Like Father Like Son
Race eleven brought racing junkies the first night race for NASCAR 2000 and these boys showed they are ready for Prime Time! Richmond International Raceway is a short three-quarter mile track with a super speedway mentality. This usually leads to some memorable racing with a wide-open cast of contenders and this race was no exception. This week's race also proved that the race is not always won by the swift but sometimes by the craftiest. Like father, like son, Dale the Younger did the classic Earnhardt bump and run on his way to Victory Lane.
Rusty Wallace started the weekend off with another pole on Friday afternoon. He proved once and for all he is THE short track ace by dominating much of the race. Rusty was about to turn this one into a laugher until pit strategy doomed him again just like at Martinsville earlier this season. As Rusty struggled back in traffic Tony Stewart then took control. Tony had been mired in a serious sophomore slump and had not even led a lap prior to this week. Just about everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for the Home Depot team and this week added another chapter to that saga. Tony was in control and watching the laps tick off one by one as he attempted to become the eleventh different driver to visit Victory Lane to start this season. Meanwhile, Mark Martin had quietly been having a very consistent run. Thanks to an earlier Gordon to Jarrett to Bobby Labonte chain reaction slam that put Bobby a couple laps down, Mark was about to regain the point's lead when disaster struck. With less than forty laps to go Mark lost his right front tire launching him into the wall and out of the race. The Earnhardt's decided on two different pit strategies to try to win the race. Dale the Elder chose a two tire stop to put him out front while Dale the Younger banged his way past Tony Stewart to gain an advantage off pit road. The resulting contact did cause some damage on his Bud Chevy but Tony got the worst of it and had to pit again since his left rear tire was trashed. Tony, the fastest car on the track, had to make a valiant charge from twenty- third position with laps running out and had to settle for eighth place. Meanwhile up front, the Earnhardt's were having a family reunion on the track as Junior muscled his way past Dale the Elder for the lead. As the Goodwrench Chevy struggled on old left side rubber a new contender emerged. Terry Labonte had stayed out of trouble all night. Great pit strategy and some timely adjustments had the Rooster ready to crow on his Hendrick's Chevy. Terry battled Dale the Younger trying just about everything to make the pass. Hunting him down as the white flag flew, Terry raced him clean to the stripe coming up just short as Dale the Younger became the first repeat winner this season.
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