European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 09, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Pager 30 b the stars and stripes sports tuesday february 1993 Purvis survives Dayton a Beach Fla. A a 22-car crash on the third Lap eliminated most of the Competition and left pole starter Jeff Purvis to run away with Sun Day s arca 200 late Model Stock car race at Daytona International Speedway. Purvis driving a Chevrolet Lumina led 71 of the 80 laps 2 /2-mile Oval heating the Ford thunderbird of fellow front Row starter Loy Allenjr. To the Fin ish line by 2.2 seconds. Qualifying at the front of the 42-car Field was very close but the complexion of the race changed completely after Bob Schacht and Tim Fedwa the second Row starters collided in turn 4 on the third Lap igniting the big Accident that took out Many of the top cars. There were no injuries but 15 of the 22 cars involved were unable to continue. The race was red flagged for 9 14 while the wrecked cars were cleared and the track was cleaned off. Purvis averaged 143.741 Mph on the Way to his first super Speedway Victory. The Field begins to thin out on sunday As late Mode Stock cars collide during the arca 200 race at Daytona International Speedway. Rookie bridesmaid focus on Daytona another arkansans chasing big prize indy car Ace Unser scarfs taking Stock by Al Unser or. For the associated press Daytona Beach Fla. After the Indianapolis 500, the one race i be always dreamed of doing is the Daytona 500. Growing up there were two races i never missed. In february i was always glued to the television set for the Daytona 500, and in May the race to watch was the Indianapolis 500. After those two races came All the others. I be never raced a Stock car at Daytona before because the right Opportunity never came along. People had talked to me about doing the race but my goal has always been to run the Daytona 500 with a team that has a Chance to win. I started talking with Hen Drick motor sports a team Ca Pable of winning the race. They offered me a car to run and a Chance to work with Waddell Wilson As my Crew chief. Wad Dell has won this race before and knows exactly what it takes. I think we have a racing winning combination. But i be got a yellow Stripe on my Roar bumper just like All the other rookies in the race. I m even attending All the meetings with the rookies. But if that s what 1 have to do to get in the Daytona 500, that is what i m going to do. 1 have raced at Daytona be fore in the International race of champions series and the Simsa 24-hour sports car race. My iroc experience is what will help the most in preparing for this race. The Winston cup cars Are faster but running in the iroc series let me race with some of the Guys i la be running with in the 500. Both the cars and the track Are very different in the 24-hour race so my experience there won t really help. When i went out on the track for the first practice session there were some butterflies in my stomach. Those same butterflies were there just before qualifying saturday. Practice on Friday was a struggle. There was a problem with the car but it was t until late Friday afternoon that it was discovered. We had changed the setup of the car three or four times during the practice ses Sions Only to find out the prob Lem was with the engine. Saturday morning the engine was changed but the car was still slow. In practice before qualify ing we borrowed the setup from my teammate Ricky Rudd who had been running fast in prac Tice. While we figured his setup would help us gain some Speed just the reverse happened. There was t enough time to change everything we planned to before qualifying so 1 just went All out for two laps. Although it was a big thrill qualifying for the 500, the pres sure Here does t compare to the pressure of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. At indy it s very important to do Well the first Day because that guarantees you a spot in the race. Here the Only two people that Are in the race after the first Day of qualifying Are the two fastest. They Start on the front Row. Everybody else has two More chances to improve their qualifying Speed and you also can make the 500 Field in one of the 125-mile qualifying race thursday. Compared to indy there in t much time to prepare for qualifying at Daytona. Unless you have a legitimate shot at win Ning the pole the emphasis is on preparing for the two qualifying races. That is where the pres sure ill he. Ai Unser or. Sports Rookie yellow Mark Martin. We re ready by Mike owe United press International could it be three big victories for the boys from Arkansas first one wins the biggest prize in politics then a couple More win the biggest prize Ink to football. Now another has is sights on the biggest prize in Stock car racing. Lascar Driver Mark Martin does t have quite the profile of president Clinton or even that of the sex Arkansas University duo of Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson after their super bowl Triumph. But if the Batesville native pulls off a Victory in the season opening Daytona 500, Well maybe that would be Worth hav ing a Check ered Flag raised at the White House. Martin who last year invited then candidate Clinton to a Winston cup race at Darling ton s.c., nearly pulled off the 1992 championship despite a poor Start. We got off to kind of a slug Gish Start Martin said. We got on a Roll there about May. We had a lot of Good runs fro August on. We re Martin had a Victory and four runner up finishes in his last nine races last season. Despite an Accident at Rockingham , in the third race from the end he went into the finale at Atlanta with an outside shot atthe title. Engine problems there ruined his Hopes giving him his second straight sixth place showing in the season standings and his third near miss for the Winston cup. In 1990, Dale Earnhardt beat him out by Only 26 Points the difference Between firsthand sixth place at any of the 29 races that year. The year before Martin finished a close third to Winner Rusty Wallace and earn Hardt. Being close does t make the desire for a title any greater. He just wants one. He 11 launch his latest bid from a track that for Martin has been 34-year-old Martin has raced at Daytona International Speedway 15 times eight times in the Daytona 500. He has never finished better than 21st in the 500 and has broke into the top 10 at the track Only once an eighth place Finis last july in the Pepsi 400, i m undefeated in my Road race cars at Daytona Martin s car owner Jack Roush said tuesday. But i Haven t been Able to get a smell with Winston cup last year Martin qualified fifth for the 500 but was caught up in the 14-car crash that ruined the chances of several competitive cars. T in late january when designed autographs at a motors ports Trade show in Valley forge pa., Martin had not been satisfied with his testing at Day Tona. He noted the fastest car does t always win Nasca events. That s a Comfort to me right now because we Don t have the fastest ear he said. Nasca racing has gotten More and More competitive All the for those who Don t consider race car Drivers athletes Martin offers a different look. A rigid fitness program has kept him trim and in shape with weigh training six Days a week during the of season four or five Day during the season. Being physically fit makes you better to do anything it might just be an advantage that someday could make a
