Bring the Taurus back to Sprint Cup racing

By Mike Smith (contact)

Thursday, March 12, 2009 | 7:57 p.m.

In 2010 Ford will introduce a completely new Ford Taurus. The Taurus model lineup will also include the reintroduction of the Taurus SHO, the high-performance version of this model that Ford has used on previous versions of the car.

That raises a question. Will Ford use the new Taurus instead of the Fusion in Cup racing? It should.

For the Cup series, Chevy uses the Impala SS name, which is the V8-powered performance model of the Impala. And Dodge’s Charger also comes in a high-performance street version. Ford should do the same.

I don’t have anything against the Fusion, but let’s face it; it doesn’t exactly have a reputation as a sexy, performance sedan.

Here is a photo of the 2010 Taurus. Although this is not the SHO model, you can see what the newly redesigned car will look like.

Of course, if the new Taurus were to be Ford’s car of choice for Sprint Cup racing, there would be concerns about the costs for the teams in switching to a new vehicle.

Realistically, there’s not much difference between the cars used in Cup racing. A new nose and a new rear bumper cover are the majority of the changes that would have to be made since the rest of the car is virtually the same from model to model.

…

NASCAR suspended Jimmy Watts, gas man for the No. 47 car, for four races after he ran onto the frontstretch grass at Atlanta to retrieve a runaway tire. Four races?! Isn’t that a little severe?

Obviously NASCAR needed to send a message to other crew members about the dangers of leaving the pit area during the race. I’m sure Watts thought he was doing the right thing by trying to keep that tire from causing problems on the track. It was a mistake, but it was an honest one.

This week’s StockcarToon uses Kurt’s Atlanta win to make a comment about the lackluster start to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s season.