Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, August 17, 1993 TAG: 9308170097
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS (AP) LENGTH: Medium
"This is a phenomenal happening," Darrell Waltrip said Monday, the first of two days of tests at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, an 84-year-old track that next year will join the Winston Cup stock car series.
More than 50,000 people showed up for the initial six-hour session marred only by a crash by rookie driver Kenny Wallace.
"What's happening here today and what's going to happen next year has a huge impact. Not just on NASCAR, not just on Indy, but in the world of motorsports," Waltrip said.
More than 30 drivers totaled more than 1,100 laps on the 2.5-mile oval, a narrower and flatter surface than the high-banked NASCAR tracks.
The top speeds were 165.624 mph by rookie Bobby Labonte, 165.256 by Geoff Bodine, 164.754 by Ken Schrader, 164.504 by rookie Jeff Gordon, 164.495 by Bobby Hillin Jr. and 164.105 by Mark Martin.
The Indy car record is 233.433 mph by Jim Crawford in 1992.
"It's a pretty neat thing," NASCAR series leader Dale Earnhardt said. "I don't know about tradition and whatever. ... I wouldn't want to change anything when it comes to the Indianapolis 500 and the month of May, but we can have the month of August and run the Brickyard 400 and have a great time as NASCAR."
Earnhardt was among the first drivers on the track Monday morning. He also was one of nine NASCAR drivers who first tested at Indianapolis in June of 1992, before a major track renovation and before plans were announced for the Brickyard 400. The race will be on Aug. 6, 1994, following two days of practice and qualifications.
"I don't think the race track's going to be tough on equipment at all," Earnhardt said. "We're not seeing excessive rpms. ... It has a nice smooth surface and the chassis shouldn't take a beating at all."
The only beating on Monday was to the Pontiac of Wallace, who came low out of the fourth turn and made a half-spin into the inside wall. The car made another spin into the pit wall and had extensive damage to the right side. Wallace, whose best speed was 159.676 mph, was taken to Methodist Hospital for observation after complaining of back pain.
Martin, who has climbed to fourth in the season standings with victories in the past two races, said winning the first Brickyard 400 would be the highlight of his career.
"I'm not a big history guy, or tradition, but that would really even to me mean a lot, because I know it will be in the history books," Martin said. "That would be really, really special to me."
NASCAR's all-time leading race winner, Richard Petty, will take a ceremonial lap around the track and then donate his STP Pontiac to the Speedway's Hall of Fame Museum.
"I wish I had got a chance to run here, but the time didn't come," said Petty, who retired at the end of last season. "I always felt Indianapolis was really responsible in one way or another for stock car racing, because they got a lot of people interested in racing. It was always THE race. From that standpoint, I would have always liked to come here and run stock cars ... not the Indy cars."
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB