The Anniston Star from Anniston, Alabama • Page 15

Page 5B The Anniston Star, Monday, May 5, 1386 All was not lost 1 fj A. r-- (Willi 11 I 5 If I I fa I -rw Even though Dale Earnhardt didn't win his personal battle with Bobby Allison on the final lap, he did gain a victory of sorts but it came over Darrell Waltrip. The second-place finish, teamed with Waltrip's 34th-place finish, lifted Earnhardt into the Winston Cup points lead. Waltrip, who has not won this season, held a slim lead coming into the Winston 500, but couldn't hold onto the lead when he blew an engine on the 102nd lap. Earnhardt has 1,417 points to Waltrip's 1,308.

Both drivers will be in Atlanta next week running in The Winston, a 150-mile made-for-television-race featuring the winners of last year's events. Talk about your bad days Kyle Petty would have done well to stay in his motel bed, pull the sheets over his head and put out the "Do Not Disturb" sign Sunday morning. Petty wasn't involved in one, but two accidents. And they were two of the most spectacular of the day. First, Petty went down when Cale Yarborough took him and Geoff Bodine out of contention with an accident on the backstretch.

Petty took his car into the garage and his crew was able to repair the sheet metal damage and get Petty back on the track. That was his second mistake of the day. He should have left well enough alone. He spun after hitting some debris on turn four and his car caught fire as it rolled on the grass near pit "The spotter wasn't doing his job," he said. "He was probably watching the NBA playoffs on another network." Petty finished 31st.

A million reasons to wish AP Plwt Darren Crowder's joy ride came to an end when this road block stopped the stolen pace car jail Crowder 's Sunday drive ends in IT iff On 1 Jill Geoff Bodine, who put himself in the driver's seat with the Daytona 500 win earlier this year, has a million reasons to wish he had done better than 27th in the Winston 500. Coming into the race, Bodine had to win two of the remaining three big races the Winstsh 500, the World 600 at Charlotte and the Southern 500 at Darlineton to earn a $1 million bonus from Winston. Well, now they're two drivers with their sights set on The Winston Million. Bobby Allison or Bodine will TALLADEGA He ran the first lap with no problem. But on lap No.

2, somewhere between turn four and the trioval here at Alabama International Motor Speedway here Sunday, Darren Charles Crowder ran into a little problem. Blown engine? Dropped valve? Flat tire? No, a roadblock. The Talladega County Sherriff's Department arrested Crowder, 20, on the high-banked race track after he bolted from the ranks of the spectators and hopped in one of the Winston 500 pace cars and sped off. He toured the track at speeds up to 100 miles per hour only moments before the start of the race. There were an estimated 130,000 witnesses.

The race was delayed almost 20 minutes because of Crowder's action and a power failure. The Birmingham resident, who was held in the Talladega County Jail over night; was charged with theft in the first degree, assault with an automobile and resisting arrest this morning. As he completed his first lap, Crowder almost struck several people along the start-finish line, including speedway general manager Don Naman. On the backstretch, he almost struck a fireman who was attempting to wave him down, said speedway publicity director Jim Freeman. The national anthem had been sung and the command, "Gentlemen, start your engines!" had already been given when the incident began.

Daytona speedway official Larry Balewski, the driver of It was really weird. Mr. Mumford gave the order (to start the engines) and we turned around get in the pace car. and somebody was driving away with it. Larry Batowskl the Pontiac Trans-Am pace car on this day, started the engine, got out of the car for a moment, then watched as Crowder jumped in and sped away.

"It was really weird," said Balewski. "Mr. Mumford gave the order (to start the engines) and we turned around to get in the pace car, and somebody was driving away with it." Talladega County deputy sheriffs then began their pursuit in cars and on motorcycles in both directions around the track. After Crowder's first lap, four emergency vehicles were parked across the track at the entrance of the trioval. That is where Crowder ended his ride.

He was rushed away by deputies and eventually taken to the Talladega County Jail, bypassing the temporary jail at the speedway that houses most offenders on race day. The NASCAR drivers, Who had started their engines at the first command only to shut them down during the delay, proceeded with the race, won by Bobby Allison. By CHARLES GOLDBERG Star Sports Editor have to sweep the World 600 and the Southern 500 to walk away with the cash. Either way, it'll be tough. Maybe, too tough.

Last year was the first time The Winston Million had been offered and Bill Elliott ran away witn it, winnine at Daytona, Talladega and Darlington. But this year, things look more complicated, and if someone other than Bodine or Allison wins later this month at Charlotte, Darlington will become even more interesting. The reason? R.J. Reynolds is offering $100,000 to the first driver to win of the races. Jimmy had a Mean finish It was a good week for Huntsville native Jimmy Means.

First, he qualified at more than 202 miles per hour to earn the 40th spot in the field and Sunday he ran a AP Photo good race, moving up J4 positions toiinisn loin. Just how good is that? Consider that Means finished ahead of Joe Rut tman Bennv Parsons. Harrv Gant, Bill Elliott Talladega County sheriff's deputies then arrest Crowder Geoff Bodine, Terry Labonte, Kyle Petty, Darrell Watnp and Cale Yarborougn. Not too bad for one of the lap drivers. a Farmer won on Friday night Hakrr's vrvw was rookin' TALLADEGA Buddy Baker's pit crew proved to be the best in a competition here Sunday at the Winston 500.

Baker's crew edged Bobby Allison's and Bobby Hillin's for top honor in a contest sponsored by a national tool company. Baker made six pit stops during the race and spent a total of 5 minutes 11.51 seconds in the pits. Bobby Allison wasn't the only Alabama Gang ilH member to win this weekend at lalladega. Legenq-arv Red Farmer won a 30-lap late model feature FriHav nieht at Talladeea Short Track. He beat Anniston's Doyle Jordan and Jacksonville's Terry Smith to the finish line.

Shnrt Trark SDokesDerson Julie Deerman said recottiHjrowds turned out this weekend for the Friday and Saturday night races. Mike Heed of Ellenwood, won the Diet Coke 5 una? The Bobby Allison story SFECIIA1L2 50 Saturday night for Winston Racing Series late models. Joey Phillips of Altoona was second followed by Kevin Henson of Gadsden, Wren Turner of Munford and Jeff Purvis of Clarksville, Tenn. In the Dr. Pepper Sportsman races, Ted Lackey of Munford won Saturday night and Ross Martin of Leeds won on Friday.

In thp Rumoer-to-BumDer Thunder Car class, Anniston's Tim Roszell won Saturday and Mack Armtfnnj nf Pinson won Friday. And in the Phillips 66 Pure Stock class. James Layfield of Springville won on Saturday ana lerry Sewell of Oxford won on riaay. Compiled by CHUCK WILLIAMS Star Sports Writer OUR EXCITING, HOT FOOD BAR BUFFET MEAT ENTREE HOT VEGETABLES HOT HOME MADE YEAST ROLLS CORN MUFFINS DESSERTS. PLUS, THE FRESHEST SALAD BAR IN TOWN.

INCLUDES FRUIT -MELON CHEESE AND SOUP BARS. Year Races Wins Top 5 Top 10 Total Won 1961 4 0 0 0 $650 1965 8 0 0 3 4,780 1966 34 3 10 15 4,780 1967 45 6 21 27 53,415 1968 37 2 18 20 50,391 1969 27 5 13 15 66,775 1970 46 3 30 35 131,965 1971 40 10 25 29 239,295 1972 31 10 25 27 271,395 1973 27 2 15 16 101.380 1974 27 2 17 17 117,400 1975 19 3 10 10 122,435 1976 30 2 0 15 210,377 1977 30 0 5 15 87,740 1978 30 5 14 22 87,740 1979 31 5 18 22 403,014 1980 31 4 12 18 356,050 1981 31 5 21 26 644,311 1982 30 8 14 20 726,562 1983 30 6 18 25 828,355 1984 30 2 13 19 627,637 1985 28 0 7 11 272,536 1988 9 1 3 7 138,880 Career 646 81 321 407 BEST T-D0HE IN TOWN AlllSOIl Continued from Page IB took three of the contenders out of the running. Cale Yarborough, who started fourth and had been running up front, blew an engine on the 64th lap and went into a wild, uncontrollable spin down the backstr6tch. Kyle Petty and Geoff Bodine couldn't escape Yarborough and crashed. "I got cornered by a couple of Fords," Bodine said.

"I could see Cale was having problems going into the first turn, but that was all I could see. He was leaking fluid. When it blew, I couldn't see anything and hit Kyle." Kyle Petty saw looming, too. "I had come upto pass Cale in the tri-oval and he wouldn't let me bf," Petty said. "He camoback in the middle of the traik and blew up in front of me.

I got in his oil, then Geoff and I hit." All three wereJ in the top six when the crash took place. Nine cautionflags accounting for 42 laps slowed down the paceof the race, which averaged 157.698 mph. IIWY 78 WEST OXFORD, AL (ACROSS FROM OXFORD STADIUM) 831-9679 CARRY-OUTS WELCOME 'Winston Cup Points Champion.