THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 13, 1995 TAG: 9502130133
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
The Winston Cup season got under way Sunday as it has so many times before - with Dale Earnhardt in Victory Lane.
Earnhardt, in the new Chevrolet Monte Carlo, roared to his sixth victory in nine starts in the 20-lap season-opening Busch Clash, a showcase for pole winners from the previous season.
Defending Daytona 500 champion Sterling Marlin was second in a Chevrolet, followed by the Ford Thunderbird of Bill Elliott, 1994 Clash winner Jeff Gordon in a Chevrolet, and wildcard entry Todd Bodine in a Ford.
Only two other drivers have ever won this race more than once. Ken Schrader and the late Neil Bonnett had a pair of Clash wins apiece.
``This race suits the team, (car owner Richard) Childress and myself,'' Earnhardt said. ``I thought it would be tough drafting back up through there, but Childress said to lead every lap you can, so that's what I tried to do.''
Earnhardt started from the outside pole next to Geoff Bodine's Ford and jumped out front, which is where he stayed until the final lap of the first of the two 10-lap segments.
With Gordon and Marlin hanging onto his bumper, Earnhardt got loose coming out of turn 2. As Earnhardt slowed, Gordon dove to the apron of the track to get by and took Marlin with him.
``He got loose. I never touched him or anything,'' Gordon said. ``He just got real loose and got out of the gas and I had to turn underneath him.
``He was crowding me down and we touched, and I was sideways and he was sideways - it could have been a big mess.
``We dove all the way down to the grass. I wouldn't have made that move on anybody else. (Earnhardt's) going to race you hard, but he's also going to race you clean. There might be some rubbing, but there's not going to be any wrecking.''
Gordon cruised to the finish line to win the first segment, with Marlin and Earnhardt behind him.
That put Gordon at the rear of the field for the second segment, for which the field is inverted.
It took Earnhardt and Marlin just 1 1/2 laps to return to the front.
``He got a good restart and then the 4 car (Marlin) kind of left me out to dry, not because he wanted to, but because he had to,'' Gordon said. ``He was in the position I wanted to be in for the second half of the race. I really wanted to finish third in the first race and start in front of Dale in the second race and have him push me to the front.''
Elliott tagged along with Marlin, but Gordon reeled him in by lap 3.
``I was just glad to be able to get up there with them,'' Gordon said.
With no one behind him, Gordon had no choice but to stay put. Marlin could never get a good jump to break up the line on the final lap.
``I never could get a good surge,'' Marlin said. ``What we needed was somebody behind me to push the car. We were hoping the 94 (Elliott) and 24 (Gordon) could get along with us in the corner, but it looked like the 94 wasn't handling as well through turns 1 and 2 like we were.''
Said Gordon: ``I didn't have anybody behind me, so I couldn't get any help. Heck, I didn't want to see Earnhardt win his sixth Busch Clash. We're all trying to beat him, but he is the guy to beat.''
On the first lap, Mark Martin took a low line to get around Loy Allen in turn 3 and came up too fast coming out of the turn and clipped the front of Greg Sacks' car, sending him into the wall.
``It's a short little race and you've got to make stuff happen quick,'' Martin said. ``I made an awful low pass going into three, almost down on the apron. I caught somebody in the rear. It was probably my fault.''
Sacks escaped injury but was knocked out of the race, as was Martin, who drove his banged-up car back to the garage. Allen's car sustained enough damage that he lost two laps while making repairs. ILLUSTRATION: Associated Press Photos
Dale Earnhardt takes the checkered flag, followed by fellow Chevy
driver Sterling Marlin and Bill Elliott, who had the fastest Ford
Thunderbird.
Dale Earnhardt gets a victory kiss from 6-year-old daughter Taylor
after his sixth victory - in nine attempts - in the Busch Clash.
Earnhardt led 17 of the 20 laps in Sunday's shootout.
by CNB