Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 27, 1994 TAG: 9403270088
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DARLINGTON, S.C. LENGTH: Medium
But at least Martin had a lot of fun.
Martin started off by winning round two of the International Race of Champions, leading 38 of 46 laps to win by .25 seconds over Rusty Wallace.
About three hours later, he won the Mark III Vans 200 Grand National race by .57 seconds over Larry Pearson after leading a whopping 138 of 147 laps. Randy LaJoie was third, followed by Kenny Wallace, Harry Gant, Dale Earnhardt and Michael Waltrip, all on the lead lap.
"Today has just been great," Martin said during his second visit to victory lane. "I hope tomorrow goes like today."
Martin will try for a Darlington hat trick in today's TranSouth 400. He starts third when the green flag falls at 1 p.m.
He also has another Darlington streak - four victories in the last four races.
Martin started ninth in the IROC race, moved to the front and took the lead from Jack Baldwin on the ninth lap.
"I got a real good start from row five and got through traffic real well," he said. "I got up into third before I knew it. From there, it was just pick them off one at a time."
The race was temporarily stopped after the ninth lap when Steve Kinser spun in turn 2 and Dale Jarrett became involved, slamming the outside wall and then smashing head-on into the inside backstretch wall. Neither driver was hurt.
Kinser spun when he was tapped from behind by Rusty Wallace. Jarrett slowed to avoid Kinser and was hit in the back by Earnhardt.
"I hit hard," Jarrett said. "I hadn't hit quite like that here before, especially when you get a little help from behind."
After two of four IROC races, Martin leads Earnhardt in the points. Saturday's event will be televised by ABC at 3 p.m. on May 15.
The Grand National race was slowed by six caution periods, including a four-car crash on the frontstretch on lap 133. No one was hurt.
Martin took the lead from the pole and led the first 46 laps. He also led 64 of 73 laps in the middle as well as the final 28 circuits.
Pearson, who also finished second two weeks ago at Atlanta, never led a lap.
"I tell you, it was going to be hard to beat this car today," Martin said. "It was really fast. I like this race track, but basically I like it because my cars go fast here. We have a pretty good setup for here, but there's no secret to it. The stuff we've got under our car for chassis setups are pretty much the same as everyone has got."
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB