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| | Wednesday, May 3 Weber opens up his mailbag | |||||
| ESPN.com If there is one thing ESPN auto racing analyst Bill Weber loves more than being down in the pits for a NASCAR race, it's giving the fans the inside scoop. So he's opened up his email to you, the fans, this season. The Winston Cup season is in full swing and Weber is following the circuit -- this week he's in California for the NAPA Auto Parts 500. Before he finds his way to the pits this weekend, Weber took the time to answer a few of your questions. "With all of the incidents on pit road, who has the right of way on pit road? Is it the driver who is leaving his pit, or the driver who is entering his pit? I am referring back to when Dale Jarrett collided with another car on pit road. Jarrett was leaving his pit, and another driver was trying to enter his pit. They collided. Who is responsible for the accident? Who should have yeilded?" Kevin Showalter,Ephrata, Penn. It's tough to indict anyone in this situation, but usually it's the responsibility of the driver leaving his pit to make certain there is no trouble. He is stopped, waiting for the jack to drop and that's his signal to leave. Normally the crew chief will use the two-way radio to usher him out of his pit stall, but sometimes, the reaction of the driver is so quick there is no time to warn him. We will hear a crew chief tell the driver, "Driver X is coming down pit road, don't leave until he is clear of you." "Of course I am biased, but it just doesn't seem right that tracks such as Atlanta have higher qualifying speeds than Talladega. To apply plates that slow the cars so drasticly at Talladega while allowing the cars to run as fast as they do at Atalanta seems inconsistent. Why the inconsistency?" Brent Smith, Birmingham, Ala. NASCAR does not want cars to race above the magic 200 mile per hour mark. The plate at Talladega and Daytona will keep the cars below that speed, but the size of the track keeps the cars below that speed everywhere else. Last year, Joe Nemechek qualified above 198 mph at Talladega, and that really grabbed everyone's attention. NASCAR is looking at other methods to control speed and give the drivers some more throttle response, but the cars will never race about 200 mph again. Of course, one should never say never. "Will any of the Busch Series teams be sporting Dodge Intrepids in 2001?" Robert Raynor, Arden, N.C. There has been some talk, but as of right now, I can't recall any team committing to Dodge. "My mom keeps asking me to find out the following information: How do drivers get provisionals? How many do they get? And how can they use them? Essentially, please tell me everything about driver provisionals." Libby Rowe, Bunker Hill, W.Va. This is a recurring question that would take a week to answer, so here's the short form: Every CAR OWNER gets four provisionals to start the season, and one additional provisional at every eighth race for a total of 8 during the year. If a CAR OWNER is in the top 25 in points, and uses a provisional, it does NOT count against the total of 8. There is also a "past champion" provisional available to a former Winston Cup champion that did not qualify for the race. After the fastest 36 cars are locked into position following qualifying, provisional starting spots (7 total for every race) are awarded starting with the non-qualifier highest in Winston Cup CAR OWNER points. The seventh and final spot goes to a past champion, if it is not needed by a past champion, this provisional goes to the next non-qualifier highest in owner points. "Every week I log on to ESPN.com to find the results of the most recent race. I'm confused as to how the money is distributed among the drivers. For example, a driver may have finished 10th, yet accumulated more money than a driver who finished 7th. How can this be?" Eric Wilson,Pittsburgh, Pa. NASCAR has what is called "The Winners Circle" plan, which rewards teams that have won in the previous season, or earlier in the current season. The reward is in dolllars and is added into race earnings. Also, different teams run different contingency stickers that earn money based on finishing position. In other words, the earnings listed are not just what is awarded strickly for winning the race or where you finished in the race. "What was the deal with Dale Earnhardt's car before Talladega qalifying?" Buddy Edwards, Kingsport, Tenn. NASCAR did not like the way the 3 car looked, or fit the templates in pre-qualifying inspection. Each week, teams try new ways to get the most out of their car, pushing NASCAR inspection to the limits. The 3 car, and several others, were looking for an aerodynamic advantage at Talladega. A lot of teams had to work on the rear facia, or TV panel on the rear of their car at Talladega. The 3 bunch basically had to build a new rear end of the car from the bottom of the rear window to the back edge of the bumper. Kevin Hamlin, crew chief for Dale Earnhardt, told me this was the same car that the team used in the Daytona 500. It went through inspection fine there, and despite the claim that the crew had not modified the car, they had to cut it up at Talladega. "Do you think the Ford-Chevy deal from Daytona has been resolved?" Kyle Douglas, Park Hills, Mo. It's a work in progress. You ask the Ford guys, they'll tell you the Chevy has got too much with the new noses. Ask the Chevy guys and they'll say they need more help. And, of course, the Pontiacs now feel they've been ignored and want some aerodynamic assistance. So, I guess the answer to your question is "no." But the cars appear to be pretty close. California will be a good test. "I heard that Earnhardt Sr. felt his '99 car was better because it could pull itself up, whereas his 2000 car needed help from behind. Why didn't he use his old '99 car like some of the Ford teams used their old Thunderbirds when they first got the Tauruses?" Dylan Burgett, Deerfield, Ill. Chevrolet is selling the 2000 Monte Carlo, not the 99. That's what they want their high-profile teams to race. When they are paying the bucks, they get a vote, a BIG vote. "Hi Bill. My question is how do teams or drivers decide were to test? I find not very many seem to test at Sears Point in Califonia." Gordon Brown, Concord, Calif. Some teams do test at Sonoma, but with only seven test dates alloweed by NASCAR (10 for a rookie driver), teams usually test at a track where the information can help them in more than one race. Although many teams did test at Las Vegas earlier this year, but that was the first "downforce" race of the season, too. Sears Point is a long way to go to test. Teams normally test at a track where they have struggled in the past, but this season, for example, Rusty Wallace is testing at tracks where he has run well in the past to try and recapture that winning magic. Worked at Bristol and almost worked at Martinsville. "I was watching Talladega qualifying and I noticed a hump in the middle of the Tarurus' spoiler like the Monte Carlos spoiler. Is it just me, or did NASCAR give the Ford teams a new spoiler that look just like or the same as the Chevys spoiler?" Eric Snyder, Carlisle, Pa. The shape of the spoiler has to follow the shape of the deck lid. If there is a hump in the deck lid, there is a hump in the spoiler. "How does Michael Waltrip have a job? In 14 years and 438 starts he still has ZERO wins and has never finished in the top 10 in Winston Cup final standings. Is he the all-time leader for most starts without a win?" William Floyd, Willits, Calif. According to my records, Michael has only gone 437 races without a win. That is the longest non-winning streak among active Winston Cup drivers. Michael has always shown promise, but has just never been able to close the deal. Still, he has talent, is a fan favorite, very popular with sponsors, and a pleasant guy to have in the sport. His worth to Nations Rent is determined by the bean counters. But when he does win, and he will win, the sponsor will be rewarded, and so will the guys that stuck with him. "Ray Evernham is very interested in getting Casey Atwood to drive for him next year in Dodge. I think it would be very good for Dodge because, along with Adam Petty, Dodge would definetely have some good, young talent to build off of. What do you think? Also, Adam Petty has said that he plans to move up to WC next year. If Casey signs, do you think he would move up along with him?" Bridget Clemons, Peru, Ind. I think there is a plan to put Casey in the Winston Cup Series next season. I also think Kyle would like Adam in a Winston Cup car as well, once sponsorship is secured. The thinking here is, they are going to be Winston Cup drivers in the future, might as well start teaching them now in a Winston Cup car. This is a not an overly popular decision, some people believe both drivers need more "seasoning". "As a fan of Ricky Craven, I am wondering the reason(s) he and his team have failed to make all but two of the races this year? I realize there is much more competition and teams this year, but it still seems they are struggling mightily. Are they just a casualty of the sheer number of teams and limited race slots?" Mark Benoit, Worcester, Mass. They are struggling, and they are running a limited schedule. If you're not going to the race track every week, it's tough to get into that "winning" rythym. There are no "bad" teams in the Winston Cup garage, just some that don't have the resources and the funds needed to compete each week. Right now, Craven and company are in that category. "I'm a Terry Labonte fan, but I'm getting worried. He's got his crew chief back but I'm not seeing any improvement. Outside of Texas his qualifying has been poor and his pit stops are usually good for a loss of 2-4 spots. Has there been a change in the pit crew with the return of Gary? Terry should have good equipment but it looks like he's headed for the 'DW Syndrome.' Tell me I'm wrong! How well do Jeff and Terry communicate on set-ups, etc?" Robert Ryan, St. Peters, Mo. Terry and Jeff have different driving styles, so I'm not sure sharing the set-ups is a factor here, but when one team is really struggling, the other is there to provide help and information. I really surprised at the performance of the 5 car this season. I thought Terry would be strong from the start, but this goes back to a popular topic this season -- change. Anytime you change something, it's going to take a certain amount of time to get back up front. Terry and Gary are working on it. They are 10th in points. And it is still early. "Being from the Asheville area, I'm a big fan of Robert Pressley. How would you assess Robert's progress so far in the Winston Cup races? Do you see a win in the future for him?" G.A. Chapman, Roanoke, Va. Robert continues to show some talent, and occasionally flashes some of that form that made him a winner in the Busch Series. I am hoping that this season, with Ryan Pemberton on board as crew chief, the performances will improve and Robert will see better finishes. | ALSO SEE Weber's mailbag: April 12 Weber's mailbag: April 6 Weber's mailbag: March 29 Weber's mailbag: March 22 Weber's mailbag: March 15 Weber's mailbag: March 8 Weber's mailbag: March 1 Ask Bill Weber | |||||