GM - UAW 500
Concord, NC, October 11th, 1999
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GM - UAW 500 |
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For only the second time since it was built in 1960, CMS/LMS was rained out on the Sunday, and run on Monday. FOUR INCHES of rain! Guess THAT woulda cleaned the track!!
To TBS' everlasting credit, they hung in, and put on the race LIVE in its entirety on Monday. A call to Allen Bestwick - he did one of the better jobs I've heard recently in calling the race. Ken Squier was tucked away safe and sound, where he could walk thru a couple scripted items during the race... and TBS seemed to actually be aware of on-track events; I even got the impression they delayed a couple breaks until situations on the track got sorted out. Overall one of the better productions this year.
Of course, with the Canadian Thanksgiving and our 30th wedding anniversary coinciding, this was another "Tape it and Watch it Later" event. Combine that with the fact I needed to be in Dee-troit on Tuesday morning, and I think I've set a new standard of tardiness with this report. My reader base has gone up 50% over past several months, so I must apologize to ALL THREE of you for the delay getting this out...
Watched the qualifying Wednesday night. Bobby Labonte grabbed the pole, with Rusty Wallacw lined up on the outside. In Row Two were Andretti and Martin, then Stewart, Ward Burton, Spencer, Mast, Jarrett, Nadeau, Kenny Wallace and Mike Skinner completing the Top Twelve. Terry Labonte was 13th, Earnhardt 17th, and Gordon an uncharacteristic 22nd. Jeff Burton had problems, and ended up First Provisional, in 37th. Derricke Cope was back, putting the Fenley-Moore #15 car in the show in a respectable 24th place. Pre-RotY candidate Matt Kenseth had the DeWalt car in the field, in 27th.
Seven drivers had to sit this one out. On the sidelines were Berrier, Marcis, Bradberry, Stricklin, Hillenberg, Jones and Darrell Waltrip(!).
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On the next lap, Bobby Labonte took the lead from Wallace, and Martin took over third place from Andretti, and the field began to string out.
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All the leaders pitted, and first out, on two fresh tires, was Ward Burton, then Labonte, Martin and Rusty Wallace. They all lined up, however, behind Chad Little, who was picked up by the pace car, on the tail end of the lead lap. The green flew on Lap 21, with Chad desperately tryin' to keep everyone behind him until the next yellow. Ward Burton's two-tire ploy proved inadvisable, as he was quickly overrun by Labonte, Wallace, Martin and Andretti on the first greenflag lap. But it did help Chad get a little breathin' room as they worked by the CAT car...
Nine laps later, the John Deere car was still fendin' the leaders off, as they fought each other for the chance to lap it. Finally, around Lap 34, Martin lapped the Deere Taurus, and Ward Burton had dropped to tenth place. Top Twelve running order on Lap 43 was Martin, Wallace, Andretti, Bobby Labonte, Skinner, Mayfield, Jarrett, Gordon, Stewart, Park, Ward Burton and Rick Mast. Earnhardt was fifteenth, and there were 41 cars on the lead lap, with Martin just gettin' into lapped traffic. Wallace began to slide back and by Lap 54, was in fifth.
Ten laps later, Labonte was by Andretti into second, Jarrett had passed Wallace, and Wallace had Mayfield all over him for sixth place. Lap 66 saw Mayfield get under his team mate and take the spot.
By Lap 79, in spite of his run-in with Kenseth, Jeff Burton was on the radar screen, running in ninth place, threatening Gordon in eighth. Martin was still out front, but Jarrett had settled into second, then Andretti, Mayfield, Skinner, Bobby Labonte and Wallace filled out the spots in front of Gordon. Due to the long green flag run we were into, several good cars were down a lap, and there were but 34 left on the lead lap.
The first round of green flag stops began around Lap 86, with the Penske-Haas cars of Wallace and Mayfield - the latter out of gas - among the first of the leaders in. The next lap saw Jarrett and Andretti wheel onto pit road as well. Two laps later, Martin and Labonte were in, and Skinner took over the lead. By Lap 99, all the lead cars had cycled thru, and Jarrett had a comfy second or two on Labonte, with Wallace third, then Martin, Andretti, Mayfield, Gordon, Skinner, Jeff Burton, Park, Earnhardt, and Ward Burton completing the top twelve. Twenty-four cars were still on the lead lap.
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Just past halfway (the "Hallejulia Lap" as Allen and Buddy called it...), after the pits had settled down, around Lap 170, we had but thirteen cars stil on the lead lap. Bobby Labonte was out front, with Jarrett, Wallace, Mayfield, Skinner, Gordon, Martin, Ward Burton, Park, Earnhardt, Andretti, Jeff Burton and Hamilton makin' up the rest of the lead lap contingent. Bobby was all over Hamilton, tryin' to lap him, and Nemechek, in 14th, was the first car down a lap. Labonte then began to methodically mow down the tail-enders, taking Hamilton around Lap 183, then Andretti, then Earnhardt and Jeff Burton, by Lap 187. This left nine cars on the lead lap by Lap 190. During this mop-up exercise, Labonte also extended his lead over Jarrett, bein' almost 8 seconds out front by Lap 195, as Jarrett's car had loosened up under the long green run.
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When the green flew again on Lap 203, it was still Labonte out front, followed by Jarrett. Gordon, with a strong performance from "Whitesell's Warriors", came out third, then Skinner and Mayfield rounded out the top five. Lots of action up front, as Gordon challenged Jarrett immediately for second, took it and went after Labonte. Gordon got under him, takin' the lead, while in the confusion behind, Skinner, Mayfield and Wallace pushed Jarrett back to sixth. Skinner and Mayfield were able to keep the momentum, passing Labonte for second and third, as Labonte had trouble stayin' low to protect the bottom thru the corners. The GREAT RACIN' continued, as Skinner then pulled by Gordon, bringin' Mayfield with him! Behind them Wallace got under and by Labonte. Things then settled down a bit, and on Lap 209, Skinner was leadin' ten cars left on the lead lap. Mayfield was second, then Gordon, Wallace, Labonte, Jarrett, Ward Burton, Park, Martin and Nemechek rounded out the lead lap cars. Lepage was in 11th, down a lap, followed by Earnhardt, Bodine, Elliott and Andretti.
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Position swappin' continued, as Park got by Wallace, then Jarrett pushed Rusty back to ninth place. Lap 235 had Gordon and Labonte move up to second and third, as Mayfield chased the MOBIL I Taurus up the hill...
By Lap 249, we were back to nine on the lead lap, as Nemechek had been dispatched, and Skinner was out by a second on Gordon, Labonte, Mayfield, Ward Burton, Martin, Park and Wallace. Down a lap, in 10th, was Lepage, then Geoffrey Bodine, Elliott, Earnhardt, Benson and Nemechek rounded out the top fifteen.
Lap 267, and we were into another round of green-flag stops, the last of the day if there were to be no yellows. Lap 267 saw Wallace in, followed a lap later by team mate Mayfield.
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| gets inside... |
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Almost as an afterthought, Bobby Labonte was in right after them...
So, once again, when all had calmed, Gordon was out front, with Labonte second and closin', and a probably-fuming Skinner third. Labonte closed on, and got under, Gordon, allowing Mike to close up, and suddenly, on Lap 276, Bobby 'n Mike were by Jeff, and all his pit road shenanigans were irrelevent. Gordon and Skinner then put on a Hell of a Show, as they fought, in traffic, for second place. Skinner, using the lapped car of Andretti, as a block, was finally able to nail down the spot. Lead Lap running order on Lap 280 was Labonte - out front over a second, Skinner, Gordon, Ward Burton, Martin, Mayfield, Wallace, Jarrett and Park. Still in 10th, down a lap, was Lepage, followed by Bodine, Elliott, Nemechek, Earnhardt, and Andretti.
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| on the high side... |
Thirteen to go, and Gordon continued to close, as Labonte got balked in traffic (Little...) Gordon, sensing an opportunity, hung it out, nearly clippin' the wall with 11 to go, as he stalked the INTERSTATE car.
Nine to go, and Gordon was within a half-dozen carlengths.
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But Gordon did not have clear sailin' as he now got into traffic, and Labonte closed. With 4 to go, however, Bobby's tires were done, and he was merely able to hold his position, watchin' Gordon take the chequered a half-dozen or so carlengths in front of him. Hadda be frustratin'!!
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So Gordon, with his 49th win, ties himself with Rusty Wallace for tenth on the all-time winners list. Finishing behind him, on the lead lap, were Labonte, Skinner, Martin, Ward Burton, Mayfield and Jarrett. In eighth, down a lap, was Wallace, then Lepage, Park and Elliott made up the Top Twelve finishers. Earnhardt came home thirteenth, Stewart twentieth, and Jeff Burton ended up right where he started, in 37th.
Stewart and Burton took big hits in the Points Thang, allowin' Gordon by them, into fourth. Jarrett, hangin' in, is still the leader, by 222 over Labonte, and did what he needed this day to get that Championship in November. Martin is third, then Gordon, Stewart, Jeff Burton, Earnhardt, Wallace, Skinner and Ward Burton round out the Top Ten.
For a race that took forever to get started, and was a bit of a yawner thru the first half, the last half provided lots of good, edge-of-the-seat stuff!
Next week, we're in Talledega. Flat out pedal-to-the-metal, balls-in-a-wheelbarrow racin'. Will the Gordon/Whitesell juggernaut keep rollin?
Know what would be REAL COOL??? Gordon and Wallace, tied with 49 wins each, screamin' down the backstretch into Turn Three on the last lap, side-by-side, for the win... Rusty inside... into Turn Four... I get palpitations jest thinkin' about it!
See y'all there... From My
Couch!!
"Mr. NASCAR" |