Slam-Bang Finish Benefits Gordon In Food City 500
Auto racing
The Food City 500 will go into the record books as one of the most aggressive races in Winston Cup history, so it was only appropriate that Jeff Gordon won it with a show of force.
Gordon banged his way past Rusty Wallace 600 feet from the finish line Sunday at Bristol, Tenn., and won the event at Bristol Motor Speedway for the third consecutive year.
“It’s just typical, wide-open Bristol racing,” Gordon said. “It’s exciting. I’ve never been in a shoot-out like that down to the finish.”
Gordon’s 22nd career victory came on an afternoon when Bristol’s .533-mile, high-banked oval produced piles of twisted sheet metal and plenty of bruised egos. No one was injured, but the 20 yellow flags tied NASCAR’s modern-era record. The 132 laps run under caution represented the third-highest total in the modern era - which began in 1972.
Wallace, the pole-sitter, led four times for 240 of the event’s 500 laps, but instead of getting his seventh career victory at Bristol, he had to settle for second.
Afterward, he refused to complain about Gordon’s winning move.
“Just normal racing stuff,” Wallace said. “I wasn’t surprised he touched me because I would have probably done the same thing if I got that close.”
Wallace took the lead for the last time on lap 415 and built a comfortable edge before Gordon, with teammate Terry Labonte on his rear bumper, closed to within inches of Wallace’s Ford with 20 laps remaining.
Gordon was unable to make a good run at the leader until he ducked down low as they went down the backstretch on the final lap. Wallace surged ahead into the third turn, but as they entered the fourth, Gordon gunned his Chevrolet into Wallace’s rear bumper.
Wallace bobbled up high as he fought to control his car, and Gordon slipped past. While Gordon went on to a two car-length victory, Wallace held off Labonte for second place by about five feet.
The contact between Gordon and Wallace was minor compared to the escapades of Jimmy Spencer and Geoff Bodine. They had three confrontations, starting with a tangle while battling for position on lap 422.
Spokane’s Chad Little, who started 21st on the grid, finished eighth and earned $18,370.
Long Beach Grand Prix
Alex Zanardi couldn’t start from the pole, so he did something even better. He won the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach at Long Beach, Calif.
Zanardi, whose record string of six straight pole starts was ended by Gil de Ferran, took the lead 12 laps from the end of the 105-lap race when Target-Chip Ganassi teammate Jimmy Vasser was forced to pit for fuel.
There was really no question after that. The 30-year-old Italian racer pulled away from runner-up Mauricio Gugelmin and drove his Honda-powered Reynard across the finish line a distant 3.820-seconds ahead of Gugelmin’s Reynard-Mercedes.
It was the fourth Indy-car victory for last year’s CART Rookie of the Year.
Argentine Grand Prix
Jacques Villeneuve, weakened by a stomach ailment and doubting his stamina, won the Argentine Grand Prix in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for his second straight triumph.
The Canadian began the race on the pole and beat Eddie Irvine by less than a second. Villeneuve was timed in 1 hour, 52 minutes, 1.715 seconds and managed to hold off Irvine, who tried to pass him with four laps remaining.
The victory was the sixth of Villeneuve’s career, matching the total of his father, Gilles, who was killed in a crash at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix.
Only nine of the 22 starters finished the race.
NHRA Fram Nationals
Defending Top Fuel champion Kenny Bernstein won for the first time this year, and Randy Anderson prevailed for the first time as a pro at the NHRA’s Fram Nationals at Commerce, Ga.
Jim Yates and John Myers also won their disciplines, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle respectively, in the $1,462,250 event at Atlanta Dragway.
Bernstein covered the quarter-mile distance in 4.796 seconds at 290.97 mph, defeating Gary Scelzi at 4.901 at 281.51. Anderson sent his learning curve vertical with a win in only his fifth outing in Funny Car competition. And he beat the master, six-time Winston champion John Force.
Indy Lights
Helio Castro Neves led all the way to win the second PPG-Firestone Indy Lights event of the season, beating Cristano da Matta at Long Beach, Calif.