THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 2, 1995 TAG: 9504020140
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BRISTOL, TENN. LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
For the drivers who have trouble qualifying for Winston Cup races, April promises to be a long month.
Today's Food City 500 at Bristol International Raceway is the first of three short-track races this month - races in which only 36 cars will start, instead of 42.
And that means more drivers will be going home early.
On Saturday, after the second round of time trials, the eight drivers wearing long faces were Jeremy Mayfield, Hut Stricklin, Brad Teague, Mike Wallace, Butch Miller, Joe Nemechek, Steve Kinser and Billy Standridge.
The four provisional starting spots went to Steve Grissom, Michael Waltrip, Ward Burton and Dave Marcis.
Mayfield missed making the race by one-thousandth of a second. His time around this 0.533-mile oval was 15.666 seconds. And the two drivers just ahead of him, Sterling Marlin and Morgan Shepherd, tied at 15.665 seconds.
Terry Labonte, meanwhile, led the second round of time trials with a speed of 123.261 mph, which would have earned him a tie with Chuck Bown as the 16th-fastest qualifier had he turned that lap on Friday.
But Labonte, Rick Mast and Randy LaJoie were not allowed to qualify in Friday's first round after NASCAR officials determined that their cars had too much camber in their rear ends. LaJoie qualified 24th, while Mast was 30th-fastest.
Dale Earnhardt was one of nine drivers who qualified outside the top 20 Friday but decided to stand on their times.
After Saturday's second round, Earnhardt slipped from 23rd- to 25th-fastest. But as reigning series champion, Earnhardt does not have to pit on the backstretch like the rest of the cars that qualified 19th or below.
The Winston Cup champion gets to pit wherever he wants. And Earnhardt's team selected, as it almost always does, the first pit on the frontstretch.
IRVAN'S HOPES: After another test on the racetrack, this time at North Wilkesboro Speedway in a NASCAR SuperTruck, Ernie Irvan is more antsy than ever to get back into a race car.
``It gets worse every day,'' Irvan said at Bristol.
Irvan took two of his trucks to North Wilkesboro and ``tested all day Monday'' with the driver of his truck, Joe Ruttman, because he wanted to practice with another vehicle on the track.
He returned Thursday by himself for more practice.
Irvan still is driving with one eye but said it ``was really not a problem.'' He will be back on the track again in about two weeks when he and Dale Jarrett test a couple of Robert Yates road-course cars at Road Atlanta.
Irvan is more convinced than ever that he can return to the track.
``Two months ago, I thought I could do it, but I didn't know,'' he said. ``Now there's not any doubt in my mind I could line up for Sears Point (a road race next month). I'll probably go racing in another month or so in my truck.
``My doctors haven't released me to race, but that will probably happen in a week or so.''
RUDD'S TEAM FINED: Ricky Rudd's crew chief, Bill Ingle, was fined $1,000 Saturday after NASCAR officials confiscated an A-frame and ball-joint assembly that was offset, which is a no-no in the Winston Cup series. The disallowed part was found during an inspection Friday.
``If I owe 'em $1,000, I'll pay 'em $1,000,'' Ingle said.
Rudd qualified 13th for today's race.
THE FUTURE IS GORDON: Jeff Gordon has been selected by GQ magazine as 39th in a list of 50 men who will have the greatest impact on American sports in the 21st century.
In an article titled: ``Fifty for the Future,'' GQ said the 23-year-old Gordon is ``not your stock-car ----kicker. He's handsome, personable, successful and fits in perfectly with NASCAR's plan to merchandise itself NBA-style.'' by CNB