More of this Feature • Part 1: Chevy and Dodge look strong

Join the Discussion "Is it time for Pontiac to hand over NASCAR to it's General Motors cousin, Chevy?" What do you think?

Related Resources • Winston Cup Tracks • Busch Grand National Tracks • Other Tracks

Taurus Troubles?

The Ford Taurus teams just don't seem to be getting around Daytona as well as they have in the past. In the Bud Shootout the Fords were never really a factor. Matt Kenseth managed to bring his Taurus home in third place, but that was more a factor of getting in the right line at the right time.

In qualifying, the Fords only managed to put two drivers in the top thirteen spots. Either the Taurus isn't friendly to the low-downforce tracks or the Ford motor program isn't getting the job done. Either way, you can expect the Blue Oval Brigade to start lobbying NASCAR for some favorable rule changes shortly.

Pathetic Pontiacs

What a difference a year makes. Last season Tony Stewart won the NASCAR Winston Cup championship in his Pontiac Grand Prix. This year the Joe Gibbs drivers have switched over to Chevy and have left a real void in the Pontiac program.

There was only one Pontiac in the Bud Shootout on Saturday night. Ricky Craven was never really a factor and finished middle of the pack in tenth.

Only six Pontiacs tried to qualify for the Daytona 500. Craven again was the standard bearer with his fifteenth place effort.

Pontiac seriously needs to re-evaluate it's Winston Cup program. They need to put a major effort and a lot of additional money into recruiting a high-profile team to carry the name. The research and development costs for the manufacturer are way to high to justify supporting just six mediocre teams.

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