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Sunday Roundup Furr could be in trouble again after disqualification
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- While NASCAR ponders what to do about suspect parts found in Jerry Nadeau's car following pole qualifying for the Daytona 500, crew chief Tony Furr might wind up in trouble -- again. It appeared that Nadeau had earned himself the outside pole position Saturday, with a speed of 182.763 mph, behind only Bill Elliott and his Dodge. But NASCAR officials said Nadeau's Chevrolet Monte Carlo was lower than the minimum height requirement, and a post-qualifying inspection turned up some illegal parts in the car's rear suspension. Nadeau's qualifying time was thrown out, although he will be allowed to re-qualify Monday in the second round of time trials. Furr can't do much more than wait. A crew chief since 1994, Furr has been disciplined three times by NASCAR for rules violations. After the 1997 Pepsi 400 at Daytona, Furr was fined $50,000 for an illegal carburetor mounting found in the car of John Andretti, who won the race. At the time, it was the second-largest fine in NASCAR history. Last October, Furr incurred a $2,000 penalty for an unspecified rule violation. Furr's first fine came after qualifying for the 1995 Daytona 500. He had to pay $100 and was placed on probation after owner-driver Joe Nemechek was docked $5,000 for cutting ridges in the air filter to illegally enhance air flow. A spokeswoman for Hendrick Motorsports, for which the 44-year-old Furr works, said the team wouldn't have a comment until NASCAR's official ruling.
NASCAR impounds four cars for testingNASCAR impounded four cars for wind tunnel tests following the Budweiser Shootout on Sunday. Shootout winner Tony Stewart had his Pontiac taken away, as did runner-up Dale Earnhardt (Chevrolet), third-place Rusty Wallace (Ford) and 12th-place Bill Elliott (Dodge), the pole winner for next Sunday's Daytona 500. "It's just a fact-finding mission," NASCAR president Mike Helton said. "It's unlikely we would find anything that would cause us to take action by the end of Speedweeks. But it's not impossible." The tests were to be held in Marietta, Ga. on Monday. Winston Cup director Gary Nelson said the teams would get their cars back Tuesday. Helton said the decision to test one car from each make competing at Daytona was planned last month, but the race teams weren't informed. He added that with Dodge's foray into NASCAR after a 17-year absence, it was an opportune time to test the new aero packages being used in Daytona. Joe Gibbs, who owns the team for which Stewart races, said he didn't mind NASCAR's decision. "NASCAR does a good job in trying to keep things balanced," Gibbs said, as workers loaded Stewart's car into a semi-trailer. "That'll be good, because all we want is an equal car and an equal opportunity to win races. That's what we're after, and that's what NASCAR is supposed to be about."
Ninety percent of life is just showing upStacy Compton might have backed into the outside pole position through Nadeau's disqualification, but he's not going to apologize for anything. "We were still the second-quickest legal car," Compton said. "It hate it for Jerry Nadeau's guys, but NASCAR is pretty much black and white." Compton, 33, posted a qualifying lap of 182.682 mph, third until NASCAR officials booted Nadeau. "We hate that we didn't get to go celebrate in the winner's circle with Bill (Elliott, the pole-winner) and have two Dodge drivers in there," said Compton, who will be starting on the front row for the first time in his 33-race Winston Cup career. Compton declined to criticize Nadeau for the illegal parts in his car, saying such actions are widespread. "Every team out there qualifying for this race is doing everything they can possibly do to get that speed and to be the best they can possibly be," Compton said. "NASCAR has said it before: 700 guys are trying to outsmart 30 [officials], and that's part of the game."
OuchSunday's ARCA series Discount Auto Parts 200 was a crash-marred affair, with seven caution flags flying for 42 of 80 laps. The driver who took the worst of the collisions was Ron Cox, who exited the race after a crash in the fourth turn of the 18th lap. According to track officials, Cox was treated at the infield care center for a broken left elbow, a bruise of the left shoulder and a concussion. No other drivers were seriously hurt during the race.
Checkered flag on the playA common description of the Daytona 500 is that it's the "Super Bowl of stock car racing." But there's only one team owner who knows if that definition is accurate. Joe Gibbs led the Washington Redskins to three NFL championships before retiring from football in 1993. Since then, he's led Joe Gibbs Racing to a title of a different stripe. In 2000, driver Bobby Labonte won the Winston Cup title for Gibbs, as he and teammate Terry Stewart combined for 10 victories in 34 races. "As sports, they're very similar," Gibbs said. "You don't win with cars or tricks, and you don't win with Xs and Os. You win with people. You get great people, then you have a chance to have good race team or a good football team." Gibbs emphasized that auto racing is a team sport, despite focus on a car's driver. "It's team chemistry," he said. "You can't buy it." Is that last remark a shot at the Redskins' new owner, Daniel Snyder, who is gaining a reputation as a spendthrift in his pursuit of a Super Bowl title? "That didn't have anything to do with that," Gibbs said.
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