KURT BUSCH
SPINS & WINS
OLD DOMINION 500
Martinsville, VA - After starting 36th and experiencing a 360 degree turn, no one would have expected Kurt Busch to bring the #97 Rubbermaid Ford to Victory Lane. But despite these set backs, Kurt did just that. It wasn't until lap 389 when Kurt finally took the lead and then fought off a strong charge by Johnny Benson in the #10 Valvoline Pontiac to win the 32nd race of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup season. Kurt has also propelled himself from 12th to 7th in the Championship Point Standings.
There were no major shake-ups in the top 5 positions of the standings. Rusty Wallace leap-frogged over Ryan Newman, but Tony Stewart stayed in 1st place with Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin remaining in 2nd and 3rd.
The biggest disappointment of the day had to belong to Jeff Gordon. He was not happy with the change in the track surface and his car could never quite get a grip. Then, on lap 251, the #24 Dupont Chevrolet tangled with the #99 Citgo Ford of Jeff Burton. Gordon struck the wall and was forced to pit while the remainder of the field continued under the green flag. Jeff ended up 3 laps down. His run of back luck continues and this may have cost him the championship for this year.
Some of the different drivers to lead the race included Johnny Benson in the #10 Valvoline Pontiac, Dave Blaney in the #77 Jasper Engines Ford, Ward Burton in the #22 Caterpillar Dodge, Ricky Craven in the #32 Tide Ford, Tony Stewart in the #20 Home Depot Pontiac, and Rusty Wallace in the #2 Miller Lite Ford.
But the best come back of the day belonged to Ricky Rudd in the #28 Havoline Ford. Ricky went 2 laps down on lap 6 due to a flat tire. He powered his way back to the lead lap and finished the race in 3rd place.
Do you think the new surface affected the race? Email us with your thoughts on the race.
Article by S. Kipple
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