THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 9, 1995 TAG: 9509090407
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
With Jeff Gordon pulling further and further ahead in the Winston Cup championship race, Dale Earnhardt did what he had to do Friday afternoon at Richmond International Raceway.
Earnhardt won the pole for tonight's Miller 400 with a lap of 122.543 mph in his Chevrolet Monte Carlo, besting Gordon, who reached 122.455 mph in his Chevy.
But the big surprise of the session was 54-year-old Dave Marcis, who qualified sixth-fastest with a lap of 122.277 mph after receiving help Friday from Earnhardt's crew chief, Andy Petree.
Marcis went out second in the qualifying order, Earnhardt was third and Gordon fourth.
``We were concerned as time went on that (the track) would get faster,'' Earnhardt said. ``I hate to qualify early. Then again, sometimes I hate to qualify late because it puts pressure on you.
``But it might have been a good deal to go out close to first and go ahead and get it over with while you're calm and relaxed.''
It was Earnhardt's third pole of the season and the 20th of his career. And it comes at a time when he needs to step it up to have any chance of catching Gordon for the title. Earnhardt is in third in the championship race, 294 points behind Gordon.
``It's going to be Gordon's to lose from here on and ours to gain,'' he said.
Said Gordon: ``I had a real good lap going and I got a little wide off turn four. I had to jump out of the gas a tiny bit, and that might have messed that lap up.''
Behind Earnhardt and Gordon, Ken Schrader was third-fastest at 122.410 mph in his Chevy, Robert Pressley was fourth in another Chevy at 122.332 and Mark Martin was fifth in the fastest Ford Thunderbird at 122.305.
Marcis will start sixth, followed by Rusty Wallace (122.211 mph), Sterling Marlin (122.128), Bobby Hamilton (122.039) and Ted Musgrave (122.012).
Marcis earned his first top-10 starting position of 1995.
``We weren't going anywhere and Andy Petree gave us a hand,'' he told Chevy's Ray Cooper. ``We changed the whole car today after we talked to Andy, and it really picked us up.''
At the other end of the lineup and in danger of needing a provisional starting spot - or not making the race at all - were Morgan Shepherd, who was 34th-fastest, followed by Jay Hedgecock, Lake Speed, Ricky Craven, Mike Wallace, Jimmy Spencer, Steve Grissom, Shane Hall, Jeremy Mayfield, Ed Berrier and Eric Smith.
The field will include the fastest 34 qualifiers and four provisional starters, who will be determined after a second round of time trials at 4 p.m.
JARRETT TO STAY: Dale Jarrett confirmed Friday night that he will drive for Robert Yates in 1996 in a second car, with Ernie Irvan planning to return in the No. 28 Ford.
RE-ENLISTING: The Family Channel, the Virginia Beach-based network that sponsors the Jack Roush Ford driven by Ted Musgrave, has renewed its multi-year sponsorship with Roush Racing. Terms were not disclosed.
Meanwhile, Lysol announced that it would return as sponsor of Hensley Racing's Grand National Pontiac Grand Prix with longtime Virginia racer Curtis Markham.
And Geoff Bodine, who's losing the Exide battery sponsorship, said he's still looking for a replacement. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Dale Earnhardt claimed his third pole of the season, and the 20th of
his career, Friday at Richmond with a speed of 122.543 mph.
by CNB