ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, June 3, 1996 TAG: 9606030146
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DOVER, DEL.
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
One yellow flag cost Jeff Gordon the lead Sunday in the Miller 500 at Dover Downs International Speedway, but the last one let him get it back, clearing the way for another commanding victory.
Gordon led 307 of the 500 laps, including the final 129 circuits, and won by 3.9 seconds over teammate Terry Labonte. It was his fourth victory of the 1996 season. Dale Earnhardt was third, followed by Ernie Irvan, the last driver on the lead lap. Bobby Labonte was fifth, one lap down.
``The way the car handled, it just wasn't the same when I was behind a car as when I was leading,'' Gordon said. ``That was the crucial thing - to get out front. When we got out front, the tire wear was great and the car handled well.''
The race was surprisingly clean. There were four accidents - each involving only one car - and a total of five caution periods.
``We worked the groove up a little higher on the track,'' Gordon said. ``That really helps with the lapped cars. I think that's why there were fewer wrecks today.''
The most notable wreck victim was Dale Jarrett, who led 83 laps and was in third when he lost control coming off turn 2, apparently after hitting some oil on the track. Jarrett slammed into the backstretch wall.
It wasn't a particularly bad crash, but it sent him reeling to a 36th-place finish and dropped him from second to fourth in points. Terry Labonte moved into second, while Gordon took third.
After starting from the pole, Gordon led the first 68 laps and 174 of the first 200. But when the third yellow flag flew on lap 196 for Rick Mast's accident, Gordon elected to make a pit stop and no one else went with him.
``We were surprised those guys didn't come in,'' Gordon said. ``I was coming in regardless. But I came down pit road and Rusty [Wallace] was the only other car that came.''
That strategy relegated Gordon to 14th position and kept this race from being a total Gordon runaway. For the next 175 laps, he was stuck in the pack as Jarrett and Earnhardt traded the lead.
``I got a little nervous back there,'' Gordon said. ``I wanted to stay out of trouble. But that just shows when it's your day, it's your day. I pretty much used the car up getting back to the top five.''
The final yellow flag came on lap 362 for Jarrett's crash. Gordon's crew took over from there, vaulting him back into the lead with their pit work.
``We were real fortunate to have that caution,'' Gordon said. ``We came in and came back out first. That's what did it.''
Actually, Earnhardt snatched the lead back from Gordon on the restart and led five laps. But Gordon passed Earnhardt for good on lap 372 and marched home from there.
``We had a good run,'' Earnhardt said, ``but it was just one of those long days at Dover driving on sidewalks.''
``Being out front was the key,'' Gordon said. ``That made the biggest difference of all with the car's attitude and the way it handled. It wasn't the same when I was behind a car.
``When I got close to those guys, I would get tight. And when they got close to me, it would get loose. Once we got out front, the car was perfect. This is one track where being up front and having good track position can really pay off.''
Those who ran well Sunday did a good job of figuring out how to regulate the pressures in their tires.
``The tires were good when they were good,'' said Wallace, who finished seventh, one lap down. ``But I'll tell you, I had some tires that were super loose, some that were pushing real bad, and it was just amazing the different types of tires I had on the car today. I could go from being the fastest car on the track to the slowest car.''
``It was just a terrible situation on tires,'' said Ted Musgrave, who finished 13th, three laps down. ``You never knew what the thing was going to do by just changing tires. Right now, when you bolt on tires, it's anybody's guess what happens.''
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP Jeff Gordon celebrates his fourth trip to Victoryby CNBLane this season. color KEYWORDS: AUTO RACING