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NASCAR: Winston 500 Report (Start)

10 May 1997

TALLADEGA, AL -- After being rained out two days in a row and a quick
trip to Sonoma, CA, the NASCAR Winston Cup series is finally ready to
put The Winston 500 into the record books.

The field of 43 cars was set after one round of qualifying held
Friday, April 25th with John Andretti recording the fastest time of
193.627 mph. Bobby Hillin is starting alongside Andreeti while Dale
Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace share the second row.

Joe Nemechek is behind the wheel of the #40 Coors Light Chevrolet in
place of teammate Robby Gordon. Gordon is at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway attempting to qualify for this year's Indy 500. Nemechek will
drop back to the end of the field from the original 32nd starting
position.

Jeff Burton had to go to a back up car after NASAR found the roof
flaps to be in the wrong position on his primary car. He will also
fall to the rear of the field.

The race is scheduled for 188 laps around this 2.66-mile monster
superspeeday.  Bill Elliott set the 500-mile race record average speed
of 186.288 mph back on May 5, 1985.

The field circles the track in parade-lap formation. Geoff Bodine
comes down pit road. There were a couple of right side lug nuts loose
and there was a tire vibration. The crew fixes the problem and Bodine
goes back on the track.

The green is waved off for a lap for debris on the track. One more
pace lap and Green flag!!

Rusty immediately moves to the bottom of the track in front of
Earnhardt to take second before they reach turn one.

Andretti gets the jump on Hillin to take first and Hillin is back to
fifth.

The front four are nose-to-tail: Andretti, RWallace, Earnhardt,
Skinner.

Hillin continues to lose positions.

Irvan moves into fifth. Then it's Jarrett with BLabonte and Jeff
Gordon side by side for sixth.

BLabonte gets the advantage and takes the position.

Lap 2: Andretti, RWallace, Earnhardt, Skinner, Jarrett, BLabonte,
Schrader, Elliott

Gordon slips back out of the top ten.

Earnhardt looks inside of RWallace and takes second in the tri-oval,
Skinner moves into third.

Four wide on the backstretch. Schrader, RWallace, Jarrett and
Sterling. Sterling passes them all for fifth. Rusty goes backwards.

Sterling passes Irvan for fourth and Schrader comes with him.

JBurton is up to 17th from his 43rd place starting position.

Lap 10: Petty is off the pace. He's coasting down the backstraight
trying to make it back to the garage.

Lap 10: Andretti, Earnhardt, Skinner, Marlin, Schrader, Irvan

Mike Snow -- The Auto Channel