DATE: Wednesday, April 16, 1997             TAG: 9704160710

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BOB ZELLER

                                            LENGTH:   80 lines

NASCAR REPORT

Geoff Bodine fined $10,000 for words and deeds at Bristol

NASCAR on Tuesday fined Geoff Bodine $10,000 for ``actions detrimental to racing'' in the wake of his late-race incidents with Jimmy Spencer in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

A NASCAR statement said the fine ``was a result of on-track actions and comments made during a post-race interview.''

Bodine became upset after he and Spencer spun when Spencer collided with him while passing on lap 423 of the 500-lap race, which was won by Jeff Gordon.

Bodine admitted to running into Spencer's car in retaliation during the ensuing caution period. He hit Spencer again on lap 442, causing a crash that knocked Steve Grissom out of the race and left Grissom with a sore ankle.

Bodine said that crash happened after his steering broke, but NASCAR ordered him to park his car. NASCAR did not specify what part of the fine was assigned to which on-track incidents. As to Bodine's comments, NASCAR too[sic] exception to the profanity he used.

Bodine has the option to appeal, but he won't.

``It's unfortunate what happened at Bristol,'' Bodine said in a statement released by his team. ``But NASCAR has made a ruling. We're going to abide by that ruling and go on from here.''

Fatal transporter crash

A truck driver's worst fear happened to Carl Simmons, driver of the NASCAR Busch Grand National transporter, just minutes after he pulled out of Bristol Motor Speedway for the haul back to North Carolina.

His transporter was center-punched by a speeding car full of local teenage boys that ran a stop sign on U.S. 19E about four miles south of the track. A 19-year-old boy was killed. Two 17-year-olds were critically injured. The 18-year-old driver was injured, but not as seriously.

The accident occurred at 8:25 p.m., just after Simmons had made a left turn off Volunteer Parkway onto U.S. 19E, a four-lane highway. Minutes earlier, he had pulled out of Bristol Motor Speedway, accompanied by the Winston Cup transporter.

Simmons was getting back up to speed in the southbound right lane, passing the spot where the two-lane Old Bluff City Highway comes to a stop at the four-lane 19E, when an eastbound 1989 Chevy Cavalier approached at high speed, slid through the stop sign and flattened itself against the side of the transporter, which has side walls that come almost to the ground. The car hit more or less in the center of the trailer - to the left of the side door but ahead of the rear wheels.

The car hit so hard, it was demolished into and through the passenger compartment. Rescuers had to cut the roof off to remove victims, who were airlifted to area hospitals by two helicopters. One of the critically injured victims was hurled out of the car and onto the shoulder of the road 10 or 15 feet from the car.

It was uncertain whether the victims had attended the race, but they were coming from the opposite direction of the track. The use of alcohol was not suspected in the accident, according to the Bristol Herald-Courier.

NASCAR officials have managed to get the transporter back to its home base in Hickory, N.C., but it is too badly damaged to continue using immediately and a temporary transporter will be used in the meantime. Simmons, 48, of Mocksville, N.C., was unhurt in the collision.

Harm, but no foul

Some fans were surprised when Rusty Wallace didn't complain about the tap he received from Jeff Gordon that forced him out of the groove, allowed Gordon to pass, and cost him the Food City 500 Sunday.

``Yeah, that's racing,'' he said Tuesday during the weekly Winston Cup teleconference. ``If he had crashed me or spun me out, that's one thing. But he just nudged me enough to get my car out of shape. I would have done the same thing.''

Your own Cup car

Valvoline, Mark Martin's primary Winston Cup sponsor, really does intend to give away one of his race cars as part of a national promotion in connection with his contract extension. The deadline for entries, available at Valvoline retailers, is June 25.

The team has not decided which car they will give up, but they don't particularly need it back, since Martin and car owner Jack Roush have been working to develop their own chassis. The car will come complete with engine and all the parts it raced with last year. It is valued at $100,000.

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