ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 9, 1997 TAG: 9701100040
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: AUTO RACING NOTES
DATELINE: MOORESVILLE, N.C.
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
NASCAR Winston Cup driver Rick Mast and his new car owner, Butch Mock, are not putting any deadline on themselves for Mast's first race victory, but they do have a specific goal for the 1997 season.
``My goal is to get on stage at the banquet in New York at the end of the season,` Mast said Wednesday when the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour visited Mock's shop here.
To do that, Mast must finish in the top 10 in Winston Cup points - something he's never done. And after six full-time seasons and 216 Winston Cup starts, Mast is still looking for his first visit to victory lane in the series.
``We want to come out smoking, but we're looking at it as a long-term deal,'' he said. ``We haven't set a timetable for a victory.''
The danger with doing that, Mast said, is ``you start doing the wrong things on the race track and off the race track.'' On the track, a driver who is pressing for a victory will start overdriving and get himself into trouble, he said. Off the track, team members will start pointing fingers at each other when the victory fails to materialize.
But as Mock pointed out, even without internal troubles, it's not going to be easy.
``There's not a bad team out there now,'' he said. `'Just to be here and be in the top 30 is a big deal.''
EARNHARDT STRUGGLING: After failing to reach a lap speed of 185 miles per hour around Daytona International Speedway, Dale Earnhardt was not a happy driver at the end of the first three-day General Motors test Wednesday.
``Guys, I just don't have time to talk,'' Earnhardt told reporters waiting outside his transporter for a comment. ``I'm tired, I'm hot and we just can't get these cars to run.''
It undoubtedly didn't help matters that Earnhardt's new teammate, Mike Skinner, was fifth fastest Wednesday with a lap speed of 185.993 mph. The best Earnhardt could do was 184.816 mph, which was 11th fastest Wednesday.
Robby Gordon again led the GM teams Wednesday with a lap of 188.107 mph.
Jeff Gordon was second fastest at 187.383 mph, followed by Winston Cup champion Terry Labonte at 186.722 mph and Sterling Marlin at 186.239 mph. All are driving Chevys. Derrike Cope had the fastest Pontiac at 185.185 mph and was ninth fastest overall.
The Ford teams return Monday for a final three-day test, followed by the final GM Winston Cup test Jan. 20-22.
MORE MEDIA TOUR: In other highlights on the media tour, the teams of Ricky Rudd, Rick Mast and Jeremy Mayfield have begun an information-sharing program in an effort to keep pace with the multi-team operations.
Michael Kranefuss, Mayfield's team owner, said the initial efforts have focused on sharing information about the chassis and its stiffness.
But Kranefuss doesn't know how he will continue to be part of the effort. ``By May, we'll be building our own chassis,'' he said. ``We just rented a place to start that effort.'' So far, only a few teams, including Rusty Wallace and the Hendrick Motorsports team, build their own chassis.
Also, at Geoff Bodine's shop, Lee Morse, who recently retired as Ford's North American motorsports chief, was introduced as Bodine's new general manager. And mechanic Pat Tryson, who was with Rudd's team in 1996, has been
named crew chief to replace Paul Andrews, who is now Mayfield's crew chief.
And Kyle Petty unveiled his new Hot Wheels Pontiac at his new PE II (Petty Enterprises II) race shop in Concord. The new team is a joint venture owned by Kyle, his father and engine builder David Evans. Bobby Kennedy will be crew chief.
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshots) Mast, Earnhardt. color.by CNB