Prepare your car for the race


New Chevrolet R07 to be tested at the Texas Motors Speedway

Big changes are taking place over NASCAR and
for this coming weekend at the Texas MotorWhen asked if the new engine produces more
Speedway another transformation will behorsepower and torque or is more fuel
taking place. While the Nextel Cup driversefficient, Cronquist replied, "it's just
are driving their old familiar cars whichbetter all over. We're finally more even with
they have been driving for years after thewhat Dodge and Toyota have. It kind of got us
first two races in the Car of Tomorrow, theback in the same playing field, back in
rest of the Chevrolet entries are to bewhat's considered NASCAR's box. We were
powered  by  a  new  engine.outside of the box, actually below the box.
We had disadvantages and they finally let us
Chevrolet maker of the quality Chevroletget the same advantages that other
exhaust system, has been developing an enginemanufacturers had over us. I don't think that
for nine years now and for the first time itwe've really gotten into much of the
will make its racing debut in Samsung 500.performance part about it. A lot of it is
"This engine now called the R07 actuallythat the shop needs just a lot less time to
started out as R99 because we ran it thework on the parts and pieces of it. There's a
first time in 1999," said Mark Cronquist,lot of stuff in this block that's already
chief engine builder for Joe Gibbs Racing. Hecast into the block that we used to have to
also added, "There was an R03. There was anmake ourselves and try to fit into our
R05 that never got off of the chalkboard,blocks. That took a lot of time and effort to
basically. We had it all designed, but neverdo. If the performance comes, it will come
made it. Then there's this one, R07. Sobecause we're going to have a lot more time
really, this R07 has been worked on by GMin  our  shop  to  work  on  it."
teams since 1998. I've got notes in my office
from the very first time we talked about thisCronquist further added, "A lot of it is that
engine.  It  was  January  1998."the shop needs just a lot less time to work
on the parts and pieces of it. There's a lot
The process was rather frustrating but at theof stuff in this block that's already cast
end it was worth the wait said Cronquist andinto the block that we used to have to make
"the awesome thing is that, if you look atourselves and try to fit into our blocks.
R09 and R07, they don't even look alike, soThat took a lot of time and effort to do. If
I'm glad NASCAR never approved it. It hadthe performance comes, it will come because
some updates, but every time NASCAR didn'twe're going to have a lot more time in our
approve it, we went back and worked harder onshop  to  work  on  it."
it  and  changed  more  things  on  it."
Chevrolet's  5  of  6
For this coming weekend it is expected that
six teams will run the new engine. GibbsThe Chevrolet team has gotten to a great
Racing will place an R07 in the cars of Tonystart this year in Cup winning five of the
Stewart, Denny Hamlin, and J.J. Yeleysix races. The reigning champion Jimmie
Hendrick Motorsports' Casey Mears and KyleJohnson has won three of the five races while
Busch, and Scott Wimmer, driving a fourthHendrick with teammates Kyle Busch, and RCR's
Richard  Childress  Racing  entry.Kevin Harvick have won the other two for GM.
The victory of Matt Kenneth's at California
General Motors world's largest automaker andSpeedway in a Ford is the only blemish on
distributor of Chevrolet exhaust is hoping toChevrolet's  record  for  this  season.
have the engine ready for this season's
upcoming race but unfortunately a fewOut of the eight Chevy drivers that are
technical difficulties slowed the progress ofcurrently in the top 10 in Cup points, two
the project. Cronquist is very much excitedhave won at Texas. Jeff Burton won the
to get the new engine into competition. Heinaugural Cup race in Fort Worth in the year
said, "With a motor we've been running, the1997 but he was a driver of Ford at that
block part of it was actually designed intime. Stewart won on the 1.5 mile Texas track
1955. We've made a few modifications to it,last fall. The different drivers winning each
but it would still bolt into a 1955 Chevy Belof the 12 Cup races at Texas only two others
Air. The new block has got a lot morehave been in Chevrolets namely Terry Labonte
technology in it. Its more updated block thanwho won in 1999 and Dale Earnhardt Jr. who
what  we've  ever  had  before."won in 2000.



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