Busch Clash of '97 Field Halfway to Tying Record

     DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The prospective field of starters for
the Busch Clash of '97 on Sunday, Feb. 9, at Daytona
International Speedway has reached nine -- halfway to eqalling
the record 18 competitors who took the green flag for the Clash
of =FE96 -- barely one-third of the way through the NASCAR Winston
Cup Series season.
     Ernie Irvan won his first Busch Pole Award since 1994 at the
Winston Select 500 at Talladega Superspeedway and summed-up the
competitors=FE feelings for the event.
     "I like the Busch Clash and I'm really looking forward to
it, even though it's a lot of work for the guys," said Irvan, who
has finished no worse than seventh in four previous Busch Clash
appearances and who won a Gatorade 125 Qualifier in his return to
Daytona last February. =FEIt's a driver's race and a non-points
race and every time we have one of those things they get hot and
loud."
     Irvan will join 1985 Clash winner Terry Labonte, who has won
four Busch Poles through the season's first 10 events, in trying
to make some noise. Johnny Benson, Ward Burton, Ricky Craven,
Dale Earnhardt and Mark Martin round out the guaranteed starting
field for the high dollar, short distance spectacular that will
include the Busch Clash "Wild Card" selection and the 1996 NASCAR
Busch Series season pole champion.
     Through 10 Winston Cup events seven men were eligible for
the Wild Card drawing among the fastest drivers in Busch Beer
Second-Round Qualifying from the 1996 Winston Cup season,
including Chuck Bown, Bobby Hillin, Rick Mast, Joe Nemechek, Lake
Speed, Dick Trickle and Michael Waltrip. Following Busch Pole
Qualifying for nine of 26 Busch Series races Jeff Purvis led the
season pole chase with two.
     Advance reserved tower seats are available for the Busch
Clash of '97. For information and seat selection for Speedweeks
'97 call 904-253-RACE (7223).=20
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