Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, May 28, 1990 TAG: 9005280102
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: By RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CONCORD, N.C. LENGTH: Long
Rusty Wallace, missing in action for most of the 1990 season, returned to his '89 championship form Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, rolling to victory in the Coca-Cola 600.
"Everybody has been counting us out, but we proved them wrong today," said Wallace, delighted after his first win in 10 starts this year.
"We were strong everywhere. The crew was great, and the engine felt like it had a rocket in the tailpipe."
Wallace's Pontiac overpowered the field, leading for all but 141 of the 600-mile marathon.
Despite having the field covered, Wallace was forced to do some work at the finish when a caution flag came out with only five laps to go because of oil on the 1.5-mile track.
When the race went back to speed with one lap left, Wallace drove away from the pack.
Bill Elliott's Ford couldn't muster a challenge and finished 1 1/2 car lengths back. Mark Martin in a Ford was third, Michael Waltrip (Pontiac) fourth and Ernie Irvan (Oldsmobile) fifth.
Alan Kulwicki, Davey Allison, Morgan Shepherd, Derrike Cope and Geoff Bodine rounded out the top 10.
Wallace's first Cola-Cola victory couldn't have come at a better time. His Raymond Beadle-owned team desperately needed a booster shot after a horrendous start to the season.
"This is a wonderful win," Wallace said. "With the poor luck I've been having this year, I was feeling a little confused about what was happening.
"I knew coming into today if I was going to come back, this was the one. I wanted to win, but I didn't think I would dominate."
Wallace, who started ninth in the 42-car pack, didn't waste any time in taking control. He went to the front at the 50-mile mark and led until he had to pit.
Except during pit stops, the 33-year-old Missouri driver stayed out front until the 396-mile mark when his car developed a slight handling problem.
Pole-sitter Ken Schrader and Elliott drove past as Wallace's car suddenly faded.
"The track started to get tighter and the car needed an adjustment," Wallace said. "We took some wedge [chassis adjustment] out, but that was the wrong way. We got it straight on the next pit stop."
From that point, Wallace had clear sailing. He regained the lead during the final round of green-flag pit stops and led the final 136 1/2 miles.
Wallace had a close call on lap 395, when his car skidded high and nearly tagged the fourth-turn wall. Wallace said he ran right through an oil slick deposited by Rick Wilson's blown engine.
"I lost radio contact with the crew halfway through the race and I didn't know it [oil] was there," Wallace said. "The car started sliding up, and luckily it stuck up high before I got the wall."
The yellow flag came out for the oil a quarter-lap later, setting up the final one-lap dash.
When the green came back out, Wallace was raring to go. He got a good jump on Elliott and never was seriously challenged.
"I wasn't going to be asleep," Wallace said about his quick jump on the restart.
"When we came back around to [turns] three and four, I just cocked the rear end and smoked her through there. I did a lot of mirror driving. I just wanted to stay down low because I didn't think Bill had enough momentum to get around on the top side."
Elliott conceded his Thunderbird didn't have enough muscle to make a last-lap move.
"You do all you can, but we never had enough momentum," said Elliott, who battled back after a cut tire 85 miles into the race. ' "We kept struggling, working and changing things, but I couldn't catch him [Wallace]."
Wallace, who is leaving the Beadle team in 1991 to form his own operation, said the victory may have been the biggest of his Winston Cup career.
The win was worth $151,000 and put him back into the 1990 title chase. He picked up 112 points on Dale Earnhardt, who finished 30th after his car blew a tire and smacked the second-turn wall on lap 103.
"We're back in the championship picture now," said Wallace, who moved up to fifth in the points standings, 174 behind Earnhardt.
"I think a lot of people were saying Dale Earnhardt is outta here and he's gone. I don't think it's that way anymore. I think I can do it [win the title] again.
"This is so nice. I've always wanted the win the 600. It's one of the big ones.
"Hey, Rusty is back in town. No doubt about it."
\ LUGNUTS: Schrader's chances were foiled with 75 miles to go when his Chevrolet dropped a cylinder. He finished 11th, the final car on the lead lap. . . . Darrell Waltrip, who was gunning for a record third straight and sixth 600 win, finished a disappointing 22nd. Waltrip's Chevrolet dropped a cylinder 120 miles into the race and limped around the rest of the day. . . . Shepherd's eighth-place effort enabled him to make up 69 points on Earnhardt. Shepherd trails by only 21. . . . Wallace's first win in 16 races was his second at Charlotte Motor Speedway and 17th career victory. . . . Wallace averaged 137.650 mph for NASCAR's longest race. Eleven caution flags slowed the pace for 48 laps. . . . Virginian Rick Mast finished 31st. . . . The crowd was estimated at more than 160,000.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB