Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, August 27, 1994 TAG: 9408310029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BRISTOL, TENN. LENGTH: Medium
It was Wallace's first victory since March, 1992.
Wallace, who started seventh, didn't take the lead until lap 165 of the 250-lap event, but the race was all his after that. He led the final 86 laps and crossed the finish line 6.92 seconds ahead of Ken Schrader.
``We haven't won this year, so this is important,'' Wallace said. ``This is a big win.''
Grand National championship leader David Green was third, followed by Ricky Craven and Dick Trickle.
Mark Martin, driving the Grand National car owned by Irvan, who was critically hurt in a crash during practice at Michigan last weekend, finished 10th but completed all 250 laps. Martin was the last driver on the lead lap.
Green drove a consistent, methodical race, and gave himself 44 more points in his lead for the Grand National championship race. Green now has a 112-point lead over Ricky Craven and Hermie Sadler, who are tied for second.
With old-timer Harry Gant leading the way from the pole position, the first four drivers on the starting grid were in cars using Hoosier tires.
But for Hoosier, the spotlight was extinguished early in the race.
Gant and Jeff Purvis, who started fourth, dropped out with engine problems. Tommy Houston, who started on the outside pole, broke a shock mount after colliding with another car. And Dirk Stephens, who started third, crashed with three other cars on lap 26.
Gant, after winning the pole at 123.364 mph, led the first 48 laps and 58 in all. But his race was over before the race was 100 laps old when his engine lost a cylinder. He dropped out after 92 laps and finished 28th.
``Oh man, them Hoosiers had me worried big time,'' said Wallace, who was on Goodyear tires. ``I was praying for the Hoosiers to give up. They were so fast, my neck was about to fall off. I just couldn't keep up with them. But they finally gave up.''
There were six yellow flags for 41 laps, mostly for spins and minor crashes. No one was hurt.
For Wallace, an even bigger challenge comes tonight in the Goody's 500 Winston Cup race, when he will start Irvan's car for the first time. He has competed in only one other Winston Cup race here.
``I'm excited about it,'' Wallace said. ``We qualified the car 15th, so that means we pit on the front stretch. We come up here with nothing and we've only raced a Winston Cup car here one time. But that car is awesome and everybody knows it. But tomorrow night will be just like tonight. You've got to get things strung out to where we can go racing.''
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB