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Others miffed at aid to Dodge

By JOANNE KORTH

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 2, 2001

Dodge is yet to win in its first Winston Cup season after a 16-year absence, but help is on the way.

Starting with Sunday's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, teams will be allowed to move the front air dam out 2 inches, increasing downforce.

The competition, of course, is miffed.

Dodge teams ran well last weekend at Pocono without the new rule. Because Indianapolis is similar in design -- a flat, 2.5-mile track -- many expect the Dodges to be even stronger at the Brickyard.

"They surely ought to," said Greg Zipadelli, crew chief for Tony Stewart's No. 20 Pontiac. "It's frustrating, because I think those teams have already run better than they (did at the beginning of the season). But that's the predicament we're in."

Chevrolet has won nine races this season, Ford eight and Pontiac, which awaits a much-needed redesign of the Grand Prix, three.

NASCAR has a habit of manipulating its rules to ensure all manufacturers have an equal chance of winning. The question is whether Dodge teams got help from the sanctioning body because they truly were at an aerodynamic disadvantage or because people are growing impatient for a Dodge victory.

"We asked for 2 inches to make us like the Chevrolets last week and we got denied," said Rusty Wallace, driver of the No. 2 Ford. "But Dodge got it because they've been a little down on their luck, I guess."

ECONOMICS 101: Cracker Barrel has dropped its sponsorship of the spring race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, claiming its $1.4-million investment was wasted because the company's name was mentioned just four times during the March telecast on Fox.

Last year, when the race was on ABC, the company name was used 60 times, Cracker Barrel spokeswoman Julie Davis said. Under NASCAR's new TV contract with Fox and NBC/TNT, sponsors must pay the networks extra fees to have their companies mentioned more than once an hour.

IN AWE: Shawna Robinson, driver of the No. 84 Ford, will make her fourth Winston Cup qualifying attempt at the Brickyard. Robinson, who in June became the first woman in 12 years to qualify for a Winston Cup race, drove her first laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during recent tests.

"It was a little intimidating at first, but I needed to push that away immediately," Robinson said. "This is probably the toughest race on the Winston Cup circuit to make, and when you're not running the full schedule your chances are a little bit slimmer. We have to be focused and get over the intimidation factor."

SWITCHING GEARS: Winston Cup teammates Kyle Petty and John Andretti will compete Aug. 10 in the Rolex Sports Car Series event at Watkins Glen, N.Y. They will drive a Porsche GT3R in the race, which is two days before the Winston Cup race at the Glen.

IROC FINALE: Seven of 11 drivers remain in contention for the IROC all-star championship going into the series' fourth and final race Saturday at IMS.

NASCAR's Bobby Labonte has a one-point lead over CART's Kenny Brack, with Stewart and the IRL's Eddie Cheever tied for third. Brack and Cheever, both former Indianapolis 500 winners, are trying to become the first open-wheel drivers to win the IROC title since Al Unser Jr. in 1988.

The champion receives $250,000.

F1 TOO FAST?: Three years ago, Formula One's governing body made grooved tires mandatory in an attempt to slow cars and make the sport safer. But competition between tire manufacturers Michelin and Bridgestone has negated that effort.

Since Michelin returned to F1 after a 16-year absence, 10 of 12 races have been won in record time and 11 qualifying records have fallen. The increase in speeds is prompting officials to consider going back to slick tires, which drivers found easier to handle.

- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

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