Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 22, 1995 TAG: 9506220066
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BRUCE STANTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Much like halftime at a football game, the NASCAR SuperTruck Series has an intermission during every race.
Halftime at a NASCAR race?
``We started this with the race at Tucson [Ariz.], and the reason we started it was because we didn't have an inside pit area at the race track,'' said Owen Kearns Jr., the SuperTruck Series' media coordinator. ``There was no place to take on tires. So, we said we'll do like a hockey game and have a little bit of an intermission.''
Many of the other Western tracks in the SuperTruck series also do not have adequate pit space, so the intermission has been kept on a week-to-week basis, even though tracks such as Bristol International Raceway have the pit space.
There is another reason for the halftime, though: money.
In a move to create an equal playing field for all teams in the inaugural season of the racing circuit, NASCAR eliminated the need for green-flag pit stops during SuperTruck races and gave the competitors a 10-minute intermission period for tire changes, engine adjustments and any other corrections they can make. The intermission comes at the halfway point of the race, meaning halftime of Friday's 150-lap race at Bristol will be on lap 75.
``If we had green-flag pit stops, every team would have to have a complete crew,'' Kearns said. ``We figured we could save the teams a lot of money by doing this. The majority have been positive toward this, but some teams have larger budgets, and they would prefer to do it the regular way.''
Rick Carelli is one competitor who could do without the intermission.
``If you had pit stops involved, you'd have a lot better races and more things involved,'' said Carelli, a Denver resident who is sixth in the points standings. ``[The intermission] does help in the long run when you're trying to help with budgets, but I'd rather do 200 laps of racing and race.''
As for next year, Kearns said the intermission will be evaluated.
``There will be changes made in a number of places, from scheduling to prize money,'' he said.
TAILGATE TIDBITS: Winston Cup stars Terry Labonte and Ken Schrader, originally scheduled to compete in the Bristol SuperTruck race, will not drive in the event. Labonte instead will race in the Busch Grand National Series race in Watkins Glen, N.Y., on Sunday. Schrader has decided to take a rest this weekend with no Winston Cup race is scheduled. ... The SuperTrucks already have made quite an impact at Bristol, where a crowd of at least 30,000 is expected Friday night. ``The SuperTruck Series is hotter than a freshly fired pistol,'' said Ron Scalf, vice president and general manager of the track. ``It has tripled the interest from the same weekend last year.'' ... Bristol will debut its $1 million mirrored lighting system during Friday's SuperTruck race in front of ESPN's cameras. ... With 32 entrants in the SuperTruck race, Bristol will have the largest field to date. Qualifying will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, and all entrants will compete in the race at 9 p.m.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB