THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 16, 1996 TAG: 9605160533
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Don't look for that Lincoln Mark VIII that John Andretti was testing at Charlotte last week to be on the track in competition any time soon.
Ford is curious but not totally enamored of the special project out of the Kranefuss-Haas shop in Mooresville, N.C. And NASCAR has its concerns.
``I understand (crew chief) Tim Brewer and Michael Kranefuss wanted to be able to use it this weekend in the Winston Select Open, but NASCAR has not signed off on that as an approved body make,'' Mike Helton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, said Tuesday.
``It will take a while basically because of the necessity from NASCAR's perspective for a body make to include NASCAR part numbers. That's going to take some time.''
And that's also why it may never get approved.
``It technically is supposed to have our approval,'' said Ford spokesman Kevin Kennedy. ``I think we have to issue the parts numbers. And there's a Ford rule right now that Ford and Lincoln-Mercury do not compete against each other in racing. Unless that rule is rescinded, it's not going to get approval from Ford anyway.
``We're not sure Lincoln is the right car for Winston Cup for us,'' he added. ``We have a commitment to the Ford division and the Thunderbird. We see this as a learning project and, in this case, the learning is to try to help us make the T-bird a better race car.''
HELP FOR PONTIAC: In an effort to help the struggling Grand Prix, NASCAR is allowing Pontiac teams to pull their front air dams out an inch. The change is effective for this weekend's Winston Select events at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
``All that can be moved and pulled forward is the air dam, and that will give them more of a ledge there,'' said NASCAR spokesman Kevin Triplett.
NASCAR and Pontiac also hope it will improve the front downforce on the Grand Prix. The lack of front downforce has given the Pontiacs a chronic push and generally has kept them from being competitive with the Fords and Chevys.
Pontiac, meanwhile is working on an entire new nose piece and is expected to present it to NASCAR for approval in the near future.
NOT NERVOUS: Harry Gant says he probably won't be too nervous before his one-race comeback in Saturday's Winston Select, but that might not be the case during the race itself.
``The only time you get nervous in that heat race is when it comes down to the final three or four laps and everybody puts it all out on the line. Now, that will make you nervous,'' Gant said Tuesday while practicing at North Carolina Motor Speedway.
Gant will substitute for Bill Elliott in the Winston Select. Elliott is recovering from a broken left femur suffered in a crash at Talladega on April 28. He drove Elliott's car at Rockingham for a tuneup.
Gant's best time was 24.12 seconds around the 1-mile track, or a speed of about 151.7 mph. It took a lap of 23.94 seconds (152.8 mph) to win the 38th starting spot in the spring race at The Rock.
DOLE TO THE RACES: Sen. Bob Dole, the expected Republican candidate for president in this year's election, has accepted the invitation of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. to be the grand marshal for Saturday night's Winston Select.
HYDE SERVICE: A memorial service for Harry Hyde, the colorful engineer/crew chief who died Monday of a heart attack, will be held today at Hartsell Funeral Home in Concord, N.C.
Hyde prepared 56 winning cars at the Winston Cup level.
CRAVEN UPDATE: Injured driver Ricky Craven says he is feeling much better and plans to enter the Winston Select Open after all.
Craven suffered a fractured vertebra and a bruised lung in a violent crash during the Winston Select 500 on April 28 at Talladega. He ran one lap in the SaveMart 300 on May 5 at Sears Point, then turned the Hedrick Motorsports team's Chevrolet over to relief driver Ron Hornaday. MEMO: Knight-Ridder News Service contributed to this report. by CNB