THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 9, 1997 TAG: 9702080720
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: NASCAR '97
A Guide to NASCAR '97
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 70 lines
Go west.
The Busch Grand National series adds four big new events in 1997, all west of the Mississippi River.
Both the stakes and the rewards will increase with rich, new events in Texas, California, Missouri and Nevada.
Randy Lajoie will return to defend his championship, and while David Green and Chad Little have moved up to Winston Cup, a host of challengers will try to snatch it away.
Among Lajoie's challengers will be Steve Park, debuting in Dale Earnhardt's Chevy; Todd Bodine and Mike McLaughlin, teammates now with Cicci-Welliver; Jeff Green, now driving for Gary Bechtel; Jeff Fuller, Elton Sawyer, Stevie Reeves and a handful of others.
And the usual contingent of Winston Cup stars will be cherry-picking on the circuit, especially where the Busch series holds companion events with Winston Cup.
``It's getting tougher and tougher to make the field,'' said Jason Keller, who will drive the Slim Jim Chevrolet Monte Carlo. ``One little slip and you go home. A lot of the Cup drivers are going to run 16 to 18 races and they know how to qualify. So I see it to be a lot tougher this year.''
Despite the interest in the new NASCAR Craftsman Truck series, the Grand National series seems healthier and more competitive than ever. It was common last year for 10 or more nonqualifiers to depart early, and it will probably be much the same this year.
The first big new date for the series is March 16, with a 500K race planned at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile oval.
On April 5, the Grand National drivers will be the first to race on the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway outside Fort Worth.
On July 26, the series inaugurates the Gateway 300, a 240-lap race on the 1.25-mile Gateway International Raceway oval in Madison, Ill., outside St. Louis.
And on Oct. 19, the 2-mile California Speedway oval in Fontana will host a 300-mile race.
``I think if we drivers are going to make the step to Winston Cup, you have to hone your skills on the big tracks,'' Keller said.
``Sure, you wreck harder when you wreck at places like that, but when they are paying those kinds of purses, it makes it easier to go bank on Monday morning.''
In the truck series, Ron Hornaday has returned to defend his championship as the series visits bigger-than-ever tracks.
The trucks debut on the 1.5-mile oval at Texas Motor Speedway on June 6 and also are scheduled to race on the 2-mile California Speedway on Oct. 18.
But Hornaday already has his work cut out for him after cracking several ribs in a crash during the season-opening race at Walt Disney World last month.
Twenty-three trucks went home early after failing to qualify for the 36-truck Disney field - a good indicator of the popularity of the series, now in its third season.
Jay Sauter has replaced Mike Skinner in Richard Childress' truck and is expected to be one of Hornaday's most potent challengers. But Jack Sprague, who snatched second in the championship from Skinner in the final race of 1996, is also a top contender. Others include Dave Rezendes, Rich Bickle, Jimmy Hensley, Mike Bliss and Kenny Irwin, Jr., who is driving a truck owned by retired NBA star Brad Daugherty, a big racing fan. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
Grand national, truck Schedules
[For complete copy, see microfilm]