ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Tuesday, November 5, 1996              TAG: 9611050122
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: B-3  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: HOMESTEAD, FLA.
SOURCE: Associated Press

LAJOIE TAKES BUSCH CROWN

Randy LaJoie shook off some early bad luck - a potential championship-threatening accident - and finished 10th to win the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series title Sunday in the Jiffy Lube 300.

Kevin LePage won his first career GN event in 69 attempts, finishing 2.53 seconds ahead of Bobby Labonte in a battle of Chevrolets. Mark Martin was third in a Ford in the season-ending event at the Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex. (Results in Scoreboard. B4)

Running near the back third of the field after qualifying 21st, LaJoie's Chevrolet Monte Carlo was one of 10 cars involved in an accident on lap 31. LaJoie was forced to the pits and lost a lap.

That appeared to give control of the championship chase to David Green, the 1994 Series champion who entered the event 33 points behind LaJoie.

But LaJoie charged back, getting his lap back and at one point moving into the top five before drifting back to conserve fuel and win his first Busch Series title. He finished 29 points ahead of Green.

``I'll tell you what, I was a little worried when we first got caught up in that accident because I didn't know how bad the damage was,'' LaJoie said. ``But even when we got a lap down, I knew if there was any way we could pull this thing off this team would.

``They've been great all season. They've put good cars under me all year. And they did it again today. Even with some damage the thing ran well.''

LENGTH: Short :   39 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  AP. Kevin LePage gets a kiss from his wife, Donna, after
          winning the Jiffy Lube 300 on Sunday in Homestead, Fla.
KEYWORDS: AUTO RACING