Well, Rusty Wallace might have won the race, but, the way I see it, he didn't take the checkered flag. There is a difference, a BIG difference. Wallace fans are oblivious to the difference, regaling in celebration for the long awaited win. The win goes down in the books with an asterisk after it, meaning "rain shortened race."
Who would have won if it hadn't have rained? That's a tough one. Fact is, Rusty had the car to beat. But, what about Earnhardt, and don't forget the tactics of Gordon late in the race. Then there's Mark Martin. In re-starts earlier in the race, Rusty pulled away from the pack while the front runners were dealing with the lapped cars, and that most likely would have happened at the next re-start. But, it's like my son says, "We'll never know."
The race for the championship is still a remote possibility, and I should emphasize the word REMOTE. Gordon would almost have to get sick and miss the next two races in order for Martin to win. We saw that it is possible for a race driver to get sick and miss a race, but it's doubtful that one would miss two in a row unless he was seriously injured. The flu shroud hung over a few of the drivers Sunday, letting the world know that they are just as human as the rest of us.
So, I guess we might as well get used to the idea that Jeff Gordon is going to be champion again, whether we all like it or not. You have to consider that all of the elements that came together to comprise each event this season, set the stage for Gordon's championship. Things that Jeff and the Rainbow Warriors did right, and things that other teams did wrong, put Jeff Gordon where he is.
Steve Waid's commentary in the Oct. 22nd issue of the Winston Cup Scene, says it all: It's been a boring season. We've had them before, and we'll have them again.
| Driver | Winnings |
| 1. Rusty Wallace | $78,005 |
| 2. Mark Martin | $68,430 |
| 3. Dale Earnhardt | $57,175 |
| 4. Jeff Burton | $50,512 |
| 5. Ted Musgrave | $33,950 |
| 6. John Andretti | $46,540 |
| 7. Jeff Gordon | $47,040 |
| 8. Kenny Wallace | $30,680 |
| 9. Johnny Benson | $31,730 |
| 10. Terry Labonte | $40,880 |
The Craftsman Truck series championship battle is hot. It's going right down to the last race. Ron Hornaday jumped ahead of Jack Sprague by a mere 13 points, with just the one race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway left. Did I just write Las Vegas? What a place to win the championship! I wonder who the odds on favorite will be in the betting parlors? If I was a gambler, I'd probably put my money on Ron Hornaday. The championship will be decided Sunday, November 8th.
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