UPS News Release @TALLADEGA 10-13-00

[vernvesco]

Thought I'd post the news release. Hope the engine gets accepted.

Friday, October 13
Preparations for 2001 going smoothly





Associated Press

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- One year into Dodge's Winston Cup project and everything is right on schedule.

At least that's what Bob Wildberger, senior manager for Dodge's NASCAR operations, said Friday at Talladega Superspeedway.

"Frankly, we're right on target," Wilderberger said on the one-year anniversary of the announcement that Dodge would return to NASCAR's top stock car series after a 16-year absence.

The new Dodge Intrepid RT body style that will make its racing debut in February in the season-opening Daytona 500 was approved by NASCAR on Aug. 1. Wildberger said the engine parts DaimlerChrysler hopes to use in its new Winston Cup engines were presented to NASCAR on Sept. 27.

There is no firm date by which the new Dodge engine is expected to be approved, but Tim Culbertson, program manager for Dodge Winston Cup engineering, said, "The process appears to be going forward normally. It just takes time."

Meanwhile, on-track testing, which began May 2, continues with all five teams recruited by Dodge scheduled to take part in tests on Talladega's 2.66-mile oval on Monday and Tuesday.

Dodge's re-entry into Winston Cup is being led by former crew chief Ray Evernham, whose new Evernham Motorsports team will field Intrepids for Bill Elliott and Casey Atwood. Other teams involved in the program include Bill Davis Racing with drivers Ward Burton and Dave Blaney, Petty Enterprises with Kyle Petty, John Andretti and Buckshot Jones, Melling Racing with Stacy Compton and Chip Ganassi Racing with Sterling Marlin and a driver still to be named.

"The biggest surprise for me has been no surprises," Culbertson said. "We're meeting our performance goals and we're meeting our timing goals."



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[Blunderbus]

Jayski's got great photos and an article about the testing.



The article's at:
http://www.jayski.com/pr/dodgetest-talla101600.htm

[beepbeepsrule]

Thanks all for the news items. I really look forward to looking at this topic every day!

[This message has been edited by beepbeepsrule (edited October 17, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by beepbeepsrule (edited October 17, 2000).]

[vernvesco]

HEY BLUNDERBUS, Great Pic. One thing for sure when the DODGE'S do race with chevy's and ford's IT WILL BE EASY TO SPOT THE DODGE'S. They really stand out. Not as good as the Daytona's and Superbirds they do stand out.

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[Blunderbus]

Another day, and still no news about that Cup motor ...

[RedIntrepid9]

It sure is neat to see the old and new Dodges side by side like that! I knew today's cars were quite a bit smaller, but it really hits home now that I can see them both at the same time!!

[Beeman69]

Originally posted by vernvesco:
HEY BLUNDERBUS, Great Pic. One thing for sure when the DODGE'S do race with chevy's and ford's IT WILL BE EASY TO SPOT THE DODGE'S. They really stand out. Not as good as the Daytona's and Superbirds they do stand out.

This info from catchfence.com: The inside line on last week's Dodge test at Talladega was that all three Dodge restrictor-plate motors broke, according to NASCAR sources. ''They're going to get it right eventually, but they've got a ways to go,'' one Detroit official said of the DaimlerChrysler engine effort.

[RedIntrepid9]

Dang! I hate to hear about broken motors. Do you suppose they pushed them to see where the limit was?? I hope that was the case. Maybe they blew at 10,000 rpm.........

[sanborn]

Been out of town the past two weeks, was not close to a internet hookup. I understand the WC engines failed due to "block torsional stress". This surprises me since this was a restrictor plate test and the engine HP/torque produced should be quite low. They don't turn much RPM either(usually 7-7500). Don't know much about this new block design, the "X" and "R" blocks would usually fail in the center main bearing web first when placed under severe torque stress. The blocks actually twist and if the front and rear of the block are more rigid than the center, that's where they crack. If I hear anything else, I will pass it along.