Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 25, 1995 TAG: 9503270065
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DARLINGTON, S.C. LENGTH: Medium
Word of the unprecedented NASCAR three-way tests began to filter through the Darlington garages shortly after a meeting in the NASCAR trailer among NASCAR officials and representatives from Ford and General Motors.
A statement from NASCAR said it will select ``a representative example of each make'' for aerodynamic tests Tuesday at the Lockheed Wind Tunnel (Ford's primary wind tunnel) in Marietta, Ga., and Wednesday at the General Motors Wind Tunnel in Warren, Mich.
The announcement came on a day when the powerful new Monte Carlos continued to dominate the Winston Cup series, winning the top three starting spots in qualifying for Sunday's TranSouth 400. The Monte Carlos have won all four races this year. And the Chevys so thoroughly dominated the Fords at Atlanta two weekends ago that many Ford drivers complained the Chevys had an unfair advantage.
Several sources said NASCAR planned to select cars they deemed to be the fastest during the weekend for the wind-tunnel tests.
``After the completion of the race, each selected car will be impounded and transported under the supervision of NASCAR officials ... '' the statement said. ``Results of the testing will remain proprietary to NASCAR and will be used to assist in any future rule modifications.''
While a top Ford official hailed NASCAR's move, his General Motors counterpart was less enthusiastic but diplomatic.
``I applaud NASCAR,'' said Ford's Lee Morse. ``I think it's a very intelligent, logical step.''
Said GM's Don Taylor: ``We certainly will cooperate with them, because it's in the best interest of the sport to understand the elements of close competition.''
Privately, another Chevy official wondered aloud, ``What have we to gain?''
``Whatever they want to do is fine with me,'' said Richard Childress, who owns points-leader Dale Earnhardt's Chevys. ``All I want to do is be on a level playing field and we'll play all day.''
Meanwhile, Chevy issued a two-page news release describing four myths about the Monte Carlos.
The gist of Chevy's message was this: Twelve of the 14 templates NASCAR uses to measure dimensions of the Monte Carlo race cars also fit the Monte Carlo production cars. And the only changes NASCAR ordered for the Chevy race cars were a wider rear deck lid to accommodate the NASCAR-mandated 57-inch spoiler and a wider tail and bumper area to make them the same width as the Fords and Pontiacs that race in the series.
Chevy challenged the ``myths'' that it was allowed to add 2 inches to the nose of the Monte Carlos, that it was given free reign by NASCAR to modify the shape of the car and that the Monte Carlo was not fast when tested with the same rear end as a production car. The Chevy statement said the rear end was modified before the first Monte Carlo race car was built because it was obvious the 57-inch spoiler wouldn't fit on a production model.
FINE INCREASED: Junior Johnson wasn't satisfied after getting his fine for cheating at Daytona reduced from $45,000 to $35,000 after an appeal hearing before a three-member panel of the National Stock Car Racing Commission.
Johnson filed a further appeal to the national commissioner, Semon E. Knudsen. But Johnson didn't get the desired results.
Knudsen increased Johnson's fine for using an illegal intake manifold to $40,000.
NO UNSER FOR IROC: There will be no repeat of the duel between Earnhardt and Al Unser Jr. in the second round of the International Race of Champions, which is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. today.
Unser, the 1994 Indianapolis 500 champion, will miss the 60-lap Darlington race for the second consecutive year. Last year, Unser missed the Darlington event after suffering minor injuries in a crash during practice in his Indy car at Phoenix. This year, he sprained an ankle at his home in Albuquerque, N.M.
The race is scheduled to be aired by ABC-TV at 5 p.m. June 11.
by CNB