Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 17, 1993 TAG: 9304170130
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
HENSLEY QUALIFIES KULWICKI CAR 13TH
The late Alan Kulwicki's NASCAR Winston Cup team returned to stock car racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Friday with a new driver, a temporary new sponsor and a no-quit outlook on its uncertain future."We didn't come to North Wilkesboro to go through the motions," said team business manager Don Hawk. "We came here to win the race."
To that end, substitute driver Jimmy Hensley qualified Kulwicki's Ford Thunderbird 13th during Friday's time trials.
"We were just a little bit loose," Hensley said. "But it was a pretty decent lap. That was our best lap of the day. We've got that out of the way, and now we can go racing."
Kulwicki's Ford Thunderbird still had No. 7 on its sides, but that was about the only thing that remained the same following the withdrawal Monday of Hooters restaurants as the team's primary sponsor.
The car is now red and white. And there is a Bojangles logo on its side after the fast food restaurant chain agreed to temporarily sponsor the car for Sunday's First Union 400 and the two following races.
The car also carries decals for Easter Seals and Shriners Hospitals for Crippled Children. And there is another new decal across the back trunk in memory of Kulwicki and the three Hooters employees who perished in an April 1 plane crash near Bristol, Tenn.
"We're all behind Jimmy Hensley," said crew chief Paul Andrews. "We just want to make the best we can of this situation. The mood of the team hasn't been one of necessarily being down.
"Everyone has been confident that something would happen and whatever happened would be something positive."
About the Hooters withdrawal Hawk said, "It's something that's over and done with. It's over my shoulder now."
Winston Cup team owner Felix Sabates, executor of Kulwicki's estate, said the value of the Winston Cup champion's team plummeted after the Hooters withdrawal.
"With Hooters pulling out, it has done unbelievable damage to the value of the team" he said. "It would have been worth a lot more money - probably two or three million dollars - if Hooters had stayed in."
Hooters withdrew its sponsorship after Sabates and Hooters CEO Robert Brooks, who lost his son in the crash, disagreed about the team's future. Brooks reportedly wanted Loy Allen, Jr. to take over; Sabates picked Hensley because he said Kulwicki had told him to use Hensley if he ever was hurt.
Sabates said he hoped to sell the team in the next two weeks.
"We hope to have a good indication by the time we get to Talladega" for the May 2 running of the Winston 500, he said.
Among those reportedly interested in buying the team are Winston Cup drivers Geoff Bodine, Brett Bodine and Ricky Rudd, along with Indy car owners John Menard and Chip Ganassi.
"Mr. Kulwicki's preference is to sell it to a race car driver," Sabates said.
All three drivers were playing it close to the vest Friday.
"No comment," said Geoff Bodine, adding only that he and his wife "have seriously considered having a race team."
Said Rudd: "It's an option that I've looked at. I'm not going to go into a whole lot of detail."
Several weeks ago, Rudd said he wasn't interested in owning a team. But that has changed. "Like I said, these are things I'm weighing over pretty heavy," he said.
"I've always wanted to own a race team," Brett Bodine said. "I'm looking at that possibility. I'm interested in seeing what they've got to offer."
Keywords:
AUTO RACING