| | Associated Press
FONTANA, Calif. -- Mike Helton, who heads NASCAR's day-to-day operations, confirmed Friday that the sanctioning body is investigating what he termed: "An issue with the No. 12 car."
Reports from the Winston Cup garage area indicate a routine, random check of the gas used during the race on April 16 in Talladega, Ala., came up with a problem with the mixture used in Jeremy Mayfield's Ford. Mayfield started from the pole and finished 14th in the race.
Helton, NASCAR's senior vice president and chief operating officer, said: "We did find an issue with the No. 12 car. Today, when there is an issue, we have to be precise and correct as we can when we react. This one in particular is taking a little bit longer.
"We felt a need to go to some outside sources to confirm our findings."
Helton declined to answer questions on the subject after making
his statement,
A spokesman for the Penske-Kranefuss team said there would be no comment until NASCAR made a decision.
Unocal provides the same gasoline for all the NASCAR teams. All the cars are filled up at the same tank in the garage area.
California dreamin' for DW
It appears that Darrell Waltrip and the California Speedway's 2-mile, high-banked oval are made for one another.
The three-time Winston Cup champion, who has been struggling to
qualify for races in his final years as a competitor, was seventh
Friday in the opening round of time trials for Sunday's NAPA Auto
Parts 500.
Although he has started all nine races this season, Waltrip's
best qualifying effort until Friday was 26th in Talladega.
The popular Waltrip drew a big ovation from the spectators on
hand for Friday's qualifying. He responded with a little dance step
and a wide grin.
"I guess the people like me in Southern California," he said.
"I've been coming here to race for a long time at Riverside,
Ontario and now here. I love it, too."
Waltrip's last top-five finish came here in 1998 when he
finished fifth.
What'll you bid?
Valvoline and the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America have combined for an on-line auction of racing memorabilia in hopes of raising $1 million for a school-base mentoring program.
The Valvoline Online Racing Auction, hosted by eBay, began Friday and is scheduled to run through May 23.
Among the items up for bid are driving lessons from NASCAR star Mark Martin, a $2,000 scholarship to Clemson University's motorsports program, a Newman-Haas Racing shirt signed by co-owner Paul Newman and a 1966 Simpson racing helmet signed by former Indy 500 winners A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr., Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser and Gordon Johncock.
Other items from NASCAR, CART, the IRL, NHRA and Formula One
will be added as the auction continues.
The proceeds will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters' School-based
Mentoring program, which matches volunteers with students by the
school systems.
The auction can be access by logging on to www.ebay.com.
Now that's a donation
Robert Yates Racing and driver Ricky Rudd have donated a fully equipped No. 28 Ford Taurus to North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro.
The car is to be used as a unique laboratory by engineering students as part of the university's Intercollegiate Auto Racing Association racing team.
Texaco/Havoline, Rudd's sponsor, and the Yates team also
established a scholarship program. Students associated with the
school's ICAR program will be eligible to apply for a scholarship
and summer internship with the team.
Have you seen this child?
Joe Nemechek's No. 87 Chevrolet is carrying a picture of 7-year-old Karla Rodriguez. The youngster has been missing since Oct. 20, 1999. She was last seen walking to school in Las Vegas.
The girl's picture has replaced the Cellular One logo on the hood of Nemechek's car for the NAPA Auto Parts 500.
Pit stops ...
Although this is only the fourth race at California
Speedway, there have been a total of 94 NASCAR-sanctioned Winston
Cup races in California since 1951. ... Posted awards for Sunday's
500-mile race total $3,004,166. ... All three Winston Cup races at
the Fontana track have been won from a top-five starting position.
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ALSO SEE
Kernan: Streaking into California
Yocum: The nominees for Winston Cup champion are ...
Weber: Martin a model of consistency
Furr: First-quarter report
NAPA Auto Parts 500 Breakdown
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