THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 11, 1994 TAG: 9406110488
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940611 LENGTH: LONG POND, PA.
The run gave Wallace his second pole position of 1994 and denied Ricky Rudd his first. Rudd, who went around this 2.5-mile, tri-oval at 164.102 mph in his Ford, will start second in Sunday's race.
{REST} ``I'm not a good qualifier, but the car has been handling real well,'' said Wallace, a three-time race winner in 1994.
``I went out and just laid that lap down. I knew it was a pretty quick one. I knew if I didn't win the pole, I'd be up in the front row, I thought.''
One barometer for the quality of a qualifying run at Pocono is whether the driver stops at ``autograph alley'' on his walk back to the garage.
On Friday, Rudd worked the entire alley before returning to the garage, signing until everyone was satisfied. He was satisfied as well.
``It's a good lap,'' said the Chesapeake native. ``Regardless of where we end up, we're happy with that lap. The way we've been going in qualifying is less than spectacular. (His previous best this year was third at Sears Point). But when we unloaded off the truck today, we were a second faster than anybody.
``Our motor program (he buys them from Pro Motors) has been awful stout this year and Pocono is a place to show your motor.''
Besides Wallace and Rudd, five other drivers also broke the track record of 162.816 mph set by Ken Schrader last July. Those drivers were Mark Martin, who was third fastest in a Ford at 163.800 mph; Jeff Gordon, at 163.529 mph in a Chevy; Schrader in another Chevy at 163.330 mph; Brett Bodine in a Ford at 163.126 mph; and Ernie Irvan in a Ford at 162.981 mph.
With only 44 entries here, it appears that all the regulars will make Sunday's race. Chuck Bown and Billy Standridge were the only regulars who failed to make the top 40, finishing 43rd and 42nd respectively.
Wallace, with a victory and now a pole in less than a week, is clearly in a racing groove.
``I kinda feel like I'm in that right now,'' he said. ``I've got a real mindset to what's going on. And I think our Ford engine is making just as much horsepower as any Ford engine out there.
``I feel like I'm right in the combustion chamber with the motor every lap now.''
Wallace is third in the Winston Cup championship race, 329 points behind leader Ernie Irvan and 166 points behind Dale Earnhardt.
``I feel like I'm on my way to running that deficit down,'' he said. ``This is the point last year when I was having all my DNFs (did not finish). I came here and the engine blew up. But I haven't had any problems (in this stretch) this year.''
Before coming to Pocono, Wallace spent several days testing at Michigan.
In addition to testing his cars, he also tested the new tires Goodyear has developed for Michigan. ``It was absolutely flawless,'' he said. ``I just brutalized it and had no problems whatsoever.''
Wallace said he also tested the new Fords crew chief Tim Brewer has built for the new Kranefuss-Haas Winston Cup team. There was an audition for drivers for that new team, with Rick Wilson, Bobby Hillin, Robby Gordon and Geoff Brabham taking turns in the car. But Wallace, as you might expect, was the fastest.
``The thing ran good,'' he said. ``Brewer had a nice car there.''
Earnhardt, who qualified 19th, told Chevy's Ray Cooper he is still a bit sore from last Sunday's crash at Dover, which happened after a tire blew.
by CNB