Sub Sacks Is a Natural on Junior Circuit

The California Speedway track record, set Friday by California 500 pole qualifier Joe Nemechek, didn’t hold up long Saturday, when second-day qualifying was held earlier in the day and the track was more receptive to speed.

Greg Sacks, subbing for injured Robby Gordon, drove a Felix Sabates team Chevrolet 183.753 mph to lead second-day qualifiers and secure the 26th spot in the field for today’s race.

Hut Stricklin, Mike Skinner and Sterling Marlin also bettered the 183.015 driven by Nemechek in winning the pole.

Sacks’ status with the Sabates team?

“You know the baseball leagues playing against each other?” he said. “Well, I’m the pinch-hitter, the designated driver.”

And if Gordon can return to the Nemechek-Wally Dallenbach-Gordon lineup for the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, Winston Cup’s next race?

“Then I’ll be on the beach,” Sacks said.

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If Nemechek wins the California 500 from the pole, he will be $30,800 richer because of the Unocal 76 Challenge bonus. A $7,600 prize is offered at every race if the pole starter is also the winner. If the pole starter does not win the race, the bonus is added to the next race.

The last winner was Jeff Gordon, who won $15,200 for winning the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte on May 25.

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Having the only Chevrolet to practice at an open session at California Speedway a month ago is paying off for Dallenbach.

“I think it may have paid off more for my teammates,” Dallenbach said of Nemechek and Sacks.

Dallenbach qualified fourth at 182.755 and likes his chances in today’s California 500.

“It’s my best start, and I think we have a good shot,” he said. “I never say anything like that. I usually say, ‘Well, we have a chance at a top five or top 10,’ but we’ve got a good car, a new car that we’ve been saving especially for this race.”

It’s the car he practiced with May 5-7 at California Speedway.

Dallenbach also provides this bit of history: “My dad [Wally Sr.] won his first 500-mile race about five miles away [at Ontario Motor Speedway]. Maybe that’s a good omen.”

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Despite all the complaining about an advantage for Ford, the Chevrolets and Pontiacs have run well in qualifying, with Nemechek on the pole and Chevrolets holding four of the first five qualifying positions in the California 500.

It won’t last, Darrell Waltrip said.

And what does he expect?

“Just like Michigan,” Waltrip said. “Four Fords and a Chevrolet [in the first five spots].”

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This has not been a good year for Marlin. He had his radiator pierced by a loose screwdriver that fell on the track at Darlington, S.C., a quick qualifying run nullified at Pocono, Pa., when a groundhog wandered in front of the timing lights, and Friday failed to make the top 25 in qualifying for the California 500.

“I’m beginning to wonder if we’ve ticked off a witch doctor somewhere and every week he’s pulling that Sterling doll out, grabbing his knitting needles and shoving them things in me,” said Marlin, who will start 29th today. “Maybe you can make voodoo dolls out of those die-cast cars and he’s just playing with the thing every week.”

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This weekend’s fare at California Speedway, courtesy of Sportservice--the track’s food concessionaire:

* 110,000 hot dogs, enough to stretch more than 15 miles;

* 40,000 hamburgers, the length of 1,041 stock cars lined up bumper-to-bumper;

* 20,000 deli sandwiches, the length of 133 football fields;

* 2,000 kegs of beer, enough to fill 330,600 cups;

* 30,000 slices of pizza, 60,000 bottles of water, 15,000 chicken sandwiches, 5,000 New York steak sandwiches, 30,000 gallons of soda, 75,000 orders of nachos and 50,000 orders of french fries.

Sportservice also runs the infield grocery and reports that one of the three most popular items is Maalox.