Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 11, 1994 TAG: 9402110055
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B7 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
Schrader, a two-time Clash winner, topped it with the best quote of the morning.
Asked if there was a secret to winning the 20-lap event for pole-winners only, Schrader said: "There was one when I won it twice, but then they caught us."
Schrader, of course, is no stranger to NASCAR scandals, having been caught here in July with an illegal carburetor.
P.J. Jones, the last driver to select Thursday, won the outside pole by default. Jones did not win a Winston Cup pole last year, but he was the winner of a draw in December for the lone wild-card entry.
Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott picked their car numbers. Earnhardt starts third; Elliott 11th. Geoff Bodine drew the fourth starting spot, followed by Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Harry Gant, Rusty Wallace, Ernie Irvan, Kyle Petty, Elliott, Bobby Labonte and Brett Bodine.
"One thing about it," Labonte said. "I'll probably start up closer to the front for the second half."
"It doesn't make any difference where I start," Petty said. "I'm going to finish sixth or seventh. Go ahead and write me a check. I'll sit out and enjoy it."
The 50-mile sprint is run in two segments on the 2.5-mile superspeedway. After the first 10 laps, or 25 miles, the race is yellow-flagged for two laps and the field is inverted.
Earnhardt is the acknowledged master of this race, with five victories in seven starts. He has been particularly impressive conquering the inverted field.
In 1991, it took him 1 1/2 laps to drive from the back to the front of the pack and win the Clash. Last year, it took him five laps.
"I thought they'd change the format again after we came from the back to win," Earnhardt said. "But they didn't. We're ready to get in there and stir 'em up."
The race starts at noon Sunday and will be televised live by CBS (WDBJ Channel 7).
Although the Clash drivers had the track for about two hours Thursday, the Winston Cup garage was nearly full as the rest of the drivers and teams prepared for the opening of practice today.
Qualifying for the first two starting positions in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20 begins at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.