ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 24, 1996 TAG: 9601240043
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA.
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
Ford drivers aren't sure why, but they found some extra miles per hour on the track in practice Tuesday at Daytona International Speedway.
Jeremy Mayfield led the speed parade with a lap of 187.990 mph, giving him the second-fastest speed of the month behind Terry Labonte and Ken Schrader (188.166 mph) in Chevrolets.
Mark Martin was second fastest Tuesday at 187.310 mph, followed by Michael Waltrip, driving the Wood Brothers Ford, at 187.293. Jimmy Spencer was fourth at 186.410 and Wally Dallenbach, in Bud Moore's Ford, fifth at 186.020.
Martin, asked at noon how he was running, responded, ``Mysteriously, very well today. It's the same [setup] we've had here the whole time. We had a mess yesterday. The lap times were all over the place, and late in the afternoon, we got so slow, it was unbelievable.
``And all of a sudden Ted [Musgrave] goes out there and runs fast at the end of the day yesterday, and everything we've done has been right today.''
Lee Morse, a top Ford motorsports manager, said, ``I suspect that any change is more weather-related than it is anything the teams and cars are doing.''
Today is the third and final day of the Ford test, which concludes January testing for Winston Cup cars.
HEDRICK GM RESIGNS: Waddell Wilson has resigned as general manager of the Larry Hedrick Motorsports Team.
``We regret to lose a man like Waddell and his tremendous talent, but we wish him well. He will continue to be available to us as a consultant,'' Hedrick said.
Wilson joined the Kodiak-sponsored team in 1993 and was instrumental in helping driver Ricky Craven capture the 1995 rookie of the year title.
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB