JAYSKI's SILLY SEASON SITE
Past Chevy News and Rumors
NOTE: many of the links in the past news will be old and may not work
decided it was not worth the time to go thru each one on all the Team Past News pages
- GM Not Happy With Monte Carlo Testing so far: Chevrolet officials were scrambling this week after the 2006 version of the Monte Carlo did not perform as expected in its first on-track test. Joe Gibbs Racing took the car to Atlanta Motor Speedway this week and everyone was surprised when it struggled during the test. So GM Racing director Pat Suhy spent much of his time at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, meeting with NASCAR officials to discuss what they should do. Suhy said GM will test the car again. NASCAR officials have not yet approved the car for competition. "I think everyone was a little overconfident and got a little complacent and didn't pay attention to the details when building this car," Suhy said.(ESPN.com RPM)(8-7-2005)
- New Chevy to be announced Thursday: on Thursday, August 4th, GM Racing will unveil the 2006 Monte Carlo NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.(8-2-2005)
UPDATE: Chevrolet will debut an all-new Monte Carlo SS race car for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series competition in 2006. The new car will carry the legendary name and heritage of the "SS" line, relating to a powerful, new V-8-powered production Monte Carlo SS that is making its debut on the 50th Anniversary of the introduction of the Chevrolet Small Block V-8 engine. The new race car was developed over a 14-month period using the full complement of engineering and design tools available to the people at GM Racing and Chevrolet. The company's engineers worked in concert with their key partners on pit lane, the real "customers" for the new Monte Carlo SS race car. The new race car retains the overall dimensions of the 2005 model, based on the sport's requirements. NASCAR continues to emphasize retaining stock dimensions, which means a good body design is essential for success in stock car racing. Unlike other manufacturers who race family sedans, Chevrolet remains the only marque in NASCAR racing that sells to fans the same two-door sports coupe that it races.
Following NASCAR approval, teams will begin building development cars in preparation for testing that leads up to its debut at Speedweeks. The car will make its competition debut at Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway in February, 2006. On the street, buyers of the new Monte Carlo SS will notice the similarities to the car that is the choice of NASCAR stars. The exterior features large headlamps that have a premium, jeweled appearance with three independent lighting units. These details complement other high-quality attributes to provide an overall feeling of solidity. All models receive a sporty rear spoiler. The muscular Monte Carlo SS has a new 5.3L small block V-8 developing 303 horsepower (226 kw) and 323 lb.-ft. (438 Nm) of torque, propelling it from 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds. The 5.3L V-8 uses Displacement on Demand technology to regulate between eight-cylinder and four-cylinder operation, providing up to 8 percent improved fuel economy in certain driving conditions. The Monte Carlo SS has a distinct front-end appearance, with a
dual-split grille that has a black-diamond crosshatch pattern. The rear spoiler is unique, too, suggesting the purposefulness of NASCAR
spoilers. Corvette-inspired bright exhaust outlets also are standard on the Monte Carlo SS.
Like a tuned NASCAR racer, the Monte Carlo SS comes with a unique suspension as well. The FE4 suspension, which is tuned to provide a sporty ride that complements the 5.3L small-block V-8's performance. It offers increased stiffness and ride control, with reduced body lean and greater high-speed stability. The 34-mm hollow front stabilizer bar and 18-mm solid rear stabilizer bar are larger in diameter than
the bars of the two FE2 suspension settings, providing increased roll control. Eighteen-inch alloy wheels with W-rated P235/50R18 AL3
Goodyear Eagle RS-A performance tires are included with the FE4 suspension.(GM PR)(8-4-2005)
- 2006 models to be unvieled: Ford will unveil its new Cup car in Charlotte on the Thursday before the first New Hampshire race. Chevrolet will do the same with its new Monte Carlo right before the Allstate 400 (formerly the Brickyard 400) in Indy.(Yahoo Sports)(6-28-2005)
- Ford and Chevy submit 2006 models, Toyota....? Ford and Chevrolet have submitted prototypes to NASCAR for the 2006 season. Ford's car is expected to be named the Fusion, and Chevrolet will retain the Monte Carlo brand. The big question surrounds Toyota. The NASCAR rulebook says "any new car model to be considered for approval for competition in the 2006 season must be submitted by the manufacturers to NASCAR for initial consideration not later than July 1." NASCAR officials will not confirm Toyota's intention to offer a stock car. There has been talk that Toyota will pull out of the Indy Racing League at the end of this season, which frightens the big three American automakers currently competing in NASCAR because of the generous budgets the Japanese company devotes to racing. An announcement regarding Toyota's intention could come as early as this weekend at Daytona--perfect timing for the July 1 deadline.(Sporting News)(6-27-2005)
- More of new 2006 models: Both Chevrolet and Ford have been busy working on their new models for Cup and Busch competition starting next season. Chevrolet will debut the newly-redesigned Monte Carlo at Daytona in February 2006, while Ford will switch from the Taurus (which is no longer being built) to the Ford 500 [other reports have the car being the Fusion] next year.(Yahoo Sports)(6-6-2005)
- Manufacturers not leaving: Billion-dollar losses by the U.S. automakers, sagging sales, loss of market share to foreign manufacturers, soaring health-care costs and high fuel prices. Sounds like trouble for the sport of NASCAR racing, which relies heavily on support from automakers to keep fleets of Fords, Chevys and Dodges on the track. Not so, say the automakers' representatives at the race tracks. "This is the time, when you are in difficult situations, when in fact you rely on racing even more to move your product," said Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology. "I don't think racing is in any jeopardy at this point or that the racing program is going to be somehow eliminated. In fact, it's possibly the opposite. When you have programs like racing that work, and you have limited funds, that's when you start to really rely on those areas. Racing works. We know it works. ... It's solid as a rock."
Alba Colon, Nextel Cup program manager for General Motors, said her company isn't planning any changes either. "We are very committed to the deal," Colon said. "We are committed to NASCAR, and we have long-term contracts with our teams."
Ray Evernham, who fields Dodge Chargers and is sponsored by Dodge, said he worries about the finances of his sponsor and the other auto makers, but he's confident they'll stick with him and NASCAR. "I still believe American manufacturers realize this is a place where they need to be," he said. "It's still the best bang for the marketing buck. That's why we have so many Fortune 500 companies in NASCAR."
But there is concern in NASCAR about the health of the U.S. auto manufacturers. "The withdrawal of any one manufacturer in the series can have awful consequences throughout the garage," Roush Racing president Geoff Smith said. "If any one decided not to play any more, there would be a number of teams that would immediately be underfinanced to be able to compete with the people that had the budget." Smith said he sees only two scenarios that would cause any of the Big Three or Toyota, which now competes in the Craftsman Truck Series, to leave NASCAR. One would be if global consolidation eliminates a nameplate. The second scenario that could cause manufacturers to leave NASCAR is if one gained a huge competitive advantage on the track. "Historically, if one manufacturer comes in and makes a big investment that the others think alters the playing field, they quit," Smith said. "That is part of NASCAR's challenge, to try to keep the economic playing field somewhat level, with no one party too low or too high." Smith and others say that even with the evolution of NASCAR rules, which has created a type of car that has little resemblance to those on showroom floors, the "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday" adage still applies.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(5-31-2005)
- NASCAR Manufacturer Support in Trouble? Given the choppy financial outlook for the Big Three automakers, some NASCAR team executives are beginning to wonder whether the cascade of financial and technical support they receive from Detroit will begin to run dry. oes it really make sense for General Motors, which lost $1.1 billion in the first quarter of this year, and Ford and DaimlerChrysler, which saw profits slip 30% or more, to maintain estimated nine-figure NASCAR budgets? "It's a legitimate question that a shareholder would ask," says Jim Andrews, editorial director of the IEG Sponsorship Report. "But there's also a danger in saying, 'The company's doing badly, let's just start dumping stuff.' " Executives representing automakers' racing programs say sales slumps make NASCAR more important than ever. While manufacturers are beginning to find ways to spend money more efficiently in racing, executives rule out wholesale cutbacks that would jeopardize their teams' ability to compete. Andrews notes that GM actually is expanding its sports marketing budget, having signed a deal with Major League Baseball earlier this year. "I doubt very much that these companies are looking at NASCAR racing and saying, 'We should be getting out,' " Andrews says. Andrews believes automakers' support of NASCAR is more "defensive" than anything else; they're racing because their competitors are racing. "If they weren't there, other companies would say, 'Why aren't you there?' "
Automotive industry consultant Peter DeLorenzo, publisher of the autoextremist.com Web site, estimates each manufacturer spends at least $125 million a year on NASCAR and doesn't get its money's worth. While automakers still use racing to train young engineers, it has been decades since advances made in NASCAR — which limits technology to control the cost of racing — applied to passenger cars. Beyond that, drivers' personalities and connections to other corporate sponsors have been marketed so aggressively that DeLorenzo says the kind of car they drive is an afterthought. Most important, DeLorenzo says, being in NASCAR does nothing to help domestic automakers overcome what he calls their biggest challenge: winning over foreign car buyers. NASCAR fans already buy domestic cars and trucks. "Detroit is spending a lot of money to preach to the choir," DeLorenzo says.
Manufacturers' executives tell a different story, one of positive media exposure and fan demographics. "We absolutely believe that it's a great return on our investment, from the standpoint of getting exposure," says Bob Wildberger, senior manager of NASCAR operations for Dodge Motorsports. Mark Kent, director of GM Racing, says GM is in NASCAR for the "long haul." But Kent says they have cut back on travel expenses and are working with Chevy teams to consolidate research and development projects. "Obviously, like anything else in our business, we're looking to do more with less," Kent says.(USA Today)(5-11-2005)
- GM Plans to stay in racing: Despite General Motors' quarterly loss of $1.1 billion, the largest deficit since the first quarter of 1992, the newly appointed director of GM racing, Mark Kent, will defend the racing program to stockholders and is optimistic that Chevrolet will be able to compete with Toyota when Toyota enters Cup, which is expected in 2007. Insiders expect Toyota's technology to make it a strong contender immediately.(Sporting News)(4-26-2005)
- Chevy Adds Vickers to Endorsement Roster: Chevrolet’s Racing division announced the addition of Brian Vickers, driver of the #25 GMAC/ditech.com Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, to their already impressive list of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup endorsers that includes 4-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon, Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and HMS teammate Jimmie Johnson. The personal services partnership is the first official manufacturer endorsement for Vickers and compliments an already extensive history between GM’s flagship racing brand and the 21 year-old sophomore Cup Series driver. For more information on Chevrolet and Brian Vickers, please visit www.chevrolet.com or www.brianvickers.com.(Brians Vickers PR)(3-2-2005)
- Chevy SSR Returns to Pace the Field in NASCAR: A Chevrolet SSR will perform pace duties for the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway on Sunday, Feb. 27, and continue those duties for a total of 20 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races this season. This
weekend will be the first time the Chevy SSR, a unique blend of an open-air roadster with pick-up truck functionality, will pace the
field during the 2005 race season. The 2005 Chevy SSR pace vehicle has a four-color paint scheme with a "Sling Shot Yellow" nose blending into hot orange and "Torch Red" racing flames throughout the body and ultimately transitioning to a "Kinetic Blue" truck bed. The event logo for each race will be featured on both door panels with a red Chevy bowtie displayed on the hood. The Chevy SSR pacing the field is nearly identical to the vehicles available in dealer showrooms. As the Official Pace Vehicle of NASCAR, Chevrolet will perform pace duties for 60 NASCAR events in 2005, including 28 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, 17 Busch Series and 15 Craftsman Truck Series races, featuring vehicles such as Corvette, Monte Carlo and Silverado.(GM PR)(2-26-2005)
- Chevrolet Donates $688,300 to The Dale Earnhardt Foundation: Brent Dewar, general manager of Chevrolet, presented a check for $688,300 to Teresa Earnhardt as a donation to The Dale Earnhardt Foundation. The contribution was generated by sales
of Signature Series Monte Carlos honoring the late Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. The Dale Earnhardt Foundation is committed to carrying on Dale's legacy and the charitable causes he supported during his lifetime in the areas of education, children, the environment and wildlife preservation. Teresa Earnhardt created the foundation in 2002 and continues to be involved in its overall operations. "We are so pleased to be able to continue Dale's vision of caring for others," said Teresa Earnhardt, president and CEO of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. "I want to thank Chevrolet for their generous contribution and for playing an instrumental role in carrying on his legacy for years to come." The build of the 2004 Monte Carlo Intimidator SS was limited to 4,000 units as a tribute to seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt. The second model, a 2004 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Signature Series Monte Carlo SS, was a salute to one of the sport's most popular and competitive drivers. A total of 2,883 Dale Earnhardt Jr. units were produced. "We created the Earnhardt-themed Monte Carlos as a way for fans to support the sport's most legendary father-and-son racing duo," said Dewar. "We are delighted that the Signature Series Monte Carlos have also raised significant funds to benefit the charities important to Dale Earnhardt." Both models are based on the Monte Carlo Supercharged SS coupe. Each is powered by GM's 3800 Series II supercharged V-6 engine, delivering 240 horsepower at 5200 rpm and an impressive 280 lb-ft. of torque at 3600 rpm. The vehicles were sold at select dealerships in the U.S. and Canada with a portion of the proceeds of each sale benefiting The Dale Earnhardt Foundation.(GM PR)(2-19-2005)
- New GM Racing Head Appointed: General Motors has named Mark Kent its new director of racing. Kent will oversee engineering and marketing activities for all of GM's motorsports programs, including NASCAR, NHRA, SCCA, Grand American, American Le Mans and IRL. Kent, 44, replaces Doug Duchardt, who held the position for the last two years. Kent has experience in powertrain development both for production and race vehicles. From 1987 to 1992, he held motorsports engine engineering and program manager positions for winning IMSA GTU and SCCA Trans Am programs. Most recently, he was the GM Powertrain design systems engineer for the Northstar V-8 line-up of engines. "Our racing efforts will benefit from Mark's motorsports engineering and program management experience and his competitive nature," said Steve Shannon, executive director of GM Marketing Services. "He has a strong track record of leading and supporting successful racing programs for the company." Kent takes the reins to GM's extensive motorsports program on March 1, 2005.(GM PR)(2-17-2005)
- New Chevy Monte Carlo for 2006? A year after re-designing the Chevrolet Monte Carlo, General Motors wants to do it again for the 2006 season. The new production model of the 2006 Monte Carlo was unveiled in January at the Detroit Auto Show. Chevrolet must win support for its changes from NASCAR by a Sept. 1 deadline so teams will have time to build new cars in time for the next season. Since most of the templates in NASCAR are the same for Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge, the only areas open for change are the front and rear bumpers.(Augusta Chronicle)(2-17-2005)
- CHEVY Notes UPDATED:
To date, Chevrolet has collected 32 victories at Darlington Raceway - more than any other manufacturer in the Modern Era (1972 - present).
At Sunday's Mountain Dew Southern 500, Chevrolet will be going for its seventh straight win in as many races. Chevy drivers have won the past six races (since Talladega, Oct. 3). #48-Johnson won, 8 straight.
At Darlington, Chevrolet got it's 23rd victory of the season, which matches its best Modern Era record of 22 wins set in 1980.
Chevrolet has led more laps than any other manufacturer this season with 5334 of 10,484 possible.
Chevrolet is the most successful manufacturer of all time in NASCAR Cup racing with a total of 556 victories since 1949 (Ford currently has 553).(see the list on my Manufacturers Champiobship page)
Jimmie Johnson's victory in the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway Oct. 16 clinched the 2004 Manufacturers' Championship for Chevrolet in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. The title is the 28th for Chevrolet since 1952 and the 24th in the Modern Era (since 1972). Ford ranks second with 15 titles.(GM PR)(11-13/15-2004)
- Intake Manifolds Submitted: According to NASCAR sources all three manufacturers have submitted new intake manifolds for consideration of approval by NASCAR for the 2005 season. The deadline for new part submittal was Sept. 1. The Ford piece doesn't represent an earth shattering improvement, and actually the new item was submitted to help the engine builders assemble and seal the intake system. The current intake posses a problem due to the orientation of the bolts used to secure it to the head and the fasteners don't allow a seal to the quality of the other manufactures. The GM types are keeping their cards close to their vest, but cited assembly issues. The Dodge Boys weren’t available to learn their desires for a new intake.(Team Ford Racing)(9-6-2004)
- New Chevy Nose? Kevin Harvick got a nose job when he tested last week at Texas Motor Speedway. According to sources at the test, Harvick's #29 Chevrolet was sporting a variety of noses, including pieces from Ford and Dodge. General Motors tested the different combinations of the noses in the wind tunnel before putting the car on the track but did not find an advantage.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(3-29-2004)
- Chevy Looking for Help? the GM camp is uietly lobbying NASCAR for a new nose for their one-year old Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The very same nose that led to a near panic in ‘03 when it's odd shape seemed to give the Monte a lot of bang for the buck.(Ford Racing)(3-9-2004)
- Chevrolet Donates $242,400 to Pair of Charities: The results are in and the 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Jeff Gordon Signature Edition was a sell out. As a result of this marketplace success Chevrolet has donated a total of $242,400 to charity as a way to acknowledge of two key individuals who supported the vehicle program – 4-time NASCAR driving champion Jeff Gordon and team owner of Gordon’s #24 Dupont Chevrolet, Rick Hendrick. The Jeff Gordon Foundation and the Hendrick Marrow Program each received a check for $121,200. See full story on my Racing Charities Page.(2-28-2004)
- #400 for Chevy: #48-Jimmie Johnson, driver of the Lowe's Monte Carlo, won the New England 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway and gave Chevrolet its 400th victory of the modern era (1972-present) in NASCAR Winston Cup racing. Chevrolet's 400th victory of the modern era began with Bobby Allison's win at Atlanta International Raceway [now Atlanta Motor Speedway] on March 26, 1972. His car owner at that time was Richard Howard, and his team manager that season was Junior Johnson. Allison's victory at Atlanta was the first for a Chevrolet on a superspeedway since Johnson won at Charlotte in October 1963.(GM Racing PR)(7-21-2003)
- New Chevy Engine: NASCAR tentatively approved the new R99 engine General Motors wants to use in the Craftsman Truck Series next year. The R99 is expected to generate more horsepower than the current SB2 engine, but GM is more focused on durability. The R99 has larger camshafts and more bore spacing that is similar to the engine Dodge uses now and that Toyota will run in 2004. If the R99 performs well, GM will push to use it in Winston Cup races in 2005, but NASCAR isn't likely to grant approval before Toyota joins the Cup series.(Sporting News)(6-9-2003)
- GM Boss to Retire: General Motors announced Wednesday that Herb Fishel, executive director of GM Racing, will go on special assignment to GM Service and Parts Operations on June 1 and retire Sept. 1. Doug Duchardt, group manager for GM Racing's oval track group, will assume Fishel’s responsibilities at GM Racing effective June 1. Pat Suhy Jr., an engineer at GM Powertrain, will replace Duchardt. Duchardt, 39, has been responsible since 1999 for all program management and technical development for engines, chassis and aerodynamics for the Chevrolet and Pontiac entries in NASCAR’s Winston Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck series.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(5-15-2003)
- Chevy TV Commercial: hearing that filming of a new Chevrolet commercial wraps up this week at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The commercial will prominently feature the #8, #18, #24, & #29 Chevys. The commercial should begin airing sometime this summer.(5-14-2003)
- GM-Pontiac Rep will Leave Current Post: Al Larsen, General Motors-Pontiac representative, will take a new job starting in two weeks, with Michael Andretti's IRL Indy Car team. Larsen will work his last NASCAR race this weekend at Richmond. A replacement for Larsen isn't known at this time.(Insider Racing News)(4-28-2003)
- Chevy Cheating? UPDATE: Rusty Wallace fanned the flames of suspicion yesterday when he insisted that Chevy teams were fudging: "Four or five of them were cheating really, really hard and didn't get caught. The NASCAR guys know it, and they're out for them when they get to Talladega."(Winston Salem Journal and Roanoke Times)...yikes...
UPDATE: The grumblings have started between the different car makes, with most teams thinking the Chevrolets are at a decided advantage and Rusty Wallace even making allegations of cheating. Monte Carlos from Dale Earnhardt Inc. won four races during Speed Weeks and Richard Childress-owned Chevys won the fifth race and the pole for the Daytona 500. "I don't know why (the Chevys) were so good at Daytona," said Wallace. "They had more power and a little less coefficient of drag. Four or five of them were cheating really, really hard and didn't get caught. The NASCAR guys know it, and they're out for them when they get to Talladega."
Ty Norris, general manager at DEI, rolled his eyes at claims of cheating. "He must be talking about somebody else," Norris said. "Our guys put a lot of effort into it and don't get complacent about our plate racing."(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(2-22-2003)
- Worried about Toyota? GM and Ford teams are both worried that when Toyota comes into Winston Cup racing, it will raise the financial stakes considerably, and that GM and Ford executives in turn will have to cut back on the support they give their own teams if they have to start matching Toyota's expected surge of TV ads.(Winston Salem Journal)(2-17-2003)
- Manufacturer Rules for the Daytona 500 in 2003: All Chevrolets, Pontiacs, Dodges and Fords will have the same 1.5-inch nose "kickout," or the extension of the front air dam below the bumper. All four makes, which have to mount their bodies on the same reference point, will also use the identical rear spoiler package -- 6.25 inches high by 57 inches wide at a 55-degree angle. Also downsized fuel cells, about 13.5 gallons (down from the standard 22-gallon cell used everywhere else) will be used at Daytona.(NASCAR.com), assume they will go back to the 22 gallon tanks for the non-restrictor plate tracks, it is not clear.(1-7-2003)
- 2003 GM cars test at Talladega: The 2003 version of the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Pontiac Grand Prix hit the track running fast on Wednesday for the first of a two-day General Motors test session at Talladega Superspeedway. “I think it’s better. I really do,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr., the driver of the #8 Chevy Budweiser team and the winner of the past three races at the track. “It’s a little too early to really tell, but it’s fast.” Dale Jr. and the #8 Budweiser Dale Earnhardt Inc. team were among 11 General Motors teams testing at Talladega. Junior was joined by fellow DEI drivers Michael Waltrip with the #15 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy team and Steve Park with the #1 Pennzoil Chevy team. “We were just working on qualifying runs this morning,” said Dale Jr., while taking a break playing solitaire and eating a few crackers and cheese. Asked what the major changes were, he looked over the car front to back and replied,
“All of it; it’s all new.” Dale Jr. isn’t kidding. When fans see the new Monte Carlo, they will easily recognize its sloping hood, short rear deck and rear quarter glass panels. The car also appears to be sleeker in overall shape. The nose of the car is also new, with a continuing slope from the hood of the car. Eleven General Motors Teams Put 2003 Models Through a Workout at Talladega Superspeedway. Joining the three DEI teams on Wednesday were fellow GM drivers Jeff Green with the #30 America Online Richard Childress Racing team, Ron Hornaday with the #31 Cingular Wireless RCR team, Mike Skinner with the #4 Kodak Film Morgan-McClure Motorspo rts crew, Jack Sprague with the #60 Haas Automation Hendrick Motorsports team, David Green with the #5 Kellogg’s Hendrick Motorsports crew, Andy Hillenburg with the #10 MBV Valvoine Racing team, Ricky Craven with the #32 Tide PPI Motorsports crew and Bobby Labonte with the #18 Interstate Batteries Joe Gibbs Racing team. The two-day GM test ends Thursday. NASCAR approved the 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix in late July and the 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo about a month later. Since that time the teams have been working on the 2003 cars. DEI, RCR, Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports were credited with pooling their talents to aid in the design of the new Monte Carlo. Joe Gibbs Racing will make the switch from Pontiac to Chevrolet in 2003 and PPI Motorsports switches from Ford to Pontiac.(Talladega Superspeedway)(10-31-2002)
- 2003 GM Test Scheduled The GM teams will test their new cars at Homestead-Miami Speedway the day after the season finale at Homestead, Fla. No 2002 models will be allowed during the open test session. It is expected the GM teams will thoroughly test the front downforce in the new noses.(Ford Racing)(10-27-2002)
- 2003 Chevy unvieled at Lowe's: Race fans will get their first look at the 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo when the car is unveiled during a news conference Thursday afternoon at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Chevrolet officials confirmed.(ThatsRacin.com)(10-4/10-2002)
UPDATE: Chevrolet and Richard Childress Racing unveiled the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Chevy Monte Carlo Thursday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. RCR also used the opportunity to show off a new paint scheme for Kevin Harvick on the #29 Chevrolet for next year.(NASCAR.com)(10-10-2002)
- 2003 Chevy to be unvieled next Thurs: Race fans will get their first look at the 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo when the car is unveiled during a news conference Thursday afternoon at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Chevrolet officials confirmed.(ThatsRacin.com)(10-4-2002)
- Manufacturer News: Oct. 1, was an important day in the stock car world. The date was big because it was the final day for 2003 hardware submissions from the manufacturers to NASCAR. All three companies did submit “hard parts” to NASCAR for its consideration. The length of time between submittal and approval, or rejection, can run the gamut from mere moments for the far-fetched requests to several weeks for a part that catches NASCAR’s attention. Ford, in their submittal, offered NASCAR a new nose, tail and manifold. The nose is rumored to be part of the “common” template NASCAR is eyeing for 2003. The tail or rear bumper cap, which covers the fuel cell area, on the current fleet of Taurus cars was not symmetrical when it was submitted several years ago and has been the topic of discussion at about every superspeedway event since. The new piece addresses these concerns. The final Ford piece submitted was an intake manifold. Dodge’s wish list was rather short and limited to a new nose. Again, this nosepiece was submitted to comply with the 2003 common template design. The Dodge nose has a small detail ridge on the front bumper cap, allowing the Dodge teams an additional half-inch of kickout. That half-inch ridge reportedly was removed from the newly submitted piece. GM went for the full Monte, as it were, with their block, head and manifold submission. The GM men didn’t say what issues the new block addressed, but teamfordracing.com knows they’d love to get the fuel pump swung around from the right to the left side, which would help with vulnerability issues during a crash. This certainly doesn’t address the heads and manifold, but the reason for those requests will likely become clearer during the Talladega, Ala. weekend. Keep in mind that the GM factory effort will bring common template cars to the track for 2003 with both the Monte and Grand Prix getting sheetmetal worked over during the spring and summer of this year. All the teams, regardless of make, will be busy during this year’s off-season bringing the cars into compliance for the 2003 common template. That’s right, even though the Ford and Dodge cars will go principally unchanged both marks will need total re-skinning to address rear window and cowl concerns of NASCAR. Ford also submitted a new nose for the F-150 in the Craftsman Truck Series. It is not known what the other brands offered to NASCAR for that series.(Ford Racing)(10-4-2002)
- Templates: For the 2003 season, each of the manufacturers has been given 32 templates, 18 which are identical for all cars. There's a bigger agenda with incorporating similar templates and a standard body location -- which will be officially announced sometime over the next few weeks as measuring 60 inches from the top of the windshield to the middle of the rear tires -- and that is to even up the playing field.(more at the Sporting News)(9-14-2002)
- Template Meeting UPDATE: Crew chiefs, car chiefs and head fabricators were expected to meet at the NASCAR Technical Center in Conover, N.C., to discuss the templates the teams will use in 2003. Because there was confusion between NASCAR inspectors and teams at the Daytona 500 this season, series director John Darby doesn't want any misunderstandings when the teams return to Daytona for the season opener in 2003. NASCAR also will use the time for teams to sound off about the cars' body placement on the chassis for next year.(Sporting News)(9-2-2002)
UPDATE: According to well-placed NASCAR sources a Wednesday meeting could bring the Winston Cup teams an early Christmas present. All crew chiefs are expected in NASCAR’s Hickory, N.C. Research and Development Center to discuss inspection policies for the 2003 season. The NASCAR source said that Winston Cup director John Darby would like the teams to have a very good idea of what to expect in the inspection bays when they arrive at Daytona International Speedway in 2003; and lower the anxiety levels that comes with preparation. Several teams worked on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2001 to get ready for 2002 Daytona testing. Advance notice of templates and inspection process could allow building of most of the fleet built prior to Christmas. The meeting is anticipated to focus closely on the car templates, featuring the new “greenhouse” template that will go into use in 2003. The greenhouse template, which will fit onto the car from the base of the “A” pillar and run over the roof to the bottom of the “C” pillar, will be the identical for all makes and models competing.(FordRacing)(9-3-2002)
UPDATE 2: the meeting will be held Wednesday.(Fox Sports Net/Totally NASCAR)(9-4-2002)
- Standard Boby Locations the law in 2003: NASCAR has informed the teams it will require them to have standard body locations in 2003, meaning all the cars will be nearly identical in chassis setups. There is now no restriction on how far forward or backward the body on a Cup car can be located. Teams vary that position from track to track to help balance the car. Bodies are moved forward on superspeedways to keep air off the rear spoilers and reduce drag, and moved backward on shorter tracks.(NASCAR.com/AP)(9-2-2002)
- Body Rule Change Coming UPDATE: Winston Cup series director John Darby said Saturday that a new rule is coming to standardize the body location of cars racing in the series, possibly within a week. There is now no restriction on how far forward or backward the body on a Cup car can be located. Teams vary that position from track to track to help balance the car. In general terms, bodies are moved forward on superspeedways to keep air off the rear spoilers and reduce drag, and moved backward on shorter tracks. Darby said NASCAR will require the same measurement for all cars raced on all tracks, with a tolerance of a half- or three-quarters of a inch on either side. The challenge, Darby said, is to set a measurement that will keep teams in the series from having to cut off and rehang sheet metal on most of the cars in their fleets.(ThatsRacin.com)(8-18-2002)
UPDATE: While no bulletin has been issued, yet, NASCAR has all but issued the paperwork to make the body locations standard for the 2003 season. The prospect has been looming during the past several weeks, but issuance of the rule has been slowed, somewhat, by team politicking. In the final analysis NASCAR will call for the car bodies to sit at a 60-inch measurement, plus or minus three-quarters-of-an-inch as measured from the center of the roof at the windshield seem to the center of the rear axle housing. Generally the ruling is being hailed in the garage as a plus, but it does represent a lot of work for several car owners. Robert Yates, just today, learned from his crew chiefs – Michael McSwain and Todd Parrott – that about 40 of the Yates’ 42-car fleet will need to be re-skinned to meet the new NASCAR specification. NASCAR, while tightening down body mounting locations, will also take a bite out of the team’s creativity in outlawing twisted roofs and hoods. Changes here will prohibit the teams from getting too wild with the bows and bends on the roofs of these cars. There was talk that NASCAR would issue the greenhouses, the area above the doorsills, for the cars complete with A, B and C pillars along with a roof stamping, but that apparently has been taken off the table. The critical measurements of the greenhouse, however, will be captured in the new NASCAR 2003 templates and will make all windshield rakes and measurements standard across all brands. Dodge and Ford are supposed to be currently running the same windshield rakes this year, but something with the templates allowed the Dodge to lay their windshield back slightly more than the Ford teams. This reduced angle is helpful to the Dodge cause as it helps reduce drag.(Ford Racing)(8-31-2002)
- Air Dam Rules back for Darlington: NASCAR notified Chevy and Pontiac teams it was re-instituting the front air dam rule it used at Michigan for next weekend’s race at Darlington. Chevys will be allowed to extend their front air dams out by one inch, while Pontiac teams will be allowed a half-inch extension. NASCAR will again evaluate the performance of the teams following next Sunday’s Southern 500 to decide whether to use the rule at the Sept. 7 race at Richmond.(ThatsRacin.com)(8-25-2002)
- 2003 Chevy Approved: The all-new 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo race car has been given the green light by NASCAR. Officials with Chevrolet and GM Racing received the final approval this week. For the past six months, key representatives from GM Racing have been working diligently with NASCAR and Chevrolet Winston Cup drivers, team owners, and engineers to develop, build, and submit a brand new Monte Carlo for Winston Cup competition. Hendrick Motorsports (HMS), Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI), Richard Childress Racing (RCR), and Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) pooled their talents to design the new race car, which will make its official debut at Daytona Speedweeks in February 2003. With valuable input from Joe Gibbs Racing, which was one of the teams leading an earlier 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix submission, GM Racing engineers were able to streamline their entire course of action and accomplish the task in a relatively short period of time. Each team played a significant role in the development of the new Monte Carlo. RCR built the downforce car, DEI built the superspeedway car, and HMS built the final submission car. GM Racing concentrated on the challenge of building a car that not only conforms to the new aerodynamic platform established by NASCAR, but that also retains the styling characteristics of the street Monte Carlo.(GM PR)(8-24-2002)
- 'Big' cars not until 2003? NASCAR is telling Winston Cup teams not to expect the new low-downforce cars until next season, maybe late next season, depending on the financial health of Busch tour car owners. NASCAR is looking at incorporating the larger "greenhouse" roll cage with the low-downforce tweaks, possibly not rolling out the project until the October Talladega race. Because of serious structural issues in roll- cage welding, apparently discovered during last year's fatal ARCA crash at Charlotte, NASCAR officials will require the new roll cage to be completely new construction, and will not allow teams simply to cut off the current roll cage and weld a larger greenhouse in place.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-6-2002)
- Chevy Behind UPDATE nope: The development of the 2003 Monte Carlo, isn't moving forward as smoothly as the Pontiac. The car is nearly six weeks behind schedule, and GM is expected to ask NASCAR for an extension beyond the July 1 submission date. The car has been to the GM wind tunnel three times in the last two weeks.(Sporting News)(6-17-2002)
UPDATE: According to John Darby, the new 2003 Monte Carlo currently meets all the criteria of a NASCAR submission. This assertion by Darby answers the question on whether the new Monte Carlo will make the July 1 date for new car submissions. “Its initial concept submission has already happened,” says Darby of the 2003 Chevrolet hardware. “We have already been invited to go look at a 2003 Monte Carlo. The concept is there. Actually the car was probably about 70 percent complete. Enough of it was complete that we understood very easily that number one, it was a Chevrolet Monte Carlo and that the car was being built in regards to the NASCAR race car templates and so on and so forth. So that part’s already happened.”(Ford Racing, direct link doesn't work)(6-20-2002)
- Secret rules/template change? NASCAR officials have [supposedly] quietly made a secret rules change to help Pontiacs, and the secrecy is bothersome to several rival teams that insisted that NASCAR should be following a more open policy by announcing any rules changes. That raises the question of what other rules NASCAR might be adding to the rule book from behind closed doors. The new rule is an alteration to the "long" template, which stretches the silhouette of the car from the nose to the tail; the alteration is a new hump in the middle of the hood, which allows Pontiac engine men to run a taller intake manifold. The change, Pontiac team members say, is worth seven to eight horsepower, which some rivals confirmed yesterday.(Winston Salem Journal)
AND Earlier this week NASCAR announced that the Pontiac Grand Prix was the recipient of a concession on the nose and tail. The changes that NASCAR announced included an additional half-inch of kickout to the nose and an extra quarter-inch on the rear spoiler. But there was another change to the Pontiac that was not announced by NASCAR. This undocumented change allows the Pontiac teams to raise the rear point of the hood by three-quarters-of-an-inch. The modification is in place here at Michigan. The change allows the Pontiac teams more flexibility on how they mount their motors in the Grand Prix with the increase in clearance above the motor. Until this change the Pontiac teams were juggling the motor low in the car to accommodate a larger air filter/spacer /intake setup. Or, if they decided that the motor needed to be raised for some chassis or suspension consideration, a low profile air cleaner and intake arrangement needed to be used. NASCAR officials were not available for comment, but the Pontiac teams seemed excited to have the added headroom.(Ford Racing - sorry, their direct links don't work)(6-17-2002)
- 'Big Car' tested in wind tunnel: The larger Winston Cup car, with a larger 'greenhouse' (between the windwhield and rear window) was tested at the wind tunnel in Marietta, GA on Monday.(FSN's Totally NASCAR)(6-14-2002)
- Volkswagen in NASCAR? German automaker Volkswagen is considering following Toyota's lead in joining the NASCAR marketing world, eventually with a Winston Cup effort, according to NASCAR sources. One question now is what model might Volkswagen want to brand and market under the NASCAR logo. NASCAR's common-template car project makes both a Toyota and VW Winston Cup effort easier. But Honda is not expected to show any interest in NASCAR's stock-car series, according to industry sources, because that company is not interested in playing the political games that must be played to placate the sport's rulers. Toyota wants to field a Tundra truck in NASCAR's Truck series next season, and company engineers are discussing various technical options with NASCAR officials.(Winston Salem Journal). A NASCAR Beetle?(a joke of course)(6-3-2002)
- More new Chevy/Pontiac for 2003 news: Richard Childress [owner of the #'s 29,30,31] says he expects NASCAR to approve a significantly modified Chevrolet Monte Carlo body style for 2003. Pontiacs also are due for a change (has submitted a 2003 Grand Prix body to NASCAR for approval, Chevy has not). Childress hopes the new Monte Carlo will narrow a perceived aerodynamic disadvantage to rival Ford and Dodge teams. NASCAR cars' bodies are only loosely based on street cars', and NASCAR officials regularly tinker with the aerodynamic characteristics of different car makes' bodies to keep competition equal. That causes teams to argue over which make has an advantage and lobby for changes. Winston Cup series director John Darby hopes to reduce the bickering next year by making all four car makes almost identical, primarily different in the nose and tail. The current Ford and Dodge bodies already are similar; Chevys and Pontiacs likely will get more rounded-off roof sections in 2003. Darby says making the cars more similar also will make it easier to accomplish NASCAR's broader goal of making its cars less dependent on aerodynamics to stick to the track, a move it hopes will make racing more competitive.(USA Today)(5-29-2002)
- New Chevy Body in 2003? UPDATE: hearing that Chevrolet will roll out a new body for the 2003 season which basically be a Pontiac with a new nose and tail.(4-8-2002)
UPDATE: Chevrolet officials are exploring the possibility of introducing a new body style for the 2003 Winston Cup season, or at least making major modifications to their current Monte Carlo, which was last changed in the 2000 season. "I think it will end up falling more in line with the cars that are out there right now," said Robbie Loomis, crew chief for four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon. "We got a great race car with the one we got but you always have to be out there looking ahead and trying to get in shape. Like anything, you try to plan ahead of time. We’re always looking for ways to make it better, and not just once a year, but every weekend we’re at the race track." Loomis said the biggest change is likely to occur in the front end of the car. "If you look at our car and you look at the shape of the Dodge or the shape of the Ford, it’s pretty clear to see, especially from the front windshield forward, we’re off on the shape pretty big aerodynamically," he said. Richard Childress, who the Chevrolet teams of Kevin Harvick, Jeff Green and Robby Gordon, said there was "nothing definite" in regards to changing the Chevrolet body. "From what I understand, this is the last year that particular nose of the car is approved. I don’t know the exact details," he said. "But there is some preliminary talk right now about some changes."(ThatsRacin.com)(4-9-2002)
- No Common Templates: Common templates are not on the horizon, according to NASCAR President Mike Helton. “I don’t know that you’ll ever reach a point where there’s definitively a set of templates that are uniquely common. I think there is a benefit for Chevrolet, Pontiac, Dodge and Ford to have brand identity in these garage areas,” Helton said March 16. “That’s the backbone of the competition and the business. So the controversy that surrounds that, I don’t think will ever go away. You look at the NASCAR stock car that’s in the Cup and the Busch garages, and they’re uniquely NASCAR race cars. They have bowties and blue ovals and ram shields and Pontiac triangles in them, but they are NASCAR race cars. If you took a set of templates from a Pontiac and went to a showroom, they’re not going to fit that car. They’re going to fit the NASCAR race car that carries the Pontiac brand on them."(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(3-21-2002)