Despite Brian Vickers blistering Texas Motor Speedway with a pole-winning speed in excess of 196mph, NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter said restrictor plates will not be used in Sundays Dickies 500 to slow the speeds of the cars down. Probably not, anyway. At Talladega last month, NASCAR said it wouldnt slow the cars down either, but reversed themselves on race morning, when they issued smaller restrictor plates. That was Talladega and this was Texas, Hunter said. But if youre asking me, Is this in concrete? No it isnt. Hunter said the qualifying speeds were unusually high because of the extremely cool weather late in the day, when the sun had set. During Saturdays practice, speeds should drop into the low- to mid-190 mph range.(Speed Channel)(11-4-2006)
