THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 2, 1996 TAG: 9609020140
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: NASCAR NOTES
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DARLINGTON, S.C. LENGTH: 55 lines
After all of the hype and hoopla over Dale Jarrett's run for a $1 million bonus in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, the big show was a dud.
And it may be some time before part-time driver Ed Berrier makes any new friends in the NASCAR Winston Cup garage, because it was oil from Berrier's car that sent Jarrett and several other top drivers into the third turn wall early in the race.
Jarrett was leading the Labor Day weekend classic and had been in front for 20 laps when his Ford Thunderbird entered the third turn on lap 46 and slid up into the wall. Behind him, Ernie Irvan, Rusty Wallace and Derrike Cope also smacked the wall and Terry Labonte barely missed it.
``Hit the wall up there,'' Jarrett said on his radio in a matter-of-fact tone moments after it happened. ``Somebody probably put some oil out or something.''
Wallace's car had the worst damage, but Jarrett's was banged up enough to require more than cosmetic repairs.
After several attempts to repair the damage without losing a lap, Jarrett's team finally gave up on that forlorn hope and spent three laps replacing a broken right front shock absorber.
The team made nine pit stops in all to repair or adjust for damage that included a bent A-frame, a damaged ball joint, a bent lower control arm.
Jarrett's chances for the Winston Million seemed utterly hopeless after the crash, but he briefly raised the level of intrigue shortly before lap 200 when he made up one of the three laps he lost and almost made up a second one.
Jarrett had made up that second lap until Hut Stricklin passed him on lap 193 to return him to two laps down. That ended Jarrett's hopes of an incredible comeback. Still, he salvaged a 14th-place finish.
After winning two of RJR's three major races - the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 - Jarrett became the third driver to have a shot at the Winston Million bonus. Only Bill Elliott has won it, in 1985.
ANOTHER WRECK: Berrier's oil may have caused the next crash, which occurred on lap 55, just two laps after the end of the previous caution, at the other end of the track.
Ward Burton suddenly lost control of his Pontiac Grand Prix in turn one and spun, collecting Michael Waltrip.
SPENCER UP AND DOWN: Jimmy Spencer led much of the first half of the Southern 500 and was in front for a total of 69 laps, but his day went downhill when he cut a right rear tire and spun in turn two on lap 179.
``I never hit the wall!'' he told his crew. ``I blew a right rear tire.''
Unfortunately for Spencer, the damaged tire tore up some of the body work and he lost a lap while his crew patched things up. The damage then caused fumes to get into the driver's compartment, and Spencer became dehydrated. He received treatment after finishing the race in 23rd place, five laps down. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
The Ricky Rudd Report
[For complete copy, see microfilm] by CNB