Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 17, 1995 TAG: 9508170038
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Irvan asked for appearance money from Richmond, and track president Paul Sawyer and crew were so turned off by the request, they not only denied it, they went public with it.
Irvan's request, made through a business agent, was for $50,000 and a free spot to park his souvenir rig in exchange for a percentage of the proceeds from merchandise sold in connection with a comeback tour.
``It looks to me like it's profiteering from a medical issue,'' track spokesman Dave Fulton said. ``I find it pretty disgusting.''
Fulton said Richmond has never paid any driver to race and it's not about to start now. ``Paul Sawyer does not pay money to drivers to come to race at his race track,'' Fulton said.
Said Irvan, ``I help put people in the grandstands, so why shouldn't I get some of the money? I go to Ford dealers all the time and they pay me `X' amount of money to sign autographs. That helps them sell cars. This is the same thing.
``These Winston Cup tracks get spoiled because they know we've got to be there. But I'm not on any [NASCAR bonus] program. If I can't come back next year, where's my paycheck going to come from?''
Irvan is expected to announce his return to competition in the NASCAR SuperTruck series, ``but you can bet it won't be Richmond when we come back,'' he said. The fall swing includes truck races as companion events to Winston Cup races at Richmond, Martinsville and North Wilkesboro.
ANOTHER FINE MESS: Bill Elliott's crew chief, Mike Beam, was fined $20,000 by NASCAR Winston Cup director Gary Nelson for using an unapproved part at Watkins Glen during the past weekend.
``We determined Monday, after Gary had time to look at it, that there was unapproved material on the inner liner of the deck lid. The outer portion of the deck lid was standard,'' said NASCAR spokesman Kevin Triplett.
NASCAR officials confiscated the lid after a magnet failed to stick to the underside of the deck lid, which reportedly was made of carbon fiber instead of steel.
PAVING THE WAY: Ultrasmooth Indianapolis Motor Speedway doesn't seem to need repaving, but it's going to get it anyway.
Officials at the world's most famous race track announced late last week that the entire race surface will be replaced. The old surface, laid after the 1988 Indy 500, has seen only seven years of racing.
Track workers also are extending the Northeast Vista grandstand, located outside turn 3, several hundred feet down the backstretch while replacing the inside wall along the backstretch, moving it several more feet away from the track.
Before repaving, track officials will strip 3 inches of pavement off the top, install a water drainage system under the track and put a fresh 3-inch layer of custom asphalt on the surface.
``This effort will improve drainage, eliminate `weepers' [surface water leaks], make the track easier to dry and provide for an even smoother racing surface,'' said IMS engineer Kevin Forbes.
GOING DOWN: Most of the significant moves in the Winston Cup points during the past few months have been downward.
The only notable gainers have been leader Jeff Gordon, who was fourth in points after Charlotte, and Elliott, who has moved from 18th after Dover to 10th.
On the way down:
Dale Earnhardt, first after Pocono in July, is now fourth.
Steve Grissom, 14th after Pocono in July, is now 20th.
Bobby Hamilton, seventh after Charlotte, is now 14th.
Bobby Labonte, sixth after winning at Michigan, is now 11th.
Darrell Waltrip, 14th after Charlotte, is now 21st.
Derrike Cope, sixth after Bristol, is now 17th.
But no driver has had a more interesting ride than Dale Jarrett.
He struggled during the first part of the year, but his situation really didn't get bad until the early summer. After all, he stayed in the top 10 in points from the Daytona 500 through Sears Point in May.
Three races and three did-not-finishes later, he was 17th. Jarrett since has climbed back to as high as 12th. He's now 13th.
by CNB