ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 4, 1996 TAG: 9602060095
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B9 EDITION: METRO
94 BILL ELLIOTT
Age: 40.
Lives: Blairsville, Ga.
Car: McDonald's Ford Thunderbird.
Owner: Charles Hardy.
Crew chief: Mike Beam.
1996 changes: None.
1995 highlight: No victories and a top finish of fourth place. Eleven top-10s, eighth in points and winnings of $996,816.
Career highlights: Has 40 victories in 469 Cup starts. ... Won the Winston Cup title in 1988 with six victories. ... Won 11 races and the Winston Million in 1985. ... Won the Daytona 500 in 1985 and 1987. ... Began Winston Cup racing in 1976. ... First victory was in 1983. ... Most popular driver 1984-88 and 1991-95. ... Total Cup earnings of more than $15 million ranks third among U.S. racers.
Scouting report: Does Elliott really want to win that badly - and put up with the accompanying pressures and publicity - or is he happy where he is? That seems to be the question here.
98 JEREMY MAYFIELD
Age: 26.
Lives: Nashville, Tenn.
Car: RCA Ford Thunderbird.
Owner: Cale Yarborough.
Crew chief: Tony Furr.
1996 changes: None.
1995 highlights: One top-10 finish (eighth) in 27 starts. Won $436,805 and was 31st in points, just behind Kyle Petty and just ahead of Jeff Burton.
Career highlights: One top-10 finish in 47 Cup starts. ... Has won about $650,000. ... Started stock car racing in 1987 in Kentucky. ... The 1993 ARCA rookie of the year. ... Emerged as a top qualifier in early 1994.
Scouting report: He's got speed at Daytona this year. Will he have anything else?
99 JEFF BURTON
Age: 28.
Lives: South Boston.
Car: Exide Ford Thunderbird.
Owner: Jack Roush.
Crew chief: Buddy Parrott.
1996 changes: New team.
1995 highlights: Two top-10 finishes in 29 starts (best was fifth) to finish 32nd in points. Won $630,770.
Career highlights: The 1994 Winston Cup rookie of the year, with three top selber ... Five top-10s in 60 Cup starts. ... Began racing go-karts at the age of 8 in 1975. ... Ran his first Grand National race in 1988. ... Won his first Busch race at Martinsville in 1990. ... Has four GN victories.
Scouting report: Roush ... Parrott ... What an opportunity for Burton. Let them get settled and let's see what they lights:
LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB