The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • Page 22

C-4 The Orlando Sentinel, Friday, July 5, 1 985 Jury is still out on rule changes Car problems hamper efforts to judge effect on Elliott's Ford By Beth Rhodes 2 4 15 OF THE SENTINEL STAFF Hi I sk if iWmLLki tZzz A 1 1. mmm I IMSSk Jilt VICTOR JUNCOSENTINEL Connie Saylor is all dressed up with nowhere to go after he and Morgan Shepherd tangled on lap 7. Neither was injured. Firecracker 400 finish Team Moto Guzzi wins Paul Revere 250 By Beth Rhodes and Tim Povtak OF THE SENTINEL STAFF DAYTONA BEACH The Firecracker 400 victory may have belonged to a New Yorker named Greg Sacks, but the fans belonged to their Georgian hero, Bill Elliott. A second-place finish failed to deter hundreds of autograph-seeking, picture-taking fans who pushed and shoved impatiently to get a second's attention from the man from Dawsonville.

They weren't disappointed in Elliott's finish, and if he was, it was hidden behind the shy smile he flashed as he handed signed hats, jackets, money, programs, postcards and posters back to the worshiping hoards. "It wasn't a disappointment at all for me," Elliott said with a shrug, not begrudging Sacks the victory. "The boy ran good all day long. He kept his nose clean and stayed out of trouble," Elliott said. "He deserved to win the race.

He was running awfully good. I couldn't do nothing with him." Brother and crew chief Ernie Elliott, however, wasn't so gracious about the loss. "Anytime you get outrun, that's okay. But to get outrun when you have a problem is real disappointing," Ernie said. Bill Elliott had expected his Firecracker opposition to be fellow Ford driver Cale Yarborough.

But, as it has been in his other superspeedway losses, the opposit'- was his own car. It was the third time in 10 rac uiat problems with Elliott's unbeatable No. 9 have beaten Elliott. In Rockingham, a blown tire caused a crash. In Charlotte, a lug nut caused a broken brake line.

Thursday, a vibration caused a fuel shortage. Ernie guessed that a drive shaft installed Wednesday was tl tuiprit but said they wouldn't know until it was torn down. "The car ran real good, but the vibration shook the fuei pickup loose," Ernie said. It caused the car to use only 17 to 11 y2 gallons of the 22-gallon tank and forced an extra pit stop with only eight laps remaining. "The vibration started about 10 laps into the race and didn't ever get no better," Bill said.

"We really don't know what it was. But that's racing." Bill and crew were hoping for a caution flag to refuel, but it ver came. The Elliotts' car problems made it hard to judge just how much effect the rule changes regarding the carburetor had on the Fords, and No. 9 in particular, but the consensus was to wait and see. "I think it equalized things," was Bill's evaluation.

"I guess having a Chevy win says the rule works, doesn't it?" Kyle Petty said, tired of the issue. "Now maybe everybody can forget about it and let us race the last 14 races of the year. A Chevrolet won, and that's what they were after. "I don't think it killed the Fords. Don't get me wrong.

I think the pit stops killed the Fords more than anything else. But we'll have to wait and see how it works on the short tracks. One race doesn't make a season, and one race doesn't make a rule change, either," Petty said. Ernie Elliott, too, was reserving judgement. "I don't think the rule change worked out like everyone thought it would," Ernie said.

"But this is just one race. I don't think you can judge it on one race. "This is here. This is Daytona. The next thing you worry about is Pocono.

Everywhere you go is a little different." The next stop for Bill Elliott will be more than a little different. He's teaming with Jill St. John for his first IMSA race. He was scheduled to run practice laps at Watkins Glen at 9 a.m. today for this weekend's race.

Then he's off to Pocono on July 21. "You can't win them all," Bill said. i Driver Car Lap Cash At finish 1. Greg Sacks Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 160545,350 Running 2. Bill Elliott Ford Thunderbird 160 41,900 Running 3.

Darrell Waltrip Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 160 26,100 Running 4. Ron Bouchard Buick Regal 160 16,730 Running 5. Kyle Petty Ford Thunderbird 160 15,570 Running 6. Buddy Baker Oldsmobile Cutlass 160 12,475 Running 7. Ricky Rudd Ford Thunderbird 160 14,500 Running 8.

Terry Labonte Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 159.16,550 Running 9. Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 159 13,400 Running 10. David Pearson Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 159 6,150 Running 11. Benny Parsons Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 159 5,250 Running 12. Neil Bonnett Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 159 11,100 Running- 13.

Mike Alexander Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 159 4,300 Running 14. Geoff Bodine Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 159 12,250 Running 15. Bobby Hillin Jr. Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 159 6,515 Running 16. Buddy Arrington Ford Thunderbird 158 7,155 Running 17.

Tommy Ellis Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 157 3,500 Running 18. Bobby Allison Buick Regal 156 9,800 Running 19. Lennie Pond Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 155 6,610 Running 20. J.D. McDuffie Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 150 6,425 Running 21.

Ken Schrader Ford Thunderbird 148 6,915 Engine 22. Grant Adcox Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 148 2,750 Running 23. DaveMarcis Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 132 5,380 Running 24. Harry Gant Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 112 10,975 Engine 25. Clark Dwyer Ford Thunderbird 86 5,020 Engine 26.

Trevor Boys Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 84 4,550 Ignition 27. Phil Parsons Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 65 2,175 Drive shaft 28. Tim Richmond Pontiac Grand Prix 64 4,440 Wreck 29. Richard Petty Pontiac Grand Prix 64 9,475 Wreck 30. A.J.

Foyt Oldsmobile Cutlass 54 1,875 Brake axle 31 Eddie Bierschwale Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 50 4,080 Brake valve 32. Jimmy Means Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 43 4,035 Engine 33. Sterling Marlin Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 39 1,775 Clutch 34. Lake Speed Pontiac Grand Prix 34 3,250 Engine 35. Joe Ruttman Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 28 1,775 Brake 36.

Cale Yarborough Ford Thunderbird 24 2,500 Transmission 37. Bobby Wawak Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 13 1,675 Piston 38. Eldon Dotson Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 10 1 ,675 Brake valve 39. Morgan Shepherd Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 6 1,625 Wreck 40. Connie Saylor Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 6 1 ,600 Wreck 41.

Rusty Wallace Pontiac Grand Prix 2 4,100 Engine SACKS AVERAGE SPEED: 158.730 mph DAYTONA BEACH Dr. John's Team Moto Guzzi took advantage of a bad break for Team Ontario to win the Paul Revere 250 motorcycle race Wednesday night before several thousand scattered campers awaiting the Firecracker. Larry Shorts and Greg Smrz, on a lOOOcc Moto Guzzi Le Mans, rode the West Chester, team to the victory with almost two minutes to spare to collect $3,880 and retain its lead in the points standings on the U.S. Endurance Cup series. They covered the 3.56-mile road course at an average speed of 94.637 mph.

North Ridge Racing, captained by Ralph Johnston of Geneva, Ohio, rode a Yamaha FJ1100 to a second-place finish, followed by Team Sixteen, headed by Gene Burgess of Greer, S.C., on a Yamaha RZ500. is Darrell Waltrip, who has won a Winston Cup race on every track except Daytona, was overjoyed with his third-place finish in Firecracker 400. He never led, but he ran a patient, consistent race. Normally, the two-time Grand National champion either breaks down or crashes here. And the fans usually cheer his failures.

"The sky ain't falling apart, and the walls ain't tumbling down. I am absolutely thrilled," Waltrip said. "This is the best year I've ever had at Daytona." He won the International Race of Champions (IROC), finished third in the Sportsmen Race, second in the 125-qualifier in February and third in the Daytona 500. Apparently Hoss Ellington and David Pearson don't have their problems worked out. Pearson quit earlier this week as the driver for Ellington's Chevrolet but later TOM BURTONSENTINEL Richard Petty shows effects of accident he's okay after collision on lap 65.

agreed to run in the Firecracker 400. After finishing 10th, Pearson expressed disappointment in his car: "We're not happy at all. We haven't got it figured out yet." e- Greg Sacks and the Gardner team, the unexpected winner of the Firecracker 400, was a little disorganized all week. The team arrived this week with No. 1 painted on the side.

The rights to No. 1, though, still belong to, Maurice Petty's team, even though it doesn't field a car anymore. Sacks' team had to paint a zero on the side, taking the No. 10 which no one else had. i Ricky Rudd had problems at the end of the race when he ran out of gas on the final lap and dropped from fourth to seventh.

But he didn't lose his cool. He was using a new cool suit vest and a specially designed cap under his helmet for the same purpose. "I felt like I was in an air-conditioned car," Rudd said. Sentinel staffer Tim Hipps and correspondent Don Coble contributed to this report. RACE SACKS coupon iiiiiieiinii From C-1 From C-1 EH KM I mil With This Ad fl exp 41285 MULTI-POINT ft ri urn 'bF LJ TRANSMISSION TUNE UP INCLUDES: WISUUIIl A Neuu Ptuiri Plean Qumn Dam Crroan FREE Towing Available Replace Gasket Adjust Bands Linkage Road Test Check For Leaks Inc.

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282-0008 2984010 846-0210 fl I problems and finished four laps back. "If a driver gets out and says the car won't run, then I have to believe the car won't run. But if I see it bog down I have to wonder what's going on. "All we want to do is make Bobby Allison happy. But we just can't do it." "It's a shame Bobby's disappointed," Nelson said.

"But I think we proved to him it takes more than conventional means to beat Bill Elliott." So Yates figured they could hire a relatively inexperienced driver to run his equipment and prove his ideas have merit. "Greg's just a steering wheel holder," Yates said. "We couldn't prove a thing if someone like Cale Yarborough or Tim Richmond got in the car and won. We had to prove our equipment was good enough to win regardless of the situation. "It was our way to prove Gary Nelson isn't wacko and Robert Yates isn't wacko." Allison questioned the commitment his team was making toward his car before the Firecracker 400 even started.

He seemed even more bitter after the race. "All this proves is you can do anything if you put your mind to it," Allison said after finishing 18th. "But Bobby had all the parts on Greg's car available to him at any time," Yates said. "I think the world of Bobby, and I think he is one fantastic driver," Yates said. "But things just aren't working.

You know, if the two of them could work together it would be dynamite. But it's no good with everyone working against each other. "I think Greg did a great job driving. But Bobby would have won in that car today, too." tional race. The stops were slow and disorganized.

One time, Sacks pulled in leading the race and left in 15th place. By the end of the race, Nelson had recruited crew members from various teams whose drivers had fallen out of the race. Sacks, 32, a Modified Division champion just two years ago, finished sixth in the Daytona 500 in February. It was his best previous Grand National finish. As a rookie in 1984, he finished third for Rookie of the Year honors.

But his original team, financed by his father, ran out of money early this season and disbanded. After a three-race drive for James Hylton, he signed with Gardner and made his debut Thursday. Nelson is Allison's former crew chief. While Sacks was screaming in delight, the Daytona winners from 1984 were having problems. Cale Yarborough, who won the Daytona 500 last season, continued to have troubles making his engines last.

Yarborough pitted on the 24th lap, and his transmission blew up. Richard Petty, who won the Firecracker a year ago, crashed on lap 64 and sustained facial lacerations, which required a few stitches. Both have had serious problems all season. Petty smacked into Tim Richmond after Richmond blew a tire and hit the wall and spun out of control. Sacks won $45,350, easily his biggest payday.

Darrell Waltrip finished third, Ron Bouchard fourth, Kyle Petty fifth, Buddy Baker sixth and Ricky Rudd seventh. All were on the same lap, but none were close to Sacks. Allison, who complained all week that Gardner's Research and Development team was hurting and not helping his effort, finished 18th. He suffered from engine trouble and fell way behind. leaders, he finished the race with a risky and unneeded slingshot maneuver high over Terry Labonte, who was a full lap behind.

On this day, though, everything was working for Sacks and his team. "I had called it a trial-and-error attempt, to cover myself, because I didn't know how much of this stuff would work," Nelson said. "We used a lot of exotic, non-conventional ideas. I didn't think we had much chance of winning until I saw what was happening. "The whole idea, though, behind this project was to experiment in race conditions," Nelson said.

"We had to stick our neck out on this thing. And you can't afford to do that with an established team, because you can come out looking like a goat." Thursday, Nelson, Sacks and Bill Gardner, who owns both teams, looked like the sport's new innovators. Entire teams for research and development never had been tried before. From the midpoint of the race, Elliott and Sacks clearly dominated. As the race progressed and to everyone's surprise it was Sacks, though, who dictated the pace.

Elliott, who set a qualifying record and dominated the first half of the season by winning seven of 14 races, had lost his dominance because of a drive-shaft problem that messed up his handling and fuel intake. The biggest problem the Sacks' teem faced was losing time during pit stops. The crew members never had worked together. Some never had been to a Grand Na- While Yates believed all along his engines were not to blame for Allison's problems, he couldn't sell his innocence to his driver. The dispute also absorbed Gary Nelson, the vice president for racing operations for Allison, who supported making changes on the car.

"With Sacks winning with one of our engines, it proved something we already knew," Yates said. "It proved our engines are okay. "And we proved our point in front of 80,000 people who paid $50 a seat." Although Allison is supposed to benefit from the lessons learned by Sacks' victory, the idea of the same team fielding two cars drew sharp criticism from Allison. "It's kind of the irony of life," Allison said. "Whenever you have an open wound, it's always good to pour a lot of salt on it." When asked if he felt his team would gain from the information learned by Sacks, Allison said: "I doubt it." Allison's displeasure with his car hasn't been a secret during the past two years.

His last victory came at the 1984 World 600. Since then he has complained about a variety of problems. Nelson, who served as crew chief for Sacks during research and development, and Yates were lost for answers. Their ideas weren't being used, but they were still catching most of the blame, Yates said. "It was going to be nasty, but it's something that had to happen," Yates said after Allison struggled Thursday with valve Thanks for coming to the Pepsi Firecracker 400 and the Paul Revere 250 And a special thanks to CIRCUS WORLD for a GREAT MEDIA DAYI Coming up: Oct.

18-20: Motorcycle races Dec. 1: Eastern Airlines Finale for Camel GT sports cars Dec. 26-30: Kart championships.