by Jeff Hammond

Comment

Richard from Ranson, W.V.: With the Ginn Racing/Dale Earnhardt Inc. merger complete and owner points going to different car numbers, do you feel DEI could let go of the No. 8, and Hendrick Motorsports could apply for it from NASCAR?

Jeff Hammond: The best thing to do is hide and watch because we're probably going to see that happen. You'll see Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a No. 8 car unless something goes very wrong between now and the end of the year. Rick Hendrick and DEI will work out a solution that will be agreeable to all. One of the biggest plusses of the Ginn merger is it actually frees up the No. 14.

There aren't many desirable numbers out there, they've got the No. 01. They have the No. 1. Then you'd have the No. 14 and the No. 15. It would be cool to see DEI let the 8 go with Dale Jr. It would be a good move on everybody's part, and we'll just have to wait and see.

DEI fights for Chase

Mark from Hays, Kan.: Jeff, for the second race in a row, a Dale Earnhardt Inc. car has had an engine go bad. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a pretty good cushion in points. With two DNF's in a row, he is only ahead of Kurt Busch by 13 points. Things are not looking very good with six to go. I don't think he's going to have a chance to go out at DEI on a high note. What do you think?

Jeff Hammond: I would argue that point because the main mission of DEI's president of global operations Max Siegel, vice president of motorsports operations John Story and other executives is landing sponsorship to fill out the rest of their deal for next year and the recent unification with Ginn Racing makes them stronger. They really want to make sure that Dale stays in the top 12 and makes the Chase for the Nextel Cup because it makes the team easier to sell. It also makes a statement that they're still a race team even though they've lost NASCAR's Most Popular Driver. They're still trying to make money, earn points and lure the best sponsors and drivers to the company. It doesn't serve their purpose to allow the No. 8 car to slide out of 12th-place.

Shaker important part of merger

Jeremy from Sulphur Springs, Texas: I have read several things about a seven-post shaker/machine. I have seen that several large companies have them. What are these machines?

Jeff Hammond: It's a way to tie a race car to a fixture and then simulate track conditions by putting loads on a car. At different test sessions, teams have instrumentation that records load factors. Whether it's Talladega, Chicagoland, Charlotte or Martinsville, they can simulate what a car looks like when it's loaded in the corners. It allows them to not only look at the travel on the chassis, but they can also look at the body angle.

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If teams don't have one of these machines to simulate these conditions, then they have to prepare their cars by the seat of their pants. Drivers can drive the cars, but they can't stand and look at them. Crew chiefs work on the cars, but it's hard for them to see the cars from every angle and every transition, especially underneath the front fenders and the back of the car when the car is loaded down. With the shaker, they can determine if the angle is exactly perfect or if it's off by a quarter or half a degree.

Racing is coming down to that level of detailed technology. If you put a certain spring setup underneath the car with these shocks, you have a pretty good idea of what the car is going to look like once it gets into the turn. It's a helpful device for teams like Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports. It was an area that DEI was lacking. It doesn't mean that they didn't go to outside companies to test their cars, but they didn't have the machine on site. Ginn Racing has built a special building for this 7-post machine, and it's going to be a big benefit for DEI once they're moved in there and use it.

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FOX race analyst Jeff Hammond led Darrell Waltrip to two of DW's three Winston Cup championships as his crew chief. They also teamed to win the 1989 Daytona 500.

For autographed copies of Jeff Hammond's book "Real Men Work in the Pits" plus magnets, hats and more, check out www.dwstore.com.

For photos and appearances, visit Jeff's web site www.jeffhammond.com.