Prepare your car for the race


New Chevrolet R07 to be tested at the Texas Motors Speedway

Big changes are taking place over NASCARthan what we've ever had before."
and for this coming weekend at the TexasWhen asked if the new engine produces
Motor Speedway another transformationmore horsepower and torque or is more
will be taking place. While the Nextelfuel efficient, Cronquist replied, "it's
Cup drivers are driving their oldjust better all over. We're finally more
familiar cars which they have beeneven with what Dodge and Toyota have. It
driving for years after the first twokind of got us back in the same playing
races in the Car of Tomorrow, the restfield, back in what's considered
of the Chevrolet entries are to beNASCAR's box. We were outside of the
powered by a new engine.box, actually below the box. We had
Chevrolet maker of the quality Chevroletdisadvantages and they finally let us
exhaust system, has been developing anget the same advantages that other
engine for nine years now and for themanufacturers had over us. I don't think
first time it will make its racing debutthat we've really gotten into much of
in Samsung 500. "This engine now calledthe performance part about it. A lot of
the R07 actually started out as R99it is that the shop needs just a lot
because we ran it the first time inless time to work on the parts and
1999," said Mark Cronquist, chief enginepieces of it. There's a lot of stuff in
builder for Joe Gibbs Racing. He alsothis block that's already cast into the
added, "There was an R03. There was anblock that we used to have to make
R05 that never got off of theourselves and try to fit into our
chalkboard, basically. We had it allblocks. That took a lot of time and
designed, but never made it. Theneffort to do. If the performance comes,
there's this one, R07. So really, thisit will come because we're going to have
R07 has been worked on by GM teams sincea lot more time in our shop to work on
1998. I've got notes in my office fromit."
the very first time we talked about thisCronquist further added, "A lot of it is
engine. It was January 1998."that the shop needs just a lot less time
The process was rather frustrating butto work on the parts and pieces of it.
at the end it was worth the wait saidThere's a lot of stuff in this block
Cronquist and "the awesome thing isthat's already cast into the block that
that, if you look at R09 and R07, theywe used to have to make ourselves and
don't even look alike, so I'm gladtry to fit into our blocks. That took a
NASCAR never approved it. It had somelot of time and effort to do. If the
updates, but every time NASCAR didn'tperformance comes, it will come because
approve it, we went back and workedwe're going to have a lot more time in
harder on it and changed more things onour shop to work on it."
it."Chevrolet's 5 of 6
For this coming weekend it is expectedThe Chevrolet team has gotten to a great
that six teams will run the new engine.start this year in Cup winning five of
Gibbs Racing will place an R07 in thethe six races. The reigning champion
cars of Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, andJimmie Johnson has won three of the five
J.J. Yeley Hendrick Motorsports' Caseyraces while Hendrick with teammates Kyle
Mears and Kyle Busch, and Scott Wimmer,Busch, and RCR's Kevin Harvick have won
driving a fourth Richard Childressthe other two for GM. The victory of
Racing entry.Matt Kenneth's at California Speedway in
General Motors world's largest automakera Ford is the only blemish on
and distributor of Chevrolet exhaust isChevrolet's record for this season.
hoping to have the engine ready for thisOut of the eight Chevy drivers that are
season's upcoming race but unfortunatelycurrently in the top 10 in Cup points,
a few technical difficulties slowed thetwo have won at Texas. Jeff Burton won
progress of the project. Cronquist isthe inaugural Cup race in Fort Worth in
very much excited to get the new enginethe year 1997 but he was a driver of
into competition. He said, "With a motorFord at that time. Stewart won on the
we've been running, the block part of it1.5 mile Texas track last fall. The
was actually designed in 1955. We'vedifferent drivers winning each of the 12
made a few modifications to it, but itCup races at Texas only two others have
would still bolt into a 1955 Chevy Belbeen in Chevrolets namely Terry Labonte
Air. The new block has got a lot morewho won in 1999 and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
technology in it. Its more updated blockwho won in 2000.



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