Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 30, 1993 TAG: 9305300108
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Bob Zeller Staff Writer
DATELINE: CONCORD, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
"I just got a break there at the end," Waltrip said after his seventh career Grand National win. "I ran the whole [final] caution period cleaning my tires. I cleaned 'em up, and when the green flag flew, they were ready."
Irvan led the most laps (83) and had the lead as the green flag flew on lap 192, ending the ninth and final caution period of the 200-lap race. Waltrip, his tires glued to the low groove, blistered past Irvan on the low side of turns 3 and 4 to make the winning pass.
"I lost it myself," Irvan said. "On that last restart, I just slipped up the track. That was all Michael needed to get by me."
Dale Jarrett was third, followed by Ken Schrader and Robert Pressley.
It was an excellent race, particularly in the final stages. Five drivers - Waltrip, Irvan, Ward Burton, Robert Pressley and Tom Peck - led during the final 75 laps.
A three-way battle for the lead between Irvan, Burton and Pressley ended shortly before the final caution when Pressley slid high in turn 1 and tapped Burton. They nearly spun, and both fell back.
Waltrip led 16 laps early in the race, but he was as far back as 11th on lap 120.
"At the end, we finally got the car right," he said. "I told them I was tight and then we loosened it up. Then I told them we were loose and we tightened it back up. It was back and forth until the end. So it was just a great day to get it dialed in and win the race."
At one point, during an interview with a track announcer in Victory Lane, Waltrip turned toward the grandstands and said, "For all you women in the stands, a lady built the engine that won today."
"What's her name?" the announcer asked.
"I don't know," said Waltrip.
For the record, it was Tomoka Brady of Ruggles Performance, the speciality company that builds the engines for Waltrip's Grand National car. She has been doing his car's engines for a year and has 11 years of engine-building experience.
David Green, who finished 16th, took the Grand National points lead from Steve Grissom, who had engine problems and finished 26th. Green leads Grissom by 15 points, with Pressley another 125 points back.
Earlier Saturday, David Smith of Williamston, S.C., denied Tim Bender a third straight Sportsman Division victory at the track this month, passing Bender with four laps to go to win the Duron 100 by two car lengths. The most remarkable thing about the 67-lap race for novice drivers was that it was completed without a yellow flag.
In the final Coca-Cola 600 practice Saturday afternoon, Mark Martin, Irvan, Jimmy Hensley, Rusty Wallace and Jimmy Spencer unofficially had the fastest laps, ranging from Martin's lap of 169.544 mph to Spencer's lap of 168.486 mph.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB