ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, September 18, 1996 TAG: 9609180090
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: AUTO RACING NOTES
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
There was so much fussing and feuding during and after Sunday's MBNA 500 at Dover Downs International Speedway, NASCAR officials might considerhaving World Championship Wrestling sponsor a special Winston Cup award.
WCW, which already sponsors a Grand National car, could put some money up for the ``WCW In-Your-Face Prize.''
And of the six finalists from Sunday's race, Jimmy Spencer was the winner, at least as NASCAR saw it.
NASCAR fined Spencer $10,000 on Tuesday for his role in a heated dispute with Wally Dallenbach, who was not fined. The runner-up was Kyle Petty, who was fined $5,000 for his run-in with Michael Waltrip, who was docked $2,000.
Derrike Cope and crew chief Larry McReynolds, whose shouting match took place off camera, were not fined.
Spencer, after tangling with Dallenbach late in the race, charged over to Dallenbach's car and shoved a fist through the window netting. Dallenbach said the blow didn't land. Spencer was restrained by NASCAR's technical director, Steve Peterson, but angrily broke free of Peterson's grasp.
Waltrip was angered when Petty shoved past him on the last lap to take eighth place. Waltrip drove into Petty's car on the cool-down lap and they both emerged from their cars screaming and challenging each other.
It was not immediately clear why Petty's fine was 1 1/2 times greater than that of Waltrip.
In any event, Petty and Waltrip, who are old friends, quickly settled their differences.
McReynolds thought Cope wrecked his driver, Ernie Irvan, and waited until Cope retired (after another accident) to tell him so.
``What's your problem with the [No.]28 car?'' the usually mild-mannered McReynolds angrily demanded, grabbing Cope by the arm as Cope left the infield care center.
Cope responded angrily and they unleashed a barrage of expletives at each other, separated by one person.
``Let's go! Let's go right now!'' Cope shouted.
NASCAR officials then arrived to put some distance between the two.
Kevin Triplett, a NASCAR spokesman, said the fines were structured according to ``the level that each went to in doing what they did.''
ANOTHER NEW TEAM: One day after cracking a bone in his left shoulder during the Indy Racing League event in Las Vegas, Tony Stewart and his NASCAR Grand National team announced plans to run a full Winston Cup schedule in 1997.
As Stewart was being released from a Las Vegas hospital with a fracture of the tip of his left scapula, car owner Harry Ranier was preparing to release a statement about the team's plans.
Ranier, a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 and one of the most successful Winston Cup owners of the 1980s, has signed a contract with Stewart to race Ford Thunderbirds in NASCAR's big league. This year, the team is racing a limited Grand National schedule.
``I feel great about the way things are coming together for next season,'' Stewart said in the team's statement. ``The Ford support is very important. I feel like we can be competitive pretty quick. I mean, I know how competitive Winston Cup is, and, as a team, we will have to develop some, but I'm really happy about the way it's going.''
The team has no sponsor, ``but this will have a definite impact because we have a couple of big ones that are swimming sort of close to the boat,'' Ranier said. ``This will definitely bring them out of the closet.''
Ranier was an owner in the series from 1978 through 1988 and his car, the No.28 Ford Thunderbird, won 24 races in 249 starts. Davey Allison picked up his first four victories with Ranier before Ranier sold the team to Robert Yates. Stewart's car will be No.20 and its shop will be in Concord, N.C.
``With the type of people we are bringing into this organization and the type of facilities we are going to have, we can definitely reach that level again,'' Ranier said.
A WILD ROOKIE BATTLE: Stewart's entry into Winston Cup spices up the 1997 rookie of the year battle all the more.
He will be pitting his new team against Indy-car driver Robby Gordon and the established Sabco Racing team. Mike Skinner also will be going for the rookie title with the new second team of car owner Richard Childress, while David Green will be running a full schedule with owner Buz McCall, who is new to the series.
Gordon, for one, will have the benefit of some riding time in 1996.
Dale Earnhardt announced Tuesday that Gordon will drive and try to qualify his No.14 Winston Cup car for the UAW-GM 500 at Charlotte on Oct.6.
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Jimmy Spencer (foreground) and Wally Dallenbachby CNB(rear) yell at one another as track officials restrain them
following a collision on the front stretch during the MBNA 500 on
Sunday.