Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 18, 1995 TAG: 9509180153
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: DOVER, DEL. LENGTH: Medium
That's easy to say when you're leading the NASCAR Winston Cup points race by a wide margin and riding a string of 12 top-10 finishes.
The 24-year-old driver, showing absolutely no signs he feels any pressure in the midst of his first championship battle, led 400 of 500 laps - including the final 198 - on the way to an easy victory Sunday in the MBNA 500 at Dover Downs International Speedway.
Gordon's only challenge in the race on the Monster Mile concrete oval came from Bobby Hamilton, who came up short by 2.34 seconds - about 10 car-lengths - but did give car owner Richard Petty the team's best finish since Petty drove to a second place in 1987.
``We're content with whatever we get,'' Gordon said after delivering his series-leading seventh victory of the season and ninth of his budding NASCAR career. ``We just go out there and do the best we can do every week.''
That probably is understating the case. Gordon's Hendrick Motorsports team has thoroughly dominated the 1995 season, building a 309-point lead over seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt with six races remaining.
``We're not going to get into all that stuff about points,'' Gordon said with a grin. ``There's a lot of races left and anything can happen. We'll just have to wait until November and see how the points stack up.''
Earnhardt, who came into the 25th event of the 31-race season trailing Gordon by 279 points, finished fifth and lost another 30 points.
``I hate to see Gordon win another one, but he's strong this year and he's got everything going his way,'' Earnhardt said.
Rusty Wallace, who had to start from the back of the field after wrecking his primary car Saturday in practice, drove his backup Ford Thunderbird to third place, followed by the Chevys of Joe Nemechek, Earnhardt and Sterling Marlin, the only other drivers on the lead lap.
Gordon averaged 127.740 mph, the second-fastest race in Dover history, and added $74,655 to his more than $2 million in winning this season.
The start of the race was delayed for 1 hour, 47 minutes because of rain and the race began under threatening skies. But there was no more rain and the sun shined in the late stages of the event.
Gordon, who started alongside Rick Mast on the front row, took the lead on lap 3 and dominated through the first 200 laps.
Then Hamilton, who started 32nd in the 40-car lineup, moved into the picture, chasing down Gordon and taking the lead on lap 217. It was a battle between those two most of the way.
Rockbridge Baths' Mast, who was starting on the pole for the third time in his career, finished 61 laps down in 28th place and retired because of engine failure.
Hamilton mounted a strong challenge after a restart on lap 424, getting the nose of his Pontiac Grand Prix ahead of Gordon's Chevy for a moment before Gordon regained control. There were no more challenges.
The worst crash of the race took place on lap 408, when Dale Jarrett, running third, apparently cut a tire and slammed into the car driven by Mike Wallace, who had pulled onto the apron after seeing Jarrett was in trouble. Wallace was not injured, but Jarrett fractured the sixth rib on his left side. He was treated and released from a Dover hospital and will see his own doctor today in Hickory, N.C.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB