Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 28, 1993 TAG: 9305280060
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CONCORD, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
It was Leslie's first Grand National pole.
"It's a sensational feeling," he said. "I really had a good time out there running that lap. That's probably one of the best laps I've run in my career."
Mark Martin was second fastest in a Ford Thunderbird at 171.739 mph, but Chevys took the next six spots.
Ken Schrader, who won the pole Wednesday evening for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 Winston Cup race, will start third in Saturday's race after a lap at 171.456 mph. Ward Burton was fourth fastest at 171.336 mph, followed by Rick Mast (170.994 mph), Todd Bodine (170.962 mph), Tom Peck (170.385 mph) and Mike Wallace (170.175 mph). Rodney Combs was ninth fastest in a Ford at 170.100 mph and Jim Bown, in another Chevy, qualified 10th at 170.014 mph.
Thursday's qualifying determined the first 32 starting spots for Saturday's race, which starts at 1p.m. The final 10 spots will be determined after a 21-car, 40-lap qualifying race today at 2 p.m. Drivers in that race include Grand National champion Joe Nemechek, Butch Miller and Sterling Marlin.
Leslie, whose last win was an ARCA race at Michigan in 1990, said he doubted he had a chance at the pole until he discovered "I could run it wide open and stay on the bottom" in turns 1 and 2 of the 1.5-mile speedway.
Leslie's best Grand National finish was second at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1991. He was the 1988 ARCA champion.
\ WINSTON CUP UPDATE: Only six Winston Cup drivers took qualifying runs in the second round of time trials for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600.
But the activity at the bottom of the lineup did make a difference in who made the race and who didn't.
Chad Little and Jimmy Horton, who were 42nd and 44th respectively after Wednesday's first round and thus were not fast enough to make the normal 40-car field, got their speed above 171 mph Thursday to make the race. Little took the 38th starting spot at 171.597 mph, while Horton was 39th fastest at 171.467 mph.
Both runs were notable because second-round qualifying came during the heat of the day and heat makes a track slower. The track was cooler during Wednesday's first round, which came at twilight.
Bobby Hamilton stood on his Wednesday speed of 171.179 mph and was bounced out of the race. He was 40th fastest Wednesday, but after Thursday's second round, he had dropped to 43rd. Dave Marcis also stood on his speed and dropped from 39th to 41st fastest, but he received a provisional starting spot.
There is no Winston Cup activity on the track today.
\ PUROLATOR PICKS UP KULWICKI TEAM: Purolator, the automotive filters manufacturer, has agreed to be the primary sponsor the late Alan Kulwicki's Ford Thunderbird team for three more 1993 races.
Purolator, which is already an associate sponsor for the car, had agreed to foot the bill for the June 20 Miller 400 at Michigan International Speedway; the July 11 inaugural Winston Cup race at New Hampshire International Speedway and the July 18 Miller 500 at Pocono International Raceway. The deal reportedly is for as much as $100,000 a race, with Jimmy Hensley continuing as driver.
Purolator CEO Roman Boruta said the company picked those races because it it has key customers to entertain at Michigan and New Hampshire and it is being honored at Pocono for being the track's first sponsor for a Winston Cup race 20 years ago.
The team, now owned by Geoff and Kathy Bodine, will have Matchbox and White Rose Collectables as a sponsor at Dover next weekend, but it is still looking for primary sponsors for the 15 other races in the 1993 season.
"We're very confident we're going to have sponsors at all these rests during the rest of the year," Bodine said. He also said he hopes in the next two or three weeks to nail down a primary sponsor for the car in 1994, when he will be driving it.
Hooters restaurants used to be the team's primary sponsor, but it withdrew after the April 1 plane crash that killed Kulwicki, the Winston Cup champion, and three Hooters employees.
\ PENNZOIL KEEPS TEAM: Pennzoil is expected to remain as the primary sponsor of Chuck Rider's Pontiac Grand Prix being driven by Michael Waltrip. Despite rumors that Pennzoil would drop the team after 1993, Rider said the company has told him it will be back next year.
by CNB