#25-Joe Nemechek has become a fan of Formula One at Indy, if for no other reason than envy. The Winston Cup veteran and No. 7 starter for today’s race wants to use the pavement strip that F-1 uses for pit road. Nemechek contends Indy’s oval-track pit road is too narrow at 39 feet wide. The F-1 pit road is 50 feet wide. “I want to ask (Speedway president) Tony George if we can use the F-1 road,” Nemechek said. “The one we’ve got is so narrow that you’ve really got to be careful. It’s one of the narrowest we’ve got.” A narrow pit road requires precision on entry and exit. If a team pitting in the middle of pit road decides to take fewer tires than its competition, the driver must dodge incoming and outgoing traffic. But there are no plans to use the F-1 road. The Speedway has temporary bleachers there and has sold all of the tickets. Plus, the grandstands in the area closest to the fourth turn are permanent.( Indianapolis Star )(8-3-2003)
