Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 30, 1995 TAG: 9510300106
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PHOENIX LENGTH: Medium
After Irvan had led more than 100 laps of the Dura-Lube 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, the record crowd of more than 100,000 fans had to be wondering whether this sunny, warm day in the desert would be the day he returned to Victory Lane.
But on lap 196, his Ford Thunderbird slowed on the mile track and smoke emerged from the rear end.
Irvan tried the ignition boxes, but the car still wouldn't run. Car owner Robert Yates speculated on the radio the engine must have lost a valve.
``It feels like more than one cylinder,'' Irvan said. ``I'll go right on to the garage.''
And that was as far as he went. After leading 111 consecutive laps, including a full 80-lap run following a two-tire pit stop, Irvan was done for the day.
His run was all the more impressive because it came in his backup car. Irvan crashed his primary car in Saturday's final practice.
``This is the same motor we did all our practice with, so maybe we ran it just a little too long. But it was running great while it lasted,'' Irvan said.
``This meant a lot today. I was happy to see that I still had the patience I used to have to try to get to the front.''
After a two-tire pit stop on lap 76, ``I'm sure everybody thought we'd probably last four or five laps and then Earnhardt would go right by,'' Irvan said. ``But our car was really good. I could be mad, but this is part of it. There are so many parts in a car that can go wrong. The main thing is that we're racing competitively and I'm getting ready for next year.''
MAST STRONG EARLY: Rick Mast brought his Ford Thunderbird home in ninth place - his best finish in several months - despite alternator problems.
After running second in the early laps, Mast fell two laps down when he had to make an unscheduled pit stop because a wheel was loose.
Mast's car was so strong, however, he made up both laps.
``While I was making up those laps, something happened to the charger,'' Mast said. ``I had to turn everything [electrical] off - the radiator fan, the brake blowers. There at the end, the motor wouldn't hardly run. We were very lucky to finish.''
Mast finished ninth on the lead lap for his first top-10 finish since the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.
ONE WEEK LATER: For Ward Burton, the difference between a trip to Victory Lane and a steaming mass of broken engine parts was seven days.
One week after the first victory of his career, the engine of Burton's Pontiac Grand Prix blew up on lap 118.
He finished 42nd in a 44-car field.
``Back to reality,'' said Bill Davis, the car's owner.
LABONTE'S CRASH: The first crash victim of the day was Bobby Labonte.
He hit the outside wall in turn 2 after tangling with Burton. Geoff Bodine and Dave Marcis also became involved before it was over.
``I was just going along and I guess the [No.]22 car was racing too hard and we got together, I suppose,'' Labonte said disgustedly. He returned to the race and finished 37th after completing 235 laps.
There were seven yellow flags, including one on lap 233 when Kyle Petty crashed and broke one of his thumbs.
by CNB