By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 2, 2011)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—The tandem drafting common to Daytona and Talladega apparently is here to stay—at least until another refinement in restrictor-plate racing comes along.
Five-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson doesn’t think the development of a new Cup racecar for 2013 will do anything to change that.
“We’ve worked hard to have a common car and a car that you can take to a lot of places, and I think they’re avoiding making a change to the nose and bumper interface because they don’t want to go against what they worked so hard to create,” Johnson told Sporting News at Daytona International Speedway.
“I don’t think they’re going to address that, to be honest with you. I think it goes against what they’re trying to do, and we’re not turning each other around, the interface works really well—so well we can push. I think in a few years once the track gives up the grip level that it has now, we will naturally separate on the tracks and it will be more just on the straights, and you won’t be able to do it in the turns.”
Given that Daytona was repaved last year for the first time since 1978, it may be a while before the racing surface starts to lose adhesion.
“I don’t see anything changing until there is reason to lift, and I don’t think they want to send us out in cars that don’t meet well (nose to bumper) and create accidents," Johnson said. "So I think we are going to see (two-car hookups) for a while.”
Chevy making progress on 2013 car
Though Chevrolet isn’t ready to reveal the model it plans to run in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series in 2013, Jim Campbell, Chevrolet’s vice president for performance vehicles and motorsports, says the design phase for the new car is progressing nicely.
“The 2013 Chevrolet entry for NASCAR (Sprint) Cup is on track,” Campbell told Sporting News on Saturday. “We’ve had just a tremendous experience working with NASCAR and other OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to make sure we’re all heading in the right direction in terms of the rule set.
“And there’s also a lot of great collaboration between our team at Chevrolet and Chevrolet design, as well as NASCAR, in making sure the car is really much in terms of how it looks to what we sell in the (showroom).”
Campbell said Chevy has developed a recommendation to submit to NASCAR as to which model it would like to race starting in 2013 but isn’t ready to announce the selection.
“NASCAR is fully aware of it,” Campbell said. “They’ve had a chance to see it. I can’t reveal it at this point, but I’m very excited about where it’s going and the ability to make a strong connection between what we race on the track here in the Cup series and what we sell on the showroom floor.”
Chevrolet currently runs the Impala SS in the Cup and Nationwide Series.
Childress cedes day-to-day control of RCR to newly hired Torrey Galida
The naming of Torrey Galida to the newly created position of chief operating officer is the most significant move among several organizational changes Richard Childress Racing announced Saturday.
Galida comes to RCR from TRG Motorsports, owned by Kevin Buckler, where Galida served as chief marketing officer and general manager for the NASCAR and Rolex Grand-Am sports car operation. Before TRG, Galida served in executive capacities with Ford Motor Company, Roush Fenway Racing and Millsport Motorsports, a marketing and sponsorship agency.
The hiring of Galida will relieve RCR chairman and CEO Richard Childress of the onus of day-to-day business operations of the company.
“I have an immense amount of respect for Richard Childress and the organization he has built,” Galida said in a team release. “RCR is one of the premier sports teams in the country. I am delighted to have the opportunity to play a role in the team's continued success.”
In other personnel moves, Childress named longtime RCR executive Ben Schlosser chief marketing officer and promoted Scott Fry from comptroller to chief financial officer.
Galida will report directly to Childress. Mike Dillon and Richie Gilmore will continue to report to Childress as heads of RCR competition and Earnhardt Childress Racing Engines, respectively.
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