Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 5, 1995 TAG: 9503070078
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Less than an hour before embarking on his jaunt to victory in the 250 at Richmond International Raceway, Wallace failed to qualify for today's Pontiac Excitement 400 Winston Cup race.
``I would give up the win just to make the Cup race,'' he said. ``I'm not lying. I was thinking about it the whole time I was out there today. I wish [brother] Mike [Wallace] had won the race and I finished second and made the Cup race.''
Although Mike Wallace led 25 laps, he eventually finished 13th while brother Kenny beat Terry Labonte to the finish line by .78 seconds or about eight car lengths. Johnny Benson was third, followed by Mike McLaughlin and Jason Keller. Stevie Reeves, Tommy Houston, Bobby Dotter and Phil Parsons also finished on the lead lap.
Parsons, however, managed to get only the nose of his car across the finish line after becoming involved in a multi-car crash at the checkered flag. Randy Porter's demolished Ford came to a halt just short of the line, which meant he finished 10th, a lap down.
Wallace's desire to trade the win for a starting spot in the 400 would have been granted, ironically enough, if the foul weather that has plagued this race weekend would have been foul enough to prevent the race from happening.
If it had rained or snowed all day, as it did Friday, Wallace would have not raced in the 250, but he also would not have had to qualify for the 400. And if qualifying for the 400 had been washed out, Wallace would have made the event on the basis of the postmark date on his entry blank.
It was overcast and threatening all afternoon, but the day's full schedule was completed. And for Wallace, that meant grand failure followed by grand success.
The key moment came on lap 200 of the 250-lap event. Benson had led the previous 28 laps, with Wallace on his bumper. But when two cars spun in the third and fourth turns, it became a race to the yellow flag. But in their way were about four other cars that had slowed drastically.
Wallace dodged and weaved and found a hole and scooted under the yellow just ahead of Benson to take the lead, which he never gave up.
``I just went through some people,'' Wallace said. ``I was very aggressive, but I thought it would be very important. I knew I was faster than Johnny. But I thought Johnny was running just good enough to keep me from passing him.''
Wallace led 95 laps, including the last 51. Mark Martin led 83 laps during the first half of the race but dropped out on lap 104 with engine failure.
Chad Little, who won the season's first two races, led 13 laps but retired on lap 170 when his engine failed. He finished 32nd in the 38-car field and dropped to third in Grand National points, trailing Terry Labonte and Benson.
A FRANK ANSWER: Pontiac 400 pole winner Jeff Gordon, when asked yet again to compare the new Chevrolet Monte Carlo with last year's Lumina, said: ``I think it's a big improvement. It kind of wakes us up to how bad the Lumina was.''
RAGING ILLNESS: Derrike Cope's Grand National team had to withdraw from Saturday's race because too many members of the team were ailing from pneumonia.
by CNB