Earnhardt Wins a Twin, but Hard Part Is Next

If only winning the Daytona 500 were as easy for Dale Earnhardt as winning one of the Gatorade Twin 125-mile qualifying races.

The Intimidator, 0 for 19 in the Great American Race, won his ninth consecutive qualifying race Thursday in his most dominating fashion--leading all 50 laps in his Chevrolet Monte Carlo. It was his 11th victory in 19 tries in the races that help determine the starting lineup for the Daytona 500.

And it was the 30th victory at the track where the seven-time Winston Cup champion has been frustrated so many times in the one race that really matters.

“The 500 will be a more competitive race than you saw today,” Earnhardt predicted. “The car ran solid. I felt all along that I was strong enough that nobody was going to pass me. I wish we didn’t have to wait until Sunday. I’m ready to start.”

Sterling Marlin, also in a Monte Carlo, won the other Gatorade 125 in quite a different manner.

Some questionable pit strategy by Jeff Gordon, Ken Schrader, Bill Elliott and John Andretti in mid-race turned the lead over to Marlin and the two-time Daytona 500 winner was only too happy to accept the gift.

Gordon was leading, followed by Schrader, Andretti and Elliott, when an accident brought out the caution flag on lap 33 of the 50-lap sprint. After they pitted to get new tires and racing resumed three laps later, Gordon was 16th, Schrader 18th, Andretti 20th and Elliott 21st.

Marlin, who did not pit, took over and led the remaining 17 laps, although he needed some drafting help from pole-sitter Bobby Labonte, who finished third behind Dale Jarrett’s Ford Taurus.

“No way we could have made it if Bobby hadn’t been behind me,” Marlin said. “His car worked real good on the bottom. Before Jeff and those guys pitted, I was hanging around between ninth and 12th and [crew chief] Tony Glover kept telling me we had to finish 15th or better.

“To tell the truth, Glover had told me to come in [the pits] if Gordon did, but Jeff faked me out so I couldn’t get it. It worked out pretty good.”

It was Marlin’s first start for Felix Sabates’ team, replacing Robby Gordon.

Jeff Gordon’s surprising pit stop was the second controversial situation involving the Winston Cup champion this week. On Sunday, he was leading with one lap remaining in the Bud Shootout when Rusty Wallace jumped him on a restart to steal the victory. Gordon was upset then, but Thursday he felt the stop was justified.

“I felt like it was the right call at the time, but obviously it turned out pitting just wasn’t the right thing to do today,” Gordon said. “The good thing is that we learned that we’ve got a car capable of winning.”

With the leaders in both races running most of the day in single-file chains, the excitement came in the rear of the fields where drivers were struggling to finish 15th or better to get into Sunday’s 500.

The jockeying for position led to several collisions that knocked a number of drivers out of the qualifying races--and the 500.

Schrader, back in the pack after his pit stop, was caught in a four-car crash on the final lap that cost Johnny Benson, Kenny Wallace and David Green a place in Sunday’s 43-car starting line. Schrader was hospitalized because of chest pains, but team owner Andy Petree said he expected him to race Sunday.

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Daytona 500 Facts

* What: Daytona 500, first Winston Cup race of NASCAR’s 50th season.

* When: Sunday.

* Where: Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5-mile, high-banked tri-oval track in Daytona Beach, Fla.

* Purse: $7 million, with $1 million guaranteed to winner.

* Defending champion: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

* TV: Twin 125 qualifying races, Saturday, Channel 2, 7 a.m. (tape); Busch Series 300, Saturday, Channel 2, 9 a.m.; Daytona 500, Sunday, Channel 2, 9 a.m.