Inside Dish: Nemechek could use a win

[Elwood]

If I recall, doesn't someone here work for Hendrick? Is this unfounded, or should we watch this more closely?

 

 

Inside Dish: Nemechek could use a win

 

By Lee Spencer - SportingNews.com

 

 

Joe Nemechek might help himself if he completes a sweep Saturday night at Richmond. His only Winston Cup win of the season came at that track in May; he has just one top 10 in 14 races since. Nemechek, 39, hopes his contract will be renewed for next season and is awaiting word from owner Rick Hendrick. Nemechek says the No. 25 Chevrolet is the best car he has driven in his 11 seasons in Cup competition, and he should be a factor in several races down the stretch, including New Hampshire, Charlotte, Atlanta and Rockingham. …

 

Richmond, site of Jerry Nadeau's life-threatening practice crash in the spring, now has the SAFER barrier on the outside walls in the track's turns. Drivers welcome the safety addition, but they'll lose 2 feet of racing room in areas where the energy-absorbing material is attached. But as Nemechek says: "If you're up that close to the wall, chances are you're already in trouble." …

 

A final pit stop of 13.1 seconds helped Terry Labonte, 46, find victory lane at Darlington, his first win since March 1999 at Texas. Labonte has been much more competitive this season and credits his crew for stepping up its performance. It's fitting that a veteran driver-Labonte's first Cup win was the 1980 Southern 500-won the final Southern 500 run on Labor Day weekend. …

 

Rumors linking two-time Indy Racing League champ Sam Hornish Jr. to Dale Earnhardt Inc. were unfounded. Hornish will remain in IRL and drive for Roger Penske next season. Perhaps that will lead to something in Cup down the road, but Hornish says he and Penske have not discussed stock cars. DEI will likely look to the Busch Series to find a driver for the No. 1 Chevrolet next year. Points leader Scott Riggs wouldn't be a bad choice. …

 

Three Cup drivers worked out contracts with their teams. Defending champion Tony Stewart agreed to sign with Joe Gibbs Racing through 2009, which would match the length of crew chief Greg Zipadelli's contract. Stewart had several offers, including a lucrative one from Chip Ganassi, but made a wise move by sticking with a sure thing. None of Ganassi's drivers (Sterling Marlin, Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears) has a win this year, and all are outside the top 15 in points. Jasper Engines' co-owner Doug Bawel says Dave Blaney will return to drive the No. 77 in 2004. Another year with crew chief Bootie Barker should benefit Blaney and the team. At Roush Racing, rookie Greg Biffle renegotiated the final year of his contract (2004) and is working to add two more years. Biffle's upside is huge, and Roush was smart to sweeten his deal. …

 

NASCAR is putting the finishing touches on Cup templates for 2004 and plans to show them to teams and explain the differences at a September 9 meeting. Ford will have a new nose and tail, and Dodge will have a new tail. …

 

Lee White, general manager for Toyota Racing Development, says he was looking for balance and to make sure everything was mechanically sound during a truck test last week at Caraway (N.C.) Speedway. NASCAR told Toyota it can have two-day tests at a short track, intermediate track and superspeedway before January. White says he hopes to test at Martinsville and Phoenix after the Cup races because there will be rubber on the track, and engineers can gather more accurate data. Toyota joins the Craftsman Truck Series next season.