The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 29

www.tennessean.com THE TENNESSEAN Friday, April 14, 2000 3C SPCJR I AUTO RACING Earnhardt fumes over slower speeds Associated Press TALLADEGA, Ala. Just when Dale Earnhardt thought he'd mastered Talladega Superspeedway, NASCAR changed the rules on Schedule: Today, qualifying, 9 a.m.; tomorrow, race (ESPN2, 2:30 p.m.) Track: Talladega Superspeed-way. Race distance: 300.58 miles, 113 laps. Last year's winner Terry Labonte. Next race: Auto Club 300, April 29, Fontana, Calif.

CART What Toyota Grand Prix Site: Long Beach, Calif. Schedule: Today, first-round qualifying, 4:30 pm; tomorrow, second-round qualifying, 3:45 p.m. (Sunday, midnight, tape); Sunday, race (ESPN, 3 p.m.) Last year's winner. Juan Montoya. Winston Cup What DieHard 500 Site: TaDadega, Ala.

Schedule: Today, first-round qualifying, 3 p.m. (ESPN2, 6:30 tape); tomorrow, second-round qualifying, 9:45 a.m. (ES-PN2, 5 p.m., tape); Sunday, race Track: Talladega Superspeed-vay (tri-oval, 2.66 miles, 33 degrees banking in turns). Race distance: 500.08 miles, 188 laps. Last year's winner Dale Earnhardt.

Next race: NAPA Auto Parts 500, April 30, Fontana, Calif. Busch Series WhatTouchstone Energy 300 Site: Talladega, Ala. him. A smaller restric-tor plate will be used Sunday in the DieHard 500, and Earnhardt who won both races here last year "But that was their intention when they rnade the change, to slow us down," he said. "Now we have to figure out a way to get that speed back and it's not easy." NASCAR has required carburetor rcstrictor plates be used on Winston Cup cars at Talladega and Daytona for more than a decade.

A plate, which is really just a thin piece of aluminum with four holes punched in it, is designed to limit horsepower and cut down speed. But even with them, the potential still exists for cars to creep up toward the 200-mph speeds that once were routine at Talladega, which at 2.66-miles long is the sport's longest, fastest and arguably most dangerous oval to the plates even before the change because they keep the engines equal, meaning most of the 43-car field is unable to distance itself from the other cars and can end up running four-wide. "People here always see a dynamite race with two-wide on every lap and three- and four-wide a lot," Ward Burton said. "The smaller plates is going to close it up more than ever this weekend." Busch quaflying rained out Rain washed out first-round qualifying yesterday for the Touchstone Energy 300 Busch Series event. Qualifying was rescheduled for 9 a.m.

today, when the entire 43-car field for tomorrow's race will be set with one round. That threat led the sport's sanctioning body to reduce the plates in size by of an inch to 7. Earnhardt estimated it took 25 horsepower away from his car and most of the other drivers agreed. "I think it makes us go about eight-tenths of a second to a second slower," said Jimmy Makar, crew chief for points leader Bobby Labonte. "I know that doesn't sound like a whole lot, but a second can sometimes feel like a lifetime in this sport." Michael Waltrip, who finished 18th in last year's race, likes the smaller plates because teams can work harder at improving other areas of the car.

But most drivers were opposed said it's slowed him EARNHARDT down considerably. "We're a whole lot slower," said Earnhardt, who also won the second round of the International Race of Champions series here last April. 1 M-1ID McGlynn plans 150J00 seats America's 1 Selling Rear Engine 2 4 PivotingArticulating Frame Kmh jA lour wlieeli oi the Rider ss- fin ground eveti over rough lerrdin rot smootnci tut just in case JJrtsJtyuST 50.aps -Trucks 50 laps It Kroger r- jjfipds TWO Riders as low as $10 Stand-On-End Storage Unique tuud-oii-end jpabilily Jlowi lor ronipjl slouge, p.isy rlunmH id wv Children Gates vf" Racing 7pm 5999.95 Other Rear Engine Rider Features: 5 speed-on-llie-go shilling Quick response steering. Back up recoil tor easy starts everytmie. 1 1 models ranging from 25 lo 42 cut, 8 to 16 HP engines 3-in-1 convertibility allows you to bag, mulrh or side discharge Denis McGlynn borrows a page from the Boy Scouts handbook when analyzing Nashville's chance of landing a future NASCAR Winston Cup race: "Always be prepared." That's why McGlynn is designing new $125 million Nashville Superspeedway to accommodate 150,000 seats in the future just in case.

"NASCAR never promises anything in terms of future races," says McGlynn, "and we understand that Our plan is to be prepared for whatever may happen." The track initially will have 50,000 seats (25,000 permanent, 25,000 portable), which is about one-third of the number needed to accommodate a Winston Cup crowd. Those 50,000 seats should be sufficient for a Busch Series Model M2809198 U.S. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12TH, 2000 PAID ADVERTISEMENT AUTOMOTIVE NEWS race, however, Racing Insider Am Wnidr which will be the track's big event next season. "Fans will tell us how many seats we need by the way they buy them," McGlynn said. As for Nashville's Performance Ford Shocks Nashville "Performance Ford Introduces Itself By Selling Cars For Just A $29 Acquisition Fee!" Nashville Area Auto Shoppers Express Disbelief But Dealer Remains Optimistic As Unprecedented 3-Day Sale Approaches, April 14-16th Nashville, TN John Luciano, short, this is the automotive ues on his huge inventory, General Manager of the all new sales event of the Century." Luciano is authorized to accept Performance Ford announced During "The National all trade-ins, paid for or not.

plans today for an all new Acquisition Sale" every vehicle Running or not! In any condi- unique sales event that allows will be clearly marked and tion! You won't want to miss customers to take on payments available for the low acquisition this unique opportunity to on the used vehicle of their fee of $29. Extended terms and obtain a pre-owned car, truck, choice for the incredibly low fee special financing will be avail- van or sport utility with an of only $29 unbelievable simple acquisition fee of just "With the dealership under new ownership to operate some sort of racing program. Without the revenue from the weekly races, however, it will be difficult to keep the track solvent. New director Cliff Hawks, executive director for the Nashville Sports Authority, has been appointed vice president and general manager of Nashville Superspeedway. He will oversee development and operations at the track.

He'll begin his new assignment on June 1. With the Sports Authority, Hawks oversaw the sale of PSLs for Adelphia Coliseum. He succeeds Joe Earnest, who resigned. Variety show Mark Martin last Sunday became the eighth different winner in the season's first eight Winston Cup races, a NASCAR record. The previous record streaks came in 1964 and 1991.

The 1964 streak was broken by Richard Petty and the 1991 streak by Dale Earnhardt. Racing historian Russ Thompson of Nashville has researched each season and his figures show just how rare it is to get this deep into the schedule with eight different winners. Not only has it never been done before, the streak has seldom gone past four or five races. Record chase Joe Buford's goal is to break Dar-rell Waltrip's record for Late Model wins at Nashville Speedway, and he's closing in. Buford's victory in last week's season opener was his 43rd, just 12 away from Waltrip's 55.

Buford is fourth all-time, two behind Mike Alexander and eight behind Sterling Marlia Buford will try to add to his total in tomorrow night's 50-lap feature. The SuperTrucks will also run their second race, while the Pure Stocks and Street Modifieds make their first appearance of the season. Bookshelf Several new NASCAR books are hitting the stores, including NASCAR For Dummies, co-authored by driver Mark Martin. The bH)k is supposed to explain the basics of the sport to new race fans. Author Bob McCullough has produced My Greatest Day In NASCAR, a collection of memorable moments told in the words of drivers and other racing personalities.

A series called Racing Superstar Series has begun with books on Dale Earnhardt, Tony Stewart, Dale Jarrett and Jeff Gordon. They are quick, easy reads and provide basic information and background on each driver. Baker for hire Buddy Baker, one of TVs most popular racing commentators, said he has not yet secured a job with any of the networks NBC, Turner or Fox that will take over NASCAR telecasts next season. "I'm very interested but so far I don't have anything," said Baker, who worked the TNN telecast of last Saturday's NASCAR Busch race at Nashville Speedway. "I have an agent who's handling it.

Who'd have ever thought you'd need an agent? Used to, we'd just all get together and start talking, and eventually we'd work out a deal and shake hands." Larry Woody writes daily about 4 NASCAR at www.tennessean.com. today he writes about Murtreesboro businessman Darwin Oordt nvorve-ment racing He can be reached af 259-8019 or korjdylennessean.co(Ti Material from wire services and otrier sources ws and only an initial $29 down, there couldn't twenty -nine The event named, "The National Acquisition Sale" for the fact that hundreds of vehi dollars! Better news yet is that there will be no be a better time to take on the payments and drive home the vehicle of your dreamsl" prospect of getting back a Winston Cup race, with its approximately $80 million economic impact? "There will be no facility reason not to get one," McGlynn said. "There will be no marketing reason, no operational reasoa We will make sure there is no reasoa from our standpoint, why NASCAR shouldn't come." The urgency for getting the 1.3-mile track up and operating was stressed during last week's Busch race at ancient Nashville Speedway. The facility is t) outdated, and the cramped State Fairgrounds site is too small to handle a modern NASCAR event even a second-tier Busch race. McGlynn's Dover Downs Speedway seats 133,000 and sells out twice a year.

It also has around 150,000 spectators in the infield. "Our experience at Dover has shown us the need to have flexibility to expand in order to meet demand," said McGlynn, whose track added 12,000 seats in 1996 and 1997 and 15,000 in 1998 and 1999 a total of 54,000 seats in the past four years. "We will take that same approach to our Nashville track add seats as needed." Although the 2001 Busch schedule is not finalized, McGlynn said he assumes it will remain "relatively intact," which would mean another April date for Nashville. McGlynn will also move next summer's NASCAR Craftsman Truck race to the new track, as well as the October Ail-American 400. I Ie is confident he can secure an Indy Car race next season, "if we decide we want one.

Right now we're not sure." Dover Downs Speedway this season dropped its Indy Car race due, in part, to declining interest. In addition to the 1.3-mile Nashville Superspeedway, the new racing complex in Wilson County also will feature a drag strip, a oval dirt track, a road course and a paved track similar to the one at the Fairgrounds. When that short track is completed, probably in two or three years, all weekly races run at the Fairgrounds will be traasferred to the new complex. What will become of the old track has not yet been decided. The State Fair Board, which oversees the Metro-governed facility, h.is considered trying to continue middle man or credit hassles.

You will be allowed to assume a contract directly from the bank. Bank representation will be on hand for immediate approval and release of these deals. Luciano also reminds customers that the event is first come, first served, so it's critical to come early to have the best chance of getting the vehicle of your choice. The exclusive site for this event is Performance Ford, 5500 Charlotte Ave. for 3 days only, Friday, April 14th from 9am 8pm, Saturday April 15th 9am 7pm for your convenience they have planned special extended hours, they will be open Sunday, April 16th for 6 hours only from 11am -5pm.

Hurry for the best selection. For further information on this "National Acquisition Sales Evenfplease call (615) 297-4111. Cl hew 'T i fur VjN 1 I. .1 v-rhl- cles normally allocated to wholesalers, and other special interest groups will be offered to the public for the first time ever during this exclusive event. The 3-day sell-off begins this Friday, April 14th and goes through Sunday April 16th.

Rain or shine. Mr. Luciano offers a simple explanation for his unprecedented sale, "The new owners have more than tripled our inventory with hundreds of high quality vehicles from lease turn-ins, distressed loan situations, repossessions, new vehicles duplication and more." He adds, "I can't remember the last time so many rare opportunities were available to us at one time so we decided to let our customers take advantage of these incredible values rather than sell them to wholesalers or total strangers at auctions." Luciano goes on to mention, "Most ot the vehicles we're offering will be near wholesale level pricing. In able to help reduce monthly payments or obtain credit for those who may have had challenges in the past. No application will be refused during this one time sales event.

Many of the vehicles offered are late model vehicles with low miles balance of factory warranty remaining. There will be many makes and models to choose from including: Ford, Plymouth, Lincoln, Jeep, Chrysler, Chevrolet, Dodge, Honda, Toyota, Nissan and many more. There will be vehicles available with payments as low $79 a month. Payments will be clearly marked on windshields. All you'll need to do is pick a vehicle and a payment.

It's that simple. Luciano cites one example, a 1996 Ford F-150 Truck is priced at only $5,999. You pay only a $29 acquisition fee and take on payments. In addition to incredible val-.