RUSTY'S DROUGHT DEMOLISHED

Martinsville, VA: Just when it seemed that an endless amount of time had been spent on speculating when Rusty Wallace would win again, he puts a halt on the doubts and takes the checkered flag at the Advanced Auto Parts 500. After he had spent most of the day in the top 10, it didn't seem that Rusty quite had the car to capture the victory. But as the final 38 nail biting laps ticked by, we all felt the relief as Rusty crossed the finish line slightly ahead of Bobby Labonte. Now, Rusty can relax as commentators turn their attention to another driver's woes. Congratulations to Rusty and the #2 Miller Lite crew on an exciting finish and move back into the top 10 in points.

Ever the gentleman, Bobby Labonte quietly made his way to the front. He didn't lead a lap, but he kept us on the edge of our seats as he pursued Rusty, coming closer and closer to the lead in the final laps. He had been having some difficulty with the car about midway through the race. Car Chief Scott Zipadelli rushed over to turn 3 and as Bobby called out "NOW", when the problem occurred, he determined what it could be. He reported his findings to Crew Chief Fatback McSwain and the decision was made to make some adjustments to the air pressure in the tires. Problem solved. Bobby quickly made his way into the top 10 and began his trek to the front. The #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet finished 2nd.

Coming in 3rd, Dale Earnhardt, Jr was not satisfied with another top 5 finish, even though it pushed him into the lead in Championship points. The #8 Budweiser Chevrolet had led the race and may have had a shot to win. However, at the end of the race, he fell back and could not make it to the front again.

When Jimmie Johnson made the decision not to pit at the caution on lap 415, he effectively threw away his chance for victory. He had shown that he had a formidable car throughout the race, but he could not stay in the lead with the worn tires. He did make a valiant effort to block Rusty, but could not keep him back for long. The #48 Lowes Chevrolet finished 4th.

Ryan Newman had a finicky day. On 2 occasions, he and Crew Chief, Matt Borland, decided to take 2 tires for track position. Unfortunately, that tactic did not work for long. He soon found himself sliding back. His last attempt at the win was unsuccessful. Ryan brought the #12 Alltel Dodge in 5th.

By far the most disappointing day belonged to Jeff Gordon. He had the best car for much of the race. Unfortunately, a freak incident may have cost him the race. On lap 284, Michael Waltrip was bumped by Ricky Rudd. Michael spun around taking a chunk of the concrete track with him. As the caution came out, Jr ran across the pot hole and another piece of the track flew up, striking the right front fender of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet, currently in 2nd place.

The race was red flagged for nearly 1 ½ hours while the track was repaired. Although Jeff appealed to NASCAR President, Mike Helton, he was not allowed to work on the car. When the red flag was lifted, Jeff jumped onto pit road to make adjustments. It took several trips, but he remained on the lead lap.

As the field went back to green, Jeff restarted in 21st position. He then began the long trek through traffic. In the final laps, he made a strong effort to get past Ryan Newman. He finished 6th.

Jamie McMurray started on the outside pole and flirted with the top spot all day. He was able to stay in the top 10 bringing the #42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge in 7th. Matt Kenseth had a smooth day, making it up to 8th position with the #17 DeWalt Ford. Sterling Marlin also ran a good race coming in 9th in the #40 Coors Light Dodge. Finishing 10th was Dale Jarrett in the #88 UPS Ford.

Article by S. Kipple
04/18/04

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