http://www.nascar.com/2007/new ... andretti.bsaid/index.html

Quote :

LOUDON, N.H. -- For the second consecutive Nextel Cup Series Car of Tomorrow race at New Hampshire International Speedway this season, a qualified car had its time disallowed, knocking it out of the lineup.
John Andretti qualified the No. 49 BAM Racing Dodge second-best of the 14 "go or go home" cars at the track, in the 26th position, but in post-qualifying inspection, the 49 car's left-front corner was deemed too low, and Andretti's qualifying time was disallowed.
That moved the No. 98 Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge driven by Boris Said from the 44th-fastest position and out of the race into 43rd in Sunday's lineup for the Sylvania 300. Ironically, Said had been bumped out of the lineup by GEM teammate Scott Riggs, who was the final "go or go home" car to attempt.
Even more strangely, Riggs' car was too low the first time it passed through the same height inspection station. But after what crew chief Rodney Childers said was a standard re-check, the car passed by three-eighths of an inch.
"We went out 47th [of 49 cars] and most of the 'go or go home' cars they just parked 'em on pit road and waited a long time [before taking them through inspection]," Childers said. "This is one of the tracks where you run a lot of rebound in the front shocks and soft springs in the front and it just takes a few minutes to come up after you come off the track.
"Basically, when we came off the track they just pulled us straight in there at the height sticks and it was a little bit low on the left-front. So they just let us go around the building and give it a little bit of time to come up, like everybody else had time. We came back around and it was plenty good enough and in the green [a legal measurement].
"It's just one of those deals with the shocks that you run here."
In June, Brian Vickers' Team Red Bull Toyota was too low in the left-front, its time was disallowed and BAM's car, driven that weekend by Chad Chaffin, was placed into the lineup.
And as was the case in June with Vickers, Andretti said he could feel no difference in his car in qualifying than when he practiced, when he was 16th on the time sheet.
"You can't feel it -- there's no advantage to it," Andretti said. "But it's a rule. We did our job, and it's unfortunate that something like that happened. We didn't do anything wrong -- it was just a technicality."
But no technicality about it -- Said was ecstatic when he "made" his first non-restrictor plate, non-speedway Cup race in more than two years, he said. To make him feel even better, twice this season Said's own No Fear Racing team had appeared to be qualified for races when sessions were rained out, sending him home.
"I guess that's from living right and the stuff that happened at Daytona and Watkins Glen," Said said. "When you look at it, only 43 guys get to run these races every weekend, and it's tough.
"For a guy like me, who hasn't run an open-plate motor on a track in more than two years, to come here with limited track time is really tough. You look at the field and it's so good. My qualifying lap was the best lap I've run all weekend, so I was really happy with it."

Anyone else think this rule is pretty ridiculous? John Andretti has been pretty good in BAM since they released Bliss. I just wish he'd catch a break for once (crashed in Richmond)

Quote :

Billy Ballew Motorsports announced that former Indy Racing League champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Lazier will drive its No. 15 Chevrolet Silverado in the Sept. 22 Craftsman Truck Series race at Las Vegas. Lazier, a former International Race of Champions runner-up, previously tested one of Ballew's trucks at Lowe's Motor Speedway in 2005.
"IROC really was an eye-opener for me into the world of stock-car racing," Lazier said. "Racing with the best in the Nextel Cup and Busch Series, as well as other race drivers, was a blast. It was probably the most fun racing experience for me in my 20 years of professional motorsports [and] I've been trying to find the right opportunity since then."
His test with Ballew was part of that.
"I was pretty cautious but our times were comparable to the other trucks on the track and I knew I wanted to race for that team some day. The opportunity arose for us to race in Las Vegas and I am extremely excited. They are racers on that team and to me it's a perfect fit -- I feel right at home with the whole team.
"I'll be studying up on last year's race this week and be looking forward to a lot of seat time during practice. I look forward to a good start and finish and see what develops from there. Obviously, I'd love to continue racing in a top-tier NASCAR series and hope I can make a good start next week in Las Vegas."

Nice to see Lazier in NASCAR

I fail to see the problem? They broke the rules.

Quote from MAGGOT :

I fail to see the problem? They broke the rules.

I'm talking about the rule. And BTW plz correct me if I'm wrong, but with the CoT having a lower body does not affect that car very much. (Based on CoT testers of course)

Andretti also said in the statement that there was basically no advantage to having a slightly lower body (I do realize that this statement can be potentially ignorant, so any mechanics out there who knows about the CoT FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME)

There's a huge advantage to having a lower car, both in lowering the centre of gravity and reducing drag and increasing downforce. If you break the rules based on your car setup then you absolutley deserve to fail. Accident damage related issues are different, and under MSA rules don't fail a ride height test (based on discression).

It sounds like these were both cars the were plain and simply too low, they fail ride height and get disqualified from the results, plain and simple. In the UK the car that had failed it based on the fact the suspension hadn't fully risen wouldn't have been allowed a second try either.

Quote from ajp71 :

There's a huge advantage to having a lower car, both in lowering the centre of gravity and reducing drag and increasing downforce. If you break the rules based on your car setup then you absolutley deserve to fail. Accident damage related issues are different, and under MSA rules don't fail a ride height test (based on discression).

It sounds like these were both cars the were plain and simply too low, they fail ride height and get disqualified from the results, plain and simple. In the UK the car that had failed it based on the fact the suspension hadn't fully risen wouldn't have been allowed a second try either.

Alright thxs

I was disappointed to find out that Carpentier is not in the #98. Oh well, good luck Boris

BTW did Michael Waltrip spin in qualifying again?