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Winner Matt Kenseth
Photo
Credit: Ford/Autostock |
After a dismal 2001 season, Matt Kenseth came back a won the SUBWAY 400 at Rockingham, North Carolina. He held off Sterling Marlin, Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart in a race that finished under caution, for his second victory in the Winston Cup Series.
The #17 car of Kenseth dominated the latter portion of this race, which ended up in a five car chase with Kenseth, Sterling Marlin, Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart, and Ricky Craven.
"The most important part of this race was our pit crew which got me out quickly when we needed it". Kenseth said.
Bobby Labonte felt the same way, saying that pit crews really kept the #18 in the running most of the day.
The day started out with a presentation to Michael Waltrip commemorating his 500 starts in the Winston Cup series. But he would not be enjoying that start for long as his engine expired on lap 173 early in the race and regulating him to a 40th place finish. Problems started early for Dale Jarrett as well, while leading on lap 145, lost his engine, he finished 42nd.
On Lap 153 the was a five car accident that involved Casey Atwood, Kyle Petty, Buckshot Jones to name a few. Later on, Jeff Gordon, spun out on pit road but has was able to fight back to stay on the lead lap.
As Ricky Rudd was leading, caution came out for debris on the track. He stalled the engine going out of his pit box and had problems getting it restarted. This regulated him 2 laps down and out of contention. He would later pick up his 2 laps and finish the race 17th and on the lead lap.
The 17 car of Matt Kenseth led for most of the latter part of the race with a 5-car chase involving Bobby Labonte, Sterling Marlin, Rusty Wallace, and Ricky Craven.
With 28 laps to go, Mike Skinner in the #4 Kodak car blew his engine and brought out the yellow. All the leaders came in but Ricky Craven. The rest picked up 4 fresh tires and fuel.
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Pole sitter Craven pits
Photo
Credit: Ford/Autostock |
As theory would have it, Craven's lead did not last long on used tires as Marlin, Kenseth, Labonte, and Stewart all got around him in just a couple of laps.
With 9 laps to go the #31 car of Robby Gordon got tangled up with the #48 car of rookie Jimmie Johnson and was spun around. Fortunately, he did not hit the wall but was asked to come to the Winston Cup Trailer with Richard Childress after the race. Seems that Gordon and Johnson were battling a little to hard for NASCAR's standards.
With 7 laps to go, Sterling Marlin got loose and Matt Kenseth drove under him to take the lead.
With just 5 laps to go, the #36 car of Ken Schrader started leaking fluids and blew a tire on the track. The yellow came out with just 4 to go when part of Schrader's tire was left on the track. NASCAR decided that there were not enough laps left to throw out the red flag and the race ended up in caution with Kenseth victorious.
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Sterling Marlin
Photo
Credit: Dodge/Getty Images |
Sterling Marlin, who finished second, felt that he was a little cheated again, wondering why the red flag did not come out like the week before. Marlin probably won't be upset for too long. After just 2 races, he stands atop of the Winston Cup point Standings. He is followed by Ward Burton, sophomore driver Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, and Jeff Burton.
Now it's on to Las Vegas next week for the UAW-Daimler/Chrysler 400. The defending champion is Jeff Gordon. The race at Las Vegas will also be the first in the NO BULL 5 series. That series pairs up the top 5 drivers from the last NO BULL 5 race at Talladega from October 2001 with 5 lucky entrants for a chance at the one million dollar bonus for the driver and one million for the entrant that is paired up with them. Jeff Gordon did just that last year picking up a cool extra million-dollar bonus from R.J. Reynolds. The drivers who are eligible for the NO BULL 5 are Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, and Bobby Hamilton. It should be an exciting one to watch.
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