What was that? Huh? A Ford beating the Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) Chevrolets in qualifying at Talladega? I could believe a Dodge successfully pulling off that stunt, given their strength in recent restrictor plate outings (Sterling Marlin) but a Ford?
They all say that qualifying is just qualifying, it doesn't mean much when the green flag waves starting the action on the track. We all know this to be true. There is some significance though when it comes down to qualifying at the restrictor plate tracks. The restricted racecars with their common template ruled aerodynamics and their restrictor plates that are all SUPPOSED to be the same size inserted beneath their carburetors are all SUPPOSED to be equal, but we also know that this isn't so.
When a restrictor plate racecar excels in qualifying, it means that it has the where-with-all to break out of the draft and stand alone, depending on its own horsepower to allow it to make passes. There are very few cars in the 190 mile per hour parking lot that are able to accomplish this feat. For some unknown reason, the DEI teams have discovered how to get more horsepower out of their restrictor plate set-ups, and now they are once again being challenged by the Ford teams with the Wood Brothers Racing and Robert Yates Racing easing up beside them. With Dale Jarrett starting seventh and Elliott Sadler starting 12th, Robert Yates Racing has three engines in the top 12 starting positions.
After watching what some people would mistakenly call a race, it was apparent that Earnhardt was holding back at qualifying. His car was untouchable at the Talladega facility, as per usual. What Earnhardt didn't figure on though was getting double teamed by Hendrick Motorsports. It was very handy for the No. 25 Hendrick's Chevy to spin out, bringing out a caution just as Jeff Gordon moved a half a car length ahead of Earnhardt for the lead. The new rules package instituted last fall by NASCAR to freeze the field when the caution flag comes out won the race for Gordon, who was elated that someone other than a DEI teammate won a restrictor plate race. It was Jeff Gordon's first victory of the season and the 65th of the four-time champion's storied career.
Just for the fun of it, I decided to list the top ten all time winners in NASCAR Cup racing:
