ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, October 26, 1996 TAG: 9610280133
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: PHOENIX
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
THE WINSTON CUP points leader breaks a bone in his left hand with two races left.
It took less than 10 minutes Friday for the Winston Cup championship battle to take another dramatic turn.
Points leader Terry Labonte fractured a bone at the base of his left index finger when his accelerator stuck and he crashed into the third turn wall at Phoenix International Raceway.
Labonte caught something of a break when high winds and near-sandstorm conditions forced NASCAR to postpone the first round of Winston Cup qualifying.
A single round of qualifying will be held at 1:45 p.m. EDT today to set the field for the Dura-Lube 500.
The postponement gave Labonte time to get fitted with a soft cast, have electrotherapy to reduce the pain and visit a specialist Friday night.
``The fracture runs down the inside of his index finger,'' said car owner Rick Hendrick. ``We thought at first he had two broken bones, but it's only one. It's not going to be easy, because whenever he grips the steering wheel, pushing and pulling it, that's where all the strength comes from.
``So we've got some parts coming from North Carolina and we'll just try to modify the steering wheel so he can use different parts of his hand when he's steering.''
Hendrick said Labonte planned to qualify today and run the race Sunday.
The first Winston Cup practice was only about 10 minutes old when Labonte crashed. His Chevrolet Monte Carlo slammed right side first into the outside wall in the third turn and then rode the wall all the way around to the entrance of the first turn.
There was a flash fire, but it was extinguished quickly by fire crews.
Labonte's steering wheel jerked hard when he crashed, slamming into his hand between the thumb and index finger.
Labonte went to the infield care center for treatment, and his crew hustled to the team transporter and began unloading the backup car.
As word spread through the garage that Labonte had hurt his hand, a wrecker brought Labonte's car back to the garage. It was his silver commemorative car - the one he was driving when he tied and broke the record for consecutive Winston Cup starts and the car he won with at North Wilkesboro.
The crew wasted no time getting the car covered. Jimmy Johnson, general manager of Hendrick Motorsports, even helped. It was covered with white fire extinguisher powder.
When Labonte emerged from the care center, with that familiar twinkle still in his eye, he had a food storage bag full of ice on his hand and wrist.
He kept his glove on his injured hand.
``I'm just carrying this ice around for the drinks,'' joked the driver who is so taciturn he is known as the Ice Man. On this day, much to Labonte's regret, there was a literal connection.
``The throttle hung in turn 3,'' he said. ``I went into the corner and let off and the throttle hung. I cut the switch off, but it was too late.
``I think my hand got caught in the steering wheel and it jerked it when it hit.''
Labonte continued to drive his car in practice, but with much difficulty.
``I just can't turn in the corners,'' he told crew chief Gary DeHart at one point. NASCAR truck driver Ron Hornaday was called over as a possible relief driver but was soon released as Labonte became more and more used to driving with his injury.
In the afternoon, during the Southwest Tour race before Winston Cup qualifying, Labonte went for X-rays at West Valley Medical Center.
``The doctor here told me he thought it was broken, and I believe him,'' Labonte said. ``It really hurts.''
Labonte didn't have much to say about how it would affect his Winston Cup championship hopes. With only the races in Phoenix and Atlanta left, he's 32 points ahead of teammate Jeff Gordon and 76 points ahead of Dale Jarrett.
``It's just one of those deals,'' Labonte said. ``It's too bad. That's the way it goes.''
PETTY PLANS: ``Hey man, come hang out with me in the infield media center.''
With those words on a printed flyer, Kyle Petty spread the word about the news conference he had Friday to announce plans for his own Winston Cup team in 1997 sponsored by Mattel's Hot Wheels.
Petty said he will own the team along with his father and veteran engine builder David Evans.
``Basically, we're starting off next year with a brand new team,'' Petty said. ``We're going to run Pontiacs. We're going to be working on some things with my father's team, and economically, it's more advantageous for us to run Pontiacs.''
Petty said the team, led by crew chief Bobby Kennedy, is building cars at a shop in Concord, N.C.
Petty said Mattel is ``not just a company coming in and sponsoring a race car. It's a company that is coming in and making a serious commitment to the sport.''
CHILDRESS HUNTING: Richard Childress said he's not yet begun interviewing for a crew chief to replace David Smith on Dale Earnhardt's No. 3 Chevrolet.
``We will have another crew chief,'' Childress said. ``That's all I can tell you.''
Childress confirmed Friday that Smith is leaving as Earnhardt's crew chief, but will remain with his company as crew chief and team manager of his new second team, the No. 31 Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven by Mike Skinner.
Earnhardt has won only one race this year and fell from the lead in the Winston Cup points race to fourth place during the second half of the season. His biggest problem was his crash at Talladega in July that left him with a broken shoulder and broken sternum.
``I don't blame the wreck for not winning races,'' Earnhardt said. ``I do blame the wreck for playing hurt. And that's tough.''
LENGTH: Long : 108 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: headshot of Labonte KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB