The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 33

MOTORSPORTS THURSDAY JANUARY 13 2000 3C ER Earnhardt not quite ready to put repaired back to test I I THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER NOTEBOOK By DAVID POOLE and JIM UTTER StaffWnters Dale Earnhardt hopes he has recovered weU enough from back surgery to be in his No 3 Chevrolet for a test at Las Vegas on Feb 1-2 coming around pretty Earnhardt said Wednesday still get a little tired in the afternoon and I still have take it easy I do a lot of the things I would like to be able to The seven-time Winston-Cup champion said he expects it will be two to three more weeks before he gets a release from his doctor Earnhardt had surgery in Winston-Salem on Dec 17 to correct a problem in his upper back He said the problem caused pain in his shoulders and numbness in his fingers and hands last season Earnhardt said Jim Sauter would test his car next week at Daytona Intematinal Speedway Earnhardt said he fully expects to be 100 percent for the seasonopening Daytona 500 on Feb 20 feel like I am a 100 percent he said am healthy and I feel good about jumping in that race STILL CONNECTED: Ray Evem-ham and Jeff Gordon on the same team any more but their run of three championships in four years will keep them linked in the minds of NASCAR fans Evernham said Wednesday during the Motor Speedway media tour that he spoke to Gordon recently after the driver returned from a holiday vacahon be as close as we have been in the past nine years and just blow that relationship off because your business relationship Evernham said Evernham left as crew chief during the 1999 Winston Cup season Since his departure Gordon and Rick Hendrick have bought out interest in the Grand National team that Gordon his wife Brooke and Evernham owned last year were some hurt feelings here and there but there were no hard Evernham said of his relationship with Gordon and I are IT'S OFFICIAL: Rick Mast is the driver of the Larry Hedrick-owned No 41Chevrolets Philippe Lopez has been hired as crew chief Garth Finley who worked with Mast on the No 98 Fords for Cale Yaborough in 1999 TERRY RENNAAssociated Press Ray Evernham has been given the lead role in the effort in preparing the Dodge Intrpid RT that will join NASCAR's top circuit in 200L Evernham in the pilot seat again Takes championship plan to Dodge if I think we could win? But to sit here and sit and mer Evernham wants to have a completed version of the car of tr im th id sd ty VO er is 1 of lis io a ft- il- a rs P- ad al in or in a- as ct sd ee JO )1- n- e- it- to V- 2e 9 a- le in ts e- le r- lll th iff il- r- n- in le se er P- of le ht 2 c-m of ig rs rs e- 6 ready for NASCAR to check out with on-track and wind-tunnel testing That would he hopes lead to final approval so construction of the race cars could begin working closely with Evernham said working hand-in-hand so we have a problem when we go to present a car six months from now that a Evernham ruled out running a Dodge in any Winston Cup races this season even if the car is approved by late summer Crew members however may work together in a few Truck series events where Dodge competes to get a head start on working together in 2001 While he named his drivers Evernham does have some key people in place Ed Guzzo is vice president and general manager at Evem-ham Motorsports Ron Vicarro is the lead engine builder and Bill Dees is leading the fabrication efforts Butch Lameroux is shop foreman at the chassis shop and Chad Knaus wiU be car chief on the test team Knaus could be crew chief on one of the teams next year All except Vicarro worked with Evernham at Hendrick going to win a championship with an expansion team that would be unrealistic I can say is that we plan to be competitive We plan to get better every week We do have a plan I had a five-year plan when I went to the 24 car to try to win a championship in five years or at least be in contention to win a championship along those same lines now plan when we started our team in 1993 was to build a team and make it competitive make it more competitive every week and then focus on winning when we got competitive going to take this Dodge team in those same One day after Evernham and Dodge officials rolled out their first version of the Intrepid at an auto show in Detroit Evernham talked about getting the car through approval process A one-third scale model has had one test in a wind-tunnel with a second test scheduled for next week By the middle of next month he hopes to have a full-scale car ready for wind-tunnel testing The next step would be an on-track run toward the end of March or in early April probably at Motor Speedway outside Charlotte By early sum am not going to go and talk specifically to people on other teams but I will talk to anybody who wants to talk to The two most visible jobs Evernham will fill of course will be drivers Evernham made no comments about who they might be when he met with reporters on the Motor Speedway media tour other than to describe what he called his desire is to have a veteran and a he said think that would be best for the team It would allow me to have a team that grows together and you would have a great teacher use a football analogy nothing better to train a good young quarterback than to have a good strong experienced quarterback there I hope that works out That is the driver scenario I am going to Evernham said he is realistic about the challenge of starting a program for a manufacturer you can go out and be competitive in Winston Cup whether you have been running for one year or 10 years doing a dam good he said am realistic I am not going to sit here and say we win crazy Why would I even go By DAVID POOLE StajfWnter Toward the end of his seven-year stay at Hendrick Motor-sports after he had helped build Jeff team into one capable of winning three Winston Cup championships Ray Evernham mostly played defense As crew chief and leader of the most successful team in the sport during the second half of the last decade a big part of job was to keep that key people from being hired away Now Evernham is on the opposite end of that equation After leaving the Hendrick operation last year to take the lead role in return to Winston Cup racing for 2001 Evernham is on the offensive He is the owner of a two-car team that wiU need drivers crew chiefs pit crew members and other key personnel Some of those people wiU undoubtedly be from existing teams is the way I am going to do Evernham said Wednesday knows that I have a lot to do and that I will be looking I am making it clear that I am looking for crew members and for people to help put this team together has been named director of technology for team No sponsor has been named REMEMBERING DAD: The first of two memorial services was held Wednesday in Mooresville for Leroy Waltrip the father of Darrell and Michael Waltrip who died Monday The second service will be today in Owensboro Ky had been battling cancer for three years but he always seemed like he had a leg up on Michael Waltrip said in just the last month his condition really GRAND NATIONAL PREVIEW: The series preview will be Friday at Freedom Hall of Merchandise Mart 2500 Independence Blvd The event runs 1-9 pm with 25 show cars and two racing simulators among the displays More than 40 drivers are to attend with an autograph session from 4 to 6 pm followed by an auction of racing memorabilia to benefit the Busch Senes Ladies Association Winston preview is 8:30 a m-6 pm Saturday at Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem MORE EVENTS: Motor Speedway released its schedule for its 15000-seat 25-mile dirt track The track is to host 10 events in 2000 including two visits by the World of Outlaws sprint car series during the Winston Cup race weekends Other events include the Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Late Models (July and September) the American Motorcyclist Association Grand National Dirt Track series (July) and Monster Trucks (August) Tickets are available by calling the speedway at (704) 455-3200 DOUBLE DUTY: Grand National rookie PJ Jones son of 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Pamelli Jones will Memorial Day weekend race at Motor Speedway as well as the Indy 500 UP THE ANTE: The points fund for the Grand National series will rise to a record $17 million for this season NASCAR also unveiled a TV campaign promoting the series and its growing base of stars GOLF USA Su Jut Eton: feoUaO OWxMtir If You Thought Golf USA Had The Lowest Everyday Prices On The Most Sought After Golf Equipment Apparel Accessones Just Wait You Take Another 20 OFF EVERYTHING IN STOCK mm Thursday Friday Saturday Jan 13 14 15 lit UW! MB J) HI It rn a Mk him GOLF USA 875-7820 5 Huntersville Square Shopping Center (next to Food Lion) Exit 23 I 77 Gilead Rd i HWY 21 10am 8pm Sat 9am 8pm Sun Closed Jan Fab MR CMlMMtttt ttniIMN III tun Outd Wor BoatRV General Manager Seeking high volume dealership experienced boat enthusiast We offer: Competitive Salary Full Benefits Package Opportunity for Growth Casual FunAtmosphere BassfroShop: Director of flR-Retail 2500 EMCeameyVV' pringfield MO 65898 XC520-396-5958'" wwwbiuprucim mn MayfieldKranefiiss put Robinson in ARCA seat 803-802-7874 856 GOLD HILL RD 108 FORT MILL 77S EXIT 88 RT FROM CHARLOTTE Super Bowl Player's Party Motorcoach from SY I -i Charlotte to Atlanta IUQ Adm to Player's Party 4 day tour incl game ticket $26 50p BROACH SPORTS TOURS 365 HE CLEANS THE GLASS BETTER THAN WINDEX By DAVID POOLE StaffWnter Four years ago Shawna Robinson stepped away from being a race car driver to start a family was a point when I was pregnant that I thought I will just be Robinson said Wednesday that is why I am so suited for this lifestyle I am not Robinson who has children ages 3 and 2 now has what she believes is the best chance had to be a success in racing She will drive Fords owned by Winston Cup driver Jeremy Mayfield and his car owner Michael Kranefuss on the Automobile Racing Club of America circuit say enough about the opportunity to compete in equipment where I know the support is there and 1 know when I go to the race track that not my last Robinson said of the deal The native of Des Moines Iowa started racing at age 18 She has run in the NASCAR Dash series and was second in the 1992 Grand National rookie-of-the-year standings She was the first woman to win a Grand National pole at Atlanta in 1994 Last year she ran three ARCA races for the MayfieldKranefuss team finishing in the top five at Daytona and at Motor Speedway That performance led to extending the program Kranefuss said he hopes ARCA team will be a place where talented mechanics and crew members can develop for Winston Cup team Similarities between ARCA and Winston Cup rules also wiU benefit team through testing of cars As for Robinson she believes i BET EXCITED! PATRICK SCHNEIDERStaff Shawna success in three races last season earned her a full-time Job In the Automobile Racing Club of America series the ARCA ride gives her the chance to prove she can win and contend for a championship Her long-range goal remains to be a Winston Cup driver but for this year her focus is on making the best of this opportunity As for being a woman in a sport dominated by men Robinson says none of that matters if a driver do the job just really have to be focused on proving yourself as a driver and not just be there for the flash of it she said a female I am fortunate enough to get attention every time I come into a race track But the important thing is to keep that attention after the race the way I have to look at this whole AtEBnraociaeamo iOilUnlUM.