Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, October 14, 1995                   TAG: 9510170114
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BRUCE STANTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

QUALIFYING KEY TO TACO BELL 300

Racing won't be on the minds of the 150 Late Model Stock Car drivers today at Martinsville Speedway. Just qualifying.

With only 20 positions in the lineup up for grabs in the first round of qualifying for Sunday's Taco Bell 300, the drivers don't need to be told how important running a fast lap today will be.

If they don't make the top 20, they'll have no better than a 10-percent chance (12 in 130) of making the 36-car field Sunday in one of the four 25-lap qualifying races. The top three drivers in each qualifying race will line up in positions 21-32. Four drivers will be awarded provisional starting spots to fill out the field.

``Qualifying means so much,'' said Phil Warren, who won the Mid-Atlantic Championship in the Winston Racing Series' Late Model Division. ``If you don't make the top 20, it's a big disadvantage.''

Most of the top Late Model drivers in the eastern U.S. will be at Martinsville this weekend competing for a piece of the $90,000 purse and the $25,000 first prize.

``For the Late Model drivers, this is their Daytona 500,'' said Dick Thompson, the speedway's director of public relations. ``Some of these guys will run over each other to get a Martinsville trophy.''

Ronnie Thomas of Christiansburg knows how to qualify at Martinsville. The former Winston Cup regular holds the Late Model Stock Car qualifying record with a run of 89.876 mph in 1989. Thomas has three poles in Late Model events and has won one Late Model race at Martinsville.

Today, his philosophy is simple.

``I'm going down there looking for the pole,'' Thomas said. ``I'm not concerned about the top five, and I don't even think about the top 20. When I go to Martinsville, I set my sights very high like that. I would rather set my sights high, and then if I don't get the pole, we'll take what else we can get.''

Besides Thomas and Warren, top Late Model drivers such as Elliott Sadler, Bugs Hairfield, Andy Houston, Johnny Rumley, Steve Grimes, Nathan Buttke and Jeff Agnew will be competing.

Also making appearances will be Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kerry Earnhardt - the sons of Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt - and Jason Jarrett, the son of Winston Cup star Dale Jarrett.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING