THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 3, 1995 TAG: 9509030178
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DARLINGTON, S.C. LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
It was Saturday on Labor Day weekend at Darlington Raceway, which means Mark Martin could be found in victory lane.
Martin led the last 50 laps and beat Johnny Benson by .79 of a second to win his third straight Grand National Gatorade 200.
His car was junk at the start, but an unscheduled pit stop on the eighth lap during a caution period took care of that.
``We just missed the set-up and we weren't going to be a factor today like we were,'' Martin said. ``I wanted to get it done so that we'd have at least a chance to get back up through there.''
As it turned out, it didn't take long for Martin to pick his way through the crowd. He took the lead for the first time on lap 51 of the 147-lap race.
Benson, meanwhile, extended his lead in the Grand National points championship to 156 over Chad Little, who was involved in the crash that caused that first caution period.
Little tried to pass Jeff Green and collided with Tracy Leslie, who was trying to pass him.
Little and Leslie slammed into the front stretch wall, Little hitting particularly hard. Little wasn't hurt, but his car was killed. He finished 40th.
Little said it was just hard racing, but Leslie wasn't so diplomatic.
``It's like he seen me and run in the side of me to keep me from passin' him,'' he said.
There were eight other crashes and several temper flare-ups - Elton Sawyer was upset with Green at the end of the race - but no one was hurt.
Ward Burton finished third, followed by Phil Parsons and Joe Nemechek. Ten other cars finished on the lead lap.
SOUTHERN 500 TRIALS: Rusty Wallace led a busy second round of Southern 500 time trials Saturday with a speed of 165.900 mph in his Ford Thunderbird, which was seventh-fastest overall.
But Wallace will start 21st instead of seventh in the Winston Cup race today because he had his typically poor pole qualifying effort.
``We were third or fourth quickest all day (Friday),'' Wallace told a track reporter. ``I thought I had a chance at the pole but I drove it in (turn one) way too deep and got all crossed up and went right to the top of the race track.
``The saga of our poor qualifying continues. I'm starting to get kinda proud of it.''
Nearly all of Friday's nonqualifiers ran Saturday, and ran faster, which meant that if you stood on your time, you took a dive in the lineup.
Best example: Mark Martin, who was 22nd after Friday's qualifying.
He'll start 36th with a pit on the backstretch. Ken Schrader was 26th after Friday's round. He managed to hang onto the 38th and final regular starting spot.
Provisionals went to Rick Mast, Rich Bickle, Kyle Petty and Ed Berrier, while Gary Bradberry, Brad Teague and Billy Standridge go home.
CHEVY TITLE NEAR: Chevrolet, with its new Monte Carlo, can clinch the 1995 manufacturer's title with a victory in today's Southern 500.
Actually, Chevy wins the title today if the highest finishing Monte Carlo finishes ahead of the highest finishing Ford Thunderbird.
FINE UPHELD: A three-member panel of the NASCAR-controlled National Stock Car Racing Commission on Friday night upheld NASCAR's $20,000 fine to Bill Elliott's crew chief, Mike Beam, for using an unapproved rear deck lid at Watkins Glen. The deck lid reportedly was made of carbon fiber instead of steel. by CNB