hearing the #77 Jasper Motorsports team may run a Dodge instead of a Ford at Talladega at the end of the month. Penske-Jasper builde both Dodge engines [for the #2 and #12] and Ford engines [the #77].(9-6-2003) UPDATE: Jasper Motorsports has elected to field a Dodge for its driver Dave Blaney in this weekend’s Winston Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway. The team, which has used Fords since its inception, built a Dodge and sent it along with one of its Fords for a wind-tunnel test, and the results favored the Dodge, said Robert “Bootie” Barker, the team’s crew chief. “We have had one of each built because we’ve struggled so bad at the restrictor-plate tracks. We took them to the wind tunnel and put both on the chassis dyno and the Dodge seemed to be a little better,” he said. “Our deal is to bring the best piece you can to the track because we’re here to win races. We were dead last before.” Asked if Jasper was considering a permanent move to the Dodge camp, Barker said: “We’re going right back to Ford, of course, for the next few races and try to do the best job we can, but you never know.” In three restrictor-plate races at Daytona (two) and Talladega this season, Blaney has finished 24th, 23rd and 35th. He is 28th in series points.( ThatsRacin.com ), am hearing that the team will switch to Dodge for 2004.(9-26-2003)
