Wallace tests Ford spoiler
By Tim Packman, Turner Sports Interactive
January 18, 2002
10:45 AM EST (1545 GMT)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Rusty Wallace stayed after school, so to speak, when the final test session ended on Thursday. No fear. The driver of the No. 2 Ford wasn't in any trouble -- he was just doing some homework.
With permission from NASCAR, Wallace and Andy Hillenburg (subbing for Ricky Rudd) made three more runs once testing concluded at 5 p.m. The teams wanted to find out what it would take to speed up their Tauruses.
After one lap around the track, the two teams took one-quarter inch off the rear spoiler. Then, after another lap, the same amount was taken off again.
Wallace said he was a little disappointed with the results.
"We picked up 3.3 tenths of a second, I was hoping we would pick up four," Wallace said afterwards. "NASCAR thought it would pick up five tenths.
"That's very dejecting when you compare it to what the Chevrolets and Dodges are running."
During the test sessions, Chevrolet and Dodge teams dominated the speed charts. Almost all the Ford teams were at the middle or back of the chart for most of the three-day session. The blue oval boys finally made some progress on the final day while drafting.
Wallace is hoping NASCAR takes a look at the current package Ford has to use.
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Rusty Wallace
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Currently, the Ford spoiler is 57 inches wide and six-and-a-half inches tall. Dodges have the same size. Chevrolets have a 57-inch by six-and-a-quarter inch spoiler.
"Now, the only I can think of is to look at the restrictor plates," Wallace said. "The best thing to do is put a little more spoiler on the other guys. If the Chevy, Dodge and Pontiac cars all added a quarter of an inch to their cars I think it would then get us all pretty equal.
"I thought taking that much off the spoiler would really free the car up and get it going. The whole rpm range on the engine only picked up about 100 rpms, and that was it for taking a half-inch off the spoiler.
"That was the thing I couldn't believe."
Wallace was asked if he was the driver to lead the Ford teams into the NASCAR trailer to state their case.
"I'm not the one to do that," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not complaining -- I won't complain. We just have to get all the makes closer, that's all."
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