THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 8, 1995 TAG: 9502080636
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
Could it be the McDonald's Daytona 500 in 1996? Or the Daytona 500 by McDonald's? Or, gulp, perhaps just the McDonald's 500?
There's a rumor afoot that McDonald's and Daytona International Speedway have inked a deal for sponsorship of the race in 1996.
The principals deny that. But they don't deny that they've been talking.
``I don't know that we've actually got a deal yet, but we've been talking to them,'' said the speedway's Larry Balewski.
``We have had conversations with Daytona,'' said David Paro of McDonald's. ``We can't rule out that (sponsorship of the Daytona 500) would be something of interest.
``We had some very brief conversations about 1995 but quite literally haven't talked about 1996. But it will be something we'll probably keep alive if the right opportunity is there.''
DAYTONA TIME: The NASCAR portion of Speedweeks officially gets under way at 10 a.m. Thursday, when the 19 drivers in Sunday's Busch Clash draw for starting positions. They'll take to the track for practice at 2 p.m.
Winston Cup practice for the Daytona 500 begins Friday, followed by pole qualifying at 2 p.m. Saturday. The Clash is at noon Sunday (TV: WTKR).
NEW PROVISONAL RULE: It won't be long before NASCAR adjusts its new provisionals rule. You read it here first.
The new rule converts the last two starting positions in every race into provisional starting positions. So last year's 40-car field with two provisional starting spots (three if a champion's provisional is used) will be this year's 38-car field with four (or five) provisional starting spots.
At the same time, the number of provisional starting opportunities given to teams over the season will be increased from six to seven.
The purpose is to give Winston Cup regulars more of a chance to make races. But the mathematics suggest a problem.
Given the 31-race season, NASCAR has created 62 new provisional starting spots. But it has created only about 35 more opportunities for teams to use them. The implication, clearly, is that teams may run out of provisionals before NASCAR runs out of openings.
This rule could have hurt some regulars last year. Ricky Rudd would have failed to qualify for the first Richmond race. He qualified in the last starting position - a position that will be a provisional starting spot this year. As a new car owner last year, Rudd didn't have any provisional opportunities at the time.
The rule, however, would have benefited some unfortunate drivers last year. Dale Jarrett, for instance, would have qualified at North Wilkesboro in the fall.
And it would have put Mike Wallace and Steve Grissom in the Brickyard 400. But the fellow left out in the cold would have been A.J. Foyt, the last qualifier, whose presence in the inaugural Indy race certainly added luster to that event. by CNB