THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 11, 1995 TAG: 9511110665
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON, GA. LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
His era of championships has passed and he knows it, but Darrell Waltrip proved to himself and the fans Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway that every so often, he can still rise to the occasion.
Threatened with a bleak offseason with no 1995 success to reflect on, the 48-year-old Waltrip broke out of his slump to win the pole for Sunday's NAPA 500, the last race of the year.
His lap of 185.046 mph in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo was 2/100ths of a second than that of Ricky Rudd, who held the pole through much of the qualifying session after reaching 184.921 mph in a Ford Thunderbird.
``We've struggled a lot this year at times,'' said Waltrip, who had not won a pole since April 1992 at Martinsville. ``It was going to be a long, cold winter with nothing to brag about. It's just a pole, and I don't want to make it sound like I've just won the Daytona 500, but it's a big deal for us.''
Bobby Hamilton was third-fastest at 184.777 mph, followed by Dick Trickle at 184.690 and Jeremy Mayfield at 184.659. Also in the top 10 were Rusty Wallace (184.379), Michael Waltrip (184.286), Jeff Gordon (184.138), Mark Martin (183.835) Ricky Craven (183.798).
``We're not the fastest car, but the car drove great,'' series points leader Gordon said. ``We should be real strong in the race.''
Defending series champion Dale Earnhardt was 11th-fastest at 183.724 mph.
A few hours before he won the pole, Waltrip issued a news release announcing that he would undergo major leg surgery Wednesday at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Fla. Surgeons will remove an 18-inch metal plate and 18 screws that were used to repair the femur bone he shattered in an accident at Daytona in 1990.
``They got to cut the leg open and take the plate out. I've put it off and put it off and a couple of crashes I had this year aggravated my leg and made my limp worse,'' Waltrip said. ``It's not like I have a problem. It will just be recovering from the surgery.''
Waltrip said he was ``real nervous going out to qualify'' because he knew he had a chance at the pole. His car had been one of the quickest in practice.
``I knew if we beat (Rudd), we probably would be in pretty good shape,'' he said. When he returned to the garage, his crew members ``were kinda standing there in amazement and disbelief.''
``Ten years ago, if I didn't have the fastest car, I could carry the team. I can't do that anymore,'' he said. ``When you've been in a slump for awhile, you really anguish over whether you're going to be able to win anymore. The wins don't come anymore and the glory doesn't come anymore. That's hard to accept when you've been on top for a long time.
``But folks, it's inevitable. Race drivers don't last forever. Things change. Everybody has an era. At least I had one. But when it goes, it goes fast. When you start slipping down that pole, you'd swear somebody greased it.''
Waltrip said he's not sure when he will retire. But, he said, ``I know I want to drive, or at least I think I do, a couple more years. Then I'll be 50. I think as long as I'm able to win a pole now and then, and able to win a race now and then, I'll stick around. It's hard to walk away from this stuff.''
Forty-nine drivers made qualifying runs for the 38 starting positions. Those in danger of failing to qualify include Todd Bodine (39th-fastest), Kyle Petty (40th), Robert Pressley (42nd), Steve Grissom (43rd), Jeff Purvis (44th) and Mike Wallace (45th).
The second round of time trials is set for 11 a.m. today. ILLUSTRATION: [Photo]
Darrell Waltrip
[Chart]
FRIDAY'S QUALIFYING RESULTS
For copy of chart, see microfilm
by CNB