Chevys, Pontiacs get concession from NASCAR

Tuesday, March 3, 1998 | 9:38 a.m.

Starting Sunday at the Primestar 500 in Atlanta, rear spoilers on both makes of Ford cars will be lowered one-quarter of an inch. The Taurus, which is phasing out the Thunderbird in the Winston Cup series, will have a 4.75-inch spoiler. Thunderbird spoilers will be lowered to 4.5 inches.

Lowering the spoiler height is supposed to slow cars in the turns and make the racing more competitive. The Chevrolet Monte Carlo will keep its 5-inch rear spoiler, and the Pontiac Grand Prix will stay at 5.375 inches.

Front air-dam clearance will be unchanged for all four approved models.

Taurus drivers took the first seven spots and 13 of the top 14 in the inaugural Las Vegas 400 on Sunday. Chevy and Pontiac drivers complained bitterly that rule changes instituted before the first non-restrictor plate race of the year at Rockingham, N.C., gave the edge to the Fords.

"It's just a bad deal when you put out everything you do and you're trying and everybody is working their hearts out and the rules are just this unbalanced," said Richard Childress, owner of the Monte Carlo driven to eighth place at Las Vegas by Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt.

NASCAR said it will watch how the changes effect the Atlanta race and that they will remain in effect "until further notice."

The spoiler and air-dam heights apply to all Winston Cup tracks accept Daytona and Talladega, where carburetors are restricted to reduce speeds.