Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 6, 1995 TAG: 9510060058
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CONCORD, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Qualifying for Saturday's All Pro 300 Grand National race follows at 1:30 p.m. The second round of Winston Cup qualifying will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Two days of rain would wreak havoc on a normal three-day Winston Cup weekend, but the five-day schedule here in Charlotte has a huge, built-in fudge factor.
Both the Winston Cup and Grand National cars had a couple of practice sessions in between showers Thursday, and the speed leaders, all above 178 mph, were Bobby Labonte, Ricky Rudd, Rick Mast and Ward Burton.
Jason Keller led Grand National practice with a lap of more than 172 mph.
SABATES SHOPPING: Winston Cup car owner Felix Sabates has been shopping for a new team for driver Kyle Petty, and he apparently has hit paydirt at Rusty Wallace's shop.
Wallace said Thursday that one crewman, Billy Woodruff, has left his team, apparently to become Petty's crew chief, and that another team member, longtime Wallace engine builder David Evans, also may be joining Sabates.
``Maybe, maybe not,'' Sabates said. ``Hope so. There is an offer.''
``He's got himself in trouble because the car's not running, so he just went to the checkbook,'' Wallace said. ``This team has enough depth to it that a couple of guys could go and it wouldn't be a problem.''
In his own wry way, Wallace expressed sympathy for Sabates's situation.
``If you had your hand over your nose going `gargle, gargle,' in a big lake, I guess it would be easy to get a couple of hundred bucks out to get yourself sucked out of the drink. And that's his problem.''
Wallace did say that the two crewmen apparently went looking for other opportunities and that Sabates and Petty paid him a special visit to let him know what was going on.
``He wants to get along,'' Wallace said of Sabates. ``It's kinda like he wants to date your sister and not have you mad at him.''
Wallace's crew chief, Robin Pemberton, said, ``A place with 48 employees does not close its doors when two or three people leave. I just hope they stop before they get to Rusty.''
RUDD'S PLANS: Ricky Rudd says he's losing sleep trying to decide who to hire as his new crew chief, who will replace Bill Ingle.
``I'm tossing and turning every night worrying about it,'' he said.
Speculation was centered on Richard Broome, the team manager of Kenny Bernstein's Ford team, which is on the sales block.
INGLE'S PLANS: Meanwhile, Ingle is scheduled to announce his plans here today, and the speculation is that he'll join Steve Grissom and the Chevrolet Monte Carlo team owned by Gary Bechtel.
Ingle said his deal will allow him to drive a NASCAR SuperTruck in some races.
BRETT BACK IN NO. 11: Brett Bodine said he'll be returning to drive the Lowe's Ford Thunderbird in 1996.
The only question is who will control the operation.
As to reports that he is trying to buy the team from owner Junior Johnson, Bodine said, ``We've discussed it. It would not be a complete buyout.''
Bodine said he's trying to buy enough of a stake in the team to have control over it.
by CNB