Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 29, 1995 TAG: 9506290093
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ORLANDO, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
You'll hear no championship talk from guys like defending 400 champion Jimmy Spencer, who is mired in 36th place in the Winston Cup points standings, and Brett Bodine, who is 21st.
But you will hear phrases like ``turn it around'' and ``hopefully regrouping'' and the inevitable ``just need some luck.''
The 400 is the almost-halfway point of the NASCAR season (next weekend's New Hampshire race is the actual halfway point). But because it marks the return to Daytona, where the season always starts, most teams view the race as the beginning of the second half.
And Spencer and Bodine both see the second half as a second chance.
``The Smokin' Joe's team has not had a good year by any means,''Spencer said Wednesday during a news conference at Universal Studios. ``Too many mistakes ... but we finally turned it around four or five races ago.''
One year ago in the 400, driving for Junior Johnson, Spencer won his first Winston Cup race. But last February, he crashed in his Twin 125 qualifying race and did not make the 500.
``That day, I guess I can't even describe my feelings,'' Spencer said. ``It hurt us all year. But I think finally we reached a turning point at Bristol and I think right now we're on the upswing.''
Both Spencer and Bodine will be using engines leased from Jack Roush for the restrictor plate races at Daytona and Talladega in July.
``I feel like the second half of the season is going to show some improvements,'' Bodine said. ``We got behind as far as our race cars were concerned, but we've got some new cars on the way and hopefully we'll break out in the next couple of races.''
Bodine's season also got off to a dismal start at Daytona in February when NASCAR inspectors found an unapproved manifold in his Junior Johnson Ford engine.
``Needless to say, our superspeedway program has been pretty dismal this year,'' he said. ``It has definitely been our weak link. Our engine shop was geared around a certain combination and that combination wouldn't work without that manifold.
``Right now, we're planning on running a Banjo Matthews car with Jack Roush engines. We did come down here a couple of weeks ago and tested. We really needed to work hard on the program.''
Bodine's team also was knocked for a loop when crew chief Mike Beam and two other team members left in February. Johnson has not replaced Beam. ``The shakeup with the team set us back,'' he said. ``It hurt this race team very deeply.''
As far as the vacant crew chief's position, ``we're kinda all working together on it,'' Bodine said.
Pole qualifying for the 400 is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. today.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB