(*SPOILER ALERT: This is a summary of a race that some of you may not have seen. If you want to see the race before reading this article, do not scroll down past the point at the bottom of the screen. Here is the link to the race, which is also listed at the bottom of the page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH6y-zJZQIw *)
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Rusty Wallace started on the pole. It was the twenty eighth pole of his career and his second pole of 2000. The race went green with Wallace leading the first lap ahead of his brother, Kenny Wallace. The race would quickly go downhill for Kenny with the first caution of the race on lap 4. Kenny Wallace, who was battling with Mike Skinner for a spot in the top 5, had his throttle stick entering turn 3. Wallace's car pointed straight towards the outside wall and he couldn't get it to stop before slamming the outside wall hard. His car rolled to a stop and he had heavy damage that would take away his chances to win the race. Since it was so early in the race, none of the leaders came down pit road. The race went back green and Rusty Wallace held onto the lead. The race would only go a few laps before the second caution waved on lap 16. Coming out of turn 4, Rich Bickle went around after contact with Johnny Benson. Bickle's car rolled to a stop on the frontstretch, but he was able to drive away without damage. Once again, the drivers did not come down pit road. The race went back green and Rusty Wallace held onto the lead. The race went a little bit longer this time, but the third caution of the race waved on lap 50. Jimmy Spencer bumped Scott Pruett in turn 4. Pruett went around and Spencer bumped into him as they entered the frontstretch. Both drivers drove away, but they had a little bit of damage after the stack up. Finally, after three cautions, the first pit stops of the race would occur, but they would be very crazy and race changing.
Before the race at Martinsville, NASCAR had adopted a new rule for pit stops. Before this race, pit crews could leave right side tires on the edge of the pit box until the driver left the box and they could go retrieve them. Well, that was no more for these stops and it would become a factor immediately. Mark Martin, Dave Blaney, Ward Burton, Jeff Gordon, and others took two tires, but Gordon and Burton's crews would make a mistake. Based on the rule, teams have to push the tires back to the pit wall before the car left. Blaney and Martin's crews did this, but Gordon and Burton's crews waited until their drivers left to push the tires back. This resulted in a penalty for Gordon and Burton and they would be at the back of the field. There was also a problem for Dale Jarrett on the stops. Because of the crowded pit road at Martinsville, Jarrett became three wide with a couple of other drivers and they made contact. Jarrett had to slow on pit road to allow everyone to pass by. He had damage, but he had lost a good many spots along with the damage. Fortunately, he would not have to come back in for repairs. All the other drivers took four tires with Mike Skinner beating Rusty Wallace out of the pits to take the lead. It was a crazy set of pit stops and they would set the standard for the day.
The race went back green and Mike Skinner was able to hold onto the lead. He only held it a couple of laps before Rusty Wallace took it back on lap 58. Wallace was beginning to drive away from the field as the fourth caution of the race waved on lap 71. Entering turn 1, Dave Blaney lost a left rear tire. His car slid around and came to a stop near the outside wall. Blaney did not receive heavy damage, but he couldn't drive away without the wheel and he would need repair work on the left rear hub. Pit stops once again did not occur and the race went back green. Rusty Wallace once again held onto the lead. He began to drive away from the field again as the fifth caution of the race waved on lap 104. Ward Burton made contact with Rich Bickle in turn 1. Bickle went around and up the track. He slid back down, but none of the drivers hit him. He was able to drive away without damage. This caution led to the second round of pit stops of the race and more strategy. Ward Burton stayed on track while the rest of the drivers came down pit road. Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, and others took two tires for track position while the rest of the drivers took four tires. This put Ward Burton out front, but he would have to hold off Rusty Wallace.
The race went back green and Ward was able to hold onto the lead. The move did not work for long as Rusty Wallace took the lead back on lap 112. The race begin to enter a groove and Wallace drove away until the sixth caution waved on lap 143. Mike Bliss spun Matt Kenseth entering turn 4. Kenseth went around and up the track. Joe Nemechek couldn't avoid him and slammed into his back. Both drivers drove away, but with some damage. Kenny Irwin Jr. also received some damage in the accident. Pit stops occurred during the caution with some strategy. Bobby Labonte and others took two tires while the rest of the drivers took four tires. This put Labonte in front of Rusty Wallace for the moment. The race went back green and Labonte was able to hold onto the lead. Like his counterpart, Ward Burton, on the previous restart, Labonte could not hold the lead long as Wallace took it away from him on lap 149. The race only went a few laps before the seventh caution of the race waved on lap 158. Coming out of turn 4, Mike Bliss sent Kyle Petty around. Petty came around and rolled to a stop at the bottom of the track. He drove away without damage, but he lost a lap. No pit stops occurred during the caution. The race went back green and Rusty Wallace continued to hold onto his lead and dominate. He didn't get enough laps to drive away as the eighth caution waved on lap 175. Mike Skinner bumped Scott Pruett in entering turn 3. Pruett went around and up the track. Jeff Burton and Jerry Nadeau went high and became blocked in by Pruett. All three drove away undamaged, but they each lost a lot of positions. No pit stops occurred and the race went back green with Rusty Wallace still leading. The race went a few laps before the ninth caution waved on lap 185. Coming out of turn 2, Mike Bliss turned Kyle Petty. Petty went up the track and piled into the outside wall. He rolled to a stop in the middle of the backstretch. He drove away, but he had heavy damage and would have to report to the garage. No pit stops occurred and the race went back green. Rusty Wallace held onto the lead, but his race would quickly change.
After the green flag waved, the cautions stopped for the moment and Rusty Wallace began to run away. The laps clicked by as the race finally reached the halfway point. Only a few laps later, Rusty Wallace's dominating performance would soon take a turn for the worst. Riding through turn 2 on lap 253, Rusty Wallace's car sent out a puff of smoke from the right side, which is the universal sign for a blown tire. Wallace coasted his car to the bottom of the track and down pit road. The race remained green as Wallace creeped down pit road. He came to the attention of his crew and they replaced all four tires. The jackman dropped the jack and Rusty Wallace returned to the race with four brand new tires. Unfortunately for him, he had lost two laps and it would be a quest to make them up. This handed Bobby Labonte the lead, but a battle erupted. Dale Earnhardt Sr. powered to the lead and took it away from the current point leader. Earnhardt ran away from the field, but the race remained calm long enough for green flag pit stops to begin on lap 291. It was a few laps before the leaders came to pit road, but they eventually did. This handed the lead to Ken Schrader, who had not yet pitted, and Michael Waltrip was running second. It was hard to believe who was running third at the time. Rusty Wallace, who had lost two laps just a measly fifty laps before the stops, was now running third. If he could catch a break with a caution, he would be back on the lead lap and in place for a win.
It was definitely Rusty Wallace's day. He received the tenth caution on lap 309 just laps after gaining his laps back. Tony Stewart bumped Jimmy Spencer in turn 3. Spencer went around and up the track towards the outside wall. He stopped before the wall and all the cars behind him avoided. Spencer was able to drive away without damage. Ken Schrader, Rusty Wallace, and Michael Waltrip came down pit road. Because there were only those three cars on the lead lap before the caution, they could pit and have the cars one lap down in front of them on the restart instead of having them behind them. Essentially, Waltrip, Schrader, and Wallace were the only three lead lap cars with the rest in front of them. With that said, the race went back green with Ken Schrader holding the lead. It wasn't long before Rusty Wallace returned to his spot at the front of the field on lap 325. The race went a good many laps before the eleventh caution waved on lap 365. Jeff Gordon bumped Bobby Labonte in turn 4. Labonte went around at the exit of the corner and spun around. Labonte came to a stop, but traffic behind him avoided. He drove away without damage, but he lost a lap. Pit stops occurred under the caution without much strategy. All of the drivers pitted for four tires with Rusty Wallace coming out as the leader. Only one stop would be needed for all the drivers after this caution, but it would be interesting to see how the strategy was played.
The race went back green and Rusty Wallace held onto the lead. It wasn't long before the twelfth caution waved on lap 382. Rich Bickle ran into Robby Gordon in turn 2. Bickle lifted off the ground slightly and ran into the grass on the inside of the track. He made slight contact with the inside wall and came to a stop. He became stuck in the wet grass and needed a wrecker to pull him out. Both drivers had heavy damage and would need heavy repairs. No pit stops occurred during the caution and Rusty Wallace returned to the lead. The race went a few laps before the thirteenth caution waved on lap 392. The field stacked up in turn 4 and Dale Jarrett sent Ricky Rudd around. Jarrett and Brett Bodine stopped behind Rudd while the field drove around the incident. Jarrett and Bodine did not receive much damage, but Rudd had a good amount and needed repairs. Once again, pit stops did not occur and Rusty Wallace held onto the lead. The race went a short time again before the fourteenth caution waved on lap 410. Kenny Wallace bumped Robby Gordon in turn 2. Gordon went around and went up the track. He avoided the wall and came to a stop. Dave Blaney had to stop to avoid, but he drove away quickly. Gordon also drove away without damage. This caution brought some pit stops that would change the outcome of the race. Mark Martin, John Andretti, and others at the back of the lead lap pitted for four tires while Rusty Wallace and the other front runners stayed on track. These stops would change the landscape of the race and it would be interesting to see how it turned out.
The race went back green and Rusty Wallace held onto the lead. He began to drive away just as the fifteenth caution of the race waved on lap 436. Jerry Nadeau went around in turn 3. He came to a stop next to the outside wall, but he was able to drive away with very little damage. The final pit stops of the race occurred. Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, and others stayed out while the leaders came to pit road. Dale Jarrett and others took two tires while Rusty Wallace and the rest of the leaders took four tires. This put Rusty Wallace, the dominator of the race, at the back of the lead lap while Mark Martin, a driver who had barely seen the top 5, in front of the field. It would be interesting to see how it turned out. The race went back green and Mark Martin held onto the lead. The race went a good many laps before the sixteenth caution of the race waved on lap 466. Sterling Marlin bumped Steve Park in turn 4. Park went around and spun on the race track. He was able to avoid the wall and continue on without damage. Rusty Wallace, Ken Schrader, and others at the back of the lead lap came to pit road hoping to gain some positions with new tires. The race went back green and Mark Martin continued to hold the lead as the action began to pick up in the event.
On lap 478, there was trouble on the track. Rusty Wallace bumped Chad Little in turn 1. Little went up the track and hit Bobby Hamilton. Both drivers spun around and rolled to a stop in the corner. Both quickly drove away and the caution did not wave. Mark Martin continued to battle traffic and the drivers behind him as the seventeenth and final caution waved on lap 489. In retaliation for the lap 478 incident, Bobby Hamilton bumped Rusty Wallace in turn 1. Wallace went around along with Hamilton. Hamilton came to a stop on the inside of the track while Wallace made slight contact with the outside wall. Both drove away, but Wallace had to fix a fender before returning to the track. A race that had looked so promising for him was now over. The field lined up one final time and the race went back green with Mark Martin holding onto the lead. He drove away from Jeff Burton in a couple of laps and took the white flag in stride. He hit every corner perfectly and made it out of turn 4 in sight of the checkered flag. Martin took the checkered flag and grabbed his first of the 2000 season. It was a nice strategy win for Martin, but what the race could have been for Rusty Wallace.
When you go into victory lane and say that your car was junk all weekend, you know luck was on your side. Well, Mark Martin said that in victory lane while he stood tall after a five hundred mile slugfest. Martin didn't even come close to the lead in the first four hundred laps, but his team played the strategy right and came home first in the last hundred laps. This wasn't the same case for Rusty Wallace. He couldn't get away from the lead in the first four hundred laps after recovering from losing two laps after blowing a tire on track, while leading. The strategy in the race pushed him back to the rear of the lead lap in the final hundred laps and he couldn't recover to take the win he fought so hard for. It was definitely a crash fest at Martinsville. Seventeen cautions tied the record for the most at the small track in Virginia. Plus, it made another little piece history as well. Mark Martin was the eighth driver to win in eight races on the season, which set the record for the most races into a season without a repeat winner. It would be interesting to see how long the series could keep that record up. Bobby Labonte remained the points leader even after a spin in the race and a win for the second man in points. But that could all change as the series headed to Talladega Superspeedway the next week for what was sure to be a crazy race at NASCAR's biggest track. Would the series see a ninth different winner in nine races, would Bobby Labonte hold onto his points lead, or would a crazy race result in a new face on top of the standings? We will have to find out on the next installment of “Flashback Friday”.
(More Stats Down Below!)
Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 4- Kenny Wallace's throttle stuck entering turn 3 and he slammed the outside wall.
2nd Caution: Lap 16- Johnny Benson spun Rich Bickle in turn 4 and Bickle went around in the corner.
3rd Caution: Lap 50- Jimmy Spencer bumped Scott Pruett in turn 4 and Pruett went around, causing both drivers to stop in the exit of the corner.
4th Caution: Lap 71- Dave Blaney lost a left rear tire in turn 1 and came to a stop near the outside wall.
5th Caution: Lap 104- Rich Bickle went around in turn 1 after contact with Ward Burton.
6th Caution: Lap 143- Matt Kenseth spun in turn 4 after contact with Mike Bliss. Joe Nemechek rammed into Kenseth's rear and Kenny Irwin Jr. received some damage trying to avoid.
7th Caution: Lap 158- Mike Bliss sent Kyle Petty for a spin in turn 4.
8th Caution: Lap 175- Mike Skinner bumped Scott Pruett in turn 3 and Pruett went for a spin. Jerry Nadeau and Jeff Burton became stuck behind Pruett, but drove away without damage.
9th Caution: Lap 185- Mike Bliss turned Kyle Petty into the outside wall exiting turn 2.
10th Caution: Lap 309- Jimmy Spencer went around in turn 3 after contact with Tony Stewart.
11th Caution: Lap 365- Bobby Labonte spun out in turn 4 after contact with Jeff Gordon.
12th Caution: Lap 382- Rich Bickle ran into Robby Gordon in turn 2 and lifted off the ground before coming to a stop in the grass.
13th Caution: Lap 392- Dale Jarrett sent Ricky Rudd around in turn 4 after a field stack up. Brett Bodine stopped behind Rudd, but didn't receive damage.
14th Caution: Lap 410- Robby Gordon went around in turn 2 after contact with Kenny Wallace. Dave Blaney stopped behind Gordon, but did not receive damage.
15th Caution: Lap 436- Jerry Nadeau went around in turn 3.
16th Caution: Lap 466- Sterling Marlin bumped Steve Park in turn 4 and sent him around.
17th Caution: Lap 489- Bobby Hamilton spun Rusty Wallace in turn 1. Wallace went around along with Hamilton before Wallace hit the wall.
Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Mark Martin
2nd: Jeff Burton
3rd: Michael Waltrip
4th: Jeff Gordon
5th: Dale Jarrett
Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Tony Stewart
8th: Bill Elliott
9th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
10th: Rusty Wallace
12th: Bobby Labonte
21st: Matt Kenseth
26th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Special thanks to wfrncsu012 for uploading the full race on Youtube. If you guys want to check it out, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH6y-zJZQIw
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2000_Goody's_Body_Pain_500/W
-Image:
http://www.angelfire.com/mn/6mm60/images/2000win2.jpg
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