#77 Update: With the 2003 switch from Ford to Dodge announced last weekend at Charlotte by the Penske South Team, the future of the two-year alliance between that team and the #77 Jasper Engines & Transmissions Ford team of driver Dave Blaney has moved into a more complicated set of elements as the power-plant relationship between Roger Penske and Jasper co-owners Doug Bawel, Mark Harrah and Mark Wallace projects toward next season. Recently, Harrahalso Team Manager for the #77 Jasper teamcommented on the plans for the Penske-Jasper Engine program as well as the current state of his race team, now 19th in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series owner and driver point standings entering this weekend’ Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Harrah’s comments: “In the discussions weve had as a group about the Penske South switch to Dodge, the technology we share will be common between the engines. We’ll still be with Ford in 2003. I’m dedicated to the Ford people, and we’re staying Ford at least through next year. It will certainly be interesting to see, with Penske’ move to Dodge, how the different trials and tribulations will play out. But a lot of the technical things we do will still be the same, just under different shell bodies. Even aero-wise we’ll be able to take some things off the Dodge and use it on our Ford. From an engine standpoint, Larry is prepared internally to do both programs. Our engines are pretty unique, and a lot that is in the drive train. With our involvement with Ilmor Engineering, they’re very involved with Mercedes, and a lot of that technology is carried over into our engines. I think our engines set the standard in the garage for fuel mileage and power. Last year we’d go three, four or five laps ahead of everyone else, for fuel mileage. The Penske-Jasper engines get great fuel mileage, and we would play it real conservative, play with the jetting to trade some power for fuel mileage. And it paid off quite a few times last year.”(Jasper Racing)(10-17-2002)
