ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 23, 1996 TAG: 9603250112
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DARLINGTON, S.C.
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
GETTING TO DARLINGTON early pays off for Ward Burton and his race team.
Before NASCAR car owners Bill and Gail Djavis moved to their new shop in High Point, N.C., last week, they kicked out the team, sending driver Ward Burton and the crew to Darlington Raceway for testing.
That strategy paid off Friday. The Davises moved to the new shop with minimal disruption, and Burton and the team made good use of the test, winning the pole position for Sunday's TranSouth 400 with a track record.
Burton took the top starting spot in his Pontiac Grand Prix with a lap of 173.797 mph around this 1.366-mile oval Friday, shattering Jeff Gordon's record by about a half-second. The top 20 drivers all beat Jeff Gordon's 1995 record of 170.833 mph.
``This is the first place Bill Davis and I had been able to test anywhere except Daytona,'' Burton said. ``I think it helped us.''
It was the second consecutive pole for the new Pontiac Grand Prix.
Gordon was second fastest at 173.613 mph in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, followed by Dale Jarrett in a Ford Thunderbird (172.384 mph). Morgan Shepherd was fourth fastest in a Ford (171.704), followed by Bill Elliott in a Ford (171.632).
Also in the top 10 were Ken Schrader in a Chevy (171.602), followed by four Ford drivers: Kenny Wallace (171.429), Rusty Wallace (171.423), Jeremy Mayfield (171.321) and Elton Sawyer (171.315).
``There's no question that the tires are what is picking up all the speed,'' said Burton. Goodyear has introduced a new tire for this race.
But after a few laps of racing Sunday, the track once again will become the same old Darlington, he said.
``I think you're going to see a pretty interesting race after people get 25 or 35 laps on their tires,'' Burton said. ``After 25 laps, you're holding on, and that's when you'll see where the set-ups come in. Anything above 40 laps, there's going to be a lot of slipping and sliding going on.''
But for a one-lap qualifying run, the tires were unparalleled.
``I knew I had pretty much gotten everything out of [the lap],'' Burton said. ``I drove it in pretty deep in [turn] 1. I got loose all the way through 2, but it wasn't loose enough where I had to back off. It was a good-turning loose, a fast loose. [Turns] 3 and 4 were pretty uneventful. But I really didn't think the lap was that fast.''
This was Burton's second career pole. He won the top starting spot for the Charlotte race in October, 1994. He also has one race victory: Rockingham last fall.
Darlington is a track with pits on both the front and back straights, so much of the interest after Friday's session centered on who finished 24th or lower and had to pit on the backstretch.
Ricky Rudd just missed the frontstretch cut, qualifying 24th. Dale Earnhardt was 26th fastest, so for the first time since 1992, he's in a backstretch pit.
``I got down into turn 1 and the shadows down there caused me to miss my line a bit,'' Earnhardt said. ``I haven't won here pitting on the backstretch before, but it really doesn't matter where you pit. I'll have a good view of the backstretch on Sunday.''
Others who failed to earn frontstretch pits included Darrell Waltrip (29th fastest), Ernie Irvan (31st), Sterling Marlin (32nd), and Atlanta's pole winner, Johnny Benson (36th).
But it's better to be on the backstretch than not in the race at all.
And after 44 cars made qualifying runs Friday (for 38 regular starting spots), those sitting 38th or slower, in order, were: Bobby Hillin, Kyle Petty, Joe Nemechek, Dave Marcis, Mike Wallace, Randy MacDonald and Robby Faggart.
A second round of time trials is set for today at 11:30 a.m.
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB