THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 16, 1994 TAG: 9407160465
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: NASCAR NOTES
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LONG POND, PA. LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
The top drivers in the Winston Cup series were underwhelmed, to put it mildly, when they heard how little they'll be racing for in the inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Aug. 6.
``I think it's an embarrassment to the sport,'' Dale Earnhardt said Friday while preparing for Sunday's Miller 500 at Pocono International Raceway.
The entry blanks for Indy's first stock-car race were distributed this week with posted awards listed at $2,687,249 - less than the $2,756,845 purse for the 1994 Daytona 500.
Speedway spokesman Bob Walters was quoted as saying that additional awards could push the purse past $3 million. For instance, PPG, the primary sponsor of the Indy-car series, reportedly will give the winner a $200,000 bonus on top of the posted first-place award money of $245,500.
But as far as Earnhardt, Ernie Irvan and Rusty Wallace are concerned, the extra money means little compared to what NASCAR should demand - and Indy could pay.
``I don't necessarily think we ought to get as much'' as the Indy 500 races, but the 400 purse ``is a little bit of a downgrading deal to us,'' Earnhardt said. ``Beyond that, I don't want to comment.''
The Indianapolis 500 purse was $7,864,800 and winner Al Unser Jr's share was $1,373,813. Indy has about 300,000 permanent seats, compared to 98,000 at Daytona.
``It looks like to me that if you put 150,000 more people in the seats, shouldn't it pay more? It looks like to me they could pay more. I guess it just goes to show we'll race cheaper than anybody else,'' Irvan said.
Said Wallace, ``It's unfortunate that financial politics took over for that race, because they've basically put a restrictor plate on the money they can pay. I hear it could be three times that amount . . . but I hear they won't allow that. I don't understand it at all.''
Other drivers, however, had no complaints.
``I think it's great,'' said Mark Martin. ``Didn't everybody know NASCAR wasn't going to allow Indy to pay more than Daytona? I am surprised it paid as well as it did.''
BRETT ON THE MOVE: Brett Bodine confirmed that he won't be returning to the No. 26 Ford Thunderbird team, sponsored by Quaker State and owned by Kenny Bernstein, next year.
``I just got stale and I've got to make a change,'' Bodine said. ``I've got to do something different and start a new chapter in my career. I need to try to be more competitive. But I don't know what I'm doing yet'' for 1994.
There was no immediate word who would replace Bodine.
DODSON JOINS KYLE: Barry Dodson, fired as Darrell Waltrip's crew chief on July 4, has been hired by car owner Felix Sabates as a consultant to Kyle Petty's No. 42 team.
``I'm just another set of eyes and ears,'' Dodson said.
Dodson said he will focus on trying to get the team's Pontiacs to run faster under the NASCAR rule change that allowed the cars to be about 5 inches longer.
SAD ANNIVERSARY: Wednesday was the first anniversary of the death of Davey Allison, and his fans did not forget him.
Outside the Robert Yates Racing shop in Charlotte, fans put flowers on the fence and kept a vigil during the day Wednesday.
And in Allison's hometown of Hueytown, Ala., the day was declared ``Davey Allison Remembrance Day.'' Residents were encouraged to wear yellow ribbons and keep their headlights on during the day. For the Allison family, a private Mass was said Wednesday night. by CNB