ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 11, 1996 TAG: 9602130022
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA.
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
Dale Earnhardt did something Saturday he's never done before at Daytona International Speedway.
He won the pole for the Daytona 500.
Earnhardt's best lap of 189.510 mph, the fastest of the year around the 2.5-mile high-banked track, moved him one step closer to fulfilling his most elusive goal, winning the premier event in Winston Cup racing.
``We felt like we did our homework well,'' Earnhardt said. ``This car was developed for Daytona, and hopefully it will be the car to beat.''
Ernie Irvan, second fastest at 189.366 mph in his Ford Thunderbird, was thirty-six-thousandths of a second slower than Earnhardt.
``This is what it was all shaping up to be - to be back at Daytona and be competitive,'' Irvan said. ``But here, it's the race team. I think they've worked about 12 weeks in a row without a day off.''
Irvan beat his teammate, Dale Jarrett, for the second starting spot - which was the only other spot locked up in Saturday's session. There will be several more practice sessions this week, but the rest of the field will be set after Thursday's Twin 125 qualifying races.
Jarrett was at 189.330 mph in his Ford Thunderbird, followed by Jeremy Mayfield in another Ford at 189.294 mph and two-time defending 500 champion Sterling Marlin at 188.814 mph in a Chevy.
Each driver ran two laps around the speedway, and Earnhardt was convinced Irvan could win the pole after Irvan's first lap.
``When Ernie ran his first lap, I thought he was going to beat us because it was better than Jarrett's first lap. That worried us,'' Earnhardt said. ``We ran a slower first lap than we thought we should have [188.408 mph], but still, it felt good coming off [turn] 4 and seeing your number on the board second after the first lap.''
Irvan said nothing in particular happened on his second lap to leave him short of Earnhardt's speed.
``You can drive two feet lower on the track or two feet higher and it doesn't matter,'' he said. ``They could wire the throttle wide-open before you went out and it wouldn't make any difference.''
Irvan, who sat out most of the 1995 season after a near-fatal crash in practice at Michigan International Speedway in August, 1994, said his performance Saturday ``doesn't really prove a whole lot about coming back and proving myself on a superspeedway. I guess at Atlanta last year I really proved myself. Atlanta really feels a lot faster than this.
``But I have to be honest with you: Everything with my comeback surprised me. Sitting out as long as I sat out and going through all the trauma my body went through, it's amazing how I've been able to come back.
``All the prayers are answered because I never thought I'd ever be able to race again when I was lying in that hospital in Michigan.''
Earnhardt echoed the sentiments of many drivers.
``Nobody can explain how he did that,'' Earnhardt said. ``We are just proud that he did and he's back here today.''
Earnhardt said preparation was the key to his pole-winning run. His team tested three cars and used Dave Marcis and Mike Skinner to help with the driving.
``We spend probably more time testing here than you would at 10 other tracks together,'' he said.
Also among the fastest 10 were Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon, sixth at 188.588 mph in a Chevy, followed by Jeff Purvis in another Chevy at 188.583. Robert Pressley was eighth quickest at 188.529 mph and Rick Mast of Rockbridge Baths, Va., was ninth in the fastest Pontiac Grand Prix at 188.478 mph, followed by Chevy driver Terry Labonte (188.367 mph).
A number of prominent drivers were at the other end of the lineup, most notably Mark Martin, who was 37th fastest after a best lap of 184.824 mph in his Ford.
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. 1. Dale Earnhardt took the Daytona 500 pole with aby CNBspeed of 189.510 mph. 2. Dale Earnhardt speeds out of turn 4 at
Daytona International Speedway on his pole-winning run Saturday.
It's the first time he will start the Daytona 500 from the front of
the field. color.