THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 9, 1994 TAG: 9410090188
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CONCORD, N.C. LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
In the never-ending 1994 silly season of driver changes, several issues were settled this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but new ones immediately cropped up.
Only a week after saying there was no way he was going to the No. 28 Ford Thunderbird, Dale Jarrett confirmed here Saturday that things have changed.
``An offer has been made to me'' to take over for the injured Ernie Irvan in the Robert Yates Racing Ford, Jarrett said. ``I've taken it to Joe.''
To get the highly touted Yates ride, Jarrett will have to negotiate his way out of the contract he has with Joe Gibbs.
While Junior Johnson announced his deal with Brett Bodine and Lowe's, and Jimmy Spencer plans to move to the Travis Carter team were confirmed, the situation with Kyle Petty and the Felix Sabates team suddenly became less than sure.
With that team's split from sponsor Mello Yello, there have been rumors that Petty will soon leave the team. But there are also rumors that Petty will stay.
Sabates said Thursday that Petty will stay with him. But Petty is not bound to Sabates by a contract, so he's more or less a free agent.
Sabates's new sponsor is said to be Coors beer.
Although it has not been formally announced, John Andretti's anticipated move to the new Kranefuss-Haas team (where he will also have an Indy 500 ride) leaves Richard Petty searching for another driver.
Among those available for Petty's consideration are Lake Speed, Hut Stricklin and Jimmy Hensley. And Bobby Labonte's situation is still in flux, given car owner Bill Davis's difficulties in lining up a sponsor to replace Maxwell House.
Some rumors have Labonte going to Bud Moore's No. 15 Ford, which Speed is vacating. But others have him going to Gibbs's No. 18 Chevy, which, of course, might happen only if Jarrett leaves.
And a last rumor, which could be put in the category of pure speculation, has Petty going to Davis's No. 22 Pontiac.
FINAL PRACTICE: Geoff Bodine led the unofficial speed parade in the final Winston Cup practice Saturday, circling this 1.5-mile track at a speed of 180.361 miles per hour. Bodine will start from sixth.
McCALL ENTERS BUSCH SERIES: Veteran Trans-Am car owner Buzz McCall will enter the Bucsh Grand National series in 1995 with sports car driver John Tanner, McCall announced here Saturday.
McCall is a Floridian who owns the American Equipment Co., which sells railroad equipment to foreign countries. He will have sponsorship from Caterpillar, Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of earthmoving and construction equipment.
Tanner, 27, of Huntersville, N.C., won two Formula Atlantic sports car races in 1991, where he was rookie of the year. He was worked here since last year as a instructor at the Richard Petty Driving Experience school.
HOSPITAL TRIP: Rodney Combs walked away from his 70th-lap crash into the third turn wall during the Grand National race, but he was favoring his right shoulder.
Although he was treated at the infield care center for a bruised shoulder blade, Combs later went to a hospital to get X-rays.
``That's the hardest I've ever hit in a car, either a Cup or a Busch car,'' he told a track interviewer before going to the hospital. ``It hurt my shoulder. It might have cracked the bone, because I really can't lift it up.''
In other GN notes, Jimmy Hensley drove in place of Randy LaJoie in the No. 20 Moroso Racing Chevy because LaJoie's left knee was still badly swollen from a crash during practice Thursday. Hensley finished ninth.
RACERS IN NORFOLK: Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte and Ken Schrader will meet the public and sign autographs Wednesday at Colonial Chevrolet in Norfolk. The session will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the dealership at 6253 Virginia Beach Blvd. and will be hosted by former Winston Cup champion Benny Parsons.
The three drivers all drive for Hendrick Motorsports, owned by Rick Hendrick, who recently bought Colonial and three other Norfolk car dealerships.
Show cars will be on display at the dealership, as well as a race car hauler. And there will be a drawing for a trip for two to the Hooters 500 in Atlanta on Nov. 13, the final race of the season.
In other local news, Ford Motor Credit Co. has renewed its sponsorship for 1995 of the No. 38 Akins/ Sutton Motorsports Ford driven by Elton Sawyer of Chesapeake. by CNB