Daytona report

EARNHARDT WINS 26TH AT DAYTONA; CAUDILL WINS 3RD FLORIDA 200

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Former NASCAR Goody's Dash Series champion Larry Caudill of North Wilkesboro, N.C., won his third edition of the Florida 200 for the sub-compact, four-cylinder stock cars. In the Florida 200, Caudill dodged an accident between leaders Will Hobgood and Ed Howell with less than 15 laps remaining by taking to the grass in the trioval; then averaged 130.222 mph in his Husqvarna Dodge Daytona to finish .10-seconds ahead of George Crenshaw's Campbell's Soup Pontiac Sunfire. Crenshaw admitted he might have unintentionally caused the accident in which Howell claimed he was "hit from behind" coming off Turn Four, at which point he knocked Hobgood into the wall, then ricocheted off and collected an innocent Dan Pardus, who had also taken to the trioval grass to miss the incident. 17-year-olds B.J. Mackey and Lyndon Amick finished third and fourth, and Robert Huffman rounded out the top five. The Goody's 300 race for the NASCAR Busch Series will be held on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Reserved Grandstand Tickets are available. A 45-car field is ready to start the race, with Michael Waltrip sitting on the pole in the Pennzoil Pontiac. For information call 904-253-7223.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The results of the 17th Florida 200 NASCAR Goody's Dash Series stock car race held Saturday at the 2.5- mile Daytona International Speedway, listing finishing position, driver, car and laps completed (reason out): 1. Larry Caudill, Dodge, 80 2. George Crenshaw, Pontiac, 80 3. B.J. Mackey, Chevrolet, 80 4. Lyndon Amick, Pontiac, 80 5. Robert Huffman, Pontiac, 80 6. Keith Longmire, Pontiac, 80 7. Dave Stacy, Ford, 79 8. Fleet Crews, Chevrolet, 79 9. Donnie Neuenberger, Chevrolet, 79 10. David Probst, Chevrolet, 78 11. Mike Kelley, Chevrolet, 78 12. Davis Myers, Pontiac, 78 13. Johnny Smith, Pontiac, 78 14. Duaine Haines, Chevrolet, 77 15. Karl Jennings, Chevrolet, 76 16. Pat Sullivan, Chevrolet, 75 17. Carl Horton, Pontiac, 75 18. Danny Snell, Ford, 73 19. Darryl Murray, Ford, 67 20. Todd Hawkes, Ford, 66 (engine) 21. Carroll Jenkins, Chevrolet, 59 (engine) 22. Will Hobgood, Pontiac, 56 (accident) 23. Ed Howell, Dodge, 56 (accident) 24. Dan Pardus, Pontiac, 56 (accident) 25. Ron Eden, Chevrolet, 55 (engine) 26. Barry Fitzgerald, Chevrolet, 52 27. David Hutto, Pontiac, 48 (accident) 28. Danny Bagwell, Ford, 45 (engine) 29. Donny Duchesne, Pontiac, 45 (overheating) 30. Jim Safford, Chevrolet, 45 (oil leak) 31. Scott Weaver, Pontiac, 43 (oil leak) 32. Junior Miller, Chevrolet, 38 (engine) 33. Mickey York, Pontiac, 26 (engine) 34. Paul Carr, Pontiac, 22 (engine) 35. Shane Jenkins, Chevrolet, 17 (engine) 36. Darrell Basham, Chevrolet, 17 (rear end) 37. Doug Thompson, Ford, 17 (brakes) 38. Gary Moore, Chevrolet, 13 (engine) 39. Maxie Bush, Ford, 10 (engine) 40. Monte Klein, Pontiac, 8 (exhaust) 41. Sonny Yokum, Pontiac, 6 (transmission) 42. Charles Guest, Pontiac, 6 (engine)

POST-RACE NOTES

LARRY CAUDILL (#12 Husqvarna Dodge) -- (Two-time Goody's Dash Series champion, 31st Goody's Dash Series victory; 3rd Florida 200 victory) -- Oh, man, it was my wildest dream to get back here to Victory Lane. It's been since 1988 that I've been here. I won in '87 and then in '88. I need to thank Husqvarna, Massey Chrysler- Plymouth in Daytona Beach, Goody's Gatorade and the company I work for, Racing Radios. The crew did a great job. the car didn't miss a beat. There were no problems with the car, just a couple of goofs by me. This is the 31st win I've had in a Dash car and it's the sweetest.

I knew the way the cars were running that we were going to get caught up in something. I knew somebody had to screw up. I backed off a few times realizing that we weren't going to win on that lap and that I needed to wait a while. When the calamity in turn four started, I tried to turn it down pit road and that may have been the smartest move of the day.