Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 30, 1992 TAG: 9203300119
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: DARLINGTON, S.C. LENGTH: Medium
Everyone appeared to benefit and no one team gained a big advantage during the TranSouth 500, which was won by Bill Elliott.
The proof was in the lack of spins and crashes. There were only four yellow flags during the three hour, 35-minute race and Elliott set a new average speed record for the race of 139.364 mph.
"It was the safest Darlington race I've ever seen, probably because the drivers were able to hold their cars to the track better," said Les Richter, NASCAR's vice president of competition.
Team members and drivers generally agreed.
"I didn't see many cars getting sideways coming off turn four like they normally do," said Robert Yates, Davey Allison's car owner.
Mark Martin's car owner, Jack Roush said the larger spoilers "probably put the cars back closer to the way they were handling last year" before NASCAR ordered body changes on most cars over the winter to make them the same exact shape as production cars.
"I think it made better cars for all of us," said Rusty Wallace, who finished 11th despite a spin and an ailing engine. "But I don't think the Fords needed anything. They were already working good."
The Pontiacs seemed to need larger spoilers the most, because they have been looser than other makes in previous races. And the larger spoilers have added more rear down force, enhancing a car's ability to stick to the track.
Most teams used the largest spoiler NASCAR now allows, which is 370 square inches, or 32 percent larger than the old spoilers.
"I don't think the new spoilers were a big factor in this race," said Martin's crew chief, Steve Hmiel.
"It was the same for everybody," said Ricky Rudd.
The final standings certainly bore that out. Bill Elliott won at Atlanta two weeks ago with the old spoiler, and he won here Sunday with the new one. And the Fords continued to dominate, taking six of the top-10 spots.
\ The struggle continues for Chevrolet Lumina drivers.
Before Sunday's race, defending TranSouth 500 champion Ricky Rudd said he really didn't think he could repeat, considering the strength of the Fords.
Rudd said he hoped to finish fifth, and that's exactly where he finished. Rudd had the highest finish among the Chevy drivers.
"I had inconsistent tires all day long," he said. "One set we could run extremely fast on, but another set wouldn't work so well. And we really didn't know which set was fast.
"We got a top-five finish. And with the way our season has been going, I'm pretty happy with today, but we've still got a long way to go to catch up to the Fords."
Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt got to third place for about 20 laps early in the race, but he never led and fell a lap down far before the halfway point. He finished 10th, two laps down. Earnhardt was the second highest-finishing Chevy.
"The chassis was off. That's about all I can say," Earnhardt said. "We're getting ready to go to the short tracks, but I haven't done any better on them. I want to go somewhere I can win."
\ The only really angry driver Sunday was Darrell Waltrip, who crashed in turn two on lap 174 after getting together with Geoff Bodine.
"I'm trying not to get too excited, but the guy driving the number 15 car [Bodine] ran over me," Waltrip said. "I gave the man plenty of room, but he decided he need a little bit more, I guess. He just knocked the fire out of me and spun me around for no reason."
Bodine, who continued on to an eighth-place finish, said, "I guess he didn't see me and we just bumped."
Bodine said he didn't blame Waltrip for being angry. "I'd have been mad, too, if my car had hit the wall. But we just bumped."
Waltrip finished 24th.
\ Rick Mast started 27th and finished 17th, five laps down.
"It was just another one of those days," Mast said. "We were struggling from the beginning. Finally, the car just gave up. We didn't give up, but the car I think had enough for one day."
by CNB