April 11, 2002
- Soft Walls at Indy UPDATE: In a major step toward safety, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will announce on Wednesday the installation of “soft wall” technology for this year’s Indianapolis 500. A long-time research and development project with the University of Nebraska has produced a soft wall padding that will be installed in the outside turns of the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This is a result of a long-time project between the Indy Racing League and NASCAR with the University of Nebraska in an effort to reduce impact in the event of a crash. The soft wall padding is currently being installed at Indianapolis in an effort to improve safety for the 86th running of the Indianapolis 500.(Fox Sports)(4-10-2002)
UPDATE: Soft-wall applications to the four turns of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval may be made before the start of practice for this year’s 86th Indianapolis 500, said Brian Barnhart, Indy Racing League vice president of operations, on April 10. The decision will be made whether to install the new safety technology after two final testing sessions at the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Barnhart said. Opening Day for the Indianapolis 500 is May 5. The shock-absorbing soft walls are an evolution of the original PEDS barrier that was attached to the inside wall exiting Turn 4 in 1998. The PEDS barrier was found to have some defects after it was struck at full speed by two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk during the 1998 IROC at Indy race. Still, Barnhart believes the PEDS barrier possibly saved Luyendyk’s life. In 1999, Japanese driver Hideshi Matsuda, in a practice crash before the Indianapolis 500, impacted a second-generation PEDS barrier in the same location of track. With the assistance of the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, the Speedway, under the leadership of president and CEO Tony George, continued its development of an energy-reducing wall attachment that could help lower the risk of driver injury in a crash. Under the direction of Dr. Dean Sicking and Dr. Ron Faller, the soft-wall program progressed to the point that by September 2000, George and Barnhart were ready to include NASCAR in the development. Because the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a multi-purpose motorsports facility, the soft wall needs to withstand crashes by 1,550-pound Indy Racing League cars and 3,500-pound stock cars raced in the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400, respectively. NASCAR assigned Steve Peterson to work with the Indy Racing League Technical Director Phil Casey, PEDS designer John Pierce and the Nebraska engineers on the project. The crashes are simulated on an airport runway setup. The vehicles are propelled by cables to a creditable speed and then released to travel free the final 15 feet into the barriers. The cars, Barnhart pointed out, are heavily instrumented with impact data recorders in the front, middle and back of the chassis. Barnhart received an encouraging report April 9 after the 17th in the series of test crashes. There are two more test crashes scheduled for late April. Because of time restraints, soft walls only would be installed in each of the four turns at this time. Barnhart noted the soft walls are designed to provide their best protection at the most prominent impact areas in the corners and then taper down on the exits to allow running cars to take their normal grooves up to the concrete for maximum speed.(IMS Site) and see a story at the Orlando Sentinel: Indy tests use of ‘soft’ walls and from the Indy Star: IMS pleased with soft-wall tests.(4-11-2002) - Elliott wants to be left off: [#9] Bill Elliott, perennial winner in the most-popular driver balloting, doesn’t want to play any longer and has asked that his name be taken off the ballot. But The National Motorsports Press Association, which conducts the vote, still has his name on there. And fans, some of whom have long kept Elliott at the top of the list, are caught in the middle. Elliott won the award 10 times in a row and has won it 15 times altogether. Last season, he agreed to have his name removed from the ballot as part of an effort to honor the memory of seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt. Confusion has come about over how long the driver’s name was to stay off the ballot. In the future, likely with the driver’s retirement, the most-popular driver trophy – not the award – is expected to carry Elliott’s name. As David Poole, president of the NMPA, put it: “Bill’s name has been on it so many times, it may as well stay there.”(See full story at ThatsRacin.com)(4-11-2002)
- NASCAR asks lawsuit to be dropped: NASCAR has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit that claims the stock car association has illegally withheld a second Winston Cup date from the Texas Motor Speedway [TMS]. In the motion, filed in federal court, attorneys for NASCAR attack all counts of the lawsuit filed by Francis Ferko of Plano, a shareholder in Speedway Motorsports Inc. — the company that owns and operates TMS. NASCAR contends that many of Ferko’s “factual allegations” are false and that — none of the claims has substantive merit, but even as a matter of pleading, they are so fatally deficient the court can dismiss them now.(CNN/AP)(4-11-2002)
- Oordt-Denny Green team delayed UPDATE Oordt out? Mock regains control?: Darwin Oordt Galaxy Motorsports – was the #75 team is not sure when he and new team partner Dennis Green will put a car on the track. ”We’re working on a couple of things, but there’s nothing new,” Oordt said this week. Oordt suspended his Winston Cup operation early last year due to a lack of sponsor. Green, the former Vikings coach, last month became partners with Oordt. Oordt said they hope to begin competing at some point this season in either Cup or BGN, or both.(Tennessean)(3-7-2002)
UPDATE: [former owner] Butch Mock reportedly has retaken possession of the team he sold to Darwin Oordt and intends to auction off everything in early May.(Winston Cup Scene – need sub to read)(4-11-2002) - Simpson vs NASCAR: NASCAR claims in court documents filed this week that it did not defame seat-belt pioneer Bill Simpson because its officials told the truth without malice about the death of Dale Earnhardt and his torn seat belt. NASCAR also stated that it never said that Earnhardt was killed as a result of seat-belt failure. Simpson filed an $8.5 million defamation suit against NASCAR in February. In the suit, Simpson contends that he suffered financially after NASCAR said Earnhardt’s seat belt resulted in the death of the seven-time Winston Cup champion in the 2001 Daytona 500. Attorney Bob Johnstone, representing NASCAR, filed a response Monday to the suit in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis.(see full story at the Daytona Beach News Journal)(4-11-2002)
- Testing at Talladega UPDATE: Seven Cup teams tested Tuesday at Talladega: #49-BAM Racing with Shawna Robinson, #20-Joe Gibbs Racing with Mike McLaughlin (Tony Stewart will be there Wed), #10-MBV Motorsports with Johnny Benson, #22-Bill Davis Racing with Tom Hubert, #33-Andy Petree Racing with Robert Pressley, #78-Braun Motorsports with ARCA driver Chad Blount, and Petty Enterprises tested a Dodge with Steve Grissom. Testing continues Wednesday.(Talladega Superspeedway PR)(4-9-2002)
UPDATE: Wrapping up test sessions at Talladega were Mike McLaughlin who filled in for Tony Stewart in the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Home Depot Pontiac, #49-BAM Racing with Shawna Robinson, Petty Enterprises with Steve Grissom and #78-Braun Motorsports with Chad Blount. The #10 MBV Motorsports team with Johnny Benson did not get on the track Tuesday and will conclude their two-day test on Thursday. Also testing at Talladega were Phoenix Racing’s #1 BGN with Joe Ruttman and #09 Cup team with Geoffrey Bodine..(Talladega Superspeedway PR)(4-11-2002) - Yates 3rd Team? Rudd Retiring? No to both: rumors have began to circulate about Robert Yates starting a third Winston Cup team and there are indications that Yates is already talking to other Winston Cup drivers about their availability for next year. Yates insists that’s not the case. “Most of my thoughts are on how we can get the 28 and 88 (teams) more competitive and take care of business with this economy,” he said. “I really haven’t had any serious conversation about a third team. Until I can make my two teams better, I’m not very interested in a third team unless it comes with an opportunity that makes you say ’Wow.’” Some have even speculated that Ricky Rudd might be ready to retire following this season. Such talk, however, is news to Rudd. If he’s driving, he hopes it’s for Yates. “To be honest, I don’t know what my plans are,” Rudd, 45, said April 5. “When you get as old as I am, you sort of just take them a year at a time. It’s a great race team, I prefer to stay where I’m at. There’s no talks at all about making driver changes. … I’m very pleased with where I’m at and I think they’re pleased with me. But time will tell.” Yates says he’s had no conversations about new drivers. “I haven’t actually talked to anybody for next year. Right now, I’m doing everything I can to make Ricky want to stay with this team,” he said. “We certainly want him to stay. But I respect his wishes when he came to us. (He said), ‘I want to drive two years and that’s it.’ We’re already past that (point). I think it’s going to be a deal where as long as he’s having fun (he’ll still race). Hopefully, we’re attractive enough for him to want to stay with us. That’s my wish.”(Winston Cup Scene – need sub to see)(4-11-2002)
- More The Winston – Moving? RJR’s contract with LMS expires after this year’s running of The Winston event and there are questions over whether the race will return, and if it does, whether it will return to Charlotte. RJR’s Winston Cup director Rich Habegger admitted Wednesday that a decision had not been made on the future of the race and that talks would get underway in the next couple of months. The drivers of course enjoy the benefits of running two consecutive weeks near their home base, a rarity in the Bataan Death March of NASCAR’s schedule. But proximity aside, reigning NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon said that he feels that Charlotte is the perfect venue for a high-stakes, no-points, let’s-see-who-can-drive-this-thing-the-hardest shootout. For his part, LMS president H.A. ‘Humpy’ Wheeler has no plans to give up his hold on the race without a fight.(Speed Channel)(4-11-2002)
- Gordon Makes Offer: #31-Robby Gordon, who was fined after running into #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the end of the Food City 500 at Bristol, paid the fine himself and offered to reimburse Childress for the damage to the car. That offer was declined, however.(Winston Cup Scene – need sub to see)(4-11-2002)
- #17 Team Get’s a Sponsor? #17 Team owner John Reiser said he’s close to obtaining a sponsorship package which would allow him to continue racing a limited schedule with driver Matt Kenseth. The deal could include up to 15 races. “We don’t have anything solid, but I believe it will happen,” Reiser said. “How can I not be optimistic, when we have a team with this driver, that has the ability to run up front? Somebody will want to sponsor us.” Of course, a few weeks ago, Reiser thought he had a deal ready with JaniKing, but it fell through when the janitorial franchiser went with driver Kerry Earnhardt and #12 FitzBradshaw Racing. Reiser, who enjoyed sponsorship from Visine last season, admits that if this latest proposal falls through, he will not run races out of his own pocket. Regardless of what happens with his current sponsorship search, Reiser said he’s “probably 80 percent done” in securing sponsorship to run 15-20 races in 2002 and 2003. But that’s little consolation to him now.(Winston Cup Scene – need sub to see)(4-11-2002)
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