DATE: Thursday, July 31, 1997               TAG: 9707310579

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 

        BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS                      LENGTH:   67 lines

THE CHORUS FOR TAURUS ISN'T ALL CHEERS NOT ALL THE FORD TEAMS ARE THRILLED TO SEE THE 4-DOOR REPLACE THE T-BIRD FOR '98.

After almost a year of planning and development, Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday unveiled its 1998 Winston Cup Taurus race car.

The Taurus, the best-selling car in the United States, will be the first four-door production car turned into a race car on NASCAR's premier series in more than 40 years. Most previous race cars have been based on two-door models.

Ford unveiled its new car in a lavish ceremony at the Indiana Convention Center that included the obligatory use of dry ice and colored lights. Nearly every Ford Winston Cup driver attended in uniform, walking out with the car as it was driven slowly into the spotlight.

``The Taurus represents the all-American family car, and our plan is to race it in the all-American, family-oriented racing series,'' said Bob Rewey, vice president of Ford marketing, sales and service. ``We feel at Ford that it is most important to race what we sell.''

But behind the scenes, Ford Winston Cup teams look toward the change with some uneasiness and a great deal of uncertainty.

Dale Jarrett, who is having the best success of his career in the Ford Thunderbird, said Wednesday: ``We might just change the name on our car and not even change it (to the Taurus). There's some apprehension there. We haven't had the car on the racetrack yet, so we really don't know what's going to happen. It's another challenge.''

Preston Miller, Ford's top Winston Cup representative, had nothing for praise about how NASCAR had helped Ford develop the car that would win its approval.

``It was a very simple process,'' Miller said. NASCAR simply applied the same standard and measurements to the Taurus that they had given the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and the Pontiac Grand Prix when they were developed.

``NASCAR, to their credit, jumped on the job and got it done quickly.''

But not all in the Ford camp are convinced that NASCAR will be fair. Earlier this month, Ford car owner Jack Roush, who has helped in the development of the Taurus, said he didn't think NASCAR would allow the Ford to be as good or better than the Chevrolet because there already are more Ford teams than Chevy and Pontiac teams.

``I don't think that's a valid statement,'' Miller said. ``I think we've absolutely gotten a fair shake with the Taurus.''

Miller and the Ford drivers said the Taurus would be fundamentally a better race car than the Thunderbird because of its shape.

``I think all the wind-tunnel figures have said that its going to be a better race car than the Thunderbird,'' driver Ernie Irvan said. ``And right now, the Thunderbird is an awful good race car.''

Added Rusty Wallace: ``The car has a lot rounder shape. So its shape is more conducive for aerodynamics.''

But even the best-case scenario suggests it will take time to develop and refine the car.

Said Mark Martin: ``I don't expect to be as prepared for the 1998 season as we were for 1997. It's going to turn us upside down to change all of our race cars to prepare for next season.''

Most of the development work was done by Rusty Wallace's team, which now has a car ready. It will take a couple of months for the other teams to prepare new cars. Testing on race tracks should begin soon after. ILLUSTRATION: FORD MOTOR COMPANY PHOTO

Next season, for the first time in more than 40 years, a four-door

sedan will run in NASCAR's premier series with the debut of the 1988

Ford Taurus.

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