
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, May 30, 1994                   TAG: 9405300090
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: HOLIDAY 
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CONCORD, N.C.                                LENGTH: Medium

GORDON GRABS 1ST CUP WIN

In the months and years to come, scores of racers will win scores of races, but no one ever will be any happier than Jeff Gordon was Sunday night when he won the Coca-Cola 600 - his first victory in NASCAR's Winston Cup series.

The 22-year-old driver was sobbing even before he reached the finish line in the 400-lap race. Coming out of turn 4 on the last lap, he was crying so hard he could hardly talk, but he choked out words of pure joy.

"You are super!" Gordon cried to crew chief Ray Evernham, who made a crucial race-winning decision to change only two tires on the last pit stop.

Between sobs, Gordon said: "You're an awesome crew chief! Oh God, I love you guys! That's great. Thank you, men."

Suddenly, Hendrick Motorsports teammate Ken Schrader was on the radio.

"This is Schrader, buddy. Hell of a job!"

Gordon replied: "Man, that damn crew chief, he did it all."

Finally, Evernham came on and told his young driver: "You drove your butt off."

Gordon was on the pole for this longest of NASCAR races, but he only led 16 laps, including the final nine circuits around the 1.5-mile oval, to finish 3.91 seconds ahead of Rusty Wallace. The runner-up dominated most of the second half of the race.

Geoff Bodine was third, followed by Dale Jarrett, Ernie Irvan, and Ricky Rudd, the only cars on the lead lap.

"Our car was really fast, but [Gordon] put only two tires on," Wallace said. "We never dreamed he would do it. He put two on and I really thought I could run him down and catch him, but I couldn't do it."

Wallace, of course, as well as Bodine, could have taken only two tires during their last pit stop. Both took four. "We just never thought about it," Wallace said.

"I'm speechless, man," Gordon said in victory lane, soaked in sweat, tears and cool water. "I mean, this is the greatest day of my life. I think I may lay down here right on this car and just not move."

Gordon hung with the car, generally stayed in the top 10, and was ready when the opportunity arrived.

The crucial pit stop came around lap 380. Gordon's pit crew replaced only the two right-side tires and he was off again in 9.5 seconds. Wallace pitted around lap 375, took four tires and was out in about 17 seconds. Bodine's four-tire stop took slightly less than 18 seconds.

"`Two tires was the absolute perfect decision," Gordon said. "This crew, they made that decision. I just drove the wheels off of it. We've been so unlucky lately, this is the only way to make it worthwhile."

Keywords:
AUTO RACING

by CNB