Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 9, 1995 TAG: 9509110104
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
With Jeff Gordon pulling further and further away in the Winston Cup championship race, Dale Earnhardt did what he had to do Friday afternoon at Richmond International Raceway.
Earnhardt won the pole for tonight's Miller 400 with a lap of 122.543 mph in his Chevrolet Monte Carlo, beating Gordon, who reached 122.455 mph in his Chevy.
But the big surprise of the session was old Dave Marcis, who qualified sixth with a lap of 122.277 mph after some help Friday from Earnhardt and his crew chief, Andy Petree.
For Marcis, Friday's performance was his best qualifying effort in 1995 and his first top-10 starting position.
``We weren't going anywhere and Andy Petree gave us a hand,'' he said. ``We changed the whole car today after we talked to Andy and it really picked us up.''
Marcis went out second in the qualifying order, Earnhardt was third and Gordon went fourth.
``We were concerned as time went on that [the track] would get faster,'' Earnhardt said. ``I hate to qualify early. Then again, sometimes I hate to qualify late because it puts pressure on you.
``But it might have been a good deal to go out close to first and go ahead and get it over with while you're calm and relaxed.''
It was Earnhardt's third pole of the season and the 20th of his career.
And it comes at a time when he needs to do such things to have any chance of catching Gordon for the title. Earnhardt is third, 294 points behind Gordon.
``It's going to be Gordon's to lose from here on and ours to gain,'' he said.
Said Gordon: ``I had a real good lap going and I got a little wide off turn 4. I had to jump out of the gas a tiny bit, and that might have messed that lap up.''
Behind Earnhardt and Gordon, Ken Schrader was third fastest at 122.410 mph in his Chevy, Robert Pressley was fourth in another Chevy at 122.332 and Mark Martin was fifth in the fastest Ford Thunderbird at 122.305.
Marcis has the sixth starting spot, followed by Rusty Wallace in a Ford at 122.211 mph, Sterling Marlin in a Chevy at 122.128, Bobby Hamilton in the fastest Pontiac Grand Prix at 122.039 and Ted Musgrave in a Ford at 122.012.
At the other end of the lineup and in danger of needing a provisional starting spot or not making the race at all were Morgan Shepherd, who was 34th fastest, followed by Jay Hedgecock, Lake Speed, Ricky Craven, Mike Wallace, Jimmy Spencer, Steve Grissom, Shane Hall (in Dick Brooks' No.40 Pontiac), Jeremy Mayfield, Ed Berrier and Eric Smith.
The field will include the fastest 34 qualifiers and four provisional starters, who will be determined after a second round of time trials at 4 p.m. today.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB