The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 110

tf 1 1 12G THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER Sunday May 22 1994 MOTORSPORTS Campers prove races not limited to track NOTEBOOK PIT STOPS pared to most of the cars Ramses people wanted to put the slogan on there but NASCAR wouldn't allow it" said Blakley who finished 21st out of 40 in the Sportsman race "They allow any slogans right now Maybe next Bests and worsts Best seats to scalp: The more expensive the better can double your price on the most expensive seats" one scalper said hard to make much money on the cheaper Best sponsor if hungry and thirsty: Don Satterfield of Spartanburg is sponsored by Lounge and Fat BBQ Worst feeling: You lugged that cooler all the way from the car and then find out it is over the 14-inch maximum let it slide if only 15 inches said Randy Setzer who was minding one of the gates "But not more than that No monster coolers About one of 20 have been too big and they just have to take it back no matter how aggravated they get" Worst degree: not too sure many employers would accept a diploma from "Hooters But you can buy a shirt proudly proclaiming that as your school for $18 at the Flooters van Worst timing: Just after Darrell Waltrip got finished taking a solemn look at the wreckage of his brother Michael car a fan approached him for an autograph Darrell Waltrip did sign Best quote: From Ward Burton who started the Open wreck: know I was the culprit but I didn't mean to do Best brotherly use of same disparaging word: From Brett Bodine on the 1 1 -car wreck in the Winston Open: was just a bunch of From Todd Bodine on Dave Marcis driving on old tires in that race: "Then to hold up the line and drive like an idiot on top of it it make any sense" Worst prediction: After five straight years of nailing the winner of the Winston Select in a prerace guess speedway guru Humpy 'Wheeler finally missed His choice Ernie Irvan had spun out of the race before the final 10-lap dash started Best postrace stalk: You could feel Dale Earnhardt's anger on By SCOTT FOWLER Stall Writer If you went to the races Saturday night you probably passed Ron Fortin and iJ Hinson They were the ones sporting that prime campsite at the corner of Morehead Street and US 29 It was no accident they snagged it either whole campground is first-come first-serve $25 a week" Hinson said year we'd camp way out and walk by this place and say 1 wish we were right So this year I made sure we were here smack in the middle of Redneck knew we were going to be drinking a lot of Fortin said "so we decided to drink it in one place and not risk getting Hinson ensured the corner lot by driving his camper onto the spot May 13 eight days before The Winston Select His total time in the camper will be 17 days With that much time to kill he and Fortin have come equipped Hinson an amateur astronomer has a telescope and was checking out Jupiter Saturday Fortin has his guitar which he uses to play Charlie Daniels and Bob Seger songs around the nightly camp- the top row after his crash How would you like to have been that passenger-side mirror he kicked out to get out of his car? Ride of a lifetime The Winston Motorsports Simulator drew hundreds of fans to its free ride Keith Anderson 35 a cabinetmaker from Claremont gave it a thumbs-up simulates you being in Dale Earnhardt's car and a boat ride too" he said pretty good" Anderson has been a smart shopper throughout this trip He skipped another simulated ride that cost $5 in favor of this one And he also saved up 160 cigarette pack wrappers so he could get $20 off each of the eight tickets he bought for him and his family Hey where are we? IndyCar driver A1 Unser Jr who flew in Saturday night to catch the races said he hadn't been to Charlotte in 13 years and barely recognized the place changed a he said we were flying down I was like all those buildings come Executive sports editor Cary Schwab contributed to this story Tow tracks it Indy folks drop in on speedway By RON GREEN Jr Stall Writer A touch of Indianapolis came to Charlotte Saturday night AlUnserJr pole sitter for this Indianapolis 500 four-time winner Rick Mears Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George and car owner Roger Penske jetted into town and spent the evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway Penske who owns the car driven by Rusty Wallace brought the group on his plane then they parked themselves in a speedway condominium after spending some pre-race time in the garage area enjoy NASCAR plus it gives me an opportunity to say hello to some Unsersaid It was Mears' first visit to Charlotte Motor Speedway but it was a return appearance for Unser who raced here 1 3 years ago in a Super event Unser a stranger in the garage area stopping to visit with different teams He climbed atop Dale transporter and the two watched a few minutes of a sportsman race together Mears meanwhile was checking out the CMS compound His only previous visit to Charlotte was several years ago when Mario Andretti was honored at a function in the Speedway Club Ernie Irvan wanted to be a part of the metal-grinding action in the Winston Select Saturday night but he want to drive into a wall to do it Irvan the pre-race favorite in many eyes blew himself out of the action on the final lap of the second segment when he tried to cut across the infield grass to beat Geoff Bodine to the start-finish line Instead Irvan lost control slammed into the front straightaway wall and wiped out was a dumb move 1 been thinking Irvan said as he sat on the step of his transporter a few feet away from his mashed race car guess 1 got caught up in the Winston It had been pretty wild I guess I wanted to be part of it But rather have been a part of the This weekend has given drivers and pit crews their first look at the new garage area The area has been redesigned at a cost of $1 million and includes more work room for each team easier parking for the transporters and an inspection area driver Dale Jarrett said "Charlotte has always been a first-class facility but the garage area was probably the worst of any Now made it first Tempers were hot among some drivers and crew members long before the racing began A mix-up caused some drivers and crew members to pay a 1 0 parking charge to enter the infield Dale Earnhardt reportedly refused to pay and drove through the gate and into the infield Glen Wood turned around and paid $5 to park in a nearby field then walked half a mile into the track Though speedway officials had no official comment on the matter they were apparently concerned about parking passes for drivers and crew members being given away to friends complicating the parking situation The accident that swept Dave Marcis out of the Winston Open could have a profound impact on his situation for the Coca-Cola 600 Marcis had just signed a sponsorship deal with Olive Garden restaurants and planned to run the same car Saturday night and next Sunday That was destroyed in the 10-car crash that caught car in the middle know what going to he said my car for next week Olive Garden signed on as a sponsor for next week I have a car I can bring but it be the caliber of this one" Michael Waltrip suffered a fractured right shoulder blade when he was involved in that 10-car crash He was also given a precautionary CAT scan late Saturday night at Cabarrus Memorial Hospital and released Loy Allen Jr suffered bruised ribs but was released from the hospital A last-minute spring change cost pole-sitter Shari Mintera shot at Winston Select 1 00 As Minter's Chevrolet faded Ronnie Sewell of Shelby motored past for his first sportsman win "The chassis worked great all day the engine had plenty of power and we have a whole lot of trouble with lapped traffic "said Sewell nnn Stall writer Liz Clarke contributed to this article One wild and crazy slide: Rusty car (2) spins after bumping with Dale Earnhardt's car (3) in Turn 4 Saturday during the Winston Select at Charlotte car 24) also goes for a spin GARY O'BRIENStaff Motor Speedway Jeff Gordon (in fires After camping out for at least a week every May with their friends this pair of 33-year-old telecommunications workers has two tips to pass along From Fortin: "Guard your firewood the one thing that may get stolen because been kind of cold at night And if bringing women along to camp some like we are make sure and stock plenty of toilet paper They always appreciate that" The Condom Car bother to ask Sherry Blakley about whether her racing team hands out free samples heard that joke along with a thousand others like it Blakley drove the car sponsored by Ramses the condom maker in The Winston Select 100 Saturday If you know Ramses made condoms the car educate you much It is painted pink and black with the word "Ramses" lettered on it and nothing else It looks like an empty billboard com tap in the trioval from Marlin) It was downhill for a lot of guys from there understand move I wish he wrecked 1 hate to see guys tear up the cars I know if 1 could have beat him in the last 10 laps or not I think I could "And Dale and Rusty would have been there strong too They usually are in this race" Irvan admitted his mistake "I had a straight line through the grass" he said "I should have lifted or something 1 screwed up basically What I did work I should have waited for the last 10 i Select results Big names out early By LIZ CLARKE Staff Writer In an all-star race custom-built for Dale Earnhardt the end have come more igno-miniously First Rusty Wallace got loose so Earnhardt darted low on the track Then somebody got into Wallace's front end spinning him sideways There was contact bouncing Earnhardt into Jeff car "I hit Earnhardt said after the tow trucks had come and gone bounced Earnhardt off him turned around hit the wall Then a fan poured beer all over All in a work for stock-car greatest driver who collected $18000 for his efforts in Saturday's Winston Select It was a race splattered with wrecks that took out the best cars and favored drivers in five cautions that fell in quick succession First Earnhardt and Wallace who tangled on Lap 50 coming out of Charlotte Motor bumpy Turn 4 Then Ernie Irvan who basically took himself out with a bold pass-on-the-grass that quite cut it in an effort to take the second 30-lap segment away from Geoff Bodine who went on to win the race car was demolished after the ill-advised maneuver sent him spinning hard into the wall and he went directly to his No 28 crew to apologize Known for over-aggressive driving early in his career Irvan has since settled down and smartened up What was more jarring about Winston Select was the sight of black Chevrolet crumpled against the front-stretch wall For all his bold moves Earnhardt rarely wrecks is a typical Winston" said Richard Childress car owner going to win a few and be involved in a few And we were involved got loose and then Dale got into him Maybe the air came off of him I Earnhardt took his time climbing out of his car which came to rest with the side against the frontstretch catch fence As fans crowded around he gingerly climbed out the right-side window brushed off rescue workers who wanted to take him to the infield care center waved to the fans and strode across the race track the grass and straight to hauler Reporters crowded around shoving microphones in their faces as the men cleared the air making sure there were no hard feelings pay no points" Wallace said pay no Earnhardt agreed and walked away Wallace told reporters problem and 1 got together We both touched each other and around I went and we took all of us out "This is a pretty high-tension race here and this is my good car Luckily I tear much up just the body work fiX a that stuff when it comes race I Time of race: 54 minutes 31 seconds Average speed: 1 1 5561 mph Margin of victory: 026 seconds Caution flags: Five for 18 laps Lead changes: Nine among six drivers Lap leaders: Wallace 1-6 Irvan 7-30 Sacks 31-43 Schrader 44-48 Sacks 49-53 Bodine 54-60 Schrader 61-62 Marlin 63-64 Schrader 65-67 Bodine 68-70 First segment order of finish: 1 Irvan 2 Marlin 3 Jarrett 4 Martin 5 Gordon 6 Waltrip 7 Burton 8 Labonte 9 Earnhardt 10 Elliott 11 Rudd 12 Burton 13 Nemechek 14 Shepherd 15 Wallace 16 Bodine 17 Schrader 18 Petty 19 Sacks 20 Speed Second segment order of finish: 1 Bodine 2 Irvan 3 I GARY Turn out the lights: Dale Earnhardt after bouncing off Jeff car (right) walks away from his wrecked car while trying to avoid Rusty Bodine the best of a Select few on wild night Schrader 4 Burton 5 Marlin 6 Waltrip 7 Rudd 8 Shepherd 9 Nemechek 10 Burton 11 Jarrett 12 Elliott 13 Petty 14 Speed 15 Gordon Irvan who won the first increment led 24 laps more than anyone Schrader three times a runner-up in the all-star race grabbed the lead on the start of the final segment relinquished it to Marlin two laps later then got it back two laps after that and pulled slightly away But Bodine rallied and swept past Schrader in Turn 3 on Lap 68 Bodine won on Hoosier tires the first victory for Hoosiers this season as the company makes a comeback to Winston Cup racing after a hiatus dating to 1989 Bodine averaged only 115561 mph because of 18 laps of yellow the slowest running of the all-star race in its 10-year history Another grinding crash on Lap 56 following the wreck involving Earnhardt and Wallace took out the strong Fords of Greg Sacks and Mark Martin They were no injuries guess Greg just lost Marlin said "This was the car we plan to use for the Coca-Cola 600 (next Sunday) be all Irvan said the Thunderbird he heavily damaged also was his choice for the 600 A backup will now be used Race Continued from page 1G left tires on the grass and spun hard into the wall near the end of the trioval homestretch "After seeing all the crashes in the first race (the preliminary Winston Open) I thought I hope we have problems like Bodine said "Be durned if I bring out a yellow almost right away (on Lap 14 when he spun down the homestretch after a.