LAS VEGAS, NV -- A disappointing qualifying run put David Starr in a bad position - 29th in the field of 36 starters for the Orleans 150.

"For some reason I don't seem to qualify well at Las Vegas Motor Speedway," Starr said, referring to his 30th starting spot at the track last November. I knew that when the race started I needed to be aggressive and move up through the field quickly but was probably too aggressive at the start," he admitted.

"On lap nine I got under somebody and we touched. I don't know if I drifted up or his spotter didn't tell him I was underneath and he came down. I guess it doesn't matter now. Anyway, we banged and my right front fender was pushed into the tire.

"A caution came out on the next lap and we chose not to come in," Starr explained. "The car still felt good and in the dark the spotter couldn't see if we had any damage. I had passed eight or nine cars and hated to give up the spots by coming into the pits. It was a bad decision and we learned a real lesson tonight; if we've been in a tangle and the caution flag comes out we should always come into the pits.

"Anyway, to make a long story short, there was damage and my Big Daddy's BBQ Sauces Chevrolet pushed up to the wall in the first turn. I thought at the time I didn't clean the tires real well, but in the third turn it did it again and the tire exploded," Starr explained.

When it blew, the tire sent the No. 35 Monte Carlo into the wall resulting in a bent lower ball-joint and tie-rod.

"We probably could have fixed it and gone out again," Starr claimed, "But there was no reason to. We would have just been in everyone's way." Official results listed him out of the race with a handling problem.

Starr completed 25 laps and was credited with a 32nd place finish. He earned $1350 for the short night. Jerry Nadeau, a Winston Cup regular, won the event from the pole position.

"This was a tough night for the team since we were trying to impress the folks from Big Daddy's BBQ Sauces," Starr explained. "This was a one-race deal although they said that if we ran well they may be interested in working together this season. Hopefully they will understand that this was just one of those racing deals."

Starr is also driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. For more information, visit his web site at www.davidstarr.com. Information about Big Daddy's BBQ Sauces may be found on the Internet at www.bigdaddysbbq.com.

Source: Clark Racing
Posted: 3/9/99