ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 2, 1996 TAG: 9603030008
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
THE CHEVY DRIVER wins his second top spot in three races, nipping teammate Jeff Gordon.
The hottest driver with nothing to show for it in the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup series is Terry Labonte, who on Friday led qualifying for the second straight week to capture the top starting spot for Sunday's Pontiac 400 at Richmond International Raceway.
Labonte, in 30th position in the points after two bad finishes, reached 123.728 mph on the second lap around this 3/4-mile oval in his Chevrolet Monte Carlo, edging teammate Jeff Gordon, who was at 123.496 mph.
Pontiac Grand Prix driver Bobby Hamilton was third fastest at 123.158 mph, followed by Ricky Craven in a Chevy (123.113) and Mark Martin in a Ford (123.063).
Also in the top 10 were Bill Elliott in a Ford (123.057), Steve Grissom in a Chevy (122.984), Joe Nemechek in a Chevy (122.968), Dale Earnhardt in a Chevy (122.917) and Kenny Wallace in a Ford (122.895).
Labonte has had the fastest car so far this year; he just hasn't been able to finish. He started fifth and led the most laps - 44 - in the Daytona 500, but lost power and finished 24th, four laps down, when a piece of a plastic bag became stuck in the air cleaner.
He won the pole at Rockingham and led the most laps in that race - 198 - until his engine burned a piston and put him on the sidelines. He finished 34th.
``I think the thing we feel good about is overall the car has been running great for us,'' Labonte said after winning his first back-to-back poles since 1980, when he did it at Pocono and Riverside.
``Those things can happen to you when you're not running good,'' he said. ``It's a whole lot easier when you have problems and you are running good. Your people don't get as depressed.''
With the temperature hovering around freezing, the trick at Richmond on Friday was to keep your car stuck to the track with cold tires.
``It's kind of hard to qualify because it really takes that first lap just to put some heat in the tires,'' said Labonte, who now has 23 career poles.
A number of drivers had close calls, and late in the Winston Cup practice session Ernie Irvan looped his Ford and smacked the fourth turn wall. He was unhurt and his team scrambled to get his backup car ready before the session ended. Irvan was able to run a lap before the session was red flagged.
``The tires are real cold today and I was driving into turn three and locked the front tire up,'' Irvan said. ``It's a shame, because we had a car that was really competitive.''
Irvan was 39th fastest in his backup car.
The qualifying was a bit more competitive than usual, with at least a half-dozen drivers holding the top starting spot.
Darrell Waltrip, who ended up 12th fastest, was on the pole for a few minutes early in the session. He was knocked off by Steve Grissom, who drives a Chevy sponsored by the Cartoon Network.
``That's something to come up here and work this hard and get knocked off the pole by Fred Flintstone,'' Waltrip said. ``I saw his feet smoking when he was coming around turn four, but I didn't think he was going that fast.''
With 43 cars battling for a maximum of 41 starting spots (36 regular spots and up to five provisionals), it appeared all the regulars would make Sunday's show.
Drivers at the bottom of the lineup after Friday's session were Bobby Hillin in 37th, followed by Bobby Labonte, Irvan, Dick Trickle (subbing for the injured Loy Allen), Robby Faggart, John Andretti and Randy MacDonald.
A second round of time trials, weather permitting, is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. today. The race starts at 1:15 p.m. Sunday.
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB