By JIM McCONNELL
CONCORD, N.C--The Charlotte metropolitan area has become a hub of activity for most NASCAR teams and drivers, but Tony Stewart couldn't get out of here quickly enough.
A disappointing two-week stretch at Lowe's Motor Speedway ended prematurely for the Indiana native yesterday when Stewart crashed on lap 33 of the Coca-Cola 600 and wound up with a 42nd-place finish.
Stewart came to North Carolina second in Nextel Cup points behind Jimmie Johnson, then wrecked in all three races at Lowe's over the past two weekends and failed to complete even one.
His trouble started during the nonpoints Nextel All-Star Challenge last Saturday, when he got together with Matt Kenseth during the final 20-lap segment and finished 12th in the 20-car field.
Things took another turn for the worse in Saturday's Busch race. An apparent equipment malfunction sent Stewart's No. 33 careening into the wall just 10 laps into the Carquest Auto Parts 300.
He emerged from his car rubbing his right shoulder, but was cleared to start the Coca-Cola 600 after a routine exam at Carolinas Medical Center.
Stewart, who was obviously favoring that same shoulder after he exited his No. 20 car yesterday, said over his radio that a cut right-front tire had caused the crash.
"After the Busch wreck he was pretty sore. He was even more sore today, so we'll say a prayer and go to Dover next week and try to rebound," said Stewart's crew chief, Greg Zipadelli.
While Stewart was transported back to the hospital, his team hoped to repair the car and get it back into the race. The Home Depot team had NASCAR veteran Mike Bliss on hand in case Stewart was unable to race yesterday, but the car was ultimately too damaged to continue.
Stewart was treated and released.
Time travelerSo far this season, Nextel Cup rookie J.J. Yeley has been much more impressive racing the clock than other drivers.
Yeley, who drives the No. 18 Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing, qualified fourth for yesterday's Coca-Cola 600. It was the fourth time he started in the top-five in the first 12 points races of 2006.
He's also been the top rookie qualifier on six different tracks: California, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Texas, Martinsville, Talladega and Charlotte.
Yeley is only 23rd in Cup points and fourth in the rookie of the year race, however--a fact he noted with some humor Saturday afternoon.
"I wish you guys gave rookie points for qualifying because then I would be dominating the rookie standings," Yeley said. "It's all a tribute to the crew. The guys worked really hard to get this thing ready."
Yeley's qualifying effort was even more impressive when you consider that he did it after wrecking his primary car in practice.
"Anymore it doesn't matter, especially on the Cup side," he said. "The backup car is the primary on some other race track, so it's not like you're going from a 100 percent car to an 80 percent car. They're all great race cars."
Wind beneath his wingsGene Haas, owner of Haas CNC Racing, yesterday announced his plan to build a $40 million wind tunnel near Concord Regional Airport.
Construction for the project is set to begin in January 2007 and is expected to be completed in a year. It will be the only wind tunnel in the world that features a single-belt system, and will generate 6,000 horsepower with a top speed of 180 mph.
The project will also include a rolling road--a continuous belt of 1-millimeter steel--that will provide valuable data on downforce and drag coefficient.
"What you heard about today will be talked about 10 years from now," said Haas CNC Racing general manager Joe Custer. "This will be, without a doubt, the most technically advanced wind tunnel in the United States. We have been told it's the best in the world."
The wind tunnel will operate as a completely separate business entity from Haas CNC Racing, and be available for race teams and manufacturers to rent.
Money talksMichael Waltrip extended his streak of consecutive Nextel Cup starts to 262 during the Coca-Cola 600, even though he didn't qualify his way into the event.
Since Waltrip's No. 55 team is outside the top 35 in NASCAR owner points, he wasn't guaranteed a starting spot for yesterday's race. And when he was only 47th-best during Thursday's time trials, it appeared that Waltrip's streak was history.
Instead, Waltrip opened his wallet and bought his way in.
Waltrip's race team purchased the No. 74 Dodge of Derrike Cope, who had occupied the 43rd and final spot on the starting grid. The car was renumbered with Waltrip's No. 55 and repainted to reflect Waltrip's primary sponsor, NAPA.
Waltrip's race lasted only 116 laps before brake failure sent him into the garage with a 41st-place finish.
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Email: jmcconnell@freelancestar.com