The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 30

SS THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER Wed Nov 9 1977 I Rudd-Sommers Battle Down To Last Race Sommers may be losing his rid new cioh int4ootoA Sommers may be losing his ride next Ricky's sigh indicated Motorsports Tom Higgins Tr MOtOrSpOrtS 0- -7---- '4 4 TOM I Higgins 4 0 4 Ad i d' 1 1 7 'ro: 'Isvgal t' 1 ce 401tr season to Baker The reasoning behind this is that if Sommers had that $1000-per-race rookieof-the-year money to dangle in front of car owners he shouldn't have too much trouble capturing another competitive car Regardless both drivers say they're relieved it's about all over "Seems like this season has been going on for 10 years" said Rudd "I can't believe how much fuss has been made over how young I look That 'young' stuff pardon the pun is getting old "With this rookie point scramble I sure don't feel young now This is the 10th straight month of racing and that'll age anybody "The rookie race is so tight I've decided to block it out of my mind They can wake me up the morning after Ontario and tell me who won" he really didn't mean it "Can't afford to stay home now" said Sommers who disguised any bitterness over apparently being bumped from his Chevy after one more race "It's going right to the wire I'll be glad to get rid of the tension" Both Rudd and Sommers said the drama of the confrontation had created no animosity among them or their teams "Once the race starts you just run to finish as high as you can hopefully first 7- and don't worry about rookie points" said Sommers "Or try not to worry" RegaFdless of the outcome the now-mandatory California trip will be beneficial for Rudd "I'm going to get a geography lesson" he explained "I've never been west of Talladega Ala before" before However Rudd and Sommers swapped the lead throughout the season with Janet Guthrie posing a threat Just a few points behind should either falter The result has been some of the best rookie racing in NASCAR history All have posted impressive finishes the best being fourth places by Rudd in the Talladega 500 and by Sommers in the Champion 400 Sommers sped to the pole position for' last Sunday's Dixie 500 in Atlanta Now the winner will be decided in California Too much is at stake not to enter There's an outright $10000 award to the top rookie plus guaranteed sponsorship next season at $1000 per race Undoubtedly there'll be some endorsement money here and there too The total payoff probably will amount to more than $50000 Rudd seems to have been the sen 1 More than likely neither Ricky Rudd nor Sam Sommers know the lyrics to "California Here I Come" That will be the unofficial theme 8 for both however in the days lead- 1 4 't ing to the LA Times 500 stock car '1 race on Nov 20 at Ontario Calif 1 Their season-long chase of the (04 v001 NASCAR Winston Cup circuit's l' come down to the 30-event tour's fi- o- 'k' nate Going into the 500-mile 21- e'i- 7:: fl year-old Rudd leads his 38-year-old (66''" rival by a narrow 216-209 points I -c c' Originally neither of the teams i bad planned to make the long cross: 1 country haul for the race on the sprawling 25-mile Ontario track 4 modeled after Indianapolis Raceway :0 241 4 Like everyone else connected with 1164Aa big-time racing they figured the title would be decided early certain- Ricky Rudd ly as soon as the Atlanta 500 the first weekend in November That's geography lesson the way it usually has worked out Rick) ge( I ::::1::::: 0 I 4 'e NI 41: '404 ssiF1 '1 'ItaAvg 44161 timental favorite of fans practically all season undoubtedly because he's one of the most promising youngsters to come along since Cale Yarborough and Buddy Baker broke in during their teens and Richard Petty started driving when he was 20 Plus some observers have stated that Sommers isn't a true rookie because of all his years on the highly competitive late-model sportsman circuit Some sentiment may have switched in recent days though when it was revealed at Atlanta that Latest Report: Cox Has Turner's OK Late REDUcEiYQUILHEATINGilt COOLINGTOSTSt UP 10500 CALL time "The biggest thing everyone is worried about is whether I could pitch and manage on the same day" said Niekro Niekro 39 who has been with the Braves organization for 18 years said he wouldmake some changes if he were manager "I'm not apt to say what" he said "The Braves have some good talent but the changes I would make would surprise a few people" 7 5251 0 3 manager said Tuesday that sources close to the Braves and Cox say the job is his and it only awaits official announcement which could come this week The official announcement is being delayed the paper said be cause Braves President Ted Turner has scheduled meetings with several applicants and wants to extend them the courtesy of discussing the job with him They are minor league manager Ken Boyer Atlanta pitcher Phil Niekro and Tommie Aaron younger brother of home run king Hank Aaron and manager of the Braves' farm team at Richmond "We are continuing serious inter views for the job" Braves General Manager Bill Lucas said Tuesday mind is not made up and to my knowledge Ted's isn't either" According to the New York Daily NewsTurner was so impressed by Cox after their two meetings over the weekend that Turner asked a friend: "What do you think of our new manager?" The Atlanta Constitution reports Cox as the leading contender Niekro said Turner and Lucas told him nothing about choosing Cox He said his meeting Monday with Turner concerned whether he would be able to pitch and manage at the same Associated Press ATLANTA Bobby Cox first' base coach of the World Champion New York Yankees will be named manager of the Atlanta Braves according to the New York Daily eom News's latest 'ZI published report s'Ir' The Braves deny the report The paper which reported last month that Yankee Coach Yogi Berra would be the Braves Cox Associa ATLANTA base coach of th New York Yankl manager of thc Atlanta Braves according to thc New York Dail) News's lates' published report The Brave deny the report The paper which reportec hist month tha' Yankee Coact Yogi Berra woulc be the Brave: Southeaster Weath-iiiiinTCorp i IGH EFFICIENCY HO This Year Give The Charlotte Observer Phan 704374-7322 I PGA School Golf Horror Chamber PGA Golf Cala' Gas-saving radial construction smooth-riding polyester cord body Scuff Bar helps protect whitewalls against curb scuffs and damage fi Over 10000 biting edges grip the road help avoid the risk of hydroplaning Double steel cord belts for strength end long weer Specially compounded treed rubber maintains its grip in wet Or dry hot or cold TIEMPO RADIAL The radial tire designed specifically to handle al! weather conditions winter or summer wet roads or dry Keep it on your car season after season! 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Ilempo Only from P23575R15 LR78-15 $7100 $320 e- Goodyear! 1 By RICHARD SINK Observer Staff Writer The PGA Tour Qualifying School the torture chamber which has fewer graduates per students than any school on earth does funny things to a golfer David Brownlee once prepared rigidly for a school 14 hours a day for eight months but never stepping on a golf course He'd putt from 7 am to 11:30 hit only irons from 1 pm to 5 then run and lift weights from 6 to 9 He did miserably "I had overworked myself" he said Sam Far low nearly drove himself silly trying to play in the Kemper Open in Charlotte and the tour school in Pinehurst the same week last June First he qualified for the Kemper in a Tuesday windup About to lose his PGA credentials Far low began play later that day in the school which would have put him back on tour for a year Far low needed $1500 at the Kemper Memphis and US Open to stay on tour Figuring after two rounds at Pinehurst put him in good shape that his chances were better to requalify in the school he withdrew from the Kemper stuck with the school and flunked Sam Far low is back at Pinehurst today trying to regain his card Thirty tour berths are available and 143 other survivors from four regionals are bent on seeing that they not Sam Far low get those berths Scott Simpson 1976-77 NCAA champion Bill Sander the 1976 US Amateur winner and former Oklahoma State All-Americas Tom Jones and Jaime Gonzalez are among those expected to succeed Rocky Rockett of Gastonia runnerup in the Southern Regional tops the seven-man Carolinas pack in school atten dance He's mak- ing his fifth try Former Wake Forest All-Ameri- 4- ca Billy Chapman 1 of Charlotte is a 1iy ft first-timer Lin- tig ville Golf Club's ti'17'111 44 Skip Guss and Joe 04000) "mull' liackler of Myrtle Chapman Beach SC are making second attempts River Hills assistant Tommy Ducey 1976 US Amateur runnerup-Parker Moore of Laurens SC and Rodney Morrow of Boiling Springs are back after making their first stabs last June Morrow was close He could have laughed at what happened if it didn't hurt so bad He never shot over 73 except for a fifth-round 80 and he missed by just five This time with the tournament 72 holes instead of 108 part of the stories are the guys who didn't make field at Pinehurst Country Club's No 4 course today through Saturday Tony Hollifield of Gastonia generally considered a better golfer than Jerry Pate during their careers at Alabama couldn't beat out 36 players in the Southern Regional Ed Byman didn't let six misses bother him He's back He and brother Bob a dropout after three years at Wake Forest missed by a shot in June after final 72s Bob was so frustrated after that second try he didn't enter this time and went overseas winning the Scandinavian Enterprise and Dutch Opens and earning experience and a living he's not sure he could make in this country Bob Byman will miss but won't really miss the zaniness that cc curs every time at the tour school But probably nobody has a better horror story than Carl Peterson of Virginia Beach At the last school he waited out a storm under a rain shelter with a most suspicious character lie was dressed like a golfer but he'd walk up to people and say 'I only'hit my wedge 113 yards that's my problem' or 'My mother told me always to get an early tee-off time and eat orange LifeSavers' "The guy wandered up in the rain and knelt on the green and started pouring sugar on his golf club and trying to set it on fire with matches We were trapped with this guy for an hour with him doing Rung Fu moves and smashing beer cans with Itis golf club" By RICH Observer The PGA Tour the torture chi fewer graduates any school on things to a golfer David Browni rigidly for a schc for eight months ping on a golf col 7 am to 11:30 pm to 5 then from 6 to 9 He di overworked mysi Sam Farlow n1 silly trying to Open in Charlc school in Pinehu last June First I Kemper in a Tuei to lose his PGA began play late' school which back on tour for i Farlow needi Kemper Memphi stay on tour I rounds at Pinehu shape that his chi requalify in the from the Kempf school and flunke Sam Farlow li today trying to ri ty tour berths an other survivors I are bent on seeir Sam Farlow gi Scott Simpsoi champion Bill Sa Amateur winner homa State All-A and Jaime Gonzal expected to succl Rocky Rocketi nerup in the Sout I 1 -4 4-44 111 1 t''' 0t: i At 41lbs Chapman making second at assistant Tommy Amateur runneru Laurens SC an of Boiling Sprin making their first Morrow was laughed at what didn't hurt so over 73 excel 80 and he miss This time holes instead of 1 ries are the guy field at Pinehurst 4 course today th Tony Hollifield ally considered Jerry Pate during abama couldn't in the Southern 8 Ed Byman dil bother him He's er Bob a dropout Wake Forest June after final 7 trated after that enter this time winning the Scar and Dutch Open: rience and a livi could make in thl Bob Byman wi really miss ti curs every time a But probably 1 horror story the Virginia Beach i waited out a stor ter with a most lie was dresse he'd walk up tc only'hit my wed my problem' or always to get and eat orange "The guy wan and knelt on th pouring sugar trying to set it We were trappe an hour with I moves and smas his golf club" )1 5 5015 or A7813 Whitewall plus $170 or $173 VET per tire and old tires Tower Streak' 78 Our best-selling diagonal (bias) ply tire with polyester strength and dependability Whitey81i elle E376-13 2 tor 152 E78-14 I 2 for $59 F78-14 2 for $83 G78-14 I 2 for $66 F78-15 2 tor $65 G78-15 I 2 tor $66 1-178-15 I 2 for $73 Plus 1111' dor Ilt Ind old Oros $180 $226 $237 $2 53 $240 $259 $279 2 WIDE BELTS OF FIBERGLASS 'Custom Power Cushion Polyglas' polyester cordfiberglass belts for positive erN traction on wet or dry roads A7813 blackwall plus $173 FIT per tire and old tires Plus Bisckwaii Ain FIT oer Mire lire and old lime 078-14 2 for $6800 $209 F7514 2 for $7400 $242 G78-14 2 for $7600 $258 H78-14 80 G78-15 2 for $7800 $2 65 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