
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, May 21, 1995                   TAG: 9505230039
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CONCORD, N.C.                                LENGTH: Medium

EARNHARDT SILVER, BUT GORDON GOLD

Jeff Gordon probably would have won The Winston Select anyway, but it didn't hurt that half the field wrecked trying to catch or pass him.

Gordon led all three segments of the all-star event at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night and sailed to victory by 1.07 seconds over Sterling Marlin.

``This Chevrolet Monte Carlo was bad to the bone,'' Gordon hollered into his radio as he circled the 1.5-mile track after taking the checkered flag. ``Ain't nobody was going to stop us tonight.''

And say goodbye to the quick, short life of the silver-and-orange edition of Dale Earnhardt's Chevy. During driver introductions, Earnhardt wore a silver leather jacket that looked more like a moon suit.

His driving was unusually spacey, too. First, Earnhardt was unable to escape the wake of a crash involving Ken Schrader and Jimmy Spencer in the second segment.

Later in the same segment, he tapped Dale Jarrett in the back and sent Jarrett spinning into the wall in a crash that also involved Mark Martin and Todd Bodine.

Then, after charging into the lead on the first lap of the final segment, Earnhardt wrecked again when he lost control in the fourth turn while battling Darrell Waltrip for the lead.

``I got loose and lost it,'' said Earnhardt, nursing a twisted ankle. ``I got into Darrell. He was on the outside of me.''

That fact that it was Marlin who inherited the opportunity to challenge Gordon in the final 10 laps was indicative of how badly the field had been depleted. Marlin was driving a backup after wrecking his primary car in an afternoon practice session.

No one was hurt in any of the crashes, although Earnhardt left the track with a sore ankle and Waltrip had the wind knocked out of him.

``It would have been tough if Earnhardt and Darrell hadn't wrecked,'' Gordon said. ``I would have liked to have raced them. But I think they both knew we had the car to beat.''

In the first segment, Gordon ran away from the field and won by 3.1 seconds over Ricky Rudd.

In the second segment, after the field was inverted, Gordon battled from the rear and took the lead by passing Dick Trickle on the outside of turn 2 on the 17th lap. This time, Gordon crossed the line 1.47 seconds ahead of Waltrip.

Earlier, as the sun was setting behind the main grandstands, Todd Bodine charged from eighth place with 13 laps to go to win the Winston Select Open and qualify for the main event.

Bodine was followed by Schrader, Robert Pressley, Mike Wallace and Lake Speed, who also qualified.

There were four crashes in the 50-lap event, including a six-car melee in turn 4 on the first lap when Ward Burton hit the outside wall in front of the rear portion of the field. Delma Cowart, Jeremy Mayfield, Chuck Bown, Pancho Carter and Jay Hedgecock couldn't avoid the ensuing trouble.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING

by CNB