Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 8, 1993 TAG: 9302080011
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
EARNHARDT HAS HIS DAY
As Dale Earnhardt sliced through a 15-car field to win both segments of Sunday's Busch Clash at Daytona International Speedway, Ford drivers and owners openly accused NASCAR of giving General Motors cars unfair advantages for the 1993 Winston Cup season.Repeating his two-part Clash victory of 1991, Earnhardt wasn't quite as spectacular as two years ago. It took him five laps, instead of 1 1/2, to charge from the back of the field to the lead in his Chevrolet Lumina.
Of the 15 drivers, only Earnhardt seemed to be able to pass at will.
"We really worked on several things to make the car run free in the draft and in the air," Earnhardt said. "I really think our homework paid off."
Ken Schrader finished second and Ernie Irvan was third, completing a Chevy sweep of the first three spots. Mark Martin was fourth in a Ford, followed by Ricky Rudd, Davey Allison, Kyle Petty, Sterling Marlin, Bill Elliott and Alan Kulwicki.
Earnhardt started 13th in the first 10-lap segment and took the lead on lap 6 by passing Irvan in turns 1 and 2.
The field was inverted for the second 10-lap segment, but Earnhardt followed Marlin to the front and then took the lead from him coming out of turn 2 on lap 6.
A lap later, Earnhardt, Schrader and Irvan broke away from the pack. But Schrader and Irvan were unable to mount an effective last-lap challenge.
"They don't call Dale `The Intimidator' for nothing," Schrader said. "He gets through traffic better than anyone. Once he gets his nose in there he gets more room than the rest of us. He's got most everybody doing what he wants.
"Ernie and I were doing hand signals to try and make a move on Dale, but he was just too tough."
Said Irvan, "Kenny was motioning going down the backstretch [on the last lap], and I was going to try to go with him. I just didn't have anything [for Earnhardt]."
Earnhardt said he "kept working the throttle in the corner and off the corner to see if I could get a little something on them if I was working it right. I saw that I could do that off the second corner."
Nothing was heard from the Fords during the Clash, except for an oil leak in Elliott's car that delayed the start. But Ford drivers and owners had plenty to say afterward.
"This was a showroom stock race versus a supermodified race, and the supermodifieds won today," said Robert Yates, Allison's car owner.
"It looks like Chevrolet got everything it wanted over the winter," Marlin said.
Allison added: "NASCAR has completely eliminated us from this week. We don't have a chance. It's obvious to me that the Chevrolets did the best job of politicking over the winter.
"When Dale Earnhardt can pull up side-by-side with everybody else in line on the back stretch and he doesn't have any help, nobody else has a chance. And his wasn't the only Chevrolet that could do that."
Said Kulwicki, "If the GM teams were complaining about us having an edge last year, it certainly is gone."
The Ford camp is upset because after forcing all teams to make their car bodies the same shape as the bodies of production cars, NASCAR has allowed the Pontiacs and Chevys to use front and rear bumpers that bear no resemblance to the noses and bumpers of stock Pontiac Grand Prixs and Chevrolet Luminas.
There had been a lot of preseason complaining, but not until the Fords performed poorly in the Clash - the season's first race - did the grumbling turn into a torrent of criticism.
NASCAR has "made a big deal about wanting a level playing field, but it isn't level now," said Jack Roush, owner of the Fords driven by Martin and Wally Dallenbach.
"The GM cars have wider back ends and more variance in the front ends from their production cars than we've got. I don't want to sound like sour grapes, but it's pretty clear that we were held a lot closer on the nose and tail templates than the GM cars."
Earnhardt has won one-third of all Busch Clashes. The all-star race for pole winners has been run 15 times, with Earnhardt winning five times in his black Chevy.
"Today is a really good start to the year," Earnhardt said. "I feel like our chances for [the Daytona 500 next Sunday] are as good or better than ever. I hope black is back on Valentine's Day."
Keywords:
AUTO RACING