Q&A: Rusty Wallace / Robin Pemberton.

1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Rusty Wallace and his current Penske Racing crew chief Robin Pemberton both voiced their support for NASCAR's recent raft of rule changes concerning Superspeedway events at places such as Talladega and Daytona.

Rusty Wallace - 2 - Miller Lite Taurus

RW:
I think everybody knew that we don't want the current rule. NASCAR said they don't want the current rule and when we all left and decided on a seven-eighths restrictor plate and a 55-degree rear spoiler and a six-and-a-half-inch tall rear spoiler. I asked the question, 'Where is the air dam?' And they said, 'We've got to work on that one - three-and-a-half to four inches.' So, it was good. It was real productive and I was real happy. I'm not leaving upset about anything and I don't think anybody in the room ought to be.

Q:
Was it divided by manufacturer lines or was safety the big topic?

RW:
Safety was a topic and the manufacturers are in that too, but there was not much at all. It's one of the nicest meetings I've ever been in. I think everybody was pulling for one cause - to have great races and safe races.

Q:
How much more control does this put in the driver's hands?

RW:
None at all. I think the problem was we had a lot of control in our hands before, but the cars would draft so hard that we were hitting the brakes and dodging and darting and mirror driving. I think this is gonna take some of that stuff away and get us right back to how good the guys do building the engines and the cars and the aerodynamics.

Q:
Did this meeting start with the 60-degree rear spoiler and go from there?

RW:
It started at the 60 and I told them, 'I just don't think 60 is the right one. I think that's too much. I think the cars will be motor boating around the race track.' And, all of a sudden, some guys threw their opinion in and NASCAR said, 'Let's do 55.' So that's where it came from.

Robin Pemberton - Crew Chief - 2 - Miller Lite Taurus

Q:
How productive was the meeting?

RP:
It was productive. We went over some of the stuff we did in the August test and we've all got a place to start from. We're gonna change the aero package a little bit and take it from there.

Q:
Were you surprised NASCAR made a decision today?

RP:
No, not at all. In all honestly, we're in this together and for the last decade of this sport we've been a little reactionary in trying to make things not just better for competitor but for the fan alone. Really, the aero rules were trying to make it better for the fan and that's probably too good for them and not good enough for us right now, so we've got to meet somewhere in the middle.

Q:
How big of a deal was it for NASCAR to invite all of you?

RP:
It's not big. If you remember, we used to do these meetings about once a year going over chassis rules and body rules and stuff like that, so none of it really surprises us.

Q:
What was the mood like in there?

RP:
Everybody was cooperating. The competitor side of us comes out all the time and everybody wants an advantage, but right now if there's an advantage that will come out of it for a competitor, it will probably be by accident - it won't be planned. It's just something to try and make the sport grow and get better, but sometimes you have to go through some growing pains.

Q:
Were there any manufactuer's more vocal than others?

RP:
No, not at all. Nobody wants to see anybody on his or her roof and we all understand it's a sport that is in the entertainment business. It's got to be good for the fans. If it's not, then they'll go away.

Q:
Will these rules make for a lot more work for you as a crew chief?

RP:
Anytime there's a meeting, there's extra work for a crew chief and a race team. That's just the way it is. Rules come out of those meetings and people have to react, so you go back to work and test some more. It's no different than any other year."