ROANOKE TIMES 

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

DATE: THURSDAY, April 7, 1994                   TAG: 9404070051
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SHORT TRACKS, SHORT WEEKS FOR MANY TEAMS

The NASCAR spotlight once again will be aimed at the bottom of the lineups this weekend as 46 Winston Cup teams and 57 Grand National teams head to Bristol (Tenn.) International Raceway to fight for the 34 starting positions in their respective races.

A lot of quality Winston Cup teams will be packing up early, not only at Bristol but at North Wilkesboro, N.C., and Martinsville in what seems destined to be an excruciating April short-track swing for borderline teams.

There's a good chance that drivers who fail to qualify at Bristol and North Wilkesboro may not be around for the Martinsville race at the end of the month.

"I wouldn't doubt it," said Rusty Wallace, one of the top Winston Cup drivers. "The problem we've got right now is everyone wants to play in the sport. It's just another thing to worry about. I wish everybody all the luck in the world, but everyone is just going to have to understand that people are going to miss races."

In an effort to accommodate more drivers, NASCAR increased the Winston Cup starting fields at the three short tracks from 32 to 34 cars, only a year after the limit was 30 cars. With the two regular provisional starting spots and the champion's provisional, a maximum of 37 cars will start each race.

Pole qualifying is Friday afternoon for the Goody's 250 Grand National race on Saturday and for Sunday's Food City 500 for Winston Cup cars.

\ MARTINSVILLE UPDATE: Former U.S. gymnast Mary Lou Retton, winner of five Olympic medals in 1984, will be the grand marshal of the Hanes 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 24.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING 


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