ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, September 14, 1996 TAG: 9609170017
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-6 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: AUTO RACING NOTES
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
The assumption that the Winston Cup race is the most pressure-filled event of a NASCAR weekend is accurate as far as national exposure is concerned.
But most drivers realize that the high-salaried Winston Cuppers have achieved a career-long ambition simply by strapping themselves in their cars each Sunday. The real pressure is felt on Saturdays by the Winston Cup wannabes - the second-level Busch Grand National drivers.
But a victory on Saturday doesn't always assure advancement to the upper echelon of the sport. Mike McLaughlin is among those who realizes that.
``It takes more than one victory,'' said McLaughlin, whose only win in 95 BGN career starts came last year at Dover Downs International Speedway. ``It takes a championship under your belt, then I think you're ready to move up.''
That comes from a 38-year-old New Yorker who spent the formative years of his career as a hotshot modified driver. A later measure of his success was a third-place finish last year in the BGN points race in just his second full season on the circuit.
The record of last season was built on consistency, something he says is the key to succeeding in Grand National racing. Without it, he points out, there is no graduation to Winston Cup.
McLaughlin figured his resume would include more than one BGN victory by now.
``They say the second one comes easier, but it's been sort of an effort, and maybe I can win another one here this weekend,'' he said. ``But I've discovered a few things about this series. After a very short period of time, I knew I was in for a learning curve that I had not anticipated.''
McLaughlin will try to straighten that curve somewhat today in the NBMA 200, the BGN support event for the MBNA 500 Winston Cup race Sunday.
In other auto racing news:
CRAVEN BREAKS RECORD: Ricky Craven set a BGN qualifying record for Dover Downs International Speedway by circling the Monster Mile at 150.669 mph Friday to win the pole for the MBNA 200.
In putting his Chevrolet on the point, Craven eclipsed Bobby Labonte's 31/2-month-old mark of 149.633. Ironically, Labonte turned a lap at 155.086 on Friday to claim the pole for the MBNA 500 Winston Cup race - the fastest ever by a stock car at the high-banked oval.
After taking the pole for today's race, a $314,000 event, Craven put another Chevy in 22nd position for the $1.4 million Sunday event.
That was typical, Craven said.
Jeff Green, who announced Friday that he will drive as Elliott Sadler's teammate with Diamond Ridge Motorsports next year, qualified Dale Earnhardt's BGN Chevy in second position with a run of 149.938.
Green's brother, BGN points leader David Green, was third at 149.894. He was flanked by the Ford of Stevie Reeves, which went 149.558.
Ward Burton was the fastest Pontiac, turning his qualifying lap at 148.945 to stand fifth.
LABONTE AT EASE: Two weeks removed from a 26th-place finish at Darlington that cut into his once-comfortable lead in the Winston Cup standings, Terry Labonte finds himself just four points in front of Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon.
But Labonte, who won the series championship 12 years ago, says those who label each race as crucial at this point are putting additional pressure on themselves. He will have none of that.
``Including Dover, we still have over 20 percent of the schedule left to go, so it's still a bit early to start calling this the stretch run for the title,'' Labonte said as he prepared for Sunday's MBNA 500. ``We just have to keep running consistently and finishing where we run, and we can be a player for the championship.''
WILSON JOINS WALTRIP: Three-time Winston Cup champion Darrell Waltrip, winless since the 1992 Southern 500 - a drought of 122 races - has hired longtime engine builder and crew chief Waddell Wilson as general manager of his racing operation.
Wilson prepared cars that won three Daytona 500s and 108 races overall. Engines he built were credited with winning three Winston Cup titles.
Waltrip said Wilson will join his Chevrolet team on Monday, working with team manager Jeff Hammond. The threesome worked together in 1987, when Waltrip drove for Hendrick Motorsports.
Combined, the trio has accounted for 235 victories on NASCAR's top circuit.
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. NASCAR BGN driver Mike McLaughlin qualified seventhby CNBfor the MBNA 200 at Dover Downs International Speedway on Friday.
McLaughlin is still learning about the circuit after finishing third
in the points race last year (ran in New River edition).