NASCAR: Talladega qualifying report

• Dave Rodman
• MNI - Motorsport News International
• Sat Jul 27 12:48:39 EDT 1996

Mayfield wins first Busch Pole in Sears DieHard 500 Qualifying

     TALLADEGA, Ala. (July 26) -- Jeremy Mayfield made the biggest
giant step of his career Thursday on Dixie Pole Day when he won the
Busch Pole Award for Sunday's Sears DieHard 500 at Talladega
Superspeedway with a blistering one-lap run.
     Mayfield captured his first pole in the 66th try of his NASCAR
Winston Cup career when he turned a lap of the 2.66-mile "World's
Fastest Speedway" in 49.779 seconds, an average speed of 192.370
mph in his RCA Ford.
     By winning the pole Mayfield knocked defending NASCAR Winston
Cup champion Jeff Gordon into the second starting spot. Gordon took
the DuPont Refinishes Chevrolet onto the speedway as the second of
43 cars to attempt to qualify and ran 50.027, 191.417.
     Dale Jarrett (191.088) was the only driver to even approach
Gordon's speed before Mayfield made his highly-taped effort. When
his car overheated on its second lap Mayfield shut it off rather
than risk damaging the engine the team intends to use in the
DieHard 500.
     "We made a couple gambles," an ecstatic Mayfield said. "Tape
is speed, here, so we taped-off the grill more than we normally do.
We had been qualifying third, fourth, so we decided to bring a new
car here. It all paid off!
     "I'm in awe right now -- I'm amazed. I don't know how to
act... I've won poles and races on the short tracks and in ARCA
(Bondo/Mar-Hyde Supercar Series), but usually the poles I won you
just drove the car back to the garage and the guys congratulated
you."
     Dale Earnhardt (190.806) and Lake Speed (190.522) rounded-out
the top five qualifiers. NASCAR Winston Cup point leader Terry
Labonte was notable by his absence in the top 25. Labonte qualified
29th at 188.330 mph.
     Mayfield becomes the 12th qualifier for the Busch Clash of '97
-- set for Feb. 9 during Speedweeks '97 at Daytona International
Speedway -- with his pole. Mayfield's effort was only the second
Busch Pole for Cale Yarborough Motorsports in its 10 years of
existence.  Dick Trickle won the first in 1990.
     "You know how Cale is -- he'll probably fly up in the
morning," said Mayfield. "Cale wasn't planning to fly over until
Sunday morning...I'm sure he'll have something to say about this.
     "I'm real excited to be in the Busch Clash. All I've ever been
able to do is stand up on the truck and watch it, and as a driver
that's the last thing you want to do."
     SEARS DIEHARD 500 NOTES:
     STERLING MARLIN will try on Sunday to become only the second
driver to win three straight NASCAR Winston Cup races at Talladega
Superspeedway. Buddy Baker won both Talladega Cup races in 1975 and
won the '76 Winston Select 500. Baker led the '76 DieHard 500
handily driving for car owner Bud Moore, but ran out of gas with
less than 20 laps remaining while trying for the unprecedented
four-straight sweep. Baker finished second to Dave Marcis in that
race.
     DALE EARNHARDT has an opportunity to eclipse another of Buddy
Baker's records in Sunday's Sears DieHard 500. Baker is the all-
time lap leader in NASCAR Winston Cup races at the "World's Fastest
Speedway." Baker led 1,099 laps in his career while Earnhardt, who
is already the career victories leader in all Talladega events with
10, has led 1,090.
     BUDDY BAKER holds another Talladega standard. He led 135 of
188 laps in the 1976 Winston Select 500. Dale Earnhardt led 134 of
188 laps in the '90 Sears DieHard 500.
     THE TOTAL MARGIN of victory in the last 10 Sears DieHard 500s
is an incredible 1.495 seconds.
     TICKETS for the Sears DieHard 500 are available for $35-95.
Tickets may be purchased at the Talladega Superspeedway Ticket
Office (205-362-9064) Saturday and at the gates Sunday. Credit
cards will not be accepted at the gates.