Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 4, 1994 TAG: 9406040045
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DOVER, DEL. LENGTH: Medium
Irvan circled the one-mile track in his Ford Thunderbird at 151.956 mph, breaking his own track record to win his fourth pole of the year.
Geoff Bodine was second fastest in a Hoosier-shod Ford at 151.745 mph, which also was quicker than Irvan's 1993 record of 151.541 mph.
Joe Nemechek, also on Hoosier tires, was third fastest at 151.426 mph in a Chevrolet Lumina, followed by Goodyear driver Bobby Labonte in a Pontiac Grand Prix at 150.276 mph and Bill Elliott, also in a Ford on Goodyears, at 149.881 mph.
Also in the top 10, all on Goodyears, were Rusty Wallace in a Ford at 149.694 mph, Ted Musgrave in a Ford at 149.384 mph, Bobby Hamilton in a Pontiac at 149.322 mph, Morgan Shepherd in a Ford at 149.297 mph and Jimmy Hensley of Ridgeway, Va., in a Ford at 149.229 mph.
"I don't know if it felt good or it felt bad, but it was fast," Irvan said. "When you go out and qualify at a place like this, which is so fast and edgy, when you drive into turn three before you get the green, that's when you know how good your lap is going to be. And that's when I knew what I could do with the car because it stuck real good."
Irvan's quick lap was nothing unusual for him this year. He has started in the top 10 in all but two races. His worst starting position has been a 14th at Charlotte last weekend. He and Earnhardt have three victories apiece.
But Irvan downplayed the notion that he's the top dog.
"It's easy to write that stuff, but it's hard to do," he said. "Dale's been having a good year, and I'm having a good year. Beyond that, nobody is really having a good year.
"It would be hard to have any more confidence than I have with this race team right now. Every race track we go to we're confident we can go there and be competitive. Today when we unloaded off the truck we weren't one of the better cars. We had to work on it and get it dialed in.
"So this just gives me more confidence, being able to come here 15th or 20th fastest in practice and be able to come back and be the fastest in qualifying."
Earnhardt, by the way, qualified 14th.
Coca-Cola 600 champion Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Spencer lightly tapped the wall during their qualifying runs and ended up 41st and 42nd. Michael Waltrip, after crashing in practice, did not attempt to qualify.
Only 43 drivers are vying for the 40 starting spots and two provisionals starting spots for Sunday's 500-mile, 500-lap race. The second round of time trials is 11:30 a.m. today.
\ CRAVEN ON GN POLE: Ricky Craven knows how to please his sponsor.
Driving for Delaware-based DuPont, Craven won the top starting spot for today's Goodwrench 200 p.m., TNN cable) with a speed of 146.425 mph in his Chevrolet Lumina.
It was his sixth Grand National pole, his first of 1994.
"Being on the pole and being so close to the home of your sponsor is something special," Craven said. "To be able to sit on the pole here is probably as important as any race we run."
Rodney Combs, driving a Richard Petty-owned Pontiac Grand Prix, was second fastest at 146.377 mph, followed by Derrike Cope (filling in for injured Chad Little) at 146.252 mph in a Ford and Bobby Dotter in a Chevy at 146.139 mph.
Little will start the race (from the back of the field), then turn over his car to Cope at the first yellow flag. Little is recovering from a broken leg, broken shoulder and concussion received in a hard crash last week.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB