April 30, 2003
- NASCAR to go Unleaded in 2004: Rumor has it that NASCAR’s new fuel supplier in 2004 will want the cars to run unleaded fuel. “Several years ago there was the possibility of NASCAR having to switch to unleaded fuel. At the time, there was some concern that lead in fuel lubricates. There was concern that valve guides or valve stems and maybe possibly valve seats would wear out quickly. Most teams that tried it had figured out a way around it if that was going to be the case. There were a couple of teams that struggled and NASCAR decided not to use the unleaded fuel. Supposedly, the unleaded fuel would pull more horsepower because it’s got oxygen in it, so it’s not a horsepower issue, it’s more of a longevity issue. You just convert to different materials on places like your valve seats or valve guides and things like that. (AutoRacing1.com – need subscription to read)(4-30-2003)
- R.J. Reynolds [Winston] to sell? After British American Tobacco PLC reported higher quarterly international cigarette sales volume on flat profits, some European analysts were speculating yesterday that the world’s second-largest tobacco company might be thinking about making a bid for struggling competitor R.J. Reynolds. Some analysts said BAT should seize on that opportunity to buy struggling RJR to bolster its size and competitive leverage in the U.S. market. Spokesman Prideaux said BAT won’t rule out any possible acquisition, as long as it makes financial and strategic sense. He wouldn’t comment on the specific issue of RJR.(Courier-Journal)(4-30-2003)
- Bobby Labonte’s Pit Crew Scores Second Straight Win: The pit crew of Bobby Labonte’s #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy made it two-in-a-row by winning the McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway in Fontana. Labonte’s car, which finished second in the 500-mile California race, spent 216 seconds on pit road, edging the cars of race winner Kurt Busch (218 seconds) and John Andretti (220 seconds). With the back-to-back wins, the Joe Gibbs Racing Interstate Batteries crew has earned $40,000 ($20,000 for each pit crew win) and has moved into seventh place in the overall pit crew point standings. The season champion of the McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade will receive a $200,000 bonus. See my Pit Crew Info Page for race rundown, standing and past news, along with the Pit Crew Chart.(4-30-2003)
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