups because he is a pretty good racer. We are really hitting more on qualifying than anything.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Fordsrule] Describe your relationship with Hut Stricklin.

[Junie_Donlavey] We have a good relationship. I respect him as a driver and he does the same thing with me as car owner. We have a middle man named Bobby King so we don't have a problem understanding the problems that we have or what seems to go wrong. Our relationship is really good.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [zank] Do you think the sport is getting too technical?

[Junie_Donlavey] I would have to agree with you that the technical part of this thing has really gotten out of hand. I think NASCAR is going to have a tough time policing. With a lot of the computer research and all that they are doing today, they are coming up with some stuff that is going to be pretty hard to catch. If drivers use the computer to learn about the tracks, that might be a good idea, but we haven't been involved with that, unless Hut has something in Charlotte. That might be a good idea to have that as part of our research and development.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Nascarfan20] Do you, Hut, and the crew spend a lot of time together?

[Junie_Donlavey] The crew mostly is from Richmond so we spend a lot of time together at the shop and traveling back and forth from the tracks. When Hut gets to the track he stays at the same hotel as we do. There is a lot of time spent between Hut and the rest of the team.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [wardfan22] What do you remember most about the first Daytona 500 in 1959?

[Junie_Donlavey] The first Daytona 500, I was down there with another car owner and that team was helping them. It wasn't that we were a part of the first one but we did participate in that respect. It did prepare us for the 1960 when we went down there. We took a 1960 Ford down there and other than having some oil problems, the car ran real good and our driver adapted to the track real well. The oiling system we had on the street car for a heavily banked track was our downfall.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [wardfan22] What was it like receiving the Spirit of Ford award?

[Junie_Donlavey] It really surprised me greatly because of the names that the award had been awarded to. I didn't believe I was part of that crowd. There were some great names there and it kind of surprised me that Ford awarded it to me, but I was very proud to get it and I am very proud of the award.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Nascarfan20] What is your favorite race of all time?

[Junie_Donlavey] We have run so many races and had good and bad luck at so many tracks that to go back and to pick which was the best would be hard for me to do. I really have a lot of fun and I enjoy running at about all of them.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [phizerman] Is there any significance behind the #90?

[Junie_Donlavey] It was the number of the first car that I had in 1949 when I started in modified racing. It just became very familiar with us and it was used by Tim Flock in Carolina. We were proud of getting it after he had used it and it has just been something that we have stuck with all through the years. We are mighty proud to run the same number that he ran when he was in the modifieds.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [phizerman] What goes through your mind when someone mentions that you've had almost 70 drivers have driven for you?

[Junie_Donlavey] I have enjoyed running with lots of different drivers. When I got in to racing, I got in to it for the fun of it. It is a great sport and it is a sport that you can have a lot of fun with it. I enjoy working with different drivers, from rookies, to the seasoned veterans, and ones that are getting ready to retire from the sport. I have had great times with all of them. I had a lady driver from England at Daytona, and we have just had so many good people, that we even ran a champion motorcycle driver. His one wish was to run one race and we took him to North Wilkesboro. He still remembers that as a great moment in his life and he was also a great motorcycle driver.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [VA-RaceFan] Junie, back in the 80's you won some races with Ken Schrader. Understanding that technology has changed, did you guys do anything different to produce wins that you are not doing now?

[Junie_Donlavey] No, basically we have followed the same method that we have always used. I think in these last years that we have been running with the technology that have come out, we have tried to use some of the setups they are using today. Where they work for other teams, they may not fit with what we are doing with it. We also weren't as successful with what we have done through the years with what they did for the car.

[Nascar_Host1] Why did you decide to take a chance with Ken Schrader in 1985?

[Junie_Donlavey] Schrader had come over to Charlotte and had leased a car from Elmer Langley and he was going to run 5 races. He only got to run 2 or 3 and in meeting him, he was just a great guy and fun to be around. We were looking for a driver at the time and we liked working with nice guys, so it made for a good match. He proved that he was a great driver and we were proud that we had a small hand in bringing him up where he went with a great team like Hendricks.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Va] Have you ever just stood back and said "I've done this long enough and I think it's time I retire" or are you still as passionate about it as in the beginning?

[Junie_Donlavey] Yes, I am as still as passionate about it. I like being around the type of people I am around. I have realized that no other sport has the type of people around it like racing has. I have no desire to want to leave the sport because when I do I will leave lots and lots of good friends. As long as I can get around, I will get to the racetrack and enjoy myself I hope for a few more years.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [gordonfan] Who do you think was the best NASCAR driver ever?

[Junie_Donlavey] In all of the drivers we have had, and we have had some of the greats, and in knowing each and every one of them in this game, and watching all of them come through, I have watched so many drivers, there is no way to pick one. I see so many things from the time they started to where they are now. There have been lots of good ones, that is the only thing I know.

[Nascar_Host1] Are you encouraging your team to look into special safety devices?

[Junie_Donlavey] We work on every safety part we can. NASCAR has really preached safety since the time we got into the association, from 1950 on. Our team works continuously to make sure that each thing that we have learned from NASCAR and from our own experiences go into everything we do so that we can work for the safety of the driver. Hut is wearing the HANS device now.

[Nascar_Host1] What do you do from a business standpoint to reward and motivate people outside of money?

[Junie_Donlavey] Whatever we can do for them that they seem to need, whether that is time off or special things for their friends, we try to take care of it. The bonus at the end of the year is good for them. It gives them a chance to do something with money for their friends or families. That seems to be the best way to handle that.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [MADLUX] What are you thoughts on adding another car to the team?

[Junie_Donlavey] We have no desire to have a two-car team. We have started this year with working with Brett Bodine and his team so we can get some feedback and we work pretty close with him. They were at the wind tunnel today testing the Talladega cars. That is the best thing we can do instead of adding all the people for two cars, which I don't think we can handle. We have run two cars at tracks down the years. In 1979 we ran Jody and Ricky at Talladega without any sponsorship. We finished 3rd and 5th and Petty finished 4th, so that gave us credibility. I don't ever want to run a two-car team because I think that will take a lot of fun out of it.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Va] With all of the big name sponsors and money now involved with NASCAR, do you ever wish it could just all go back to good ol' Saturday night racing?

[Junie_Donlavey] You will never be able to do that because the cost of racing has gone up so much. We have had some good people and good companies throughout the years. Hills Bros are good people and they have a good product. Without them we couldn't even go to a race today.

[Nascar_Host1] That's all the time Junie has for us today. Thanks Junie! What are your final thoughts?

[Junie_Donlavey] I would just like to thank all the friends and fans that are out there. To have so many people interested in racing, that is the one thing I really enjoy more than anything else. If the fan wasn't as close as they are, we wouldn't have the fun we are having today. I got in to racing for fun, and I want to keep it that way. As long as we have fans out there that are interested in this game, it will always be fun. Thank you!