THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 19, 1995 TAG: 9502190184
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
There are only 14 Chevrolets among the 42 cars that will start the Daytona 500 today at Daytona International Speedway. But the way things have been going this week, that's more than enough to do the job.
Dale Jarrett will start his Ford Thunderbird on the pole of the 37th running of NASCAR's biggest race, which begins at 12:15 p.m., but his speed of 193.494 mph was on a vacant track eight days ago.
A lot has happened since then.
Jarrett has been fighting a loose-handling car. And it was still loose during the crucial final practice Saturday afternoon.
But even without handling problems, Jarrett and the 23 other Ford drivers in the field will have their hands full trying to do battle with the new Chevrolet Monte Carlos. The field also includes four Pontiac Grand Prixs.
``We've got our work cut out for us,'' said Jarrett's crew chief, Larry McReynolds. ``But last year, the Fords had the best car and we certainly didn't win the race. So we could win (today).''
``The Chevys are getting real good,'' said Steve Hmiel, Mark Martin's crew chief. ``We think if we're not the best Ford, we're among the best Fords. But all of the Fords are going to have to work together real hard. In order for us to get the big prize, we're going to have to be right on the money. One-on-one, they got us beat.''
Dale Earnhardt had the fastest Chevrolet in qualifying, reaching 193.449 mphh to win the outside pole. This is his 17th 500. He has yet to win, as virtually every stock-car racing fan already knows.
And with the new Monte Carlo, Earnhardt once again must be considered one of the favorites. He won his Twin 125 qualifying race Thursday with comparative ease. It was his sixth consecutive victory in the event.
``Not taking anything away from the Lumina (last year's Chevy), but it just didn't have a body design capable of matching the Fords,'' said Earnhardt's car owner, Richard Childress. ``We carried it as far as it would go.
``This Monte Carlo design is just like the Ford, as far as the aerodynamic numbers from the wind tunnel. This year we'll see how the Chevy teams work with the same bodies as the Fords. We have a whole lot better chance.''
But Earnhardt will have stiff competition from several of his fellow Chevy drivers. The consensus in the garage is that the four fastest Chevys belong to Earnhardt, defending 500 champion Sterling Marlin, Terry Labonte and Jeff Gordon.
But the one everyone is talking about the most is Marlin's Chevy. Marlin won his Twin 125 race.
``The scary thing about it was that he said his car wasn't handling good in the 125,'' Michael Waltrip told Pontiac's Brian Hoagland. ``He said it was pushing, and he was having to let off a little bit in the turns. He had that first race totally pulled apart. He pulled the whole draft apart. He was that strong.''
Marlin thinks his 1995 car is stronger than last year's winner.
``We probably had a third- or fourth-place car last year when we won the race,'' he told Chevy's Ray Cooper. ``I think we've got a winning car this year. I'll put our car up against anybody's. It's run good the whole time we've been here.''
Although Darrell Waltrip's Chevy is not considered one of the fastest by garage observers, he says ``this is the best chance'' he's had since 1989, when he won in his 17th try. Team members have been wearing PGA golfer Greg Norman's trademark shark hats, signifying that ``Jaws'' is back.
Waltrip finished second behind Marlin in his Twin 125 qualifying race.
``We never thought the (Monte Carlo) would qualify as fast as it did,'' Waltrip told Cooper. ``We thought it would race well and be comfortable in traffic, but we never expected it to be as fast by itself as it is. It's just aerodynamically different than the Lumina. If you put them side by side, one of them looks like a football and the other one looks like a box.''
For all the prognosticating, when the final laps unfold in today's race, it will come down to whose car is handling the best.
``Whoever hits the nail on the head with handling and gets the car hooked up good will be hard to beat,'' said Marlin. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS
Dale Earnhardt reflects on his success in the International Race of
Champions on Friday. Earnhardt starts in the second position today.
Dale Jarrett puts in his steering wheel before the Goody's 300 on
Saturday. Jarrett is the pole-sitter for today's Daytona 500.
by CNB