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

DATE: SUNDAY, October 9, 1994                   TAG: 9410110034
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: D-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CONCORD, N.C.                                LENGTH: Medium

DRIVERS STILL PLAYING MUSICAL CHAIRS FOR '95

In the never-ending season of driver changes, several issues have been settled this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but new ones cropped up immediately.

A week after saying there was no way he was going to the No.28 drive Robert Yates' Ford Thunderbird next year, Dale Jarrett confirmed here Saturday that things had changed.

``An offer has been made to me'' to take over for injured Ernie Irvan in Yates' Ford, Jarrett said. ``I've taken it to Joe [Gibbs].''

To get the highly touted Yates ride, Jarrett will have to negotiate his way out of the contract he has with Gibbs, his car owner.

While Junior Johnson announced his deal with Brett Bodine and Lowe's, and Jimmy Spencer's plans to move to the Travis Carter team were confirmed, the situation with Kyle Petty and the Felix Sabates team became less than sure.

With that team's split from sponsor Mello Yello, there have been rumors Petty will leave the team. But there also are rumors Petty will stay.

Sabates said Thursday that Petty will stay with him. But Petty is not bound to Sabates by a contract, so he's more or less a free agent.

Sabates' new sponsor is said to be Coors beer.

Although it has not been announced, John Andretti's anticipated move to the new Kranefuss-Haas team (where he also will have an Indianapolis 500 ride) would leave Richard Petty searching for a driver.

Among those available for Petty's consideration are Lake Speed, Hut Stricklin and Ridgeway's Jimmy Hensley. And Bobby Labonte's situation still is in flux, given car owner Bill Davis' difficulties in lining up a sponsor to replace Maxwell House.

Some rumors have Labonte going to Bud Moore's Ford, which Speed is leaving. But others have him going to Gibbs' Chevy, which might happen only if Jarrett leaves. And the absolute latest rumor, which could be put in the category of pure speculation, has Petty driving Davis' Pontiac next year.

BODINE QUICKEST: Geoff Bodine led the unofficial speed parade in the final Winston Cup practice Saturday for today's race, circling this 1.5-mile track at 180.361 mph. Bodine will start sixth.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING

by CNB