ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, October 20, 1996 TAG: 9610220019
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-11 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: AUTO RACING NOTES
DATELINE: ROCKINGHAM, N.C.
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
After learning crew chief Tony Glover definitely was planning to leave the No.4 Morgan-McClure Chevrolet and driver Sterling Marlin, owner Larry McClure wasted no time ending their 13-year relationship.
Glover was dismissed at the end of the day Friday, and McClure said he will serve as Marlin's crew chief in today's AC-Delco 400 at North Carolina Motor Speedway. Glover was not at the track Saturday.
``We found out a little more about the situation yesterday, and we felt like if you've got team members that are not going to be there next year, we needed to go ahead and make a change now,'' McClure said Saturday.
``We'll see how good this race team is now,'' he said. ``I don't know if I'm going to get anybody [to replace Glover] or not. I'm not going to be a crew chief, but I've got some people here who have been racing for a long time who may be capable.''
McClure said he thinks the team's location in Abingdon, Va., has been an asset, and he'll be able to get a replacement for Glover to move there.
``I know if they move up there, they're going to be committed,'' he said.
In other auto racing news:
FENNIG TO JOIN MARTIN: Jimmy Fennig, who left Bobby Allison's team after the Charlotte race Oct.6, has joined Jack Roush Racing to become Mark Martin's crew chief.
Steve Hmiel, who is Martin's crew chief, will stay with the company as general manager of Roush's Liberty, N.C.-based operation. Hmiel will oversee the operations of Martin's Winston Cup and Grand National cars, as well as Ted Musgrave's Winston Cup car.
Fennig will take over the crew chief duties beginning with the Oct.27 event in Phoenix, although Hmiel will continue to work directly with Martin's team on race days.
``We're trying to add more human resources to the team,'' Roush said. ``We're trying to get smarter and faster.''
HOOTERS OUT OF WINSTON CUP: The Hooters restaurant chain, which won the 1992 Winston Cup championship by sponsoring the car of the late Alan Kulwicki, is leaving the Winston Cup series. Hooters sponsors the Richard Jackson-owned No.1 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Rick Mast of Rockbridge Baths, Va., but in 1997 will limit its involvement in racing to sponsoring the Hooters Cup Late Model Stock series.
HAMILTON LEADS SECOND ROUND: Bobby Hamilton led an active second round of time trials, securing the 26th starting spot with a lap of 155.129 mph.
Had Hamilton run that lap on Friday, he would have started 14th.
Provisional starting spots went to Ward Burton, Bobby Hillin, Morgan Shepherd and Joe Nemechek. Ed Berrier and Norm Benning were the only drivers who failed to make the 42-car field.
In the final Winston Cup practice Saturday afternoon, Bobby Labonte had the fastest lap, followed by Dale Earnhardt and Martin.
Dale Jarrett blew the engine that carried him to the pole position, and was 30th fastest in the final practice.
IRVAN'S OTHER CRASH: Ernie Irvan's most recent crash was not the one he had Oct.6 at Charlotte.
A few days after suffering a concussion and bruises in a wreck in Charlotte's turn two on Oct.6, Irvan took a tumble on his all-terrain vehicle, which landed on top of him.
``It kind of like multiplied all the other injuries,'' he said. ``It just banged me up more.''
Irvan said he remembered everything about his Charlotte wreck until the moment when he was T-boned by John Andretti.
``I spun, but I didn't hardly hit the wall and I thought I had it pretty much saved,'' he said. ``I knew it was a long time [before the collision with Andretti] and I figured people would be slowed down, but sometimes you're committed to where you're going and things happen a lot faster out there than you think. It's just a part of racing.''
LENGTH: Medium: 74 linesby CNB