The Buzz: April 30, 2001

April 30, 2001
8:15 PM EDT (0015 GMT)

Bill Simpson, head of Simpson Racing Products, will come to Florida for a 10 a.m. meeting Thursday with NASCAR chairman of the board Bill France and NASCAR president Mike Helton, Simpson's assistant confirmed Monday afternoon.

Simpson has been embroiled in the controversy surrounding the Feb. 18 death of seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt since it was revealed five days after the accident in a NASCAR news conference that Earnhardt's left lap belt was in two pieces.

However, since that time it does not appear Simpson has either met or spoken to NASCAR principals.

On Sunday, the Orlando Sentinel reported that a medical worker who was at the accident scene, which occurred on the last lap of the Daytona 500, said that the best he could tell the belt was intact at that time.

On Sunday evening, NASCAR reiterated its stance, with Winston Cup director Gary Nelson saying NASCAR "disagreed with the medical technician's account." On Monday afternoon, another medical worker who was inside the car after the accident told an impromptu news conference that she "could not tell if the belt was intact or not" since she was working on the fatally injured driver.

Burton to miss Richmond?

Rumor has it that Ward Burton will sit out this weekend's Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

Burton was hospitalized overnight after Sunday's NAPA 500 at California Speedway, where he was involved in a crash with Mark Martin on lap 208 of the 250-lap event. Burton hit the Turn 3 wall hard and was transported to Loma Linda University Medical Center.

The crash sent Burton to a 42nd place finish. He is 19th in the Winston Cup standings with only one top-10 finish in 2001.

Waltrip's seat cracks

When Michael Waltrip hit the Turn 2 wall on lap 154 of Sunday’s NAPA 500 at California Speedway, the inside of his car was dismantled.

The bottom of the seat in Michael Waltrip's car was found to be cracked after his hard hit in Turn 2 on Sunday.

According to a team spokesperson, the bottom of the driver’s seat was cracked. The buckle on the right side head net, which is a safety device that prevents the head from hitting a roll bar or other parts inside the car and is made of the same material as the window net, was broken and not affixed.

Also, the head rest on the right side was opened up towards the passenger’s side window and the ignition box, which is bolted to the car, fell off.

The team spokesperson said NASCAR took pictures of the inside of the car for further evaluation.

Eel River in dire straits

Throughout the weekend, rumors filtered throughout the California Speedway garage about Eel River Racing.

Rumor had it that Eel River was on the brink of closing the doors on its Winston Cup operation. When asked about the issue Sunday, driver Kenny Wallace said he has been assured the team was going to continue to race.

“I talked to (team Vice President) Devin Birmingham and he said it’s not true,” Wallace said. “He said we’re still scrappin’ and clawin’. I told him I needed to know what was up because I’m his driver and I got everybody telling me we’re closing up. As of now, he says no.

"I guess if we don’t show up at Richmond next week, we closed up. There’s no announcement. I’m as confused as anybody right now.”

Wallace said if in fact the team did shut down, he would drive the No. 48 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series for the remainder of the year.

The team had a multi-million dollar sponsorship on the table from the Seagram Company’s Crown Royal brand liquor, but Wallace said late last week that NASCAR disallowed the sponsorship.

Dyno-saur

Eight cars were sent to the chassis dyno Sunday by NASCAR: the Chevrolets of Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Joe Nemechek and Bobby Hamilton; the Fords of race-winner Rusty Wallace and Ricky Rudd; and the Dodges of Sterling Marlin and Bill Elliott.