Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 4, 1995 TAG: 9509050111
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DARLINGTON, S.C. LENGTH: Medium
Jeff Gordon added a spin-and-win victory Sunday to his repertoire of NASCAR success, but it was his move with 13 laps to go that won the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Gordon was leading. The yellow flag flew. Crew chief Ray Evernham ordered him to the pits on lap 354 of the 367-lap race. But when Gordon noticed no one was following him, he summarily canceled the pit stop, went back behind the pace car, remained in first place and held on for his sixth victory of the year.
``To me, the key was Jeff's decision not to pit,'' Evernham said. ``Right at the last, what really won the race was him watching his mirrors. He watched his mirrors, [the others] didn't come to the pits, he stayed out, he won the race.''
But it was not just that move. It was the cumulative effect of all the little strategies, the teamwork and good fortune.
``That's Darlington!'' Gordon shouted into his radio after he crossed the finish line, as if putting another notch on his gun. ``We did it, boys. You guys are one hell of a team. We make the best damn combination there is.''
Dale Earnhardt, who dominated the race by leading 208 laps, finished second, followed by Rusty Wallace, Ward Burton and Michael Waltrip.
This 500 was a wreck-strewn affair (although not quite as bad as the TranSouth 400 here in April), with at least 25 drivers involved in one or more of the nine crashes or spins that brought out a yellow flag. There were 12 caution periods in all, with three for debris or blown engines.
This should have been Earnhardt's race. He had the fastest car, leading 208 of the first 275 laps. But when he came to the pits on lap 276 with several other cars, Earnhardt gave up a lead he never would hold again.
Gordon and several others stayed out during that caution, gaining crucial track position.
As Earnhardt said: ``As long as we were out front, I could take care of it. When we got to racing hard, trying to catch up there, I was just too loose to use the car.''
Gordon's victory clinched the manufacturer's championship for Chevrolet, but more importantly it gave him another big piece to the puzzle that is the 1995 Winston Cup championship.
Once again, Gordon and his team showed the poise and experience under pressure that wins championships. And if Gordon was emphasizing teamwork on the radio after the victory, that's because teamwork was crucial - right up to Gordon's decision to countermand his crew chief's decision to pit.
``I'm still stunned,'' Evernham said in the press box during the winner's interview. ``It was just the greatest example of teamwork I've ever been involved in.''
Explained Gordon: ``We really didn't have the best car there at the beginning. But we just continued to work on it and work on it. Those guys threw everything at that car. They were doing everything you could do to a car under caution. They did some serious stuff.
``But no matter how tight we made it, the car got really loose.''
And that's what led to Gordon's problem with the second-turn wall on lap 136. Actually, he started losing control in turn 1.
``Luckily, it slid for a ways and got up to the wall,'' Gordon said. ``I knew I was going to spin, and I stood on the gas. That kept it away from the wall.''
Behind him, Ricky Rudd, Jeff Burton and Jeremy Mayfield either spun or crashed trying to avoid Gordon, which they did.
And as Gordon told his team on the radio: ``Yeah, we dodged a pretty big bullet.''
The incident actually was a blessing in disguise, because it sent Gordon back in the pack and allowed his team to make further changes to the car during subsequent pit stops without having to worry about the pressure of leading or challenging for the lead.
Gordon has a 217-point lead over Sterling Marlin in the chase for the Cup, and even more experience in handling - and conquering - the pressure of a championship run.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB