Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 10, 1995 TAG: 9502100108
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DENISE MICHAUX LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
David Green and Ward Burton were ready, but their cars failed to pass NASCAR inspection.
Green, who won the 1994 Grand National series title, qualified for the 20-lap sprint race between last season's Winston Cup pole winners by claiming the Busch Pole Award for the Grand National series with nine poles.
Green will be driving a car owned by Ken Schrader. It is the same Chevrolet Lumina that Schrader drove to a third-place finish in this race last season, but it is not the car Green expected to have.
``We thought we would have a Monte Carlo,'' Green said.
With the return of the Monte Carlo, NASCAR made several rule changes affecting the body style of the cars. Green and his Grand National car owner Bobby Labonte were promised the body on the Lumina would be changed at a certain time and ``it didn't get done,'' Labonte said.
``People get too busy and things fall through the cracks,'' Green said.
So, Green's car rolled into the inspection area with a frame that was legal for 1994, but not for 1995.
Schrader and Labonte rolled up their sleeves and spent five hours behind closed doors fixing the car.
``It was just little things,'' Schrader said. ``We've just about got it done.''
Today's practice is limited to Winston Cup cars, so Green must spend another day in the garage before getting behind the wheel for the first time on Saturday, one day before he makes his Winston Cup debut.
``It shouldn't need much setup,'' Green said of the car. ``It is just like [Schrader] ran it in the Clash a year ago. We figure if we can spend the time [Thursday] and an hour on the car [today] through an eight-hour day at the track, instead of trying to do it in 10 minutes to get on the track [Thursday] for a few laps, we are better off.
``When you ... go out there and something isn't right, you don't just bend a fender, you destroy stuff.''
Green's car troubles, and his draw at the rear of the field, had him more than a little tense Thursday.
``Whenever I get down about it, I think about me and my Slim Jim team,'' Green said. ``The hard job is done. I won the Busch Pole Award and I'll get my money.
``We don't have to qualify. If we had to qualify we'd have had a problem.''
Green will get at least $10,000 for starting the race.
``Really, we are just an hour down,'' Schrader said.
Burton wasn't quite as confident about losing that hour.
``It's not the best way to start,'' Burton said.
NASCAR found problems with the air intake on Burton's Clash and Winston Cup cars. The edges on the intake in Burton's car had been rounded off Instead of having cornered edges.
``It didn't have anything to do with the performance, they just didn't like it,'' said Burton, who just added the sponsorship of Newport News-based Ferguson Enterprises to his Chevrolet Monte Carlo. ``We found a machine shop that is going to work overtime on it tonight [Thursday]. We should be ready to go [this] morning.''
Burton, of Scottsburg, Va., drew the 11th starting position and earned a spot by winning the Mello Yello 500 pole in Charlotte last season.
``Everybody else got an extra day of practice, so yeah, it sets you back,'' Burton said. ``It's not a good mental feeling either, but we'll get over it.''
Burton can get on the track today because he is a Winston Cup driver.
Green and Burton weren't the only ones with inspection problems Thursday. NASCAR forced a number of teams, primarily Pontiacs and Fords, to shave off some of the fiberglass from their rear bumpers. And inspectors confiscated the foam rubber filling from the gas tanks on several cars, apparently because holes had been carved in the foam in an effort to allow more gas in the tank.
BODINE ON POLE: Geoff Bodine killed all the drama of the Busch Clash draw Thursday when he drew the pole on the first try. Dale Earnhardt will be on the outside of Row 1, followed by Ted Musgrave, Jimmy Spencer and defending champion Jeff Gordon.
SCHACHT TAKES ARCA POLE: Bob Schacht turned a lap of 194.305 mph to claim the pole for Sunday's ARCA 200. Jeff Purvis was second with a lap of 193.769.
Bob Zeller contributed to this report.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB