NASCAR WCUP: Kenny Wallace: A look ahead to Pocono
19 July 2000
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
CHARLOTTE, N.C., - As NASCAR Winston Cup Series teams
pass the halfway point of the season, they look forward to a second shot
at some of the Winston Cup tracks. This week, Jimmy Elledge, crew chief
for Kenny Wallace and the Square D/Cooper Lighting Chevrolet, prefers the
quick return to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, site of the Pennsylvania 500, as
opposed to the longer wait for other tracks on the schedule.
"It's nice to return to Pocono Raceway for the Pennsylvania 500 early in the schedule because the Pocono 500 is still fairly fresh in our minds," said Elledge. "The weather is similar, and that's a luxury that we don't have at other venues. At most tracks, you run one race close to winter conditions and you run the other race in the heat of the summer. This year, the weather was a huge factor during the first Pocono race, but we did get some important practice time information in case the weather conditions are better."
Elledge adds that race notes are even more valuable this year as the pre-season additions of the new Goodyear tire and a new body for the Chevrolet Monte Carlo have complicated the Winston Cup equation for success. With all the notes that Elledge has taken this season, the Square D/Cooper Lighting crew chief must feel like he is studying for the Bar exam.
"There's a difference preparing for a track the second time around, especially this year," said Elledge. "This season, because of the changes, it took a different setup to run the Square D/Cooper Lighting Chevy than in the past. It was almost like we were a rookie team in that we didn't know how the race car was going to react to each track. Now that we're returning to Pocono, we can just pick up where we left off in June. We finished the Pocono 500 running strong, so we hope to carry that over to the Pennsylvania 500.
"This season is a whole lot harder than last season," added Elledge. "We're adjusting the team's focus, and trying to handle the new components of the Square D/Cooper Lighting machine. For a while, it was hard to put our finger on what was wrong. It's just part of the sport. They throw new variables at you, and only those who can adapt survive. We didn't handle the changes too well at first. But now that we have had time to work with the new tires and the new body, our production is improving. Our average qualifying position and our average finishing position are coming down, and we want that to keep that consistent. If we stay consistent, it will pay off for us at the end of the year."
Text provided by Chris Hunt
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