ROANOKE TIMES

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

DATE: MONDAY, June 18, 1990                   TAG: 9006180051
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LONG POND, PA.                                LENGTH: Medium


IRVAN MAY GET A CHEVY

Driver Ernie Irvan and his Morgan-McClure team haven't won a race yet, but they obviously have impressed some people.

Although Irvan refused to confirm it, a source close to the situation said Sunday that the team will switch from Oldsmobile to Chevrolet by the time the Winston Cup tour rolls into Talladega, Ala., July 29 for the DieHard 500.

The source said Chevrolet, which has won a record seven consecutive manufacturer's titles on the NASCAR tour, already has shipped sheet metal and parts for its Lumina to the team.

Morgan-McClure, based in Abingdon, Va., has raced Oldsmobiles since joining the tour in 1983.

Chevrolet has a tour-high five victories this season. Until Harry Gant won Sunday's Miller 500, an Olds hadn't won in 36 starts.

Darrell Waltrip says he may buy his team from car owner Rick Hendrick at the end of the current season.

"I have the option," Waltrip said. "But I don't think anything will be decided until the end of this season.

"There will be no hard feelings between Rick and myself. Everything is amicable between us. It's just that I've always had this dream of owning my own team. And sooner or later I will."

Virginian Rick Mast's Winston Cup days apparently are over - for now.

For the second straight race, car owner D.K. Ulrich opted to rent his ride Sunday to California neophyte Troy Beebe.

Mast had driven Ulrich's low-budget car in 10 events this season simply to stay in touch with big-league racing. He also has been a full-time competitor on NASCAR's Busch Grand National tour.

A source close to Mast said Ulrich has indicated the owner will rent his Pontiac on a race-by-race basis for the remainder of the season.

Mast isn't about to pay $10,000 a week to drive a car that hasn't been competitive.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING



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