After saying they don't expect to make any rule changes for the Talladega 500 next month at Talladega, Ala., NASCAR president Mike Helton and competition director Gary Nelson offered no details on their ``work in progress'' toward safety issues.

The rigidity of race cars, the construction of the driver's compartment and the use of the Head and Neck Support (HANS) device have been overwhelming issues since the death of seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt on Feb. 18. Earnhardt became the fourth driver in 10 months to die of injuries to the base of the skull following an impact with the outside wall.

When asked about the way the front ends are now built with triangular braces to element flex, Nelson said: ``As always, we look at the rules. It's a work in progress. We're always trying to make things better. We got out and either verify what we know or learn something new. Front ends, we may or may not zero in on.''

By removing the cars ability to flex, a car isn't able to dissipate energy during a crash. That transforms a lot of the violent injury to the driver.

Asked if any rule changes would be made in the next couple months, Nelson said: ``As far as trying to speculate in the next month or two, we don't know. If we're still studying something, we just keep studying it until we fell like the change is going to be better for, No. 1 safety, No. 2 competition, or No. 3 cost to the car owners.''

Helton added, ``On a daily basis, certainly on a week-in and week-out basis, the evolution of a NASCAR-type stock car is an ongoing work in progress.''

The only rule change invoked by the sanctioning body since the season started a month ago is a quarter-inch increase to the rear spoiler to the three fulltime Pontiac Grand Prix cars on the NASCAR Busch Series.

GREEN WINS SUNCOM 200:

Jason Keller said his hopes of improving one position in the NASCAR Busch Series standings from last year includes a simple goal in 2001: Don't let Jeff Green run out to a 500-point lead by midseason.

If Keller wants to better his position by one spot and become the new champion, he may have to figure out something different.

Green won Saturday's SunCom 200 by 50 yards over Matt Kenseth to take a 46-point lead over Keller, his PPC Racing teammate, after just five of 34 races.

Green's pit crew helped him make the final pass of the day on pit road when they completed a 15-second stop for four new tires and gasoline. He was in second place before the final stop, but he started out front for a restart with 20 laps to go. From there, he was never threatened.

``We had 15-second stops all day long and that's what it takes,'' Green said. ``They got me off pit road first and that's what won it. It's so tough to pass here. Once I got out front, I ran those last 20 laps like it was qualifying.''

The next race for the NASCAR Busch Series is Saturday at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

WORN OUT WELCOME:

One of the most unlikely combinations of driver and race team apparently is headed to a likely conclusion.

Robby Gordon will be fired as the driver for the Morgan-McClure Motorsports No. 4 Chevrolet. Exactly when, however, remains a question.

Gordon, a veteran of the CART IndyCar circuit, was a surprise replacement for Bobby Hamilton during off-season in what used to be one of the premier rides on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The honeymoon didn't last long.

Gordon was blamed for starting the 19-car pileup along the backstretch during the Daytona 500. He bumped Ward Burton's car and that sent Burton into Tony Stewart, whose car flipped and became airborne during the melee.

Since then, Gordon has needed a provisional exemption to make the next four races, including today's Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at the Darlington Raceway.

Larry McClure already has a commitment from Kevin Lepage to drive the car for the rest of the season, but Gordon is standing behind his five-year contract and refusing to leave the job.

``Larry and Robby have to get the contract thing worked out,'' Lepage said. ``I don't know if I'll be in the car next week at Bristol (Tenn.) or the following week at Texas. I just know Larry's asked me to drive the car and I've accepted.''

With Gordon's pending dismissal, it wraps up the influx of IndyCar drivers to the stock car circuit. Scott Pruett left CART for a ride with PPI Motorsports a year ago, but he was let go during the off-season.

PIT STOPS:

Eel River Racing has been without a primary sponsor for all five Winston Cup races this year. Just when the beleaguered team thought it might have a deal, NASCAR apparently stepped in and killed it. The sanctioning body wasn't happy with a plan to put Penthouse magazine logos on the team's fleet of Pontiacs. ... Current NASCAR Busch Series champion Jeff Green hinted he may be the newest driver for Richard Childress Racing's Winston Cup operation. Childress planned to expand to three teams next season with Earnhardt, Mike Skinner and Kevin Harvick, but Earnhardt's death a month ago has forced him to rework those plans. ``Richard and I have talked,'' Green said about driving the No. 30 Chevrolet with America Online sponsorship next year. ``You'll find out quick enough.'' Green also said he's received permission from Ford Motorsports to make the jump in 2002. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the same car today that he crashed on the first lap at Rockingham, N.C., two weeks ago. Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate Steve Park will drive the same car that took him to Victory Lane at Rockingham.