By Compiled from Times wires
Published June 11, 2003
The first wave of NASCAR schedule realignment has struck, and the Carolinas have taken a direct hit.
The Charlotte Observer reported International Speedway Corp. will move one of its Winston Cup race dates from its track at Rockingham, N.C., to California Speedway in 2004, with ISC expected to announce the change Friday at Michigan International Speedway.
ISC and NASCAR spokesmen could not be reached for comment.
ISC is sole or partial owner of 12 of the 23 tracks used in the series, including Rockingham, California and Michigan, site of Sunday's Sirius400. ISC and NASCAR are owned by the France family.
Under ISC's plan, which also will be outlined Friday at Darlington, S.C.:
Rockingham, which has Feb. 23 and Nov. 9 dates on the 2003 schedule, will have its fall race eliminated for 2004. ISC will move that date to its track in Fontana, Calif., which had its race April 27.
ISC will schedule the new California race for Labor Day weekend, most likely as a night race.
Darlington, which has played host to the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend since its inception in 1950, will have that race moved to later in the season, most likely late October or early November. Its race dates for 2003 are March 16 and Aug. 31.
Moving Rockingham's fall race date to California without additional shuffling would be impractical because the Phoenix race date is the week before. Team transporters are unable to haul enough equipment for a two-race West Coast swing and would be unable to make coast-to-coast trips to and from their Carolina shops within a week.
Though the 2004 schedule will not be released this weekend, don't expect many more changes when it is.
Humpy Wheeler, president and chief operating officer of Speedway Motorsports Inc., said SMI has no plans to move any of its nine points races. SMI owns Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., and five other tracks. "I knew when (realignment was discussed) in January it was a cover for some moves ISC was planning to make," he said. "We have no interest in changing our schedules."
Owners of tracks not affiliated with ISC or SMI, including Pocono, Dover, New Hampshire, Indianapolis and Martinsville, have said they do not plan to move their race dates.
ANDRETTI OUT: John Andretti was fired by Petty Enterprises, where he has driven the famed No.43 car since 1998.
Andretti is in his second stint with the Pettys. He drove 11 races for them in 1994, then returned to the team in 1998 to take over the car Richard Petty made famous en route to seven Winston Cup championships.
Christian Fittipaldi will replace him beginning this weekend.
"Christian Fittipaldi has shown every time he has gotten in a Winston Cup car that he has the talent to drive these cars and help us get to the front," Kyle Petty said. "We look forward to showing everyone what Christian can do week in and week out."
The Pettys have been trying to field a car for Fittipaldi, a former open-wheel star and nephew of former Formula One champion and 1989 Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi. But lack of sponsorship has thwarted their efforts.
Money had been found to field a car in four events later this year for Fittipaldi. The Pettys will honor those agreements and find another driver to put in the No.43 Dodge in those events.
PARTS RETURNED: NASCAR returned part of Tony Stewart's Chevrolet that was impounded March 28 after failing inspection.
Winston Cup director John Darby said Joe Gibbs Racing was allowed to retrieve the chassis and engine. The car was seized after its body measurements did not pass inspection before practice for a race at Texas Motor Speedway.
NASCAR will keep the parts that did not meet specifications. The problems were in "the area around the back of the car, back window to back deck," NASCAR president Mike Helton said.
Stewart had never driven the car. The Gibbs team has insisted there was no intent of wrongdoing, and there were no other penalties by NASCAR.
