THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 7, 1996 TAG: 9607070288
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: 81 lines
While all the attention in Saturday's Pepsi 400 was on yet another dominating victory by Sterling Marlin, the Winston Cup points race became even tighter.
Dale Earnhardt, who came into the race with a 15-point lead over Terry Labonte, departed only five points ahead. Earnhardt finished fourth, but Labonte was second.
Jeff Gordon remained in third, 37 points behind Earnhardt. Dale Jarrett is in fourth, 237 points behind.
``We had a fourth- or fifth-place car, really,'' Earnhardt said. ``We were just sitting there watching what was going on and trying to hold our own.''
Said Labonte, ``We got another top-five finish and didn't lose any points.''
The next three months stand to be the most critical, and most grueling, stretch in the 1996 season. Next weekend's race in New Hampshire marks the halfway point in the season: the 16th of 31 races.
Also, Saturday's race was the first of 14 in a row. That's the longest uninterrupted stretch on the schedule in a number of years.
The past few seasons, the summer stretch was no more than 10 races in a row. This year, there is a Winston Cup race every weekend until Oct. 12-13.
IT USUALLY DOESN'T WORK: Terry Labonte said when he saw
Marlin's car slow on lap 66, ``I thought he had blown up again.''
Marlin blew an engine in the Daytona 500 in February.
``Usually the ignition doesn't fix your car when you go out like that,'' Labonte said. ``When you switch the boxes, it's just wishful thinking. But every now and then, it is really the ignition.''
ONE CRASH: There were three yellow flags in Saturday's race, but only one crash. It involved four cars and left John Andretti steamed at Dale Jarrett.
The accident occurred in turn 1, when Andretti pinned Dick Trickle to the outside wall. Trickle had to slow and was rear-ended by Robert Pressley and lost control. Trickle then collided with Greg Sacks, whose car hit those of Kenny Wallace and Jeremy Mayfield.
No one was hurt, but Andretti had some choice comments about Jarrett.
``You'd think a two-time Daytona 500 winner would know better, or at least wouldn't make a 4-foot mistake,'' Andretti said. ``He made us three-wide in the trioval and then pulled up on me and slammed into me. He shoved me into Dick Trickle, and then drove off.''
``So he finishes sixth, our day is ruined, Dick Trickle's day is ruined, Kenny Wallace's day is ruined and Greg Sacks' day is ended. It's a shame, a real shame.''
Said Jarrett: ``I don't have any comment except that I was just making a pass.''
MORE POWER: Car owner Robert Yates, whose powerful Ford engine carried Dale Jarrett to victory here in February, said that was what the Fords lacked Saturday.
``We've just got to have some more power,'' he said. ``I think we're down about eight or 10 horsepower, based on the way the Chevrolet can run now. Whether it's in the body or the car or what, we just can't do much with 'em.''
ANOTHER TUNNEL TEST: After Saturday's race, NASCAR impounded three more cars for more wind-tunnel tests.
The cars were the Chevrolet Monte Carlo of Jeff Gordon, who finished third; the Ford Thunderbird of Ernie Irvan, who was fifth; and the Pontiac Grand Prix of Johnny Benson, who finished 25th.
IRVAN'S CONSISTENCY: After a miserable start, Ernie Irvan has found a measure of consistency.
His fifth-place finish Saturday was his third top-five finish in the last four races and his seventh top-10 in the last nine.
ELLIOTT TAKES RELIEF: After overheating his Ford engine, Bill Elliott decided he didn't need to overdo it Saturday. He was relieved by Derrike Cope on lap 102 during the third caution period.
``We really didn't have anything to lose and I would have a lot to lose if something were to happen. I didn't have anything I could prove by keeping going.''
Cope, whose own car had dropped out with a blown engine, finished 37th in Elliott's car after completing 109 of the 117 laps. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Heavy rains before Saturday's race doused crewmen rolling their cars
into position. The start was delayed by three hours.
Dick Trickle's Ford spins in turn 2 as Jeff Purvis' Chevrolet roars
safely by. Saturday's race was slowed by four caution periods. by CNB