Silver Bullet
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. (February 18)- - For Daytona
Speedweeks, the DuPont Chevrolet is painted silver with the NASCAR 2000 logo
on the hood of the car. The special paint scheme commemorates the first
Speedweeks of the new century. The rainbow colors in Gordon's
driving suit have been replaced by white and black during Speedweeks.
"We always design the uniform and helmet to match our paint scheme," Gordon
said. "Personally, I like change. It's fun. I've always liked black, but
you're never going to see DuPont with
a black car. Besides, that other guy (Dale) Earnhardt has one."
The New Warriors
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. (February 16)- - After
five members of Jeff Gordon's pit crew departed after the 1999 season, pit crew
coach Andy Papathanassiou spent the off-season finding the right people
for the job. Gone are the "Sunday Specialists," in their place
are a group of dedicated, full-time employees of Hendrick Motorsports
whose focus is on the DuPont Chevrolet all week long, not just on race day.
In the Bud Shootout, Gordon came onto pit road with the lead as tire changers
Todd Gantt and Shane Church, tire carriers Craig Curione and Steve Letarte, and
jackman Chris Anderson performed their first competitive pit stop as a unit.
Gordon returned to the track with the lead.
The only thing the new pit crew lacks compared to
their predecesors is chemistry and experience; something they will
gain over the course of the season.
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