DATE: Sunday, September 28, 1997            TAG: 9709280250

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C2   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

                                            LENGTH:   82 lines

NASCAR REPORT

Bickle's easy win closes points gap in truck series

MARTINSVILLE, Va. - Rich Bickle, who had an appendectomy 2 1/2 weeks ago, ran away from the field on three late restarts Saturday and won the Hanes 250 NASCAR Craftsman Trucks race at Martinsville Speedway.

Bickle, the pole-sitter, took the lead from Ernie Irvan on the 53rd circuit around the .526-mile oval and led the last 204 laps for his third victory. On the restarts, he raced alone, leaving the cars behind him to battle for position.

``I've had some good trucks, but I just can't believe a truck can handle that good for 125 laps at Martinsville,'' he said.

Bickle gained 46 points on leader Jack Sprague. Sprague crashed three laps from the scheduled finish and went from fifth to 10th because of an illegal pit stop. With five races remaining, Sprague leads Bickle by 49 points.

Rookie Park qualifies R. Gordon's car 28th

MARTINSVILLE - NASCAR Grand National rookie Steve Park, who is one for four in qualifying for Winston Cup races in Dale Earnhardt's car, got off to a better start Saturday driving Robby Gordon's Chevy.

Park advanced from 39th fastest, which would not have put him in today's Hanes 500, to a solid 28th starting spot with lap of 92.497 mph in the Sabco Coors Light Chevy.

Johnny Benson led the second round of time trials Saturday with a lap of 92.965 mph in his Pontiac to win the 26th starting spot, while Michael Waltrip took 27th at 92.683 mph in a Ford. Benson was 42nd fastest Friday.

All of the drivers who were 26th or slower after Friday's first round gave it another shot Saturday.

Provisional starting spots went to Jeremy Mayfield, Brett Bodine, Derrike Cope and Steve Grissom. Those who failed to make the race were Gary Bradberry, Morgan Shepherd and Dave Marcis.

Petty, Jarrett move to backup cars

Two incidents in Saturday morning practice prompted drivers Dale Jarrett and Kyle Petty to change to backup cars.

Petty hit the wall in turn two in the morning session and his crew had enough time to prepare his backup for the second round of time trials.

He qualified the backup in 29th (which was better than his effort Friday in his primary car of 34th fastest) and thus will not have to go to the back of the field for the start.

Jarrett, who qualified 21st in his primary car Friday, did not requalify and thus will have to start the race at the back after switching to a backup.

Jarrett's primary Ford caught fire during the practice.

``We ran over something and the alternator broke and knocked the fuel line loose,'' Jarrett told Ford's Jeff Owens. ``Unfortunately, it burned everything up.''

Jarrett said the incident was ``pretty scary. I saw smoke but I didn't think anything was wrong until I saw fire in the car. The problem is you can't get stopped quick enough and you can't get out quick enough.''

Wallace practices fastest

Kenny Wallace led the final Winston Cup practice Saturday, reaching 92.434 mph in the one-hour session.

Rookie Steve Park was second fastest at 92.429 mph, followed by Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Ted Musgrave.

Mark's Martinsville drought

Mark Martin has not led a lap in the last six NASCAR Winston Cup races at Martinsville. The last time he led here was in the spring of 1994.

On the other hand, Jeff Gordon and Bobby Hamilton have led 943 of the last 1,000 laps at Martinsville. Gordon led 564 laps, while Hamilton led 379.

Cup leader doesn't mean a Cup winner

The leader in the Winston Cup championship with six races to go in the season has won the title only four times in the seven championship seasons of the 1990s.

Dale Earnhardt did it in 1991, 1993 and 1994, while Jeff Gordon stayed in command in 1995. In 1990, Mark Martin was leading with six to go; Earnhardt won. In 1992, Bill Elliott was ahead, only to lose to Alan Kulwicki. And last year, Gordon was leading before succumbing to Terry Labonte. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rich Bickle gets a hug from his mother, Jackie ``Ma'' Bickle, after

Saturday's truck race victory.

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