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CNN Sunday Morning

Daytona 500 Kicks off NASCAR Season

Aired February 17, 2002 - 10:24   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: In just about two hours from now the green flag drops on NASCAR's Daytona 500.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And CNNSI's Johnny Phelps is at the track. Jeanne Meserve is going to be watching every lap, right? Not really --Johnny.

MESERVE: Not.

O'BRIEN: Explain this whole racing thing to Jeanne, will you?

JOHNNY PHELPS, CNN SPORTS ILLUSTRATED CORRESPONDENT: Well if Jeanne watches every lap, I am certain she will see an exciting race, and I can give you an idea of the fan interest here. As we arrived at the Speedway this morning, about 7:45, that is five hours before race time. There were already fans in the stands, so they're excited about what they're going to see. What they've been hearing all week is about rules changes for the Fords and the Dodges in an effort to make them more competitive for the -- against the GM cars, though Chevys and Pontiacs have been the dominant cars throughout the week. They are the cars to beat, and the top teams are confident if not completely happy.

JEFF GORDON, NASCAR DRIVER: The car certainly is the car to beat, I believe out there, but Sunday's race is all about a total team effort. We've got to do it in the pits. We've got to do it on the racetrack. We've got to be smart. We've got to make a lot of good calls, and the best team's going to win, and I think we've got that right now.

DALE EARNHARDT JR, NASCAR DRIVER: I'm pretty happy, but it's all for not. You know as many rule changes as NASCAR has made this week, three rule changes on the Fords, one on the Dodge, so it doesn't matter how hard you work, they're going to make it even once you get here.

PHELPS: So you can tell that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is not excited about what the Fords and the Dodges, the advantages that they have been given in terms of rule changes, shaving their rear spoiler in an effort to get more speed for the Fords and Dodges. Chevrolets occupy the top five spots on the starting grid. The top Ford is ninth. The top Dodge is 13. So the Fords and Dodges have their work cut out for them -- Miles, Jeanne. O'BRIEN: Well Johnny, and we've got to explain this to Jeanne a little bit by shaving the spoiler, it actually makes the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) go faster ...

MESERVE: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: ... but all right, that aside, now that we've got -- now that we've got that figured out for you, it is a little bit late in the game to be doing this, doing these tweaks, because how do they really know if it is an even playing field, so to speak?

PHELPS: That is something that they're having to deal with. As a matter of fact, Miles, the final practice sessions were rained out on Saturday. So the Fords and Dodges have only had one hour's of practice with the final change that they received on Friday. So they're essentially going to be testing their cars in the early part of the race. What that shaving does, the reduction of the rear spoiler, it allows them to move faster through the air, but it creates handling problems.

The car is not as stable, so that is something that the early part of the race will be very important for those cars and clearly, the GM cars have been the dominant ones. They will be dominant from the beginning and it'll be interesting to see how the Fords and the Dodges are able to try to move up during the course of the race, especially the early going.

O'BRIEN: All right, real quick because we're out of time. Who do you like?

PHELPS: Jeff Gordon is my pick.

O'BRIEN: All right.

PHELPS: He has won this race twice. I like him.

O'BRIEN: Jeff Gordon, John Phelps said Jeff Gordon. We will hold him to that. Thank you sir. Enjoy the race. Don't work too hard.

MESERVE: And now I'm educated, and that's it for now. We'll be back in a moment with all the news making headlines this morning.

O'BRIEN: That's what it's all about, educating Jeanne.

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