Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 1, 1991 TAG: 9103010019
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: ROCKINGHAM, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Petty's record-setting one-lap run of 24.538 seconds (149.205 mph) beat Ken Schrader's time by two-thousandths of a second.
"It was a great lap," Petty said. "I think there was a lot of pressure, especially since we had run real fast last week when we were down here practicing and then we unloaded this morning and all of a sudden we were fast again. And there were people just as fast as us. So we had a shot at it."
Schrader, qualifying his Chevrolet about 20 minutes ahead of Petty, also beat the track record set by Rusty Wallace two years ago. Schrader's time around the 1.017-mile track was 24.540 seconds (149.193 mph). Wallace's record was 24.606 seconds (148.793 mph).
"I thought I had [the pole] if Kyle made any kind of mistake," Schrader said. "I got through turns one and two perfect. I got into three good, and then there was a bobble in four. Because of the bobble, I knew if Kyle got a perfect lap that I was going to be in big trouble.
"Kyle and his guys have really got this place figured out, and we're not real disappointed with starting on the front row. You don't get on the pole for a Winston Cup race when you're off just a little bit."
Qualifying on the second row were Davey Allison, who was 1.5 mph short of winning his third pole in a row, and Harry Gant. They were followed by Ricky Rudd and Michael Waltrip on the third row, Geoff Bodine and Alan Kulwicki on the fourth and Rick Wilson and Rusty Wallace on the fifth.
Those who did not make the top 20 can try to requalify today or stand on Thursday's time. Among those failing to make the top 20 were Mark Martin, Hut Stricklin, Sterling Marlin, Richard Petty and Terry Labonte.
"I kind of liked it better when I never set on a pole," Kyle Petty said. "Because then nobody expected me to set on a pole, so there wasn't that pressure to go out and try to win a pole.
Last March, Petty also won the pole here and went on to dominate the race, leading all but 60 of the 492 laps. He won a record NASCAR purse of $294,450, including a $228,000 Unocal bonus for being the first driver in a year to win a race from the pole. Petty also received a vintage Rolls Royce from team owner Felix Sabates.
"I know Kyle well enough that he was either going to sit on the pole or hit the wall, one or the other," Sabates said. "A lot of people laughed at me when I hired Kyle. They said he was a playboy, singer and guitar-pickin' hillbilly. But let me tell you something. He hasn't picked up a guitar in three years. He's shown a lot."
Sabates has come up with some new incentives this year. He has promised to give the crew a $75,000 boat if Petty wins Sunday. In addition, Sabates has told crew chief Gary Nelson he will get a new Harley Davidson motorcycle if Petty wins, and Nelson's wife, Barbara, will receive a living room full of furniture.
"Kyle's got a good combination for Rockingham," Schrader said. "He gets around the track real good, and he'll be tough to beat Sunday."
\ Dale Earnhardt also set a track record in his pole-winning qualifying run Thursday for Saturday's Goodwrench 200 for Grand National cars.
Earnhardt's time of 25.146 seconds (145.598 mph) bested the track record by 11-thousandths of a second. The previous record, set by Harry Gant in October 1988, was 25.157 seconds (145.534 mph).
Earnhardt, who qualified 13th in his Winston Cup car, said he has a lot of fun racing the six-cylinder Grand National cars because the crew "is made up of a group of guys who grew up with me and helped me get to where I am today."
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB