(MY COUCH - OSHAWA, ONT - June 22, 1999)
With all the sunny weather, Father's Day (aka BBQ 'n Beer Day...), and all, I'm really running late with this write-up. Here it is, Tuesday evening, and I just finished watching the tape! My apologies, but it's hard to coop myself up in the TV room on a day like Sunday was! (A few more weeks, and I'll be sick of the hot weather, and we'll all be back to normal...)
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Since it's not a "high-banked oval", we, as fans, tend to think of it as just another track, but speeds on the straights, and into the very nasty, very different, corners, are in the same range as Daytona or 'Dega, and you need to brake to get thru 'em safely! Only when something goes wrong, and there is contact with the walls, do we appreciate the speed and risks the drivers are subjected to on this track. Rusty Wallace and Dave Marcis will certainly attest to that after this race!
In qualifying, Sterling Marlin "nailed the Tunnel Turn", and took the pole position. Lined up next to him was last week's winner, Dale Jarrett. Bobby Labonte and Bill Elliott made up row two, and Rick Mast, in the rejuvenated ( = now financed properly) Cale Yarborough entry, was fifth, followed by Schrader, Ward Burton, then Jeff Burton in eighth - better than normal qualifying for this team - we wouldn't get to see one of his patented "from the midfield" charges to the front. (Fer Shur... more on THAT later!!) Ninth was Wally Dallenbach, then Martin, Hamilton and Tony Stewart rounding out the first six rows. Gordon was seventeenth, and Earnhardt 25th, just behind teammate Skinner. A new entry, in the 01 car, was Jeff Green, sitting pretty in 26th place.
Sittin' in the Pennsylvania sun, just watchin', were Hut Stricklin, Loy Allen (Craven's old ride, Loy's second week and second DNQ), and Derricke Cope, whose miserable year continues.
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Top ten running order in the yellow flag period was Labonte, Marlin, Mast, Jarrett, Ward Burton, Elliott, Schrader, Martin, Rusty Wallace and Stewart. Under this caution we heard that Gordon was having chassis problems, with the car bottoming out. (!)
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Under this caution a number of those at the back of the pack came in for gas 'n tires, risking minimal loss of track position. Gordon also came in, so the team could look at the front shocks and suspension, but they didn't change anything. Theory was tires were cool, once they heated up, increased air pressure would cure the problem....alrighty, then...
The green flew on lap 12, with Labonte leading Mast into Turn One. A lap later, Rick was out front, and on Lap 15, Jarrett also passed the Interstate Pontiac.
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Four laps later, lap 19, Jarrett took the lead from Mast.
By lap 25, Labonte was second, behind Jarrett, with Mast third, then Ward Burton, Park, Marlin, Elliott, Martin, Stewart, Earnhardt, Rudd and Hamilton as top twelve. Gordon's problem, as predicted, had gone away, and he was back up to fourteenth.
Ten laps later, Lap 35, and it was looking like DJ was gonna repeat Michigan, as he seemed to lead with ease. Around lap 37, the first set of scheduled pitstops began, as Mast brought the Taurus Woody in. Two laps later, Jarrett, Park and Ward Burton were in, followed on Lap 40 by Labonte.
By Lap 44, the leaders had cycled thru, but the race leader was Skinner, who'd been among those pitting out of sequence at Lap 9. A lap later, Skinner relinquished the lead to Chad Little, who was just in front of Jarrett.
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By lap 53, all the out-of-sequence runners had also pitted. Jimmy Spencer had been blackflagged (reason? loose lugnuts.) and Jarrett was back out front, bein' chased by Labonte, Martin, Mast - still runnin' strong, Ward Burton, Stewart, Geoffrey Bodine, Earnhardt, Park, Marlin, Gordon and Mayfield as top twelve.
By Lap 60 the lead pair of Jarrett and Labonte were six seconds up on Martin, running nose-to-tail. Labonte took the lead on lap 63, and by lap 65, there were 26 cars on the lead lap, with Benson in 26th, about to be lapped.
We came back from commercials to the third caution, thrown on lap 69 for debris on the track, which appeared to have come from Schrader's car. On the next lap all the lead cars were in for a stop. The green flag waved on lap 75, with Jarrett and Martin now in front of Labonte, Ward Burton, Stewart, Gordon, Eartnhardt Park and Irvan. Bickle and Mast were in front of Jarrett, however, being on the tail end of the lead lap. Within a couple laps, Bickle was down one, but Mast continued to run out front. By lap 79, Ward Burton had the lead over Martin, Labonte and Jarrett. Twenty-four cars were left on the lead lap, with Mast being 24th. Rick was still hangin' in, 11 laps later on Lap 90. Finally, on lap 91, Ward Burton put Rick down a lap.
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Meanwhile, out on the track, in one of those neat gestures of sportsmanship, Bobby Labonte let Mast back by him to regain his lost lap at the line. Nice touch! I'm sure Rick will remember that if he can assist Bobby down the road...
All the lead cars came in, and after the stops, Martin was in front, with Mayfield, Gordon, Earnhardt, Labonte, Jarrett, Ward Burton (poor stop), Stewart, Irvan and Park as top ten. There woulda been about 20 - 22 cars on the lead lap at this point. With one to go, Rudd, David Green, and Benson pitted, promoting Mast a few more spots.
The green flew on Lap 99, and the leaders fanned out four wide, headin' to Turn One. Martin held the lead, but Gordon got by Mayfield, and the next lap, Labonte and Jarrett had shuffled Earnhardt back a couple spots.
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After clean-up, the green flew again on Lap 106, with Gordon puttin' an aggressive move on Martin into Turn One, to take the lead.
Now the boys settled down into some SERIOUS racin'. Martin and Mayfield drafted by Gordon; a lap later, Martin and Gordon put Mayfield third. Martin and Mayfield ran side-by-side, for second, behind Gordon; Five wide, and Jarrett and Ward Burton were in the mix...Lap 109 saw Jarrett take second from Mayfield, a lap later he was by Gordon for the lead. Whew!! And it was just as hectic behind them!!
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The green flew on Lap 134, with Gordon challenging Martin on the outside, a gutsy move he couldn't make stick. For the next 12 laps, the front four remained lined up, and put a couple seconds on Irvan in fifth, and the rest of the field.
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With a lap to the green, on lap 157, the leaders pitted again for a splash, hopin' to get inside the fuel window. Most did not take tires, among those who did was Bobby Labonte. When the green flew on lap 159, Mayfield was still out front, with Ward Burton, Jarrett, Marlin, Spencer(!), Darrell Waltrip(!!), Martin, Park, Gordon, Earnhardt, Labonte, and Stewart as top twelve. Poor Ward had the CATmobile pop outta gear - he ended up in 10th after the first greenflag lap.
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Among the leaders, Mayfield, Jarrett, Burton and Irvan were the only to come in, to ensure enuff fuel to the end. None of them coulda made it without a stop. This cost them BIG in track position, with Mayfield 12th on the restart, then Irvan, Jarrett and Burton 15th thru 17th.
Thus, at the green, on Lap 171, Gordon, Spencer, Marlin, Martin, Andretti, Earnhardt, Stewart, Labonte, Hamilton, and Musgrave led off, with Elliott eleventh. We soon had "Mr Excitement" and Gordon runnin' side-by-side for the lead, with Jimmy getting it, to the delight of the hometown crowd! Adding to the excitement, Gordon got into Jimmy's right rear, backed out, and ended up sixth. Martin challenged Spencer with no luck several times over next few laps, while behind 'em Labonte and Jarrett were carvin' their way to the front. By Lap 176, Labonte was fifth, and DJ ninth.
With 24 to go, Labonte took 4th, with 20 to go, he had third; and Jarrett was in a three-wide dogfight with Gordon and Stewart for sixth. With 18(?) to go, Labonte had second from Martin, and set out after Spencer.
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The green flew on Lap 189, after a thorough application of Oil-dry, with Labonte out in front of Martin.Spencer, Gordon Marlin and Jarrett were next over the line. A lap later, Gordon got around Spencer, and on Lap 191, Jarrett got by Marlin. The next lap, and Jarrett was beside Spencer, and took the spot. Thus, Labonte, Martin, Gordon, Jarrett had got by Spencer, now in fifth, and Marlin, Earnhardt, Stewart, Burton and Andretti rounded out top ten behind him.
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| seven laps too soon... |
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All in all, an excellent race, much more exciting than last week at MIS, and quite out of character for Pocono! Lookin' forward to bein' back NEXT MONTH!!
Jarrett still holds the Points Lead, with Labonte now firmly in second, 89 behind, but almost 100 in front of third-place Jeff Burton. Martin has closed to with in five points of Burton, but Gordon, in fifth, is 150 back of Martin, with Stewart on HIS tail.
So, next week it's Sears Point, not a fave of Jimmy's, as we heard in the interview after the race! I'm not a road course fan myself, but I'll be tunin' in!
See y'all there... From My
Couch!!
"Mr. NASCAR" |