Winston Cup Could Fill Saugus to Brim

The NASCAR Winston Cup runneth over with famous drivers, and eight are scheduled to spill onto the track tonight at Saugus Speedway as the Race of Champions makes its only Southern California appearance of a seven-month, 30-city tour.

The Winston Cup drivers--Davey Allison, Rusty Wallace, Geoff Bodine, Michael Waltrip, Derrick Cope, Rick Wilson, Joe Ruttman and Willy T. Ribbs--will team with eight Saugus Modified division drivers in twin main events. The Winston Cup racers will compete in a 30-lap race then toss the car keys to the hometown favorites for another 30-lap race. The winning team will be determined by a compilation of points.

“This gives us a chance to get away from some of the other grinds of racing and gives us a chance to meet new fans,” Wallace said.

With a 90-minute autograph session scheduled before the races, as well as Street Stock oval and figure 8 main events, a train race and the parade and judging of Saugus’ annual “Hot Boat” night, the evening figures to be the biggest of the season for the one-third-mile oval track.

“I hope so,” Saugus promoter Ray Wilkings said. “I’d be happy if we get 5,000 fans, and everybody tells me we will.”

Wilkings isn’t the only one excited about the program.

“I’m pretty cranked up about getting out there,” Wallace said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Wallace, the current NASCAR Winston Cup points leader, has really been enjoying himself this season. He won the Budweiser 400 at Riverside International Raceway in June and the Michigan 400 two weeks later. Wallace has raced at Saugus once--in 1979.

“I remember it was real hard on brakes and really super flat,” he said. “I’m excited about it. I like short tracks. They’re what I cut my teeth on and I feel I do pretty good. I just love the real close racing.”

Waltrip, younger brother of former Winston Cup champion Darrell Waltrip, has won three of six races on the tour. Allison, son of NASCAR star Bobby Allison, and Bodine each have won once. Ruttman is the Race of Champions’ two-time defending champion.

Saugus drivers will be Dan Press, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ken Sapper, Bob Lyon, Mark Perry, Chuck Pittinger, Charlie Saied and Glen Cummings. Hornaday is the defending track champion and Cummings is the current points leader.

The Winston Cup drivers will arrive in the late afternoon and will be paired with their Saugus partners based on who best fits into whose car.

“We don’t know who will be with who yet,” Wilkings said. “Geoff Bodine is a little short guy, so he might be with Dan Press. It’s whoever can reach the pedals.

“This is more of a show than anything else. It’s an opportunity for the fans to see some big racers up close. They don’t really get that chance at Riverside.”

The tour, which began in North Carolina in May and ends in Hawaii in November, with an additional show in Australia in December, is just heating up. “This is the real meat of the tour,” promoter Terry Taylor said. “This is when we have most of our shows.”

The Winston Cup drivers will race 11 times in nine days. They raced Friday in Augusta, Ga. and the tour continues in Kalispell, Mont., on Sunday. Other shows include Grass Valley, Calif., on Tuesday; Spokane, Wash., on Wednesday; Roseburg, Ore., on Thursday; Lee, N.H., on Friday and Jamestown, N.Y. on Saturday.