Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 2, 1995 TAG: 9504040040
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BRISTOL, TENN. LENGTH: Medium
Martin led twice for 196 of the 250 laps on Bristol International Raceway's 0.533-mile oval, but his Ford was no match at the end for Grissom's Chevrolet.
``The longer we ran, the better our car got,'' said Grissom, who started 18th in the 36-car field but gradually worked his way up through the pack. Once he passed Martin, Grissom was unchallenged the rest of the way.
He was about 12 car-lengths ahead of Martin when a spin by Patty Moise brought out a caution flag with 11 laps left. The caution bunched the field for a seven-lap sprint, but once again, Grissom pulled clear of the field.
As Grissom came around to take the white flag for the final lap, Elton Sawyer, Phil Parsons and Jim Bown tangled at the exit of the fourth turn. Grissom negotiated through the wreckage and took the white flag. The race ended under caution.
``You come up on cars so quick at Bristol, you really have to be on your toes,'' said Grissom, who won $21,585 with his ninth career Grand National victory but his first since Milwaukee on July 4, 1993.
Chad Little was third, his fifth top-10 finish in seven races this season.
Little spent most of the race in second place, within several feet of Martin's rear bumper. But handling problems ended up costing Little a shot at his third victory of 1995.
``It just got a little tight there the last 60 laps,'' he said.
Martin, who led a 135-lap stretch before being overtaken by Grissom, said tire wear was his downfall.
``We wore the tires out trying to outrun them,'' he said. ``I didn't have anything left there at the end.'' But at least he didn't lose this one in embarrassing fashion. In last year's Goody's 250, he was leading in the closing laps when the race went under caution, and all he had to do was follow the pace car around the track at 35 mph for two laps before he got the checkered flag.
But, on the final lap, Martin pulled off the track about 200 yards short of the start-finish line and headed for Victory Lane, mistakenly believing he had completed the 250 laps.
The victory, instead, was awarded to David Green.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB