izes the fastest car here all week in fact the defending winner of this race Dale Jarrett isn't even in the field his car was here but he won't start and their surprises all through qualifying especially right up on the pole position let's go to the front of the starting grid and meet the pole sitter with the editor of stock car racing magazine dick Berggren oh thanks Mike Jack Sprague cut the fastest lap in qualifying so he gets to start up front but starting up front and finishing in the number one position or quite a different deal what are you gonna do to win this thing Jack well it really is to win this race is a lot harder to qualify in a poll but we're gonna try and get out there and get comfortable and see if we can keep the car there for the finish and competitive about the last 20 laps and see if we can bring the Fred Turner race in South America Hall is home first that's his plan working pit road with me today is one of the most popular veteran commentators on Motorsports Barney Hall Barney Kenny Schrader's had been win a qualifying race here yesterday just to get in the field and at best now he'll be starting in 33rd position Kenny you got a long ways to go and as they old country music song says a short time to get there can you take this thing to the front and still have four fenders on it oh yeah we can be pretty careful you know the little cars run off good that's capable of getting up here and we got 150 150 miles for they start paying that halfway money lamp so we got time Kenny Schrader's had said just a few minutes ago there's only one direction to go from where I'm starting and that's straight ahead and if anybody in this business can do it Kenny Schrader is very capable he sure can Barney from here along pit road to the Charlotte Motor Speedway let's go topside this great facility and meet the men who will call today's race here's America's race caster Ken Squier well thank you Mike as we get ready for this 300 mile brand national race one thing for sure youth and enthusiasm never eats parody with age and experience on this starting grid jack sprague a youngster from Michigan up in front todd bodine right beside him the Burton brothers qualified in row two there's David Green and the 19-year old USAC champion Jeff Gordon Mike Wallace one of the Wallace kids from Missouri up there in the top 10 so those veterans like Waltrip and Earnhardt don't have those front row seats they usually have and for my colleague Neil Bonnett a what's happened to you guys the great champions that usually have come in here and sort of cherry picked this race can I tell you for the past few years all the way here from the bush guys Winston Cup guys coming they're getting our money if the Winston Cup guys get any money today they're going to have to earn it these boys are running good and they're gonna make everybody earn their money today the biggest problem for this field are not the competitors they're running against but the track upon which they're competing take a look at what happened in a sportsman 100 mile event this morning up here in turn four the critical area of the track Ed Gartner out of control gets tagged by Harry page and then the 61 of Tom beef and Mike Carver Gartner may have broken a leg in this incident but the story is turned four throughout the last nine days has been the critical area of this track Ken we've seen it over and over again there's a three and four is a landfill area the track has been so hot the pavement is actually drooped down in Sag there's three big problem areas if you hit either one of those things wrong you're going for a bad ride and we've seen a lot of those this week for more on the story of this 300 let's get out of the start/finish line area our TBS staffs Ken Stabler is there Ken what do you see this race well I spent most of the morning on the other side of this wall talking to drivers and crew chiefs and it was two major concerns one was the changing weather conditions the overcast when they were practicing dictated one type of setup now we have hot sunny type weather another type of setup getting the car dialed in to weather conditions the other major concern with neo mention seemed to be the roughness and the dogleg over coming out of number three and number four who handles that the best and of course who makes the necessary adjustments that's a half time break either way we should be in for a good fender defender race it's one of the great events and we'll have the starting lineup as they qualified for you following these messages Charlotte Motor Speedway that's where the action is this Saturday afternoon live speedway Neal take us around this facility can it look simple enough but I'll tell you what this track going down in the first turn there's a good little bumpy sail off and there's you come to the dog sled you go off in one the car almost gets light and airborne going in really lanes hard in the bottom easy exit up off turn two long back straightaway then you got your hands full at third and fourth turn they're having a problem there there's nothing can be corrected this race if you can get all three and four decent today you're going to be a factor in this race they've just cranked up the engines we're ready to go NASCAR Grand National racing at the Charlotte Motor Speedway it's time to take a look at the Haviland starting grid as to how they qualified for today's 300 mile event the pole-sitter jack sprague at 167 miles an hour he's out of Michigan first poll in his career beside him will be Todd Bodine out of Chemung New York car number 34 qualifying in row two today it's Jeff Burton winner of a grand national earlier this season and his brother Ward Burton is on the outside of that bro moving further back Owensboro Kentucky's David Green start to the inside of row three and the great veteran Tommy Huston is next for Hickory North Carolina row four is that you sack champion that's Jeff Gordon and the veteran Dick Trickle from Wisconsin is alongside in row five it's Modesto California is Ernie Irvan number ten and Mike Wallace yeah the other Wallace kid is here and he's doing well in qualifying for the rest of the field in the row six is Mike Waltrip and Edie very well row seven today it's Morgan Shepherd to 78 and 81 winner and Robert Pressley row eight today is Dave Resendiz and Davey Allison in row nine it's Richard Lassiter from Arkansas and ten Chuck Bown at a Portland Oregon defending grand national champion in Kenny Wallace in row 11 is Dale Earnhardt the 83 champion and head furry row 12 is Tom Peck from Pennsylvania and Mike McLaughlin the great modified driver from Waterloo New York row 13 as Harry Gant out of Taylorsville North Carolina the 87 to a 200 Dave made row 14 is bobby labonte and the 79 300 winner Darrell Waltrip in row 15 is Jimmy Hensley and Terry Labonte row 16 today joe nemecheck the outstanding rookie a year ago and grand national racing and Elton Sawyer row 17 is Ken Schrader and the long side is Robert Huffman who just won that 100-mile sportsman race about an hour ago in the eighteenth row is Steve Grissom in Gadsden Alabama and Cecil unis from Georgia row number 19 is Robert now out of months corners South Carolina and Tracy Leslie row 20 today Miller out of Michigan Bobby Hillin from Midland Texas the 21st row Phil Parsons is starting and Bobby daughter of Chicago is next to him and finally the iron man Jack Ingram rounds out the field in one of his last performances here at the Charlotte Motor Speedway with a great champion from Asheville North Carolina Kim before they get going here we came to the racetrack this morning and everybody was concerned it was threatening rain thick overcast I went in the garage area the fans were concerned about rain the guys owners that were hoping for clouds all of a sudden it's broke open probably the worst thing that could have happened for the drivers is being able to cook up in three and four the track is slick up there they've had that problem we want to overemphasize it but there's no way to do that it's going to be a problem there's there's gonna make it even worse no Grand National race in 99 one from the poll Neal that's how competitive this grand national racing is as we take a look at the weather Matar in car cameras because the cloud cover is so low today give us pictures from all around this mile-and-a-half Superspeedway getting set getting ready to go fare in the back straightaway pace car has the lights off bobby labonte giving us those last inch our pictures Davi alum of the camera on board tools in park camera they turned the lights back on Kim they must be able go one more I know it's not too warm the motors up I don't know what it is it might be to get some of these folks back off the fans there's fainted hanging off the vent and I think what they may do is run them down pit road and let them assess what their tax say so they don't come in too hot with these new rules on pit road which we might describe for just a moment new Jenna there's been what they've been doing and they're fixing to turn down pit road everybody wonders what's going on here they're really enforcing that 55 mile an hour down pit road rule these race cars did not have speedometers in them you got a tachometer retention rpm they ke to follow the pace car look at that tag you if you come in too fast or too hot they're gonna penalize you so right now it's just a reference point for these guys here's the race analysis 259 thousand dollars is up this is a pretty good mid race earning there's an extra $20,000 even window and the race today and remember it's split we'll come in and stop the race after a hundred 2 laps take a 15-minute break and then go back and decide it all you're right kid you mentioned a 15-minute break that's something that was first initiated a little while back they didn't like but now they're really looking forward to gives you time to work on the cars of drill drivers really like furthest back well winner was started 20 course Bobby Labonte at Bristol in the 91 season of grand national racing and is much closer to the front about 16th here in this race and consider this Harry Gant the twice winner is starting 25th Darrell Waltrip today is starting back in the 28th position Terry Labonte is starting in 30th as we get set to go green butch Miller well back in the field Jack Engram all the way on the tail looking in some pictures out of that champion spark plug in car camera from Bobby Labonte pace car is coming in then ernie irvan's Mac Tools in-car camera field is coming down we're set to go racing here at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on this great Memorial weekend the big 600 tomorrow same start Sunday afternoon already gained with a qualifying lap at 106 back straightaway three-wide qualifying Jimmy Spencer's number 45 ride four laps then Spencer will step out coming by Ward Burton the third and Tommy Houston moves up quickly Tommy Houston from six in the fourth position really got a good run on the outside the tracks a lot freer out there if you can get a hole he made a good strong move early for Ace by Ward Burton in the blue bar on the outside the black number 8 is David Green and card number five is getting the consultation flag apparently a little overeager on that start the part of the five comes down on pit road taking a very short penalties you got so many good cars back in the back they're going to make you do it Roger Bobby Houston number six now pulls up into third spot the great to see Tommy Houston have a or Buick he's won 29 grand national races deal coming around to complete the fourth lap this time by I've been working on I used to know it's gonna be a hard food to make we'll see guys tried all day you were looking out Davey Allison's car run to the back at her tipping on the back bumper a little bit right there as well michael waltrip moving around Dave Resendez Earnhardt to the bottom of the racetrack hard to remember a time when Earnhardt has come in more way back then to the wall and qualified for the 600 tomorrow happy with himself ready for today's competition and then the 600 which he'll be seen live whose carnauba 30 that's Michael Waldman who has such a great run Earnhardt trying to find a little room right down below the white line see if they're gonna try three deep here a little bit Michael Waltrip working on the outside really has a tendency to loosen that car up on the inside and they all got right up under him slide up just a little bit there Redcar the inside beat challenged my michael waltrip on the for March days 11th position Davey Allison just back in 12 on the shake out six laps them 90 xi is ernhardt Mike Waltrip stars ran real good at practices whistling tough cars running good and this story is having a good week looking little further up Dick Trickle number 92 is running in seventh and the 97th Morgan Shepherd is running in eighth just in front of that fact that we've been following take a look at this battle that's developing for third place on the racetrack Tommy Houston is there in the car number six Ernie Irvan is right there behind him and then Jack Sprague in the 48 and started on the fall and David Green who was replaced Bobby Hamilton in that car number eight that's a good car Bobby Hamilton was a fine driver and this david green is just as good they've got some good equipment what we saw Bobby Hamilton win with that car Richmond and it's always right up front every race we go to well I take in we got a lot of cameras around this racetrack it's going to take update the leads a good man was getting out through third and disappears in about seventh and eighth then they're going to Eddie pretty hard David green and the black number eight out of Owensboro Kentucky national points and the already has a win this year at the linear speed way over in Gainesville Georgia short tracks in America it's going to take a little bit of running here we were talking talking earlier about the corner here was the Earnhardt working along with the he's hard to see the car number there while the 92 is trickle at Shepard is on the outside now here's our narc moving up to the outside in that pack that's what's been in or wondered right here if the Winston Cup guys there's Earnhardt Waltrip Michael Waltrip and Davey Allison they were going to try to get together see if they go catch those Busch guys they sure but a bit work this way they're going to try to gank up to get back to the brunt here you see the number 97 and that is Morgan Shepherd he is now in seventh Earnhardt has moved to eighth trickle has fallen to ninth now he's fallen to tenth this Michael Waltrip moves up in the ninth position see what's going on in Dale Earnhardt's pits his crew chief Tony Eury Tony you guys Rock they thrill off to much more qualified and had a bad qualifying run it's just something we never tested for we just blocked up too much so I think everything be okay we've been running good all week he's not punishing the car that's a good strong car that's the car Earnhardt won Daytona with of course Dale Earnhardt is a 15-time winner and grand national racing past for the lead nears Ward Burton on the bottom of the racetrack working Todd Bodine in the hole out of control at 75 that is Ward Burton South Boston Virginia gathering and backup you ever had himself a handful and I mean he made that look easy but when he lost that car he did quite a job but get that thing back when you drive up under a guy like that it really loosened Jakara he broke the rear wheels loose and he really did a good job to get the car back Ernie Irvan now challenging Ernie Irvan at number 10 car trying to move under Ward Burton and take third place as they come to the line to come number thirteen again that's one of those deals after that you just kind of chase em out Larry guru going again it he's probably gonna be able to pull back up there but he just a second to get his breath Ward Burton moving back into the ward do you have a chance to win this race I'll make the right decisions and my crew chief and I get here together I think we might pull it off 29 year old Ward Burton who pulled off a great save down new laps ago maintains third position as todd bodine lead john ii working in Earnie urban in for the jack the pole-sitter now in fifth with David Greene's number 86 he did a good job saving his car but he also did a good job not taking boat out save it and you have just ride a little bit we turned a rider who program did a good job this is Ward 2nd Charlotte Rae sure looks good out here right now he's got it all the other plotting those blue colors and third spot is hot behind leads Houston stays in second again or the urban for Jack Sprague fifth green six Earnhardt to seventh Morgan Shepherd to eight Michael Walsh of ninth and Davey Allison intense Bobby Hamilton closing up on Sprague and we'll be back with more of the action in a moment May 26th on TBS 24 today the grandstand is Dale Jarrett of Bennington what kind of week have you have it's been terrible for the nestlings Pontiac in the team they just didn't go our way we we ran fast here testing came back for qualifying we will fast that morning had a piston to mess up in the qualifying engine put another one in and went back and what fast again went to qualify broken valve got in the qualifying race yesterday went from last up to fourth and about eight or nine laps and then the alternator bracket broke fell down enough to bailed off the water pump and it ran hot so somebody didn't want me in that race I'm safe who do you like in this thing gonna be tough to pick I think our horse gonna be strong he's coming up through he's not known in this division is qualifying real well anyway but he's always going to be tough to be Harry Gant back there but he's going to be Georgia for other force over okay yeah the car that's leading right now Todd Bodine is running awfully well all year long he does a good job he seems to really get the car dialed in for long periods of green flag racing looks like that's what we're going to have here today and I think he's going to be tough okay Dale good luck in the 600 tomorrow here on TBS Thank You Micah Todd Bodines Buick flashy buy in front and looked at Jack Sprague his third push Grand Nationals rubbing sheetmetal with car number three Earnhardt is Earnhardt pulls his way through on the bottom Dale Earnhardt electing again remember we started 21st and with that move Earnhardt is now up to fifth near fishing but he's leaning on people I tell you what it doesn't seem it didn't see Mike makes any difference where Dale starts either bush or Winston Cup he works his way the front they miss on qualifying the push car they just never seem to put out that bigger temper qualifying but he's really been running since I started Bernhardt has about 15 card links to make up in quest of the next competitor to knock down for ten Ernie Irvan urban had started ninth on the field he currently is in fourth here you are riding with Davey Allison in the havilland car we need a booster seat on the camera there I can almost see over the head see they be doing a little bit of work here about out Davi season the banking now you're in the Mac tool car as you ride with Ernie Irvan and remember that he is currently being shown in fourth position from the champion in-car camera of Bobby Labonte car number 44 being shown just outside the top 20 but several cars pass and Bobby's were taking this shot right here he doesn't like that at all remember he's up in that point scramble that is going on in the grand national ranks not a good start to the season it's not going well here for Bobby Labonte in number 44 here's the ninth place battle number 30 Michael Waltrip in the yellow baby Allison in the 28 Dave Resendez we had that great number 79 forty-five car which now has a Burton name on it for the start finds itself in 14th and Chuck Bown he started 19th is now 150 here's the battle michael waltrip early in the race ernhardt Davey and Waltrip there together not done to ago as a group and the way it seems like these guys are what everybody they of us in the 27 to nominate the early going michael waltrip a position down maybe Alison who won $325,000 in the Winston the back straightaway Robert to the inside he won the race just he's having trouble the Dennis Setzer while they were side-by-side back Michael Walter and a car spinning down through the tri-oval across the grass going in turn one car number 87 is being reported as out of control and the driver would be Joan Emmett outstanding rookie and brand national racing wins on the first caution of the day Lakeland Florida campaigner second and the third dish you're looking for that first win as that Park Avenues in the 27 year old had a hand-holdin part number one nemecheck back underway started way back here to start finish line the grass luckily when he came up on the track he didn't get up in the way of any other people coming through we'll get a bill from humpy wheeler for lawn manicure it car says Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet on the side of it he's gonna get some DV exposure with it going sideways for interesting how many guys have had their opportunity to move up through the ranks like Ernie Irvan now joe nemecheck the graciousness of guy named earnhardt who is such a rugged competitor when they turned that green flag up there wasn't like they were getting ready in her heart spit we had a shot through the pits there and looked like they were getting ready to put tires on Dale more than likely several these guys coming in this is the back straightaway entering the 24 degree third turn right in here Niels where it gets real rugged they're enforcing the speed limit in here too let's go to dick Berg all our hearts got to come in and make a pit stop didn't start out right the pit side fell apart just before he came in here they're certainly going to take two tires they're allowed to do just that they cannot take four tires this is heard Hart's own crew this is not the crew that works the Winston Cup car this is his own crew his wife owns the car the team works on the car they don't want any help they got one can in there waving they've got that in they've got the tires on the right hand side Bernard is walking away in 16 and a half seconds I Dale Earnhardt back on the charge Bernardo stop darrell waltrip number 17 was 18 looks like a typical Waltrip race where you don't know its number until late in the race and then all of a sudden there is a few a special strategy Dale Earnhardt for this race well we try to go up front and that's a place to be it so you're out of trouble you're running up front with pretty much run the race or make them run yours and I enjoy doing that so what the car to run as consistent as the can that's what we're working on here and fractures try to get the cars it's smooth and it's consistent as we can go forth he sure does go for it as we just saw down here of turn number one Ward Burton must have really felt good about his car he he did not pit that time we saw him get a little bit sideways earlier so he said well the opportunity to run up front now that did not fit on its top Ward Burton will be shown in first see his car right there here's Tommy Houston number six back in the meter will start second and barrier third as we get ready to go green with 30 laps now complete Ken they're going on the hood of this car that's not a good sign they're pulling the air cleaner off here's the driver change in the 45 keno we were talking about earlier so that's one of the Burton kids climbing out Jimmy Spencer climbing into his own automobile at the 30-lap mark in the champion 300 at Charlotte 17th let me tell you that's a problem when you see them looking under every end of the race car we got a guy looking at the background of the front under the hood the left side right side they're trying to figure out what's wrong if you can find the problem you correct it evidently they're trying to find out where they have got a problem let's go to Barney Hall and the Ernie Irvan pits kidding now the pits right now with Tony Glover the crew chief on ernie irvan's car tony had to bring him in a moment ago you came in earlier i saw you kicking the spoiler up is there a problem in the car hey there the cars a little loose right now but you know it's awful hot today and I think everybody out there pretty loose but yeah I like will be a good safe you know the Mack toast Chevrolet is doing a good job my link will be on talked to him a moment ago Ken and he said that quite a few of the cars are very very loose in the early going in fact we saw a lot of spoilers being kicked up up and down pit road well ready to kick up some dust once again here not much of it on asphalt but nevertheless we had so much speedy dry down from that sportsman 100 you can find it out there now Neil here they come on the break outside a lap down trying to get back with Ward Burton deals with him quickly and keeps him one lap down with fire number 23 and there's Tommy Houston back to full speed on the outside trying to get back in that lap this is critical to him this early in the race that he can get that lap back he can still be a contender later on he's headed for it twenty three time winner grand national racing that's Tommy Houston on the outside a family operation back in the lead lap just barely Nader stays in brother Burt in front and Dave mater's Buick 26 position is second out here as we watch the back straightaway Bobby Hillin has come to third there's McLaughlin's in number 51 and four magic shoes look like it's going to be today raise that in the car got a problem in motor here 36 laps complete this time Nader running in second Bobby Hillin in that yellow car frame back there a lot of work although he does never regular life Bobby Houston find a whole lot of that Houston's car being challenged Ward Burton trying to put him a lap down that one car length right there is worth a mile and a half if he can stay there he can stay there in the caution comes out he gets a free mile and a half a racetrack and he's going to try his best to stay in front of the run award Alabama driver Dave Mader qualified 26 in the Quinn Folsom car getting closer all the time the number 75 he's pulling right in behind these guys here as they come to the stripe they've completed 38 33 car Bobby Hillin we're in the backseat on the outside look at Bobby Labonte get some Running Room out here champion spark plug into our camera giving you these pictures down the back straightaway from Bobby Labonte who came into this event the points eleven races like just yeah that's the kind of running room a guy does only fun to look at that windshield see a lot of open racetrack if we ride up on those cars that position as he plunges into turn number one watch the field here that's still the critical place if you're going to make time there's the Iron Man Jack Ingram who stepped away from the car anytime champion grand national racing is standing by with Barney Hall Jack what's the problem master decided to pet alone I had a bat there I couldn't get into my it was a fitting miming was already offered in the pit lane they want to fill up and that was the second omnivorous off that Finland you can't get into a baby being in there you can't remove it by your own three Jack Ingram this is his honorary here this afternoon at Charlotte Motor Speedway as Dave Mader has taken over in first place and Warburton falls to second years later getting his time in his career at the Charlotte Motor Speedway guy has a great future in Motorsports he's just a good runner this meter and I talked to these guys before the race they were hoping it would be hot and sunny and they have long green runs they've got a different tire they've got a who's your tire on that car and their strength seems to be the long runs and it's going to be after see if that thing will stay under I couldn't find this guy but it's reported his crew chief is Freddy fryer is that the Freddy fryer the old Baron from Baton Rouge you tore up all those tracks and tore you up a few times yeah you're exactly right plant Postal owns that car out of Birmingham and Freddy fryer so he's right there in Birmingham and keeps his car up there was a car Clifford Allison drove at the first a year and that thing has got some good equipment and some good people working Burton was up there and his courage to do that contain him and here's mater we lead around and take the lead forty-three Ward Burton's second Bobby Hillin stays third at barriers number 33 is fourth time we got michael waltrip coming down pit road and it's certainly on schedule the Pennzoil car michael waltrip the one thing you don't need is to get out of sync with this field with this very short distance to the halfway mark way in the first portion of this actually they'll run a hundred two laps before they blow them that final sprint of 98 there you see Earnhardt back at work he's going up under the Elton Sawyer just nipping by carnivore 30 as it comes out greens car number 8 is on pit road from right behind Earnhardt as he goes flying down into turn number three the Mac Tools in-car camera was Ernie Irvan giving us these pictures as they wheel out of four and come on by Kent Ernie's cars not just exactly like you would like for it to because that's the perfect opportunity with someone like Owen Hart drives out another guy opens the door you want to stick your foot in that same door go through with him couldn't go at the same time they'll win however Alton Sawyer's carts heaviness problems taking a very high line the door stays plenty open down to the inside number 10 Ernie Irvan scoops up in there looking for seventh position Earnhardt is in six just behind them a big piece of trash on that grill right there might not be an area where to make it run hot can't tell what that is it he's bad to pick up see goes a birds up the nails going to say it looked a little like a bird on the front of that it's not hunting he will get a ticket you know Dave Mader stays up in front Ward Burton in second now showing 46 laps complete and Mader is the big surprise he's just popped up in front after that caution period and he's driving away from the veal Ernie Irvan in car 10 running in the 8th position great crowd out here on this Saturday afternoon we watch swerve and Urban and our key those breaks are over you much iron what you get the rest the time 30 days they us through helping it's amazing though really think back at the number of people that he's helped that have come along down and then made it big now that he said I like joe nemecheck and he always likes the same style his style if you don't get out of the way I'll move you bad break in last year's national racing he had a full-time ride for the season but in a late season his fault tore up his race car he lost good to see him having a great run here for party friar really hope it leads to big things he definitely has the talent to run a presence certainly has it going all his way right now Mike yeah and Ken they ran this car at Talladega in the ARCA race for the same paper Freddie fryer the mechanic they were leading the race and ran out of fuel and had a problem but he was leading the ARCA race at Talladega they might be a good combination here you see mater in front and the interval back to the blue car is Ward Merton at second here's the 97th working that's Morgan Shepherd on Hillary lawyer got trouble in turn number 1 car looping and sliding and I believe in the nose now it took forever Joe Nemechek nemecheck having his second incident of the day tears up the right-hand side of that car grand national Rookie of the Year 1919 nemecheck bringing out another yellow at exactly fifty laps King it looked like he just exploded a right rear tire hurt it flow as he went under us here in the power either ran over something or just lost a tire blew out breath start/finish line the replay this is a live play him trying to get back he's here we go he's already lost the car the tire Palouse going through the tri-oval here right now he's sitting on a flat with the right rear quarter-panel gone I'll tell you was lucky here's two of them splitting around each side of him in that grass sure looks good at a time like they're gonna get in and stop this thing fell on the outside he just had the right thing we'll be back with more shortly as Dave Mader comes back onto pit road in our live coverage of the champion spark plug three Honshu shift to keep him going he kept urban here in California done it at least four times Kim that's been the case and and you don't have to approach him he approaches those other people and says they all he kind of volunteers the hill let's go to Mike joy for a Goodyear Eagle racing update can this our first of two updates today and in this first one will tell you about qualifying for major races this weekend tomorrow here at the Charlotte Motor Speedway you'll see the coca-cola 600 flag the flag on TBS and a new race record in qualifying set by the Ford of Mark Martin one hundred seventy four point eight two miles per hour for Martin on this run he was the runner-up for the Winston Cup championship one year ago but this season things have not gone all that well for Martin crew chief Steve Emil and Robin Pemberton and car owner Jack rouse but Wednesday they blistered the mile and a half quad oval here at Charlotte to the delight of the crowd getting back on track at 174 point eight two miles per hour making braking Kenny Schrader's record of a year ago Mike Walters Pontiac on the outside pulled and Ken Schrader Chevy sterling Marlins Ford and Brett photons Buick that's four different makes in the top five for tomorrow's race same thing happened in qualifying for Monday's Toyota trucks grand prix up Lime Rock Park in Connecticut camel GT qualifying there was pasted by Tom Kendall driving a Chevy intrepid he broke the track record by 2.6 seconds the thought he must have bypassed the chicane to do it but he's on the pole Davey Jones and a Jaguar will line up second chip Robinson's nice on third Bob roll qualified for Jeff Brabham who's at Indy Brabham will cinch up the seatbelts on Monday in the Nissan and Juan Manuel Fangio in the Toyota will start fifth at Lime Rock on the holiday like I tell you what the it's Tommy Kendall might have went the running she came but he's passed when he goes around the proper way he's good on that road course 55 laps are that as they come back under green racing again after the second caution period in the champions Park below 300 here at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and on the break from the point Dale Earnhardt after that shuffle up in front Burnie urban in there down the back straightaway Todd will dine third Morgan Shepherd fourth cars a lap down that pit stop Neil yeah and I didn't see him get behind on that bill either up his Earnhardt trying the hope Tommy Houston Tommy just keep plugging away he's wanting that lap back mark is that the dude with a different and he's got it with the toughest of them all right now as the Intimidator number three Earnhardt shows his colors up in front for the first time today Morgan Shepherd skating high in turn number one in that second spot urban running wheel to wheel and that's car scoring is showing Michael Waltrip has a lap down with number six Tommy Huston taking a look at that running order after 50 laps where are working the 57 at the present time will take you all the way through the field here so you get to know or the competitor you care about is running on it we watch Earnhardt uooo got a blown engine big time 9 before and that's going to bring out another caution Claude bowtie novice from New York the second fastest qualifier in points national ratings as the engine expires on his car I'd say he was luckily help in the middle of the pack like he was he was outside part of his comes up back to lead Tommy Houston is trying to get Dale back in July Tom Houston his kid Teresa they might be a little talk on their radio - Dale about time he used to coming back around through there now what's the relationship al Houston who is Dale's father-in-law with Tommy Earp in and how about I know I saw a couple times now folks with the horror I would say they'll slow down lady but Tommy sure made a good move right there that side the old days with the sensors in the Isaacs let's take a look again at what happened here his todd bodine came down across the line headed for turn number one one motor says good night nurse just exploded and luckily he got the car up high it must not have been a lot of liquid coming out of it or he'd had cars behind him with a little bit of trouble but he did the proper thing he got hit by officers get to the bottom you don't necessarily need to get to the bottom you need to run the line you're in and don't start moving around a track you don't need to try to dodge cars you let them go around you and PK stated straight-line they were able to miss him there's men cars see what it looks like oh this is one lost the tire yep with uh maybe a war this was a match that bobby labonte incident that the mike joy it was bobby labonte made the absolute right move and then was blessed to get through on that spinning car down in turn number one at times can everybody jokes about it I sure did a good job with my eyes closed he didn't have a choice and like when she'll covered up with smoking you just kind of poke a hole in and smoke and hope there's nothing on the other side of it that's unfortunate for todd bodine I had himself a very good run and it started on the outside of the front row not to be today from todd bodine 59 laps are now complete were in the third caution period of the day like remind you that at 1:00 o'clock tomorrow TBS presents the 31st running of the near million-dollar coca-cola 600 right here from shadow Motor Speedway we hope you're going to be with us Mark Martin has set a new record for the pole and Michael Waltrip will be outside of the front row for that great contest we were talking about Todd Bodine ken Squier let me tell you what he did today was nothing short of miraculous today is the ninth time he has ever started on a Super Speedway in his life his 27 year old drivers also with a crew chief Clyde McCloud he's got lots and lots of experience with modified but very very little experienced with these kinds of cars incidentally and importantly the engine he lost was his backup engine he lost another engine yesterday afternoon tonight yesterday afternoon his struggling young team is racing without a sponsor the money is very important it's a tough tough break for a team that showed so well early in this event and you know he's had a for when you're talking about the limited number of races he's had on big tracks he had a fourth of Richmond came up with a fifth at Darlington guy really gets around pretty well Todd Bodine so Clyde McCloud car is out after hoping for its first win and grand national competition that's not going to come today you're in the champion spark plug three on Ian when they start working his little v6 engine several years ago they really develop them and start where they didn't have a lot of power you didn't have a lot of failures now they've got a lot of power with the motors new bring about big ol race truck like this and that so that's really the story about parody is that there's so much work done by these crews in Grand National weekend week call the Winston Cup guys a plane with the v8 when they move back in here they're in foreign territory see the basics initially was thought that they were going to be no v8 to waste a cup and they were coming to the Western Cup Series and once they saw that the v8 were going to stay in Winston Cup they passed him down to the Busch grand national now these guys run him week in and week out and the Winston Cup guys do not have one bit of aid take one on the field getting ready for go take one of the field Dale Earnhardt just pulled up beside the pace car and had a little chat last time around as you see them coming down to turn one absolute last couple laps he's been up a rubber fender he's just playing around and I know it's gonna run it here but I can see if it's available get the coaster car when it's on the ocean that's what area hi told one of his drivers to do and I remember that they made that into the movie day that actually happened remember that was Buddy Baker get set to go there into the second turn area lining up on a restart with Earnhardt first Ernie urban in second Michael Waltrip now trying to make up his lap Tommy Huston has done just that as that caution flag flew or a bunch of good loyal fans they came out here to rain rain cloud end up was gonna race her not now there the shirts off enjoy this thing turbines second walsim incurred and traitor traitor has come from 33rd position to be six in the car really rumbling if when I look over there there's not a bush driver at the top five these guys are working away the brunt the bush guys going to pick up the pace and start taking that lead away but Chuck Bown is in seven bending grand- Portland Oregon is in seventh with Resendez a Jimmy Spencer 919 Kenny Wallace runs 10th as they take the flag there's Michael Waltrip try to move around we get a coracle and brought up against the wall then 1 & 2 must have had a flat tower to restart but he get it there's the Wallace car cars had some trouble today at break for Kenny Wallace who's also up in the point battle car number 36 of Black Flag a rear end leak on would be the Kenny Wallace machine we saw down there on pit road right five right I don't believe that soil let's break smell historic brake problem on part of a 36 dick Berggren we get that report that it may be a great problem for a while earlier maybe he can work with Artie right there and possibly get around Dale and get that lap back and right behind them comes Waltrip in the 17 maintaining third Earnhardt stays up in front Dale why do you like crazy with Grand National cars well this is where you where I came from like I said before and anytime you up some of these guys out and you know steer them the right way give him a little bit advice or whatever you know I tried to and I like to see this division grow and be strong and you know the guys are going to come from here and go in the Winston Cup and when they come over there I want to be a you know to race with them so you know it's it's good to help you get you guys out though there's trouble young guys over here go make good drivers didn't get to you know right brake thing they can do good cry number 27 into the wall right down below us here and that's going to bring out another caution Elton Sawyer right up against the wall we're looking up under Kenny Wallace's car right now and it's a lifter looks like a left rear brake it might have blown an o-ring I don't want the calipers back there I saw fluid all over the camera they possibly cheap brake float out of Indian Elton Sawyer shortens up his day I've got some problems down there in that pit he's got a little too worn camera I better take one step back it looks rough dick Berggren is there yeah he sure is I'm gonna try to talk to Kenny Wallace I'll guarantee you that it's a brake problem because the thing was on fire for a couple minutes back the fireman got me soaking wet brake problem well I don't know the car really started dragging really bad and I had no brakes aw it's gotta be in the rear hubs I broke a rear end or something like that I having him looked underneath their head get out of the car because I started framing myself in here but man it's a shame it's the best I've ever run here the car was just flying we had a problem on the pit stop this wasn't meant to be our day darn it we've worked for two weeks and this car was was really running but he's got another shot tomorrow he's gonna run the wish the Cup races they trying to put out the fire still under Kenny Wallace car yeah he takes over for Kyle Petty tomorrow in the best let's take a look again at what happened to Elton Sawyer's he plots across the track no no this is coming off the fork turn he's already got smoke up on the car thing is headed straight for the wall you can already see black marker that's not a virgin territory everybody rounds hit that wall in the last couple of days but he's really doing the right thing he's got it hung on the wall he's don't drive it on over grind it to a stop over there he had a problem before he got into wall there was smoke already so Alton Sawyer will not win his first one today and the AG Dillard car is being dragged away from the champion sparkplug 300 more in a moment he'll point leaders and see that they are not faring too well today point leader Bobby Labonte narrowly missed the Joe Nemechek crash got through it okay he's running Kenny Wallace is behind the wall with brake trouble Jimmy Hensley is running Nemechek exploded that tire but he's still on the racetrack Todd Bodine has just fallen out of the race and will join us here shortly and in the second half of the top ten Elton Sawyer the ninth place point man has just brought up off the last caution by grinding his car up against the retaining wall not a good day for the regulars ken Squier thank you very much Mike 68 laps are now complete 68 down with Earnhardt first urban second Waltrip third Gant fourth Morgan Shepherd and the big dogs are all up there in those front positions as they were just last three or four laps now I noticed on the first caution they seemed like most of the Winston Cup guys came in on the second caution they stayed out and the guys who were leading came in a shuffle in the pits they decided to get early it's not been that much passing on the front other than earnhardt mismo guys i think it was just a shuffle over pit stops let's go back take another look at the problems that have beset Wallace today as they were working on that race car not having much fun down there apparently it flared up a second time the thing those brake rotors and calipers are so hot that they set their new cool it down instead for a minute and evidently it's leaking either grease or brake fluid out there and it just set off again once the water got the steam got off of it and gone again it set itself up I just noticed how the camera shot they've got a complete another rear end ready to go under the car so they're gonna have to change the entire rear section you know they're running the points they plan to get out here pick up whatever they can we are showing a green flag I think about a lap away about just about a lap way let's go back down to the pit area right now and get this update here is todd bodine pole-sitter the race of his career and it's over early what happened well something like going to motor we're not had no indication of got Hatton's the more length apart for some cork here oldest brother's washing today I don't you like to say hi to him yeah hi Jeff running good the coffin recuperating you'll notice that his uniform is absolutely bereft of sponsor identification even the CC team looking for a little help here and a break but I'll say if you're gonna keep running up front like you did today you're going to get one yeah we we think we can you know we got no next week at Dover we run good there we got no shot okay that's Todd Bodine second fastest qualifier out and indeed it's one lap before we start once again resuming the champion 300 we have had four caution periods to date the record for this race was eight and that was a year ago knee a caution periods in this affair 29 laps hopefully they aren't going to have that kind of a situation needs from Mill racing up him well I've been glad to see you in 3 & 4 you know we've had some problems already but that was the big concern for the drivers and it seems like they're going to be able to cope with it these drivers were good enough that if that track is a problem they just have to either they're a little bit better or under more control than they normally do they're just not going to kamikaze the cars in that corner like you used to be able to do at this racetrack getting seven or restart the Allison still very much a part of the field he come down online and not being shown as part of the top 20 he is Paige he's actually been shot in 2015 okay ready to go racing once again pace cars in like a wall he wants to move that yellow car around make up his lap and go looking for the leaders another time number three on the for a couple of years he's got a lot of confidence right now and he's put his abilities really showing he's a good race car girl number 10 Ernie Urban in that second squad who just gets stronger and better here he is further back the second-place car waltrip stain right there can you hit the nail on the head when you said Waltrip staying right there Darrell Waltrip is in about third place and usually just see him pace herself and pace if he's able to run this good early in the race he'll be tough when it comes down and right behind him is car number seven there nice fresh from that great victory Talladega amazing mileage and he is these two guys think is close to the race that we never seen them right behind Gantt in the number seven car lights Morgan Shepherd has won this thing on a couple of cases and following Morgan is Schrader and then Chuck Bown and the man who was a rocket yesterday while straighter is Morgan Sheppard's number 97 it's a fifth place car settling in here the building distance in the first half of the race just behind him and that six position would be the black number 15 far in-between them as they come across the strike Carr was looking at Morgan Shepherd is a Ford that just not meeting forward v6 engines around he has one inner Jeff Gordon runs one of them they're working on that motor they just haven't got enough of them available yet but they're running good-looking once they do have Tom Peck looking good but he is a lap down in the 96 the McConnell's burg Pennsylvania campaigner in the thomas oldsmobile currently showing eight ten points about to go a lap down two straighter as he rockets along through the field usual about this at all he's willing to wake everything looks normal here his own heart likes to lay these leading there's Mike Walter trying to get a lap back is Ernie Irvan again if they mix it up with a day also like get around there to get the Dale person he is not gonna give that position of easy Jimmy Spencer who stepped back in for Jeff Burton who started his car is running up in the sixth position in the 45 car further back Mike Wallace's night jimmy hensley his 10th and terry labonte is now in 11th Darrell Waltrip stays a steady 3rd what's the key to winning this race Darrell if you don't have any bad look that's the big thing a flat tire that gets you behind they got the pit rules here where you can only change tires under the greening only change to so you don't have any bad luck get a lap down and then have good pit stops that seems to be the key to stay up front with all the good cars and you won't have any problems about twenty three laps to one we'll throw the caution over the field and we'll be halfway in this event intermission time now for a 15 minute break they'll wind him up with that sprint to the finish and I think you just do don't worry we're seeing Darrell right there where he's that he used to be content to stay back there and pace along the track position it meant so much we've seen so many wrecks here lately run in the car a little harder than you might want to want you to be up front to avoid some of these accidents he's run in the car a little bit harder than you usually Darrell do it or leave this early in the race staying third and Gant just back behind him Mack tool in-car camera and the helicopter is having to fly solo with the overcast situation that we have here at Charlotte today pictures get a little crackling we might just be able to take the shot straight out of a helicopter because it glows back straightaway ernhardt by two car lengths over the left car the smart ticket for tomorrow's race if you're trying to pick one I'm telling you his car has been flying since they've been here and as I said earlier Michael Waltrip has got a lot of confidence right now and there's nothing I'd rather say than Chuck Ryder and his family chucking fat rider and their number 30 has been running well today but finding so making up here ernhardt not cooperating so it's Earnhardt's race for the moment as we come to the 80 lap mark this time by with Ervin in second Waltrip in third and Harry Gant informed plastic and vinyl and it protects all those surfaces too so armor all makes your car look like new and helps it last longer and that makes you look pretty smart I'm alone it keeps you looking good the champion sparkplug 300 here at the Charlotte Motor Speedway here's how they're running Dale Earnhardt is out in front he has about a seven Carly the manager Darrell Waltrip is holding South Alert Gary Gant has come from 25th up into fourth and Morgan Shepherd from 13th to the fifth position after 82 laps here's Earnhardt showing the lead we are now working laughs 85 average speed a very slow 119 our the slowest champion race was the 1981 Morgan Shepherd and at a hundred fifty mile these party party in the average street and apathy guys are really cranking out some good laps right now cracks cooling down and they're starting to turn some real good numbers at overcast and grateful of race cars terrible holes in car cameras there's that number three by eight car lengths and Waltrip is settled back a little why he's not too anxious to go up there and mix it up for the he tried to make a run on Ernie earlier and he was working the car real real hard it looks like you know I just decided well I put a scent right here they get halfway there's good money at halfway $5,000 this is good me there and they want to try this - heart of this wait drive in a second and here's dick Berggren usually we find pitstop in a stopwatch there's only a few SEC's but the next one touches a caution between now and then it's going to last a full 15 minutes you're going to give him a 15-minute break they're not going to be able to do a tremendous amount to the cars here they're going to be able to change four tires under this brake the wedge in the car little things like that but they can't change Springs they can't make any major adjustments in the car kitchen a lot of the pain gonna try to cool it today where they are make whatever they go out the Banzai ii happening I see them don't worry 88 laps complete 88 laps down coming around 489 this time remember 100 will make the distance for the first part of the race and then there's a couple of laps under cocky friends of yours race fans a nice-to-have race fans around supporting us like their second waltrip third gantt fourth Morgan Shepherd fifth five cards at Burton starting is in the sixth position traders in seventh and I it looks to me like a waiting game they're willing to give her an R at $5,000 well I think they realized how about the five back away from him he came up through there he was able to assert himself take the lead with some I can do that it's gonna be hard to pull up and take it back to work he's had for the past week averaging 161 miles an hour right now his ernhardt going to be the player tomorrow he certainly be a factor in the middle of it Davey Allison in car number 28 is having his problems car number 28 eases on pit road that's unfortunate for the Haviland team Davey Allison looks like it's over a little early he'll be going to lap down with this pit stop he's never won a Grand National race he had started in 16th moved to the front he's going right back to the garage it's over for Davey Allison and he'll have to just bite his tongue and get ready for tomorrow's race and hoping the 600 comes around after that amazing weekend that he had this past weekend these front for leaders sure there's a lot of good track time and there's good money at stake dear chance to show off for the sponsors but Neil Bonnett what does it do to you when you've got to go 600 in the heat hammering on it for 300 miles horror meanness certainly it's a prudent decision fiscally you knowing the pocketbook it isn't the right thing to do if you want to be in prime shape for Sunday's right Mike I've had a lot of people say what kind of training can I do will Nautilus equipment what kind of jogging what I do to work out for racing the best way to do is climb in one of these cars is nothing simulates that racing like driving one of these cars these guys are plenty capable running today and jumping in her bar good night's sleep tonight and then going after it again tomorrow so if anything I feel like it's good training the more you run the better you feel let's go to a dick Berggren who is standing by with Davey Allison I think the battery went dead we noticed right off the start of the race that the alternator wasn't working and motor started missing real bad up here turn one these guys are not in it for the points there this rod was a third at Daytona earlier this year he really had hopes this one was going to set them up for another great weekend but this one doesn't work out riding with Ernie Irvan he's in second spot he's chasing the lap car the yellow car of Mike Walton number one is that black number three ernhardt continuing to be the leader seeking his 16 grand national victory at the same time he's chasing those cards right on his back bumper Darrell is putting the heat on again a little bit more than he has been in the past he's really working on him trying to give to the STP fit center here's Mike man here's Elton Sawyer who ground up a bit of his car against the wall up there what happened well I'm not real sure Mike something broke on the front end recalling this part right put the Gwaltney drug right in the fence he came in here ninth and the point standings sure didn't need this now he showed it now we had a pretty good run going to you know we elected not to stop on the first caution you know we stayed out there we got the race with Dale and then guys the Rock Hall was a little tight we needed to get in halfway make an adjustment I thought we would have had not to be today be a long ride back to Virginia but he'll have another shot at them next Saturday it's over down Delaware he is such a good racer now to Chesapeake Virginia currently ninth in the points Elton Sawyer who does move on to Dover for the next big NASCAR weekend of racing the Winston Cup we're down towards that halfway mark 97 laps this time 97 this time by for Earnhardt and first bourbon in second 12 to third and fourth mangoes national now in seventh Ward Burton is eight Chuck Bown has dropped back to 11 he had been as high as 70 it looks like one of the push guys that's up in the points battle a good finish here is going to go a long way because Mike joy said earlier we're losing a lot of the top guys in points so just a good finish means a lot Neal age and experience seem to be paying off well I'll tell you you know they worked away the front better than I thought they were you know you see the big numbers of these Busch guys through up there on the racetrack I felt like it'd be hard for the Western gonna go everything enters into this thing of who's in a position area we still got a long way to go and after this time out I'm sure these guys are eager to be right so we're almost at that Midway mark and then it's that break and there is a little work you can do on the car but really not that much I'd like to see him be able to do more so those guys that are a little off can get up here and challenge close the place and that's what we need Neal I think one reason those fellas got to the front so quickly not easily but quickly is they were willing to work together in the first 20 laps where the whoops ago guys would hook up together and draft and go to the well it looked like some of the push areas reckoners instead of working together in a draft were more willing to race against one another and these fellows just kept hearts are right along here they are like you're exactly right and when somebody sees a guy like Gordon heart coming it when you're drafting and going to the front it's like climbing a ladder you go to the next rung on the ladder and wonder one of the Bush guys even sees Earnhardt passing will they jump in behind him and they falling to the next car well they're actually drafting and helping and pushing him and he gets the advantage of them knowing he's fast they follow him along and then he drops them off and picks up the next guy so they're actually gaining help all the way up through from the rear to the front so we're coming around and I believe this is where we'll put out the caution it'll bring the field down at the halfway mark halfway is up yellow flag is out and coming to the line mark is there michael waltrip still a lap down and we'll be back to talk to some of these champions about their experiences in the first half - these messages if only or dyers could talk it's so tiring he babies the car that abuses me with messy vinyl cleaner hey I'm rubber mmm no touch tire care nice phone introducing no touch tire care the first product to clean shine and protect tires in one easy step no scrubbing no dirty rags no mess yeah clean NASCAR Grand National race at the mile and a half Charlotte Motor Speedway with Neil Bonnett I'm Ken Squier down trackside today Barney Hall is with us Mike joy dick Berggren Ken Stabler all along as we get ready for the second half of this race and the coca-cola 600 which will be seen live on TBS tomorrow we are down to a 1349 before they turn them loose and let's go down to Barney Hall Ken Kenny Wallace's crew is really having to put in some overtime so to speak now here at the car right now they're cutting that left rear hub completely out they had to take a torch and cut it off that brick exploded a moment ago in there don't flew it all in the machine and heated it up and just seized everything up now they've got a rear end right here that they could put underneath the car but the NASCAR inspectors came over and took a look at it and said that is an aluminum rear end it is illegal if they could put this rear end in the car it would have been about a 20 minute job as it is it's anybody's guess as to how long it'll take to cut that hub off and completely replace the hub a piece at a time the brake lines and everything else so far they're gonna have to get made some overtime for what there here this afternoon and meanwhile Kenny Wallace just standing here totally frustrated it's hard to Kim Barney that rear end right there is also a quick change rear in aluminum quick change which is illegal in this division and I'm not sure that could get that other car that rear panted Bart would hit in a different place and all that they they could probably get it down there but I'm sure NASCAR's not gonna let him it's illegal in this division so while Kenny Wallace tries to hold on to something in that point battle he's heading here in the NASCAR grand national ranks let's go down for a goodyear eagle mid race report from mike joy well Ken Squier what a panelist has been here at Charlotte Motor Speedway the folks are certainly getting their money's worth at 102 laps that's Midway five lead changes among four drivers average speed slowed by those caution flags to 125 point eight miles per hour the four cautions have lasted for 21 laps and five drivers are out of the race Phil Parsons was the first of those drivers to exit he went out very early with vibration problems we've talked to Todd Bodine and to Phil Parsons our to Todd what I'd rather an Elton Sawyer among the other drivers who have dropped out of the race that's our goodyear eagle mid race report let's go back upstairs which has been presented by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company maker of Goodyear Eagles the choice of every team and every driver at every Winston Cup race and here in this grand national event at the halfway mark we have about eleven minutes remaining and Barney Hall has an update for us again on pit road standing here what they learn hard who's just sitting in the car having a cup of Gatorade here to kind of cool down they'll everything seems to be going your way pretty well cars working awful good you know we came up through there pretty good you know got by everybody was racin Michael's been trying to get his lap back we'd been having a pretty good race there but you know who knows he might get it back here this next owner what are they doing to your car you need to do anything to it the way it's been working I would think not a whole lot we just put tires almost I think would be okay they learn art just kind of laid-back taking it easy Kennedy should because the way he's been running I think I'd be all smiles too well you know Barney that there's a problem in that when you put those tires on Michael Waltrip had an absolutely phenomenal run out here the other day came in and just changed tires and he backed up it went right away just a change of a set of tires made all the difference and made Michael Waltrip a non-feature in that battle in the million dollar Winston race this past weekend here in Charlotte can I bet you these guys are really being the ones that got the cars like the one them they're gonna make sure they got a good set just exactly like the ones they they took off and the ones that are off we're gonna be working around with them a little bit there's Michael Waltrip's number 32 tire marks um some 170 mile per hour skirmishes on the straightaways here and there's Michael walking out cooling off a bit before he goes back to work in the second half tries to get that lap back and tries to become a major part of this champion sparkplug 300 we'll be back with more of the story of this great race live here on TBS and don't forget tomorrow the coca-cola 600 it's right here figure of chatting with Harry right now Harry you just told me a moment ago you're doing all you can do and you don't seem to be able to knock her out in the front no I was graduate little bit of ground tone here we've run hard we're running this gold bandit Buick oh this just not quick enough today you know we'd like to be able to forge enough to finish the next sake but the top 5 I'll be happy if he keeps running like he is can anybody do anything with him at all I don't really think so the Sun was out while ago we all got loose and his son went in and a lot of cars picked up speed the Sun comes back out it may change a little bit but the cars got the best car right now lots of Harry Gant is he such year you heard him say he'd be happy with the top 5 so apparently Earnhardt is strong Gant knows how to win on this racetrack he's won here in the 500 he's won in this grand national competition Kenny Stabler standing by with another of the major players get to Michael Waltrip here Michael you're down the left can you get your car back around and catch up with everybody get the lap back that's a good question you know we've run right even with him but his car seemed to be perfect amount of the losses he's hard to pass that you got your car right and we're just not quite right we adjusted some things on the car wedge and stager that's about all you can do and we're ready to race how's the track conditions up in three and four perfect you know my Fargo low better than mine so I run underneath all the bumps barley even though they're there he's going after him don't get about Mikey's ready I can pill well he's getting the interesting thing is down on pit road everybody's working except one car sits all by itself car number three is up there Earnhardt's all buckled in probably having to nap just getting ready that's a bad sign they put four tires on it showed him down thing in the pit road I thank you Dan they're arguing with Elmo Langley about bumping him around on the caution laps well yes there's part of the halftime let's the show to barney hall gentlemen we talked to in the open early this afternoon Kenny Schrader is sitting here Kenny this car is really coming up through the field I don't see a mark on it don't see a wheel mark so everything must be going pretty well we're trying to be pretty careful born we were going forward there for a long time we've kind of backed up the last twenty lamps but we made quite a bit chassis adjustments my link will be better Harrogate just said that Earnhardt's got this race locked up if he keeps running like he is he said he'd be happy with a top-five finish I know you don't feel that way well you know top five it you know I'd rather win this thing but we're not giving the turn heart yet but no means Kenny Schrader's you heard him say he's going after him when they put this thing back under green Ken Thank You Barney the US air force reserve commanders performance award was given out yesterday by Colonel John Winston of the US Air Force Reserve to a very well known team and let's get that story now thank you I'm real pleased to be here at Charlotte Motor Speedway today with me is Barry Dodson the crew chief on Mickey Gibbs his car we at air force reserve selected Barry in his team to receive this commanders trophy in recognition of the fact that they ran the air force colors at Daytona we think that was a super recognition of the folks in the desert thank you very much colonel on my behalf and in team three we were very honored and very proud to carry the Air Force colors in this year's Daytona 500 and come home with the top 20 things Thank You Barry Johnson one of the nicest guys in the business and I hope that team finally gets their colors flying I sure do they've had problems here the last couple weeks they've lost a couple of cars but they're in the 600 and hopefully they have a good finish tomorrow so the clock now shows four minutes until we crank him up again here's dick Berggren and I'm with young chef cord he's a teenager 19 years old but you had a big night in Indianapolis last night yeah you know a great night went up to Indianapolis fairgrounds and car was just working great you know we had a brand new beast car and you guys did a good job up there and I just like to thank him we ended up winning it that's a beast of dirt Champ Car very different than this automobile and you're gonna go back to Indianapolis tonight yeah we got a race there night before the 500 that I've won the last two years in the row we're gonna try to do it a third time but right now we're concentrating on this race it's a big race for us and you know we're not running too bad we we actually planned to run good at the end and we knew we weren't gonna run good at the beginning so we're still working at it now there's a teenager for you fighting there you see the number one chord it's Jeff Gordon and this guy this guy's a racer that's in the grand old tradition Neil Bonnett and the rest of them and he'll run any time it's like Waltrip when he began we used to run Talladega along to Owensboro Kentucky to run at night and come back and qualify what to Nashville or run the next he's going back and forth to Indianapolis like that wins last night on the mile at the fairgrounds back here today to race this afternoon back to Indianapolis tonight to raise midgets at Indianapolis Raceway Park can I tell you what that was a legitimate question might joy had while ago about running today and how he built tomorrow but when you're at the age of this young man right here you can run every night of the week and then we're getting him run 600 miles tomorrow and then be looking for a race on Monday uh but I tell you what he's doing a great job and anything he gets any wins so he's certainly I feel like he'll be a big factor in this type of racing in a few years I looked there at the cars out of the race we mentioned some of them earlier parsons mclaughlin jack ingram out perhaps for the last time here at Charlotte go tying Davey Allison and Sawyer fellows didn't we just see the same race six days ago in the Winston Davey Allison ran to the halftime break they looked at the car they wiped it off put a little tape on the grill set of tires went out there and dusted the field today is an Earnhardt trying to take a page from that book and do the exact same thing yeah it does look a little like that except the number is three as you say rather than twenty-eight a weekend ago Mike akin you know when you when you see a guy do that the cars he can't when it's to the point where you can't make a change it's pretty done good you see somebody likes Raiders good at drivers is he said we made a lot of changes did you make the right change I don't care how good you are you're guessing when you start cranking those wedge boats and hopefully you that you got it right but if they here don't they got a chance to catch you there you see who's won here before eight Pontiacs have come in to Victory Lane three Oldsmobiles a Chevrolet in a Buick right now it's all Chevy the top three Earnhardt urban and Waltrip one two and three Darrell I'm speaking again Michael is on the outside and hope they've come up right as far as the tires the change they've made on their car but over massaging is what can set you back just as much as overdrive we're looking through Bonnie's car here and we just saw him snatch on the steering wheel reach around there's a safety pin that holds that wheel in there and they do anything they want to do those cars that driver checks that pin we had an incident here the other day in practice for the 600 Australia guy Australia left the pin out right Island Gryson lost the car I mean totally destroyed car 170 miles an hour yet the steering wheel come off in his hands on the back straightaway and after something like that happens you see all these guys play a little bit more attention to that wheel about 30 seconds before they crank him up here's dick Berggren Davers end his car is gonna be put in the penalty box apparently NASCAR has decided some of the work that they did underneath the hood of that car was not proper during this break recall when we set this break up we told you there were only a few things that could be done apparently Resendiz and team did some things NASCAR said they weren't allowed to do so they're gonna make him set they're gonna take a behind pit wall and that's just goes now some people just can't take a joke again and they're gonna penalize but the other thing you want to do you little racecar now you never get caught doing anything like that that cuz you're a slicker or they just didn't have a penalty box when I was racing about time I quit I had to get out of the car they put the penalty box in around it's been a little bit of time in there all right feels away we're ready to go on the second half 102 laps are officially completed 98 to go they raced out to the 100 lap mark then two laps under caution slowing them down and getting them on pit road and now we're ready to go back to work to decide this $259,000 race one thing for sure that fall Grand National race gonna be worth a fair amount of money to the pole sitter you recall Jack Sprague was on the pole today and he has become a non-factor at this point in the race if a driver wins the pole this 300 miler prior for the Winston Cup race in Charlotte it's for $20,000 and if the pole-sitter doesn't pull it off it rolls over to the next event so the all-pro Auto Parts 300 in October you can sit on the pole and win it tempt you to get back I can see you getting the legend here Neal it's 40,000 extra dollars never mind wasn't that certainly gets everybody's attention I'd go back if I had to pay the forty thousands of doctors are living running order after the first half of the event all the way through the field for you and the attrition thus far looks like this bill parcells Mike McLaughlin jacking from Todd Bodine Davey Allison and Elton Sawyer six cars retired from the event pace car bringing the vital take 1 then fire them up to racing speed mile and a half track 24 degree banks we're just about set for the second half of the champion spark plug for you Neels engines that are used smaller engines and say the sports car circuits and even Indianapolis are very subject to heat cycle to fire them up to run them a while you let them cool down and there's a limit to how many times you can do that before the engine really starts to go away having shut these engines off for 15 or 20 minutes will it make much difference Mike joy I was sitting there thinking the same thing you are the the biggest thing that's changed lately is when we used to have the cast-iron solar heads on all our engines we have to run production Solar heads you shut those down and crank them back up and it usually crack I'll get a crack on the head you pump a little bit of water through and run hot but now every car on this racetrack has aluminum cylinder heads and it's virtually eliminated that problem the blocks and these things are big Siamese a lot of steel a lot of water jacket so we don't have that problem like we used to you can shut them down and crank them over and over and over and to get away with it used to when you took a set of cast iron here itself they cracked immediately when you took them off thank goodness the factories went to work that these aluminum heads and it shouldn't be any problem when the exception to the bottom six rows packed grandstand here today in the main area of the Charlotte Motor Speedway in the biggest infield I've ever seen here now I've never seen it packed like this on Saturday Sunday that's another story all right we're down to it with Earnhardt first urban second ball to third Gant fourth Morgan Shepherd fifth Jimmy hat sleaze Oldsmobile is six and Ward Burton is in seventh Jimmy Spencer's a from Ken Schrader's Chevy number 15 is running in the ninth position white is off on the base car these two flaps are County or they'll take it on 105 - really to speak got a car coming back down pit road yeah that's a Resendez far that was in the penalty box for a while and they're sending him back behind the wall try to get a report on that one for you sometimes if you argue with them you get to go back again and that might be the case that that's a no-win there's 39 there's Robert Huffman remember he fell out midway through the first half and now he's back on pit road and they've got the hood up on it as he tries to get out here and score some points after he won in the sportsman race out here at Charlotte earlier today I tell you they were in they've got 279 I'll have to get it straight here in a minute back there and I think if I stopped and go behind the wall which I've never seen that they went behind the wall just turned them around but the problem is the pace car is coming off and I imagine they'll have to go he'll have to follow up behind the pack of cars so they take they take the green here yeah that might be a penalty for coming on back under way field is away in the final segment on that break see the number 30 trying to get that lap back Michael Waltrip trying and three I didn't really understand what they all said when kind of snickering and said Mike he might get it back this time I don't know if he was running the car hard and he wanted to go the last time or not he might be willing to let it go look how loose they are three and four and from the moment Michael Walzer peasant back but not by a full car length there he doesn't have in fact back and forth ernie irvan's got a great view right here if we keep the helicopter out of the clouds we're in good shape there's side by side side-by-side here straightaway Michael's giving it everything he's got to make that laughs up what a great run seems to work a little better in 3 & 4 than he does in 1 & 2 that little donut on the thirty number there he's he's uh up there court with another one other side of that thing you might get a match set before this is over that's the first time Ernie has been able to get up there behind Dale that's going to be interesting to see he was all over Mikey but he couldn't get the Dale Nast gonna be interesting he's got enough to work on Dale that back to Lin car camera closing to the back straightaway going down into turn number three Earnhardt in first urban in second look at those cars skate that's incredible picking them up at 170 miles an hour and down the main straightaway what people don't realize he and he was turned and lifted jord right he go in that corner you make the turn down four-wheel drift sup the wall that was a great shot the wheel turn left car making about a 30-foot slide up the bank and then it cooks up and you take off down the other direction right behind the 17th Morgan Shepherd in number 97 has his hands full seven-card arrogant then Morgan Shepherd areas in the 97 25 national regulars out of the inside with Ernie Irvan and Darrell like anybody and I was just thinking where we were sitting there listen to her we have done its his heartbroken he said more I'm just gonna be lucky to finish the top five and seemed like he's stronger than ever right now when you hear hair you say that you better be ready for him to challenge for the lead here comes Morgan Shepherd number 97 inside of Harry Gant at number 7 number 97 to the bottom of the racetrack and with him Tommy 25 laughs on how close they go down the back straightaway the 97 Morgan Shepherd there Harry Gant back then Ansley Ward Burton back to the bottom and Hansel he's pinking up having a very fine ride in the early going to the second half we didn't hear that much in the first part but he's really coming up through there now in this second section he must have made a change it really helped me there he is he's underneath again and he is away he's ready to go searching for those sirs upfront walk which are Earnhardt bourbon Walter and Shepard jimmy hensley out already Virginia closing up on that group in part number 25 it goes Morgan Shepherd around the outside of Terrell in the middle of three and four where it's supposed to be so bad he made a good move right there let's get this report from Kenny statement again gamer here with defending champion rust make it two in a row I think that's a key thing here to 600 durability is a big thing it's a long race and you got to have handling good pit stops I get people ask me all the time how do you win a 600 I said well I've won it and we did everything right that day you know was perfect car handle good good fist oxygen horsepower man the radial tire from good here it's a great tire it's real consistent so I don't know if his stops would be as frequency where before or not we'll have to see have you seen anything out there they'll help you today that will help you tomorrow well it's pretty hot out today we're putting the cool suit inner fire right now to keep me real nice and fresh from 600 miles let's make a real French driver do more than they'll handle misty was trying to make it two in a row here a lot of those drivers are given up on cool suits but not Rusty Wallace 600 miles tomorrow here on TBS beginning at 1:00 o'clock Barnard class that could deserve it in the number 10 car and becomes the life Carmichael Walton followed by Morgan Shepherd the 97 is third Darrell Waltrip is fourth and a guy who three times has been the grande runner up Jimmy Hensley continues to make war now pulls himself to fourth as he gets around Walter inside yours we're at lap 117 and the leading part of the story michael waltrip is easing onto pit road and right behind the wall with the right side of his car bashed in as he tried to tear down the concrete up here in turn number four a lap ago it's over for Michael Waltrip in the Pennzoil car number 30 Kenny was really getting aggressive to get that lap back and run in the car as hard as he possibly could the car broke loose coming off the fourth turn and he really squared that thing up on the wall did a good job to keep straight lucky to save it because he was right in the middle some of the real fast cars well the story up in front fern Hart is in first in second urban about 20 car likes back then Sheppard in third the biggest story of all is Jimmy Hensley three-time grand national runner-up including a year ago his best charlotte finish was way back to 1973 in October of 73 he came here and finished fourth this is his 20th Charlotte start right now number 25 Jimmy Hensley is just having a great run for more on his story let's go to the STP pit center here's Mike joy but Ken Neal was asking earlier where his Jimmy battle race well toward the back he had trouble in qualifying only managed 163 miles an hour started out back in 29th position and couldn't hook up with those Winston Cup drivers that drafted together going up to the front but Hensley is third in points he already has a victory of this season gentl'man thought eclis he's made his way there he's the only one in the top five in the bush points up near the front and he's going to be a player in this thing indeed he is Mike that victory was on a track that kind of favors the hench Lee style Martinsville he loves those half miles and he had a second at Hickory as well but for the moment Jimmy Hensley in fourth place on this super speedway looks like he was born to this kind of high-speed racing look at him closing up on Morgan Shepherd Jimmy Hensley with all of your experience in all those years what's the most important well things are probably realize I've learned oh you just Charlotte you didn't have to beat your peak now just about every race and I think when we experience wise you know I can I can get up for the race and you try to get the cars best possible shape you know we can and I think that's the main thing just what I've learned over the years you know try to put into the race situations paulie's put it right up among the leaders and here he is challenging Morgan Shepherd on the inside it is Hensley moving through Shepard the two-time winner the event falling back and hence Lee moves up in the third ready to challenge and then go looking for Dale Earnhardt jimmy hensley Auto Ridgeway Virginia I mean a whale of a run looks like Shepard may be in some kind of a problem on that outside line and is henslin Shepherd came back up on him for a moment Shepherds not giving up in this fight no Morgan passed on the outside walking around darrell waltrip onto the high side of the racetrack so his car is working a good there you're looking at two cars with different lines and it's hard to do it up there where Morgan says this cars working good Morgan backed up in that last lap and for just a moment it would seem as though that car wasn't working in that line maybe it works better a little higher on wata - you're essentially back to another time the Beverly all's Don Beverly the drag racer owns that car Bobby Kingdom look at this scramble that continues the third place organs back I tell you what it's called down in the corner and I'm not a lot of cars may go through there is skate up the track real close to wall Morgan's able to keep his car there once he sets it it stays in the middle track 125 laps are complete here's dick Berggren with michael waltrip we rearrange this you rearranged the sheet metal hutch do it well my car that's been pushed and ever since the beginning and we worked on it at the break and thought we could get it better but it's still pushed and I just come off for little mine got into those bumps and just bounced me right into the outside wall mistake on my part I just got a little too high I felt like we needed to try to get our lap back and Ernie us again to slip a little bit so I was charging to try to do away with him but messed up our hearts gonna be awful tough to beat he's looking real good when I was followed him out to little off and I still couldn't do anything with him so he looked perfect it'll be hard to be like anybody could do anything with her nurse well I just the jimmy hensley catching him or something I don't know if he's gonna leave laughs or whatever but he's on a different brand desire and he's pretty good the back michael waltrip dick burger can you ask him what he thinks he's going to do with Earnhardt tomorrow I'd be destined to know how yeah I'm interested too what can you do with Earnhardt tomorrow that'll be a different story you know this little dunk with the wall costume today but sometimes those things make you remember a little bit more about being patient save your time that's what it takes to win a 600-mile right I'm sure I'll think about this a lot tonight oh we got a real strong car for tomorrow I feel like we can the Goodyear Eagle radials are right on it and appends ol Pontiacs is flying and this could be a great day today is not a setback you just kind of hit a back make me better tomorrow and they get a good driver too Morgan Shepherd just fell way off the pace gentlemen is he the start/finish line Morgan fell way back and down number one he's on the and tear up the tickets on car number 97 Morgan Shepherd out of this one this removed the third and deport the kid that said on the pole remember dollar bonus I guess he heard the word he figured he didn't want to go 40 he don't get the 20 while it's available he's working the car back to the front her cold fly pit road looks like the end five car down here Bobby that's o3 I think that's Bobby Hill uns machine that just came in here is Morgan Shepherd Kim we've got Kenny Stabler rambling around like a kid in a candy store on pit road let's get in and see what he's found out he's being with everybody Simpson made helmet and then wraps collating takes it it converts it into this air filter system and Richard Bostick of the Pritchard how petty scheme is to explain what this helmets all about no kidding this moment shut up filter system on the side it's got a filter it takes the air on the outside filters that keeps all the fumes out dust and so forth and it's a blower it blows cool air inside of the helmet because leave boy technology in NASCAR racing Neil Bonnett is the part about all that hey Kenny stapler I know you playing some guys have need that filter of the air coming out of there on Sundays some of those guys you played with kind of partied hard they might need that filter to clean it up before the guys back out of the help let's take a look at our numbers question second spot one breath later tests on those guys do they stabler told me they needed it with that punchy played with ernhardt has drawn away he's got about 25 car lengths is 132 complete urban and second Jimmy Hensley in third there's a great crowd it's a record attendance here today at Charlotte hope you're enjoying the competition as we watch this battle for second place just to get better apparently oh they're both getting loose over those bumps right there it looked like Ernie's car broke loose and slipped up and in the hands Lee slipped right behind him they both got their hands full in that area we were talking about Rick right here coming through the tri-oval two cars off the track one is Terry Labonte's number 94 he picks it up and keeps on going the blue car Terry Labonte there's a pass in the grass they just forgot to Rick they were didn't finish it they were both sideways coming through the grass and straightened down Robert Powell the number five got a piece of the 94 and Terry Labonte just went back to Texas dirt track style and kept right on truckin that's terry labonte number 94 running in 14th position 1:34 he took that wild excursion dick Berggren is down in a pitch with Morgan Shepherd let's see what happened to him well ran off of good while it ran off of good while it ran Morgan but it quit running how come the cyclist orifice temperature got up a little bit hot when it's run behind or burn either and undoubtedly must cause it to burn a piston but we had her stagger too close to him too early around there and when we loosened up a little bit there we got through a little better yeah we're hearing up and down pit road from a lot of teams can that are saying the heat is beginning to get to the engines it's not bothering the drivers any there's a lot of guys who are beginning to run warmer than they'd like to getting very warm for second place Ernie Irvan has held take a look at Jax break in 48 here's your leader Dale Earnhardt and he is just Ron further right here for a second Ernie Urban is there Jimmy drag in the 48 the runner-up spot at this moment and this is going to complete 136 of 200 laps this time by Waltrip is across the stripe and then it's two and a half seconds follow them hey jack sprague really came alive we were just talking to just a few laps ago that he was back there kind of out of contention and he's driven that car up to the front and really challenged it right now for third place tax breaks racers sold every the pickup truck came there he goes on the outside is Sprague moving around Jimmy Hensley and taking over again in third fistic trickle has fallen to six spot trickle is 6-day mater is seventh Darrell Waltrip is a they've made her who led this race earlier we got back on the cautions and now he's working his way back to the front he's having a good run also that continues to be the battle in second $259,000 in the coffers to be divvied up when this one's over today and we'll be back with more of the Champion spark plug 300 from the great Charlotte Motor Speedway after a word from your local sponsors 142 of 200 laps complete but after that it's a Jack Sprague's number 48 has moved into the second position Sprague riding in second and you can see the interval here as Earnhardt continues to run away from the field that's how much distance he has gathered over that second-place car the white number 48 of Jack Sprague but the story is the car behind Sprague number 92 Dick Trickle just unleashed three great laps over 161 miles an hour he pulls himself in the third urban Falls to fourth Ernie urban right there in the 10 car in fourth behind him is the number 25 cars to give you an idea of how there's seven the racetrack there's Jimmy Hensley now the sixth place car is the 23 Dave Mader who as Neal bond has pointed out led earlier and you can see this a pretty phat interval between tensley and mater in the sixth position there's the 23 back in seventh is car number 17 Walter the 45 night is bobby labonte that's a lap car the Oh eight they Bobbie daughter out of Chicago radar co-running his old mobile that started in 27 and Tommy Houston right under there we saw the shot out of the camera right on the left side Houston trying to get up there he got his lap back earlier in the race and worked herself back into contention Tommy Houston is fixing to work on the money right there did you see Jimmy Spencer's forty five has been caught up and then crowd back and Harry gansan know the battle back here in 10th is pretty good one right now 8th 9th 10th 11th that's the car that Burton started he got out of Spencer got back in it and he made the statement after he got out of the car you can expect this car to go to the front the car must have had a real good feel to him the 96 they're showing the 96 is a lap down out here Neil is a lap down the Buchanan's Berg Pennsylvania runner here's Barney Hall Ken Schrader who started 33rd and at one time and worked his way up to as high as fifth and seventh position Kenny you're the garage rock right now that's not a happy day but the cars in one piece we had a good run going and something lay down inside the engine power start falling off it's knocking right now would have one head blowed up maybe cramps the car so they wouldn't made another lamp so we're in here is that out there but come back was it as hot as it looked like you don't seem to be too too wet and sweat here so to speak got a good little breeze out there and from race now Cara hydrate he's ready to go tomorrow Kenny's out of it today still with a big smile yeah and he's a leading favorite to win the 600 hopefully be with us on CBS tomorrow and Ken Schrader's settles down around one o'clock here's that number six o'clock here mommy Houston on the inside of Jimmy Spencer for nightspot got it the 45 Bobby Labonte is an eighth Chuck bounds going behind the wall down here we were talking about earlier about these guys having trouble the points guy that was still sticking away with it now he's fell out already for a while Chuck bounds crime number 63 which had run up in the on the event we have 20 cars remaining in the lead lap first position is that number 96 we've been seen that war back in 819 compact 20 one lap down first time I was just watching Earnhardt come off the first before Stern that's the first time all day I've seen him slide sideways and he was certainly all over the racetrack hard to qualify 21st now leading here's that battle for 4th Ernie Urban and the 10 and Jimmy Hensley in the 25 is coming to the lap and they've been doing this for the last 15 laps he can get up under it in the middle of the door Earnie really seems to be able to power away down the straightaway so it's just been a struggle won a drill bit more than one drill far the 25 ticks right in there they had a very good run when all of a sudden Dick Trickle just came from nowhere wheeled around to the south of third place and Kent earlier we saw that car on pit road without hood up people under ever direction trying to figure what's going on evidently what do you had a problem for this race is staying at 113 point 4 as well off the record we've had several cautions in the early going the event been auctioned for you things kind of settled in every time you look up Ernie bleeding and he's trying to get around completely clearly a lot of times he'd get up beside him in fact about two car lengths now in that effort to clear the 10 Kenny Stabler standing by together the engine and the team that has set a record and sets on the pole for the million dollar coca-cola 600 tomorrow Jack you're out of it today if you learned anything today Mark Martin tomorrow while we're watching to see what's happening with the tires you know this place traditionally goes tight on a bit stops and desires for more time and more temperature intimate the track every year is getting wore out more too so we were concerned if it was the car barely loose on new tires and then it would go tight looks like it's doing how about a quick thought on your young driver Jeff Gordon Jeff Gordon's got a great future you know we're really this guy's world carolina border tight today but they're going to change two tires on loosen him up we think we'll be able to run for the end yeah Krauss getting ready for tomorrow right now looking for that position essentially he moved in on Ernie Irvan and gave him a little dose of his own medicine kept the movement there and said I want to come on by around and got in front of him down so hence we use there's that number one car Jeff while in the silver crown series came here today to run this floor and it goes back to runnin tonight in Indianapolis Raceway Park and he's 19 years old and he's already new United States yeah he's one of the few guys to go up that thing kj4 it was the promoter on that race last night the first time he ever promoted a race and he got some AJ's but he came home back home took some of buddy jokes running through the Bella runs the Phoenix rookie standings my son 22 points over David Green and he wants to go stock car racing but he sure has been the open wheeler Chuck Bown is coming back on the Speedway single one car closing up on the 94 that's a battle for 13 the body is a 94 just in front of a number there you see him Terry Labonte in the line Wild Ride down across the grass area here at the start/finish line try to hold off the number one Chuck Bown or five laps down not many boards they're kind of scant in grand national racing these days more started to come in then they backed out of it when they realized the v8 was going to be the way the Winston Cup races years to come yeah the Buick motor has the Buick v6 has had a long development also for other types of racing so you know we're on this side is really good there you see jack sprague in 48 that's the second-place car the white machine and right behind him comes Dick Trickle in car number 92 third place runner and Dick Trickle look like he's off to run down spray for second position 157 laughs now in the book fastest race this has been run at was an average speed of 139 miles per hour about 100 14.8 our 45 makes an infant's on the pit roads back out again Berwick Pennsylvania's Jimmy Spencer and bad luck out here a week ago work on the front rack more air into that thing been a long green run these guys have been what graces the halfway horn so the champion sparkplug 300 remains firmly in the hands of Dale Earnhardt the Intimidator we'll see if he can stay on there 300 here at the Charlotte Motor Speedway well out in front for the moment let's get a Goodyear Eagle Racing update from Mike joy Thank You Kent in this update we'll take a look at some of NASCAR's support series the new super speedway division grooming the stars of tomorrow ran here at the Charlotte Speedway on Wednesday pole sitter Dennis Setzer had engine trouble and couldn't start that race on the pole and put mark Cox in number 74 opposite the eight of Robbie baggert when they dropped the green flag they battled wield a wheel for distance that TW Taylor came up to challenge Richie petty learned a lesson the hard way as his 41 went into the wall also taking Taylor and Phil Rogers out of the race when they went back to green Marty Ward in 97 was the Challenger to number Packard had made a pit stop on the Richie petty caution Ward ran out of gas with two laps to go and finished up in 13th spot that left bagger to battle to the checkered flag beating mark Cox by one car lengths and Steve Schumann out of Florida right there in the they also ran here this morning and we'll have footage of that for you tomorrow during folks in southern coverage here's a look at the way they finished robbie baggert picking up the race win the young drivers shown here from Concord North Carolina from Walnut Cove mark Cox earned the second-place Shuman from Florida lead to Sun Hat Jerry rector last night up in Connecticut at the Stanford Motor Speedway a race created 20 years ago by our dick Berggren press the spring sizzler jeff modified race Wayne Anderson Long Island George Burton hoses Steve Park and Doug Heffron defending winner and series point leader Mike Stefanik finished in the 6th position so Stefanik will hold his point standing lead on the modified tour over Rick fuller and Doug temprana that's our second goodyear eagle racing update for the day here's ken Squier we're under caution for debris on the track Mike and I think we're going to see all the leaders come in and tank up with that final run to the checkers this afternoon Jamiel how can they call a hill and dick burger man it was spring early spring and it was back then he had to have your mittens going down to that thing you can go like a snowman to watch that race now they're running here in the swarm and if that's how bunch of fans have changed let's go to Barney Hall down on pit road tell the leaders in the beauty in right now a quick stop they took a look at those right side tires dumped in the gallon gasoline and send it back on the racetrack as this race stayed under green they have planned a bit 175 for gasoline Hey good shape Earnhardt's according to tony eury his crew chief is in great shape to just go on a whim without having mechanical problems on that car great report Barney having any fun down there today one thing these guys have worked down here is a sure whole other side of this business can because they really earned their money in the heat designer today barney hall has been in the booth for over 20 years in the motor racing network and it's the first time for the live in these woods I'm sure he wishes he was worried you're sitting right now can't I tell you what if anybody knows the everybody on pit road it's this party he's knowing everybody down through there anybody get the tips he'll find out what's going on for us well usually knows about it before they do we have 166 laps mr. Gossett the information to do is call the golfers are free don't fill your riot in I think he must be on the telephone at least 14 hours a day keep up with all that we are showing 167 this time by with Earnhardt in front Nestle in second body third Dick Trickle for Kerry camp good flatten him while we got a little bit of time here dick Berggren roaming around listening what else well what I saw Ilana was Jack's great had an absolutely lousy pit stop he came in here in second position and he is way back in the pack now in serial position a tank of fuel two tires 23 point 95 nothing went wrong it was just a very very slow pit stop for Jack Sprague so he will have his work cut out for him and he hopes to get back up to that second spot that he held before this round of pit stops again I just wanted you to know your calendar was correct they do still run that spring sizzler when the dandelions are in bloom but they got April showered out in the middle of the punt that's last night gosh didn't seem right icebreaker at Thompson Connecticut and the springs I mean you really had to go dressed for snow season when you went to those races back when they were created getting ready on a green next time by as they lighten up jimmy hensley second Bobby Labonte has taken himself to third fourth is Dick Trickle fifth is Harry Gant six is Ernie Irvan seventh Tommy Huston Darrell Waltrip is an 8 Jack Sprague whirring too intense was Ward Burton and eleventh is Terry Labonte Jeff Gordon in 12th all right we're just about set to go don't forget us Olympic gold the Bruce Jenner classic that's live tonight following Braves baseball here on WTBS you think he can hold them off I tell you what you know Mike Waltrip said earlier the only thing he felt like would be the helmet there would be a different brand attire that different brand attire is sitting on his back bumper right now so we're just going to have to see if that's going to be the difference to do that Goodyear on the first-place car and who's your tires on the second as we get set to turn them loose they should take them home 168 complete when they come by of the 200 laps that make the champion spark plug 300 200 laps of competition 300 miles on this clean break for ernhardt jumps up by two car lengths clucks right in with him trucks down into turn number one that was right there on that restart just outside that lead lap sees the you know screen showing as the leaders c'mon turn towards me one thing hence Lee doesn't now because even though you might have a quicker carts they just like right there you're having to work the car harder than you need to to try to get to the leader but that guy running trying to get his lap back he's got the same one good thing about this pickup somebody three deep on the inside just blasting down into that and sideways in three this is the charge on the inside you catch two cars side by side like if you get a tremendous drought and he got such a pony what about most of them Oh Bobby Labonte is in the second spot and he's ready to challenge Earnhardt what a move champion spark plug into our camera with him comes Dick Trickle and number 92 on the backside and trickles going to make a move well it's down to pay time here you can make that make that move Kim but can't you stay down it's work time he's drifting up realize almost ran out of room it's it's hard to make that move and stay down there that wall really comes up you're going down in one it's pretty easy to see these cars down on the inside then there you can hold the car down there the hard thing to do is see if it worked at lower 3 & 4 respect straightway and a surprise you the acceleration for these six dollars on this or they had a play of the race that move Lilavati to take second look at this scramble the 25 of them 25 is there and he's back under the 44 jimmy hensley right back on the bottom of the racetrack right through putting Bobby back to fourth era Gannon v bourbon and six Waltrip and seven you know right now our norms got all all that pakka cranny devil the green wall goes actually came early and right now they'll this knocking able to assert that power he had before pull away trickles gonna be a handful last May Dick Trickle came into this race first one he'd ever run then his second here he is in number 92 running second he's blows it he's there one car lengths away - well to put sail he just sent their coast and he's running cars Ingo that we haven't got that much time left in racing they're going to have to go right now there's about 15 car likes maybe 20 now to Jimmy Hensley in third Bobby Labonte and fourth but here's the story 174 laps complete this time Wisconsin rafted Wisconsin's legend once the many races whose story do you want to believe is that 800 is a thousand anyway he is the king of short track racing throughout the Midwest he's closing in on Earnhardt this is one he loved we were talking earlier about Jeff Burton run in the water race the big triple used to raise five or six nights a week wore him out him right there he's big Terry Gannon car number seven up to fourth Hensley just in front of him in the 25 the green number seven the band Harry Gant is in 4th Bobby Labonte zimba 30 urban is in 6 water scramblin Walsh if he turns up the wick Tom pecks number 96 still being shown that lap down and Darrell might try the three three abreast deal right here now they just backed up a little too much kids two cars side-by-side like it you really get a pull you've got that back straightaway for fifth place yeah urban outside number 44 Levani rounding three and four type running inches apart just working on fluffy Jack Sprague is the guy that just went around the outside of Darrell Waltrip dick Berggren told us he had a bad pit stop even if that he's coming right on back through the pack he still got a chance to run him down you can talk about the 680 receivers and it has all the money and there's all the stars but this is just simply fine racing penis good racing it does this is the 600 for the with the Busch Series this rod here's what makes a table for the sponsor to get in there and support these cars the big crowd we've got here in the video Bobby Labonte the biggest crowds they race and brother Charlotte Motor Speedway live on a Saturday afternoon here on the superstation hands-full Ernie Irvan the rear Jack spray the man we talking about get behind he's making up that big difference in his driver's seat he's coming up through the back and again is in the fifth spot but body is in six now spray goes into six jack sprague into six Labonte back to seventh getting one thing that's been impressive about jack sprague scarf see where he clears them right here yeah once he clears the mutants are tied down the straight way his car is able to pull away and he can make the pass in one lap we're taking some people a lot of left there's Labonte waving his hand or his piss out the back window someone jack sprague number 48 wearing Labonte holding on to six does it make you nervous to race the Winston Cup drivers Jack there's a pass for third number seven Harry Gant around Hensley so it's ernhardt trickle Gant Hensley urban spray top six again is this the same hair again that we saw said his car was running good today and yeah it's time to get usually does what he always does he starts moving to the front right here's a chance for a pass for the lead right here on the turn for Dick Trickle gets to the inside he has Earnhardt in slam three-count on that one here's number 92 Dick Trickle taking the lead now aren't going to try the inside it back on the inside gonna make him work for the pass for the lead turn three that is a patented ernhardt Dick Trickle try it again maybe we'll do this the rest of race is back in 481 complete triple on the truck lets him know he's there Gary gansan third Hansel he's in fourth let's go into that dick circle pit area and see how they feel that cars running I think as much question is great dick Burt I was Larry pin dick trickles crew chief you were racing awful close you going to keep doing that for the last of the race hey we've been trying to catch up all day long we want to get through a front now can you just put her and Hardaway or is it going to be close like this all the way Hardaway or is there going to be close right down gonna end up probably a three-car battle with Gant right in there do watch it down here and there wait on Harry get as well as Dale Earnhardt I don't blame him I would be too if I were them call that one deal here comes Gann and he is closing them down he's about 12 car lengths back of car number 92 like his six car lengths were fixed to see him come into the shot he's he is really rolling right now feeling good about himself Harry Gant and car number 7 has two after that great tel-aviv a win right behind urban in fifth sprague doing so well out here today in six Walter back in seventh and Tommy Houston hanging tough in eighth spot Bobby Labonte's in nine back straight away working 184 ernhardt with the advantage Dick Trickle has passed him now whose who's faking out here who's throwing the dummy can't I think what happens when you see like Dale and Dick Trickle mix it up the heat the tires that past they made really enable Harry to get up there now he sees he's got a shot at it he slides up on the edge of that driver's seat snatches down their Bell sit okay I got a shot these guys it makes you have a little bit more pull at them they refuse their car and their tires more than gain hands where they're mixing it up in the racing Peniel I think somebody got on the phone to Earnhardt because the last two and three laps he's been going in the corner and trying to put his tires right down on the white line now the car took off just a bit but I think they told him on the radio his spotter up on a roof that Harry Gant was coming and if he quit fooling around with trickle Gant would be there before he knew it so he's trying to pull away and hold any kind of advantage the length of the time it takes Harry Gant to get up with a handsome Harry is there he's rolled right up into this thing this could be the best finish we've ever had in this Grand National race what they're closing it down they can't afford to race it they would have rather raised just two of them for the win and they saw that one or two passes close the gap on them and now they're going to string it out a little bit I don't know if they can ho get up Barney Hall is standing by in Dale Earnhardt's pits Ken I'll tell you how anxious things all in day long of agreement of standing here with his finger looking out at that racetrack and kind of dancing up and down his crew chief Tony Eury is standing here Tony what's he saying can he hold him off I don't know it looks like it's gonna come down to a Saturday night play a flapper but it looks like I think our BIOS picks up a little bit on that last stop though we're going to I think we can hold them off trickle I believe Harry's the ones don't mean one to beat our antennas we've said over the years catching Dale Earnhardt is one thing passing you know the money here's another well that's for too long yeah that thing can get real wide but let me tell you we just you just heard him say at 12 laps Saturday night race that's three of the best certainly not racers will ever see like during one pack so they're gonna be up to the challenge laughing this time by past winners of this champion sparkplug 300 the front right now you have Earnhardt who's wanted guy that would like to add his name is riding in second place back for the finish the champion sparkplug 300 after these messages all next week on element in the last two or three laps by Dick Trickle and number 92 for the lead and Earnhardt has thrown some changeups here in these last laps we have 192 complete as you look at the leaderboard with Earnhardt first trickle in second Gary Gantt third Jimmy Hensley maintaining fourth and Jack Sprague running in fifth 193 complete this time by you know when they get down to this point of the race there even had to make a long run and buy the used ups of car but he's one of the best you'll ever see and regrouping in two or three laps he might begin to think back talk about your Kannapolis North Carolina the way he's changed his driving style out here to fend off wait just just like any sport you got offense you got deep things trickle cut up there buddy the four turned we saw Dale start running low he's usually running a highlight off that corner a couple of times he ran blow when he got away from trickle they looking for a different place trickle looking for a different place the one that finds a place they work the fist it's gonna be hard to beat right here being Harry Gant in the end Whitaker number seven and your picture in third spot closes down again 194 complete 195 this time line Earnhardt's one here in two previous grand national races one in May and one in October 83 and 86 I'd like to make it a trio here this afternoon and looked like he was just going to make this race a snore was going to be a walkover no longer the case was really onto it now and trickle closes down again dick trickle moves in another time reminisce know what we saw just four laps ago on that commercial break he's down there strong chasing him out of turn number two like we just put it out said five laps to go kill off will say well I'm going to cool it down I'm a good game let me know when there's five to go and I'll make a hard run Eddie it might be your last effort in these last five laps so maybe when they saw the five to go they decided to pick the pace up again back to the line they come and they tighten up that formation to believe I'd say that they've been closed just like it's hard to see any one of them with a strong place they seem to be pretty equal I moved into the racetrack top-3 down into turn 3 196 complete Bernhard trickle and Gann pretty good battle developing behind the mantle Ian's break back in the fourth position but for the moment there they are there's the 25 jimmy hensley in his ole and right with him comes jack sprague behind them what are these folks standing up for with that battle up in front which is just a dandy you know we always talk about Wister Cup racing good parity with the manufacturers who set the chevrolet a Pontiac and so these guys have pretty well got their stuff in order to Gary Gant tried to make a move on dick trick on the backstretch 198 complete this ernhardt changing lanes trying everything he can to hold on for the win this is the part of the race where you try to out slide the other guy you're running the car harder than you have all day the car slipping and sliding and these three guys right here are some of the best and get them all that cars got Taylorsville North Carolina campaigner with 14 grand national wins falls back just a little now in his effort and it's back to three car lengths between Dick Trickle number 92 and Earnhardt the man up in front trickle slipped just enough to let Gant almost get up under ball for that corner final lap this is it for the money not to be parceled out a lap away Earnhardt is there trickle has tried his heart out remember started a 25th is a triple fell way back out of the top out of the top 20 at one time and has come right back into it the final lap out of turn number four checkered flag is about to be way and as they come to the line trickle is there but it's not enough Dale Earnhardt has won at his 16 grand national win his third grand national victory at the Charlotte motors Dale Earnhardt 21st back to defeat Dick Trickle and Harry Gant in a dramatic champion sparkplug 300 finishing fourth this afternoon will be Jimmy Hensley in fifth Jack Sprague sixes darrell waltrip Tommy Huston seventh Bobby Labonte Nate Ward Burton is ninth Terry Labonte ends up in 10th spotted butch Miller concludes in 11 more in a moment inside US detection with long-lasting true test whether all house paint exclusively from true bad new hardware stores and home center at the Charlotte Motor Speedway let's meet the champion in the champion sparkplug 300 well Dale Earnhardt how hard your Dick Trickle run you you ran a real hard you know we were running real good in that first part and we run about the same in the second as far as the car felt in the consistency you know he just got better and he was running me pretty hard but it's damn good red chevrolet really done a number on him make Teresa happy anyway yeah it makes us all happy really uh Richard Childress gasps panting Clendon and then put the engine together and Ben this car in this engine won Daytona so we brought it here anyone again so good race car and uh you know it really happy that Chevrolet helped us out and uh we've been doing a good job full right behind your knee there's a great big tire mark who knocked you in the door and said hello I got no idea who that was we close race tener a couple of times you know it's just you know down a straightaway a little bit no problem how much at the end of the race was offense and how much of it was defense well I was just trying to run a real consistent pace and not get out of shape you know if I run him consistent last dick would have to work harder to get by me and I slipped one time he got by me and then I got back by him so lucky there well there's Dale Earnhardt the winner party hall is with Dick Trickle who finished second Barney well Dick Trickle is sweating quite a bit here Nick that was some finish there you all gave it everything you had just a little bit short yeah well we had enough car you know on Matt Martin and Larry pin and buy all 66 screwed the corner pits and we had no car enough motor we're just a little bit too tight night I had to back out and get in the corners I tried to run harder the cards romp the track and I'd lose time so I had to back up and just drive it and uh at that point all I could do is keep up and ones while I get a better laughed at him than one two ones long he give that a lot to me but we're really even had we just got another turn out of it we don't want to race Earnhardt can make you work for it Kenny well I'll tell you I worked just as hard back in the pack you know we just had even cars and I think if I'd have got front of them I may have been able to stay ahead of him because uh my collars pushing and his car being in front of mine they took the wind off my nose and made me push a little worse had I ever been able to get ahead of my think I could have held the lead or even maybe went away from him not all that I'm happy with a second-place finish Dick Trickle probably he's already reviewing what was wrong with his performance a guy had a great run today and as a serious contender to win tomorrow is standing by on the STP pit center with Mike Jill Kent Ernie Irvan had a good race today and but for a problem where the engine would have finished his first Busch race of the year but I want to focus on tomorrow and and your Kodak Chevrolet for the Morgan McClure team and and that million dollars the kind of dance is out there for a fellow who can win three of the big four how about it tomorrow well I tell you that's a tough deal to do you know I just found out the other day yesterday that Harry told me that it's only been done twice once before and then once the Bill Elliott so you know it's a tough feat but I'm our Kodak team's been working hard and our car is handling good know hopefully we'll have a better luck than they did with our Mac to if ever later are you running well enough to have a good chance tomorrow I think so so far you know but now the weather's got hot again and it was cool this morning I was real fast and I'm we're interesting getting out there this afternoon Stewart her to do I saw you during one of the off days this week I think was Thursday afternoon tooling around Concord and this beautiful dark blue Chevrolet what year was that has a 37 Chevy I just bought the Morgan Shepherd and I was on my way to Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet did to do an autograph session and uh it's a lot of fun to drive 37 you'd think for winning the Daytona 500 that Chevrolet would buy him a new one Ernie will be out there trying it tomorrow will be back to the Charlotte Motor Speedway right after these messages Earnhardt's the winner of the race who gets the true value master mechanic award today I tell you what I was impressed with the Chuck bounds team Jeff Hensley got him back out here twice and Bobby King did such a great job for Jimmy Hensley and then there's your guys that's not fair I shouldn't say it that way it's not your guys but everybody because that you and Earnhardt or synonymous in the offseason that that team is spectacular that cars reliable you know they are they just keep in good shape there's so many good guys up and down pit road and stuff that we don't get to say you know you don't have to win the race to have a good effort offense well what do you say about Bobby King I had that team that Hensley team really came together they were down earlier they fought their way back into this thing they had qualified 29th they made themselves major contenders all today for the don beverly oldsmobile and will give the true value master mechanic somebody different this time and i I think Bobby King is certainly a good receiver sounds good to me alright let's go to Mike join the STP pit center well cata look at the tale of the tape this race ran two hours and 16 minutes to an average speed of 130 3.2 miles an hour five drivers swapped the lead back and forth four times there were six cautions for 30 laps 17 cars failed to finish and perhaps the most telling statistic of the whole day was the Dale Earnhardt led 150 out of the 200 laps today what a job tells it all when he's on he's dead on the American classic the coca-cola 600 that's tomorrow here live on TBS hope you'll join us Dale Earnhardt celebrating right now can he celebrate tomorrow is the question in one of the biggest races of the year for Barney Hall Mike joy dick Berggren Neil Bonnett Ken Stabler I'm Ken Squier saying so long from the Charlotte Motor Speedway we'll see you at one o'clock Eastern tomorrow for Winston Cup racing in the coca-cola 600 don't miss it
