Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 25, 1990 TAG: 9003251910
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Randy King
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"I still see [the title race] being between Dale [Earnhardt] and I, and possibly two or three others," Wallace said. "Darrell [Waltrip] and Bill [Elliott] haven't showed yet, but they'll be there.
"I really don't see things being any different. I can see a few new race winners, but I expect the same guys to battle for the title."
Wallace confessed he's been surprised by 1990's early results.
"I sort of figured there'd be some new teams up front, but I didn't think it would happen right off the bat," Wallace said.
"Derrike [Cope] had a good motor and a good car and he was strong all day at Daytona, so it was no fluke.
"Then Kyle [Petty] unloaded on us at Rockingham.
"That's not the usual circumstances and I don't know if it will continue. But that's way this kind of racing is. The same big guys don't rule the roost all the time."
Despite a slow start by his standards, Wallace still stands third in the points chase, 97 back of leader Earnhardt.
"I know we haven't won or nothing," said Wallace, who has finished seventh (Daytona), sixth (Richmond), fifth (Rockingham, N.C.) and 24th (Atlanta).
"I know that's lower than what's expected out of this team. We don't know what the cause of it is yet. But we'll get straightened out, hopefully starting this week at Darlington."
\ Earnhardt will no doubt be the heavy favorite again this week. He has won four times at Darlington Raceway in the past four years.
Earnhardt, who won his first Southern 500 last September, will be gunning for his fifth Darlington spring win in next Sunday's TranSouth 500.
"I love that old place," Earnhardt admitted. "I sincerely love to drive race cars, and I consider Darlington to be the toughest challenge on the circuit. Some of the others might not like it as much as I do."
\ After banking the largest single-race paycheck in NASCAR history three weeks ago at Rockingham, N.C., Kyle Petty said there was something more important than the money.
"My career hasn't turned out to be what I or some others expected," said the 29-year-old son of stock car king Richard Petty.
"So it was that [winner's] trophy I really wanted. When I walk through Richard Petty's house and see all those trophies, I don't see checks. I don't see money. I see trophies.
"That's something he'll have until the day he dies. The trophies.
"Now I'm not stupid. The money is important, but the trophies are more important."
Petty dominated en route to his third career Winston Cup victory and $300,000 payday. This time, Petty outran the field, rather than inheriting victory at the expense of others' misfortune.
"If anybody had doubts about the first two, they can't about this one," Petty said. "I don't know if the victory makes Kyle Petty a legitimate driver or not, but I believe this team does that for Kyle Petty. It sure makes me look good."
\ The Busch Grand National tour resumes action today with a rare Sunday afternoon date at Hickory (N.C.) Speedway.
Earnhardt, already a two-time GN winner this season, is entered along with fellow Winston Cup drivers Harry Gant, Michael Waltrip and Morgan Shepherd.
The 200-lap run on Hickory's .363-mile oval takes the green flag at 2 p.m.
\ LUGNUTS: Unless Junie Donlavey can come up with major sponsorship, driver Buddy Baker's new deal with the Richmond car owner will be on a limited-schedule basis. . . . Ernie Irvan's stout third-place run at Atlanta has won him a full-time ride with the Abingdon-based Morgan-McClure team. One report had Irvan signing a five-year contract, but Larry McClure has denied such a deal has been struck.
Earnhardt, Indy-car driver Bobby Rahal and road racer Martin Brundle have accepted invitations to compete in the 1990 International Race of Champions (IROC) series. Earnhardt is the fifth NASCAR driver selected, joining Wallace, Waltrip, Mark Martin and Terry Labonte. The first race in the four-leg series will be held May 5 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
Drivers Ken Schrader (Apr. 14), Elliott (Apr. 28) and Harry Gant (Sept. 22) have booked appearances at Pulaski County Speedway this season. PCS, which begins its second season on Apr. 7, also has announced a May 12 date with NASCAR's sub-compact Dash Series.
by CNB