Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 29, 1994 TAG: 9410310052
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PHOENIX LENGTH: Medium
And considering the troubles that have dogged the Petty team in this winless season, it was not surprising that the press conference itself seemed slightly out of whack.
Sabates tried to start the presentation at 5 p.m. (EDT), but Winston Cup practice had been extended 15 minutes and the cars on the track drowned him out. He had to quit and wait another 10 minutes. To complicate matters, the podium speaker sounded fuzzy.
And then when Petty himself rose to speak, he noted that ``the way the press conference started'' was a good example of how 1994 had gone for the team.
Petty said he was happy to have backing from Coors, then added: ``I've run a lot of good sponsors out of racing. When you run Coca-Cola out, you've pretty much run them all out.''
Petty said that with his previous sponsor, Mello Yello, he was trying to reach the 9- to 14-year-old crowd. The target audience obviously will be older now.
``I've been on the Pampers tour for the last four or five years,'' Petty said. ``At least now I don't have to go to day-care centers for public appearances.''
His comments got a lot of laughs, and more than a few raised eyebrows.
And Coors, which will use its Coors Light brand on the new blue, gray and white Pontiac, still has some work to do.
``We don't have a lot of details on our marketing plans yet because this came together just over the last few weeks,'' Coors president W. Leo Kiely III said.
Some Winston Cup observers have been less than thrilled with the Coors/Sabates alliance because other teams needed the high-profile sponsorship more than Sabates, who had three more years on his contract with Coke, but was granted his request to be released from it.
JARRETT STILL WAITING: Dale Jarrett said Friday he still is waiting for word from team owner Joe Gibbs as to whether he will be released from his contract to drive the No.28 Ford Thunderbird owned by Robert Yates.
Jarrett has two more years on his contract with Gibbs, but has been offered by Yates to fill in next year for injured Ernie Irvan.
``It hasn't changed,'' Jarrett said. ``Joe and I talked briefly earlier this week, but nothing was resolved. He said he was trying to accommodate me.''
Bill Davis, meanwhile, still is trying to find a sponsor to replace Maxwell House, which will leave the sport at the end of the season.
``We're close, but no sale yet,'' said Davis, who reportedly is negotiating with a major financial institution.
Davis had been negotiating with Coors, until Sabates became involved.
ANOTHER HEAD INJURY: Irvan is in Phoenix this weekend keeping close tabs on his team. He is still wearing a patch over his left eye, but is getting around quite well.
Meanwhile, Page Jones, the son of racing legend Parnelli Jones, is having a much slower recovery from his head injury, but is making progress. Page's older brother, P.J., was 37th fastest in the first round of qualifying Friday.
Page Jones was critically injured in a sprint car accident last month at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
``Page is showing improvement every day,'' his mother, Judy, said in a note faxed to the raceway on Wednesday. ``His eyes are open most of the afternoon and night [he is a night person] and he tracks people, things and noises. He responds to some commands and is showing signs of completely waking up soon.''
by CNB