Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 20, 1995 TAG: 9505220044
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CONCORD, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Labonte had a pole-winning average of 139.817 mph - the speed for three laps plus a two-tire pit stop. The speed was all the more impressive because Labonte's pit stop was 10th fastest of the 15 drivers to qualify.
``He did it all himself on the race track,'' crew chief Jimmy Makar said. ``We had a lug nut hang up on the right rear [tire] and it took a little extra time - a second or so - to get it on. That's a big give-up.''
For Labonte, a certain amount of ignorance was bliss in this qualifying session. He never had been in this type of a qualifying session. He joined the Winston Cup series after the advent of pit road speed limits, so he never had been down pit road at full speed.
So all Labonte did was go out and pull off the fastest lap, as well as the fastest pit road entry, of anyone in the session.
``I knew I was kinda behind the eight ball,'' Labonte said. ``But I thought this might play into my hands because I didn't know what to expect.
``I think I'm pretty lucky. I've never been down pit road that hard in my life. But it got stopped in time and I didn't hit anybody or anything. It really wasn't that bad of a lap on the track, either.''
Rusty Wallace, whose team had the fastest pit stop at 9.78 seconds, won the outside pole in his Ford with an average speed of 139.299. Dale Jarrett will start third in another Ford after posting an average speed of 138.862. Dale Earnhardt starts fourth in a Chevy at 138.841, while Sterling Marlin is fifth, also in a Chevy, at 137.520. (Results in Scoreboard. B5)
Labonte's pit stop was 11.88 seconds, but his first lap around the 1.5-mile speedway was 180.276 - the fastest among anyone.
Actually, he's in this all-star race more or less by default because he didn't win a race last year, which is the primary way to get in. But Labonte qualified because Dale Jarrett won driving Labonte's Joe Gibbs-owned car in the fall race.
``I'm kinda here, but I'm kinda not supposed to be here,'' he said. ``They're really going to be mad at me now. I didn't win a race to get in, but that's what the rules say.''
Michael Waltrip won the pole for the Winston Select Open with a speed of 180.108 in his Pontiac Grand Prix. Lake Speed took the outside pole in a Ford at 179.754.
Thirty-six cars will start the preliminary event to The Winston Select. The top five finishers will qualify for the final five positions in the 20-car Winston Select field.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB