Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 3, 1995 TAG: 9506060048
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Andy Hall, NASCAR spokesman, said Winston Cup director Gary Nelson also planned to display the ``cheater'' suspension part that led to a record $60,000 fine for Gordon's crew chief, Ray Evernham.
Evernham, meanwhile, said there was no mystery to the incident - he was simply caught with a part that was not approved by NASCAR.
Evernham said the part, which NASCAR still hasn't identified, was a steel wheel hub. He said it was not approved and he knew it, but he thought there was room for doubt.
``It was a regular old hub, period. It was definitely a steel hub. It was good quality aircraft steel. The way the hub is built, it has some scalloped pieces in it. It had less `face' than an approved hub,'' Evernham said.
``We did not drill it. We did not lighten it. We did not touch it,'' Evernham said. ``We bought it from a manufacturer that is not approved by NASCAR and put it on the race car.''
Evernham said he used the part as part of a broader program to try to remove weight from the car.
``But again, we didn't do it in trying to break a rule,'' he said. ``Look at the rule book. Read it. We were walking that line. And we didn't intend to put anyone in danger and have it be a safety issue.''
NASCAR's Hall said the reason the fine was not announced until Tuesday afternoon - when the violation was discovered Sunday - was because ``we couldn't get everyone together'' before then.
``The race didn't end until late and the [Gordon] car had fallen out early, so they'd already left,'' Hall said. ``And it didn't happen Monday because of the [Memorial Day] holiday.''
``When we can talk about it, we will,'' Hall said. ``I think it will answer a lot of questions.''
SHARING TIME: Davy Jones and Bobby Hillin are going to share time in the No.77 Ford Thunderbird.
Car owner D.K. Ulrich said Jones needs more experience and ``we're going to adjust his schedule to include either Busch or Super Truck races or perhaps a combination of both,'' he said in a statement. Jones will also race in ``selected'' Cup events this year.
``I think this is the best decision for me as well as the entire team,'' Jones said. ``We're not where we need to be at this stage of the season.''
Hillin was 24th fastest in qualifying Friday for Sunday's Goodwrench 500.
WALTRIP, GREEN SPELL PAIN: Both Darrell Waltrip and David Green are still feeling the pain of Charlotte.
Green broke a shoulder in the Red Dog 300 Grand National race on May 27 and Waltrip cracked three ribs in the Winston Select one week earlier.
Green was dismayed Friday after learning that he had to attempt to qualify to be eligible for the champion's provisional.
``I'll go out and try not to hit anything,'' he said.
Green said the broken shoulder bone, which has two cracks in it, was still ``sore, real sore.'' He said he would start the race and ``go as long as I can'' before letting car owner Bobby Labonte take over.
``The track is so slippery, it's going to be a tough race,'' he said.
Green was 43rd fastest among the 44 drivers who attempted to qualified. His speed of 135.782 mph was about 12 mph slower than pole winner Tracy Leslie's lap.
Waltrip, meanwhile, has Jimmy Hensley back as his relief driver and expects to let Hensley take over during the first caution period. Hensley, who was nearly overcome by fumes at Charlotte, will have a new helmet that forces fresh air to him during the race.
Waltrip was 41st fastest Friday in pole qualifying.
IRVAN TO TEST AT RICHMOND: The NASCAR trucks come to Richmond International Raceway for two days of tests Monday and Tuesday and Ernie Irvan said he would be there instead of his regular driver, Joe Ruttman.
Irvan said his doctors ``can't really tell me what I'm waiting for'' as far as the next step of his recovery, so he has decided to resume testing. He has been testing, mostly in trucks and Grand National cars, since March.
Irvan is wearing glasses with a prism lens in the left lens. He has trouble with double vision and ``when I'm looking through these, I can see pretty close to one image,'' he said.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB