WALLACE'S "CURIOSITY UP" FOR CAROLINA DODGE DEALERS 400
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Applauds SAFER Barrier Installation, But Wonders About Even Narrower Groove-

DARLINGTON, S.C. (March 16) - Miller Lite Dodge driver Rusty Wallace is quick to applaud Darlington Raceway officials for the new SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction system) barriers installed prior to this weekend's Carolina Dodge Dealers 400, but he wonders what the impact will be to an already incredibly narrow groove.

"My curiosity is up, to say the least," says Wallace, who is hoping his 41st visit to the historical old racetrack offers up his first career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup win on the demanding 1.366-mile layout. "I appreciate them putting in the barriers and making the track safer and I am big on the soft walls being installed everywhere we go.

"But at Darlington, you just have to wonder what impact it'll have on an already unbelievably tight racing groove," said Wallace, who started 13th and finished 16th at Darlington last spring. "They said that the end result is that the track is now about 30 inches narrower. You know that two-and-a-half feet wouldn't be much to think about at wide tracks like Michigan and places like that, but you've got to wonder about what that'll mean at Darlington.

"The place is already notorious for its wall-whacking and it's bound to be dishing out more 'Darlington Stripes' than ever this time around," said Wallace, who has flirted with victory through the years with a pair of Darlington runner-up finishes and 11 top-five runs overall to his credit entering this weekend. "I guess you could say that narrow just got narrower and the track got safer, yet more treacherous at the same time, if that's possible."

For the record, the 25-degree banked Turn 1 & 2 area of the track measured 79 feet in width and that has been narrowed to 76.5 feet. The 23-degree banked Turn 3 & 4 area was already a tight 62 feet and now it is down to 59.5 feet wide.

"The bottom line is that the track will be the same for everybody and I'm sure we'll all have to adapt somewhat to the changes," said Wallace. "The fact that nobody had the opportunity to test in advance of this weekend makes the situation even more interesting. But that makes it fair for everyone in that we're all coming in there not really knowing what to expect.

"One thing has never changed - and will never change - at Darlington and that's the fact that you really do race the track first and the other competitors last," Wallace concluded. "What it amounts to is that the first part of that equation just got even more difficult than it already was. It'll be interesting, to say the least."

Darlington is the sixth track hosting the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series to install the SAFER barriers. It joins the list that includes the Richmond, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Homestead-Miami and New Hampshire tracks.

Wallace and his Larry Carter-led Miller Lite Team Penske Dodge crew will be racing their "PC-35" chassis this weekend at Darlington. The car was raced only once last season - at Phoenix - where Wallace ran as high as second before a pit-road skirmish took its toll. The car debuted at Bristol in April 2001 and has two top-five finishes and three top 10s in five races to date.

Friday's practice from 11:20 a.m. until 1:20 p.m. leads into the 3:00 p.m. single round of qualifying for all starting spots in Sunday's race. Saturday's action includes the final "Happy Hour" practice session from 11:10 a.m. until 11:55 a.m. Sunday's $4,551, 592 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 (293 laps/400.238 miles) has a 1:00 p.m. EST starting time and features live coverage by FOX-TV and MRN Radio.

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