Flash.(Briefs)

Twisted NASCAR

NASCAR competition director John Darby explained NASCAR's unprecedented decision to confiscate Tony Stewart's car at Texas the previous week (AW, April 7). Stewart's Monte Carlo was able to fit within all three dozen or so body templates used by NASCAR this year, but failed the ``X-measurement,'' a diagonal check of the rear glass. The new regulation was intended to eliminate teams' use of ``aero roof offset''-a bit of car-construction creativity uncovered last season-in which the roof and rear window are twisted to one side to manipulate airflow to the rear spoiler. Estimates put this sheetmetal wrinkle at perhaps 60 pounds or more in added rear downforce. Series officials impounded and confiscated the car, and hauled it to NASCAR's research facility in North Carolina for study.

So what'd he say?

``We spent a day with the [Stewart] car on Tuesday gathering information,'' said Darby. ``We're not done looking at the car, there might be some additional things we do as far as `dimensioning' and recording measurements. We might take it to the wind tunnel just to see what it would do.'' Darby said he could not determine if the Gibbs team had deliberately intended to cheat the rules, but said no more penalties would come. Darby said NASCAR might ``ask'' Gibbs to ``participate'' in the cost of the testing. ``The car's fate is as yet undecided,'' said Darby. ``When we complete our process it could or could not be returned. I can say that if and when it is returned, it will not be in the same state that we took it.'' An unconfirmed rumor has ...