The Career Of Steve Fulton (NASCAR Racing 2003 Season)

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Welcome to my career playthrough on NASCAR Racing 2003 Season. This game is a simulation racing game for PC. It is an older title but it is still in my opinion the best non-subscription racing experience out there today. With the amazing modding community this game has it is possible for me to race in nearly any NASCAR series from the early days up until the present. There are resources available to make the AI drivers perform realistically to how they did in real life as well. The game doesn't have a career mode but with my imagination I can create my own.

I will begin in 1989 and run the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series as a rookie. I will also follow along with the Winston Cup Series starting in 1989 as well. The names of the series will not change as they did in real life. The drivers, teams and schedules will not mirror what happened in real life so in a few years this universe will not look like NASCAR did in real life.

I will be running on 50% race length with full damage and everything default. If I do not out qualify the slowest driver I will count that as a DNQ or did not qualify and miss the race.

If I am inside the top-35 in points in the Winston Cup and Busch Series then I can use a provisional to make the race. I will start the season with 5 and gain 1 back after every five races with 5 maximum. If I am in the top-25 in points then I can use a free provisional. Point standings for first 5 races of the season for provisional spots go back to previous season. Once I get to the trucks the numbers are top-30 and top-20 since the fields are capped at 36 trucks. However the first five truck races are lined up as qualified so I have to outqualify the last place drive on tracks with less than 36 trucks. I hope this makes sense.

Another little 'house rule' will be if I wreck in qualifying or practice I will have to go to a backup car if the damage is bad enough. To simulate this I will use the default car setups which are very slow. This is to give the realism of the backup car just not being as good as the primary and puts an emphasis on avoiding accidents in practice.

I will post my career results and update at the end of each season. I will also have Series stats for each season as well in another post. I will post results and point standings each race along with a picture or two.

Finally, I will have a weekly recap of my own weekend at the track in a separate post with a write up and statistics for the weekend. I hope you enjoy following along and see you on the track.

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Steve Fulton's Career Results

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NASCAR Season Standings History



Top-10 Final Standings By Year:



Busch Series Champion By Year:
1988- Tommy Ellis | J&J Racing

Top-10 Final Standings By Year:

1988
1. Tommy Ellis | J&J Racing
2. Rob Moroso | Moroso Racing
3. Larry Pearson | Pearson Racing
4. Mike Alexander | Alexander Racing
5. Tommy Houston | Houston Racing
6. Jimmy Hensley | Sam Ard Racing
7. Jimmy Spencer | Frank Cicci Racing
8. Rick Mast | A.G. Dillard Motorsports
9. L.D. Ottinger | Parker Racing
10. Jack Ingram | Ingram Racing

Rookie Of The Year
1988- Bobby Dotter | Team R Racing

Pole King (Most Poles)
1988- Tommy Ellis | J&J Racing | 5 Poles

Top Gun Award (Most Wins)
1988- Harry Gant | Whitaker Racing | 5 Wins

Most Popular Driver (Full Time Drivers Only)
1988- Larry Pearson | Pearson Racing

Most Improved Driver
1988- Rob Moroso | Moroso Racing



Winston Cup Series Champion By Year:
1988- Bill Elliott | Melling Racing

Top-10 Final Standings By Year:

1988
1. Bill Elliott | Melling Racing
2. Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing
3. Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing
4. Terry Labonte | Junior Johnson & Associates
5. Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports
6. Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports
7. Darrell Waltrip | Hendrick Motorsports
8. Davey Allison | Ranier-Lundy Racing
9. Phil Parsons | Jackson Brothers Motorsports
10. Sterling Marlin | Hagan Racing

Rookie Of The Year
1988- Ken Bouchard | Whitcomb Racing

Pole King Award (Most Poles)
1988- Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | 6 Poles

Top Gun Award (Most Wins)
1988- Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | 6 Wins

Most Popular Driver Award
1988- Bill Elliott | Melling Racing

Most Improved Driver
1988- Davey Allison | Ranier-Lundy Racing

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1989 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Preview

With the 1988 Busch Grand National Series season in the rear view and the crowning of Tommy Ellis as the champion the slate will be wiped clean as a new season lies on the horizon. There are some familiar faces looking to improve on their 1988 results and etch their name in the history books as champion including youngsters Rob Moroso and Mike Alexander. The veterans of the series like Tommy Houston, L.D. Ottinger and Jack Ingram may have something to say about that when the smoke clears at Martinsville in the fall.

As well as the cast of series regulars mentioned above there will be a Winston Cup presence in the field during some of the bigger events. Drivers such as Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip and Harry Gant will also be running partial schedules with these future Winston Cup Series hopefuls. Some drivers love the idea of these Winston Cup Series stars joining them to race but others, mainly owners, would rather not see these guys running these races. One owner had some pretty strong words about it but wanted to remain anonymous.

"These Winston Cup guys come and run our big money races and take money away from us regulars who are racing for the points as well. I don't like it. The only reason they are doing it is for the money. If my car goes out and runs 6th behind five Winston Cup drivers and knowing we would have won had they not been here it takes money out of our teams pockets which hurts us in the long run. I don't think Winston Cup drivers should be running in our series and that's that!" - Anonymous Team Owner

There are several other team owners that feel the same way but one driver/owner has a much different point of view.

"When drivers like myself come down and run these races we are giving these young drivers and teams a chance to match up with the best of the best. It's about competition and the fans also come to see us so that helps the bottom line of the Busch Series. Anybody not wanting us out there needs to improve and beat us if they are worried about it that much." - Dale Earnhardt

This seems to be a big topic heading in to 1989 so we will watch this closely and see what NASCAR has in store if anything to address the concerns of team owners about having Winston Cup Series drivers driving on the Busch Grand National Series.

1989 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Schedule

February 18 | Goody's 300 | Daytona International Speedway
March 4 | Goodwrench 200 | North Carolina Motor Speedway
March 12 | Miller Classic | Martinsville Speedway
March 25 | Mountain Dew 400 | Hickory Motor Speedway
April 1 | Country Squire 200 | Darlington Raceway
April 8 | Budweiser 200 | Bristol Motor Speedway
April 30 | GM Parts 300 | Nazareth Speedway
May 6 | Busch 200 | South Boston Speedway
May 13 | Big Star/Nestle 200 | Lanier National Speedway
May 20 | Granger Select 200 | Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway
May 27 | Champion Spark Plugs 300 | Charlotte Motor Speedway
June 3 | Budweiser 200 | Dover Downs International Speedway
June 10 | Roses Stores 200 | Orange County Speedway
June 24 | Granger Select 200 | Louisville Motor Speedway
July 1 | Sears Diehard 250 | The Milwaukee Mile
July 4 | Carolina Pride/Budweiser 200 | Myrtle Beach Speedway
July 15 | Coors 200 | South Boston Speedway
July 22 | Pepsi 200 | Hickory Motor Speedway
July 29 | Old Milwaukee 200 | New River Valley Speedway
August 5 | Kroger 200 | Indianapolis Raceway Park
August 12 | Texas Pete 200 | Orange Country Speedway
August 25 | Jay Johnson 200 | Bristol Motor Speedway
September 2 | Gatorade 200 | Darlington Raceway
September 9 | Commonwealth 200 | Richmond International Raceway
September 16 | Ames/Peak Performance 200 | Dover Downs International Speedway
September 23 | Zerex 200 | Martinsville Speedway
October 7 | All Pro Auto Parts 300 | Charlotte Motor Speedway
October 21 | AC Delco 200 | North Carolina Motor Speedway
October 29 | Winston Classic | Martinsville Speedway



1989 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Rookie Contenders

#8 | Bobby Hamilton | FILMAR Racing | Nashville, TN
#12 | Jeff Burton | Sam Ard Motorsports | South Boston, VA
#36 | Kenny Wallace | Rusty Wallace Racing | St. Louis, MO
#44 | Bobby Labonte | Labonte Motorsports | Corpus Christi, TX
#59 | Robert Pressley | Alliance Racing | Asheville, NC
#83 | Steve Fulton | Fulton Motorsports | Belews Creek, NC
#85 | Bobby Moon | Bobby Moon Racing | Spout Spring, VA

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1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Preview

The 1988 Winston Cup Series season ended with Bill Elliott raising the Championship trophy at Atlanta after the season finale. It was 'Awesome' Bill's first career title as well as car owner Harry Melling. The 24 point margin was a little close for comfort but leaves runner-up Rusty Wallace even more hungry to add his name to the list of Winston Cup Series champions this season.

Dale Earnhardt who finished third in the final standings will look to capture his fourth title this season along with 'Jaws' Darrell Waltrip who will look to rebound after a disappointing 7th place finish in the standings.

"We know we have a team and driver combination that can contend for the championship, we just have to execute. We definitely haven't been bad the last two years but we expect to be contending for the championship so in 1989 we look to do just that." - Darrell Waltrip

Aside from the battle at the top of the points for the title there is another story coming into the 1989 season and that is the return of veteran Tim Richmond to Winston Cup Series competition. Richmond has been sidelined since mid-1987 with some very serious medical issues. Tim announced that he is now 100% and looking to continue his career. Most teams were unwilling to take the chance on him however motorsports legend A.J. Foyt will put him behind the wheel of his cars for the 1989 season.

"I'm just looking to get back out there and compete. I'm rusty but I feel I can still get it done at this level. I thank A.J. Foyt for the opportunity and the fans for all the well wishes through this last year and a half. My goal is to go out there and get A.J. a victory or two and be in contention all season." - Tim Richmond

It looks like there are plenty of stories to follow this year and it should be no less than a year to remember in the Winston Cup Series as we put the finishing touches on the decade of the 80's and get ready for the 90's.

1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Schedule

February 12 | The Busch Clash | Daytona International Speedway
February 16 | Gatorade 125's | Daytona International Speedway
February 19 | Daytona 500 | Daytona International Speedway
March 5 | Goodwrench 500 | Daytona International Speedway
March 19 | Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 | Atlanta International Raceway
March 26 | Pontiac Excitement 400 | Richmond International Raceway
April 2 | Transouth Financial 400 | Darlington Raceway
April 9 | Valleydale Meats 500 | Bristol Motor Speedway
April 16 | First Union 400 | North Wilkesboro Speedway
April 23 | Pannill Sweatshirts 500 | Martinsville Speedway
May 7 | Winston 500 | Talladega Superspeedway
May 20 | The Winston Open | Charlotte Motor Speedway
May 20 | The Winston All-Star Race | Charlotte Motor Speedway
May 28 | Coca-Cola 600 | Charlotte Motor Speedway
June 4 | Budweiser 500 | Dover Downs International Speedway
June 11 | Banquet Foods 300 | Sears Point International Raceway
June 18 | Miller High Life 500 | Pocono International Raceway
June 25 | Miller High Life 400 | Michigan International Speedway
July 1 | Pepsi 400 | Daytona International Speedway
July 23 | AC Spark Plug 500 | Pocono International Speedway
July 30 | Winston 500 | Talladega Superspeedway
August 13 | The Bud at the Glen | Watkins Glen International
August 20 | Champion Spark Plug 400 | Michigan International Speedway
August 26 | Busch 500 | Bristol Motor Speedway
September 3 | Southern 500 | Darlington Raceway
September 10 | Miller High Life 400 | Richmond International Raceway
September 17 | Peak Performance 500 | Dover Downs International Speedway
September 24 | Goody's 500 | Martinsville Speedway
October 8 | All Pro Auto Parts 500 | Charlotte Motor Speedway
October 15 | Holly Farms 400 | North Wilkesboro Speedway
October 22 | AC Delco 500 | North Carolina Motor Speedway
November 5 | Autoworks 500 | Phoenix International Raceway
November 19 | Hooters 500 | Atlanta International Raceway



1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie Contenders

#16 | Larry Pearson | David Pearson Racing | Spartanburg, SC
#51 | Butch Miller | Miller Racing | Coopersville, MI
#57 | Hut Stricklin | Osterlund Racing | Calera, AL
#66 | Rick Mast | Mach 1 Racing | Rockbridge Baths, VA
#84 | Dick Trickle | Stavola Brothers Racing | Wisconsin Rapids, WI
#88 | Jimmy Spencer | Baker-Schiff Racing | Berwick, PA

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Steve Fulton's 1989 Teams and Expectations


NASCAR Busch Grand National Series
#83
Fulton Motorsports
Unsponsored
Pontiac Grand Prix
Rookie Contender

Owner Expectations
Being your own boss has the advantage of not being able to be fired but we definitely need to be competitive to keep the team in business so we will have some goals/expectations we just aren't required to meet them to keep a job like if we were under contract with a team. That being said here are my goals for myself.

- Qualify for each race.
- Finish each race.
- Keep the car clean. (No damage)

Owner Wishlist
- Run well enough to attract some sponsorship.

NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Steve Fulton has no plans during the offseason to race in the Winston Cup Series this season but that could change throughout the season depending on performance and things happening along the way.

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Reserved for later......