THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 30, 1996 TAG: 9609300149
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SCOTT MICHAUX, LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. LENGTH: 36 lines
Ricky Rudd is so concerned about extending his streak of winning at least one race to 14 consecutive seasons, that he has scheduled a private testing session at Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway for the week after the Charlotte race. Rudd is targeting the Oct. 27 race at Phoenix, where he won last year to extend his streak to 13 seasons.
``That's where he figures he's got the best chance to keep the streak alive again this year,'' said a spokeman for Rudd's team.
MAST IN THE GROOVE: Maybe Rick Mast bailed out on Richard Jackson's No. 1 race team too soon.
Shortly after Mast announced at Bristol that he was leaving to drive Butch Mock's No. 75 Ford next season, Mast's current team has started to catch fire. Mast drove his Pontiac to a sixth-place finish Sunday. The two previous weekens he was fourth at Martinsville and sixth at Dover
``People ask me why we're suddenly doing this,'' said Mast, who has moved from 21st to 17th in the points standings since announcing his plans to leave the team. ``It's just coincidence. ``We've got the car figured out pretty good and we haven't had any bad luck in the last few races.''
DW'S RUN: Darrell Waltrip looked as if he was ready to add to his 10 victories at North Wilkesboro, the most of any active driver and second only to Richard Petty's 15.
Waltrip started at the back of the 37-car field with a champion's provisional, but he quickly stormed toward the front.
By lap 40 he was in the top 20 and by lap 70 he was all the way up to seventh.
But Waltrip couldn't keep it up, fading out of the top 20 again by lap 120. He finished 27th, four laps down. by CNB