The race car inspection process at Atlanta Motor Speedway proceeded with nary a hitch, today, with the field of 45 cars getting the good to go signal at 10:40am/et. The fastidious and through inspections came off with so little commotion that there was an honest 40 minutes between the time the last car was inspected and when the first practice for Winston Cup was scheduled to start. However, NASCAR inspectors were afforded the 40-minute cushion when morning showers slid the schedule back due to track drying efforts. NASCAR Winston Cup director John Darby credits two factors for the quick inspection turn around process, which just the week before had some wondering how NASCAR could get all the cars done in a timely fashion. Number one it didnt rain, said Darby of this weeks inspections. In Las Vegas [rain] was probably the biggest thing that held them up. Race teams pay attention to whats going on around them and when its pouring down rain and its 10 oclock in the morning its real easy for them to figure out well, its going to be two-and-a-half hours before they get the track dry so we dont have to go as quick as what we normally do. Vegas wasnt a surprise, Vegas was created by weather, Darby continued. It might be a little bit ironic we get to Atlanta and the weather wasnt messing with us. It was business as usual. We were confidant that when the day came that wed be able to start the weekend without having to change a schedule before we did anything else, that the result would be very similar to this. Addressing the other major contributing factor to the quick inspections was the teams work. My hats off to the race teams. I have a ton of respect for the teams in this garage and the fabricators and the crew chiefs and everybody else that have taken the new program and taken it seriously and took the extra setup time in the shops to make sure theyre correct when they get here. Darbys men did find one violation. The No. 10 Valvoline Pontiac fuel cell check valve assembly didnt meet specification. The part was replaced and the team didnt miss practice.( Ford Racing )(3-8-2003)
