NASCAR impounded the primary #20 [Home Depot] Chevy presented for inspection by Tony Stewart’s team Friday morning at Texas Motor Speedway, forcing the team to switch to a backup before it started practice. The confiscated car was rolled to a prominent position beside the NASCAR transporter and roped off. NASCAR officials did not allow the team to put a cover over the car, and the orange race car was drawing a lot of attention. “When the 20 came through inspection, it was not in a condition where it would pass,” NASCAR president Mike Helton. “It was enough out of that condition that we felt like what we wanted to do was impound the car instead of letting them cut it up and try to fix it, even if they could.” Helton would not specifically say what it was about the car that was out of whack, but did say the problem was in the area from the rear window to the rear deck lid. “What I will say is that it did not fit the templates, and did not fit them very well at all,” he said. Officials from Joe Gibbs Racing said Greg Zipadelli, Stewart’s crew chief, would comment on the situation following Winston Cup qualifying scheduled for Friday afternoon. Helton said NASCAR impounded the car because it was the first to be presented for inspection this year that fell “outside of the box” of a new set of rules regarding body shape and location that is more common among all makes in 2003. “This is the first we’ve seen this year of anything being this exotic,” Helton said. “There was a great deal of effort put in over the winter by NASCAR and the teams to adapt to the common body templates. …We feel that has been a success on the track and in the garage area and there is a high level of interest in trying to keep things going in that direction.” Helton said he did not recall NASCAR ever confiscating an entire car from a team before. Officials frequently confiscate unapproved parts from cars, tag them and leave them on display on a counter in its hauler. “This fits in that scenario,” Helton said. “It’s just too big to put on the counter.” Helton said the car would be taken back to NASCAR’s new research and development center in Concord where it will be examined further. He would not rule out further fines or penalties against the team pending the outcome of that investigation. “We want to understand it more,” Helton said. “We feel that taking this car out of their system is quite a reaction. The car they presented to race here is now not an option to them to use. …That car is ours for right now.”( ThatsRacin.com ) AND #20-Tony Stewart was forced to pull his backup car from the hauler before Friday’s Winston Cup practice after NASCAR disallowed his primary, claiming it failed the common body template inspection. The car, which had not yet been used by the team, was confiscated by NASCAR and its backup, another unused chassis according to Joe Gibbs Racing team manager Jimmy Makar, was pulled out of the transporter in its place. “I’m not sure we ever have done this,” NASCAR president Mike Helton said. NASCAR impounded the car and planned to return it to its technical and research and development facility in Concord, N.C., to investigate it further.( NASCAR.com ), no problems reported on the backup car.( XM Satellite- NASCAR Radio – Subscription Required)(3-28-2003)
