Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 6, 1994 TAG: 9403060065
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Everyone knew it was coming. Everyone knew a bunch of cars would be going home after the second round of Pontiac 400 qualifying at Richmond International Raceway, but no one assumed he would be in that group.
So when the last of a dozen cars finished the two-lap time trial on the three-quarter-mile raceway and the final results were posted, it was a rude awakening for some, blessed relief for others.
Long after the 37-car field was set, a large group - mostly from teams that didn't make it - stood outside the NASCAR trailer, as if hoping for some special dispensation from the NASCAR officials huddled in the lounge inside. The dispensation never came.
Those who didn't make it were Wally Dallenbach, Billy Standridge, Hut Stricklin, Loy Allen Jr., Rich Bickle, Rick Carelli, Mike Wallace, Dave Marcis and T.W. Taylor.
The day was particularly tough for Dallenbach and his Richard Petty-owned team. They decided to try again Saturday and requalified themselves right out of a starting spot. Had they stood on their Friday speed, which was about a half-mile an hour faster than Saturday's, they would have been in the race.
Dallenbach was 32nd fastest after Friday's session. But crew chief Robbie Loomis knew about eight cars had saved a set of new tires on which to requalify. He felt certain that several of those cars would be faster, thus bumping Dallenbach backward.
"I just thought it was taking too big a chance to stand on our time, considering where we were," he said. "It was a bad decision on my part."
Very unhappy, Petty went into the NASCAR trailer to discuss the issue. When he came out, his mood was not improved.
"They ain't going to do nothing," he said. "We're going home. They'll have to look at something, that's for sure."
The beneficiary of the Petty team's miscue was Ricky Rudd, who decided to stand on his Friday time. Rudd then sweated out the qualifying session in the lounge of his car hauler.
The traditional "bubble" day in qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 "wasn't nothing compared to what we went through," Rudd said. "I told the guys a while ago, `I just don't like this. This is no fun being a car owner. One race team for sale.' "
Said crew chief Bill Ingle, "I had a sandwich just before qualifying, and I wish I hadn't. I nearly lost it."
When the session ended, Rudd had the 34th, and last, regular starting spot.
Three other drivers - Terry Labonte, Bobby Hillin and Bobby Hamilton - made the race by using the three available provisional starting spots.
Even though the track was slower Saturday, Greg Sacks and Ward Burton gained starting spots with their Saturday speeds. Sacks was the fastest second-round qualifier at 122.034 mph, jumping from 36th fastest Friday to take the 21st starting spot. Burton improved his speed by about a quarter-mile per hour to 121.589 mph, moving from 37th to 29th.
Burton, who had failed to make either the Daytona 500 or the Goodwrench 500, was ecstatic.
"I feel like I just won the race," Burton said. "It almost feels as good as winning my last [Grand National] race in Atlanta. But it kinda makes me feel sad that I'm happy just to be in the race."
Burton said the reason he made the race was his team was one of those that saved a set of new tires for the qualifying run.
Some of the non-qualifiers think NASCAR ought to expand the starting fields. After all, several major sponsors, including STP (Dallenbach), Smokin' Joe's (Stricklin) and Hooters (Allen) will get no exposure in today's race.
"We're disappointed, to say the least," Stricklin said. "But you knew there was a chance of this happening, especially with us being a new team. We're down right now pretty bad, but we will prevail."
For crew chief Pete Wright, today's race will be the first he's missed in more than 16 years.
Some team members wondered why NASCAR couldn't just add a few more starters. One problem is that there are only 37 pit stalls at Richmond. But there weren't enough pits at Sears Point last year. Several teams pitted in the garage area.
Marcis said he would do that today if NASCAR would let him start.
"I'd pit downtown if I had to," Marcis said. "I want to be in the show."
But inside the NASCAR trailer, the sport's top officials were not considering any immediate changes.
"If the sport keeps growing, we'll have to look at it, but there's nothing we can do on Saturday, March 5, and make it work for Sunday, March 6," said Mike Helton, NASCAR vice president of competition.
The NASCAR officials pointed out that just last year they expanded the field at Richmond from 32 to 34 regular starting spots and from 30 to 32 spots at Bristol, North Wilkesboro and Martinsville.
"It's a sport. It's not Wall Street," Helton said. "We need the sponsors to make the sport work, but it's still a sport. It's still competition."
Winston Cup director Gary Nelson said, "The reality kind of hit today. The sport has been growing, and it's part of the growing pains."
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB