Black Boxes at Dover, Kansas, Lowes UPDATE 2: NASCAR officials were uncertain whether drivers would be using black boxes this weekend. Last week, the boxes were in the cars of Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Jeremy Mayfield, Kenny Wallace and Sterling Marlin. Mayfield’s was not set up to record crash data, but NASCAR officials will study information from Labonte’s. Next week at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, a total of 25-30 Busch Grand National and Winston Cup teams are expected to be running with the devices. The boxes will be mandatory for teams next season.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(9-28-2001) UPDATE: NASCAR Winston Cup director Gary Nelson said the sanctioning bodys first use of data recorders, in three divisions last weekend at Dover Downs International Speedway, was a successful first step toward comprehensively using the devices in its three national touring series in the 2002 season. Nelson said the recorders did fine in acquiring data, including readings from the car of defending Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte, which was involved in a crash early in the 400-lap race. Nelson declined to elaborate on what was found on Labontes recorder, though he did say we got data from that. The devices were used in the Busch North Series, cars of race winner Dale Shaw and Tom Carey Jr.; the Busch Series machines of Jimmie Johnson and Jason Keller; and the Cup cars of Labonte and Jeff Gordon. Nelson said the devices would not be used at Kansas Speedway this weekend. He did say he was looking at using them in an upcoming Craftsman Truck Series race, possibly Oct. 5 at Texas Motor Speedway. (NASCAR.com)(9-29-2001) UPDATE 2: NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said Sunday the sanctioning body is expecting to test several more “black boxes,” or accident-data recorders, during next weekend’s Grand National and Winston Cup races at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.(That’s Racin’)(10-1-2001)
