Daytona 500 Qualifying : Rain Postpones Time Trials Until Monday

For the second straight year, rainy weather Saturday caused a postponement of pole position qualifying for the Daytona 500.

The two front-row positions for the Feb. 15 race at Daytona International Speedway will be determined Monday. The other 40 spots will be decided in a pair of 125-mile qualifying races Thursday.

Today’s Speed Weeks schedule, which includes the 50-mile Busch Clash--an approximately 15-minute sprint for drivers who won a pole position during the 1986 Winston Cup season--will not be changed.

Drivers were nearly unanimous in approval of the two-day delay because it will give them more opportunity to practice and sort out new equipment for the year’s opening race.

“The ones it will help most are the Busch Clash drivers,” said defending Daytona 500 winner Geoff Bodine. “It will help make it a better race because we got to practice today instead of having to qualify.”

After an early morning rain closed the track and jammed up qualifying for today’s Automobile Racing Club of America 200-mile race, NASCAR officials decided against holding qualifying for the 500.

“We did it because of the time element,” said Dick Beatty, Winston Cup director of racing. “We didn’t think we had enough light to give 60 automobiles a chance. If we can’t qualify them all, we can’t qualify any of them.”

When skies cleared somewhat, the track was open for practice.

Davey Allison, Bobby Allison’s 25-year-old son who is bidding to become the first rookie to win the pole here, had the day’s quickest lap at 207.85 in his Ranier/Lundy Thunderbird. Close behind was Bill Elliott, the favorite to win a third straight Daytona 500 pole, at 206.659 in another Thunderbird.

“I was really looking forward to qualifying today,” the younger Allison said. “Now I have two more days to get pumped up and nervous. I was looking forward to getting it done and over with. I’m not really concerned about how this has affected my chances of winning the pole. I just wanted to get it over and start getting ready for the race.”

Elliott was better prepared for the delay than he was a year ago.

“Last year, we came here with only one car,” Elliott said. “I had prepared it to qualify and then we had to change engines to run the Busch Clash, and change it back again to qualify.

“This year, I have one car about ready to qualify, and another car ready for the Busch Clash--two good race cars. We’re working on both cars today, but moving qualifying gives us more time to work on the Busch Clash car.”

Elliott drew the pole for today’s 20-lap race for which the winner will receive $50,000--but could collect as much as $85,000 if he leads wire-to-wire. Cash prizes are being awarded the leader on laps 5, 10 and 15.

Originally, there were 11 qualifiers but Tim Richmond, who won eight poles last year, is recuperating from a near-fatal bout with pneumonia.

Lined up alongside Elliott in the front row will be Benny Parsons, followed by Cale Yarborough and Dale Earnhardt, Terry Labonte and Ricky Rudd, Darrell Waltrip and Harry Gant and Alan Kulwicki and Bodine.

Kulwicki, last year’s NASCAR rookie of the year, did not win a pole but was selected by lot from the season’s second-round qualifying leaders.

Kulwicki, 31, is an anomaly among Winston Cup drivers. He has a college degree--the only driver in the Busch Clash with one--and he is one of the few drivers on the premises without a Southern drawl.

A resident of Greenfield, Wis., Kulwicki has a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin.

“I think I can learn a great deal from racing with those guys in an event like this,” Kulwicki said. “And winning at least $10,000 is a pretty good deal, too.”

Everyone in the race will collect $10,000--which is more than Kulwicki has ever won. His biggest previous purse was $8,350 for a fourth-place finish at Martinsville Speedway last year.