THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 18, 1996 TAG: 9609180638
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 58 lines
There was so much fussing and feuding after Sunday's MBNA 500 at Dover Downs International Speedway, NASCAR might consider the option of having the World Wrestling Federation sponsor a special award.
The WWF, which already sponsors a Grand National car, could put some money up for the ``WWF In-Your-Face Prize.''
And of the six finalists from Sunday's race, Jimmy Spencer was the winner, at least as NASCAR saw it.
NASCAR fined Spencer $10,000 Tuesday for his role in a heated dispute with Wally Dallenbach, who was not fined. The runner-up was Kyle Petty, who was fined $5,000 for his run-in with Michael Waltrip, who was docked $2,000.
Derrike Cope and crew chief Larry McReynolds, whose shouting match took place off-camera, were not fined.
Spencer, after tangling with Dallenbach late in the race, charged over to Dallenbach's car and shoved a fist through the window netting. Dallenbach said the blow didn't land. Spencer was restrained by NASCAR technical director Steve Peterson, but angrily broke free of his grasp.
Waltrip was angered when Petty shoved past him on the last lap to take eighth place. Waltrip drove into Petty's car on the cool-down lap, and then they both emerged from their cars screaming and challenging each other.
It was not immediately clear why Petty's fine was 1 1/2 times greater than Waltrip's.
In any event, Petty and Waltrip quickly settled their differences.
McReynolds thought Cope wrecked his driver, Ernie Irvan, and waited until Cope retired (in another accident) to tell him so.
Cope exploded and they both unleashed a barrage of expletives at each other, separated only by one person.
NASCAR officials arrived to put more distance between the two.
NASCAR Spokesman Kevin Triplett said the fines were structured according to ``the level that each went to in doing what they did.''
ANOTHER NEW TEAM: One day after cracking a bone in his shoulder in the Indy Racing League event at Las Vegas, Tony Stewart and his NASCAR Grand National team announced plans to move up to a full schedule in Winston Cup.
As Stewart was being released from a Las Vegas hospital with a fracture of the tip of his left scapula, car owner Harry Ranier was preparing to release a statement about the team's 1997 plans.
Ranier, a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 and one of the most successful owners in the 1980s, has signed a contract with Stewart to race Ford Thunderbirds in NASCAR's big league. Currently, the team is racing a limited Grand National schedule.
A WILD ROOKIE BATTLE: Stewart's entry into Winston Cup spices up the 1997 rookie of the year battle all the more.
He will be pitting his new team against Indy car driver Robby Gordon and the established Sabco Racing team. Mike Skinner also will be going for the rookie title with the new second team of car owner Richard Childress, while David Green will be running a full schedule with owner Buz McCall, who is new to the Cup series.
Gordon, for one, will have the benefit of some bonus seat time in 1996. Dale Earnhardt announced Tuesday that Gordon will drive and try to qualify his No. 14 Winston Cup car for the UAW-GM 500 at Charlotte on Oct. 6. by CNB