THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 24, 1996 TAG: 9601240516
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
What a difference a day makes.
The Ford teams found a couple of extra miles per hour in practice at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday and weren't sure why.
Jeremy Mayfield led the speed parade with a lap of 187.990 mph. Mark Martin was second-fastest at 187.310, followed by Michael Waltrip at 187.293, Jimmy Spencer at 186.410 and Wally Dallenbach at 186.020.
Martin, asked how he was running, responded, ``Mysteriously, very well today. It's the same (setup) we've had here the whole time.
``We had a mess (Monday). The lap times were all over the place, and late in the afternoon we got so slow, it was unbelievable. And all of a sudden . .
Lee Morse, a top Ford motorsports manager, said, ``I suspect that any change is more weather-related than it is anything the teams and cars are doing.''
Today is the final day of the Ford test session, which concludes January testing for Winston Cup cars. The fast lap still belongs to Terry Labonte, who reached 188.116 mph in a Chevy on the 17th.
ALLISON LAWSUIT: Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR and a race-car builder were dismissed from a lawsuit over the death of driver Clifford Allison, while two other defendants were ruled in default for failing to respond to the suit.
Lenawee Circuit Court Judge Timothy P. Pickard made the rulings Monday in Adrian, Mich., during a hearing with lawyers for the five defendants and the Allison family.
Helmet and harness manufacturer Simpson Race Products Inc. of Torrance, Calif., and seat maker Brian Butler of Harrisburg, N.C., failed to respond to the lawsuit, making them financially responsible for Allison's death.
Allison, 27, was killed at Michigan on Aug. 3, 1992. He suffered a massive skull fracture when his car crashed during a practice lap.
The suit, filed in August, claimed that faulty equipment and inspections were responsible for the seat in Allison's race car coming loose, causing him to strike his head on the roll cage.
The only question remaining is the amount of damages owed by Butler and Simpson, Pickard said. A jury trial to decide that question was scheduled for Sept. 10.
WILSON RESIGNS: Waddell Wilson has resigned as general manager of the Larry Hedrick Motorsports Team.
``We regret to lose a man like Waddell and his tremendous talent, but we wish him well,'' Hedrick said. ``He will continue to be available to us as a consultant.''
Wilson joined the Kodiak-sponsored team in 1993 and was instrumental in helping driver Ricky Craven capture the 1995 Rookie of the Year title. Wilson previously was Ricky Rudd's crew chief. by CNB