Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 18, 1995 TAG: 9502220026
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DENISE MICHAUX LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
Dale Earnhardt survived a last-lap scrape with Al Unser Jr. on Friday to earn his third trip to Victory Lane this week at Daytona International Speedway with a win in the 100-mile IROC series season opener.
Unser opened up a lead of two car-lengths heading through turns 1 and 2 on the final lap of the 40-lap race. But as Earnhardt and the rest of the pack closed in down the backstretch, Unser tried to take a low line and then move back up to block Earnhardt.
``We were on him,'' Earnhardt said. ``My front end was just about up into his right rear tire. He came on over and got into me.''
Unser went spinning into the outside retaining wall as Earnhardt led Scott Pruett and Ken Schrader to the finish line. Ricky Rudd and Rusty Wallace completed the top five.
``We opened the gap up a little bit too much in [turns] 1 and 2,'' said Unser, who was uninjured. ``That train was coming so I was trying to guess which direction they were going to pass me on. They faked low and went high. When I went up high, Dale already had his front end underneath my rear quarterpanel and that's what spun me.''
The incident was similar to one that occurred between these two drivers last season.
``I ran into the same thing last year, except Dale blocked me,'' Unser said. ``Last year I lifted. This year Dale didn't. I was trying too hard to win this thing.''
Earnhardt won this race last year with Unser running second.
Unser led 22 laps of the tightly contested invitation-only all-star event that had 14 lead changes among five drivers. Rudd, the pole-sitter, was the first of the Winston Cup brigade to lead when he worked his way to the front on lap 16.
But passing was a problem for everyone.
``I just couldn't get a dancing partner,'' Rudd said. ``I'd get to about third in line on the inside and then I'd go to the back. I couldn't get anybody to go with me.''
Jeff Gordon, driving this series for the first time, powered his pink Dodge from the rear to the front and took the lead from Rudd on lap 17.
Earnhardt overtook Gordon two laps later and when Gordon left the draft to make another charge for the front, he was left hanging and fell to the rear of the field.
``I'm still amazed at how equally these cars are prepared,'' Gordon said of the Dodge Avengers being used this season.
``It was probably the best evenly-matched they've had these cars in a long time,'' Rudd said.
by CNB