Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 7, 1991 TAG: 9104070116
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: DARLINGTON, S.C. LENGTH: Medium
Jarrett's second Grand National victory this season was much like his first last month at Rockingham, N.C., where he won by passing Labonte on a restart with 10 laps to go. In both races, the consensus was that Labonte had the stronger car.
"Bobby Labonte was strong," Jarrett said after Saturday's race. "He's going to beat me soon one day. Eventually it comes around, and Bobby will have his day, too."
Jarrett won $17,875 of the $125,118 purse.
There were four crashes in the 147-lap, 200-mile race, including a 10-car melee in turn two on lap 24.
But the only injury was a cut ankle suffered by Ed Ferree when he could not avoid hitting a spinning Darrell Waltrip in turn four on lap 129 and both slammed the outside wall.
Labonte had led the race for 40 laps when the caution flag flew on lap 130 for the Waltrip/Ferree wreck. When the race restarted on lap 134, Jarrett got the jump and passed Labonte going into the first turn. Behind them, on the front stretch, several cars tangled and Bobby Dotter crashed.
Jarrett held the lead after the race resumed on lap 137, and he was first to the line when the final caution came out with four laps to go after Clifford Allison and Ed Berrier crashed in the first turn. The race ended under caution.
Jarrett said he knew he "had to get a good jump" to pass Labonte on lap 133. "Bobby was probably a little bit quicker than I was. But my car was really good on the restarts."
Said Labonte: "Dale and I both got a good jump, but he went on the outside and forced me down low. I was a little too loose to run down there, so I had to get out of it and let him go. Our cars were too equal to get back around him."
Michael Waltrip, who started on the outside of the first row, led the first 53 laps until he suffered ignition problems, fell back and dropped out of the race after 96 laps. Pole sitter Jimmy Hensley of Ridgeway, Va., stayed in the top five most of the afternoon, but became involved in the frontstretch fracas on lap 134, dropping a couple of spots and hanging on for sixth.
Dale Earnhardt, who had to start 40th after qualifying problems, had sliced and diced his way to third by lap 69, but that's where his charge ended.
Kenny Wallace maintained the Grand National points lead, with a 59-point edge over Hensley.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB