THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 23, 1995 TAG: 9504230152
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MARTINSVILLE, VA. LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
Elton Sawyer of Chesapeake undoubtedly will have many ups and downs as he tries to work his way into the NASCAR Winston Cup series, but no one will be able to take away his splendid debut Friday at Martinsville Speedway.
After only two practice sessions in the Junior Johnson No. 27 Ford Thunderbird, which had failed to make the last two races, Sawyer qualified ninth for today's Hanes 500.
Team manager Mike Hill praised the 35-year-old Sawyer for having the guts to tackle the qualifying challenge at Martinsville, where 43 cars are fighting for 32 starting spots.
``He decided to step in here at a race track where it's going to be real hard to make the race,'' Hill said. ``All the rest of those guys sitting back (who were available) were saying, `Well, there's going to be 43 Winston Cup cars there and if I don't make the race and get that car in the show, it's going to make me look bad.'
``Then after I selected Elton, all the rest of those guys called up and said they wanted to drive my car at Talladega (next weekend). But he'll have the first choice in my book.''
Sawyer said he didn't have to agonize over whether to accept the ride. ``Hey, it was a choice of going racing or doing yard work this weekend, so this was an easy decision,'' he said.
As for Talladega, Sawyer said all he's thinking about now is finishing 500 laps today ``and then we'll see what happens.'' He's already said he won't run more than five Cup races (to preserve his rookie status for a future year) and remains committed to running the full Busch Grand National schedule this year in the Akins-Sutton Ford.
Before his startling qualifying run, Sawyer's experience in the No. 27 car consisted of 15 laps at Hickory Motor Speedway on Thursday and the three-hour practice session here Friday before time trials began.
``To be really honest, I felt no pressure whatsoever,'' he said. ``I really came in here in a kinda low-key situation because they hadn't made the last two races. So the worst I could be was be like the other two guys.''
And he said he didn't have a lot of trouble adjusting to the Winston Cup car. ``The way the cars feel and the way they drive, there's not a whole lot of difference. But you do get from point A to point B a lot faster.''
Hill said Sawyer qualified the same car, with the same engine, that failed to make the race at North Wilkesboro. ``It's just proving what the crew and I knew all along,'' he said. ``We've got good equipment and good people working on these cars. We've just got to get the whole team going in one direction.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
DON PETERSEN/LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
Elton Sawyer qualified ninth in the Junior Johnson No. 27 Ford
Thunderbird for today's Hanes 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
by CNB