The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 11

kZ 0 '1 'tuAl 1 ale (tharlotte Observer io A Monday i 1 May 27 1991 SECTION WIMP Another 600 tlh Alliii Ron 'Ik i 4a1 777: Green i 'fr-4'-- FL- P--1fo i0i30iii' 40414: cr "viz -tamy -rm144A 1 ILSI''''' --i Car's muscle Nr 7-- lets Allison bully field ''4i'4414N'-- 04 1 441it 1- :4 5 4 ---e-4441 'i r- N-- 3-' 4 A i- 4'1( et' -i i -6'7' 4-''' 1 444 4S 1N Davey Allison was making his '''Z' -y-1 way up through the Charlotte or: 4Ast Motor Speedway grandstand en -L: 4 route to a news conference 1e 1 where he would tell the assem- bled authors how he had just won A- 4 00132PIto ii 1417- the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday after- Ct) ik --1-- 1Se :1 711! noon ii 6-4 4051pktv 71-4 Pti-44r -L go He had stripped his driving suit 1 moo 1 off to the waist exposing a pale memoneno 1 skinny torso that looked about as -4 10 44 'Vel -( -4! powerful as oh Barney Fife's qiii 4 'kik- '''''''''N '1--4- -i144141 "1' This prompted a voice in the -7 4 "''''''-'k -uolik VIIII--- r-: cll Dit press boo crackNow that '1- ooo tr '-'-----z-- ::4 I the body of an athlete isn't it?" 'S' a-1 1 7- But nobody had more muscle I a 7 I Sunday than Allison a 30-year nav old Alabaman with a face that 1 -sr '14'1 would look like the neighbor ''2' i 4 rif tsimP4 -o kids if it didn't have a mustache 11-77-- ('owni 't 6 tOP oc A Ost Ih'illt 1 on it The muscle was all in the DayGo orangeAl I No 28 black Ford trimmed in '') Hf''' 8- i -1 L'''''''''''' -l lison used it in ir '4 IMO the proud tradition of his family A which now has among him dad Bobby and uncle Donnie i ir: r- i771 '-C i 7 7 07 400 elf i I1 trophies from Charlotte Motor S- i-3 7:" liC Speedway five from the 600 Kirk Shelmerdine Dale Earn- hardt crew chief called the car i I 4 i '5 l''': l''' a roket Earnhardt himself ''1' :1: 1 'i i called it "illegal" Allison called 5 1 I after trying to run it down all day it bulletproof" MARK SLUDERStatt It was a rocket It was bullet- Close call: Davey Allison (car No 28) swings around Harry Gant on pit road Sunday about as close as anybody got to the winner all day proof And it was so powerful it looked illegal scooting off and 9 leaving everything on wheels dis- Davey joins dad uncle in Charlotte Victory Lane appearing in its rear-view mirror whenever Allison wanted a little privacy It's the same car in which he won the fall race here last year By TOM HIGGINS Allison who led six times for 261 laps fueled the Chevy-Ford rivalry when he 1 Staff Writer more on the 600 and The Winston a week ago earlier had built advantages of as much as remarked he was second best to Illegal? Allison said it was obvi- Davey Allison made his family the first to 82 seconds in the Thunderbird fielded by Schrader You can't outrun an illegal race ously a reference to a NASCAR produce three different Coca-Cola 600 win- Robert Yates Racing of Charlotte car like Davey A sixth-place finish after a late decision allowing Ford teams to ners Sunday by running away with the Allison 30 joined his dad Bobby and He was referring to slight alterations charge to the front Sunday leaves Hut raise the rear deck to make them NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at Char- uncle Donnie as a winner in NASCAR's NASCAR officials allowed the Ford teams to Stricklin feeling better about the rest i safer in races lotte Motor Speedway longest race Donnie won in 1970 Bobby in make to the rear deck of their Thunderbirds of the season Page fiC "I'm a driver Allison said "I Repeating his rout of The Winston special '71 '81 and '84 for a total of five Allison for safety purposes during the week How did your favorite driver fare? '1 don't make the rules or build race event May 19 Allison in a Ford finished 12 victories since the race began in 1960 Allison's response: "Here's a guy that's Find out with a team-by-team look at I cars NASCAR is not blind They seconds ahead of Ken Schrader the "This is also a victory I've wanted to won two races this year and I just won my the way the day went- Page 6C saw certain things that made our runner-up i achieve for a long long time" a Chevrolet and also second said Davey With a track temperature topping first one and he's saying we're illega I cars unsafe and let us change the previous Sunday by 287 seconds Allison who has nine career Winston Cup The sweep of the speedway's two big 135 degrees there were worries about them It didn't make the car The latest margin of victory almost cer- wins spring weekends produced a total payoff of faster tainly would have been greater except for how tires would hold up But no prob- lems developed Notebook Page 6C "I know there have been a lot two caution flags during the last 26 of the Placing third through sixth were Dale $462100 for the AllisonYates team of times when Dale Earnhardt has 400 laps on the 15-mile track that Earnhardt Chevy Harry Gant Olds Dale $137100 on Sunday and $325000 the week Sundays results and Observer Cup 7C been up standings Page here (in a news confer- regrouped the six contenders on the lead Jarrett Ford and Hut Stricklin Buick ence) answering the same clues- lap for restarts After returning to the garage Earnhardt Please see Racepage 7C tion because somebody said he 1 was illegal "Actually I'm pleased that we were so strong they would Mears doesn't pass on 500 greatness Divac9 Lakers push accuse us of cheating" This fine day in Allison's life started dismally He slept poorly To vuimii? vittii' 4'S: Daring maneuver A diuka and awoke with a stomach disor- I der Then he got to the track and results in driver's Blazers to 3-1 defidit I learned that the engine in his car 4th Indy victory the one that blew everybody Associated Press INGLEWOOD Calif Kevin away in The Winston a week ear- NBA playoffs lier had developed a problem By MIKE HARRIS li 4PidIe Duckworth knocked over a trash and had to be replaced That's Associated Press can near the Portland dressing CONFERENCE FINALS like telling a director Look INDIANAPOLIS One last room Sunday after the Trail Blazers (sett-of-men) Brando's got a problem so we're time Rick Mears raced against had been thrashed by the Los Sunday's result I giving you another guy" kJ Foyt and his Indianapolis i ----4- -r Angeles Lakers It was his most LA Lakers 116 Portland 95 "Then I really wanted to throw 500 legend and won effective play of the day (Los Angeles leads series 3-1) up" Allison said On the day Indy was sup- A ade Divac had just outplayed Saturday's result Chicago 113 Detroit 107 But his crewmen assured him posed to bid a fond farewell to Iii'1- Duckworth again as the Lakers (Chicago leads series 3-0) the engine was a twin to the one its first four time winner it wel- "o-- koi? overpowered the Blazers I 16-95 to Todars gams being taken out corned Mears as a new one 'oi 77 4 r-7-: L1 move within one victory of reach- Chicago at Detroit 330 pm Allison took it easy the first 50 Mears did it with a daring pass t1 14 lakers at Portland-- 03 9 Cum LA ing the NBA Finals for the ninth Tuesdars gams i laps to see how the engine was of Michael Andretti that would V- i 0::: -ii time in 12 years have made a young Foyt envious to 0: The Lakers lead the Blazers 3-1 working He decided to pass the leader Earnhardt to be sure he and joined his boyhood hero it 'i -14 i 't'7 or in the best-of-seven Western Con got the Winston Cup points for and Al Unser as the only men in 4 ference finals and can win the "I enjoy playing when I play leading a lap then take it easy 75 years to win Indy four times 1014 0-3 i Ho iill series Tuesday night in Portland good" Divac said The last two I i again He made the pass but -'9F Duckworth the 7-foot Blazers games I played good I felt really And while Foyt 56 is wres- a 'N sensed a little resentment espe- f04- bad after the second game espe- tling with second thoughts over te: 'N center pushed Divac 7-1 all oer cially when Earnhardt blew right e- his plan to quit after 34 consecu- 7''- '1 (- the court in the first two games cially when everybodput prs back around him live starts Mears 39 is far from of the series in Portland but Divac sure on me I was more nervous Dale did 4 $0 than usual before Friday's game" I "n' want me to pass finished Nr A has answered in Games 3 and 4 at '''''IL 4 0 91 1 him" Allison said "So I just went he has four '-'3 i'2: 7 The Forum Divac had 12 points and two back around him and took off" In only 14 Indys -f-' 44'4: ill ''50i- A rebounds in the opener of the That's the power and the han- firsts one second two thirds Divac had 20 points four series: won by the Lakers 111-106 -7 )0' rebounds and three blocked shots i dling he had and two fifths and is all of 16 ts 1 ::::4: :4 despite sitting out the fourth guar- and nine points and two rebounds "These times (when you get it seconds from being a six-time 'i 24Fesi 4:4 ter while Duaworth hampered bv in Game 2 won by the Blazers i all right) don't come very often" winner In the process he has 1 A 4Ir tek foul problems had seven point's 1019f i he said "so we savor them while stamped the last laps of the a I 404 1-71 i and four rebounds a98sixth game is needed it will I they're here" world's biggest race as his time f- i illk 0 "I have no comment" Duck- be played Thursday night at The By winning The Winston and Mears Time ''''w ia -JO 4'-': 1 icArr worth said "If I say something I'll Forum with a seventh game if the 600 in less than two weeks it gets sweeter each time f'472 be fined quick" necessary scheduled Saturday in Allison collected 5462100 Mears exulted Sunday "I can't It could be assumed Duckworth Portland be dad At times Sunday Allison woul believe this one yet" i a burly 275-pounder had the offi- Magic Johnson had 22 points i leading and the car his owns with driver Hut Stricklin at He shouldn't be surprised 104 cials on his mind when he made nine rebounds and nine assists to the wheel would be second really He was on the pole for a or '7 Alt i ill 41 1::: that statement He picked up his lead the lakers James Worthy i vice versa It figured The Alliso record sixth time and twice :1 471g: tv4--zo- fourth foul late in the second added 18 points AC Green had ns i I are a part of the tradition of this before he won from there -4 A- -04 r1g- 41 k110 komoktto 4' '''''44 404 it quarter and played 25 minutes 16 Byron Scott 13 and Sam Per I track and it just keeps building He beat Foyt in the middle of Ziti4'10'fitiL' '-t4: Later Duckworth said "The kins 12 for Los Angeles Stricklin is even a member of the front row at the start led the Associated Press game was a disgrace Everything Jerome ersey led the lazers the family married to Donnie's first 12 laps and then laid back No peers Mears: Rick Mears celebrates after winning his was a disgrace" with 25 points Walter Davis and Clyde Drexler added 14 each for daughter Twenty-two years ago In Game 3 Divac had 16 points fourth Indianapolis 500 championship Mears 39 finished the Portland Donnie now crew chief for seven rebounds and three blocks Stanley Smith won the 500- Please see indypage 8C 500 miles at an average speed of 176480 mph while Duckworth had five points miler in the autumn and Bobby and eight rebounds Summary Page 3C finished second It's been going on ever since They used to call Bobby INsIDE Clemson's in: SCOREBOARD American League National League DiMaggio's streak 12: nni I Doe and Neil Bonnett the Ala- New York 2 Baltimore 1 (11) Pittsburgh 5 Philadelphia 2 The Clemson On this date in 1941 Joe barna Gang Now they are gray and baseball team Detroit 9 Boston 4 St Louis 14 New York 4 DiMaggio went four for five with have parked their racers but the NHL 2C I and thicker around the waist advances to the Southern League Kansas City 5 Minnesota 1 San Francisco 10 Atlanta 6 a three-run homer and three Alabama Gang lives Tennis 2C College World Greenville 4 Charlotte 2 California 6 Toronto 2 Cincinnati 3 Los Angeles 0 runs scored in a 10-8 victory at Part of it could be identified Golf 3C Series at Omaha South Atlantic League Oakland 6 Chicago 2 Chicago 8 Montreal 6 Washington The performance only by its rear Sunday That's all NBA 3c Neb with a 13-5 Charleston 7 Gastonia 3 (8) Cleveland at Milwaukee late Houston 13 San Diego 3 raised his season batting aver- anybody saw of Davey Allison victory over age to 331 and left him with and No 28 and they didn't have Baseball 4C MainePage 5C Charleston 1 Gastonia 0 (10) Texas at Seattle late Standings Page 4C seven homers and 34 RBIs 1 i a very good view of that Monday May 27 1991 Car's muscle lets Allison bully field Davey Allison was making his way up through the Charlotte Motor Speedway grandstand en route to a news conference where he would tell the assembled authors how he had just won the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday afternoon He had stripped his driving suit off to the waist exposing a pale skinny torso that looked about as powerful as oh Barney Fife's This prompted a voice in the press box to crack "Now that's the body of an athlete isn't it?" But nobody had more muscle Sunday than Allison a 30-yearold Alabaman with a face that would look like the neighbor kid's if it didn't have a mustache on it The muscle was all in the No 28 black Ford trimmed in Day-Glo orange Allison used it in the proud tradition of his family which now has among him dad Bobby and uncle Donnie I I trophies from Charlotte Motor Speedway five from the 600 Kirk Shelmerdine Dale Earnhardt's crew chief called the car "a rocket" Earnhardt himself after trying to run it down all day called it "illegal" Allison called it "bulletproof" It was a rocket It was bulletproof And it was so powerful it looked illegal scooting off and leaving everything on wheels disappearing in its rear-view mirror whenever Allison wanted a little privacy It's the same car in which he won the fall race here last year and The Winston a week ago Illegal? Allison said it was obviously a reference to a NASCAR decision allowing Ford teams to raise the rear deck to make them safer in races "I'm a driver" Allison said "I don't make the rules or build race cars NASCAR is not blind They saw certain things that made our cars unsafe and let us change them It didn't make the car faster "I know there have been a lot of times when Dale Earnhardt has been up here (in a news conference) answering the same question because somebody said he was illegal "Actually I'm pleased that we were so strong they would accuse us of cheating" This fine day in Allison's life started dismally He slept poorly and awoke with a stomach disorder Then he got to the track and learned that the engine in his car the one that blew everybody away in The Winston a week earlier had developed a problem and had to be replaced That's like telling a director "Look Brando's got a problem so we're giving you another guy" "Then I really wanted to throw up" Allison said But his crewmen assured him the engine was a twin to the one being taken out Allison took it easy the first 50 laps to see how the engine was working He decided to pass the leader Earnhardt to be sure he got the Winston Cup points for leading a lap then take it easy again He made the pass but sensed a little resentment especially when Earnhardt blew right back around him "Dale didn't want me to pass him" Allison said "So I just went back around him and took off" That's the power and the handling he had "These times (when you get it all right) don't come very often" he said "so we savor them while they're here" By winning The Winston and the 600 in less than two weeks Allison collected $462100 At times Sunday Allison would be leading and the car his dad owns with driver Hut Stricklin at the wheel would be second or vice versa It figured The Allisons are a part of the tradition of this track and it just keeps building Stricklin is even a member of the family married to Donnie's daughter Twenty-two years ago Donnie now crew chief for Stanley Smith won the 500- miler in the autumn and Bobby finished second It's been going on ever since They used to call Bobby Donnie and Neil Bonnett the Alabama Gang Now they are gray and thicker around the waist and have parked their racers but the Alabama Gang lives Part of it could be identified only by its rear Sunday That's all anybody saw of Davey Allison and No 28 and they didn't have a very good view of that fl Close call: Davey Allison (car No Davey joins dad uncle in Charlotte's Victory Lane By TOM HIGGINS Staff Writer Davey Allison made his family the first to produce three different Coca-Cola 600 winners Sunday by running away with the NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway Repeating his rout of The Winston special event May 19 Allison in a Ford finished 12 seconds ahead of Ken Schrader the runner-up in a Chevrolet and also second the previous Sunday by 287 seconds The latest margin of victory almost certainly would have been greater except for two caution flags during the last 26 of the 400 laps on the I5-mile track that regrouped the six contenders on the lead lap for restarts Mears doesn't pass on 500 greatness Daring maneuver results in driver's 4th Indy victory By MIKE HARRIS Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS One last time Rick Mears raced against Foyt and his Indianapolis 500 legend and won On the day Indy was supposed to bid a fond farewell to its first four-time winner it welcomed Mears as a new one Mears did it with a daring pass of Michael Andretti that would have made a young Foyt envious and joined his boyhood hero and Al Unser as the only men in 75 years to win Indy four times And while Foyt 56 is wrestling with second thoughts over his plan to quit after 34 consecutive starts Mears 39 is far from finished In only 14 Indys he has four firsts one second two thirds and two fifths and is all of 16 seconds from being a six-time winner In the process he has stamped the last laps of the world's biggest race as his time Mears Time "It gets sweeter each time" Mears exulted Sunday "I can't believe this one yet" He shouldn't be surprised really He was on the pole for a record sixth time and twice before he won from there He beat Foyt in the middle of the front row at the start led the first 12 laps and then laid back Please see Indypage 8C Clemson's in: The Clemson baseball team advances to the College World Series at Omaha Neb with a 13-5 victory over MainePage 5C (tharlotte Observer -11177---- 28) swings around Harry Gant on Allison who led six times for 261 laps earlier had built advantages of as much as 82 seconds in the Thunderbird fielded by Robert Yates Racing of Charlotte Allison 30 joined his dad Bobby and uncle Donnie as a winner in NASCAR's longest race Donnie won in 1970 Bobby in '71 '81 and '84 for a total of five Allison victories since the race began in 1960 "This is also a victory I've wanted to achieve for a long long time" said Davey Allison who has nine career Winston Cup wins Placing third through sixth were Dale Earnhardt Chevy Harry Gant Olds Dale Jarrett Ford and Hut Stricklin Buick After returning to the garage Earnhardt Associated Press No peers Mears: Rick Mears celebrates after winning his fourth Indianapolis 500 championship Mears 39 finished the 500 miles at an average speed of 176460 mph SCOREBOARD Southern League Greenville 4 Charlotte 2 South Atlantic League Charleston 7 Gastonia 3 (8) Charleston 1 Gastonia 0 (10) UPttt Sh pit road Sunday about as close fueled the Chevy-Ford rivalry when he remarked he was second best to Schrader You can't outrun an illegal race car like Davey's" He was referring to slight alterations NASCAR officials allowed the Ford teams to make to the rear deck of their Thunderbirds for safety purposes during the week Allison's response: "Here's a guy that's won two races this year and I just won my first one and he's saying we're illegal" The sweep of the speedway's two big spring weekends produced a total payoff of $462100 for the AllisonYates team $137100 on Sunday and $325000 the week Please see Racepage 7C American League New York 2 Baltimore 1 (11) Detroit 9 Boston 4 Kansas City 5 Minnesota 1 California 6 Toronto 2 Oakland 6 Chicago 2 Cleveland at Milwaukee late Texas at Seattle late -I tpkIR el as anybody got to the winner all Divac Lakers push Blazers to 3-1 deficit Associated Press INGLEWOOD Calif Kevin Duckworth knocked over a trash can near the Portland dressing room Sunday after the Trail Blazers had been thrashed by the Los Angeles Lakers It was his most effective play of the day Made Divac had just outplayed Duckworth again as the Lakers overpowered the Blazers 116-95 to move within one victory of reaching the NBA Finals for the ninth time in 12 years The Lakers lead the Blazers 3-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals and can win the series Tuesday night in Portland Duckworth the 7-foot Blazers center pushed Divac 7-1 all over the court in the first two games of the series in Portland but Divac has answered in Games 3 and 4 at The Forum Divac had 20 points four rebounds and three blocked shots despite sitting out the fourth quarter while Duckworth hampered by foul problems had seven points and four rebounds "1 have no comment" Duckworth said "If 1 say something I'll be fined quick" It could be assumed Duckworth a burly 275-pounder had the officials on his mind when he made that statement He picked up his fourth foul late in the second quarter and played 25 minutes Later Duckworth said "The game was a disgrace Everything was a disgrace" In Game 3 Divac had 16 points seven rebounds and three blocks while Duckworth had five points and eight rebounds National League Pittsburgh 5 Philadelphia 2 St Louis 14 New York 4 San Francisco 10 Atlanta 6 Cincinnati 3 Los Angeles 0 Chicago 8 Montreal 6 Houston 13 San Diego 3 age 4C Page 4C SECTION -k 'kr A1 MARK SLUDERStatt day More on the 600 A sixth-place finish after a late charge to the front Sunday leaves Hut Stricklin feeling better about the rest of the season Page 6C How did your favorite driver fare? Find out with a team-by-team look at the way the day went Page 6C With a track temperature topping 135 degrees there were worries about how tires would hold up But no problems developed Notebook Page 6C Sunday's results and Observer Cup standings Page 7C It NBA playoffs CONFERENCE FINALS (Best-al-seven) Sundays mutt LA Lakers 116 Portland 95 (Los Angeles leads series 3-1) Saturday's result Chicago 113 Detroit 107 (Chicago leads series 3-0) Today game Chicago at Detroit cg4 3:30 pm Tuesdays game LA Lakers at Portiand 03 9 pm "I enjoy playing when I play good" Divac said "The last two games I played good I felt really bad after the second game especially when everybody put pressure on me I was more nervous than usual before Friday's game" Divac had 12 points and two rebounds in the opener of the series won by the Lakers 111-106 and nine points and two rebounds in Game 2 won by the Blazers 109-98 If a sixth game is needed it will he played Thursday night at The Forum with a seventh game if necessary scheduled Saturday in Portland Magic Johnson had 22 points nine rebounds and nine assists to lead the lakers James Worthy added 18 points AC Green had 16 Byron Scott 13 and Sam Perkins 12 for Los Angeles Jerome Kersey led the Blazers with 25 points Walter Davis and Clyde Drexler added 14 each for Portland Summary Page 3C Di Maggio's streak 12: On this date in 1941 Joe DiMaggio went four for five with a three-run homer and three runs scored in a 10-8 victory at Washington The performance raised his season batting average to 331 and left him with seven homers and 34 RBIs.