Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 11

Race B3 Decatur, Illinois Herald Review Thursday, September 4, 1997 to Winston ws to 33 in fi YOUR TUftu HI I TV JU liDs woob I E3 L.J i 1 PEW 11 -a I Craftsman Truck Virginia is ond event. The 1996 schedule also marked the end of racing at North Wilkesboro, N.C., which had held Winston Cup events since 1961. One of its races went to Texas, the other to New Hampshire. The 40th Daytona 500, scheduled Feb. 15 at Daytona International Speedway, opens the 1998 season on the 50th anniversary of NASCAR's first event.

That was a race on the beach, won by Red Byron. The cars ran on the sand until Daytona International opened in 1959. The new schedule includes modest date changes at several venues. Four changes are more pronounced: a After conducting its inaugural race this year in June, California Speedway's date has been moved up to May 3. The annual journey to northern California and Sears Point Raceway has been changed from early May to June 28.

The second event at Loudon, N.H., which debuts this year on Sept. 14, will be run Aug. 30 next year. Richmond International Raceway's annual spring race has been moved from its traditional March date to June 6, giving the track two Saturday night events. The only Sunday night race is the Coca-Cola 660, again on Memorial Day eve, May 24, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The Brickyard 400, Aug. 1 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is the only daytime race on a Saturday. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) With the addition of the Las Vegas 400, the 1998 Winston Cup schedule of 33 races is the largest in NASCAR's modern era. That race, previously announced for March 1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, represented the only major change on a schedule released Wednesday by the stock car sanctioning body.

The Las Vegas race will be the third event on the schedule. NASCAR held 48 races in its elite division in 1971. Several midweek events that drew few stars and sparse crowds were dropped in 1972, when a 31-race schedule ushered in the modern era. A year ago, new races were added in Fontana, and Fort Worth, Texas; and New Hampshire International Speedway got a sec mmmj 1 Who won the first three NASCAR most-popular-driver awards? 2. Who was the last driver to win four races in a row? ANSWERS 1.

Lee Petty in 1952-54. 2. Mark Martin in 1993. for Lovers 200 6:30 p.m. today ESPN2 I Busch GN AutoLite Platinum 250 6:30 p.m.

Friday ESPN I Winston Cup Exide Select Batteries 400 6:30 p.m. Saturday ESPN Profile TRUCK 1 Jack Sprague, 2,891 2. Rich Bickle, 2,806 3. Ron Hornaday, 2,787 4. Joe Ruttman, 2,760 5.

Mike Bliss, 2,569 6. Jimmy Hensley, 2,528 7. Rick Carelli, 2,517 8. Jay Sauter, 2,437 9. Chuck Bown, 2,398 10.

Rick Crawford, 2,367 WINSTON CUP 1. Jeff Gordon, 3,437 2. Mark Martin, 3,412 3. Dale Jarrett, 3,269 4. Terry Labonte, 3,180 5.

Jeff Burton, 3,154 6. Dale Earnhardt, 2,938 7. Bobby Labonte, 2,91 1 8. Bill Elliott, 2,761 9. Ricky Rudd, 2,689 10.

Ted Musgrave, 2,678 BUSCH 1. Randy LaJoie, 3,516 2. Todd Bodine, 3,419 3. Steve Park, 3,148 4. Phil Parsons, 2,944 5.

M.McLaughlin, 2,908 6. Elliott Sadler, 2,881 7. Elton Sawyer, 2,837 8. Buckshot Jones, 2,808 9. Tim Fedewa, 2,753 10.

Kevin Lepage, 2,723 rash not keeping Green sidelined By MONTE DUTTON NASCAR This Week READERS ASK THE QUESTIONS Dear NASCAR This Week, Did NASCAR ever consider offering races on a pay-per-view basis? The networks bombard us with endless commercials. Even if the commercials are run during a caution flag, a lot of racing is missed. Sally P. Mullen Duncannon, Pa. Dear NASCAR Race Fan, Pocono Raceway offered Winston Cup races via pay-per-view for several years.

Dear NASCAR This Week, I recently got a fairly new Genuine Draft Miller beer poster. On it is a black Pontiac No. 2 with Rusty Wallace's name on it. I thought Rusty was only a Ford man. Dawn Meier Lincoln, Kan.

Dear NASCAR Race Fan, Wallace has only been driving Fords since the beginning of 1994, and won 10 races as recently as 1993 in a Pontiac. He actually made his Winston Cup debut in 1980 in a Chevrolet. Wallace's 1989 Winston Cup championship occurred while driving a Pontiac for Raymond Beadle. Dear NASCAR This Week, I am so upset! What is the big deal if a driver runs over his own air hose, why does he get penalized? I've been a huge NASCAR fan for years, and the best NASCAR driver in history is my favorite, Dale Earnhardt. He's trying so hard to make a comeback after his horrible crash last year, and he can't get a break! Penalizing a driver for driving over his own air hose seems so unfair to any driver.

Please explain. Linda K. Murray Valdosta, Ga. Dear NASCAR Race Fan, Running over an air hose has been a no-no on pit road for decades. Primarily, since the hose could easily get snagged on the front air dam of a car as it leaves the pits, it poses a safety problem for both the equipment and crew members attached to it.

The driver thus has to wait for a crewman to drag the hose back around the front of the car before he is allowed to leave the pits. Penalties for running over an air hose are fairly common. Editor's Note: A recent question was answered incorrectly. A recent rule change says car owner points determine starting position if two drivers tie in qualifying. 1 '7 Todd Bodine in the points race.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCK: The series took the weekend off, but returns to action this weekend. fl ONE BROTHER TO ANOTHER: Pat Tryson will go from one Bodine to another. Tryson, 32, the crew chief at Geoff Bodine Racing, quit that team in the middle of the race at Bristol last Saturday night in an apparent turf war with new team manager Tim Brewer. Tryson has already resurfaced. Next season he will become crew chief of the new Pontiac team to be formed around the youngest of the three Bodine brothers, Todd.

TOONS AT THE LAKE: As expected, the Cartoon Network, late of the No. 29 Diamond Ridge Chevrolet, will switch to Harry Melling's No. 9 Ford and driver Lake Speed next year. The tongue-in-cheek release announcing the change featured Droopy Dog and also suggested that Lake Speed and Speed Racer are related. WINSTON CUP: Call him Jeff the Lionhearted.

Call him Slayer of Thunderbirds. Call him the Count of Monte Carlo. Gordon became the first man ever to win three straight Southern 500s and claimed the Winston Million Bonus, to boot. It wasn't easy, though. He had to survive an exciting tug-of-war with Jeff Burton on the final lap.

With the victory, Gordon reclaimed first place in the points race from Mark Martin. Gordon had to pit often early in the race and his Rainbow Warriors made adjustments to the car. BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL: Team Roush won again, but this time it was Jeff Burton, not Mark Martin, in the DuraLube 200 at Darlington Raceway. He became the first official winner on the "new" Darlington. The raceway flip-flopped its front and back straights for this year's Southern 500 weekend.

Randy LaJoie continues to lead 41 David Green is the oldest of three racing brothers from Owensboro, Ky, the city that also gave NASCAR the Waltrip brothers and Jeremy Mayfield. Green's grandfather, Clyde Potts, raced go-karts, and his father, David Lee Green, once drag-raced in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky with his three sons serving as his pit crew. David Green has found success in go-karts and in stock cars sanctioned by the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), American Speed Association (ASA) and NASCAR's Busch Grand National, Craftsman Truck, Slim Jim All Pro and now Winston Cup series. In 1994, Green's BGN championship season, he won nine poles in addition to two races. In the Goody's 500 at Bristol, Green suffered injuries that forced him to sit out the Southern 500 at Darlington.

Age: 39 Car: No. 95 Caterpillar Chevrolet Monte Carlo, owned by Buz McCall. Hometown: Born and raised in Owensboro, lives in Archdale, N.C. Record: 17 starts, 0 wins, 0 poles, 0 top fives, 0 top 10s, over $300,000 in career earnings. fl Last race: 40th in the Goody's 500 at Bristol.

The Bristol crash must not have been a very pleasant memory. "I don't remember anything about it. When I came off the corner, Derrike Cope was underneath me and I knew he was. I left him plenty of room. I put my foot in the gas and the next thing I knew, they were unloading me from the ambulance at the hospital.

I had to ask (wife) Diane what happened. I had to make sure I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't, I don't guess. Derrike got a little loose, and I think Michael (Waltrip) got into him at the same time and, BOOM! That was it. I was a vic- A i itoro i Weekly rankings by NASCAR This Week writer Monte Dutton.

Last week's ranking is in parentheses. John ClarkNASCAR This Week ON THE MEND: David Green will be back for Richmond. 6. Ricky Rudd (9) Breaks slump 7. Ernie Irvan (6) Missed the pits 8.

Bill Elliott (Unranked) Led a lot 9. Ken Schrader (10) Quietly moving up 10. Dale Earnhardt (7) Something amiss 1. Jeff Gordon (1) $5-million year? 2. Mark Martin (2) No longer the point man 3.

Dale Jarrett (3) Not quite enough 4. Jeff Burton (4) Drove his heart out 5. Terry Labonte (5) Keeps on plugging "They talked to me after they pulled me out of the car, and they said I said everything right, but I don't remember it. I had to watch it on TV. Maybe that's a good thing.

I won't have any bad flashbacks. I'm just ready to get back in the car." And you expect to be back for Richmond? "Yes. The doctor said he was amazed how much I could do this early with this injury. They put me up with the Carolina Panthers trainers. I've got a routine I go through every day." WHY I LIKE Tell us in 100 words or less why Driver Name is your favorite driver.

One letter will be drawn from the entries. Send your entry to: NASCAR This WeekWhy I Like; co The Gaston Gazette, 2500 E. Franklin Gastonia, N.C. 28054. tim." Weren't you conscious when they removed you from the car? If you've got a question or a comment, write: NASCAR This Week Your Turn, co The Gaston Gazette, 2500 E.

Franklin Gastonia, N.C. 28054 The Winston Cup Circuit Mike Skinner vs. Robby Gordon A tap from Gordon's Chevrolet sent Skinner's Chevy almost head-on into the front-stretch pit wall. "I might as well put a big sign on the back of my car that says, 'Hit because I got turned around," said Skinner. "I guess I'm going to have to start playing tag myself." NASCAR This Week Motorsports Writer Monte Dutton gives his opinion: "Skinner better hurry, because it doesn't look like Robby Gordon is going to be available to play tag with for much longer." Skinner siitnuamramiw 1 pulled off his final Busch Series win to date.

The favorites: Mark Martin is a four-time winner. Three who could surprise: This would be a fitting venue for Virginian Hermie Sadler to end a long dry spell. His younger brother Elliott would also love a trip to Richmond's victory lane, as would yet another hungry native of the commonwealth, Elton Sawyer. CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES Coming up: Today, Virginia is for Lovers 200, Richmond, Va. Defending champion: Mike Skinner.

The favorites: Jack Sprague, Ron Hornaday and Joe Ruttman are almost always near the front in this series. two, Terry Labonte two and Irvan two. Active single winners are Ricky Rudd, Kyle Petty, Mark Martin, Bill Elliott and Jeff Gordon. Three who could surprise: Dale Jarrett has put the short-track jinx behind him. Jeff Burton has become a factor at nearly every track.

Geoff Bodine finished second in the earlier race. fl Key to the race: Richmond's night race is a colorful spectacle, but chassis setups are vastly different from the usually frigid conditions of the so-called "spring" race. THE BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL fl Coming up: Friday, Autolite Platinum 250, Richmond, Va. fl Defending champion: Kenny Wallace THE WINSTON CUP SERIES Coming up: Saturday, Exide Select Batteries 400. fl Where: Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Va.

About the track: NASCAR has been racing at this site since 1953, but what was once known as the Richmond Fairgrounds underwent complete reconstruction in 1988. The track was lengthened from .542 of a mile to .750 of a mile. Defending champion: Ernie Irvan. fl Other former winners: Rusty Wallace's controversial spring victory was his sixth at Richmond, tying him with Darrell Waltrip for leadership among active drivers. Dale Earnhardt has won five times, Dave Marcis Race Date Winner Pole Aug.

23 Goody's 500, Bristol K. Wallace Wallace Aug. 31 Mountain Dew Southern 500, Darlington B. Labonte Gordon Sept. 6 Winston Cup 400, Richmond (Martin) (Irvan) Sept.

14 New Hampshire 300, Loudon, N.H. Sept. 21 MBNA 500, Dover (B. Labonte) (Gordon) Sept. 28 Hanes 500, Martinsville (Hamilton) (Gordon) Oct.

5 UAW-GM Quality 500, Charlotte (B. Labonte) (T. Labonte) Oct. 12 Sears Diehard 500 (Mayfield) (Gordon denotes last year's pole and race winners in parentheses WWWWWWWWWWVWfti ffracoti speedway if i I WAY yjrL.uutini Action Packed High Banked 14 Mile Dirt Track mm I Saturday, 3e the first to reach the checkered flag! Featuring: NASCAR LATE MODELS NASCAR MODIFIEDS NASCAR SPORTSMEN NASCAR BOMBERS September 6th .1 FM ZoOOOOOtn past thousands of NASCAR fans each week with your pole position advertisement here. 3 Call the Herald Review Advertising Department at 421-6920- 4.

For Information: P.O. Box 79 Macon, Illinois 62544 (217)764-3770 Hotline: (217) 764-3771 Non-Alcohol Section AFFORDABLE FAMILY FUN Gates Open 5:00 p.m. Qualifying 7:00 p.m. Racing 7:30 p.m. 764-3770 9 Miles South of Decatur MACON, IL FWWWWWWW 1.