Wallace Feels Pepsi 400 Win is Possible Despite History

      DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 28) -- Rusty Wallace, who has been
the scourge of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series over the past four
years, says he can defy history and win the Pepsi 400 July 6 at
Daytona International Speedway.
      "I know I've got enough power, I know I've got enough car
and I think I'm a good enough driver," said Wallace, who has won
three times this season and is coming to Daytona riding the
momentum of a victory at Michigan International Speedway.
      Wallace has won 23 times since 1993 -- more than seven-time
NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt (17) and more than
defending race and series titlist Jeff Gordon (14). In fact, only
five other drivers: Mark Martin (11), Terry Labonte (7), Ernie
Irvan (6), Sterling Marlin (5) and Dale Jarrett (5) have logged
five or more victories in that period, underscoring Wallace's
dominance.
      But his Daytona record in that same stretch has been
disappointing. His best finish in seven races is 16th -- in the
'96 Daytona 500 -- and his average finishing position is 27.7. He
has failed to lead so much as one lap in those races while
drivers who he toys with at other venues have scored prestigious
victories. In three straight Daytona 500s he was involved in
grinding crashes.
      Wallace's best career finish at Daytona's 2.5-mile trioval
is only seventh, twice, in 26 starts.  The 39-year-old veteran's
best in 12 Pepsi 400 runs is eighth. But that less than stellar
record doesn't shake the indomitable Missouri native.
      "You can't say 'I just want to get out of here,'" Wallace
said of his upcoming trip to the "World Center of Racing." "I've
got to go there thinking I'm going to win -- and that's exactly
what me and the team do."
      Wallace said his superspeedway program turned a corner in
February, even though he had to rely on a provisional starting
spot to make the Daytona 500, and he led 16 laps at the Winston
Select 500 at Talladega in April. But there's room to improve.
      "My son Greg says he's got the answer to all the bad luck
we've had," Wallace said with a chuckle. "He said we just need to
qualify better and get in front of all of that junk (accidents).
      "Dale (Earnhardt) qualifies bad and goes to the front and so
do I, because I don't like to spend a lot of time on qualifying
set-ups. The Hendrick cars (Gordon, Labonte and Ken Schrader)
qualify good and can stay up there and we've got to work on
that."
      His first opportunity will come when practice for the Pepsi
400 opens at 10:30 a.m. July 4. Busch Pole Award Qualifying,
which will set positions 1-25, will be at 2:30 p.m. Additional
practice is scheduled July 5 with Busch Beer Second-Round
Qualifying scheduled at 1 p.m. followed by the final "Happy Hour"
practice.
      Wallace sees the Pepsi 400, set for a green flag at 11 a.m.
July 6, as a critical jumping-off point for what he hopes will be
a strong second half to the season.
      "We can definitely reach 10 wins this season," said Wallace,
alluding to his previous high-water mark, in 1993. "We've had
strong cars all season long and circumstances have just kept us
from winning."
      Coming to Daytona, Wallace is solidly inside the top 10 in
NASCAR Winston Cup points, and if his performance a year ago is
any indication, his competitors better watch Wallace in the
second half of the season. In '95 he had five top-five finishes
coming into the Pepsi 400 and he scored 10 in the second half of
the year, including a phenomenal string of eight top-three
finishes in the last 13 races.
      Reserved seats are available. For information and seat
selection call the Daytona International Speedway Ticket Office
at (904) 253-RACE (7223).



Former Winner Greg Sacks is Back in Action for Pepsi 400

      DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 1) -- Former Pepsi 400 winner Greg
Sacks will return to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in a fill-in
role for the second straight year at the "Mid-Summer Classic" at
Daytona International Speedway July 6 at 11 a.m.
      "There's no better place in my book to kick it off," said
Sacks of his race-to-race deal in the Cartoon Network Chevrolet
owned by Gary and Carolyn Bechtel. "Being a past winner and a
polesitter I almost feel like Daytona is my home track. I know
the feel that I need in the race car and I'm confident that Bill
(Ingle, team manager/crew chief) and I can work together to get
in contention, and if we can, the wins will come."
      Pepsi 400 highlights are two of the biggest moments on the
Mattituck, N.Y., driver's resume. Sacks posted one of the biggest
upsets in NASCAR Winston Cup history when he defeated Daytona 500
winner Bill Elliott in the 1985 Pepsi 400 driving an unsponsored
car serviced by a thrown-together pit crew in the team's first
race.
      Sacks won the Busch Pole Award for the 1990 Pepsi 400
driving for Rick Hendrick. He was sixth in the 1985 Daytona 500
in a family-owned, unsponsored car.
      "There's no pressure for me," said Sacks of his race-to-race
deal. "This is a great opportunity to show my abilities with a
great team and car. I've raced with Hendrick Motorsports engines
before (in 1990) and I know what their capabilities are. I had
three seconds with Hendrick but I'd like to do it one better and
get back in victory circle.
      "The potential is there to make something exciting happen
right out of the box. I've been involved in situations like this
in the past and have been able to come out of the box strong. The
team desire is there, I know that. The chemistry and the jelling
of the team just didn't seem to happen. I don't think it's a
reflection on either (previous driver) Steve's (Grissom) or the
team's ability -- it just didn't come together."
      In the 1995 Pepsi 400, Sacks filled in for regular driver
Elton Sawyer in the No. 27 Hooters Ford and finished 17th. It was
one of 20 races Sacks ran in '95 for four teams. Sacks has subbed
in two races this season for an injured Robert Pressley.
      Pepsi 400 reserved seats are available. For information and
seat selection call the Daytona International Speedway Ticket
Office at (904) 253-RACE (7223).
      SACKS NOTES: "I'm totally involved with the Miami Speed
Racing School," said the chief instructor for the program located
at the new Homestead Motorsports Complex. "They have just
completed repaving the track and the school will reopen Aug. 10.
I had an exciting three months from January through March and we
were pretty busy. I've got a good bunch of instructors and I'm
doing all the advanced instruction. One of the most satisfying
deals we've had, early-on, was with (former SCCA E-Production
national champion) Terry McCarthy. On his second day we did a 20-
lap run in separate cars and he was right on Busch Series race
pace. Then (at the season-opening NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
race) he qualified 27th and finished sixth in his first race. We
offer everything from passenger rides to advanced courses and
from three-hour introductory sessions to one-, two- and three-day
advanced programs. For information people can call 800-200-8412."



Pepsi 400 Posts Record-Breaking $1.6 Million Purse

     DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 1) -- Competitors in Saturday's
38th Pepsi 400 at 11 a.m. at Daytona International Speedway will
be racing for a record $1,607,769 in posted awards in the
traditional NASCAR Winston Cup Series "Mid-Summer Classic."
     The 400-mile, 160-lap mid-season event is the 15th in the
31-race series. The record amount rose with the addition of
$145,200 from two bonus programs.
     The NASCAR Winston Cup Series leader bonus, which is
available to the winner of every Series event if he is also the
point leader following the race, is at $130,000 for the Pepsi
400. The top three drivers in the point standings, two-time Pepsi
400 winner Dale Earnhardt, Terry Labonte and defending Pepsi 400
champion Jeff Gordon, are the only drivers with a shot at
claiming the bonus. Labonte trails Earnhardt by 15 points with
Gordon trailing the seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion by 47.
     Earnhardt was the point leader when he won the 1993 Pepsi
400 while Gordon left Daytona only seven points out of the lead a
year ago.
     The Unocal 76 Challenge, which is available to the winner of
the Busch Pole Award for each NASCAR Winston Cup Series race if
he is also able to win the event, is at $15,200 for the Pepsi
400. Cale Yarborough was the last driver to win the Pepsi 400
from the pole, in 1981.
     Practice for the Pepsi 400 opens Thursday with Busch Pole
Award Qualifying to set positions 1-25 at 2:30 p.m. Forty-three
cars have filed entries for the event. Additional practice will
be held Friday with Busch Beer Second-Round Qualifying to set
positions 26-38 and up to five provisional starters at 1 p.m.
followed by the final "Happy Hour" practice.
     Reserved seats for the Pepsi 400 are available. For
information and seat selection call the Daytona International
Speedway Ticket Office at (904) 253-RACE (7223).