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Notebook Drivers tuned in to war coverage at the trackPosted: Friday March 21, 2003 5:46 PMBRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) -- The televisions around a race track are almost always devoted to on-track activity. That changed as drivers and teams flipped stations Friday to watch coverage of the war in Iraq. Ward Burton said he's been glued to the television since Wednesday, watching around-the-clock coverage of the American attack. "I was up until 2 o'clock in the morning and I was up early watching, too," he said. "I support them all the way." Burton attended Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy, creating a special interest in the U.S. Armed Forces. "They deserve our support," Burton said. "After the cowardly act of 9/11, we should do nothing but show our support. They're the ones putting their lives on the line for us." In Bill Elliott's hauler, crew chief Mike Ford had CNN coverage on the TV as he pored over racing data on a computer. Ford's brother is a Captain in the Air Force, stationed at Langley Air Force Base, so he was up until 3 a.m. Thursday night watching the latest developments. Like most of the NASCAR community, he never wavered in his belief that the Food City 500 should be run Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway. "I don't think you can stop the routine," Ford said. "If you stop the way you live, to an extent they've won." NASCAR shares a special relationship with the Armed Forces: Jerry Nadeau's Pontiac carries the colors of the U.S. Army, and Nadeau visited with troops in Afghanistan in the offseason. Todd Bodine's Ford is sponsored by the National Guard and is painted red, white and blue. Ricky Rudd's Ford also carries an associate sponsorship with the Air Force. In the Truck series, driver Jon Wood is sponsored by the Navy. To support the U.S. efforts, the cars from Hendrick Motorsports will carry a decal of a yellow ribbon wrapped around the American flag. "During these turbulent times, it's especially important that we show support for the men and women of the United States military," car owner Rick Hendrick said. "This is a small gesture to show that our thoughts and prayers are centered around these brave individuals and their families."
Nothing brewingA short talk with Jimmie Johnson has convinced NASCAR that there's no ongoing feud between Johnson and Sterling Marlin. The two first tangled on the track earlier this month on the last lap in Las Vegas, when Marlin made contact with Johnson and sent him spinning out. Then last week at Darlington, Johnson knocked Marlin into the wall, ruining Marlin's chance to defend his Darlington victory. Winston Cup director John Darby said he called Johnson to the NASCAR hauler after the race and was satisfied Johnson did not wreck Marlin on purpose. "There's no problem between those two," Darby said. "I'm confident of that." Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus and Darby all watched replays of the video while evaluating what happened. "We discussed it, we all agreed that it was just a racing incident," he said. "I got caught up in racing too hard too early ... It was just a racing mistake on my part." Marlin said he believed Johnson was not looking for retaliation when he sent him into the wall at Darlington. "He said it was an accident, and I believe him," Marlin said. "He put me in the fence, but the replays don't look like it was on purpose."
Angry EvernhamCar owner Ray Evernham said his fight to keep his records away from lawyers for Brooke Gordon has already cost him $18,000 -- and climbing. The fact that Jeff Gordon's divorce is costing him money doesn't make Evernham real happy. "It's cost me a lot of time and a lot of money and the bottom line is this is between Jeff and Brooke and I don't want to get in the middle of it," Evernham said. Evernham was Gordon's crew chief when the driver won three of his four Winston Cup titles and was also the best man at his wedding to the former Miss Winston model. Brooke Gordon filed for divorce last year and her lawyers have asked to see records from most Winston Cup teams to evaluate Gordon's worth and potential earnings.
Pontiac pushWinning a door-to-door battle with Kurt Busch last weekend at Darlington boosted Ricky Craven's career, as well as the slumping Pontiac camp. PPI Motorsports, which fields the No. 32 Pontiac for Craven, moved from Fords to the Grand Prix this season and Craven's victory was the first Pontiac win of 2003. "They've exceeded my expectations, especially when they were bringing the engine program in-house. I'm tickled to death," said Ray Smith, Busch and Pontiac Winston Cup program manager for GM Racing. "There is a lot of pride in this win. I worked for two years ... getting the Pontiac approved with NASCAR. All along, we knew the car was going to be good, but ... wow."
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