Chevy teams disgusted with results
'99 News
David Poole, Charlotte Observer

Avondale, Ariz. (Nov. 7, 1999)
Jeff Gordon passed Dale Earnhardt on the final lap to finish 10th in Sunday's Dura Lube 500, putting Gordon one spot behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Wally Dallenbach in the battle for top honors among Chevrolets in the race.

Four Pontiacs and four Fords finished in the top eight, touching off a concerto of complaints from the Chevy camp.

"They can holler and say they want to, but you can see it at every race track we go to like this," Earnhardt said. "They kick our butt. It's downforce. Who won the race? Going away? We pushed and shoved and were loose all day.

"I wish I had a Pontiac. …We're getting a new car next year, but that didn't help us any today. Tony Stewart's got a good car and he's a good driver. I just don't know why they keep penalizing Chevrolet. They've taken away from them ever since we brought out that Monte Carlo."

Larry McClure, owner of Bobby Hamilton's No. 4 Chevrolet, echoed that thought.

"Look at the results," he said. "Every week it's like that. …Gordon and Earnhardt haven't forgotten how to drive. Bobby Hamilton hasn't forgotten how to drive."

Paul Andrews, crew chief for Steve Park's No. 1 Monte Carlo, added his voice.

"I don't care how you look at it," he said. "At a place like this, slower speeds and more spoilers equal more downforce. There's no two ways about it. That Pontiac that won the race could run faster than anybody anytime he wanted to."

Just to make this a quartet, we'll add in Tony Glover, crew chief for Joe Nemechek.

"If you can win a race or run in the top five with a Chevrolet with the way the rules are right now, you've had a heck of day," Glover said. "On these slick race tracks, they just stomp your brains out."