THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 15, 1997 TAG: 9702150624
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: 50 lines
The racing turned racy Friday at Daytona International Speedway as Al Unser Jr. clawed his way to victory in the International Race of Champions and Brian Sockwell won the Goody's Dash race.
The Dash race also included the first bad crashes of Speedweeks.
Unser crossed the finish line a couple of car lengths ahead of Mark Martin after a 40-lap race that featured constant passing and dicing.
Eight of the 12 drivers led at least one lap, and there were 16 official passes for the lead as cars shuffled positions like numbered balls in a Lotto tumbler.
``It was absolutely the most fun I've had in a race car in a long time,'' said Randy LaJoie, who finished fourth. ``Even though we didn't win it, I had a blast.''
Unser led 18 laps - twice as many as anyone else - and was in front for the final eight laps after passing Jeff Gordon for the lead.
``I kept looking for my good buddy Dale,'' Unser said. ``I needed somebody behind me and if I want anybody behind me, I want it to be Dale Earnhardt. You need help out there to pass and I was glad Dale was there to help me.''
Earnhardt finished third, followed by LaJoie, Tom Kendall, Terry Labonte, Dale Jarrett, Robby Gordon, Jeff Gordon, Alex Zanardi, Darrell Waltrip and Jimmy Vasser. All 12 cars finished all 40 laps, although the final three drivers had lost the draft at the end.
In the Discount Auto Parts 200 for Goody's Dash series four-cylinder cars, Sockwell led only the final four laps to win his first race ever at Daytona by about two car lengths over Christian Elder. Darryl Murray was third, followed by Robert Huffman and Mike Swaim Jr.
Sockwell won the race on lap 77 of 80 by getting around Swaim going into turn 1.
There were 14 passes for the lead among eight cars, and seven yellow flags, including one for a seven-car crash on lap 70 and another for a spectacular three-car incident six laps earlier in which George Crenshaw's Pontiac went tumbling down the track out of turn 4.
Crenshaw was tapped in turn 4 and his car went airborne, barrel-rolling seven times before coming to a halt. Crenshaw walked away from the crash and was not seriously hurt.
``I'm just a little sore,'' he said. ``It was a wild ride. I can't wait to see the tape of it. I remember the car flipping, and I just closed my eyes. I didn't think it was ever going to stop rolling.'' ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS
George Crenshaw's Dash Series car barrel-rolled seven times before
coming to a halt. ``I'm just a little sore,'' Crenshaw said.