Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 29, 1990 TAG: 9007290086
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: TALLADEGA, ALA. LENGTH: Medium
Today's DieHard 500 could be one of the most competitive races in Winston Cup history because of a pair of rule changes instituted by NASCAR.
Nobody wants to see a replay of the Pepsi 400 earlier this month at Daytona International Speedway, where a 23-car crash tore up the field on the second lap.
A smaller carburetor restrictor plate and a 30-degree minimum on the angle of the rear spoiler will be mandatory in the 188-lap race over Talladega's 2.66-mile, high-banked oval.
Both rules, as well as more closely enforced rules on intake manifolds, are intended to make the race safer for drivers and fans by keeping the cars under 200 mph.
The problem is that when a large group of stock cars have virtually the same amount of power, they run so close together that the unexpected can happen, and usually does.
"It looks like we're going to be a lot closer because I think a lot of people have been slowed down," said Geoff Bodine, coming off a victory July 22 at Long Pond, Pa. "There will be a lot of cars running together again.
"As we all know, there is a driver behind each steering wheel. And if each one does his job properly, then there shouldn't be any problem."
According to Bodine's theory, there should not have been a problem at Daytona, where the latest in a series of new restrictor plates was introduced.
But, with the cars running so close, they were loose. The big crash came and NASCAR went back to the drawing board - the spoiler rule was born.
Mark Martin, who comes into today's 500-mile race leading three-time series champion Dale Earnhardt by 48 points in the Winston Cup standings, is hoping for the best.
"I think this is going to be a better race for us than usual," Martin said. "Some of the cars that have enjoyed a power advantage over us aren't enjoying an advantage any more with the rules changes."
But Harry Gant says it also may be more boring for the drivers.
"With the rules the way they are here, all you can do it put your foot to the floorboard and steer the cars," he said. "You keep them wide open all the way around and there's nothing to call on when you want to get out and pass. It could be a lot of single-file racing."
\ Charlie Glotzbach broke into the superspeedway victory column for the first time since 1973 with a runaway victory in Saturday's Talladega ARCA 500-kilometer race.
The former NASCAR Winston Cup star started from the pole and dominated the 117-lap, 312-mile race at Talladega Superspeedway, beating Jeff Purvis to the finish line by 20.03 seconds.
The 52-year-old Palmyra, Ind., driver won on a superspeedway for the first time since a victory at Rockingham, N.C., in 1973 in an Automobile Racing Club of America event.
Glotzbach was able to take control on the 2.66-mile, high-banked oval after the first of four caution flags in the race.
Don Watson spun his lapped car on lap 15 and caught both Tracy Leslie, who won both ARCA races last year at Talladega, and Jimmy Horton, who had won a record five straight ARCA superspeedway races.
"We were all running real good together," Glotzbach said. "After Tracy and Jimmy got into that accident, that turned me loose. Everything just performed real good all day."
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB