
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 23, 1990                   TAG: 9005230145
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B11   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

QUALIFYING BEGINS TODAY AT CHARLOTTE

Three days after earning $325,000 in The Winston, Dale Earnhardt will be looking to make some more money today when the NASCAR drivers roll back into Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

Earnhardt, who hasn't won a pole on the Winston Cup tour in more than three years, said he is confident he can end the drought today in the time trials for Sunday's $913,000 Coca-Cola 600.

"We're on a roll," said Earnhardt, after a wire-to-wire victory in The Winston. "I'm running the same car, and it's a good one. Myself and the team are very confident right now. We're really putting the pressure on people. We can put some more on 'em by winning the 600 pole."

Through nine stops on the 29-race schedule, Earnhardt has dominated, winning three times and completing four other top-five runs en route to $793,600 in winnings and a 90-point lead over second-place Morgan Shepherd in the Winston Cup standings.

Qualifying for the first 20 positions in the 40-car field starts at 3 p.m. on the 1.5-mile tri-oval.

Besides Earnhardt, Chevrolet's top pole threats are Ken Schrader and Darrell Waltrip. Ford's hopes rest with Bill Elliott, Mark Martin, Geoff Bodine, Alan Kulwicki and Davey Allison.

Ernie Irvan (Oldsmobile), Rusty Wallace (Pontiac) and Brett Bodine (Buick) also are given shots at taking the pole.

The faster of two laps will determine the qualifying speed for each driver.

Kulwicki won the pole last year at 173.021 mph. He also owns the track's one-lap qualifying mark of 175.896 mph, set in October 1988.

First-round qualifying for Saturday's $277,000 Champion 300 Grand National event will be held Thursday.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING

by CNB