Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 31, 1994 TAG: 9411020021
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PHOENIX LENGTH: Medium
But when water started blowing out of his overheated engine after only about 50 of the 312 laps, it became obvious that the research and development had gone awry.
Earnhardt dropped out after 91 laps and finished 40th.
``It was a little bit of an experimental engine,'' Earnhardt said. ``We went out on a limb a little too far, and the limb broke. You don't want to experiment like that when you're running for a championship. This is the only time we can afford to do that.
``We wanted to try it and see what it would do,'' he said. ``The engine had a lot of power, but we cracked a cylinder head and started blowing some water out. We were out there throwing water out everywhere, and that was just going to mess somebody up.''
Actually, it did mess somebody up.
When Harry Gant spun with Brett Bodine in turn four on lap 95, he blamed it in part on the water spilling out of Earnhardt's overheated engine.
``It's that water!'' Gant bellowed into his radio immediately after the spin. ``I can't believe they're [NASCAR officials] not going to do something about it!''
A crewman replied: ``There's nothing we can do about it, Harry. He's the champ.''
TEMPER, TEMPER: When Jimmy Spencer was involved in a three-car crash on the frontstretch on lap 117, he emerged from his car and was challenged to fight.
The challenge didn't come from Todd Bodine or Michael Waltrip, who were involved in the crash. It came from car owner D.K. Ulrich, whose driver, Greg Sacks, had spun and hit the turn two wall on lap 50.
Was Spencer involved in that?
``I don't know, probably,'' Spencer said.
After Ulrich grabbed Spencer and got into his face, Spencer blew up and had to be restrained and led away by his team's public relations representative, Ricky Humphrey. But by the time he got back to his hauler, Spencer was laughing about it.
``I guess the 77 team said I dumped him,'' Spencer said. ``I didn't. It was part of racing. [Ulrich] just challenged me to fight. D.K. came up and said, `C'mon, punch me in the nose.' I'm too smart for that and I walked away. Wrestling is for TV. Racing is for on the race track.''
BUSY MEDICS: During the first caution period, which started on lap 33, the infield care center here became a busy place.
First to arrive was John Andretti, who literally knocked down the third turn wall when he got in the oil dumped from Rick Mast's blown engine. Jimmy Spencer also spun, but didn't hit anything.
Although Andretti walked away from the crash, his head was ringing.
``For a minute he didn't know who he was, but now he does,'' said car owner Richard Petty. ``But they want to check him at the hospital. He knocked the wall down and it rung his bell pretty good. He hurt his knee a little bit, too.''
Andretti's wreck at least could be considered a sponsor-friendly crash. The spot where he knocked a hole in the wall was painted with the logos of his sponsor, STP.
MAST'S BAD ENGINE: Rick Mast's crew was was foiled by its Sunday morning decision to change engines. The new power plant blew after 33 laps.
``It was going to be another good day,'' Mast said. ``We had another good car again. This is like so many times this year.''
Mast said the team decided to change engines because ``we weren't happy with our practice runs yesterday evening. The engine didn't seem to have enough horsepower.''
STANDARD LENGTH: NASCAR officials were telling teams Sunday that all three car makes in the series - Chevy, Ford and Pontiac - will have a standard length of 193 inches in 1995.
As of now, the Fords are about two inches longer than the GM cars. And earlier this year, after much complaining from the Pontiac teams, the Pontiacs were given about five inches, making them about as long as the Chevys.
The new rule appears to be designed to help the GM cars in general, which were trounced by the Fords for the manufacturer's championship this year, and the Pontiacs in particular.
As Pontiac driver Kyle Petty said: ``It'll take all the whining out of us.''
MUSGRAVE'S BEST FINISH: Ted Musgrave made his first post-race trip to the gas pumps Sunday.
The cars that finish second through fifth have to go to the Unocal gas pumps in Winston Cup garages for immediate refueling, and Musgrave earned his trip there on the strength of his fifth-place finish, his best ever.
``That worked out pretty good,'' he said. ``The pit stops really, really helped. My hat's off to the guys in the pits because every time we'd pit, we'd gain a position or two, and then I could hang onto it. Finally here at the end of the year, things are coming together.''
NO WORD FROM GIBBS: Joe Gibbs, car owner of the No. 18 Chevrolet Lumina, said Sunday he had no news on driver Dale Jarrett's request to be released from his contract to drive the No.28 Ford Thunderbird owned by Robert Yates.
``I'd say I'll know something within a week,'' Gibbs said.
by CNB