THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 13, 1995 TAG: 9502130157
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines
Andy Hillenburg won the race, but Andy Belmont stole the highlights when he took a ride on the roof of Bobby Bowsher's car late in Sunday's ARCA 200.
With three laps remaining, Bowsher's car got loose going into turn 1 and ``the front end got light and I got into the 5 car (Belmont),'' Bowsher said.
Belmont's Ford got sideways and then rolled up the nose and onto the roof of Bowsher's Ford, where it remained balanced on its side for nearly 30 yards before tumbling to the grass and cartwheeling six times before stopping.
Belmont then quickly climbed out of the car and onto the roof.
``I wasn't sure if I was on top of someone or if I was going through the air,'' Belmont said. ``In the draft there, weird things happen. The car didn't feel light when he got alongside of me; I just got nipped in the side somewhere, and the rest is history.''
That brought out the fifth and final yellow flag and forced the race to conclude under caution.
Hillenburg, a former spotter for Ricky Rudd, beat Gary Bradberry to the flag to claim his first career ARCA victory.
The win gave his car owner, Ken Schrader, back-to-back victories in this race to become the first car owner to accomplish that feat.
DAILY FINE: Jeff Hammond, crew chief for Greg Sacks, was fined $5,000 and placed on indefinite probation for having loose weight in the car.
NASCAR found 18 pounds of loose weight behind the driver's side of the Sabco Racing-owned No. 40 Pontiac, which was caught up in accident on the first lap of the Busch Clash.
Winston Cup cars must weigh at least 3,400 pounds, and that weight has to be distributed in a specified manner. All added weight that meets the regulations must be added in increments of at least 5-pound blocks of lead and must be secured inside the framework of the car.
NASCAR spokesman Kevin Triplett said it was not lead but ``an exotic metal. We're not sure what type.''
That fine brings the three-day total to $90,300.
Junior Johnson's No. 11 Ford team was fined $45,100 Saturday for an improperly assembled engine. Joe Nemechek's No. 87 Chevy team was fined $5,100 Saturday for cutting ridges in the air filter to illegally enhance air flow. And Bill Davis' No. 22 Ford team was fined $35,100 on Friday for having a hydraulic pump apparatus to lower the rear deck lid.
COMING-OUT PARTY: The new Chevrolet Monte Carlo made its first appearance under race conditions Sunday, and the overall feeling is positive.
``The Lumina was a great car, but we carried it as far as we could go,'' said car owner Richard Childress, who watched Dale Earnhardt drive his No. 3 Monte Carlo to Victory Lane in the Busch Clash on Sunday. ``Now we've got something with a little more room to adjust than we did with the Lumina.''
``I'm pretty happy with the new car,'' said Jeff Gordon, who finished first in the first portion of the Clash. ``These teams have been working hard; even if we still had the Lumina, they would be better than last year. We should be at a disadvantage because we've got a new car.''
Although Earnhardt drove a Chevy to victory Sunday, Dale Jarrett's Ford is on the pole for next Sunday's 500, and Bill Elliott's Ford finished third in the Clash.
``We're working hard on our Ford Thunderbird and I was pleased with the way it ran,'' Elliott said. ``Other than those cars (Earnhardt's and Marlin's), we were as good as anybody out there. I think that says a lot.''
READY TO GET STARTED: Defending Grand National champion David Green made his first start in a Winston Cup car Sunday, and although he certainly didn't fare as well as he had hoped, the performance wasn't unexpected.
Green earned a spot in the race by being the Busch Pole Award winner on the Grand National series. Ken Schrader fielded a Chevy Lumina for Green, but Green got to turn only eight laps in the car before race day.
The car failed to pass inspection on Thursday and was in the garage for two days being fixed and prepared. Both Clash practice sessions were cut short on Saturday so, all told, Green spent about 15 minutes in the car before taking it out to race.
He never got up to speed during the first half of the race, so when the field was inverted for the second half, Green requested to stay at the rear of the field.
``The last three days, these guys worked real hard to get this car going,'' Green said. ``I didn't finish last, so I'm happy with how I did. I was just trying to hang on.''
The Grand National cars take the track for the first time today for practice. Qualifying begins on Tuesday. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS
During Sunday's ARCA 200 at Daytona, Andy Belmont's Ford rolled atop
Bobby Bowsher's Ford, where it remained balanced for nearly 30
yards, top, before going airborne, above, and cartwheeling six times
before stopping. Neither driver was hurt.
by CNB