RACE DAY REPORT
VIRGINIA 500
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY-MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA
SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2003

PRE-RACE NOTES &
RACE INFORMATION:

He was fourth fastest in the first session and 16th in the final "happy hour" session.

"Again, it'd be wrong to really read that much in the practice sheets," Rusty's crew chief Bill Wilburn said in the team transporter this morning just prior to the 11:00 a.m. drivers and crew chiefs meeting. "Our deal was that we make a shock change right there at the end that got the car tweaked just like Rusty wanted it, so I think we'll really be good here today. I really do.

"But, then again, I know that Gordon (pole-winner Jeff Gordon) showed up in the top five in both sessions yesterday and you know that he'll be tough here today," Bill continued. "And the fact that he'll have the best spot on pit road fits right into you having to look at the 24 as the favorite here today. This is definitely a race that can be won or lost from the pits here today."

As for the pit road layout here today, it wasn't unusual that Gordon's team chose the first pit spot, but some questioned second-place starter Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s choice of the second spot. That move let Rusty's Penske teammate Ryan Newman and his Matt Borland-led team get the 11th spot, which has an opening in the wall in front. Joe Nemechek's team pits behind. The Ken Schrader team, who qualified fourth took the 10th spot, just in front of the pit wall opening. Rusty, Bill and crew took the adjoining (ninth) spot. The Ricky Craven team will pit in front.

Rusty spent some time debriefing after yesterday's practice and did a few media interviews before heading out to a local golf course to enjoy the nice weather and get in a round. He stayed here at the track in his coach last night and his light schedule here this morning included a live shot on Fox Sports' "NASCAR This Morning" show.

For perhaps the first time during the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup racing season, there is a race day weather forecast where possible precipitation is no issue. Today's forecast here at Martinsville, Va., calls for clear skies and when the driver introductions began here at 12:30 p.m., the thermometer in the pit road tool box read a pleasant 68 degrees.

The temperature was up to 72 degrees here at 1:04 p.m. when the command to start engines was given. The field rolled off from their European-style starting grid on the frontstretch at 1:07 p.m. After three parade laps, the field got the green flag at 1:10 p.m.

Pole-winning Gordon got a good jump on the start to take the lead. He was out by almost a full second over second-place Ryan at lap 10. None of the top five starters had changed positions except Ryan and Earnhardt.

Ryan began to fall off the pace as Earnhardt began to gain steam. At lap 25, it was Gordon by 2.3 seconds over second-place Earnhardt.

At lap 50, Gordon led, with Earnhardt second, Ken Schrader up to third, Tony Stewart fourth and Rusty fifth. Ryan had fallen to ninth, with his brakes really showing some heat.

Jerry Nadeau's spin on lap 79 brought out the first yellow of the race and brought all the leaders down pit road for service and adjustments. A 15.157-second stop put Rusty up to second for the lap 85 restart behind leader Gordon. Stewart was third, with Earnhardt fourth and Jimmie Johnson fifth. Ryan was back in 12th,

Gordon continued to control the lead, with Earnahrdt getting around Rusty for second just before Ricky Rudd's turn two spin brought out the second caution on lap 119.

Rusty got another super stop under the yellow (14.673 seconds) and was second behind leader Stewart for the lap 129 restart. He got around Stewart on lap 131 for the lead and held it for 13 circuits before Earnhardt worked around the outside for the lead.

Earnhardt then took control of the lead and the pace of the race, putting Ryan down a lap on lap 224. He led until Gordon chased him down on lap 240 to take the top spot.

After Jeremy Mayfield's lap 243 spin and an ensuing caution, Rusty's fast pit work had him back up to second for the lap 250 restart behind Gordon. Earnhardt was third, with Stewart fourth and Johnson fifth. Ryan was 17th, running a lap down.

None of the leaders pitted after Nadeau stalled up on the high side of turn three on lap 270, but they did on lap 294 after Jack Sprague spun out of turn four to cause the fifth yellow.

Unfortunately, during the ensuing pit stop, the jack was slow going under the left side of the car during the four-tire stop. That couple with the fact that four cars stayed out saw Rusty 10th in the order for the lap 299 restart.

Sterling Marlin, Terry Labonte, Elliott Sadler and Joe Nemechek, the drivers who stayed out earlier, pitted when the yellow flew for debris on lap 319. That had Earnhardt back in the lead for the lap 325 restart. Johnson was second, with Stewart third, Gordon fourth and Rusty fifth.

The seventh yellow of the race flew on alp 348 when Dave Blaney stalled out of turn four. The cars that pitted earlier stayed out again as Rusty and his group once again hit pit road. The ensuing 17.285-second stop, hampered by the same problem as earlier, had Rusty 11th for the lap 355 restart.

Ryan was in front of the leaders and fought valiantly to get back into the lead lap until Earnhardt powered his way back into the lead and around the No. 12 car on lap 402.

Bill notified Rusty that all but four of the lead lap cars could go the distance on fuel on lap 425, just before havoc struck for Ryan. On lap 436, he cut down a tire and spun in turn three to bring out the eight caution of the day. NASCAR ordered him to the garage to make repairs and that took him out of the thick of things. He would later return to the race with 19 laps remaining, but could salvage only a 38th-place finish.

During the caution, Bobby Labonte went with only two tires to grab the lead for the lap 444 restart. Earnhardt was second, with Gordon third, Johnson fourth, Stewart fifth, Elliott Sadler fifth, Jeff Burton sixth, Marlin seventh, Terry Labonte eighth, Kenny Wallace ninth and Rusty 10th.

Earnhardt lost spots and momentum as he moved to avoid a spinning Ricky Craven on lap 447 as the ninth caution flag of the day waved.

On the lap 451 restart, it was Bobby Labonte leading, with Gordon second, Johnson third, Stewart fourth, Earnhardt fifth, Sadler sixth, Jeff Burton seventh, Marlin eighth, Rusty ninth and Terry Labonte 10th.

Earnhardt had charged back up to third with 17 lap remaining and four laps later Gordon was finally able to get around the younger Labonte for the lead.

Terry Labonte was spun out on lap 489 in turn three to set up an eight-lap dash to the finish. Gordon was able to get a great jump as all the top cars were beating and banging for positions.

Kurt Busch spun in turn two on lap 498 to bring out a final yellow and produce a finish under the caution. Gordon hung on for the win, with Bobby Labonte hanging on to the runner-up spot. Earnhardt finished third, with Jeff Burton fourth, Sadler fifth, Stewart sixth, Marlin seventh, Rusty eighth, Johnson ninth and Schrader 10th.

After nine races have been put into the 2003 record book, Matt Kenseth continues to lead in the points with 1,330. Earnhardt is second with 1,279, Gordon third with 1,171 Johnson fourth with 1,151 and Busch fifth with 1,125. Rusty is 16th with 970, while Ryan fell to 20th with 943.

The NASCAR Winston Cup tour now gets a much needed weekend off next week before heading out to California Speedway for action there on April 27.

POST-RACE QUOTES:

RUSTY WALLACE (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Intrepid)
"We got messed up on that one pit stop and we couldn't get it back. The jack wouldn't go under the left side of the car. I think we probably had at least a top-five car. We've had a top-five car just about every race this season, but our finishes don't show it. At least we got an eighth-place out of it today."