No Pole for Waltrip; He Slips to 3rd Because of Oil Slick

For a time Friday it appeared that Darrell Waltrip, the leader in the Winston Cup standings, might not get an opportunity to qualify his Chevrolet for Sunday’s Winston Western 500.

Terry Labonte, last year’s NASCAR champion, had bettered Waltrip’s Riverside International Raceway record earlier on a cool day with a lap at 116.938 m.p.h. around the 2.62-mile circuit.

Waltrip was patiently waiting in line, fifth from the end of the 45-driver qualifying field, when Labonte qualified. Waltrip didn’t mind being near the end because the cooler the air the better his Chevy engine would respond.

Three cars before Waltrip’s turn, however, a Chrysler driven by St. James Davis, 41, of West Covina, lost its engine entering Turn 9 on its second lap and spewed oil all over the track. When the engine let go, it oiled Davis’ tires and the car banged along the wall on the outside of the turn before spinning sideways and slamming its rear end into the barrier.

Davis had the day’s slowest lap, 104.204 m.p.h.

While emergency crews dumped cement on the oil and a wrecker made off with what was left of Davis’ car, darkness began to fall.

Davis was not hurt, but that was more than you could say for Waltrip’s chances.

When the cleanup crew arrived to mop up the oil, Waltrip jumped out and began sweeping cement over the slick spots.

“I wanted to make sure it was all cleaned up because I was going to have to run over it before long,” he said. “And I wanted to see for myself where the oil had spread so I could avoid as much of it as possible.”

Waltrip slowed appreciably entering Turn 9 but recorded a lap at 116.282, good for third place on Sunday’s starting grid. Waltrip’s old record, set in 1983, was 116.782.

Bill Elliott, with whom Waltrip is battling for the rich Winston Cup championship bonus, qualified fifth at 115.751, the fastest he has ever driven here.

“Darn it!” Waltrip exclaimed after bringing in his Junior Johnson-prepared car after only one lap. “We would have been on the pole if it hadn’t been for that guy’s engine going. I was afraid to take it down in there (Turn 9) any farther. I got a little crooked as it was.”

Ron Bouchard, who qualified right after Waltrip, said: “It was real slippery down in the middle (of Turn 9). It really made you hesitate a lot.”

Bouchard, in a Buick, qualified 10th at 114.495.

Surprising Tim Richmond, who qualified his Pontiac at 116.463, will start in the two-car front row with Labonte.

The pole position will be Labonte’s fourth this season and his third in the last four races at Riverside.

“I just like road courses, I guess,” drawled Labonte, who relaxed last Sunday by driving--and winning--a 100-kilometer outlaw stock car race on the Texas World Speedway road course as a tuneup for Sunday’s NASCAR season finale.

“I’m disappointed coming to Riverside this year,” Labonte said. “Last year it was fun, racing Harry Gant for the championship. This year is a lot different, although the crew did things the same way and I drove just as hard. We fell out of a lot of races and couldn’t do anything about it.”

After being No. 1 last year, and No. 1 this year when he won the Budweiser 400 here in June, Labonte is now seventh in points.

Labonte, who finished third in last year’s championship decider won by Geoff Bodine, said he expected most of the drivers, as well as himself, to let Waltrip and Elliott decide the championship between themselves.

“I’m not going to give either of them any special kind of a break, but on the other hand I’m not going to pass either of them when it might be a questionable move,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to do something that might harm either of their chances. They’ve run so good all year it should be between them Sunday.”

Labonte said that most of the drivers felt that way, but not all.

“There are a couple of guys in the race that don’t even like themselves,” he added, not mentioning any names.

Five Winston West drivers, who will decide their own points battle among defending champion Jim Robinson of North Hollywood, Hershel McGriff of Bridal Veil, Ore., and Ruben Garcia of South El Monte, were among the 25 who qualified Friday. Surprisingly, Robinson, McGriff and Garcia qualified in that order, with only .072 m.p.h. separating them.

The remaining 15 starters for Sunday’s 40-car field will qualify today at 11 a.m.

Vince Giamformaggio of Covina won the pole for today’s Pep Boys 300 Grand American race with a lap of 118.381 in a Camaro. Alongside Giamformaggio will be Duke Hoenshell of Orange, who has won the last two Grand American races here.