(Author’s Note: Since college is currently in the middle of a nice break for me, I decided to pick back up with my Flashback Friday 5 Stages of Analysis articles. Of course, NASCAR is in the midst of its offseason as well and I don’t have particular races to write about like I did during the summer months. Because of that, I decided to analyze races from tracks the Top 3 series in NASCAR no longer visit as part of my weekly series of articles. Some tracks we will talk about in the next month or so include North Wilkesboro Speedway, South Boston Speedway, the Milwaukee Mile, North Carolina or Rockingham Speedway, and Nazareth Speedway. These are just a few of the many tracks NASCAR no longer visits, but they are the ones I have chosen to analyze as of right now. For the first article, we are going to analyze an amazing race held at North Wilkesboro Speedway. North Wilkesboro Speedway, a 5/8ths mile speedway located in the mountains of North Carolina, thrilled fans for decades and sanctioned 93 Cup Series races from 1949 until 1996 in addition to several events for the Trucks and the now Xfinity Series. Throughout the 1990s, several business transactions led to NASCAR moving away from the historic speedway. From the initial opening of the short track, ownership was held by Enoch Staley, a pioneer in the world of NASCAR who stared in the sport when it was just a blossoming idea, and his three business partners. As the 1990s approached, Staley’s health began to fail. He passed away in 1995, leaving 50% of the track to his family while the remaining half stayed with the family of his business partners. The 50% share not owned by the Staley family was quickly sold to Bruton Smith, the owner of Speedway Motorsports Inc. and Texas Motor Speedway. A year later, in 1996, Bob Bahre, the former owner of New Hampshire Motor Speedway, completed the purchase of the other 50% portion of the speedway owned by the Staley family. Instead of improving the facility and keeping the track on the NASCAR schedule, the two businessmen decided to move the two dates previously held by North Wilkesboro to their more modern facilities. The move drew the ire of fans and former drivers alike as they saw a relic of NASCAR’s moonshine heritage disappearing. The last NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at the track occurred in October of 1996 with Jeff Gordon grabbing the win. Following the last checkered flag for the Cup Series at the short track, the fears of traditional NASCAR fans materialized as the track fell into dilapidation and ruin. However, the track did sanction races for the PASS late model series in 2010 and 2011 as well as a USAR Pro Cup race in 2010, but those were the only three high-level racing events held at the historic speedway since NASCAR left. Today, the track remains with its vintage scoreboard, NWCS signs, and throwback grandstands. Fans and visitors still flock to the track and make it a museum of the former era of NASCAR racing. However, as we journey back to 1994 for this article, the track was still vibrant as ever with history, short track racing, and beautiful stock cars combining for a 400-mile race. As the checkered flag waved, Geoff Bodine grabbed the win on Hoosier tires after he lapped the entire field, a feat that has not been repeated in NASCAR since. Bodine’s win came with a variety of different storylines on the day as the 1994 NWCS season neared its conclusion. Let’s not waste anymore time and venture back to the 1994 Tyson Holly Farms 400 as if the checkered flag just waved in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.)
Geoff Bodine led the final 301 laps of today’s race at North Wilkesboro and cruised to victory lane after lapping the entire field in the Tyson Holly Farms 400. The win was Bodine’s third of the 1994 season, his third at North Wilkesboro, and the 17th of his career in the NWCS. The New York driver nearly lapped the field in his 1989 win at NWS, but he completed the task today thanks to a blazing fast Ford and excellent Hoosier tires. However, despite a dominant day from Bodine, the North Carolina short track provided a ton of excitement, hard racing, and battles for position all afternoon. Jimmy Spencer started on the pole for the first time in his NWCS career. The driver of the #27 McDonald’s Ford led the first five laps before Winston Cup points leader, Dale Earnhardt, shot to the lead in turn 4 on lap 6. Earnhardt maintained the top spot until Bill Elliott cleared him in turn 4 on lap 44 to take the lead. On lap 48, Bodine, who started in 18th, powered past the 1988 NWCS champion and grabbed the lead with an unbelievably fast Ford. About twenty laps later, green flag pit stops began for drivers with Goodyear tires as the four drivers on Hoosier Tires, including the leader, planned to stay out longer. Bodine eventually pitted on lap 81 and relinquished the lead to Ward Burton, who was competing on Hoosier rubber. The elder Burton brother pitted on lap 89 and handed the lead to his younger brother, Jeff, who had pitted earlier for fresh Hoosiers. Jeff couldn’t stay out front long as Bodine returned to the lead on lap 100 entering turn 1. From there, the race would continue to be a battle of green flag pit stops as the caution flags stayed away. The second round of green flag pit stops began on lap 126 as drivers hit the pit lane for more fresh tires and fuel. Bodine remained on track until lap 147 and a quick pit stop returned him to the lead as he continued putting drivers laps down. Just thirty laps passed after the second round of stops before Bill Elliott pitted on lap 179 and brought the contingent of drivers down pit road. The stops concluded on lap 211 and Bodine returned his #7 Ford to the front with only about eight drivers on the lead lap. Again, just 16 laps after the conclusion of the third round of stops, Elliott pitted for fresh tires and fuel. The fourth cycle of stops lasted longer than the previous ones as several drivers attempted to run longer on their tires while others tried to pit early and gain an advantage. Bodine eventually pitted on lap 257, which ended the round of stops and returned the #7 to the lead with only five drivers on the lead lap. On lap 280, Elliott began the fifth and final round of green flag pit stops of the race. Several drivers hit the pit lane in the subsequent laps while Bodine and Jeff Burton, the two remaining drivers in contention on Hoosier tires, attempted to stay out longer. Burton pitted on lap 326, leaving only the #7 on track with older tires. As Bodine’s pit stop neared, the first caution finally waved on lap 329 to conclude the long green flag run. The caution allowed Bodine to pit alone since he was the only driver on the lead lap. He prepared to restart in the top spot with a field on hungry drivers looking to move back onto the lead lap behind him. When the race restarted, the New York driver powered away while Rick Mast, who was running in second, slammed into Ricky Rudd, which dropped him back in the field. No other lead lap drivers managed to catch the leader and he remained the only driver on the lead lap when the second caution waved on lap 342 due to a turn 1 pile-up. The second caution in 13 laps lined the field back up for another restart as several drivers pitted for fresh tires. When the green flag waved, it only took half the frontstretch for the third caution to wave thanks to an accident involving Earnhardt, Jeff Burton, and Morgan Shepherd. As the field raced back to the yellow flag, Rusty Wallace battled hard to earn his lap back and even bounced off the leader’s car in turn 4, but Bodine remained the only lead lap competitor. Despite the contact, the New York driver remained on track and continued to hold onto the lead as Wallace and others pitted. When the green flag waved for the penultimate, Terry Labonte, who was running a lap down in second, passed the leader and earned his lap back. If the caution waved, he would be in position to move to Bodine’s back bumper and steal the victory. Unfortunately for Labonte, the #7 returned to its dominating form and Bodine passed Labonte on lap 382 to put him back a lap down. As the race neared its conclusion, the fourth and final caution waved on lap 391 with only a single driver on the lead lap. The last restart was a formality as Bodine negotiated the final six laps to grab the checkered flag after an unbelievable performance at the historic track. While the finish was anticlimactic, today’s race at North Wilkesboro epitomized the appeal of short track racing. Beating and banging for positions throughout the field, intense green flag pit stops, exciting restarts, and a tire war made today’s 400-lap event a thrilling one for NASCAR. As these 5 stages of analysis prove, Geoff Bodine’s dominant win delivered plenty of action as 36 drivers thundered for 400 laps around a 5/8ths mile track in the North Carolina mountains.
Stage 1:
Driver of the Day: Bodine Leads 334 of 400 Laps Thanks to Hoosier Tires and a Fast Racecar
In his first full season as an owner-driver, Geoff Bodine has experienced the highs and lows of racing in the NWCS. Last year, after 23 events driving for Bud Moore in the #15, Bodine began competing in his own racecar. The New York driver purchased the assets of Alan Kulwicki Racing during the middle of 1993 after the late champion lost his life in a plane crash prior to the April Bristol race. As tough as it was for the team members to move on after the tragedy, they did so with Bodine. In the final seven races last year in the #7, Bodine grabbed a tenth-place finish at Rockingham and prepared the team for a strong year in 1994. However, this season had been inconsistent and filled with bad luck for the entire organization. Despite winning two races at Pocono and Michigan, Bodine entered today’s 27th race of the season with 12 DNF’s caused by engine problems and crashes. In the races he did finish, the team lost their chance to win due to mistakes, including last week at Martinsville where he started second and spun just before lap 100. However, the entire #7 team entered North Carolina with a lot of fight left. They brought the same car from Martinsville to North Wilkesboro this weekend for a chance to rebound with their sights set on a strong 1995 campaign. Bodine started 18th as one of the final drivers to transfer from the first day of qualifying and one of only four drivers entered on Hoosier tires. As soon as the initial green flag waved, the owner-driver powered from the middle of the pack towards the front. By lap 20, he was already in the Top 10 with a ton of speed in his Ford Thunderbird and his Hoosier tires. On lap 32, the New York driver powered to Bobby Hamilton’s inside in turn 2 and moved into the fourth position. He easily passed Mark Martin exiting turn 2 on lap 40 and set his sights on Bill Elliott and Dale Earnhardt. Bodine made quick work of Earnhardt and drove past Elliott on lap 48 in turn 1 to take the lead after a brilliant run to start the event. The #7 drove away from the field and proceeded to lap cars around the short track. As pit stops neared for the field of drivers on Goodyear tires around lap 65, Bodine and his team felt they could stay on track much longer than everyone else. They kept their driver on track until lap 81 when he pitted for four fresh Hoosiers and some fuel. He returned to the race with just a couple of drivers in front of him on older tires. He returned to the lead on lap 100 after clearing Jeff Burton entering turn 1 as he looked to stretch his advantage out front. Bodine remained the leader as the second round of green flag pit stops commenced on lap 126 and his crew chief, Paul Andrews, finally brought him down pit road for fresh tires on lap 147 as the final driver to pit during the cycle. The #7 returned to the lead with a substantial margin back to second-place. The New York driver continued to stretch that gap as he lapped drivers until he pitted on lap 211 for his third green flag stop of the race. He returned to the event as the leader with only about 10 or so drivers on the lead lap. Again, the 1986 Daytona 500 winner extended his advantage during the subsequent run and pitted for the fourth time under green on lap 257 following stops from the rest of the field. He returned to the track in the top spot with only five drivers on the lead lap with 140 circuits remaining. Just like the rest of the event, Bodine continued to put drivers more laps down and increased his margin over second-place as more pit stops loomed. Bill Elliott kicked off the fifth and final round of green flag pit stops on lap 280 and other drivers followed him down pit road. However, the continued reliability of Bodine’s tires allowed him to stay out longer than the rest of the field. At lap 329, though, the team prepared for their final pit stop just as the first caution flag of the day waved for an incident involving Harry Gant. The #7 raced back to the caution flag as the only driver on the lead lap thanks to staying out during the green flag stops. He came down pit road during the caution alone and received four fresh Hoosier tires to finish the event as the rest of the field would have to fight to get their laps back. On the restart, Bodine powered away from the rest of his competitors to keep everyone else off the lead lap until the second caution waved on lap 342. Several drivers pitted as Bodine remained on track to hold the lead. The field lined up for the restart with the one lap down drivers right behind the #7 Ford Thunderbird, hoping to move onto the lead lap and contend for the win. On the subsequent restart, chaos erupted behind Bodine as several drivers spun. The quick caution flag allowed Rusty Wallace to race the leader for his lap back. The two drivers bounced off each other through turn 4 as they fought to the line, but the New York leader managed to keep his fellow competitor a lap down after a memorable battle. Fortunately for Bodine, he didn’t damage his Ford during the intense battle and he stayed on track as several drivers pitted, including Wallace, for service to their racecars. On the penultimate restart of the race, Bodine jumped out to an early lead much like he had all race. About 20 laps into it, though, second-place Terry Labonte chased him down and applied some pressure to take his lap back. Labonte did pass the #7 on lap 376 to move onto the lead lap, but Bodine found a boost of speed in the next few laps and he returned the favor on lap 382. The #7 remained the only car on the lead lap when the fourth and final caution waved on lap 391. Bodine raced back to the start/finish line and secured his spot as the only driver on the lead lap for the final restart. All the New York driver had to do for the final six laps was stay smooth and cruise to the checkered flag. On the final restart, Bodine did just as that as he kept his nose clean and avoided trouble in the final few circuits. He grabbed the checkered flag after completing lap 400 and powered his Exide Batteries sponsored Ford to victory lane after a historic lapping of the field. Despite starting in the middle of the pack, Geoff Bodine utilized a fast Ford Thunderbird to lead 334 of 400 laps and record his 17th career win after an utterly dominant race, which saw him lap the entire field of NWCS drivers at North Wilkesboro.
Stage 2:
Underdog of the Race: Mast Scores Career Best NWCS Finish at North Wilkesboro
Rick Mast might have entered today’s race winless in 149 career starts, but the Virginia driver has played a key role in some of NASCAR’s most historic events in recent years. For the 500-mile season finale at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1992, Mast sat on the pole in his Richard Jackson owned Oldsmobile as Richard Petty prepared to make his final start and several drivers looked to win the championship. Mast’s potential for a win didn’t last long as he crashed with Brett Bodine on the first lap in the first set of corners, but the Virginia driver had earned the pole and displayed his ability to drive fast. Earlier this year, Mast grabbed the pole for the inaugural stock car race at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a feat that will be recalled for years to come. Mast’s fast speed didn’t result in a Top 10 finish, though, but he made history as he led the field to green for the first time at the Brickyard. While Mast’s career thus far has been defined by those historic moments, he has made significant improvements and 1994 has quietly been his most successful season in just his fourth attempt at running full-time in the series. In the 26 races prior to today’s event, the Virginia driver grabbed two Top 5’s and eight Top 10’s, already career bests for his short tenure in the NWCS. Due to the improvement this season, the underdog Mast and his Precision Products Racing team entered North Wilkesboro with a ton of confidence and the goal of improving from their tenth-place performance in the spring. Mast started in 17th with a host of competitive drivers around him. In the first run of the race, the #1 Ford gained several positions and looked aggressive early. When the first round of green flag pit stops began on lap 65, he sat in tenth with a chance to gain positions during the cycle of stops. His team brought him down pit road around lap 70 and he returned to the race in eighth after a fast pit stop. In the subsequent run, Mast continued to gain positions and found himself in third on lap 120 after an incredible start to the race. Just a few laps later, the second round of green flag pit stops began and the #1 team contemplated when they would hit pit road. Mast pitted around lap 135 with several other drivers and returned to the track after a smooth stop. However, he fell to fifth following the cycle of stops, but he still sat in a capable spot to win the race. The Virginia driver remained in fifth throughout the next run and he pitted around lap 195 during the third round of green flag pit stops. He maintained his fifth after the stops as he powered around the North Carolina short track. Again, he held onto the last spot in the Top 5 during the run as a fourth round of green flag pit stops approached. Mast’s crew chief, Kevin Hamlin, brought him down pit road on lap 255 during the penultimate cycle of green flag stops. Following the stops, Mast moved into fourth position with only five drivers on the lead lap. Just 45 laps after his fourth pit stop, the Virginia driver and his team planned a fifth green flag pit stop. The #1 slowed to enter the pit lane on lap 306 and his team performed more routine service. He returned to the track and drove around, waiting for the leader to pit and end the cycle of stops. Before the leader could pit, the first caution waved on lap 329 with the entire field a lap down, including Mast. He came down pit road during the caution with his fellow lap down drivers and he returned to the race in second position with fresh tires. It appeared the Virginia driver was in perfect position for his best career finish, but he nearly lost everything on the next restart. As the field took the green flag on lap 338, Mast powered down the frontstretch, hoping to pass the leader and earn his lap back, with Ricky Rudd to his inside. As the two drivers attempted to enter the turn, they slammed into each other. The heavy contact sent Mast up the track and he slowed significantly as the field passed him. He was able to accelerate on the backstretch, but he fell to the back of the field. Fortunately, since only three cars were a lap down, he could ride at the back in fourth and hope for a caution to fix his Ford. Chance would have it that the second caution waved on lap 342, giving Mast the opportunity to pit and stay in contention for his best career finish. He pitted during the caution with several other drivers and he returned to the race in third position for the final 50 laps. On the next restart, the field made it a single corner before the third caution waved on lap 350 with the Virginia driver still in third. The field was quickly lined up and restarted for the penultimate time. Mast held onto the third spot as drivers around him challenged for the position. Throughout the run, the Virginia driver maintained his consistent pace as the laps clicked by. With ten laps to go, it appeared the #1 was clear to take the third-place finish. However, the fourth and final caution waved on lap 391 and set up an interesting conclusion to the race for the drivers in the Top 5. When the race did restart for the final time, Mast held strongly to his third-place spot and after a six-lap run to conclude the event, the #1 came home with a podium finish after a brilliant run. Rick Mast and his team have shown improved performance all season long, but the well-respected driver obtained a career best third-place finish for his underdog team after a fantastic race.
Stage 3:
Moves of the Race: Elliott and Team Manage Green Flag Pit Stops to Score Sixth Place Finish
The pairing of championship driver, Bill Elliott, and championship owner, Junior Johnson, has been somewhat successful. In three seasons with the Georgia driver behind the wheel, the team has earned six wins and a second-place points finish in 1992. However, the two NASCAR legends will move in different directions for 1995. Elliott will start up his own racing team while Johnson will have to find another championship caliber driver to pilot his premier racecar. Despite the impending separation, the #11 team has remained motivated to finish well and launch the organization into 1995 with momentum. They brought that momentum to North Carolina today in hopes of capturing Elliott’s first win at the track and giving their owner another victory at his home race track. Thanks to several important green flag strategy moves, the team earned a Top 10 finish and stayed competitive throughout the race. Elliott started in second position with his teammate, Jimmy Spencer, to his inside. The Georgia driver fell to third on the initial start, but he passed his teammate and sat in second on lap 20. For nearly 25 laps, he stalked Dale Earnhardt for the lead before he moved to his inside in turn 4 on lap 43. The two champions raced side by side for a lap before the #11 Ford cleared the #3 Chevrolet in turn 4 to grab the lead. Elliott only led for four laps before a hard-charging Bodine powered to the lead in turn 1. Still, the 1988 NWCS champion remained in the Top 5 as the first set of green flag pit stops approached around lap 65. The Georgia driver pitted for his first service of the day on lap 73 as his fellow competitors exited and entered pit road at the same time. After the cycle of stops, Elliott remained in third with his Junior Johnson owned Ford. As the run progressed, though, his Ford struggled slightly and he lost a few positions. By lap 125, the #11 had went a lap down to the leader, Geoff Bodine. Because of that, Elliott’s crew chief, Mike Beam, decided to utilize their first pit road strategy move to regain the lap back. Elliott pitted on lap 126 to start the second round of green flag pit stops as the team hoped to earn the lap back thanks to the fresh Goodyear tires. Following the cycle of stops, Elliott found himself in eighth, but he was back on the lead lap thanks to the strategy call. The team decided to utilize the strategy for the rest of the race during green flag pit stops. On lap 179, the #11 hit pit road after losing a lap to the leader. He returned to the track again in eighth with his lap back. After a few laps following the cycle of stops, Elliott went a lap down to Bodine and quickly hit pit road on lap 227, much earlier than the rest of the field expected to pit. As the cycle of stops finished in the next 30 laps, Elliott moved into the sixth spot, the first car a lap down. Despite not earning his lap back, the Dawsonville native sat in perfect position for the final portion of the race with just a few drivers in front of him. On lap 280, Beam brought his driver down pit road for what would be the final green flag stop of the day. Elliott returned to the track, hoping to remain in the Top 5. As laps clicked by, drivers continued to pit except for the leader. The first caution of the race waved on lap 329 with the entire field a lap or laps down thanks to the #7 of Bodine staying on track. Elliott sat two laps down, but he was in fifth with several drivers two laps down behind him. The team would just need to stay consistent and avoid trouble in the final laps to bring home an excellent finish. Elliott pitted during the caution, hoping the fresh tires would help him earn a lap back. When the green flag waved after the caution, the #11 maintained his position as the first driver two laps down until the second caution waved on lap 342. He came down pit road with several of his other competitors, which allowed him to remain in the fifth position with fresh tires. On the subsequent restart, a huge melee erupted and brought out the third caution on lap 350. The #11 avoided all the trouble and remained on the track in fifth for the restart as the few drivers involved in the caution pitted. For the final 50 laps, Elliott hoped to stay consistent and reward his team for the impressive strategy moves during the green flag stops. On the penultimate restart, the #11 Ford powered around the North Wilkesboro short track with his sights set on a Top 5 finish. Unfortunately, he lost the fifth spot to Mark Martin during the run, but the fourth and final caution waved on lap 391 to give the Georgia driver a final shot at the Top 5. In the final 6 laps, Elliott couldn’t mount a return to the fifth spot and he settled with a sixth-place finish after a valiant effort. Despite missing out on a Top 5 finish, Bill Elliott and his team utilized the perfect green flag pit stop strategy moves to remain contenders for all 400-laps at North Wilkesboro.
Stage 4:
Rivalry Ignited: Andretti and Waltrip Slam into Each Other Under Caution After Late Race Accident
Of all the 36 drivers who started today’s race at North Wilkesboro, John Andretti and Michael Waltrip appeared to be least likely to engage in a disagreement. Andretti, who is the nephew of legendary driver Mario Andretti, has seemed to be a quiet competitor who wants to prove his talent on the track. In his 29 NWCS starts prior to today’s race, the Pennsylvania driver avoided causing incidents and even earned a spot driving the famous #43 Pontiac for Petty Enterprises prior to the August Michigan race this year. Waltrip, on the other hand, is a lot like his brother, Darrell Waltrip. The two Waltrip brothers are prone to talk and have provided interesting sound bites throughout their careers. The younger Waltrip brother has been fighting for the success of his champion brother, but he hasn’t been successful thus far in his career. Entering today’s race, he had only 17 Top 5’s to his credit and two pole positions while running the #30 for Bahari Racing. Despite the differences in Andretti’s reserved personality and Waltrip’s louder persona, the two drivers found themselves in a heated exchange late in today’s race, which seemed to ignite a future conflict. Andretti started in a dismal 28th while Waltrip qualified respectably in 13th. In the early portions of the event, the two drivers remained consistently around the same spots. Following the completion of green flag pit stops around lap 95, Waltrip sat in 14th as Andretti struggled in 29th, two laps down. 30 laps later, the two drivers had moved in opposite directions with the #30 a lap down in 19th and Andretti in 26th. With the conclusion of the second round of green flag pit stops, the two drivers sat around the Top 20, laps down. From there, the race was all about finishing and managing pit stops as well as on track action to take the best finishes possible. Both competitors stayed quiet on the race track and fought for positions between the third, fourth, and fifth rounds of green flag pit stops in the race. While they were laps down and out of contention for the victory, they still battled for Top 20’s to take out of North Wilkesboro. When the first caution finally waved on lap 329, Waltrip sat in 19th and Andretti found himself in 21st. While both drivers were six laps down, they would be prepared to fight for positions and secure the best results for their respective organizations. Two quick cautions waved in the next 20 laps after the first caution and the two drivers moved right next to each other in the running order. For the last 50 laps, they would be battling each other for the same spot. With about 10 laps left, the #43 and #30 sat nose to tail in a fight for position with just a few miles left in the race. After a quiet day all race long, the two drivers proceeded to make some noise. The two Pontiacs powered down the backstretch on lap 391 and Andretti gained a run on Waltrip as they entered turn 3. Andretti stuck the nose of his Pontiac to the inside of Waltrip’s Pontiac in the corner, which caused them to make slight contact. Waltrip spun up the race track as Andretti stayed in the gas and drove away without incident. The #30 ended up slamming into the outside with his left side as the field passed by. As soon as he refired his engine, Waltrip straightened his car out and drove away from the scene, in search of the #43. Waltrip finally found Andretti in turn 2 and he slammed his racecar into the right side of the #43 Pontiac. The two drivers exchanged finger pointing as they continued to beat into each other on the backstretch. Finally, Waltrip proved his point and drove to pit road for his crew to repair his damaged racecar. His team repaired the car as much as possible and returned him to the track for the final six-lap run. Andretti stayed on track and looked to gain a few more positions in the final laps while also trying to avoid his new rival. For the final run, no contact resulted in the two Pontiacs and Andretti finished 17th while Waltrip crossed the finish line in a disappointing 21st. Even though the race ended without further contact from the two Pontiac drivers, the yellow flag beating and banging late in the race proved that the two vastly different drivers could be poised for a brand-new NWCS rivalry.
Stage 5:
Terrible Luck: Burton, Green, and Sacks See Promising Days Ended Thanks to Unfortunate Problems at North Wilkesboro
In the qualifying results for today’s race, three drivers stood out in the Top 15. Jeff Green, the usual spotter for Michael Waltrip who was preparing to make his second Cup start, qualified his #95 Sadler Brothers owned Ford in fifth after a brilliant run. Greg Sacks, the improbable winner of the 1985 July Daytona race, started 11th for his D.K. Ulrich owned #77 team. Jeff Burton, the leader in the 1994 Rookie of the Year battle, started 14th and earned his third consecutive Top 15 start on the season. All three drivers had different reasons to run well today and their excellent starting spots put them in prime position to do so, but bad luck caused by no fault of their own resulted in the end of their promising days. Green was the first driver to have trouble in the race. After the shocking qualifying run, the Kentucky driver continued to impress in the first 20 laps of the race as he stayed inside the Top 10 with a field of winning drivers behind him. As it appeared he would find a groove and earn a solid finish, he slowed in turn 1 on lap 25 and reported to his team that he had a flat tire. He came to the attention of his crew and they changed all four Goodyear tires before returning him to the track. Despite losing time to the field, falling outside of the Top 10, and being off schedule strategy-wise from the rest of the pack, the team prepared to regain their lost time and still earn a respectable finish. Just a couple of laps after his initial pit stop, though, Green returned to pit road with an axle problem on his Ford. The #95 immediately went to the garage and the team thrashed to fix the car, with hopes of getting the young driver more experience on track. The team did repair the axle problem and Green finished the race, but he was scored in 29th when the checkered flag waved after a promising start was derailed by a mechanical issue. For Sacks, his opportunity for an excellent finish lasted only 55 laps. The New York driver maintained his qualifying spot through the first run of the race as pit stops approached. As he drove through turn 2 on lap 55, he experienced an unfortunate problem. The right front tire on his Ford Thunderbird went flat and he immediately shot up the track. He slammed hard into the outside wall with his right side as drivers passed him on the backstretch. Sacks managed to maneuver his heavily damaged Ford to the apron and coast to pit road, which allowed the green flag to stay out. He immediately reported to the garage and the team thrashed to repair his extensive damage following the crash. The team did fix the car and Sacks returned to the track later in the event, but he finished 132 laps down in 35th after being hit by back luck. Of the three drivers, Jeff Burton’s promising run lasted the longest. Burton was one of the four drivers on Hoosier tires, but he pitted the earliest of the four around lap 70 after a decent first run. Pitting early and the benefit of the Hoosier ties speed-wise allowed the #8 Ford to inherit the lead after the cycle of stops. He stayed out front until Geoff Bodine returned to the front on lap 100, but the Virginia driver remained in the Top 5 until the second round of green flag pit stops began on lap 126. He pitted around lap 135 and returned to the race in the ninth spot after the cycle of stops. In the next run, the Rookie of the Year contender stayed consistently in the Top 10 as the third round of green flag pit stops began on lap 179. Burton pitted on lap 201 and found himself in tenth after the cycle of stops. Again, the #8 continued to race under the green flag with the rest of the field after the set of stops. The fourth round of stops began on lap 227 with Bill Elliott and Burton managed to save his tires to stay out longer than the rest of the drivers. He finally pitted on lap 258 after inheriting the lead from Bodine and he returned to the race just outside the Top 5, a lap down. However, when the fifth and final round of green flag stops began on lap 280, the Virginia native had the opportunity to gain positions and his lap back as he stayed out longer on his Hoosier tires. He finally pitted on lap 326 from second-place and fell two laps down just as the first caution waved on lap 329. Still, he would restart ninth with fresher tires than most of the drivers around him. He looked to gain some spots when the green flag waved, but the second caution quickly waved on lap 342 for a massive turn 1 pile-up. Burton pitted as a strategy call with several drivers around him and prepared to restart in about the eighth spot. The subsequent restart proved to be the end of Burton’s chances for a Top 10 with only 50 laps remaining. As the field accelerated past the start/finish line, Dale Earnhardt began to slide sideways as he slammed into Bobby Hamilton and the outside wall. Meanwhile, Burton bumped Morgan Shepherd as the field tried to avoid the drivers sliding in front of them. The contact sent Shepherd spinning up the track as the #8 slipped below him to avoid further issues. However, the #21 of Shepherd jerked back towards the inside wall with Burton right below him. The Virginia driver barely got clipped by his fellow competitor, which lifted his rear end slightly in the air and dropped it hard on the asphalt as he slid up the track. The field avoided Burton and he managed to drive away, but he reported to the garage for repairs. He did return to the race after his team fixed the damage to his Ford, but he ended up losing 19 laps and the #8 finished 28th after being involved in an unavoidable accident. All three of these Ford drivers prepared for excellent runs after impressive qualifying efforts, but the bad luck of short track racing and mechanical failures prevented them from capitalizing on their fast racecars.
After 400-laps of intense short track racing at North Wilkesboro, the NWCS heads just about an hour and a half south to Charlotte Motor Speedway for a 500-mile marathon at the 1.5-mile track. After the conclusion of the Coca-Cola 600 this year, track officials at CMS decided to repave the speedway prior to the annual Fall event. When the NASCAR regulars arrive at the speedway in just a couple of days, they will be greeted by fresh asphalt with the capabilities of turning high speeds and thrilling drivers as well as the fans. Teams are expecting increased speeds and they will have to make sure their engines can turn the high revolutions for 334 laps of racing. Also, with many of the Cup teams headquartered in the region around Charlotte, North Carolina, teams will be fighting for bragging rights in their home area. Plus, after two consecutive short track events, teams will have to readjust to the usual grind of speedway racing and prepare for strategy calls as well as quick laps. Finally, with just four races left in the season, drivers and teams will be fighting for momentum heading into 1995 and learning material for another grueling season of NASCAR. In addition to the storylines heading into next Sunday’s race concerning the new track surface and the end of the season, several drivers have noteworthy stories surrounding them at Charlotte. Geoff Bodine might be fresh off a dominating win at a short track, but the New York driver is hoping to continue his momentum at a track where he is a former winner. Dale Earnhardt practically has the championship locked up after a seventh-place finish in North Carolina today, but the 6-time champion will need to run hard in the final four events to tie Richard Petty for the most Cup championships. Rusty Wallace finished fourth today and gained some points on Earnhardt to try and take his second championship, but the 1989 champion will need excellent finishes in the final four races and some struggles from the #3 team to take the title. Rick Mast’s team has discovered some speed in their #1 Ford the past few weeks and a little extra momentum in the final races of this season could give them an extra boost heading into 1995. Finally, Dale Jarrett did not qualify for today’s race, marking only the second time in the North Carolina driver’s career that he has missed the show. However, the North Carolina driver and his Joe Gibbs Racing team head to another North Carolina track with the goal of visiting victory lane to rebound from the disappointing weekend. Today’s race at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway featured a dominating win for Geoff Bodine, a 329-lap green flag run to start the race, five rounds of strategy filled green flag pit stops, a battle of tire manufacturers between Hoosier and Goodyear, a career best third place finish for Rick Mast, and several late-race accidents.
(More Stats Down Below!)
Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 329- Derrike Cope broke loose exiting turn 4 on the outside of Harry Gant, which caused the two drivers to make contact. Gant spun towards the inside wall and slammed into it with his left front, which destroyed his Chevrolet and ended his final race at North Wilkesboro.
2nd Caution: Lap 342- Sterling Marlin had an engine blow up entering turn 1 as he raced underneath Jimmy Hensley, who was the substitute driver for Kyle Petty in the race. The two made contact and slid up the race track into the outside wall as oil littered the track. Morgan Shepherd, Dick Trickle, Ward Burton, and John Andretti spun in the melee, but all four drivers continued in the race while Marlin’s day was done.
3rd Caution: Lap 350- Dale Earnhardt got sideways as he mashed the throttle on the restart. He bumped into Bobby Hamilton, who was on his inside when the green flag waved, and slammed into the wall slightly. He managed to drive away without severe damage and continued in the race. Meanwhile, as Earnhardt slowed the field down, Morgan Shepherd spun and clipped Jeff Burton. Shepherd piled into the inside wall as Burton spun up the race track after lifting off the ground slightly. Both drivers continued, but they would need repairs to their Fords.
4th Caution: Lap 391- John Andretti bumped Michael Waltrip in turn 3, which sent Waltrip spinning up the track. He slammed into the outside wall with the left side of his car as the field drove by. He continued after some repairs from his Bahari Racing team.
Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Geoff Bodine
2nd: Terry Labonte
3rd: Rick Mast
4th: Rusty Wallace
5th: Mark Martin
Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Bill Elliott
7th: Dale Earnhardt
8th: Jeff Gordon
10th: Kenny Wallace
13th: Darrell Waltrip
14th: Ken Schrader
15th: Bobby Labonte
17th: John Andretti
21st: Michael Waltrip
23rd: Jimmy Spencer
26th: Kyle Petty *
28th: Jeff Burton
30th: Morgan Shepherd
32nd: Harry Gant
34th: Joe Nemechek
(*: Petty, who was struggling in the car with severe bronchitis, was replaced by Jimmy Hensley during his green flag pit stop around lap 110.)
Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/1994_Tyson_Holly_Farms_400/W
-Image:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JSk7Dn9QCI&t=7695s (Screencap at 2:07:44)
-Full Race:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JSk7Dn9QCI
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