Questions surround Ford 400 weekend
Hurricane Wilma has left drivers wondering if they will be able to test. Accommodations, other events are also in question.
BY CAMMY CLARK
[email protected]
Hurricane Wilma has thrown a wrench into almost every aspect of NASCAR's season-ending Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Will teams be able to test?
Will there be enough hotels and restaurants operational to accommodate the thousands of out-of-town fans, as well as the crews, staff and sponsors of the 135 teams competing in the Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck finales?
Will the off-track events -- including the Ford Racefest at Las Olas Riverfront in Fort Lauderdale or Rusty Wallace's Miller Lite Last Call Concert at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino -- still be held?
All of those questions do not have answers yet. But they must soon.
With only 23 days before the first green flag is thrown for the Ford 200 Craftsman Truck Series race, there is not much time to get one of South Florida's biggest sporting events back on track.
''I see the countdown every day on our website,'' speedway president Curtis Gray said Tuesday.
Outside his office, crews began the cleanup of debris that included the canvas structure of the quarter-mile long garage suites along pit road.
TESTING CANCELED
While the track itself was not damaged, testing was cancelled this week for several Cup teams that included championship contenders Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman. Other teams, including Roush Racing's five-car operation, were scheduled to test in the next two weeks.
Gray will know today when, and if, testing can be held.
But a decision could not be made until the lighting experts arrived from Iowa-based MUSCO to access the damage and time needed to repair 12 custom-built light poles on pit road and another on the back of the grandstand.
Getting the speedway ready for racing takes precedent, but Gray hopes to make a two-day test date available for all.
Stewart's No. 20 team isn't waiting for the verdict, and has opted to test at Texas Motor Speedway between the Texas and Phoenix races, spokesman Mike Arning said.
Johnson's crew chief Chad Knaus said if they can't test they'll be fine.
''We've run very well there,'' he said.
Penske Racing South president Don Miller said it would greatly help his drivers, Newman and Wallace, to test at Homestead because they switched from a Dodge Intrepid to a Dodge Charger this season.
''If nobody gets to tests, then we'll just have to make a best guess,'' Miller said. ``It's for all the marbles on that day and whatever happens, it's even for everybody.''
HOTEL CHALLENGE
Miller added that even if the teams can test, he's not sure if he can find a place to lodge them. He tried calling the Key Largo hotel he had reserved for this week and hasn't been able to get anybody to answer.
''There's enough people without homes and damage to their homes associated with this storm; I feel really sorry for them,'' Miller said. ``I realize they are the first ones to be taken care of. We're just standing by to see what's going on.''
Gray said the Sports Car Club of America event has been cancelled for this weekend.
However, Gray said he is not canceling any race events at the track. But because of trouble reaching people, he does not know if other planned events around South Florida will still go.
The one bit of good news he received Tuesday was from the building contractors of the new $14.5 million Turn 1 Tower that features a luxury club and 16 corporate suites.
''There was a little bit of water in there, but that's it,'' Gray said.
``Everybody is real pleased it stood the storm. That's a good break for us.''
Hurricane Wilma has left drivers wondering if they will be able to test. Accommodations, other events are also in question.
BY CAMMY CLARK
[email protected]
Hurricane Wilma has thrown a wrench into almost every aspect of NASCAR's season-ending Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Will teams be able to test?
Will there be enough hotels and restaurants operational to accommodate the thousands of out-of-town fans, as well as the crews, staff and sponsors of the 135 teams competing in the Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck finales?
Will the off-track events -- including the Ford Racefest at Las Olas Riverfront in Fort Lauderdale or Rusty Wallace's Miller Lite Last Call Concert at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino -- still be held?
All of those questions do not have answers yet. But they must soon.
With only 23 days before the first green flag is thrown for the Ford 200 Craftsman Truck Series race, there is not much time to get one of South Florida's biggest sporting events back on track.
''I see the countdown every day on our website,'' speedway president Curtis Gray said Tuesday.
Outside his office, crews began the cleanup of debris that included the canvas structure of the quarter-mile long garage suites along pit road.
TESTING CANCELED
While the track itself was not damaged, testing was cancelled this week for several Cup teams that included championship contenders Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman. Other teams, including Roush Racing's five-car operation, were scheduled to test in the next two weeks.
Gray will know today when, and if, testing can be held.
But a decision could not be made until the lighting experts arrived from Iowa-based MUSCO to access the damage and time needed to repair 12 custom-built light poles on pit road and another on the back of the grandstand.
Getting the speedway ready for racing takes precedent, but Gray hopes to make a two-day test date available for all.
Stewart's No. 20 team isn't waiting for the verdict, and has opted to test at Texas Motor Speedway between the Texas and Phoenix races, spokesman Mike Arning said.
Johnson's crew chief Chad Knaus said if they can't test they'll be fine.
''We've run very well there,'' he said.
Penske Racing South president Don Miller said it would greatly help his drivers, Newman and Wallace, to test at Homestead because they switched from a Dodge Intrepid to a Dodge Charger this season.
''If nobody gets to tests, then we'll just have to make a best guess,'' Miller said. ``It's for all the marbles on that day and whatever happens, it's even for everybody.''
HOTEL CHALLENGE
Miller added that even if the teams can test, he's not sure if he can find a place to lodge them. He tried calling the Key Largo hotel he had reserved for this week and hasn't been able to get anybody to answer.
''There's enough people without homes and damage to their homes associated with this storm; I feel really sorry for them,'' Miller said. ``I realize they are the first ones to be taken care of. We're just standing by to see what's going on.''
Gray said the Sports Car Club of America event has been cancelled for this weekend.
However, Gray said he is not canceling any race events at the track. But because of trouble reaching people, he does not know if other planned events around South Florida will still go.
The one bit of good news he received Tuesday was from the building contractors of the new $14.5 million Turn 1 Tower that features a luxury club and 16 corporate suites.
''There was a little bit of water in there, but that's it,'' Gray said.
``Everybody is real pleased it stood the storm. That's a good break for us.''