ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 10, 1996 TAG: 9601100074
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: AUTO RACING NOTES
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C.
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
Dale Earnhardt and Richard Childress, unwilling to tamper with a wildly successful relationship, announced Tuesday that Earnhardt will continue to drive Childress' black No.3 Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR stock car through the year 2000.
The agreement also includes sponsorship by GM Goodwrench, which has been affiliated with Childress in one form or another for 16 years.
``That's a long relationship,'' Childress said. ``That's lasted longer than a lot of marriages.''
Said Earnhardt, ``I've really not been much for change through the years,'' especially with a partnership that has produced six of his seven Winston Cup championships.
``We've got such a foundation and background together, I don't see any reason for changing,'' Earnhardt said during a Charlotte Motor Speedway media tour news conference at the Childress shop in Welcome, N.C.
All parties seemed relieved to have completed the negotiations, which began at Daytona last February.
Earnhardt, who has driven for Childress since 1984, said he told Childress that before he signed another contract, ``I'd like to have some things happen, and he made them happen.''
Earnhardt and Childress wouldn't elaborate, but Earnhardt's business manager, Don Hawk, said it wasn't money. Hawk said Earnhardt ``wanted GM to step up and do something'' to help sponsor his own team's efforts after he retires, and GM agreed.
Earnhardt and Childress said their efforts will be linked closely in 1996, even though Earnhardt will still field a Grand National car out of his shop outside Mooresville with driver Jeff Green.
Working together, they will field Green, Mike Skinner and Ron Hornaday in a number of Winston Cup races this year. Skinner won the 1995 NASCAR Supertruck title for Childress and Hornaday drove Earnhardt's truck.
Meanwhile, Earnhardt and Childress were scheduled to fly to Japan today, where they will take part in a fan appreciation day at the Suzuka circuit - the same track where NASCAR will have a demonstration race this November. Earnhardt plans to run a couple of 10-lap exhibition runs on Saturday.
PONTIAC HAPPY SO FAR: The first two stops on the media tour Tuesday were at the Pontiac shops of drivers Johnny Benson and Kyle Petty, and much of the discussion was about the new Grand Prix.
NASCAR this week granted Pontiac two changes it had been seeking for the new model - a 61/4-inch spoiler height and 31/2-inch ground clearance for the front air dam - and the Pontiac teams think that will help their cars.
``I'm hoping the new Pontiac is better than the Monte Carlo, but I don't know,'' Billy Woodruff, Petty's new crew chief, told reporters at the Felix Sabates shop in Mooresville. ``We're at least equal to the Monte Carlo. It's great to know Pontiac is not No.3. That title belongs to Ford now.''
But there's still a level of uncertainty.
``As much time as we've spent in the wind tunnel with the Grand Prix, you're never sure where you are until you get on the track,'' GM's NASCAR manager Don Taylor said.
WALTRIP UPDATE: When the media tour stopped by Darrell Waltrip's shop next to the Charlotte speedway, the old veteran was as entertaining as ever, and feeling better than he has in several years.
Just after the 1995 season ended in November, Waltrip had major surgery to remove a foot-long titanium rod with 18 long screws from a leg he broke in a practice crash at Daytona in 1990.
``I got that restrictor plate out of my leg,'' he said. ``I don't limp anymore. And I can do the Icky shuffle again. I feel better than I have in a long, long time. I think the thing I realized when they took it [the rod] out was the severity of the injury.''
Waltrip said he doesn't want to hear any retirement questions this year, because he'll be driving for at least two more years and perhaps until the year 2000.
Waltrip unveiled a new paint scheme for his car. It will be orange and white with several shades of blue instead of shades of gray and black. Western Auto will continue to be the sponsor, but the car will advertise the company's Parts America chain.
FORD DAYTONA TESTING: Only three Fords showed up for the first day of a three-day NASCAR Winston Cup Ford practice at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday.
Dale Jarrett was quickest at 186.093 mph, followed by Wally Dallenbach in Bud Moore's No.15 Ford at 183.337 and Bill Elliott at 182.775.
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Pontiac engineer Byron Warner (left) and driverby CNBJohnny Benson Jr. unveil the new Grand Prix Winston Cup car. color.