It was thought last weekend that the Rosch Racing had a bad day at that office, with three out of a possible four engines blowing up � including that of championship contender Mark Martin, while Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon continued their march towards championship contention. But that was last week, this week it is the Hendrick Engine department having sleepless nights wondering what in the world could had gone wrong, as Gordon and Johnson�s chances of a championship may had gone out the window due to a mechanical snafu of Y2K proportions. The story of the caution-free EA Sports 500 is as follows�

TALLADEGA RECAP

First off, I believe that a lawsuit is in order to be filed against the EA people. They flat-out STOLE MY BEN-HUR (w/NASCAR templates v. chariots) PARODY!!!!! I�ll say it before, and will say it again � that was Jimmy Spencer in the original movie with the spiked lugnuts. Although (just as is the case now) Spencer didn�t win, he represented Rome well with his wicked driving taking out half the field. Charlton Heston had to be very steamed in the TV interview as he emerged from the Infield Care Center. And I still say the chariot scene was filmed at Martinsville Speedway (MGM claims that a stadium virtually had to be built for that).

Now on to the race, could anyone actually envision �the Big Wreck� occuring on THE PARADE LAP??? Well, that�s exactly what happens when Mark Martin has the steering lock up (while trying to warm up the tires), causing Martin�s car to veer to the left. Since Martin was starting second, with the field set on points due to qualifying being rained out, that sends the #6 directly into the left front fender of point leader Jimmy Johnson. NASCAR immediately black-flags Martin to come in (to get the steering fixed) while Crew Chief Chad Knaus lobbies to officials to delay the green flag so Johnson could come in to get his damage fixed � a plea that came to no avail. But considering the death sentence that would befell the Hendrick motors on this day, the incident turned-out to be irrelevant. Nonetheless, Johnson pits on the first lap � and like Martin would quickly be lapped. Also, the qualifying washout spelled doom to plate specialist Geoff Bodine � who did not enough owner points to make the field.

SHERYL CROW MAKES ANOTHER APPEARANCE

Jeff Gordon leads the early laps while Dale Jr. and Michael Waltrip move up from starting positions 13th and 15th to second and third in virtually no time. The front three drivers, along with Jeff Green and Rusty Wallace � form an early five car breakaway. Four other cars would eventually link with those five, and eventually the usual 40 car freight-train would form with virtually the entire field within two seconds of each other. Matt Kenseth would take a turn in the lead by Lap 15, with Dale Jr. taking control for the first time a few laps later. Ken Schrader, Ward Burton, Ricky Craven and Mike Skinner take turns in the top five while Dale Jarrett, Kurt Busch, and Bill Elliott all lag near the tail-end. Johnson is actually running strong and even gets on the tail-end of the lead lap for a while when Dale Jr. gets out of line. First round of pits (with the smaller fuel-tanks) occur on Lap 32, and it already becomes apparent that the likes of Craven and Bill Elliott are getting the worst mileage - while the DEI cars of Junior and Waltrip get the best mileage, as those two do not pit until Lap 38. That proves to be very significant since with 188 laps, those cars would be able to make it on only four stops should the entire race remain green. Also, most cars (as speculated) took on two tires on each stop. The only real casualty on this round would be Jamie McMurray in what would normally be Sterling Marlin�s #40 � who briefly stalls. Craven also drops to 17th after his pit.

The frequent pits achieve it�s goal of breaking up the field initially, but on most occasions the majority of the field would link up again within 5-6 laps. Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick all take turns in front � until the #8 and #15 decide to make their charge back to the front. Robby Gordon and even Brett Bodine are now making appearances in the top ten. Second round of stops: Craven 10.2, Elliott 9.1, K. Wallace with a stall, then a return trip to pit road. J. Burton 8.0, T. Bodine 11.1, Blaney 9.9, Rusty 10.0, W. Burton takes right-side tires for the second straight stop. Harvick 9.2, Jarrett 10.1 (a/p adjustment), J. Gordon and Stewart in on Lap 73. Stall on J. Gordon (11.1), DEI cars a lap later, Waltrip (w/slight fender damage) 9.4.

Ricky Rudd (normally not known for his plate racing) takes a turn in front as the #8 and #15 lag in the middle of the pack for a while. Jamie McMurray has recovered from his first-pit adventure and is now running in eighth, while the #8 and #15 make their way to the front by the halfway point (Lap 94) � although Jeff Gordon takes another turn in the lead at that point. Busch, Harvick, and Ward Burton all remain within striking distance. Craven, Elliott pit again on Lap 100, Kenseth Lap 103, McMurray Lap 105 (runs out of gas before getting to pit road), Ward Burton Lap 108 (chassis adjustment 10.4). Meanwhile Harvick runs out of gas on Turn 1 and ultimately loses two laps � finishing his chances at the win. Jeff Gordon 8.8 with the engine revving high, Newman 8.7. The #8 and #15 pit on Lap 112 � they will be able to make it on one more stop. Newman and Robbie Gordon become the 11th and 12th race leaders � as Tony Stewart suddenly makes an appearance in third. Then comes a huge development as Jeff Gordon drops off the pace with a broken valve spring and is done for the day � does anyone want the point title??? Kenseth (9.1), and Johnson (8.7) pit on Lap 137. Neither have a chance at making it till the end. Dave Blaney stalls on pit road while Ken Schrader reports losing a cylinder. Anyone want to guess the maker of Schrader�s engine??? Mike Wallace, Elliott Sadler, and Mark Martin all limp around after stretching the fuel too long � as Waltrip is now in front with 40 laps to go. Stewart (9.7) pits with 39 left, he should be able to make it. Kurt Busch�s crew claims to be one lap short. Disaster hits Waltrip on pit road as his tire is stuck over an air-hose � and the #15 is forced to back up before getting out � and is now stuck in 25th in the second pack of cars. Johnny Benson breaks a valve spring and is done, anyone want to guess his engine builder??? Todd Bodine, working on a top-ten day goes below the yellow line and gets a stop-and-go penalty. As the laps run down Junior is now in control, with Ricky Rudd still hanging around in third. Jimmy Johnson, Terry LaBonte, and Joe Nemechek all blow valve springs and have to call it a day. What else do those three have in common??? Rusty Wallace, Robby Gordon, Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett and Ward Burton are among the top drivers forced to come in the waning laps for a splash-and-go. Tony Stewart is now in second, and despite the possibility of a $250,000 bonus wisely elects to hold his position while Junior (with a No-Bull 5 $1,000,000 bonus on the line) has a clear path to his third career Talladega win.

Following Junior and Stewart were Ricky Rudd, Kurt Busch, and Jeff Green. Steve Park has his second best finish of the year in sixth, and was followed by Ryan Newman, Michael Waltrip (putting all three DEI cars in the top ten), Dale Jarrett, Ward Burton, Jeff Burton, Robby Gordon, Rusty Wallace, Matt Kenseth, and finally Ricky Craven to round out the top fifteen. Most of the top drivers (who didn�t blow up) seemed elated just to get their cars out of Alabama in one piece. Those not so fortunate include Bill Elliott (19th), Kevin Harvick (27th), Mark Martin (30th), Jimmie Johnson (37th), Terry LaBonte (38th), Joe Nemechek (39th), Johnny Benson (40th), Ken Schrader (41st), and Jeff Gordon (42nd).

Notice that all four Hendrick drivers were included in the 37-42 group. The Pontiacs of Benson and Schrader also employ Hendrick-powered engines. That made it a perfect six-for-six out of the Hendrick stable, all with virtually the same problem � broken valve springs. Appearantly all the Hendrick machines were running great in practice, so much so that DEI and RCR were considering making changes to their valve springs on Saturday night. However, those two teams stayed with their conservative set-ups, a non-move that paid dividends. Heads have to be rolling at the Hendrick shop this week, as someone definitely wishes a problem with just one of the machines could had occurred in Happy Hour so they could have had a clue�

Besides Junior, Tony Stewart comes out of the weekend as a huge winner. A victim of bad luck in all three previous plate races � Stewart comes out of what he himself termed �our wild-card race� with the points lead for the first time in his career, and actually by a decent margain. Stewart leads by 72 points over Mark Martin and 82 over Jimmie Johnson. Ryan Newman is the other big-mover of the weekend, as he surges into fourth 137 points out, with teammate Rusty Wallace at �147. Rounding out the top ten are Jeff Gordon (-201, ouch), Matt Kenseth (-201), Bill Elliott (-229), Ricky Rudd (-246), and Sterling Marlin. Now for some interesting notes: Stewart was 301 points out just after ten races this year, Newman was 427 points out as recently as six races ago. Tony would be up by 200 points plus without the first three plate races. And one more point to ponder � upcoming races include Charlotte, Martinsville, Atlanta, and Rockingham � Tony has enjoyed tremendous success at each.

COSMIC LATTE

My favorite part of NASCAR occurred before practice last Friday, when inspectors go on the prowl and seize any parts that aren�t exactly up to specifications. Sounds like a job for either the Men in Black or the ATF. By far the biggest penalty was given to Rusty Wallace for �an unapproved spoiler� � a violation that costs 25 driver points, 25 owner points, and $25,000 � and increases Rusty�s deficit to Tony Stewart to 172 points. Jimmie Johnson was the other contender to be docked since NASCAR decided to start making point deductions back in July. Look for Tony Stewart to get a similar deduction for a nickel-and-dime violation before the season ends just to even everything out.

The issue of safety returns to the forefront in the aftermath of Sterling Marlin�s Kansas crash. Reportedly, Marlin was wearing the cheaper ($300-$400) Hutchens device while others (Bobby Hamilton in particular) were urging him to use the HANS device ($900+). Marlin went to the HANS device for one race after the Richmond crash, but went back to the Hutchens due to soreness Marlin was still having from Richmond. Considering that it was the C-2 vertebrae (second from the brain stem, �hangman�s fracture�) that was cracked it was definitely a good thing that this wasn�t two or more years ago (w/no device) � otherwise the results most likely would had been tragic.

Marlin�s absence creates an opening in the KAC Top Twenty rankings which are as follows�

1. (1) Stewart (+2), 2. (3) Johnson (+2), 3. (4) Newman (-2), 4. (7) J. Gordon (-2), 5. (6) Kenseth, 6.(5) Wallace (+3), 7. (2) Martin (-1), 8. (11) Busch (+3), 9. (8) Elliott (-1), 10. (12) Jarrett, 11. (13) Dale Jr. (+2), 12. (9) Rudd (+2), 13. (14) J. Burton (+2), 14. (22) Harvick (-2), 15. (15) Waltrip (+2), 16. (16) Craven, 17. (17) Green (+2), 18. (19) R. Gordon (+2), 19. (18) B. LaBonte (-1), 20. (20) Blaney (NR)

Dropped out: Marlin

It appears it�s really going to happen, and will be announced pre-race on Sunday � the #2 and #12 are headed to Dodge. That would definitely make Newman and Rusty Dodge�s highest profile drivers, even ahead of Bill Elliott and Marlin. Don�t completely understand the move, it�s not like the Penske drivers have exactly been struggling this year. And just when Newman finally had the Ford engines figured out � look for an adjustment period for both drivers early next season. One Dodge driver who may not be back in �03 is Casey Atwood � who is still looking for his first top ten of the season. Not helping matters is that car owner Jim Smith and partners were recently charged with 17 counts of hazardous waste dumping at the team�s plant in California (and the consequences may be more than a slap on the wrist). As far as Atwood (who�s still only 22) is concerned, he has hinted that he might be better off in the Busch Series next season.

CHARLOTTE PREVIEW

You're sure to hear someone in the news department for the local fishwraps renew his call for the banishment of stock car racing after the reaper struck Lowe�s Motor Speedway for a second straight year with the precluding ARCA series when a driver wrecked in Turn 4, had just enough time to radio the crew (said �I�m alright�) before tragically being plowed driver-side by a second car, killing the first driver instantly due to massive internal injuries. It was estimated that it was somewhere between 10-15 seconds between the first crash and second � which should had given the second driver up to a � lap warning. According to the wire story � many spotters in the ARCA series have to work on top of infield trailers instead of the press box roof. Another lesson to be taken from this was that both drivers involved were wearing the HANS, proving that the device is not foolproof, especially on a devastating T-Bone hit on a stopped car, as was the case in this incident.

As for the cup race itself, Sterling Marlin will not be able to defend last year�s win in this event. To go straight to my (and I mean straight) recap of Mark Martin�s win in the Spring race click here. This list of contenders is as follows�

Jimmie Johnson � JimmieJohn was nothing short of dominating back in May, and only a couple of pitstop mishaps stopped him from a 600 victory. Look for him to bounce back big this week.

Jeff Gordon � Had one of his best first-half runs with a fifth in May. I also expect the Hendrick motor problems to be rectified.

Matt Kenseth � His year has been nothing short of sensational with four wins. The 600 could very well had been #5 had he been able to pass teammate Mark Martin in the waning laps. Personally, (this is only opinion) I still feel Kenseth was content to take second to allow Martin to take the million dollar bonus (which makes total sense), a thoery both drivers and anyone else within Rosch Racing wisely deny. Still Kenseth had the best car next to Johnson that day.

Mark Martin � Whether Kenseth had the ability to pass the #6 in May is mostly irrelevant. The win gave Martin seven top-fives in his last nine races at Lowe�s making him a prime contender this week.

Ryan Newman � Blew up early as he was still in the process of learning the art of mastering his equipment. The #12 has had no such problems since late-summer.

Tony Stewart � This is his chance to take the points race by the throat. You may see more points racing as opposed to going for wins, but again just think of the advantage the #20 would had if not for the misfortune of the first three plate races.

Ricky Rudd � Coming off one of his best plate runs in recent memory, Rudd finished fourth in the May race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. � Look great for half the Spring race, then brushed the wall leaving him toe out � and the motor would eventually expire. That was part of an awful late-Spring slump for the #8, I would expect a top ten this time around.

Jeff Burton � Another motor casualty in the Spring event, in which the #99 won in 1999 and �01. Burton has shown signs of life lately, including a strong run at Kansas until the motor got over-extended. It is possible that the strategy right now could be to use the balance of the season as an extended session � but don�t be surprised if Jeff contends here or in Phoenix next month.

DARK HORSES

Ricky Craven � A season best third back in May.

Robby Gordon � Has finished 21st or better in 11 of his last 13 outings. Will not win, but is having some nice runs.

Bill Elliott � Finished ninth in the Spring, but the Dodges have not been running well (best finish was 10th at Talladega), a problem magnified even more with the absence of Marlin.

Kevin Harvick � Was still in his first half slump and finished 34th in May, but I�m liking RCR�s program right now.

Jeff Green � Top 20�s in 12 of his last 16 outings, including five top tens� � another RCR driver you will hear from.

Dale Jarrett � Without the #88 in the title picture, Jarrett may also be in the extended testing session mode.

Michael Waltrip � Returns to the mode of strong qualifying, but not necessarily a strong finish this week � although the #15 qualified 11th and finished eighth in the spring.

Jamie McMurray � Except for the pit snafus accounted for himself very well in his Cup debut. Could very well surprise with a strong finish.

Bobby Hamilton � Not a contender, just noting that he is slated to return from injury into the #55 car this week, although Greg Biffle will be on standby.

My top twenty for the week is as follows�

1. Johnson, 2. Martin, 3. Gordon, 4. Stewart, 5. Kenseth, 6. Newman, 7. Wallace, 8. Dale Jr., 9. Jarrett, 10. Rudd, 11. Busch, 12. J. Burton, 13. Harvick, 14. Green, 15. R. Gordon, 16. Craven, 17. Elliott, 18. Waltirp, 19. B. LaBonte, 20. McMurray

ANDY HOUSTON AWARD

I could give this award to Jay Sauter, but he is just a veteran grinder trying to get a foot in the door with an under-funded team. The second driver of the event was Jeff Gordon, leading a parade of six Hendrick drivers to the garage with valve train problems � thus Gordon, along with the other member of the Hendrick motor brigade get the award.