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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 15, 1995                   TAG: 9502160015
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA.                                LENGTH: Medium

WALTRIP SITS ON HIS TIME AND GN POLE

Michael Waltrip won the pole position Tuesday for the Goody's 300 NASCAR Grand National race at Daytona International Speedway.

Waltrip, the first of 56 drivers to attempt to qualify for Saturday's 300-mile race, reached 185.326 mph in his Pontiac Grand Prix, then sat back to watch what everyone else could do.

``It was a long wait,'' he said after claiming the pole for the second consecutive year. ``We knew we would be real good. When I went out to pit road, I thought we would probably sit on the pole. But I thought we would run faster than we did. So after we ran, I thought three or four others would beat us.''

When the session was over almost two hours later, four drivers had come within a fraction of a mile per hour of Waltrip, but no one had beaten him.

``I was almost right,'' Waltrip said. ``I could have been fifth just about as easy as first.''

Dale Jarrett, who will sit on the pole for Sunday's Daytona 500 Winston Cup race, was second fastest in a Ford at 185.303 mph.

``It was close,'' Jarrett said. ``We just didn't quite get there.''

Jarrett was followed by Jeff Green (185.136 mph), Mike McLaughlin (185.082) and Jeff Purvis (185.060), all in Chevrolets.

Also in the top 10 were Chesapeake's Elton Sawyer at 184.445 mph in a Ford, Derrike Cope (184.294) in a Ford, Jason Keller (183.985) in a Chevy, Mike Wallace (183.872) in a Ford and Larry Pearson (183.797) in a Chevy. (Results on Scoreboard. B2).

MORE ENGINE WOES: Rick Mast's engine troubles continued Tuesday.

After repairing one of the four engines Mast broke Friday and Saturday, the team re-installed it in his Ford Thunderbird and sent him back onto the track Tuesday morning.

``We made three laps in practice and it busted,'' said the driver from Rockbridge Baths, Va. ``Cracked the block.''

Mast said his team is repairing another of the other four engines he broke, ``but the other two they can't get fixed. They're going to bring it down tonight, but that's all we've got left, other than that pit-practice motor.''

Mast did not try to requalify in the third round of time trials Tuesday, so he'll start in 28th place in the second Twin 125 qualifying race Thursday.

He's not particularly optimistic about the coming weekend. ``Just waitin' on Rockingham'' on Feb.26 he said. Mast finished second behind Dale Earnhardt at Rockingham in the fall.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING

by CNB