Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 24, 1995 TAG: 9505240085
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
CONCORD, N.C. - Chevrolet's successful new Monte Carlo sent stock car racing's sanctioning body back to the drawing board again Tuesday.
For the second time in less than a month, NASCAR officials announced body changes designed to help another make of car catch up with the 1995 Monte Carlo. Late in April, NASCAR granted concessions to Ford Thunderbirds and Pontiac Grand Prixs. This time around, additional relief was granted only to the Pontiacs, which have not won a points race or pole on the Winston Cup circuit since November 1993 - a span of 41 events.
Wind-tunnel tests have shown Chevrolet's new creation handles better in the turns, making it faster. On-track performances have been convincing, with the Grand Prix winning the first seven races of the year and eight of 10 in 1995.
NASCAR's latest changes call for the Pontiacs to lower their front air dam another quarter-inch and raise their rear spoiler by a quarter-inch. Both changes are expected to add down force on the car in the turns.
The concessions are effective immediately, so the Pontiac teams will be able to use them tonight in the first round of time trials for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 Winston Cup race.
``In our desire to have competition among all the makes, we feel this may help the Pontiac in traffic,'' said Kevin Triplett, a NASCAR spokesman, speaking by telephone from the sanctioning body's headquarters in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The new rules mean Pontiacs will have a front air-dam clearance of 31/2 inches and a rear spoiler height of 61/4 inches; for Fords, those measurements will be 33/4 inches and 6 inches; and for Chevrolets, they will be 4 inches and 53/4 inches.
``We felt all along that there should have been a difference between the Pontiac and the Thunderbird,'' said Chuck Rider, owner of the Pontiac driven by Michael Waltrip. ``We need that extra spoiler back there because we really don't have the down force that the Thunderbird and the Monte Carlo have on the rear deck.''
On Saturday, Rider's car started on the pole in The Winston Select Open, a 50-lap qualifying race at Charlotte for the circuit's all-star event, The Winston Select. But Waltrip never led a lap and was not one of the top five finishers in the event, so he failed to make the 20-car lineup for the Select.
The lineup for the Select contained nothing but Chevrolets and Fords.
``We had asked for another half-inch and we got a quarter-inch, so this helps,'' Rider said. ``This is another step in the right direction.''
Triplett said the Fords were not given any additional concessions this time because NASCAR officials feel the Thunderbird teams ``have closed whatever gap was there to begin with.''
Fords have won two of the past three points races, but they never led a lap in the Select, in which the top two finishers drove Chevrolets.
The top 20 starting positions for the Coca-Cola 600 are to be set tonight. The remainder of the field will be determined in a second round of time trials Thursday night.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB