GM: Reaction To NASCAR Changes; TLL: Kinda Like Judging Figure Skating Or WWF...Eh?

NOTES AND QUOTES;  WINSTON CUP - DAYTONA;
ADVANCE MATERIAL;  FEB. 15; 

DOUG DUCHARDT, NASCAR GROUP MANAGER, GM RACING REACTS TO THE RULE CHANGES ANNOUNCED 
FOR DODGE AND FORD TEAMS -- spoiler height lowered one-quarter inch on 
Dodges and Fords today 

"We don't believe that the changes announced this morning are warranted.
"There is no question that the Chevrolet and Pontiac teams, in general, have
had a successful Speedweeks thus far in Daytona, but they have not had it
handed to them. They've earned it.

"When the rules changed back to a package similar to what we saw in 2000, we
knew the GM teams would need to make improvements - not only in
aerodynamics, but also in engine power. When the cars were run on the
chassis dyno following yesterday's qualifying races, the results showed that
the work put in over the winter by the GM teams paid off with a slight
horsepower advantage.

"At some point, you have to question whether these changes are designed to
even the mechanical packages or to compensate for the strength of our
teams."

The Last Line: Two days before the biggest race of the year and NASCAR tries to 
promote evenhandedness, by helping Ford and Dodge, who just haven't measured up to Chevy 
and Pontiac so far this year...will NASCAR become WWF? "whos turn is it to win anyway?"
"are they really racing daddy?"...kinda like Motor Trend Car of the Year...
The Last Line is an editorial opinion of The Auto Channel.