Despite Changes, Monte Carlos Are Still Leading The Pack

The Coca-Cola 600 was the first superspeedway race since NASCARmandated body changes to make Ford Thunderbirds and Pontiac Grand Prixs more competitive with the new Chevrolets. But the 1995 Monte Carlo again came out a winner.

In addition to winning for the ninth time in 11 Winston Cup races this year, the Monte Carlos were dominant on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile trioval.

Chevrolets led 361 of the race’s 400 laps. Fords ran up front for 30 circuits, with Michael Waltrip’s Grand Prix leading the other nine laps. Paced by race winner Bobby Labonte, four of the top six finishers were driving Monte Carlos.

NASCAR has mandated front air dam and rear spoiler modifications in an attempt to increase the handling abilities of the Fords and Pontiacs in the turns. The changes were ordered after wind-tunnel tests showed the new Monte Carlo has more downforce through the turns and is therefore faster.

Ford driver Ricky Rudd, for one, doesn’t think the body changes are the answer.

“We can’t run with the Chevrolets,” he said. “The car is good, it’s balanced, but the corner speed is a little off. I have to run it awful hard to make up the ground we lost in the previous corner. So you drive it that way two or three laps, and your tires go away and you start sliding back.”

Waltrip’s third was the best showing this year for a Grand Prix.

“For an ol’ boy in a Pontiac from Kentucky, we didn’t do too bad,” Waltrip said.

NASCAR has ordered modifications four times this year, a trend that has some drivers wondering what that means for the future of the socalled stock car series.

“They’re not stock cars,” said Chevrolet driver Darrell Waltrip, Michael’s older brother. “There’s nothing stock about ‘em. Why you would want to sell that to the fans and tell ‘em they’re stock cars is baloney to me.”

Hendrick’s streak

At least one of Rick Hendrick’s three Chevrolet drivers has led every race so far this year, and he’s had a top-10 finisher in 10 of the 11 events.

All three Hendrick drivers - Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte and Ken Schrader - led the 600. Schrader was up front nine times for a racehigh 169 laps. Gordon led once for 37 laps and Labonte, who finished second, ran up front for a single lap.

Moore honored

Winston Cup car owner Bud Moore, whose entries have won 62 races and 42 poles since he joined NASCAR at its inception in 1949, is the latest recipient of the Ford Special Achievement Award.

The award is given in honor of significant contributions and achievements in motorsports. The seven recipients include Mario Andretti, Bob Glidden and Richard Petty.

Bonus quest

Once again, there won’t be a Winston Select Million winner in 1995.

Either Daytona 500 champion Sterling Marlin and Winston Select 500 winner Mark Martin had to win the Coca-Cola 600 to stay eligible for the $1 million bonus, which goes to a driver who can win three of the sport’s four crown jewels in a single year.

Bobby Labonte’s victory at Charlotte means all three drivers are eligible for a $100,000 bonus - for winning two of the four - with a victory in the Southern 500 on Sept. 3 at Darlington.

Since its inception in 1985, the $1 million bonus has been paid out only once - when Bill Elliott won that year at Daytona, Talladega and Darlington.

The last driver to have a shot at the $1 million heading to Darlington was the late Davey Allison, who won at Daytona and Talladega in 1992.

Martin’s chase

Martin, who went to Charlotte nine points behind leader Dale Earnhardt in the driver standings, remains in second place but is now 80 back.

Earnhardt finished sixth in the 600 at Charlotte, where Martin wound up 28th, 10 laps down.

Martin, who is seeking his first Winston Cup championship, knows it won’t be easy to overtake Earnhardt, who is in prime position to win season driving title No. 8.

“I figure Dale Earnhardt isn’t going to have any more bad luck for the rest of his life,” Martin said, “because he had bad luck in three out of four races.”

Earnhardt had crashed out of the circuit’s all-star race the previous weekend at Charlotte, and in the three points races before that, he finished 29th, 21st and first.