THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 5, 1995 TAG: 9503050215
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Kenny Wallace's victory in the Hardee's 250 Grand National race Saturday at Richmond International Raceway was a consolation prize he'd just as soon give up.
Less than an hour before embarking on his jaunt to victory in the 250, Wallace failed to qualify for today's Pontiac 400 Winston Cup race.
``I would give up the win just to make the Cup race,'' he said. ``I was thinking about it the whole time I was out there today. I wish (brother) Mike (Wallace) had won the race and I finished second and made the Cup race.''
Although Mike Wallace led 25 laps, he finished 13th while Kenny, driving a Ford, beat Terry Labonte to the line by about eight car lengths. Johnny Benson was third, followed by Mike McLaughline and Jason Keller. Stevie Reeves, Tommy Houston, Bobby Dotter and Phil Parsons also finished on the lead lap.
Parsons, however, managed to get only the nose of his car across the finish line after becoming involved in a multicar crash at the checkered flag. Randy Porter's demolished Ford came to a stop just short of the line, which meant he finished 10th, a lap down.
Wallace's desire to trade the victory for a starting spot in the 400 would have been granted, ironically enough, had the foul weather that has plagued this race weekend been foul enough to wash out Winston Cup qualifying Saturday. In that case, he would have made the event on the basis of the postmark date on his entry blank.
It was overcast and threatening all afternoon, but the day's full schedule was completed. And for Wallace, that meant grand failure followed by grand success.
The key moment came on lap 200 of the 250-lap event. Benson had led the previous 28 laps, with Wallace on his bumper. When two cars spun in the third and fourth turns, it became a race to the yellow flag. In their way were about four other cars that had slowed drastically.
Wallace dodged and weaved and found a hole and scooted under the yellow just ahead of Benson to take the lead, which he would never give up.
``I just went through some people,'' Wallace said. ``I was very aggressive, but I thought it would be very important. I knew I was faster than Johnny. But I thought Johnny was running just good enough to keep me from passing him.''
Wallace led 95 laps, including the final 51 circuits.
Mark Martin led 83 laps during the first half of the race but dropped out on lap 104 with a broken engine.
Chad Little, who won the season's first two races, led 13 laps but retired on lap 170 when his engine failed. He finished 32nd in the 38-car field and dropped to third in Grand National points, trailing Terry Labonte and Benson.
``IT'S ALL BULL'': Some may contend that NASCAR secretly tilts the tables in favor of certain competitors, but Jimmy Spencer isn't buying it.
``There's a lot of bad press on NASCAR right now and it's all bull,'' he told Ford's Wayne Estes. ``NASCAR runs the tightest, cleanest ship in the country, as far as I'm concerned. I love driving for them. I've driven for them for 15, 16 years and I'm proud to be a part of it.''
SAYWER 15TH: Chesapeake's Elton Sawyer had an up-and-down day in the Hardee's 250. After starting 28th, he battled into the top 10 four times before handling troubles forced him to settle for 15th.
He was running eighth with 25 laps to go when ``something broke in the rear end . . . and made the car really loose. I had to back way off to keep from spinning, then the car developed a vibration that made me slow down even more and cost us seven or eight spots in the last dozen laps.''
His wife, Patti Moise, finished 23rd, 13 laps back. by CNB