The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 48

6C FRIDAY FEBRUARY 18 2000 MOTORSPORTS THE CHAMOTTE OBSERVER Suspension takes suspense out of races Results from the NASCAR Winston THURSDAY'S RESULTS Cup 125-mile qualifying races at Daytona (FI a International Speedway: 125 from 1C Second race First race plates had been the master of high-speed racing at Daytona and Talladega Last year however announced it would move its sponsorship to Cal new operation at the end of its contract with Elliott which runs through this season happen for a reason but I really know if that was a wake-up said Elliott whose plans for 2001 are unannounced though he is believed to be under consideration to drive one of the Ray Evernh am-owned Dodges needs to tell me that I need to run better when running bad We need to make this year team also now has sponsor from a year ago Tide Rudd gave up life as a driver-owner and took the ride in the Robert Yates-owned No 28 Fords a decision that looks better and better with every passing day at Daytona where the Yates cars driven by Jarrett and Rudd are flexing their muscle definitely seems kind of strange the way it all turned Rudd said crew chiefs campaigned for changes that might help them in time for Daytona 500 decision is not going to change anything for the Daytona NASCAR CEO Mike Helton said of the things concerned about is not creating a moving target so that six days worth of Daytona 500 practice is changed on the competitors on top of the fact that not convinced that any change we could make right now is Rudd had said before Helton spoke he think it would be fair to make a change in the days before the biggest race because that would penalize the teams that have done the best job of figuring things out knew what we were going to be Rudd said of the suspension rules tested everybody tested I think the teams that thought it through a little bit prepared for that and built their cars for As uneventful as races were there were no cautions in either race for only the fourth time in history and for the first time since 1964 the fact that Elliott and Rudd emerged as the winners provided some interesting angles Elliott had won 125-milers in 1985 1986 and 1992 and in the days before carburetor restrictor seen at Daytona in a long barked Dale Earnhardt who faded to an llth-place finish in the first 125-miler and had his streak of 10 straight victories in these events convincingly snapped took NASCAR Winston Cup racing and made it some of the sorriest racing took racing out of the hands of the drivers and the crews We adjust and make our cars drive like we want They just killed the racing at Daytona They took good racing and turned it into this This is a The consistent complaint from drivers not named Elliott and Rudd was that their cars were pushing unless they were running by themselves and nobody can do anything running by himself in a restrictor-plate race The culprit the unhappy drivers agree is the new NASCAR-required suspension package shocks are making our cars push really really said Skinner who finished second to Rudd in the second race get any help from behind If I get clean air on the nose my car turn a bit When Ward (Burton) would get up to me he would have to let off because his car Some drivers car owners and hub mm Tmmu TIME OF RACE 39 minutes 53 seconds AVERAGE SPEED 188 048 mph MARGIN OF VICTORY- 468 seconds CAUTIONS None LEADERS: Ricky Rudd (1 50) TIME OF RACE 39 minutes 44 seconds AVERAGE SPEED: 188 758 mph MARGIN OF VICTORY: 171 seconds CAUTIONS None LEADERS: Dale Jarrett (pole) Bill Elliott (1 50) 803-802-7874 856 GOLD HILL RD 108 FORT MILL 77S EXIT 88 RT FROM CHARLOTTE SUNDAY'S Lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Winston (Fla) International Speedway: LINEUP Cup Daytona 500 at Daytona LAWN TECH IRRIGATION INC Automatic Lawn Sprinkler Systems and Landscape Lighting 598-9050 TrvT IVe will not be undersold on any comparable system 90 days or 6 months same as cash financing available OBKA1 FINXB tFOWEHILTtl Etomc Close-Out Shoes Lowest Pricing Ever NOW MSRP $49 99 Select Styles 6 Limited Sizing DISCOUNT FAILED TO QUALIFY: Geoffrey Bodme Ricky Craven Dave Marcis Greg Sacks Stanton Barrett Andy Hillenburg NormBennmg Jeff Fuller Brett Bodme Bobby Gerhart Carl Long JimSauter HOW THE FIELD WAS FILLED: The front row was set by first round qualifying Saturday The top 14 finishers other than Dale Jarrett from Thursday first 125 mile qualifying race got the odd numbered starting slots 3 through 29 The top 14 finishers other than Ricky Rudd from the second 125 miler got the even numbered slots 4 through 30 The remaining drivers with the six best qualifying speeds got positions 31 through 36 The six highest remaining teams from the 1999 car owner points list got the provisionals for starting spots 37 through 42 jhe final spot goes to any non qualified driver who is a former Winston Cup champion Regrip your clubs before the season GRAND NATIONAL LINEUP Velvet Feel by Eaton Only! each installed Men's Men's Midsize (wrap style) Ladies MustPresent Coupon ExjgirM 22100 Lineup for NASCAR Grand National NAPA Auto Parts 300 at Daytona (Fla) International Speedway: TOP-nJTl4MiDE)CrERaSQUAM TWO tTmEIST NOTEBOOK Dale Jr to start 8th best among 7 rookies By DAVID POOLE and JIM UTTER StaffWriters DAYTONA BEACH Fla With a little more than 10 laps to go in second 125-mile qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway Dale Earnhardt Jr pulled his Chevrolet out of the drafting line on the 25-mile backstretch He went low and swept past two cars moving to fourth He stayed there to secure the eighth starting spot for his No 8 Chevrolet in Daytona 500 was so nervous about making this said Earnhardt Jr who has the best starting spot among seven rookies who made the 500 field knew we had a good Scott Pruett raced into the 500 with an eighth-place finish in the first race while Matt Kenseth was 12th and Ed Berrier 13th in the second race Dave Blaney Stacy Compton and Mike Bliss made the field on their qualifying speeds NO WAY AROUND IT: The pattern was similar in both of races In each cars lined up right behind the leader never made any perceptible moves to challenge make a pass just by yourself it matter how good of a car you said Dale Jarrett the Daytona 500 pole-winner and Bud Shootout winner who finished second behind Bill Elliott in the first race could do whatever he wanted to and I just have any help to pass HOLDING ON: Chad Little and John Andretti finished 15th in races giving them the final transfer spots into the Daytona 500 field FELIX BEING FELIX: Sterling motor was puny in the first 125-mile race so the No 40 Chevrolet managed only 17th place Predictably car owner Felix Sabates had strong opinions on the matter: mind going to a gun-fight if got a Colt 45 and got a 22 revolver I figure with my 22 going to be able to get you anyway If you go to a gun-fight and guys have bazookas and you have a wooden knife not too good Basically got bazookas (for Ford) and got wooden knives right TRUCK POLE: Mike Wallace was disappointed in failing to win the pole for the inaugural Daytona 250 Truck series race today at 11 am even though start on the front row next to Joe Ruttman not supposed to be disappointed with second but I Wallace said we were quick in all of the practice sessions which we knew were very misleading because of the drafting help that was out there all of the event provides Winston Cup regular Geoffrey Bodine his only opportunity to race this weekend Bodine failed to make the field for the Daytona 500 SECOND-FASTEST: Joe Neme-chek had his pole-winning lap for Grand National series disallowed Wednesday Thursday he was still the fastest this time in second-round qualifying Nemechek posted a lap at 187141 mph to claim the 26th position in NAPA 300 FINE ASSESSED: NASCAR officials after meeting with Winston Cup drivers Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon early Thursday assessed a $2000 fine to Jason Shapiro a member of team for his participation in a confrontation in the garage Wednesday between Gordon and Stewart Shapiro struck Gordon in the confrontation starts and SAVE 6701 INDEPENDENCE BlVD 'Heading Out On Left 1 2 Miles Past Idlewrid Near Hails BM 536-9021 5418 SOUTH BOULEVARD 14 Mile South of Tyvola Road 523-7262 8500 PINEVULE-MATTHEWS RD On Highway 51 -Countryside Shopping Ctr Besde Hakato's 541-6950 ISas-Opm SAT Dam Sam May Closed hi Expires mm at 8 PM- Mutigan Cad Not WdiThsU NICKLAUSK aBpiNG A 3 rv i jr nr Ttgsaswsf tr DAYTONA 500 Y' I 4' 3 pro 1 amaa- ael a 1 PC CO WAY A i P'f- ')- Ij iWwj STILL SsAVAILAELE! -w A A I i 4 jh "'i 'L'vCi '--V i 7 field and Todd had to take a provisional to make the Grand National race Geoffrey had started the past 19 Daytona 500s Ricky Craven also missed the 500 With eight Winston Cup regulars making the field for NAPA 300 Grand National race dnvers like Blaise Alexander Lyndon Amick Tony Roper and Jimmie Johnson wound up missing the field THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Sometimes you get a quote that sums things up perfectly Rusty Wallace brushed aside the suggestion that Chevrolets are at an unfair disadvantage to Fords here this week When told the Monte Carlo drivers were saying they'd like help with a particular area of the set-up Wallace replied people in hell would like to have a glass of ice water too" DAY THE HOT: Bill Elliott and Ricky Rudd can't do any better than leading all 50 laps of their respective 125-milers but there were other impressive performances too Dale Earnhardt Jr was pretty sporty in the second race and Robby Gordon did wonders to finish ninth in the first race Nobody in the state of Florida seemed to be willing to draft with him but he kept trying to make passes anyway In the second race Demke Cope ran bnlliantly to finish sixth and get Bud Earnhardt Jr Moore'S team back into the 500 while rookie Ed Berner got car owner Jume Donla-vey a spot in the field with a 13th-place finish THE NOT SO HOT: The end of Dave 32-year Daytona 500 streak tops the list but Thursday also a good day to be a Bodine Geoffrey and Brett failed to make the Daytona 500 1 I.