NASCAR set to begin new racing season

by Laura Casamento assistant sports editor

It has been hailed as the "most watched sport in America." It has amassed a faithful following of fans of all ages. Its official Internet home page has been accessed 7,299 times and counting. And no, it is not football. It is NASCAR.

Due to constant television coverage and heavy advertising, NASCAR racing has become wildly popular in recent years, and with its 1997 inaugural race, the Daytona 500, kicking off the season on Sunday, Feb.16, the excitement is reaching fever pitch.

On Sunday, Feb. 9, the Busch Clash, a season-opening exhibition race which pits all 14 of last year's pole winners against each other, was held at Daytona International Speedway in Florida.

In the Clash, each car races in two 10-lap segments. Between the segments, a "caution" period is in effect, in which the laps completed do not count and the drivers may remain in the pits for two laps if necessary.

The driver with the fastest time wins the race as well as the $50,000 prize.

This year's Clash was won by Jeff Gordon, who drives the rainbow-colored, No. 24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo sponsored by DuPont Racing.

Although he started last in the 14-car field, he wound up beating Rusty Wallace's Ford Thunderbird, which is sponsored by Miller Racing and runs under the No. 2, by .130 seconds, or almost two car lengths.

Gordan, who is viewed as a heavy contender for the Wiston Cup, averaged 188.376 mph during the 20-lap race.

The victory is Gordon's second in the Clash. Wallace finished second, and Dale Earnhardt, driving the No. 3 Goodwrench Ford, finished third, thwarting his hopes for a seventh Clash title.

Terry Labonte, driver of the Kellogg's Chevrolet, collected $30,000 for winning the first 10lap segment, but finished sixth overall.

Next week, the drivers will compete in the first race of the Winston Cup series. The series, which consists of 32 Sunday races, takes place at tracks across America, including Dover Downs International Speedway in Delaware and the Pocono Raceway.

Drivers are awarded points depending on their performance in the races, with the Cup going to the driver amassing the most points.

The 1996 Winston Cup was won by Labonte, who narrowly defeated the 1995 champion Gordon by a margin of only 37 points.

This year's Daytona 500 pole was awarded to rookie Mike Skinner, who drives the No. 31 Chevrolet sponsored by Lowe's Hardware Stores. Another time trials, four more will be given to provisional starters based on the performances of last year's races, and one position will be held open for former Winston Cup champions who fail to qualify.

Chevrolet, a Monte Carlo driven by Steve Grissom, won a spot on the outside of the first row. Skinner and Grissom are the only two drivers to clinch starting positions in the 500. Positions three through 30 will be determined by two 125rnile races on Thursday, Feb. 20.

Eight spots behind those will revert to the speeds from the

Daytona International Speedway houses a 2.5rnile long track on which the drivers typically approach 190 miles per hour. Drivers must complete 200 laps around the track in order to be in contention for the Winston Cup championship. Last year's Daytona winner was Dale Jarrett, driver of the Quality Care Ford.

In addition to hosting this weekend's race, the Speedway will welcome drivers on Sunday, July 6. The next race in the series is the Goodwrench 500, which will take place Sunday, Feb 23 at the North Carolina Motor Speedway.