Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 23, 1995 TAG: 9502230100
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Apparently, Goodyear significantly underestimated the number of tires it would need. Then, the teams used more tires than expected during practice.
Consider the mathematics. Goodyear had 3,200 tires - 800 sets - at Daytona, according to Leo Mehl, the manufacturer's racing director.
Each team is allowed to use three sets before and during qualifying. With 57 cars making qualifying runs and presumably able to afford three sets (at $1,200 a set), 171 sets were used.
That left 629 sets for 42 starters, slightly less than 15 sets per team, to cover two additional days of practice and the 500-mile race. Last year, some teams had 15 or 16 sets for races alone.
The problem intensified when teams started liberally using sets during the practice sessions.
Some teams saw the trouble brewing and held back tires. Mark Martin's team put used tires on his Grand National car (and almost won Saturday's Goody's 300) and saved the new ones for the 500.
``We brought more tires here than last year,'' Mehl said. ``But there was a lot more testing with the new [Chevrolet] Monte Carlos. And the tire was designed to compete with Hoosier, so it gives up a little more.''
Mehl said Goodyear was not in a position to make more tires on short notice because the tires had been produced in the fall.
When the crisis arose during Sunday's race, NASCAR abandoned the usual free-enterprise system that controls the reallocation of tires from cars that drop out. NASCAR and Goodyear assumed control of distributing the extra sets, but there were no complaints of foul play.
Geoff Bodine, who as Hoosier's only winning driver last year could have been a target for discrimination, said he received his fair share.
``We ended up with enough somehow,'' he said. ``But that isn't the way you should do it.''
NASCAR's Les Richter said each team will get its usual three sets before qualifying this weekend at Rockingham. After qualifying, Winston Cup director Gary Nelson ``will control the mounting of tires with each team getting an equal number,'' he said.
NEW GRAND PRIX DEVELOPS: The new NASCAR version of the 1996 Pontiac Grand Prix went into wind-tunnel testing this week. And Pontiac driver Michael Waltrip will test it for the first time at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 13, the day after the Purolator 500 at Atlanta.
Look for Pontiac to begin recruiting teams for 1996 soon. Pontiac made a big play for Ricky Rudd in 1995, and there's no reason to think they won't give it another try this year.
BACK TO THE ROCK: It's still February, but we're no longer in Florida. Do we go to Arizona, or southern California? No, we go to Rockingham.
It's no reflection on North Carolina Motor Speedway, but the weather often is unpleasant there in February.
This year, however, the forecast actually looks promising for the weekend in Rockingham.
Time trials for Sunday's Goodwrench 500 begin at 2 p.m. Friday. The Goodwrench 200 Grand National race is at 1 p.m. Saturday and the five-hour marathon begins at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
by CNB