ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 24, 1996 TAG: 9602260037
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: AUTO RACING NOTES
DATELINE: ROCKINGHAM, N.C.
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
Mark Martin won the pole for today's Goodwrench 200 Busch Grand National race at North Carolina Motor Speedway on Friday in another wicked qualifying session that saw 16 cars pack up and leave early after going too slowly.
Martin took the top starting spot with a lap of 150.952 mph in his Ford Thunderbird. David Green won the outside pole at 150.847 mph in a Chevy, followed by Chad Little in a Pontiac at 150.673. Ricky Craven (150.462) and Terry Labonte (150.240) also made the top five.
``I got a good lap,'' Martin said. ``The car was fast and I just hit it right. A lot of times you just have to hit it.''
Several drivers, including Jason Keller and Jeff Fuller, crashed during practice or qualifying, but no one was hurt.
``I don't know why people are wrecking, the race track is not that slick,'' Martin said.
Fifty-eight cars made qualifying attempts. And with a 42-car field, that meant a lot of drivers failed to qualify. It was the same at Daytona Beach, Fla., last weekend.
Among those who packed early were rookie Tony Stewart, Bobby Dotter, Rodney Combs, Tommy Houston, David Bonnett, Tim Bender, John Nemechek, Michael Laughlin, Jeff McClure and Jeff Fuller.
All three Green brothers - David, Jeff and Mark - made the race. They are the only three brothers to compete against each other in a Busch race and this is the third time they've done it in less than a year.
The race starts at 1 p.m. today and will be televised live by TNN cable.
BODINE AILING: Geoff Bodine ran two laps in his Ford Thunderbird during practice at the Rock on Friday, but he hurt too much to do anymore.
Bodine's crash in the Daytona 500 last weekend, as it turned out, left him with several cracked left ribs.
His younger brother, Todd, qualified the car Friday and was 33rd fastest.
``I knew something was wrong [with the ribs],'' Geoff said. ``I can't even drive it. I don't know about Sunday yet. I'm almost certain Todd will drive it, if not start it, at least come in for relief. I'm going to the doctor today and let them take a look at them. Then I'll know something.''
MANIFOLD- CONTROVERSY: The biggest controversy in the aftermath of the Daytona 500 focused on how and why the Ford drivers were allowed to modify the intake manifolds for their restrictor plate engines during the off-season.
Richard Childress, owner of the Chevy driven by Dale Earnhardt, who finished second behind Ford driver Dale Jarrett, appeared to be the most upset about the situation, but he wasn't talking at the Rock on Friday.
``We're working on it now,'' he said. ``We should know more details soon, and we'll talk then. Maybe next week.''
Said Winston Cup Director Gary Nelson: ``I just don't see the controversy.''
The gist of the dispute was that Ford was allowed to modify and then recast a Ford-built intake manifold and that Chevy was not given the same opportunity. That difference, according to some of the Chevy teams, was what gave Ford's Jarrett the extra engine power he needed to win the 500.
But Nelson said: ``The GM teams were allowed to modify their manifolds within the same areas as the Ford teams. And some did.''
The only difference, Nelson said, is that after Jarrett's car owner, Robert Yates, modified his intake manifold, he shared it with Ford Motor Company. And Ford decided to reproduce Yates' modified manifold and make it available to all of the teams.
``I don't think any of the Chevy teams were willing to do that,'' Nelson said. ``That may be the only difference.''
Said Jarrett: ``It was something that was approved by NASCAR a long time ago and it wasn't an issue until [Chevy] was beaten.
They finished second and yet they're reacting like they weren't even in the race.''
LENGTH: Medium: 73 linesby CNB