* Cost Reduction and Better Stability The goals, Regarding Changes to Body Skirts and Cowl Flaps

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rule book has been amended to require body extension panels and larger cowl flaps beginning with the March 18 World Financial Group 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR officials announced today.

The rule changes, according to NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Director Wayne Auton, give teams the opportunity to reduce costs and improve the handling of their race trucks. The amendments follow recent wind-tunnel tests conducted by NASCAR.

"Evaluation of our rules is an ongoing process based upon NASCAR's three principles - assisting our teams reduce costs, foster close competition and safety," Auton said. "Addition of the skirt flaps will enable our competitors to utilize the same truck on a more varied configuration of tracks.

"Following incidents involving several trucks during our race at Daytona International Speedway last month, NASCAR felt it necessary to explore a number of avenues to make the trucks more stable and driveable. The rule changes are an outgrowth of this research and testing."

Under Section 20-B-3.6 of the rule book, all trucks will be required to install a vertical extension - side skirt - flush with the outer sheet metal at the bottom, on both the right and left rocker panels. The extensions must be the same length front to rear as the rocker panel, cut only for exhaust and jack clearance with a minimum of four inches ground clearance on the right side and three inches of ground clearance on the left side.

The lower edge of the extension may be constructed of a plastic type material.

Rule 20-B-5.12.2 has been amended to increase the size of the truck's cowl flaps - two trap doors, hinged at the front in a way that the wind will keep them closed when the truck is moving forward - from two inches by 10 inches to four inches by 15 inches.