THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: Tuesday, December 26, 1995 TAG: 9512260128 SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER LENGTH: Long : 199 lines
They call him ``Mr. Excitement,'' and Jimmy Spencer certainly lived up to that nickname in the NASCAR Winston Cup series in 1995.
Spencer spun or crashed 15 times in 29 races, literally wiping out the competition on his way to becoming the crash leader of 1995.
It wasn't even close. Next on the list were Lake Speed and Ward Burton, each with 12.
The least likely to crash was Steve Grissom, who was involved in only three spins or crashes that brought out yellow flags. But Grissom gets an asterisk because he ran in only 29 races.
Among those who competed in all 31 races, the least likely to crash or spin were those you'd expect: Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin, Sterling Marlin and Bill Elliott. All were involved in only four yellow-flag incidents each.
The average number of yellow-flag spins and crashes per driver was 7.5 in 1995, down from last year's 8.2.
These statistics are not compiled by NASCAR but are gleaned from NASCAR's official race reports. A spin or crash is recorded for a driver every time his car number is listed as being involved in a spin or crash that brought out a yellow flag.
Statistics, of course, do not tell the full story of 1995. They do not speak of the wild finish at Bristol in August, when Dale Earnhardt crashed into Terry Labonte as Labonte reached the finish line as the race winner. They do not speak of Earnhardt's dramatic pass with a lap and a half to go at Sears Point to win his first road race.
And they do not show how Gordon left his mark on 1995, winning seven races en route to his first Winston Cup championship.
Earnhardt, the 1994 champion, will be 45 next season. He has owned the 1990s, winning four of the six titles so far. But he is now an ex-champion again. He forcefully dismisses the notion that he's slowing down.
``I'm more eager and competitive today than I ever have been,'' he said the day before the annual Winston Cup banquet in New York. ``I'm telling you, I'm going to be the same next year as I was this year, as focused and hard-driving as I was this year.
``I'm going to win races. I'm going to win the championship. You can count on that.''
Gordon, of course, will have something to say about it, as will Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin, among others.
And no doubt those four will win most of the races in 1996, as they did in 1995, showing up in Victory Lane for 18 of the 31 ceremonies.
While parity is an elusive goal, especially as far as winning races, there is compelling statistical evidence that the Winston Cup series was, in fact, more competitive than ever in 1995:
An average of 11.45 cars finished on the lead lap of 1995 races. That is the first time that number has ever been in double figures. The previous high was 9.82 in 1993.
Twenty-nine drivers finished on the lead lap at Sears Point, a NASCAR record.
All 36 cars finished the second North Wilkesboro race, the first time that's happened since 1959, when a 12-car field finished a race in Nashville.
Thirty-nine cars finished the first Talladega race, and 38 finished the Pepsi 400 at Daytona in July, records for both tracks.
``It just shows how competitive the teams are becoming,'' NASCAR spokesman Kevin Triplett said. ``They know how important it is to finish a race.''
There was evidence of this in other statistics, too.
Among the regulars, Darrell Waltrip had the most unfinished miles in 1995. Waltrip's Chevy was parked for 2,538.68 of the 12,120.84 miles run in 1995. But just one year before, that same number would have put Waltrip fifth on that list, far behind Ward Burton, who failed to finish more than 3,500 miles that year.
While overall competition was closer, Gordon led twice as many miles as any other driver and more than 1,000 more laps. And he set a new money winnings record, too, becoming the first driver to top $4 million in a season with $4,347,343.
Gordon was fortunate to lead so many laps and lead so many races (29 of 31), because that's what won him the championship.
Earnhardt, in fact, had a lower average finish than Gordon: 9.22 vs. 9.58. But Gordon, who won the title by 34 points, had 200 bonus points to Earnhardt's 140. Bonus points are awarded to drivers who lead races and the driver who leads the most laps.
A driver can be consistent, however, and little else.
Consider Ted Musgrave and Geoff Bodine. Both finished more than 11,000 miles and were in the top five when it came to finishing races. But when it came to leading races, both were out to lunch. Musgrave led slightly more than 56 miles to finish 22nd in that category, while Bodine led only 22.3 miles and was 29th.
But when you mix futility with trouble, you had Mr. Excitement in 1995. Spencer only led 7.73 miles, compared with his spin-or-crash total of 15.
Spencer's troubles seemed to come in clumps. He was involved in two yellow-flag incidents at the first Richmond race, two more at the first Darlington race, three at the Bristol night race.
Spencer, who finished second in the spin-or-crash category last year, also leads the five-year compilation, with 53 since 1991. Derrike Cope is next with 52.
In other facts of note, Kyle Petty was the lowest-finishing driver in points among 1995 race winners. Petty won at Dover in June but was miserable the rest of the year, finishing 30th in points.
Fifteenth on the miles-leader chart was Ernie Irvan, who led 130.36 miles and 142 laps despite running only three races as he made his comeback from a near-fatal crash at Michigan in August 1994.
Seventy-one drivers earned Winston Cup points in 1995, the last of whom was Ernie Cope, Derrike's cousin, who earned 31 for finishing last at Sears Point. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Jimmy Spencer
Graphics
KEEPIN' OUT OF TROUBLE
Fewest crashes:
1. Steve Grissom, 3*
2. Mark Martin, 4
3. Dale Earnhardt, 4
3. Sterling Marlin, 4
3. Jeff Gordon, 4
3. Bill Elliott, 4
3. Kyle Petty, 4**
* - Grissom competed in only 29 races.
** - Petty competed in only 30 races.
(These stats are compiled from official NASCAR cumulative race
results. A driver received credit for a spin or wreck if he was
involved in one that brought out a yellow flag.)
SO CLOSE . . .
Closest finish of the year: Sterling Marlin over Dale Jarrett by
.05 seconds at the second Talladega race.
AND YET SO FAR
Biggest victory margin: Dale Earnhardt by 13.48 seconds over Jeff
Gordon at the first North Wilkesboro race.
CHARGING AT THE FINISH
Best moves down the stretch of the championship points race:
Ricky Rudd, 14th with four to go, finished ninth.
Bill Elliott, 11th with three races to go, finished eighth.
John Andretti, 24th after second Talladega, finished 18th.
Ward Burton, 28th after second Bristol, finished 22nd.
Dale Earnhardt, fourth after second Bristol, finished second.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH OUR DEAL?
Worst moves down the stretch in the championship points race:
Steve Grissom, 17th at the halfway point, finished 27th.
Bobby Hamilton, 10th with three races to go, finished 14th.
Bobby Labonte, eighth with two to go, finished 10th.
Kyle Petty, 22nd after second Talladega, finished 30th.
Morgan Shepherd, sixth after second Talladega, finished 11th.
BACKMARKER MEDALS
Fewest miles led (among those who competed at least 25 of 31
points races):
1. Joe Nemechek, 1.00 mile, 29 races.
2. Brett Bodine, 3.75 miles, 31 races.
3. Mike Wallace, 7.00 miles, 26 races.
4. Dave Marcis, 7.50 miles, 28 races.
5. Ricky Craven, 7.58 miles, 31 races.
IT BLOWED UP, BOSS
Most unfinished miles (with at least 24 starts):
1. Darrell Waltrip, 2,538.68 unfinished miles, 31 races.
2. Todd Bodine, 2,358.53 unfinished miles, 28 races.
3. Robert Pressley, 2,304.16 unfinished miles, 31 races.
4. Hut Stricklin, 2,093.36 unfinished miles, 24 races.
5. Ken Schrader, 1,953.93 unfinished miles, 31 races.
JUST FINISH NINTH
Average finish for 31 races:
1. Dale Earnhardt, 9.22
2. Jeff Gordon, 9.51
3. Sterling Marlin, 9.83
4. Mark Martin, 10.74
5. Rusty Wallace, 11.83
THE BOTTOM LINE
Race victories:
1. Jeff Gordon, 7
2. Dale Earnhardt, 5
3. Mark Martin, 4
4. Sterling Marlin, 3
4. Terry Labonte, 3
4. Bobby Labonte, 3
7. Rusty Wallace, 2
8. Ricky Rudd, 1
8. Dale Jarrett, 1
8. Ward Burton, 1
8. Kyle Petty, 1
WINSTON CUP POINTS:
1. Jeff Gordon, 4,614
2. Dale Earnhardt, 4,580
3. Sterling Marlin, 4,361
4. Mark Martin, 4,320
5. Rusty Wallace, 4,240
6. Terry Labonte, 4,146
7. Ted Musgrave, 3,949
8. Bill Elliott, 3,746
9. Ricky Rudd, 3,734
10. Bobby Labonte, 3,718
[For complete statistics, please see microfilm]
KEYWORDS: STATISTICS NASCAR ROUND-UP by CNB