Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 30, 1993 TAG: 9310300159
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PHOENIX, ARIZ. LENGTH: Medium
After a decade of success, Bill Elliott is facing his first winless season in the Winston Cup series since 1982.
But Elliott still has two races left to extend his winning streak, and he will be starting Sunday's Slick 50 500 at Phoenix International Raceway in the best possible position - on the pole.
Elliott, winning his second pole of 1993, smashed the track record Friday on the newly surfaced 1-mile oval in a Ford Thunderbird with a lap of 129.482 mph, breaking the standard of 128.141 mph set by Rusty Wallace a year ago.
The new surface allowed the fastest 14 drivers to break Wallace's record.
"The car was quick right out of the truck," Elliott said. "It was one of those days where it happens just right."
He said he only took about 10 practice laps Friday.
"We hope we can win a race before the end of the year," he said. "But if we don't, we tried our best and we felt like we've done all we can do."
While he remains winless, Elliott has had four top-10 finishes in the past six races. And that's helped him to move to ninth in Winston Cup points. In May, he was 25th.
"It seems like in the last few weeks and months we've been going in a good direction," Elliott said. "We've been kind of hot and cold, but nowhere near where we were at the first of the year. We were out to lunch then."
Dick Trickle, in a surprise, captured the outside pole in the Chevrolet Lumina with a speed of 129.371 mph.
Trickle had the top starting spot, but only for about three minutes, because Elliott went out two cars after he did. Trickle was still doing interviews when Elliott stole the pole from him.
"It was a good lap. We gotta be happy with it," Trickle said. "In this game you gotta take what you get."
Mark Martin, in a Ford, and Ricky Rudd, in a Chevy, were third fastest with the identical speed of 129.139 mph. Martin will start third, however, because he is ahead of Rudd in Winston Cup points. (Martin is third in points; Rudd is 10th.) Ernie Irvan was fifth fastest in a Ford at 129.060 mph.
Also in the top 10 were Rusty Wallace in the fastest Pontiac Grand Prix at 129.037 mph, Sterling Marlin in a Ford at 129.028 mph, Ken Schrader in a Chevy at 128.769 mph, Jeff Gordon in a Chevy at 127.719 mph and Chuck Bown in a Chevy at 128.677 mph.
Dale Earnhardt, who has a 72-point lead over Wallace in the Winston Cup championship battle, qualified 11th at 128.581 mph.
Although he didn't win the pole, Schrader clinched the Busch pole award for 1993 with six poles for the season. Mark Martin, who has five poles, could tie Schrader at Atlanta, but Schrader would still win the season award because he has more outside poles (two to one).
Late in the session, Scott Gaylord crashed Jimmy Means' Ford, hitting the wall in turn 2. Gaylord complained of chest pains and was taken to Samaritan West Valley Health Center for X-rays. He was released Friday evening.
A second round of qualifying will be held at noon today.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB