Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 9, 1990 TAG: 9004090291
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B9 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: BRISTOL, TENN. LENGTH: Medium
Talk from those who marveled that he was able to start and finish the Valleydale Meats 500 will continue for some time.
Waltrip started and finished 20th and was 58 laps back at the end.
"We had quite a rough week here at Bristol," he said. " . . . I ran all day here, which was one of our goals. We had something go wrong on the car, I'm not sure exactly what, but it caused me to have two flats and the second one caused me to hit the wall."
The wreck was the only part of the race in which he thought he might not make it and reserve Larry Pearson would have to be summoned.
"When I did wreck, I figured I'd ride it out. There wasn't any sense in having Larry get out there in a tore-up race car."
Few have seen a car as torn up as Waltrip's Pontiac after he crashed into the outer wall coming out of the second turn during the GN race Saturday.
None of that had knocked his sense of humor out of whack.
"[Brother] Darrell scared me worse than the wreck did because he was crying and carrying on and I was afraid to look down at that point [because] I thought maybe I had lost something."
Darrell Waltrip was among the first to arrive at the wreck site Saturday.
Kyle Petty led for 55 laps, but his downfall arrived with a piece of lead that he said came plunging through his window.
"It was with about 100 laps to go, right there when they started to catch me. About a 50-pound piece of lead came through the windshield and lodged in the right side door bar. The car went all to pieces and wouldn't drive worth a lick after that."
\ LUGNUTS: Earnhardt maintained his points lead with 945. Morgan Shepherd, who finished eighth, is 42 points back. . . . Kyle Petty came in 10th to run his NASCAR money earnings for the year to $357,920. Earnhardt is next with $327,050. . . . Dale Jarrett, who was subbing in the Wood Brothers Ford for amnesia-stricken Neil Bonnett, led for 39 laps and finished seven laps back in 11th place. . . . Rick Mast of Rockbridge Baths, Va., was 11 laps back in 12th. . . . There were 11 lead changes among nine drivers. Other leaders included Irvan (16 laps); Bobby Hillin, Jr. (41); Kyle Petty (55), Marlin (31); and Dave Marcis (2).
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB