Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 4, 1990 TAG: 9003041978
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: randy king
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"No, I don't think anybody ever expected this," said Brodrick, Unocal's director of public relations. "It's simply unbelievable. Nobody can seem to win the money, and the jackpot just keeps climbing.
"And it's hard to say where it might end up. It's just like the lottery, baby."
Brodrick keeps bringing his pen and checkbook every week. But no driver has collected the bonus - which grows by $7,600 with each race - since Rusty Wallace pulled off the double a year ago at Rockingham, N.C.
Against all odds, a Winston Cup race hasn't been won from the No. 1 starting position since then - a span of a NASCAR-record 30 events. Thus, the Unocal pot has grown to $228,000 heading into today's Goodwrench 500 at Rockingham.
With Kyle Petty on the pole, the money appears to be safe. Petty, starting up front for the first time in his career, has won only two races in 276 starts.
But based on past numbers, the pot never should have grown to such proportions. Last season, for the first time in NASCAR history, fewer than three races were won from the pole.
"It's difficult to believe that nobody has won that money yet," Wallace said. "It's a freak deal; it's not supposed to happen."
The eventual winner of the jackpot already is assured of banking the largest first-place payoff in NASCAR history.
For instance, if Petty wins today, he will get an estimated $283,000, counting the race purse and bonus money. The NASCAR record for a victory is $204,150, won by Bill Elliott in the 1987 Daytona 500.
"The money is up to a figure that when somebody wins it some track is going to get a lot of ink. It will make good copy," Brodrick said.
So it's little wonder that the track promoters, especially the ones with upcoming events, and the rest of the field are pulling against the pole man to win every week.
"Nobody wants to see another guy win it," Geoff Bodine said. "Everybody wants that money for themselves."
NASCAR's largest payoff could come at a one of the circuit's smaller tracks, like the one in North Wilkesboro, N.C.
"Think about little ol' Wilkesboro having a bigger first-place payoff than Charlotte or Daytona," Brodrick said, grinning.
Yeah, and somebody will be laughing, too - all the way to the bank.
Race cars will inundate Martinsville Speedway this week as three NASCAR divisions - Grand National, Modified and Late Model Stock - roll in for Sunday's $202,000 Miller 500 Classic.
More than 150 cars are expected for the tripleheader.
The 500-lap program will be topped by the 200-lap GN race, the third of 31 events on the circuit's 1990 schedule. It also is the the first of three GN events to be held on the .526-mile oval this season.
Heading the GN entry list are defending champion Tommy Ellis, local favorite Jimmy Henlsey, Tommy Houston, Rick Mast and Winston Cup invaders Harry Gant and Morgan Shepherd.
It will be the season opener for the Modified and LMS tours.
Time trials begin Thursday, when the top 20 spots for the GN and Modified events will be established. The Stocks will qualify Friday.
Each 30-car field will be completed Saturday in six 25-lap heats.
The tripleheader begins at noon Sunday. The 100-lap LMS race will be run first, followed by the 200-lap Modified and GN shows.
The 1990 NASCAR season is off to a wacky start.
First, Derrike Cope pulled an incredible upset in the Daytona 500. Then, Mark Martin won at Richmond and later was fined $40,000 and docked 46 championship points for using an illegal carburetor spacer on his Ford. Then, Kyle Petty went to Rockingham and won the pole, his first in 276 career starts.
Now, for one other odd bit. Through two races on the Winston Cup and Busch Grand National tours, the same man - Dale Earnhardt - heads both series' point standings. Earnhardt leads the Winston Cup by five points, the GN by 35.
But forget about an Earnhardt sweep. He plans to run only 15 to 17 of the GN tour's 31 events.
How physically demanding is the 500-mile race at Rockingham?
"For any race at `The Rock,' you need to eat good and get a lot of sleep the night before," Bodine said. "That, and take a deep breath before you get in the car . . . because you might not get another deep one until you get out.
"When you finish 500 miles at Rockingham, you feel bad, hot and so beat up it's like 100 trucks just ran over you."
\ LUGNUTS: Davey Allison, who fainted after wrestling with a crew member in his team's truck Friday, said doctors have ordered him not to drive today at Rockingham. Hut Stricklin, who doesn't have a regular ride, will drive Allison's Ford in the race. . . . With Cope's Daytona victory, Greg Sacks was bumped and Morgan Shepherd inherited the bubble position for the running of The Winston on May 20 at Charlotte, N.C. . . . Indy-car drivers Al Unser Jr. and Danny Sullivan and sports car titlist Geoff Brabham have been chosen for the 1990 International Race of Champions (IROC) field. NASCAR stars Terry Labonte, Darrell Waltrip, Mark Martin and Wallace were picked earlier for the 12-man field. The four-race series begins May 5 at Talladega, Ala.
by CNB