ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 21, 1996 TAG: 9604220063
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: MARTINSVILLE
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
BUT IT WILL GIVE the Ford teams a half-inch reduction in the rear portion of the roof line on Thunderbirds beginning May 18 in the Winston Cup battle with the Chevy Monte Carlos.
After the checkered flag falls on the Goody's 500 today at Martinsville Speedway, the Ford Winston Cup teams head back to their shops to face a heaping helping of extra work.
NASCAR announced a body change for the Fords on Saturday in an effort to help them compete with the Chevrolet Monte Carlos, which have won six of seven Winston Cup races in 1996.
The first order of business, of course, is today's 500-lap race around this
Ricky Craven starts on the pole after qualifying his Chevy at 93.079 mph on Friday.
And Terry Labonte, who starts seventh, breaks the record he shares with Richard Petty of 513 consecutive starts when the green flag falls. It has taken Labonte more than 17 years to run 514 consecutive Winston Cup events.
Records will be forgotten once the long grind begins at 1 p.m.
``It's the same old thing at Martinsville,'' said Dale Jarrett, the Winston Cup points leader. ``Rusty [Wallace] will run good, Dale [Earnhardt] will run good and Terry is driving well. You just try to keep the brakes and the fenders on the car for the first 400 laps and then try to race 'em at the end, provided you've got a pretty good car.''
But as Ford drivers and crews practiced and prepared Saturday for the race, the rules change was not far from their thoughts.
NASCAR has approved a reduction of an additional half-inch in the rear portion of the roof line on all Thunderbirds used at tracks one mile or longer.
This does not include the road courses or Daytona and Talladega.
The change goes into effect for The Winston Select at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 18. It is designed to improve the rear downforce of the Fords, which should allow them to stick better in the turns.
NASCAR already had lowered the Ford roof a quarter of an inch before the season started. Ford officials have been lobbying for a reduction of 11/4 inches, arguing that this amount is what's needed to make the Fords and Chevys aerodynamically equal.
The Ford camp's reaction to the change ranged from cautiously optimistic to downright unhappy.
``We don't know what a half-inch will do,'' said Mark Martin, a Ford driver. ``A quarter-inch didn't help. But now we've got to cut up all the bodies again and that puts you behind. It sure doesn't help you get your stuff together.''
Ford car owner Jack Roush, one of the most vocal critics of NASCAR in this ongoing aerodynamic dispute, said: ``The first change got us 20 percent of what we needed. And of the part that remains, this is another 25 percent to maybe a third.''
``But I'm encouraged by the fact that they've done something. And they haven't said this is the last time they'll visit the issue.''
``It's great, don't get me wrong,'' said Ricky Rudd, another Ford driver. ``But it's still not everything we need to get the two cars even. All the extra work keeps us screwed up in the shop, but I'm not going to fuss about it.''
Said Jarrett: ``I think they've made a lot of work for the guys for very little gain.''
Ford's Preston Miller summed it up: ``What they've given us is too good to turn down, but it wasn't what we asked for and it isn't what we need.''
On the Chevy side, the reaction also was mixed.
``I don't like it any time you have to alter the rules,'' said Richard Childress, the owner of Earnhardt's car. ``I can understand NASCAR doing it because Ford hasn't won but one race. But I just feel that the Ford teams don't have the momentum.
``Right now, the [No.]24 and [No.]5 cars [Jeff Gordon and Labonte] are the reason for the rule change. We can't outrun them and we've got a Chevy.''
In NASCAR's eyes, will this change achieve the elusive parity?
``We'll have to wait and see - like always,'' said Gary Nelson, NASCAR's Winston Cup director. ``We would like to think we can balance the competition with the changes we've made to the rule. But on the other hand, the guys on these teams are so creative in making these cars better, nothing ever fixes anything.
``These guys are so innovative, it just amazes me.''
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB