Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 15, 1990 TAG: 9007150113
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LOUDON, N.H. LENGTH: Medium
Hensley's Oldsmobile lapped the one-mile oval at 123.410 mph to win the No. 1 spot from L.D. Ottinger, whose Oldsmobile reached 122.363.
"I can't explain it," Hensley said. "That was about what we practiced at, but everyone else had practiced that quick, then slowed down in qualifying. The car was real loose, and under the conditions, that first one was about as good a lap as I could run."
Hensley said he believes the sun heated the track and made it slippery.
"It just got real greasy," he said. "Yesterday, the more we ran, the tighter the track got. But it wasn't that way today."
Since the track is new and apparently changes from day to day, Hensley is unsure what to expect on Sunday.
"It could get a little hectic out there," he said.
Kenny Wallace put his Pontiac on the inside of the second row with a lap at 122.245 mph, and Tommy Ellis of Richmond, Va., will be alongside after qualifying at 122.167.
Dave Mader, in a Buick, was fifth at 122.100, followed by Davey Johnson, Buick, 121.975; Ricky Craven, Pontiac, 121.948; Kyle Petty, Pontiac, 121.917; Rick Mast, Buick, 121.780; and Bobby Labonte, Oldsmobile, 121.769.
Hensley, of Horsepasture, Va. is third in the Grand National driver standings behind Chuck Bown of Ridgeway, Va. and Labonte. Bown qualified 18th.
The pole is the second this season for Hensley, who finished fourth after starting from the front in the Rose's 200 in May. His only victory this season also came in May, at Nazareth, Pa.
This was the ninth pole for Hensley in eight seasons of Grand National racing.
Ottinger was somewhat surprised to be starting alongside Hensley.
"That's the best we've done in qualifying all year," he said. "We've been trying to win a pole, but we'll take second.
"The track was slick and a lot of the other guys had trouble," he said. "We qualified late, and I guess that was a little bit of a disadvantage compared to some of the other guys that qualified in the middle."
Winston Cup veteran Harry Gant, the first driver on the track, failed to qualify for the 46-car field but was added to the grid by promoter's option. He was especially disappointed by the track's condition.
"It was awful slick. I couldn't get going," Gant said. "When I went out of the pits, I couldn't go. That time's way off what we practiced at."
The track is the first speedway built in the United States since 1971. It has an asphalt surface, 12-degree banked turns and 59,000 seats.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB