THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 4, 1994 TAG: 9408040741
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C01 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
Precisely at 11:58 a.m. Wednesday, the gates swung open to Gasoline Alley and a long line of NASCAR race-car haulers, led by Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt's rig, began inching their way toward the garages of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
More than two years of talk is finally over. Competition in the inaugural Brickyard 400 begins today with pole qualifying.
The time trials start at 3 p.m. Indianapolis time (4 p.m. EDT) and are expected to take several hours. By sundown, barring rain delays, we should know who will start from the pole position, who will be locked into the top 20 starting spots and who will be sweating to make the first stock-car race ever at Indy.
``This whole race, there's just been so much buildup,'' said Winston Cup points leader Ernie Irvan. ``This thing has built up for two years. This is going to happen. That is going to happen.
``But now it's here.''
At 10:30 a.m. EDT, the roar of V-8 Chevy, Ford and Pontiac engines will bounce off the double-deck grandstands along the front straight and fill the air within the world's greatest racecourse as the first practice session gets under way.
But for every team, a critical moment will come 30 minutes before that, when NASCAR officials uncrate their portable lottery cage and begin randomly selecting the lineup for qualifying.
The cage is full of little balls, each with a number on it. When the cage is rotated, a ball falls out. And every one of the 85 teams entered is hoping for a high number, which will give them a late-afternoon run, when the track is cooler and faster.
``The luck of the draw is going to make a big difference,'' said A.J. Foyt. ``Guys caught in the middle (with a low number) will be hurt, and I don't care if it's A.J. Foyt or Rusty Wallace.''
But the weather always plays tricks at Indy, and it may have a starring role today. A cold front is edging south from Michigan, and the chance of afternoon thunderstorms was 60 percent as of Wednesday afternoon. Highs are expected to be in the low to mid-80s.
The chance of thunderstorms ``may equalize qualifying a little bit,'' Irvan said. ``If it's cloudy, then if you get an early number, you won't be in as bad a shape as if it's sunny all day. But if there are thunderstorms, we may be qualifying at 8 p.m.''
Although teams have the option of drawing their own numbers for the qualifying lineup, NASCAR officials usually end up selecting the numbers for one-half to two-thirds of the teams.
``We don't go near it,'' said Geoff Bodine. ``Nobody wants to take responsibility for a bad draw.''
``I've been drawing for qualifying the past four races,'' said Earnhardt. ``It's (car owner) Richard Childress' turn here. I'm getting out of the kitchen.
``I drew the highest number at Daytona (for the Pepsi 400) and sat on the pole. and I drew 30th at Talladega and won the pole. But the times between there (at New Hampshire and at Pocono), I didn't draw too well. I drew fifth. So it's his turn.''
Irvan and his crew chief, Larry McReynolds, discussed the draw.
``Both of us said we're going to lunch,'' Irvan said.
``The guys here are trying to get me to draw,'' said Geoff Brabham, driver of the Kranefuss-Haas Ford. ``I don't know if I'm that brave.''
``I'm going to draw for our team,'' said Felix Sabates, Kyle Petty's car owner. ``But the only time I drew in the past six years, we drew No. 1 at Bristol.''
``You just hope for the best,'' said Robin Pemberton, Ted Musgrave's crew chief. ``It's a game of chance anyway.''
Because Indiana remains on Eastern Standard Time throughout the year, it will be 3 p.m. local time when qualifying begins. So the first cars will have to go out in the heat of the day.
``I don't think the first 10 cars that go out will have much of a chance to make the top 20,'' said Mark Martin. ``I think qualifying is going to be very very uneven, but there's not much we can do about that.''
But the field trying to make the race is full of non-regulars, including 15 cars from the Winston West series.
``You'll probably see 60 legitimate fast contenders,'' said Ricky Rudd. ``And there will probably be 20 or so that are not in the ballpark.''
The Brickyard 400 is only one of 31 Winston Cup races this year. And it will be conducted on the same tight, three-day schedule that most Cup races have. But this is different. The crowd here will be twice as large as any other NASCAR race. The purse is the largest ever. And every driver knows he will be making racing history.
Even a hard-boiled veteran like Earnhardt confessed to some jitters.
When he was asked if he would have any butterflies in his stomach this weekend, he said, ``No.'' But then he quickly added: ``Well, maybe for qualifying and making the perfect lap.'' ILLUSTRATION: LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE Photo
Members of Geoff Bodine's crew push his car in front of Gasoline
Alley on Wednesday.
by CNB