THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 19, 1995 TAG: 9508190215
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BROOKLYN, MICH. LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines
Jeff Gordon provided the action in first-round qualifying Friday at Michigan International Speedway, but Bobby Labonte won the pole.
While Gordon crashed in a rain shower, Labonte showed more of the steady, quick pace that carried him to victory lane here in June and took the top starting spot for Sunday's GM Goodwrench 400 with a lap of 184.403 mph in his Joe Gibbs-owned Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
The speed was more than 2 mph short of the 186.611 track record Gordon set here in June, but it was plenty on a quirky weather day that saw alternating periods of humid sunshine, overcast skies and brief showers.
``We might have gone out at the right time, I guess you might say,'' Labonte said.
Right after Labonte ran, rain doused the track, snared Gordon and prompted a 44-minute delay. After the delay, Labonte said, it seemed more humid, and the track may have been slower.
No .2 qualifier Ricky Rudd ran after the delay and hit 184.063 mph in his Ford Thunderbird.
Starting behind Rudd's Ford will be five more Thunderbirds. Mark Martin was third at 183.622 mph, followed by John Andretti at 183.402 and Brett Bodine at 182.843.
Bill Elliott was sixth fastest at 182.820, Dick Trickle was seventh at 182.723 and Dale Earnhardt was eighth in the second-fastest Chevy at 182.463. The Fords of Jeremy Mayfield (182.399) and Kenny Wallace (182.348) were ninth and 10th.
If Labonte's timing on the track was just right, Gordon's couldn't have been worse. He went out two cars after Labonte, who felt sprinkles, and drove into a mini-downpour on the backstretch.
He tried to slow up going into the third turn, but the speed he was carrying took him out of the groove and he went into the wall first with the right rear, then the right front. Then he spun all the way around and hit the right rear again.
Gordon was furious as he got out of his car, holding his hands out as if to ask race officials why they let him run the lap. But when he returned to the garage, after taking a few moments to compose himself in the back of his transporter, he said it was his fault.
``I'm not blaming anybody else but myself,'' he said. ``I took the green. I could have made the call to come down pit road instead. It was sprinkling in one and two, but it was pouring down when I got down the backstretch. We needed those rain tires they had at Watkins Glen last week.''
Gordon's team rolled out a backup car, and he'll try to qualify during the second round of time trials at 10:30 a.m. today. And watch out - The last time he crashed during pole qualifying, at New Hampshire, he won the race.
At the bottom of the speed lineup, and in danger of failing to qualify for Sunday's race, are Todd Bodine in 38th, followed by Derrike Cope, Jimmy Spencer, Tracy Leslie, Tim Steele, Loy Allen, Gary Bradberry, Rick Bickle and Gordon.
GRAND NATIONAL: Dale Jarrett jumped to the head of the field for today's Grand National Detroit Gasket 200 with a early morning lap of 174.199 mph in his Ford.
``We need to qualify more often when I'm not awake,'' Jarrett said after the session, which began about 8 a.m. Friday after rain ended Thursday's time trials.
Mark Martin won the outside pole with a speed of 174.098 mph. Jason Keller was the fastest Grand National regular, winning the third starting spot with a speed of 173.481 mph in his Chevrolet.
Chesapeake's Elton Sawyer will start 20th. He stood on his time of 170.693 mph, third fastest of the 12 cars that ran Thursday.
A 42-car field is scheduled to run at 1 p.m. ESPN will televise.
JARRETT'S 1996 PLANS: Jarrett said he's uncertain who he will be driving for in 1996, but it probably won't be Robert Yates, even if Ernie Irvan doesn't come back.
``It hasn't even been something that's been discussed,'' he said. ``The whole plan was that Ernie was going to be back. We've known this all year.''
Jarrett said he should know later this month whether he'll be starting his own team or moving to another.
``I've given the (potential sponsors) I've been working with until the Monday after the (August 26) Bristol race,'' he said.
If he launches his own team, Jarrett said he'll run Fords with Robert Yates engines. In the meantime, ``people have been talking to me about other rides,'' he said.
PETITION DRIVE: Michigan International Speedway will use Sunday's race to generate thousands of signatures on petitions opposing President Clinton's proposed measures to restrict sports sponsorships by tobacco companies.
Speedway president Walt Czarnecki said literature will be distributed to fans Sunday and kiosks will be set up to get signatures on petitions. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. officials were busy Friday obtaining drivers' signatures on an oversized copy of the petition.
In addition, Geoff Bodine will address the crowd about the issue during driver introductions Sunday.
BEAM MAKES IT OFFICIAL: Mike Beam, who rejoined Bill Elliott as a consultant and head of research and development on May 15, has been officially named crew chief. Since Beam rejoined the team, Elliott has climbed from 18th to 10th in the points standings. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS photo
Jeff Gordon's car is worse for wear as it returns to the garage
Friday after crashing in the rain.
by CNB