The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 19

TMI TIHNtSSIAN 3C Hamilton chases Musgrave in race for Rookie of Year By LARRY WOODY Spirit Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Every time Nashville driver Bobby Hamilton takes to the track, he realizes he has two races to run. He has one eye cocked on the checkered nag and another eye locked on Ted Musgrave. Hamilton and Musgrave are locked In a tight battle (or 1991 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year. Muserave.

a 35-year-old driver from Franklin, leads the 34-year-old Hamilton 1S2 points to 143 entering today's Pepsi 400. "The lead will be tossed back and forth, predicts Hamilton, who led the standings earlier in the season. -OEH5JO- "I think it will go right down to the end. I don't think either one of us will have an advantage, and one of us Is going to be awfully nervous towards the end. "I looked at the rookies who were going to run this year, including myself, and I picked him Hamilton out right away," says Musgrave.

"I said 'Oh my gosh, here's trouble. He's going to be the one to beat And sure enough, he's the guy to beat" Musgrave is a short-track specialist who doesn't have a major sponsor. Hamilton, who won two track championships at Nashville Raceway, has quickly earned a su-perspeedway reputation. He drove a Days of Thunder movie car In the 1990 Daytona 500 and this season has finished 10th, 11th and 12th, respectively, in the Daytona 500, Dover (Del.) 500 and Talladega (Ala.) 500. Hamilton posted the fifth-fastest qualifying time for today's Pepsi 500 while Musgrave was 24th fastest "Bobby runs pretty good on the superspeedways while I'm pretty new at It" says Musgrave.

"He knows his way around, so he's got me there. The only thing I can do is run my hardest and try to make up for It on the shorter tracks." Hamilton, who landed a major sponsor in Country Time Lemonade, says there is pressure Involved in the rookie battle. "It's competitive because of the money involved, plus Ted's trying to get a sponsorship and I'm trying to hold on to a sponsorship." Should Hamilton rally and win the Rookie of the Year title, he would become the second Nashville Raceway graduate to do so in the past eight years. Sterling Martin, a three-time Raceway champion who starts on the pole today, won Rookie of the Year In 1983. A third Nashville champion, Dar- rell Waltrip, lost his Rookie of the Year bid to Lennle Pond in the early 1970s, before the title was decided strictly on a points-earned basis.

The award was arbitrarily made by NASCAR. Some past Rookies of the Year who went on to stardom include Davey Allison (1987), Rusty Wallace (1984), Dale Earnhardt (1979) and Richard Petty (1960). Dick Trickle, last season's Rookie of the Year, has struggled this season. Flag waver: NASCAR flagman Doyle Ford, a former Nashville Raceway competition director, presided over Marlin's three Music City track championships. "I'm really proud of Sterling," said Ford after Marlin's pole-winning qualifying run Thursday.

"I've flagged a lot of wins for him at Nashville; I'd like to flag his first one at Daytona." Points race: Today's race is the 1 5th of the 29-race Winston Cup season, and defending champion Dale Earnhardt apparently will hold the lead at the turn. Earnhardt has 2,202 points to Ricky Rudd's 2,064. Darrell Waltrip is third, with 1,993. Martin, after losing ground while recovering from burns suffered in a crash at Bristol Raceway earlier in the season, has climbed back to Uth place with 1.694. Graf seeks to reign again as No.

1 pro Sabatini match last hurdle to throne Whiteside blisters Nashville Raceway Captures pole for IndyCar race tonight Music City 200 The starting positions lor tonight's Havoline 200 Music City American Indy Car Series at Nashville Raceway: 1, Kevin Whiteside. Columbia, 2, Ken Petri, Denver; 3, Robby Unser, Albuquerque, N.M.; 4. Johnny Unser, Sun Valley. Idaho; 5, Greg Gordon. Colorado Springs, 6, Bill Hansen, Lakefield, 7, Dan Thlel, Beaver Dam, Wis; 8, Bob Tankersly, Lakewood, 9, Bill Goettsche, Fort Collins, 10, Bob Igo, Anaheim, 1 1, Don Johnson, Northglenn, 12.

Bill Tempero, Fort Collins, 13, Ar-lon Koops, Castle Rock, Colo. I WIMBLEDON, England (AP) Steffi Graf is healthy, hungry and determined to re-establish her dominance in women's tennis. Denied a Grand Slam title for 17 months, Graf gets a chance to reassert her old supremacy when she plays Gabrlela Sabatini In the worn- en's final today at Wimbledon. "I always have the desire, but I'm going to be very, very eager for this match," the top-seeded German want it badly." Graf has won eight Grand Slam titles. Including Wimbledon in 1988 'and 1989.

But since winning the Australian Open in January 1990, she has come up short In five Gabriela Sabatini Has won five in row vs. Graf -r AP straight Grand Slam tournaments. Graf has slipped to No. 2 In the world rankings behind Monica Seles, struggled with Injuries and health problems and been forced to cope with the controversy over her father's alleged affair with a model. On top of all that Graf has lost five straight matches to Sabatini.

But she says her problems are behind her now and she is ready to turn her career around. "I'm a lot healthier and a lot more eager than I was last year," she said. "I'm much fitter, better concentrated on the court than I was last year. My mind is on the court and that's what is important" Graf cruised Into the final without dropping a set losing only 23 games in six matches. She overwhelmed all her opponents with a big first serve, a booming forehand and an improved backhand.

"I feel very confident" she said after beating Mary Joe Fernandez 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals Thursday. "I'm relaxed. I'm definitely enjoying myself." Sabatini, meanwhile, is enjoying the best year of her career. Lifted by her breakthrough victory over Graf in the U.S. Open final last year, the Argentinian has won five titles and compiled a 46-4 record in 1991.

Sabatini used to be a one-dimensional baseline player. But she has displayed her new aggressive all-court game In reaching her first By ANTHONY COLEMAN Sports Wrtttr Kevin Whiteside blazed around Nashville Motor Raceway yesterday to win the pole position for tonight's Music City Havoline 200 American IndyCar Series race. Whiteside averaged nearly 125 miles per hour to take the first position, with Ken Petrie grabbing the second spot. Robby Unser (the son of former Indy 500 champion Bobby Unser) was third, with cousin Jerry Unser fourth and Greg Gorden fifth. After qualifying yesterday, the fastest six cars were put In a six-lap heat race, which Whiteside won easily.

In last night's regular racing program, rookie Joe Buford won his third race of the year, a 50-lap double-points Limited Late Model Stock Car event. Buford had his hands full from the outset Starting on the pole, he was almost immediately challenged by Dwayne Hudson, who finished third. Hudson dogged Buford for nearly 25-laps before Richard Hargrove made a nice manuever Inside to pull behind the leader with about 15 laps left in the event. "It was clean racing," said Hudson. "I bumped him some, but I don't believe in knocking someone squirrely or knocking them out of the race.

He (Buford) started smoking and I thought we had the fastest car, but we just couldn't get around him." From there, the rookie had to keep the rear end of his car in front of Hargrove over the remaining laps to win the race. Buford came into the event as the top points man in the LLMS series, LiiAiim Saturday Utt Model! Limited Sportsmen Super AP Steffi Graf is confident she can Wimbledon final. Like Graf, the second-seeded Sabatini has not dropped a set in the tournament but she has looked more vulnerable. She was pushed to the limit in her 6-4, 6-4 semifinal win over Jennifer Capriati, needing four match points to put it away. Graf holds a 20-9 lifetime edge over Sabatini, but the Argentinian Proposed cuts make Starnes look to leave By TED POWER Staff Writer CLARKSVILLE The football coach at Clarksville High School, frustrated by proposed school budget cuts that threaten athletics in Montgomery County, is looking for a new job.

"I'm beating the bushes to get out of Clarksville," Al Starnes said. "I don't think what they are doing is right for the kids." School systems across the state are facing serious budget cuts since the state General Assembly adjourned last month without approving Gov. Ned McWherter's tax and dominate again. has won the last five. Their last meeting was in the final of the Amelia Island, clay-court tournament In April, won by Sabatini "I am very excited to play Steffi," Sabatini said.

"She is playing very well, playing with a lot of confidence. I'm going to have to play more aggressive against her." Fred Gibson and Tom Crawford. the football coaches at Clarksville Northeast and Clarksville Northwest high schools, respectively, say they will be at their schools whether they have a team or not. "If the board would give me the go-ahead to field a team, I'd do it without a supplement" said Crawford. The school board meets Tuesday, when it will hear Lindsey's response to the board's line-item review of his proposed budget.

Dowdy does not expect the board's budget to be finalized until its July 23 meeting. ill MOM Sand CUNNINGHAM MOTORS RACING SERIES under FREE Gates (615)643-TRAK and added to his total with the victory. The competition wasn't so friendly in the Mini Modified event Wade Allen Buttrey edged Mark Harri-sion to win the 50-lap race by about a half-car length. By winning, Buttrey became a six-time winner, the only racer at Nashville Motor Raceway in any class to have done that this year. Buttrey narrowly defeated Harri-sion, who has won four races this season.

"I don't think he's racing right" said Harrison, who attends the University of Tennessee at Chattnooga and drives race cars when he's off In the summer. "I didn't pass him because I thought he'd try and run over me. He rides down low and runs you onto the grass." Jeff Jones won a 25-lap Fender Bender race. Qualifying for tonight's 200-lap Late Model Stock Car race was also held last night. P.B.

Crowell won the pole, followed by Newt Moore, Mike Alexander, Nicky Formosa and Jerry Coble. Night Racing Street 4 Cylinders Fender Bender Bombers Adults $7 Racing of Nashville Starts then 4 miles West 7:30 p.m. that justifies our world. MM ft Nv Faltering Valenzuela released by Angels Open 20 miles north 4:00 p.m. 1-65 North, Exit 1 04, advised of confi- controls, drivetrain and suspension "The Driver's Benz." 7 ifl tors.

Starnes said he had not considered looking for a new job until Dr. Robert Lindsey, superintendent of schools for Clarksvllle-Montgomery County, announced that his proposed budget would do away with supplements. Eula Dowdy, who chairs the county Board of Education, said she sympathized with Starnes' plight "I understand Coach Starnes' frustrations and I'm sorry to hear he is looking elsewhere. But we are all frustrated at this point and there is really nothing else we can do," Dowdy said. l' mi vih.

irirtj Mm'rdtvHcnz l)ralm 7i I ffT I for -a I Impressive CoupeRoadster Road Track they named engineering -I lliniCTIHSB I- education reform proposals. Pay supplements to teachers involved in extracurricular activities are among the proposed cuts in Clarksville and other counties. Those cuts could end athletic programs. "Academics and athletics go side by side, and no one seems to realize that here," Starnes said. "They can't even guarantee that my wife and I will have our teaching jobs," said Starnes.

He and his wife are physical education instruc-. Rockies, Marlins In: Denver and Miami were given unanimous final approval yesterday as the National League's expansion franchises and immediately began preparations for their 1993 debuts. Denver named its team the Colorado Rockies and Miami will call itself the Florida Marlins. They will be the first new major league teams since 1977 and the first new members of the National League since 1969. Some in Denver had hoped the team would be called the Denver Bears, the former nickname of Denver's minor league team.

In addition, some objected to calling the team the Rockies, the name of Denver's failed NHL franchise. "This is a Colorado team," Gov. Roy Romer said. "What I think of when I think of the Rockies is you're looking from the top down on the rest of them. And after a couple of years, I'm confident this team will be doing just that." Miami had been considered the expansion favorite since last autumn, when Blockbuster Entertainment Corp.

chairman H. Wayne Huizenga said he would become sole owner and pay the entire $95 million expansion fee. "It's a very exciting and emotional day for us here in the Huizenga familyj" he said. "We're all enthused and excited about it." credentials aside, the Mercedes-Benz 300 Sedan and 500 SL differ rather significantly. Yet, when the editors of rated the Ten Best Cars in the World for 1991, both Mercedes models.

The deciding factors? fCTTS excellence ana a tnorougn test drive. fv' "Drive a 300 "There's a feeling dence in its calling it they ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Fernando Valenzuela, hit hard In two starts with California and sidelined by a heart problem, was placed on unconditional release waivers yesterday by the Angels. Valenzuela will become a free agent for the second time this year if he is not claimed off waivers by Wednesday. If he is not claimed, the Angels said they would invite him to pitch for Edmonton, their Class AAA farm team in the Pacific Coast League.

In two starts losses to Detroit on June 7 and Milwaukee on June 12 Valenzuela allowed 10 runs and 14 hits in 6 innings. He gave up three homers and had an ERA of 12.15. Valenzuela was placed on the disabled list on June 13 after a physical revealed an abnormal cardiogram test. Additional tests showed he had a rare condition called myo-cardio bridging of the left descending artery, which supplies blood to the heart muscle. Valenzuela, 30, was given oral medication and further testing and was given approval to return to pitching on Monday.

Doctors said the condition would not affect his athletic performance. Moss said even though the tests found no heart problem, the pitcher would have required more than 20 days rehabilitation. If not claimed, Valenzuela will receive $300,000 from the Angels. In addition, he received $630,495 termtnation pay from the Los Angeles Dodgers after he was released Milk. As for the one fine driver's precisely what Mercedes-Benz would want as its rsi flagship GT." We invite you to do as the experts did.

r-v -x Test-drive a Mercedes-Benz. And take the wheel of the very best the automotive world has to offer. Uke no other dealers in the Visit your authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer for a test drive. Middle Tennessee Motorcars, Inc. 660 Lafayette street Nashville, TN (615)742-8000 Nashville's Exclusive Mercedes-Benz Dealer.