Jimmy Fennig, who has been Mark's crew chief since
1996, won the Daytona 500 in 1988 as the crew chief for
Bobby Allison. He had joined Allison's team in 1987 after
winning an ASA championship with Mark in 1986. He and
Allison won one race together in their first year, and
then claimed the honors at Daytona the following year.
Unfortunately, their time racing together was shortened
when Allison was involved in a career-ending accident at
Pocono later that season.Fennig, who has always been more interested in racing rather than the limelight and attention, remembers that race as a highlight of his career, but he is quick not to dwell on his success.
"Toward the end of the race I don't remember anything different going through my mind than any other race," Fennig said. "It didn't even sink in that we had won the Daytona 500 until the next day. By the time we had the victory lane ceremony and did our interviews in the press box, it was already dark outside. We just loaded up the car and went home. There was not as much media attention back then as there is now. There was no Daytona USA, or trips to New York when you won. You just got ready for the next race."
That year, the race came down to two Allisons, Bobby and his son Davey. Bobby prevailed in the end, but Davey gave him a challenge.
"It was just us and Davey at the end," Fennig recalled. "I
was nervous about Davey getting us and passing us to win."Fennig would like to add another Daytona 500 victory to his resume, but this time with mark. Although Fennig has only been Mark's crew chief for four Daytona 500's, they have finished in the top-10 in half of them (1997 and 2000).
"I think winning the 500 now with Mark and this team would be more exciting," Fennig said. "It is so much harder to win races now. The way the sport is, you've accomplished more if you win now. I'm not saying it was easy to win then, but it's really tough now with so much more competition. I know it would mean a lot to Mark, and I know this whole team deserves it."
