Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 2, 1995 TAG: 9504040039
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BRISTOL, TENN. LENGTH: Medium
Today's Food City 500 at Bristol International Raceway is the first of three short-track races this month in which only 36 cars will start instead of 42. And that means more drivers will be going home.
On Saturday, after the second round of time trials, the eight drivers wearing long faces were Jeremy Mayfield, Hut Stricklin, Brad Teague, Mike Wallace, Butch Miller, Joe Nemechek, Steve Kinser and Billy Standridge.
The four provisional starting spots went to Steve Grissom, Michael Waltrip, Ward Burton and Dave Marcis.
Mayfield missed making the race by one-thousandth of a second. His time around this .533-mile oval was 15.666 seconds. And the two drivers just ahead of him, Sterling Marlin and Morgan Shepherd, tied at 15.665 seconds.
Terry Labonte, meanwhile, led the second round of time trials with a speed of 123.261 mph, which would have earned him a tie with Chuck Bown as the 16th-fastest qualifier had he turned that lap on Friday.
But Labonte, Rick Mast and Randy LaJoie were not allowed to qualify in Friday's first round after NASCAR officials determined their cars had too much camber in their rear ends.
LaJoie qualified 24th, while Mast was 30th fastest.
Dale Earnhardt was one of nine drivers who qualified below the top 20 on Friday but decided to stand on his time. After Saturday's second round, Earnhardt slipped from 23rd to 25th fastest. But as reigning champion, Earnhardt does not have to pit on the backstretch like the rest of the cars that qualified 19th or worse.
The Winston Cup champion gets to pit wherever he wants. And Earnhardt's team selected, as it almost always does, the first pit on the front stretch.
IRVAN'S HOPES AND PLANS: After another test on the race track, this time at North Wilkesboro Speedway in a NASCAR super truck, Ernie Irvan is more antsy than ever to get back into a race car.
``It gets worse every day,'' Irvan said.
Irvan took two of his trucks to North Wilkesboro and ``tested all day Monday'' at North Wilkesboro with the driver of his truck, Joe Ruttman, because he wanted to practice with another vehicle on the track. He returned Thursday by himself for more practice.
He's still driving with one eye, but said ``it was really not a problem.'' He will be back on the track again in about two weeks when he and Dale Jarrett test a couple of Robert Yates road-racing Winston Cup cars at Road Atlanta.
Irvan is more convinced than ever he can successfully return to the track.
``Two months ago, I thought I could do it, but I didn't know,'' he said. ``Now, there's not any doubt in my mind I could line up for Sears Point'' in May. I'll probably go racing in another month or so in my truck. My doctors haven't released me to race, but that will probably happen in a week or so.''
RUDD'S TEAM FINED: Ricky Rudd's crew chief, Bill Ingle, was fined $1,000 on Saturday after NASCAR officials confiscated an A-frame and ball joint assembly that was offset, which is a no-no in the Winston Cup series. The disallowed part was found during an inspection Friday.
``If I owe 'em $1,000, I'll pay 'em $1,000,'' Ingle said. Rudd qualified 13th for today's race.
THE FUTURE IS GORDON: Jeff Gordon has been selected by GQ magazine as 39th on a list of 50 men who will have the greatest impact on American sports in the 21st century.
In an article titled: ``Fifty for the Future,'' GQ said Gordon, 23, is ``not your stock car ---kicker. He's handsome, personable, successful and fits in perfectly with NASCAR's plan to merchandise itself NBA-style.''
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB