Speaking Out
TALLADEGA, AL. (October 22)- - Though he posted a solid top ten finish in the EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Jeff Gordon was hardly pleased with the type of racing that occurs at Talladega due to NASCAR's aerodynamic rules package. "I hate it," Gordon said. "I don't think anybody likes it. The fans do but that's about it. Everybody's fighting for position. When you've got guys stacked up that close, that tight, the only way to pass them is to use your bumper. If that's the way you have to pass on a 2.66-mile track running 195 miles per hour, then they can have it. I can't stand it. It's not racing." His sentiments were virtually echoed by the 42 others he competed with.

Award Winner
WILMINGTON, DE. (October 14)- - The colorful DuPont Performance Coatings trailers used by Tona Transport Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of DuPont Canada, to haul finish products to customers distribution centers have been eye catching to say the least. The trailers feature the rainbow-themed #24 DuPont Chevrolet. Now the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) has recognized these rolling works of art. DuPont Canada received a first-place award in a design competition sponsored by the PMTC for the design of their trailers. The vinyl film image on each trailer, applied in four-foot sheets, is topped with a protective layer of Teflon film to repel dirt and grease. "It was a long process to get these trailers done, but worthwhile because they continue to be great advertising for DuPont," said Wayne Hazelton, marketing communications manager for DuPont Refinish. (DuPont PR)

Photo:
+DuPont Performance Coatings trailer

Johnson's Opening Act
HARRISBURG, N.C. (October 8)- - Jimmie Johnson made his Winston Cup debut in the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Johnson started 15th in the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet fielded by Hendrick Motorsports and partially owned by three-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon. He had worked his way up to fifth place but got shuffled back during pit stops. Running 13th on lap 150, he got loose in turn four and backed into the retaining wall. He pulled behind the wall for the day and was credited with 39th place. Though the end result was disappointing, Johnson showed the talent and promise that earned him the ride. It's a ride Johnson will move to full-time for the 2002 Winston Cup season. Ken Howes, who serves as Director of Competition for Hendrick Motorsports, served as Johnson's crew chief at Charlotte and will continue in that role at Homestead and Atlanta.

Sontara At Charlotte
CONCORD, N.C. (October 8)- - DuPont Sontara was a participating sponsor on Jeff Gordon's #24 DuPont Chevrolet in Sunday's race. The brand's logo appeared on the car's TV panel. Gordon is featured in a marketing campaign promoting the Sontara surface preparation system, a unique line of wiping products recently introduced to the auto repair industry. Sontara is also widely used in key industries like food service, aviation, automotive refinish, plus a variety of maintenance and manufacturing applications.

Photo:
+DuPont Sontara on the TV panel

Inauguration Days
KANSAS CITY, KS. (October 3)- - Jeff Gordon is the only driver to win more than one inaugural Winston Cup event at a new track in NASCAR's modern era. The victory at Kansas was his third such victory. Gordon won the 1994 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the 1997 California 500 at California Speedway. His other inaugural track event finishes have been mixed. He finished 7th in the first race at New Hampshire International Speedway in 1993, crashed early and finished 30th in the first race at Texas Motor Speedway in 1997, finished 17th in the first race at Las Vegas in 1998, finished 10th in the inaugural Winston Cup race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 1999, and finished 17th at Chicagoland Speedway earlier this year.

Another Saturday Night
KANSAS CITY, KS. (October 1)- - Were Jeff and Brooke Gordon holed up in their motorhome the night before the race at Kansas Speedway wondering what could go wrong on Sunday? Of course not. They took in a movie Saturday night at The Plaza in Kansas City. "Brooke and I are pretty good movie critics," Gordon said. "And we can tell you about one movie not to see." Well, what movie was it? "We're pretty big Ben Stiller fans," Gordon said. "And we can tell you, 'don't even think about seeing Zoolander.'" (KCstar)

Lowe's On Board
WILKESBORO, N.C. (October 1)- - In addition to serving as primary sponsor on Jimmie Johnson's car for 2002, Lowe's will also be an associate sponsor on Jeff Gordon's car. Based on initial reports, the Lowe's decal will be on the rear quarterpanel of the #24 car. The Quaker State logo, which has been on the rear quarterpanel for the past four years, will move to the C-pillar.

DuPont 200th Anniversary Paint Scheme
WILMINGTON, DE. (October 1)- - Jeff Gordon will have a special DuPont 200th anniversary paint scheme during Daytona Speedweeks in 2002. The car was unveiled on September 20 during the annual DuPont Motorsports Golf Classic at The DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware. The DuPont 200th anniversary car has a white front, red sides with "Blasberry" (mostly blue-purple) Prizm Chromalusion "Swoop" type stripes in it. The anniversary logo is on the hood and rear decklid. "To be able to use our race team to kick off a global DuPont celebration of this magnitude is just incredible," said Gordon. "Hopefully we can really launch it in grand fashion by taking the DuPont 200th anniversary car to Victory Lane." DuPont will officially celebrate its 200th Anniversary on July 19, 2002. At the tournament on September 20, Gordon presented a check for $50,000 from the Jeff Gordon Foundation to the United Way of Delaware. A portion of the United Way contribution will be designated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to support the victims and their families of the September 11th terrorist attacks. DuPont had earlier made a $5 million donation primarily for the education of the children of firefighters, police offiers, and other emergency response personnel who were killed. Another portion of the company's contribution will go to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.