Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, December 3, 1993 TAG: 9312030171
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
Jones, who had six stock-car starts with one top 10 finish in 1993, will join the season's 12 pole-winners in the rich 50-mile sprint at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 13.
His name was chosen in a blind draw from a list of top second-round qualifiers that included three-time Winston Cup champion Darrell Waltrip, Daytona 500 winner Dale Jarrett, Ted Musgrave, Phil Parsons, Jimmy Spencer, Sterling Marlin, Derrike Cope, Chad Little, John Andretti and T.W. Taylor.
Jones, who has finished second to teammate Juan Fangio II in the past two Camel GTP championships, will drive full-time on the NASCAR circuit for Harry Melling in 1994.
Busch Beer, which also sponsors the Grand National series, also announced that beginning with the 1995 Clash, the leading pole-winner in the BGN series will be added to the field in a car sponsored by Busch.
\ ON SCHEDULE: The Winston Cup schedule for 1994, is nearly a carbon copy of the 1993 season, with the exception of a new race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 31-race schedule, one more than last season, includes the Brickyard 400 at Indy on Saturday, Aug. 6.
It is the second straight year that NASCAR has added a new site, with New Hampshire International Raceway running its first Winston Cup race in 1993.
The season will open Feb. 20 with the Daytona 500 and close Nov. 13 with the Hooters 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
\ HOME AWAY FROM HOME: Jeff Gordon, the Winston Cup Rookie of the Year in 1993, already knew he would be $25,000 richer after receiving his reward from sponsor Maxx Cards this weekend. But he didn't know he would also have a new way to get around.
The 22-year-old Gordon was presented with the keys to a $60,000 Winnebago Bravo motorhome on Thursday.
\ MOST POPULAR AGAIN: For the eighth time in 10 years, Bill Elliott has been voted by the fans as the Most Popular Driver in NASCAR's Winston Cup series.
Elliott, the 1988 series champion, failed to win a race in 1993, the first time since 1982 that he has been unable to reach Victory Circle at least once. But that didn't keep the people who pay their way into the stock car races from voting for Elliott.
"This is a great surprise considering the type of season we had this year," Elliott said.
\ POPULAR DRIVERS II: Race fans voted 1993 Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, series runner-up Rusty Wallace and Rookie of the Year Jeff Gordon as the 1994 McDonald's All-Star Race Team.
The trio will do promotional work for the fast food chain and each of the drivers will receive $50,000 for the honor of being picked for the team.
The voting is done by the fans via a 900 telephone number, with the proceeds from the calls going to Ronald McDonald Children's Charities.
\ RICHTER HONORED: Les Richter, recently elevated from vice president of competition to senior vice president of NASCAR, was honored as the recipient of the Buddy Shuman Award.
The award, named after one of NASCAR's pioneer officials, goes to someone who makes a major and lasting contribution to the sport of stock car racing.
Richter, a former college and pro football star who is known throughout NASCAR's garage area as "Coach," has been involved in auto racing for more than 20 years and has been with NASCAR for more than a decade.
by CNB