THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 6, 1995 TAG: 9508060174
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
The big rainbow that hung over the second turn of Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Brickyard 400 on Saturday was not a beacon for Jeff Gordon and his ``Rainbow Warriors'' but for the man in black, Dale Earnhardt.
And it was a good sign for NASCAR as well, which managed to set the table for another memorable Earnhardt victory despite ex-Hurricane Erin and one of the bleakest weather days in its history.
In the end, it was a three-car duel to the checkered flag, with Earnhardt crossing the finish line about three car lengths ahead of Rusty Wallace, who was about the same distance ahead of a charging Dale Jarrett. Bill Elliott was fourth, followed by Mark Martin, Gordon, Sterling Marlin, Rick Mast, Bobby Labonte and Morgan Shepherd.
``This is pretty much right there with the biggest (victory), if not the biggest,'' Earnhardt said. ``This place - it's had that feeling from the time I came here several years ago. To go out and win here today sort of reassured that feeling and brought it to the surface. It was a tremendous feeling.''
It was a tremendous feeling for NASCAR president Bill France Jr. and speedway president Tony George just to get the race in.
``We couldn't get the weather to slide to the south and the east'' until midafternoon Saturday, France said. ``But I had what I consider my lucky raincoat. I slid that on. And that's happened about three times now.''
Although dark clouds hovered just to the south and east of Indianapolis, the skies cleared over the 2 1/2-mile track, the asphalt dried and suddenly, at 5:25 p.m. EDT, it was time to race. And close to 300,000 spectators, who had hung around through a nearly 4 1/2-hour delay, got a full 160 laps, and a terrific show - on TV viewers will have to wait until this afternoon to see.
Gordon led the first 31 laps and looked unbeatable. But by the halfway point, as the rainbow appeared over the southeast turn, he had done his most effective work. He led only four more laps after those first 31, and the race evolved into a dandy competition.
Marlin got past Gordon and led 15 laps, and then Elliott passed Marlin on lap 51. Elliott eventually led the most laps - 47 - but had brake problems.
``Between laps 80 and 100, the brake pedal stuck down to the floor and I had to take my foot and get it under the pedal to get it back up,'' Elliott said. ``It was pretty hard, but it worked out pretty good.''
Wallace took over on lap 109 and was cruising along more than three seconds ahead of Earnhardt when he came in for his final pit stop on lap 128.
That was his doom.
As Wallace left the pits, Joe Nemechek and Rick Bickle tangled in front of him. Wallace had to slow to avoid them, and then slow again to avoid a renegade tire.
``I just didn't count on the accident in the pits,'' Wallace said. ``Lead all that, get locked up on pit road and lose the race. The crash in pit lane hurt me.''
After they left the pits, Earnhardt caught Wallace and passed him going into turn three. And after John Andretti completed the round of pit stops, Earnhardt took over on lap 133 and led the rest of the way.
There was only one caution flag, for Jeff Burton's crash on the backstretch, and that came on lap 132.
``The last pit stop was the key,'' Earnhardt said. ``And after we restarted up front, we had clean air to run in. I think that was the key to beating Rusty. I was going to drive my line and keep my line and not worry about him.''
Jarrett tightened things up at the end, edging closer and closer to Wallace and Earnhardt as the laps ticked off. But once he got behind Wallace, he could do nothing more.
Jarrett, like Wallace ahead of him, found that his car pushed when he was close behind another car. And so neither of them had anything for Earnhardt when it counted.
``It's impressive, seeing A.J. Foyt's name here and Rodger Ward's and the people that have won here,'' Earnhardt said. ``To come here and race here is impressive and a very big honor. But to win a race here and be in the same sort of group as the Indy 500 winners is a pretty neat situation.''
Because of the race's late start, ABC-TV had to cut away from its coverage before the green flag fell. It will be shown on ESPN at noon today. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Crews - and even cars - wore rain gear Saturday as rain drenched
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
``The Brickyard is a special race and we'll take it,'' Dale
Earnhardt said.
Photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Joe Nemechek, right, sends Rich Bickle into the wall, slowing Rusty
Wallace's exit from the pits.
by CNB