All News Jeremy Mayfield Kasey Kahne

Suspect Noses?

March 12, 2004 at 12:00 AM
  • Evernham Motorsports Dodges qualified first [#9], sixth [#19] and 10th [#91] at Las Vegas, and other teams were suspicious about what advantage the Evernham crews had found. Rival manufacturers took pictures of the noses to examine the changes. The competitors discovered the noses were designed to offer greater downforce in the front and rear. “It’s totally legit,” one competitor says. “It’s so simple it makes you mad that you didn’t come up with it.” Although the Evernham cars were constructed completely within the rules, chances are NASCAR will develop a new body template that defines that nose area.(FoxSports/Sporting News), while walking along pitroad before the race, the #9 and #19 cars had the noses/grill area coveredd up and didn’t remove the covers until after the two cars fired up and just before the left pitroad.(3-8-2004)



    Suspect Noses? a pic of the #9 nose covered
    then exposed as the car was ready to roll
    and a comparison shot of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge.
    (I don’t see the difference)

    UPDATE Team owner Ray Evernham wears criticism about his cars from other competitors at Las Vegas last week as a badge of honor. Several teams claimed Evernham’s teams had altered the noses on their Dodges to improve their performance, even though the cars still fit NASCAR’s rigid template screening. “I’m happy again. People are looking at my stuff and taking pictures,” Evernham said. “I’m still the same guy. I didn’t go to sleep. I didn’t go away. We’re going to do everything we can do within the rules and within the templates and make our stuff good. The same things win races, good aerodynamics, good horsepower and good drivers.” Evernham’s rookie driver, Kasey Kahne, has finished second in the past two Nextel Cup races and is eighth in points. Teammate Jeremy Mayfield is 14th in points.(ThatsRacin.com)(3-12-2004)