Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 3, 1991 TAG: 9103030074
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: ROCKINGHAM, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
"It's a great win," Jarrett said. "We felt like this race owed us one after last year. I think I owed the crew one more than the race track owed me."
With two laps to go in last March's race at North Carolina Motor Speedway, Jarrett was in the lead, fighting to keep Dale Earnhardt behind him, when he tapped a slower car in turn one while trying to pass and spun out. Earnhardt went on to win, and Jarrett finished seventh.
This year, it was Bobby Labonte's turn for disappointment.
Labonte had led for 65 laps when his car bobbled on a restart with 10 laps to go and Jarrett shot by.
Labonte, whose Oldsmobile was as strong as Jarrett's Pontiac, was trying to get under Jarrett in turn two with four laps to go when he spun and tapped the inside fence on the backstretch. Labonte finished sixth.
"I've lost 'em like this before and I guess I'll lose 'em like this again, but it still doesn't keep it from being disappointing," Labonte said. "If I hadn't got loose off turn four [during the restart] and Dale [Jarrett] hadn't got under me, no, I don't think there would have been anybody out there who could have handled me . . . "
Jarrett won $12,525 for his sixth Grand National victory.
Following Jarrett across the finish line of the 197-lap race were Kenny Wallace, who trailed by a couple of car lengths, Dale Earnhardt, Todd Bodine, Harry Gant and Labonte. All were on the lead lap.
The race was held under cloudy skies before a crowd estimated at 42,500.
Jarrett said his car ran well throughout the race, but "I saw no reason to go out and lead a lot of laps out there. The last one was the one that counted." His car was among the top five most of the race.
Jarrett said he knew his best chance to get by Labonte was on a restart because "that's something my car seemed to do best when the tires were cool. I would get a little bit loose after that."
Earnhardt, who started on the pole, led the first 48 laps, but dropped back as the race wore on. "When we changed tires, the car just got a little too tight," he said. "I started out too loose on the first run. We changed the chassis, and when we changed the tires, that changed the chassis even more. We were just a little off on the setup, but we gave it all we had."
For the record, Mrs. Elton Sawyer, who goes by her given name of Patty Moise, beat her husband in the first major NASCAR race to feature a married couple competing against each other.
Moise finished 192 laps and was credited with 22nd place. Sawyer was 25th, finishing 190 laps.
The race featured eight lead changes among six drivers. The average speed of 110.775 mph was slowed by eight caution periods for 27 laps. There were several minor crashes, but no injuries.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB