The Anniston Star from Anniston, Alabama • Page 22

This week's spotlight 1" Ford 400 Homestead-Miami Speedway Friday-Sunday Race coverage Qualifying: Friday, SPEED, noon Race: Sunday, WVTM-13 and 11:30 a.m. Editor: Jimmy Creed: 235-3570 (TIe mttston tar Thursday, November 14, 2002 Page 6C Stops 1 ttt 1 Fox's Ion At the track NASCAR MVinstonCti Series road emits at IMloF Bob CrispConsolidated News Service Ray Fox (left) and International Motor Sports Hall of Fame director Jim Freeman share a laugh Wednesday during the announcement of the 2003 class of inductees. Longtime engine chief among five By Jimmy Creed Star Sports Editor HOOVER One of the things Ray Fox is proudest of in a long, distinguished career as a NASCAR engine builder and crew chief is that he gave Bobby Allison his first job in racing. Fox was working for the legendary car owner Carl Kiekhaefer in the mid 1950s when a 17-year-old Allison came looking for a break and Fox offered him a spot in the Kiekhaefer shop. Allison really had only one qualification for the job, Fox said.

"He loved racing," Fox said. "That's all he had to say to me was, 'I love Allison went on to become one of a long, distinguished line of drivers Fox was associated with in his career, including Buck Baker, Marvin Panch, Lee Roy Yarbrough, Buddy Baker, Junior Johnson and David Pearson. And the career milestones he achieved with those and other have now earned him a place in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Fox was on hand Wednesday morning at the Wynfrey Hotel as the IMSHoF's Class of 2003 was unveiled. Joining Fox in enshrinement next April will be Formula I and Indy racer Emerson Fittipaldi, legendary midget car driver Mel Kenyon, and car builders A.J. Watson and Briggs Cunningham.

Fox made many significant contributions to auto racing during his career. After coming south from Massachusetts to Daytona after World War II, Fox worked for a carburetor company and drove Modifieds in Florida and South Georgia. builder and crew 2003 inductees In 1956, he discovered NASCAR and from then on, he earned a reputation as a master builder of cars and engines, an outstanding crew chief and someone willing to give a young driver a chance. Fox put Fireball Roberts in a winning Modified to show what he could do, and Pearson won three races in his rookie year in a Ray Fox Pontiac. Johnson gave Fox the crown jewel of his career, taking a Fox-prepared Chevrolet to victory in the 1960 Daytona 500.

Emerson Fittipaldi The son of a well-known Brazilian motor racing journalist, Fittipaldi, or "Emmo," as his many fans knew him, had racing in his blood. In 1967 he designed and built a Formula Vee car for himself. With this car he won five of seven FV races that took place in Brazil that year, and placed second in the other two. In 1970, he had moved to Europe and finally graduated to Formula One by becoming the third member of the Lotus team. He won the United States Grand Prix to clinch the first World Championship for his team leader, Jochen Rindt, who had been killed earlier that year.

Fittipaldi won his first World Championship in 1972, making him, at age 26, the youngest World Champion in history. After coming in second in 1973, he claimed the World Championship again in 1974. Fittipaldi retired from Formula One in the. 1970s, but made a comeback in the IndyCar series in 1984 that lasted 1 2 years and resulted in two Indianapolis 500 victories. His final career CART numbers include one championship, 22 victories and 17" poles out of 195 starts.

Garage Notes RETIRING: Danny "Chocolate" Myers, a familiar sight in the Richard Childress Racing pits at Winston Cup races, will retire after 17 years as a gasman following Sunday's Miami 400. Myers, 54, is the eldest son of NASCAR pioneer Bobby Myers, who was killed while driving in the 1957 Southern 500. He has been with the Childress team since 1983 and was a member of the "Flying Aces," the pit crew that helped the late Dale Earnhardt to six of his seven championships. Since Earnhardt's death in the 2001 Daytona 500, Myers has worked as gasman for Kevin Harvick's No. 29 Chevrolet and, since June, Robby Gordon's No 31 Monte Carlo since.

FELLOWS INKS DEAL: Canadian Ron Fellows will attempt to add to his glittering credentials as a road racer when he drives twice next season in NASCAR for Dale Earnhardt Inc. The 43-year-old driver from Toronto, a class winner of the world's most prestigious endurance races, the 24-hour events in Le Mans and Daytona, was hired Wednesday by DEI. He will drive in the Winston Cup races on the road courses in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Sonoma, Calif. NEMECHEK TO RETURN: Joe Nemechek will return next 6eason to Hendrick Motorsports, again driving the No. 25 Chevrolet.

Nemechek replaced Jerry Nadeau on May 15 and struggled on the track until Peter Sospenzo took over as crew chief on Sept. 10. Since then, former Busch Series champion Nemechek has two top-five finishes and started in the top-15 four times. Ed Guzzo, who won three Winston Cup championships as Jeff Gordon's car chief on the No. 24, also moved to the No.

25 when Sospenzo arrived. He will remain in that role in 2003. RECORD FORCE: John Force just keeps rolling along. The 53-year-old drag racing star ended his season Sunday in Pomona, by earning the 106th victory of his career as he wrapped up an unprecedented 10th straight Funny Car championship and record 12th overall. To get it done, he had to beat teammate and employee Tony Pedregon in the semifinal round, which turned out to be the'best race of the day.

"As an owner, my focus got a little bit lost," Force said. "All Tony was thinking about was smacking me and taking the title. Tony was up for the win. We talked just before we raced." Associated Press Quotable 66 The last time I checked, we were racing for a points championship. I don't think I'm running for political office.

Tony Stewart on questions regarding his temperament potent Triple team. Ward and Jim Rathmann finished 1-2 in Watson's cars, then swapped positions in 1960 to give Watson his second consecutive 1-2 finish. Ward won again in 1962, leading a parade of six Watsons in the top eight. In all, Watson built some 23 roadsters, including the last Indy 500 victory for a front engine in 1964, driven by A J. Foyt.

Briggs Cunningham Briggs Cunningham was a great athlete who excelled in everything from bobsledding to golf to yachting, but his burning ambition was to build American cars with American drivers that could compete with the finest Europe had to offer. After World War II, Cunningham began racing and tinkering with sports cars, once putting a Buick engine in a Mercedes. In 1949, he hooked up with Phil Walters and Bill Frick, who had also experimented with engine swapping, and together they formed Cunningham, Inc. in 1950. For five years they built the preeminent U.S.

sports car, with the high point being a third place in the 1954 24 Hours of LeMans. After racing the Cunningham, he switched to Jaguars and in 1962, at the age of he finished fourth at LeMans in an XK-E. Cunningham was one of the great patrons of sports car racing, providing cars for Walters, John Fitch and Bill Spear in the early days, then for Dan Gurney, Roger Penske, Bruce McLaren and others later. on. Jimmy Creed is sports editor of The Star.

He can be reached at 235-3570 or at jcreedannistonstar.com Ford 400 Homestead, Fla. Schedule: Friday, qualifying (Speed Channel, noon); Sunday, race (WVTM-13. 11:30 a.m.). Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway (oval, 1 .5 miles, 8 degrees banking in turns). Race distance: 400.5 miles, 267 laps.

Last race: Matt Kenseth took the lead after putting on two tires during his final pit stop at lap 261 and raced to victory at the Checker Auto Parts 500 in Phoenix. It was Kenseth's series-leading fifth victory of the season. Last year: Bill Elliott, whose previous victory came in 1994, passed teammate Casey Atwood five laps from the end of the Pennzoil 400 after stalking the rookie for several trips around the 112-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway. Ford 300 Homestead, Fla. aj Schedule: Today, qualifying, :45 p.m.; Saturday, race (WVTM-13, 12:30 p.m.).

Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway (oval, 1 .5 miles, 8 degrees banking in Race distance: 200 miles, 300 laps. Last race: Scott Wimmer won the Bashas' Supermarket 200 in Avadale, under a yellow flag, but Greg Biffle clinched the Busch Series championship by leading all but the last 16 laps of the 200-lap race at Phoenix International Speedway. He wound up third, just ahead of series runner-up Jason Keller. Last year: Joe Nemechek took advantage of Kevin ftarvick's tough luck, making a late charge to win the season-ending GNC Live Well 300. The vjctory was the 11th of Nemechek's Busch career, his second that year and third in five races at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where his younger brother, John, was killed jn a truck race in 1 997.

Ford 200 Homestead, Fla. Schedule: Today, qualifying, noon; Friday, race (ESPN2, 2:30 p.m.). Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway (oval, 1 .5 miles, 8 degrees banking in turns). Race distance: 201 miles, 134 laps. Last race: Kevin Harvick held off Ted Musgrave in a last-lap shootout and won the Chevy Silverado 1 50 in Phoenix.

It was Harvick's first victory in 75 truck series starts. Last year: Ted Musgrave squeezed the last few ounces of fuel out of his dominating Dodge to win the Florida Dodge Dealers 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Musgrave, who became the event's fifth first-time series winner, led a race-high 86 laps including the final 15 circuits. He took over for good when Jack Sprague, his Chevrolet low on gas, pitted from the lead on the 1 53rd of 167 laps. Driver standings Top 10 Points Mel Kenyon One of the greatest midget car drivers in history, Kenyon started his career in modified stocks in 1955, then switched to midgets two years later.

His first title was NASCAR's Florida midget series in 1962, but he switched to USAC in the middle of '62 and wound up fifth in that series. Kenyon was second in 1963, then won the first of his USAC titles in 1964. Kenyon had gotten a Champ car ride in '65, but his career was seriously threatened by a wreck and fire in June. Kenyon 'returned to racing the next year, despite losing part of his left hand. He finished second in midgets, and also fought his way to fifth place in his first Indy 500.

Kenyon won 17 of 49 features to claim the midget crown in 1967, then placed third at Indy and won the Midget title again in 1968. His career included 111 victories and seven USAC Midget championships. A.J. Watson A.J. Watson witnessed his first auto race in 1947, moving him to build a car with a friend.

After a one-lap career behind the wheel (he spun out), he changed his focus and became one of the greatest mechanics of all time. Within a year, he was asked to join an Indy crew. After a succession of drivers and owners, Watson built a car for Bob Sweikert in 1955 that claimed his first Indy 500 win. The next year, with the track repaved, Watson knew the speeds would go up, causing more tire wear. He built a much lighter, slimmer car for Pat Flaherty, who won the race.

In 1959 Watson teamed with Rodger Ward and team owner Bob Wilkie to form the Formula One Top driver standings Points 1. Michael Schumacher 144 2. Rubens Barrichello 77 3. Juan Pablo Montoya SO 4." Ralf Schumacher 42 '5. David Coulthard 41 6.

Kiml Ralkkonen 24 7. Jenson Button 14 8. Jarno Trulll 9 9. Eddie Irvine 8 10. NickHeldfeld 7 10.

Giancario Fislchella 7 Hunter appeals Smith two previous teams springs "In in these are should be Smith one, still used on Speedway. others that Smith against "litigation and this into Martin: Hoping to regain 25 Cup championship points From Page 1C He waited the maximum 10 days before filing the appeal, saying he wanted to be sure the team was not "doing anything stupid." At its postrace inspection, NASCAR determined that the left front coil spring on Martin's Ford had approximately 4 38 turns of coil. The required minimum number is 412. A spring with fewer coils would compress more and aid the car's handling. The Roush team said the coil came out of the box from the manufacturer and was put on the car in good faith.

Besides docking Martin 25 championship points, NASCAR penalized Roush 25 owners points and fined crew chief Ben Leslie $5,000. "Roush is a big player in NASCAR and we understand why they disagree with this decision," NASCAR spokesman Jim said. "That's why we have this process." says this case is different from instances this year in which were penalized 25 points for altering to gain a competitive advantage. fairness, (points) should not be used situations where innocent mistakes made," he said. "The penalty smaller than it was." said the Roush team did a complete inventory of its springs and found in its box, identical to the one the car at North Carolina He added there were several were found to be "marginal." said there will be no lawsuit the spring manufacturer because and racing do not go hand-in-hand, we don't want to be dealing with 2003 or beyond." member National Auto Racing Commission, and two commissioners he will appoint will hear the appeal at Miami-Homestead Speedway.

"I just wish we weren't having to go through this," Martin said. "My hope is something wonderful will happen for us at Homestead. If it doesn't, it doesn't." If the penalty stands, Martin said he just hopes it won't affect the outcome of the title race. "I'm not bitter," he. said.

"It doesn't bother me unless it falls into that area where the 25 points would make a difference in the championship." Roush Racing president Geoff Smith said Wednesday it was decided to appeal because the spring had an "inconsequential deviation" that had "absolutely no effect on the fairness of competition." He called the 25-point penalty a "draconian 99 i tSDYRACMB LEAGUE Driver standings Top 10 Points 1. SamHomlshJr. 531 2. HelioCastroneves 511 c3. Gil de Ferran 443 4.

Felipe Glaff one 432 5. Alex Barron 366 6. Scott Sharp 332 7. Al Unser Jr. 311 8.

Buddy Lazier 305 9. Airton Dare 304 1 0. Eddie Cheever Jr. 280 Driver standings Top 10 Points 1. 2.

3. 4. 5. ,6. 7.

8. 9. 10. Mike Bliss Rick Crawford Ted Musgrave David Starr Jason Leffler Dennis Setzer Robert Pressley Terry Cook Travis Kvapil Coy Gibbs 3,199 3,167 3,128 2,997 2,991 2,982 2,937 2,936 2,916 2,883 Driver standings Top 10 Points 1. Crlstlano da Matta 221 2.

Bruno Junquelra 148 3. Patrick Carpentler 145 4. Darlo Franchlttl 138 5. Christian Fittipaldi 122 6. Jimmy Vasser 112 7.

Michael Andrettl 110 8. AlexTagllanl 108 8. Michel Jourdaln 105 10. Paul Tracy 101 Driver standings Top 10 Points 1. Greg Biffle 4,754 2.

Jason Keller 4,527 3. Scott Wimmer 4,308 4. Mike McLaughlin 4,150 5. Jack Sprague 4,076 6. Jamie McMurray 4,026 7.

Kenny Wallace 3,987 8. Stacy Compton 3,918 9. Scott Rlggs 3,911 10. Bobby Hamilton, Jr. 3,898 4 1.

Tony Stewart 4,691 2. Mark Martin 4,602 3. Kurt Busch 4,461 I 4. Jimmie Johnson 4,453 1 5. Rusty Wallace 4,453 6.

Jeff Gordon 4,452 7. Ryan Newman 4,438 8. Matt kenseth 4,389 9. DaleJarrett 4,292 10. Ricky Rudd 4,217 9.