Stoddard decides to remain behind the wall

Mike Harris

Friday, Jan. 28, 2000 | 3:05 a.m.

Frank Stoddard, a rising star among NASCAR's crew chiefs, has decided his over-the-wall days are over.

Stoddard, who heads the crew for the Roush Racing entry driven by Jeff Burton, will give up his role as front tire changer to focus full-time on his leadership role.

"It was time," said Stoddard, entering his third year as Burton's crew chief. "I need to be 100 percent into what's going on."

That hasn't always been the case.

"There was that brief time when I lost contact with what was happening, especially when we were doing green flag pit stops," he said. "I need to be concentrating on what's happening on the race track continuously."

The 31-year-old Stoddard admitted he will miss the competitive situation that going over the well during pit stops provides.

"There's nothing like putting together a fast pit stop and beating everyone out," he said. "We did that in the fall race at Rockingham, and it certainly helped us get the win."

Burton had a career-high six victories and finished fifth in the points during the 1999 season.

GETTING BETTER: Dale Earnhardt, who underwent back surgery in December, is close to getting back into a race car.

"I still have to take it easy and can't do a lot of things I like to be out doing, but I'm coming around real well," said the seven-time Winston Cup champion. "I hurt so bad before that the little bit of stiff neck I have now is nothing.

"If the doctor gives me the okay, I'm going to go to Las Vegas and test," he added. "I'm hoping I can get in the car and see how I am going to feel."

Earnhardt said he expected to be 100 percent going into the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 20.

FILLING IN: NASCAR newcomer Scott Pruett, who will run for Rookie of the Year in the 2000 Winston Cup series, will get a little extra seat time during Daytona Speedweeks.

The longtime CART star, making the move to NASCAR along with car owner Cal Wells, also will drive the team's Busch series entry next month at Daytona International Speedway in place of Anthony Lazzaro.

Lazzaro, who won the 1999 Toyota-Atlantic Series title for Wells, has recovered completely from an upper back injury and concussion received in a crash during an ARCA race last fall in Talladega, Ala. But NASCAR decided the open-wheel driver needed more stock car experience before tackling a superspeedway like Daytona in a Busch car.

"It's only natural to have Scott drive," Wells said. "He's a talented driver and knows our system and personnel, which makes it a more comfortable, smoother transition."

Lazzaro is scheduled to make his NASCAR debut on Feb. 26 on the 1.017-mile oval at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham.

IROC OPENER: Eddie Cheever, a star in the Indy Racing League and the 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner, would like to improve considerably over his IROC debut last February in Daytona.

Cheever, who has spent virtually his whole career in Formula One, CART and the IRL, completed only seven of 40 laps in his first stock car drive on Daytona's 2 1/2 -mile, high-banked oval.

"I'm coming into the Daytona race with a different mindset," Cheever said. "I drove the whole race like it was the last lap of the Indy 500. Given the chance, I would really like to beat some of my NASCAR buddies at their own game.

"And, trust me, it is a game they are very good at."

The four-race IROC series features drivers from a variety of series competing in identically prepared race cars.

No CART drivers will be taking part in IROC this year because of a conflict with the race in Long Beach, Calif., on April 16, the same weekend the second IROC race is scheduled in Talladega, Ala.

GOOD MOVE: Robbie Loomis is preparing for his first season as crew chief for Jeff Gordon, a three-time series champion at just 28.

Loomis came to Hendrick Motorsports following the 1999 season from the team of Richard Petty. His former boss, the top winner in NASCAR history, gave Loomis some good advice.

"The King always told he what I needed was a 25-year-old Richard Petty," Loomis said. "Well, now I've got a 28-year-old one."