Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 7, 1993 TAG: 9302070057
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Bob Zeller
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
1993 WINSTON CUP DRIVERS/TEAMS
NO. 1 RICK MAST Age: 35Born: Lexington
Live: Rockbridge Baths
Car: Skoal Classic Racing Ford Thunderbird
Owner: Richard Jackson
Crew chief: Richard Jackson
1993 changes: Mast switches from Olds to Ford
1992 highlights: Mast won his first pole at Atlanta to close the season on a high note. His best finish was ninth at Martinsville in September, his only top-10 finish. He slipped to 22nd in points, from 21st in 1991, and won $350,740.
Scouting report: Mast's second full year in Winston Cup was much like his first. He said his team was coming on at the end of the year, but nobody noticed. With a speedy new Ford and the addition of Alan Kulwicki's engine builder, Ron Vicarro, to the team, he'll need to show more than he has.
\ NO. 2 RUSTY WALLACE Age: 36
Born: Fenton, Mo.
Lives: Concord, N.C.
Car: Miller Genuine Draft Pontiac Grand Prix
Owner: Penske Racing (partnership of Roger Penske, Rusty Wallace and Don Miller
Crew chief: Buddy Parrott
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: Won the fall race at Richmond and $657,925. Finished 13th in Winston Cup points.
Scouting report: Wallace slipped a bit in 1992, but any year with a win is a good year, especially in the aerodynamically handicapped Pontiac. Wallace's team, stable now with Parrott, is a threat to win the Winston Cup title in 1993.
\ NO. 3 DALE EARNHARDT Age: 41
Born: Kannapolis, N.C.
Lives: Mooresville, N.C.
Car: GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Lumina
Owner: Richard Childress
Crew chief: Andy Petree
1993 changes: Petree replaces Kirk Shelmerdine as crew chief.
1992 highlights: Won Coca-Cola 600 and $915,463. Slipped to 12th in points.
Scouting report: Earnhardt was second in points last June but slipped to 12th. That prompted the departure of Shelmerdine. Earnhardt should be a contender this year, but his days of dominance may be over. He will have to scratch and claw like the rest.
\ NO. 4 ERNIE IRVAN Age: 34
Born: Modesto, Calif.
Lives: Rockwell, N.C.
Car: Kodak Film Chevrolet Lumina
Owner: Morgan-McClure Racing
Crew chief: Tony Glover
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: Irvan had another great year, winning three races and $996,885, but he dropped to 11th in points, from fifth in 1991.
Scouting report: If Irvan can figure out how to stop crashing and still keep winning, he'll win the championship. Only Davey Allison had more crashes in 1992. To win three but finish 11th in points is a bit of an embarrassment.
\ NO. 5 RICKY RUDD Age: 36
Born: Chesapeake
Lives: Lake Norman, N.C., and Chesapeake
Car: Tide Chevrolet Lumina
Owner: Rick Hendrick
Crew chief: Gary DeHart
1993 car changes: None
1992 highlights: Won one race, $793,903. Also won the International Race of Champions title.
Scouting report: Rudd and his team got off to a slow start last year, but his thrilling Dover, Del., victory kept alive his streak of winning at least one race a year for the past 10 years. The question is, will this team jell in 1993? It was a struggle last year.
\ NO. 6 MARK MARTIN Age: 34
Born: Batesville, Ark.
Lives: Jamestown, N.C.
Car: Valvoline Ford Thunderbird
Owner: Jack Roush
Crew chief: Steve Hmiel
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: Won two races and finished sixth in points for the second year in a row. Won $1,000,571.
Scouting report: If he can avoid a slow start, he could win it all this year.
\ NO. 7 ALAN KULWICKI Age: 38
Born: Greenfield, Wis.
Lives: Concord, N.C.
Car: Ford Thunderbird
Owner: Alan Kulwicki
Crew chief: Paul Andrews
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: Won it all: two races, six poles, $2,322,561 and the Winston Cup championship.
Scouting report: Last year, we said, "He should finish in the top 10." Little did we know. We'll repeat that prediction, because with Kulwicki's obligations as champion, it's too much to ask for more.
\ NO. 8 STERLING MARLIN Age: 35
Born: Columbia, Tenn.
Lives: Columbia, Tenn.
Car: Raybestos Ford Thunderbird
Owners: Mickey and Billy Stavola
Crew chief: Ken Wilson
1993 changes: Marlin replaces Dick Trickle. Raybestos replaces Snickers as sponsor.
1992 highlights: For Marlin, no wins, three seconds, five poles and $649,048. He finished 10th in Winston Cup points.
Scouting report: His chance to win with Junior Johnson slipped through his grasp, and now Marlin has to take a step down in the ranks. It doesn't appear he has the right stuff to win, but maybe he'll surprise us with his new team.
\ NO. 9 CHAD LITTLE Age: 29
Born: Spokane, Wash.
Lives: Charlotte, N.C.
Car: Melling Ford Thunderbird
Owner: Harry Melling
Crew chief: Gene Roberts
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: One top-10 finish in 19 races. Earned $145,805. Finished 31st in points.
Scouting report: From Bill Elliott to Chad Little in the space of a year is one big downhill slide for Melling Racing. Little probably will get in the way of a few people in 1993 and cause a few wrecks, but not much else.
\ NO. 11 BILL ELLIOTT Age: 37
Born: Cumming, Ga.
Lives: Dawsonville, Ga.
Car: Budweiser Ford Thunderbird
Owner: Junior Johnson
Crew chief: Mike Beam
1993 changes: Beam replaces Tim Brewer as crew chief.
1992 highlights: Won five races, including four in a row, and $1,692,381. Runner-up for Winston Cup championship.
Scouting report: Although he didn't seem to have any fun battling for the Winston Cup, Elliott had a terrific first year driving for Johnson. Now he's back with Beam and will be one of the leading contenders again for the 1993 Cup.
\ NO. 12 JIMMY SPENCER Age: 35
Born: Berwick, Pa.
Lives: Mooresville, N.C.
Car: Meineke Ford Thunderbird \
Owners: Bobby Allison, Bob Bilby and others
Crew chief: Jimmy Fennig
1993 changes: Spencer replaces Stricklin, Meineke replaces Raybestos as sponsor.
1992 highlights: Spencer had three top-five finishes in the last four races after running in only 12 events. He won $183,585 and finished 33rd in points.
Scouting report: Last fall, "Mr. Excitement" went right out and proved he could drive with his string of top-five finishes. He single-handedly rejuvenated a team that had been in the dumps. If he keeps up this pace, he'll win his first Cup race in 1993, and maybe more.
\ NO. 14 TERRY LABONTE Age: 36
Born: Corpus Christi, Texas
Lives: Thomasville, N.C.
Car: Kellogg's Corn Flakes Chevrolet Lumina
Owner: Billy Hagan
Crew chief: Pete Wright
1993 changes: Car number changes from No. 94 to No. 14, A.J. Foyt's old number. Sponsor changes from Sunoco to Kellogg's.
1992 highlights: Started off with eight top-10 finishes in a row, then got only seven more the rest of the year. Finished eighth in points - the highest finisher without a victory. Won $600,381.
Scouting report: 1992 was better for Labonte than 1991, but he still didn't win. He hasn't won a race since he was with Junior Johnson in 1989. He's got a new look and a new number for 1993, but that doesn't guarantee better results.
\ NO. 15 GEOFF BODINE Age: 43
Born: Elmira, N.Y.
Lives: Julian, N.C.
Car: Motorcraft Ford Thunderbird
Owner: Bud Moore
Crew chief: Bud Moore
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: Won two races, $716,583. Finished 16th in Winston Cup points.
Scouting report: 1992 could have been a terrible year for Bodine. He was worse in points than in 1991 (16th to 14th), although he missed two races in '91. Then he had those back-to-back Monday victories at Martinsville and North Wilkesboro (N.C.). Bodine wants to own a team, and either a real good year or a real bad one in 1993 will propel him more quickly toward that goal.
\ NO. 16 WALLY DALLENBACH JR. Age: 29
Born: Basalt, Colo.
Lives: Greensboro, N.C.
Car: Keystone Ford Thunderbird
Owner: Jack Roush
Crew chief: Howard Comstock
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: In his first full year, one top-10 finish (fifth at Watkins Glen, N.Y.), $220,245 in winnings and 24th in Winston Cup points.
Scouting report: Dallenbach's task is clear cut. He must do better than last year, and do better than this big new class of rookies. His chance for a win will be best at Sears Point (Calif.) and Watkins Glen, but he's getting better at Daytona and Talladega (Ala.) and could contend there.
\ NO. 17 DARRELL WALTRIP Age: 46
Born: Owensboro, Ky.
Lives: Franklin, Tenn.
Car: Western Auto Chevrolet Lumina
Owner: Darrell Waltrip
Crew chief: Jake Elder
1993 changes: Elder assumes full responsibility as crew chief after departure of Jeff Hammond.
1992 highlights: Two victories, ninth in points and $876,492 in winnings.
Scouting report: How about ol' D.W., still cranking out those victories after all these years? As we said last year, his days of dominance are over, but he's still capable and competitive. He's even a possible championship contender.
\ NO. 18 DALE JARRETT Age: 36
Born: Newton, N.C.
Lives: Hickory, N.C.
Car: Interstate Batteries Chevrolet Lumina
Owner: Joe Gibbs
Crew chief: Jimmy Makar
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: No victories, eight top-10s, including a second at Bristol, Tenn., in April. Finished 19th in points and won $418,648.
Scouting report: Jarrett did just about as well with his new Gibbs team last year as he did with the Wood Brothers in 1991. Obviously, the fans will expect more of this team in 1993, and it will expect more of itself. But there are a lot of sharks in the Winston Cup pond.
\ NO. 21 MORGAN SHEPHERD Age: 51
Born: Conover, N.C.
Lives: Conover, N.C.
Car: Citgo Ford Thunderbird
Owners: Wood Brothers
Crew chief: Eddie Wood
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: No wins, but seven top-10 finishes and second in the Daytona 500. Was 14th in Winston Cup points. Won $634,222.
Scouting report: Let's face it, Shepherd never will make it big in Winston Cup. However, he might win another race or two before he's done.
\ NO. 22 BOBBY LABONTE Age: 28
Born: Corpus Christi, Texas
Lives: Trinity, N.C.
Car: Maxwell House Ford Thunderbird
Owner: Bill Davis
Crew chief: Tim Brewer
1993 changes: New team
1992 highlights: In his final Grand National season, Labonte won three times and was second for the championship. He won $329,985.
Scouting report: It's Labonte vs. Kenny Wallace and Jeff Gordon for 1993 rookie of the year. Labonte's chances received a big boost with the hiring of Brewer. From here, this battle is a toss-up.
\ NO. 24 JEFF GORDON Age: 21
Born: Vallejo, Calif.
Lives: Charlotte, N.C.
Car: DuPont Chevrolet Lumina
Owner: Rick Hendrick
Crew chief: Ray Evernham
1993 changes: New team
1992 highlights: In the Grand National division, Gordon won three races, a record 11 poles and finished fourth in points.
Scouting report: Gordon may have more raw talent than his competition for rookie of the year, but he's with the troubled Hendrick stable, whose top drivers struggled last year.
\ NO. 25 KEN SCHRADER Age: 37
Born: Fenton, Mo.
Lives: Concord, N.C.
Car: Kodiak Chevrolet Lumina
Owner: Rick Hendrick
Crew chief: Ken Howes
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: No wins, but one pole, 12 top-10 finishes and 17th in Winston Cup points. Won $639,679.
Scouting report: Schrader slipped at the end of 1991 and never recovered in 1992. If he doesn't win this year, he's gone from the Hendrick team. This is his fifth season there, and it's time to produce.
\ NO. 26 BRETT BODINE Age: 34
Born: Elmira, N.Y.
Lives: Harrisburg, N.C.
Car: Quaker State Ford Thunderbird
Owner: Kenny Bernstein
Crew chief: Donnie Richeson
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: No wins, one pole, 13 top-10 finishes and 15th in points. Won $495,224.
Scouting report: Bodine could get lost in the shuffle if he does not show significant improvement in 1993. His team is well-financed but is a consistent underachiever, especially on Sunday. Bodine's second-lap crash at Atlanta in November did not end the year on a good note.
\ NO. 27 HUT STRICKLIN Age: 31
Born: Birmingham, Ala.
Lives: Calera, Ala.
Car: McDonald's Ford Thunderbird
Owner: Junior Johnson
Crew chief: Mike Hill
1993 changes: Stricklin replaces Sterling Marlin. McDonald's replaces Maxwell House. Car number changes from No. 22 to No. 27. Mike Hill replaces Mike Beam as crew chief.
1992 highlights: No wins, four top-10 finishes, in 28 starts. Won $336,965. Finished 27th in Winston Cup points.
Scouting report: Stricklin went downhill from 1991 to 1992, yet still landed the lucrative Johnson/McDonald's ride. Can he do better than Marlin did last year? That's iffy. Look at what Jimmy Spencer did in Stricklin's car after Stricklin was dumped by Bobby Allison.
\ NO. 28 DAVEY ALLISON Age: 31
Born: Hollywood, Fla.
Lives: Hueytown, Ala.
Car: Texaco/Havoline Ford Thunderbird
Owner: Robert Yates
Crew chief: Larry McReynolds
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: Had one of the all-time roller-coaster seasons, with a victory in the Daytona 500, four other wins, victory in The Winston, three poles and $1,955,628 in purses. However, he dropped to third in points after leading most of the year, broke his right arm, wrist and collarbone at Pocono (Pa.), suffered a concussion in Charlotte (N.C.) and lost his brother, Clifford, in a Michigan practice crash.
Scouting report: 1992 should have been Allison's year, but he crashed too much. There's no reason he can't win it all in 1993 if he keeps his car off the wall.
\ NO. 30 MICHAEL WALTRIP Age: 29
Born: Owensboro, Ky.
Lives: Huntersville, N.C.
Car: Pennzoil Pontiac Grand Prix
Owners: Chuck Rider and Lowrance Harry
Crew chief: Doug Hewitt
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: Won no races, had two top-10 finishes in 29 races. Was 23rd in points. Won $410,545.
Scouting report: Rider is going the full mile by keeping Waltrip. We were sure last year was do or die, and he had a terrible year - far worse than 1991. He was fast in the final Daytona practice, which is good, because his career needs something fast.
\ NO. 33 HARRY GANT Age: 53
Born: Taylorsville, N.C.
Lives: Taylorsville, N.C.
Car: Skoal Bandit Chevrolet Lumina
Owner: Leo Jackson
Crew chief: Leo Jackson
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: Two victories, 15 top-10 finishes, fourth in Winston Cup points and winnings of $1,122,776.
Scouting report: Don't look for a quick start here. Gant has lost his crew chief and is struggling with the new Chevrolets. However, if there's a gas-mileage race to be won in 1993, he'll win it. And he's still a solid top-five contender in the points race.
\ NO. 40 KENNY WALLACE Age: 29
Born: St. Louis
Lives: Harrisburg, N.C.
Car: Dirt Devil Pontiac Grand Prix
Owner: Felix Sabates
Crew chief: Jeff Hammond
1993 changes: New team
1992 highlights: In Grand National, won a race and finished sixth in points.
Scouting report: Wallace speeds out of the Grand National ranks having never won that title, and he was sub-par in 1992. Wallace has a tough fight ahead of him, although he only has to beat his fellow rookies Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte. Both beat him last year in GN.
\ NO. 41 PHIL PARSONS Age: 35
Born: Detroit
Lives: Denver, N.C.
Car: Larry Hedrick Motorsports Ford Thunderbird
Owner: Larry Hedrick
Crew chief: Doug Richert
1993 changes: Parsons replaces Greg Sacks. Sponsorship uncertain.
1992 highlights: Raced only twice, but finished 10th in the Daytona 500. Did not run Winston Cup in 1991.
Scouting report: Parsons' biggest problem is lack of seat time - two races in two years. This team went nowhere with Greg Sacks last year and we don't expect anything different this year.
\ NO. 42 KYLE PETTY Age: 32
Born: Randleman, N.C.
Lives: High Point, N.C.
Car: Mello Yello Pontiac Grand Prix
Owner: Felix Sabates
Crew chief: Robin Pemberton
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: Coming off his 1991 injury, Petty had his best year in '92, with two victories, 17 top-10 finishes and a career-best fifth in points. Won $1,107,063.
Scouting report: Kyle did even better than we predicted in 1992. Now, he's really hungry. He was the leader in preseason practice and could keep his hot streak going right into the Daytona 500. The only question is how badly the team was hurt by the traffic accident that injured four members.
\ NO. 44 RICK WILSON Age: 40
Born: Bartow, Fla.
Lives: Huntersville, N.C.
Car: STP Pontiac Grand Prix
Owner: Richard Petty
Crew chief: Robbie Loomis
1993 changes: Car number changes from No. 43 to No. 44, as Wilson replaces the King.
1992 highlights: Ran only the Daytona 500, finishing 23rd.
Scouting report: Petty's choice of Wilson underwhelmed most Winston Cup followers, but Loomis wanted his old buddy and maybe he knows something we don't. We'll see.
\ NO. 52 JIMMY MEANS Age: 42
Born: Texarkana, Ark.
Lives: Forest City, N.C.
Car: Pontiac Grand Prix
Owner: Jimmy Means
Crew chief: To be determined
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: None, unless you count one top-20 finish in 22 starts a highlight.
Scouting report: With the influx of new teams and new talent in Winston Cup racing, it's only a matter of time before Means is gone as an owner-driver.
\ NO. 55 TED MUSGRAVE Age: 37
Born: Franklin, Wis.
Lives: Troutman, N.C.
Car: Jasper Engines Pontiac Grand Prix
Owner: RaDiUs Motorsports
Crew chief: Sandy Jones
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: A respectable year, with seven top-10 finishes and winnings of $449,121. Was 18th in Cup points.
Scouting report: Musgrave continues to make progress. Last year, he beat the pants off Bobby Hamilton, who beat him for 1991 rookie of the year. He turned down the Richard Petty ride, so he obviously thinks that at RaDiUs, a good thing can get better.
\ NO. 66 DERRIKE COPE Age: 34
Born: San Diego, Calif.
Lives: Charlotte, N.C.
Car: Ford Thunderbird
Owner: Cale Yarborough
Crew chief: Bob Johnson
1993 changes: Yarborough lost Phillips 66 as sponsor.
1992 highlights: No wins, two top-10 finishes. Finished 21st in points and won $277.215.
Scouting report: Cope had another miserable outing in 1992 with Whitcomb Racing. The addition of Dodson as crew chief didn't seem to help anything. This team was up for sale last month, creating further uncertainty. Not a threat for the top 10.
\ NO. 68 BOBBY HAMILTON Age: 35
Born: Nashville, Tenn.
Lives: Nashville, Tenn.
Car: Country Time Ford Thunderbird
Owner: George Bradshaw
Crew chief: Dave Fuge
1993 changes: None
1992 highlights: Finished 25th in points and had two top-10 finishes in 29 starts. Won $367,065.
Scouting report: Hamilton slumped badly in 1992 and, considering how competitive things are, he cannot afford to have a similar season in 1993. He doesn't have to win in 1993 to have a good year, but he's got to do a lot better than two top-10s.
\ NO. 71 DAVE MARCIS Age: 51
Born: Wausau, Wis.
Lives: Avery's Creek, N.C.
Car: Chevrolet Lumina
Owner: Dave Marcis
Crew chief: Dale Fischlein
1993 changes: None. Still looking for sponsorship.
1992 highlights: No top-10 finishes in 29 races. Won $218,045. Finished 29th in points.
Scouting report: Marcis should go the way of Richard Petty. He hasn't won in more than a decade and his best finish last year was 15th. Too often he's a potentially dangerous obstacle for the other drivers.
\ NO. 75 DICK TRICKLE Age: 51
Born: Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
Lives: Iron Station, N.C.
Owners: Butch Mock and Bob Rahilly
1993 changes: Rahmoc team returns after missing most of 1992. Sponsorship from Carolina Pottery Outlet Centers.
1992 highlights: Trickle had no victories but nine top-10 finishes and won $429,521. He finished 20th in points. He was fifth in the Daytona 500.
Scouting report: Trickle could win a short-track race if he had a great car, but what can you expect out of cash-poor Rahmoc?
\ NO. 90 BOBBY HILLIN JR. Age: 28
Born: Midland, Texas
Lives: Charlotte, N.C.
Car: Heilig-Meyers Ford Thunderbird
Owner: Junie Donlavey
Crew chief: Doug Williams
1993 changes: With his best sponsor ever, Donlavey hires Hillin for a full schedule and adds Williams as crew chief.
1992 highlights: Hillin failed to record a top-10 finish in his 13 starts (winning $102,160), but he did a creditable job finishing third in relief for Davey Allison at Talladega in July.
Scouting report: It will be interesting to see what happens with this team now that Donlavey has adequate financing. Don't expect a win, but a top-15 finish in points is within reach.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING