THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 15, 1996 TAG: 9602150514
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
Look for three-wide racing, big packs of cars and, perhaps, big trouble in today's Twin 125 qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway.
``It's ugly out there in practice,'' Darrell Waltrip said Wednesday morning. ``Guys are all over each other and three-wide.
``Because we're not going any faster than we're going, you're fairly well under control. I really think the errors that will be made this time will be driver errors, because the cars are stable.''
``We'll wait and see what happens, but this is a different Daytona than I've ever seen,'' said Ricky Rudd. ``It's more like Talladega - three-wide in the turns and four-wide down the back straightaway. Even when you're with guys who are capable of doing it, everything's got to be just right to make it through those corners.
``Nobody seems to be able to drive away. I don't know how to explain it except to look at the engine rules changes, which have taken more horsepower out. So far, the cars have been driving so well at these speeds, it's been fun because if you see a hole, you go for it and the tires stick.''
Said Jeff Burton: ``There is not going to be a single car out there that can't keep up. And you're going to see more three-wide racing than you've seen here in a long, long time. I've been three-wide more in practice than I have in my whole career down here. Avoid that middle line at all costs.''
As Ted Musgrave put it: ``There are three lines: the high line, low line and no-man's line.''
Ernie Irvan, who has had one of the best cars in practice, offered a different opinion of today's 50-lap races.
``What will happen is the lead draft will take off and then there's going to be a pack behind that's going to get beat by a second a lap,'' he said. ``That's why everybody's goal is to do whatever it takes to catch that lead line. But if guys get side-by-side, another will come up and go three-wide and go right by you. The guy in the middle is the one who has to give.''
The first 125-mile race, with Daytona 500 pole winner Dale Earnhardt leading the field, starts at 12:30 p.m., immediately followed by the second race. The races will be broadcast live, beginning at noon, by WGH AM-1310. They will be televised by CBS on a tape-delay basis at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
BUSCH QUALIFYING: Some of the top names in the Grand National division failed to qualify for Saturday's Goody's 300 during the second round of time trials Wednesday.
Even after eight provisional starting spots were doled out, the list of those going home early included Stevie Reeves, Kenny Wallace, Buckshot Jones, Ward Burton, Michael Ritch, Tim Fedewa, Patty Moise, Tommy Houston, Randy Porter and Andy Belmont.
Sixty-four cars tried to make the race and 46 will start. Tim Bender led the second round with a speed of 186.893 mph.
NO DEAL: Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell was at the track Wednesday with vice president Dick Thompson and public relations director Steve Sheppard.
Campbell didn't get too far in the garage area before he was asked whether he might be putting the family-owned track up for sale.
``We've got to get some caps that say, `No, we're not,' '' Thompson said.
Construction is well under way on the a 7,000-seat, high-rise grandstand in the third and fourth turns, to be known as the Bill France Tower.
BUD MOORE'S SPONSOR: Hayes Modems will be the Daytona 500 sponsor of the No. 15 Bud Moore Ford Thunderbird, driven by Wally Dallenbach Jr., the company said Wednesday.
But will the support extend beyond the year's biggest race?
``It's something we're looking at and something we can evaluate'' after the 500, Hayes spokesman John Stuckey said.
Moore said this is the longest he has gone into a season without a sponsor. Asked how much longer he can go without sponsorship, Moore said, ``I would say we'll probably go through Rockingham. It's been a hard road, but I think the Hayes people are real thrilled at what they've seen so far.'' by CNB