ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, July 6, 1996 TAG: 9607080048
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: AUTO RACING NOTES
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA.
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
Car owner Richard Childress made it official Friday.
He'll have a second team in 1997 with driver Mike Skinner behind the wheel and sponsorship from the Lowe's home improvement chain.
The details of the multiyear agreement were not announced, but there was speculation that the contract was worth as much as $6 million a year.
Skinner, 38, won the championship last year in the inaugural season of the NASCAR truck series. There were rumors that other drivers were stronger candidates than Skinner for the ride, but Childress said that wasn't true.
``I had a lot of options,'' he said. ``I just think we need new names and new faces - and he deserves the chance.''
TEXAS NEWS CONFERENCE: Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports, said he'll have a news conference in the Dallas-Fort Worth area at 2 p.m. Thursday to announce ``things.''
Smith wouldn't say much more, but he left little doubt that he would be announcing at least one 1997 date for his new track, Texas Motor Speedway, being built near Fort Worth in Roanoke, Texas.
The most plausible line of speculation has Smith announcing that the first Texas race will take place in March 1997, occupying the spot usually filled by the race at his track in Atlanta.
Atlanta reportedly will take the April date usually slated for North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Smith wants a spring race in Texas and would like to have another one, too, although he apparently will get only one Texas race in 1997. But Smith did say he was not eager to have a fall race at the new track because it would have to compete with football, the No.1 sport in Texas.
DRIVER TO YOUR CAR: Jeff Gordon was expounding on his pole-winning run in the media center Friday.
In the back of the room, Darrell Waltrip and Dale Jarrett were waiting for Gordon to finish so they could start another one hosted by Darlington Raceway.
Suddenly, on the intercom, a serious-sounding voice spoke up: ``Will Jeff Gordon please report to his car.''
Gordon cut off the interview, and on his way to the garage passed a laughing Waltrip, who was holding the intercom mike in his hand.
KELLER IN BLAIR CAR: The unsponsored Ford Thunderbird owned by Arkansas attorney David Blair will make its return at Indianapolis for the Brickyard 400 with Grand National driver Jason Keller behind the wheel.
Team manager Mike Hill said Keller is signed for Indy and may also attempt to qualify at Michigan, Darlington, Charlotte and Atlanta if there is no conflict with his Grand National responsibilities.
Elton Sawyer started the season in the car, but the team was unable to secure sponsorship and temporarily dropped out of the series after the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in May.
ANOTHER DEFECTION: Kyle Petty wasn't the only person this weekend to announce he was leaving Felix Sabates.
Ty Norris, the business manager of Sabates' Pontiac Grand Prix team, has announced he'll join Dale Earnhardt, Inc., on July 16 as director of motorsports and marketing.
LENGTH: Medium: 63 linesby CNB