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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 4, 1995                   TAG: 9501040084
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

FORDS GET ON TRACK AT DAYTONA

The NASCAR Winston Cup series has wasted no time getting down to business in 1995. There was a flurry of activity around the Southeast on Tuesday, highlighted by the first January test at Daytona International Speedway.

Rain limited the Ford test at Daytona to 90 minutes Tuesday morning, but Dale Jarrett - replacing injured Ernie Irvan in the

Robert Yates Ford - eagerly attacked the speedway at the first opportunity and led the pack with a quick lap of 189.633 mph.

Morgan Shepherd was second fastest, at 189.474 mph, followed by Loy Allen (188.917 mph), Derrike Cope (187.500) and Bill Elliott (186.645). These speeds are based on random, hand-timed laps.

The rain-shortened session lasted from 9:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., and nine of the 17 teams present didn't make a fast lap. Teams not running a timed lap included those of Rick Mast, Ted Musgrave, Jimmy Spencer and Shawna Robinson, who will try to qualify for the Feb.19 Daytona 500 in a one-race deal driving a Chris Virtue-owned Ford sponsored by Tombstone Pizza.

While Fords tested at Daytona, Chevrolet teams were shaking down the new Monte Carlos in a closed session at Talladega, and Bobby Hamilton was practicing with Richard Petty's Pontiac at Richmond International Raceway.

Ford testing continues at Daytona through Friday, which was added to make up for Tuesday's rain. General Motors cars start the first of two three-day test sessions Jan.10.

Meanwhile, Indy-car driver Davy Jones will replace Greg Sacks in D.K. Ulrich's Ford with plans to run for rookie

of the year in a full-season campaign.

``I did [the International Race of Champions series] two years in a row and it was the most fun I ever had in my racing career - wheel to wheel, fender to fender ... It'll be a whole new ballgame to me,'' Jones told the Motor Racing Network's Alan Bestwick.

Sacks takes over the Dick Brooks/Sabco Pontiac, and in another recent hiring, Winston West star Mike Chase has signed to drive the Active Racing Chevy.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING

by CNB