NASCAR WCUP: Pontiac Chassis Notes, Daytona, Pepsi 400

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

July 6, 2001

The following are facts and figures regarding the cars Pontiac teams will be running this week during the NASCAR Winston Cup event at Daytona International Speedway.

10

Valvoline Grand Prix driver Johnny Benson returns to Daytona this week with the same chassis he drove to a seventh place finish at Talladega back in April. This is also the same piece that Benson made headlines with last year at Daytona when he threatened to win both events.

14

Conseco Pontiac driver Ron Hornaday was very "racey" in this chassis during the Daytona 500 in February. He finished one lap down in the 17th position, but lost his lap to a pit road penalty. He finished 22nd with this chassis in the series' second plate race of the year at Talladega.

18

The chassis underneath the Interstate Batteries Pontiac this weekend is the same one that was nearly destroyed in this year's Daytona 500. The team worked long hours to rebuild it and the work paid off with a fifth-place finish at Talladega in April.

20

Tony Stewart wheeled this version of the Home Depot Pontiac to a second place finish at Talladega back in April. He also used this chassis in all four restrictor plate races last year, earning three top 10 starts and one top 10 finish.

27

Mike Bliss makes his return to Eel River Racing this weekend as the replacement for driver Kenny Wallace, who replaced him after the 2000 season. The chassis he is driving was new when the team failed to qualify for the last plate race at Talladega. The best finish Bliss posted last season in his rookie campaign was in a restrictor plate race - a ninth at Talladega.

36

Ken Schrader drove this chassis from the 36th position to the lead on lap 48 at Talladega back in April before running out of gas prior to his first scheduled pit stop. That bit of misfortune was enough to relegate him to a 40th place finish. He also ran this chassis in the 2001 Bud Shootout, here at Daytona in February.

Text provided by Al Larsen

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