
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 18, 1993                   TAG: 9308180052
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS                                 LENGTH: Medium

NASCAR BOYS TOUR INDY

While the NASCAR crowd can't match the blurring speeds of Indy cars, drivers point to another reason for the increasing popularity of stock car racing in the United States.

It's more competitive, says Mark Martin, the hottest driver on the Winston Cup circuit with victories in the past two races.

"Our cars are conducive to smoking the tires and rubbing the doors and running inches apart," he said. "They're built to do that."

Martin was one of more than 30 NASCAR drivers who tested at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday and Tuesday, the last formal sessions before next year's inaugural Brickyard 400 on Aug. 6. It will be the first non-Indy car race at the world's most famous track in more than 80 years.

Tuesday's crowd, between 35,000 and 50,000, was down from Monday's estimate of more than 50,000. Ticket orders for the race will be accepted beginning Wednesday, and a sellout crowd is expected to rival the 400,000-plus that attend the Indy 500.

Martin was the first driver on the track Tuesday and one of three involved in a crash during an impromptu race late in the day. John Andretti lost control in the first turn and triggered a collision with Martin and Jimmy Spencer. None of the drivers was hurt.

"They're not built to run 230 mph around this place and won't do it," Martin said of the difference between stock cars and Indy cars. "And if they would, we couldn't get near each other.

"For competitiveness' sake, it doesn't matter if we're going 165 or 160, or 230, if they're all in there smoking and gouging and going for it.

Fifteen cars were on the lead lap of Sunday's Michigan 400, which Martin won by 1.69 seconds over Morgan Shepherd. Normally, only two or three Indy cars remain in contention on the final lap.

"We're not any threat to the Indy 500 at all," Martin said. "We're going to come and put on our show, and there's definitely room for us to come and do our deal and for them to do theirs. The Indy 500 will be alive and well forever, I'm sure of that. We're just going to get a chance to come up and showcase what we do, which is quite a bit different than what they do."

Bill Elliott was the fastest during the two days of testing, turning a top lap of 167.467 mph Tuesday. Martin was next at 165.905.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING

by CNB