UNSER JR. TO RUN AT DAYTONA 500

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, January 1, 1993                   TAG: 9301010073
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
UNSER JR. TO RUN AT DAYTONA 500
Al Unser Jr., rated by experts as one of the half-dozen best drivers in all of auto racing, plans to make his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 14.
The former IndyCar champion from New Mexico is scheduled to drive a Chevrolet Lumina fielded by Hendrick Motorsports in the season-opening classic at Daytona International Speedway.
The stock car is being built at team owner Rick Hendrick's shops by Eddie Dickerson. The crew chief for Unser will be veteran Waddell Wilson, who won Daytona 500s with drivers Cale Yarborough and Buddy Baker.
"This is a serious effort, not a lark-type of thing," Jimmy Johnson, vice president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports, said this week. "We're going to give Al Jr. a top ride, one capable of winning the race."
Should Unser win, he would become only the third driver to win both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500, which he won in May. His father, Al Sr., and uncle, Bobby Unser, also won Indy.
The two drivers to win 500-mile races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Daytona are A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti.
"It's strictly a one-race deal for now," Johnson said. "We put it together with Valvoline, which sponsors Al Jr. on the IndyCar circuit. Valvoline now is associate sponsor for all three of our regular Winston Cup teams."
Hendrick, a Charlotte, N.C., businessman, will have four teams at Daytona. The others will be fielding Luminas for veterans Ricky Rudd and Ken Schrader and for Winston Cup rookie Jeff Gordon.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB