ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 14, 1996 TAG: 9604150110
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: AUTO RACING NOTES
DATELINE: NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C.
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
Six months ago, Ward Burton surveyed the world from Rockingham's victory lane after winning his first Winston Cup race. Only three weeks ago, at Darlington Raceway, he won his first pole position.
On Saturday here at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the bottom fell out. Burton was the most notable of five drivers who failed to make the 37-car field for today's First Union 400. The others who headed home early Saturday were Bobby Hillin, Dave Marcis, Randy MacDonald and Mike Wallace.
``We're going through a tough time right now,'' Burton said. ``This is still basically a new team, even though we sort of set the world on fire last year. But I'm committed to them and they're committed to me.''
No one who requalified Saturday made the field. Burton actually slowed down a fraction of a mile per hour, although he improved from 40th fastest to 37th.
But Burton was knocked off the pole when provisional starting spots went to other drivers whose car owners had more points. The regular provisional starting spots went to Ricky Rudd, Joe Nemechek, Michael Waltrip and Hut Stricklin, while Bill Elliott took an ex-champion's provisional.
As Burton's team loaded their transporter following the second round of time trials, car owner Bill Davis looked calm and unruffled, as he almost always does. But that's not the way he felt inside.
``I think it's impossible to take something like this in stride,'' he said. ``As important as this is to us, as hard as we try and with the expectations that we have and everybody has for us, we don't take this in stride.
``North Wilkesboro is just a really hard place for us. It's been a hard place for Ward separately. And it still has been a hard place for us together.''
Davis said the team had planned to test here for three days, but Burton's short track car was wrecked at Bristol.
``We didn't want to compromise with the car and bring something up here that wasn't as good. So we elected to not test, and obviously that was a bad call.
``You can say a lot of things like we'll go get 'em next week, but it's just really hard for the guys and really hard for Ward. Something like this is a huge setback.''
Davis said he'd be working at the shop today, preparing for a test next week at Caraway Speedway.
He also took a moment to suggest that NASCAR reconsider its limit of three sets of tires for practice and qualifying and its limit of seven test dates during the season. Both need to be increased, he said.
``If you've got to go second round, you should have a set of tires to go on,'' Davis said. ``But you can't save that third set. You cannot give up that practice qualifying run to see where you're at on Friday.
``It's just like the test dates. You've got to save those precious test dates. I don't mean to turn it wide open, but let people go test.''
RUDD'S FIRST PROVISIONAL: Ricky Rudd said that the provisional starting spot he's using in today's race is the first one he has ever needed since starting his Winston Cup career in 1975.
It's a slight disappointment, he said, because ``it was a little bit of personal pride. But the bright side is that one was there when we needed it.''
BE A LAWYER: Mike Hill, crew chief on Elton Sawyer's unsponsored No.27 Ford Thunderbird owned by Arkansas lawyer David Blair, was asked Saturday if his resources were stretched by the lack of sponsorship.
``If we are, the boss doesn't tell us,'' he said.
``David tells us to do whatever it takes and not worry about it. I know what I'm going to be when I grow up. I'm going to be a lawyer.''
MILLER WINS MODIFIED RACE: Junior Miller of Winston-Salem, N.C., led the final 38 laps and won the Lowe's 150 Southern Modifieds Auto Racing Teams race Saturday by about two car-lengths over Frank Fleming. Tim Brown was third, followed by Robert Jeffreys and Phillip Hill.
Jay Foley of Stuart finished 12th after qualifying 17th.
The Southern Modifieds will be at Franklin County Speedway in Callaway next Saturday.
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Terry Labonte (front) leads Sterling Marlin, Kenby CNBSchrader and Mark Martin during a practice session Saturday at North
Wilkesboro Speedway. Labonte will tie Richard Petty's record of 513
consecutive starts today when he starts the First Union 400 from the
pole position. Labonte will break the record on April 21 at
Martinsville Speedway. Graphic: Chart.