Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 23, 1994 TAG: 9404230029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MARTINSVILLE LENGTH: Medium
Wallace's pole-winning speed of 92.942 mph in his Ford Thunderbird fell well short of the record of 93.887 mph set by Geoff Bodine one year ago.
Although both tire companies, Goodyear and Hoosier, came here with new rubber, and Wallace had gone faster than the track record on new, softer Goodyears while testing here a couple of weeks ago, the speed wasn't there Friday.
"Well, it was just a little too cool today," Wallace said on a 52-degree day that included a late morning shower. "These cool temperatures really made it tough for everybody to get qualified today."
Daytona 500 champion Sterling Marlin was second fastest in a Chevrolet Lumina at 92.819 mph. He couldn't be disappointed with that, since Ford has won all eight poles so far this year.
Geoff Bodine, driving a Ford equipped with Hoosier tires, was third fastest at 92.705 mph, and the fastest Hoosier driver. He was followed by Jimmy Spencer in a Ford at 92.538 mph and Ernie Irvan in another Ford at 92.502 mph.
Also in the top 10 were Mark Martin in a Ford at 92.366 mph, Michael Waltrip in the fastest Pontiac Grand Prix at 92.335 mph, Dale Earnhardt in a Chevy at 92.317 mph, Kyle Petty in a Pontiac at 92.308 mph and Bill Elliott in a Ford at 92.303 mph.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the lineup, Harry Gant joined another large group of drivers who faced an uneasy night and a nerve-wracking second round of time trials at 12:30 p.m. today.
Gant was 37th fastest and only 34 regular starting spots are available for Sunday's race. Those outside of the top 34 after Friday's session were Jim Bown in 35th, followed by Lake Speed, Gant, Ward Burton, Loy Allen, Jeff Burton, John Andretti, Dick Trickle, Jay Hedgecock and Curtis Markham.
Hovering near the cutoff line were Mike Wallace in 31st, followed by Joe Nemechek, Ted Musgrave and Chuck Bown.
Based on Friday's results, the two provisional starting spots available for Sunday's race would go to Speed and Burton. That probably will change.
But Gant, who is on his farewell tour, may find himself without a race to run Sunday if he doesn't find more speed today. Provisional starting spots are doled out on the basis of car owner points. Not only are Speed and Burton ahead of Gant in that regard, but Musgrave and Chuck Bown as well.
"We had been a lot faster in practice," Gant said. "We just messed up in qualifying, and I'm not really sure why. There's nothing left to do now but try again [today]."
Nearly everyone was faster in practice than qualifying.
Wallace said his best practice times were about two-tenths of a second faster than his qualifying times, but those fast practice laps didn't come until he had put three or four laps on a set of new tires.
So he knew he had to get as much heat into his qualifying tires as quickly as possible.
"The first lap when I went out to qualify, I knew. . . . I just didn't have any firm adhesion," he said. "I basically had to make a split-second decision and trash the first lap and abuse the tires. I slid all over the place to get the heat built up real fast. So the first lap was to get the heat in the tires and the second lap was to get the car qualified."
Other drivers also reported the same skittish conditions Wallace experienced.
"I couldn't get it to hook up," Elliott said. "I just never could get any heat into the tires."
"I slid the best I could," said Todd Bodine, who was 12th fastest. "It's whoever slides around best today, as cold as it is."
Said Musgrave, "I guess I tried too hard on cold tires and I overdrove it."
Drivers who qualified 11th through 20th were Rick Mast (Ford, 92.088 mph); Todd Bodine (Ford, 92.052 mph); Jeff Gordon (Chevy, 91.980 mph); Derrike Cope (Ford, 91.958 mph); Bobby Hamilton (Pontiac, 91.913 mph); Darrell Waltrip (Chevy, 91.887 mph); Ken Schrader (Chevy, 91.878 mph), Greg Sacks (Ford, 91.775 mph); Ricky Rudd (Ford, 91.664 mph); and Dale Jarrett (Chevy, 91.647 mph).
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB