Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 28, 1995 TAG: 9510310023
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PHOENIX LENGTH: Medium
``It seems like we've been riding a roller coaster this year, and today my thoughts are on my nephew Casey, who's back in Houston going through a real tough time again,'' Elliott said after winning his second pole of 1995 with a track-record speed of 130.020 mph in his Ford Thunderbird. (Qualifying in Scoreboard. B6)
``Sometimes you think it's the end of the world when you don't qualify on the pole or in the top 20,'' he said. ``This kinda puts it in perspective. The boy is 21, and he had a good racing career started and he hasn't been able to pursue that. It's been tough on all of us.''
Elliott's lap, run under a blazing sun and a blue Arizona sky, was the first over 130 mph on the one-mile oval for a stock car. Dale Earnhardt won the outside pole in a Chevy Monte Carlo with a speed of 129.964 mph.
Jeff Gordon was third fastest in a Chevy at 129.786 mph, followed by Rick Mast of Rockbridge Baths in a Ford at 129.772 mph and Mark Martin in a Ford at 129.594 mph.
The rest of the top 10 included Rusty Wallace in sixth at 129.520 mph, Brett Bodine in a Ford at 129.468 mph, Bobby Hamilton in a the fastest Pontiac at 129.190 mph, Morgan Shepherd in a Ford at 129.083 mph and Kyle Petty in a Pontiac at 129.074 mph.
Ernie Irvan, who failed to qualify for last weekend's race at Rockingham after a crash in practice, had no trouble making Sunday's race here, qualifying 14th in his Ford at 128.650 mph.
The time of Elliott's pole-winning lap was 27.688 seconds.
``Of all the things that could have happened in qualifying, this wasn't what I expected,'' Elliott said.
Just as unexpected were the new health problems confronting Casey Elliott, who is the son of Bill's brother and engine builder, Ernie.
Just before the Charlotte race earlier this month, the young Elliott had gotten a ``pretty good bill of health'' from his doctors in Houston,'' Bill said. But a week ago Friday night, during the Rockingham race weekend, ``Casey had problems at home and they had to carry him to the doctors that Friday night.''
And this past Monday, Casey's family flew him back to Houston.
``They found another tumor in his head,'' Elliott said. ``Now they're trying to figure out what to do in that situation. They don't know how they're going to treat it yet.
``You get a little bit of good news and you think things are going to be OK, and then you get totally knocked down in this other situation.''
Elliott said his brother had flown to Houston to be with his son and won't be here this weekend.
``One thing about Casey - he's got a good, positive attitude,'' Elliott said. ``I wish I had a 10th of what he's got. The situation he's going through is just not fair. But life's not fair, anyway.''
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB