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

DATE: SATURDAY, June 24, 1995                   TAG: 9506260102
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BRUCE STANTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BRISTOL, TENN.                                  LENGTH: Medium

HENSLEY WILL DRIVE PONTIAC FOR DAVIS' WINSTON CUP TEAM

Jimmy Hensley was a spectator at this year's Daytona 500. His seat at the second Daytona race - the Pepsi 400 on July 1 - will be inside Bill Davis' Pontiac Grand Prix.

Hensley, a Horsepasture resident, picked up his Winston Cup ride Friday after Davis fired rookie driver Randy Lajoie. Lajoie started in 13 of 14 races this season, but he had no top-10 finishes.

``I think it's a good team,'' said Hensley, who was at Bristol International Raceway for Friday night's NASCAR SuperTruck Pizza Plus 150. He qualified fourth in a field of 28 in his first attempt in a SuperTruck.

``I hope I can stay [with Davis' team] long enough to get some cohesion,'' said Hensley, who has 89 career Winston Cup starts but none since he was let go by Ray DeWitt last season. ``I feel it's a good opportunity for me, and hopefully it will work out.''

Hensley also had an offer to drive for car owner Dick Brooks, who fired Greg Sacks last week. But Hensley turned down Brooks because the offer was only for a few races.

Davis was pleased to have the opportunity to sign Hensley.

``Jimmy is an outstanding, experienced driver who has earned a great deal of respect in our industry, and we're fortunate he was available,'' Davis said in a news release. ``We've gotten off to a slow start this season, but we have a team that has been together for years and knows how to turn things around.''

Lajoie had 13 career Winston Cup starts prior to this season and never has finished a race in the top 10.

``As we approached the halfway point of the season, both Randy and I agreed that things weren't working out the way we had hoped,'' Davis said. ``Everybody gave 100 percent to the best of their abilities. It just didn't work out.''

In last year's Pepsi 400 at Daytona, Hensley finished 32nd in a field of 43 cars after qualifying 10th.

Coincidentally, Hensley already was scheduled to be in Daytona Beach, Fla., next week. He will be driving Dale Earnhardt's Chevrolet Monte Carlo around Daytona International Speedway, where the car will be filmed for television commercials.

``That's just the way it worked out,'' said Hensley, who was the 1992 Winston Cup rookie of the year.

As for his goals with the Davis team, Hensley is keeping them basic.

``I just want to make races, have some good, solid runs and finish races,'' he said.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING