Doug Duchardt, GM’s new racing boss, said that NASCAR’s decision not to legalize the new R-99 engine for truck racing next season will put Chevrolet teams at a disadvantage to newcomer Toyota. ‘We want to be on an equal footing when we race against Toyota, and the thing we’re most disappointed in is we think we’ll be put at a technical disadvantage off the bat, and we’re not comfortable with that and don’t like it,’ Duchardt said. Duchardt said he doesn’t know why NASCAR is barring the R-99, an engine under development since 1999. ‘They were comfortable where we were with the dimensions. But it was never officially approved for competition. Jack Roush said we were, but he doesn’t make that decision.’ GM resubmitted the R-99 a few weeks ago, in machine-cast versions, to give NASCAR the opportunity to OK it if Toyota’s V-8 blows away the competition. Duchardt denied the report that NASCAR’s decision to kill the R-99 engine was made when GM wouldn’t agree to supply the engines to all truck teams next season.( Winston Salem Journal )(9-11-2003)
