Irvan does justice to Allison

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- There was more than a touch of nostalgia Friday when Ernie Irvan took the pole for the DieHard 500 in a car bearing the number and colors of the late Davey Allison.

Allison, a local favorite from nearby Hueytown, Ala., died in July 1993 in a helicopter crash at Talladega Superspeedway. Irvan was the driver tapped by team owner Robert Yates to take the place of the budding superstar.

Now it's Irvin who will be gone at the end of the season, moving to another team after Yates decided not to renew his contract. He will be replaced in 1998 by rookie Kenny Irwin Jr.

In the meantime, Irvan, who survived near fatal injuries from a race car crash in August 1994, just continues to do his job, turning a lap of 193.271 mph on Friday.

That pushed John Andretti, the pole-winner in May's Winston 500 at Talladega, to the outside of the front row. Andretti was briefly on the top with a 193.166.

Asked how he feels about finishing out the string with Yates' team, Irvan said, ``I want to win these next four races. There's no doubt it pays more to win, and all the guys on this team want to do that.

``The car is a tribute to Davey Allison,'' he added. ``We remember him well and I really think everybody in the grandstands really loves to see this. ... It has a lot of significance to me. But, honestly, if the car was black or pink, I'm going to try as hard as I can.''

Yates, who still gets emotional when he talks about Allison, said he had to be talked into using the color scheme, blending white, red, black and gold, that Allison used when he won this race for his team in 1987.

``I had a tough time racing after all that happened with the 28 car,'' the owner said. ``But, as I talked to the fans at the shop and at the tracks, they actually talked me into it. Then I talked to Bobby Allison (Davey's father) and he was all for it. Now I'm glad we did it.''

The pole was Irvan's second of the year, his fifth at Talladega and the 19th of his career.

Jimmy Spencer, the 1994 race winner, was third at 192.777, while Jeff Burton gave Ford Thunderbirds a sweep of the top four spots with his 192.715.

Derrike Cope's Pontiac was next at 192.711, followed by defending Winston Cup champion Terry Labonte at 192.614, younger brother Bobby Labonte at 192.463, defending race winner and current points leader Jeff Gordon at 192.401, Rusty Wallace at 192.393 and, rounding out the top 10, Bill Elliott at 192.355.

Dale Earnhardt, who will try to end a 55-race winless string on Sunday, qualified 12th at 192.212, while Dale Jarrett, Irvan's teammate and third in the driver standings, was 18th at 191.677.

Mark Martin, the winner of the April race on the 2.66-mile, high-banked oval and runnerup in the driver standings, was the last of 47 drivers to make a qualifying attempt Friday and wound up a disappointing 30th at 190.442.

Among the other drivers who failed to lock in a starting spot by qualifying in the top 25 was Darrell Waltrip, who ended a string of 216 consecutive race starts last week at Charlotte when he was unable to make the field. Waltrip, 32nd at 190.147, will have to decide whether to stand on that lap or try again on Satuday in the second round of time trials.

The qualifying speeds were similar to those run in July 1996, the last time this race was held. NASCAR officials moved to race to the fall to get it out of the summer heat.

Jeremy Mayfield won the pole for the last DieHard 500 at 192.370. He was far off that pace Friday, qualifying a disappointing 32nd at 189.073.