IN BRIEF : Crash Totals Earnhardt’s Race Car

Dale Earnhardt escaped injury today in a crash that destroyed his Grand National race car during practice at Daytona International Speedway. Earnhardt, a three-time Winston Cup champion who campaigns his own Grand National car, was running a hot lap at the end of the session when he tangled with a car driven by L. D. Ottinger. Neither driver was injured, but Earnhardt’s Chevrolet was too badly damaged to repair. Ottinger’s crew was working frantically on his Pontiac in an effort to repair it in time to qualify for Saturday’s Goody’s 300 Busch Grand National stock car race. Earnhardt, who had been planning to run in both the Goody’s race and Sunday’s Daytona 500, will concentrate on the Winston Cup event.