ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 7, 1997 TAG: 9702070054
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA.
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
IT'S DEFINITELY NOT how you start, but how you finish in the annual Busch Clash.
The 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup season started Thursday the same way the 1996 season ended - with Terry Labonte on top.
The Winston Cup champion drew the pole position for Sunday's Busch Clash during the annual Clash breakfast, which was held this year at the Daytona USA motorsports attraction adjacent to the speedway.
Not a bad start, Labonte said, ``except for the fact that they invert the field.''
As usual, Sunday's race will consist of two 10-lap sprints, and the field will be inverted between segments.
Mark Martin selected the second starting spot - the first time he's picked a low number.
``I've got to explain something to you guys,'' he said. ``I was thinking that I would really hate to start up front and get passed by a lot of guys. That's why I'm starting up front - because I didn't want to.''
The Clash includes the 13 pole winners from 1996, as well as wild-card draw Rusty Wallace. Behind the first row, Wallace will start third, followed by defending champion Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Johnny Benson, Ernie Irvan, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt, Ted Musgrave, Ricky Craven, Ward Burton, Jeremy Mayfield and Jeff Gordon.
Mayfield missed Thursday's function and will have to drop to the rear of the field at the start.
This will be the first Clash for Benson, Jeff Burton, Mayfield and Craven.
``Before I got down here, I remember being up in Maine with 24 inches of snow on the ground,'' said Craven, a native of Maine. ``And I just couldn't wait for the Busch Clash. So I'm glad I'm in it.''
As for strategy in the race, rookie Benson said, ``I've watched it for a lot of years and I don't think there's any strategy.''
Ward Burton returns to action following sinus surgery in early January that forced him to miss both GM tests here.
``The surgery was a little more than I planned for myself and my surgeon planned,'' Burton said. ``When the doctor got in there, it was more than he thought it was. And that set me back. I'm still a little stuffy. But I feel really good and I've made a lot of progress in the last 10 days.''
Burton said he doesn't think he will be hurt by having missed testing. ``The testing at Daytona in January is for qualifying,'' he said. ``And it's 99 percent car.''
Practice opens for all Winston Cup cars today, and qualifying for the pole position for the Feb.16 Daytona 500 is Saturday.
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) T. Labonte KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB