ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, September 2, 1996 TAG: 9609030166
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: SOUTHERN 500 NOTES
DATELINE: DARLINGTON, S. C.
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
After all the hype and hoopla over Dale Jarrett's run for a $1 million bonus in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, the big show was a dud.
And it may be some time before part-time driver Ed Berrier makes any new friends in the NASCAR Winston Cup garage, because it was oil from Berrier's car that sent Jarrett and several other top drivers into the third turn wall early in the race.
Jarrett was leading the Labor Day weekend classic and had been in front for 20 laps when his Ford Thunderbird entered the third turn on lap 46 and slid up into the wall. Behind him, Ernie Irvan, Rusty Wallace and Derrike Cope also smacked the wall, and Terry Labonte barely missed it.
``Hit the wall up there,'' Jarrett said on his radio in a matter-of-fact tone moments after it happened. ``Somebody probably put some oil out or something.''
Wallace's car had the worst damage, but Jarrett's was banged up enough to require more than cosmetic repairs.
After several attempts to repair the damage without losing a lap, Jarrett's team finally gave up on that forlorn hope and spent three laps replacing a broken right front shock absorber.
The team made nine pit stops in all to repair or adjust for damage that included a bent A-frame, a damaged ball joint and a bent lower control arm.
Jarrett's chances for the Winston Million seemed utterly hopeless after the crash, but he briefly raised the level of intrigue shortly before lap 200 when he made up one of the three laps he lost and almost made up a second one.
Jarrett had made up that second lap until Hut Stricklin passed him on lap 193 to return him to two laps down. That ended Jarrett's hopes of an incredible comeback. Still, he salvaged a 14th-place finish.
After winning two of RJR's three ``major'' races - the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 - Jarrett became the third driver to have a shot at the Winston Million bonus. Only Bill Elliott has won it, in 1985.
EARNHARDT'S TROUBLE: Dale Earnhardt failed to record a top-10 finish for the third consecutive race.
Earnhardt was in good shape, running in the top 10, when his car suddenly slid up into the wall in turn 2. The cars of Jeremy Mayfield, Gary Bradberry and Todd Bodine also became involved as Earnhardt spun away from the wall.
``Told you that [car] was loose!'' Earnhardt said to his crew on his radio after his Chevy came to a stop.
Earnhardt lost a lap, but finished the race and recorded a 12th-place finish. He remained fourth in Winston Cup points - 161 behind Labonte, the leader.
SPENCER UP AND DOWN: Jimmy Spencer led much of the first half of the Southern 500 and was in front for a total of 69 laps, but his day went downhill when he cut a right rear tire and spun in turn 2 on lap 179.
``I never hit the wall!'' he told his crew. ``I blew a right rear tire.''
Unfortunately for Spencer, the damaged tire tore up some of the body work and he lost a lap while his crew patched things up. The damage then caused fumes to get into the driver's compartment, and Spencer became dehydrated. He received treatment after finishing the race in 23rd place, five laps down.
THE WORST FOR MAST: Rick Mast will be going to another team in 1997, but that isn't helping him now.
After finishing 22nd, five laps down, the driver from Rockbridge Baths, Va., had this to say: ``It was probably the worst run we've ever had. Three times I swore the left-rear tire was flat. Twice I swore the right front tire was flat. It turned out we didn't have a flat. I'm probably as confused as I've ever been.''
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP Dale Jarrett hits the wall on his right side in turnby CNB3 Sunday during the Southern 500 race in Darlington, S.C. KEYWORDS: AUTO RACING