Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Drivers applaud changes to tires

Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2004 | 9:34 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

NASCAR Nextel Cup director John Darby said he was pleased with the feedback he received from drivers and crew chiefs regarding the new Goodyear tires to be used at intermediate tracks this season as well as changes in body styles and to the rear spoilers.

"It's still early yet but I've had some good comments about the tire," Darby said during a visit Tuesday to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the annual NASCAR test.

"We don't necessarily come to a test looking to hear all the good things, but if you walk away from a test and they haven't worn you out about how bad everything is, then you know maybe things are on target. There have been no hand grenades yet, so we're in pretty good shape."

That came as welcome news to NASCAR president Mike Helton.

"I'm pleased if John's pleased," Helton said. "I've talked to a few of the guys ... and I think it's going in the right direction. I think we're seeing things that we hoped would work out the way they are."

Jimmie Johnson, who finished in the Cup championship last season, said the new tire compound might result in faster qualifying speeds for this year's Nextel Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Bobby Labonte set the track record with a qualifying lap of 173.016 mph before last year's race.

"Lap times, are far as testing goes, seems to be quicker when the tires are fresh but they fall off a little bit more than what we had (last year)," Johnson said.

"I think you're going to see, maybe, some track records fall with some faster qualifying speeds but the pace will slow down in the race."

Wimmer brushed the outside wall entering Turn 2, spun and slammed into the outside wall, crushing the rear end of the car.

"We were trying to figure things out with the car and I was driving a little aggressively and got in the wall getting into the corner and just couldn't gather it back up and ended up backing it into the wall," Wimmer said.

"That car had a little different aero package than our other car. I was driving a little too hard right off the bat. I don't know if that car was the right one or not but we'll come back with the right one."

Wimmer is the only driver to crash through the first two days of the four-day test. Wimmer drove the team's second car the remainder of the day, without incident.

Reigning CART champion Paul Tracy, a Las Vegas resident, visited the Nextel Cup garage Tuesday -- perhaps looking for a ride if the CART series folds. The open-wheel series' future should be decided today during a bankruptcy hearing in Indiana.