THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 18, 1994 TAG: 9408180673
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: NASCAR Notes
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
Martinsville Speedway, the home of metal-crunching mayhem in the Winston Cup series, was on the receiving end of just that early Wednesday when a tornado swept across U.S. Route 220 and heavily damaged the track's big, new entrance sign.
Also, a spectator gate above turn one of the speedway was ripped off its hinges, a track-owned truck was damaged and another sign outside the track was destroyed, track spokesman Dick Thompson said.
Speedway president Clay Campbell, whose home overlooks the track, told Thompson his wife awoke him about 3 a.m. and he looked outside and saw the funnel cloud tearing across the landscape, lit by an eerie glow in the night sky. ``It was the most frightening thing I've ever seen,'' Campbell said.
Although the track was largely spared, the twister carved a swath of damage a mile and a quarter long outside Martinsville, heavily damaging the Martinsville Industrial Park. A small beauty salon across from the track was picked up and smashed onto Route 220, blocking all four lanes, Thompson said. And a vacant, warehouse-sized building just north of the track that once housed a Lowe's home-supply store also was heavily damaged, he said.
No serious injuries were reported.
Thompson said Campbell estimated the speedway's damage at $50,000.
It was no surprise that Mark Martin won at Watkins Glen International last Sunday, considering how confident he had sounded after winning the pole two days earlier.
And he may be just as tough to beat this Sunday in the GM 400 at Michigan International Speedway, because he sounded just as optimistic about NASCAR's return visit to the Irish Hills.
``We've been doing a great job this summer with our car and our team,'' he said after winning at the Glen. ``Today was the day. I feel awful good about next week, too. We're going to be awesome in Michigan. We always are.''
Martin won the Michigan race last August, and he finished third there in June. Rusty Wallace won that race, which was marred by a less-than-ideal track.
A section of the third turn that had been repaved earlier in the year began to crumble during the weekend's events because of hot weather and the stress on the track from the 3,500-pound stock cars. That section has since been dug out and repaved.
Practice for the Winston Cup cars begins Friday morning, with pole qualifying at 3:30 p.m.
SPENCER BACK IN ACTION: The swelling and pain have diminished in Jimmy Spencer's broken right shoulder, and he plans to resume driving in Michigan after skipping Watkins Glen.
Spencer, who broke the shoulder in an accident in the Brickyard 400, plans at this point to qualify the car and drive the entire 400-mile race.
``He says the swelling has gone down and the pain has gone away somewhat, so he's going to go up there and see how it feels,'' Humphrey said.
``BOOGER'' BACK IN ACTION: The Chevrolet Lumina that carried Jeff Gordon to victory in the inaugural Brickyard 400 will be back in action this weekend at Michigan.
Nicknamed ``Booger'' because the team found it hard to put together, the car eventually will find a place in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum, but probably only after it is wrecked.
In the first Michigan race, Gordon used ``Brooker,'' the same car in which he won the Coca-Cola 600. But he was 12th at Michigan last June - the last driver on the lead lap - and the team hopes the Indy vehicle will do better.
Gordon's Indy victory, which was worth more than $600,000, vaulted him into the money-winnings lead for the season. He has won $1,357,345 so far this year, while Ernie Irvan is second with $1,164,455. Top drivers typically get to keep about 50 percent of their winnings (in addition to their salaries), with the other 50 percent going to the car owner. by CNB