Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 10, 1993 TAG: 9310100095
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CONCORD, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Although Martin led 116 of the first 123 laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, pit problems and other woes sent him back in the field. But he took the lead again with 33 laps to go and held on to beat Michael Waltrip by 1.14 seconds.
"I tried to mess it up, but I had enough race car and a fast enough pit crew to regain what we lost," Martin said.
Dale Earnhardt, after starting 35th, finished third. He was followed by Bill Elliott, Todd Bodine, Terry Labonte, Ward Burton, Chuck Bown, pole winner Bobby Dotter and Mike Wallace.
Three other cars also finished on the lead lap in a race punctuated by wrecks and wracked by attrition. Of the 44 cars that started the 200-lap race, 19 finished. There were a dozen yellow flags, including nine for spins and accidents, although no one was hurt. A quarter of the race was run under caution.
Among those who dropped out was Jimmy Hensley of Ridgeway, Va., who was knocked out of the event in a frontstretch accident on lap 22 and finished 42nd.
On his way to finishing second, Waltrip was gassed by exhaust fumes and had to go to the infield hospital afterward to recover.
"We had a broken header pipe, and the fumes started to get to me late in the race," he said.
He was not too sick to be thrilled with his finish. "I can't think of any time I've ever gone from 40th to second," he said.
Grand National points leader Steve Grissom left the race after 134 laps with motor problems, losing much of the 78-point lead he had over David Green. Grissom finished 28th, and Green was 17th. With four races left in the season, Grissom leads Green by 45 points going into the Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville Speedway next Sunday.
Martin's problems included a failed alternator, a near-wreck and a vibration in his Ford Thunderbird, but his biggest difficulty came around lap 125 when he came down pit road while it was closed. That sent him to the back of the field.
His Winston Cup car owner, Jack Roush, was a humbled, but still happy, boss after spotting for him.
"I wish I was as fast spotting as he was driving," Roush said. "I was behind him several times there. I almost wrecked him. I was a little slow calling the crash back there, and then we both missed the `pit closed' thing."
In the Duron 100 Sportsman Division race, Kirk Shelmerdine, Dale Earnhardt's former crew chief, started on the pole and led all 67 laps to beat Ronnie Sewell by .82 of a second.
It was Shelmerdine's second Sportsman victory of the week. He also led all 67 laps to win the Wednesday night Sportsman race.
"Winning is always fun, that's why you come to the races," he said. "I've had a really good car and was fortunate to start up front in both races. I think that had a lot to do with it, because the way the draft is here and the cars really not having that much horsepower."
The race was red-flagged for almost 15 minutes when nine cars were involved in a wild crash coming off turn 2. No one was hurt.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB