Top Row Seat - Talladega
Dateline: 05/13/97Two In A Row
Mark Martin got his second win in as many weeks by making the pass with 30 laps to go and holding off the hard-charging Dale Earnhardt for the win. It was a very exciting race (as all restrictor plate races are) but the real story of the weekend was the fact that the entire 500 miles was run without a caution. I never imagined that they could run the distance without a yellow flag. Congratulations to everybody in the field. You guys all showed great patience and respect all day long.
Mini-Season Results
This season the mini-season results were very simple to calculate. With a second place at Martinsville and wins at both Sears Point and Talladega Mark Martin has proved his all-around driving expertise in 1997. For those of you new to this column I defined the mini-season as the three race stretch that just ended where the drivers went from the shortest short track to the fastest superspeedway and then to a road course. This 3 week span on the schedule tests all three of the NASCAR Winston Cup disciplines.
Rusty's Errors
This makes two weeks in a row that Rusty Wallace cost himself dearly with mental errors. On his first pit stop he pulled out before he was supposed to and did not get a full tank of fuel. Then on his third pit stop he was too far forward and had to back up into his pit box. This mistake cost him nearly ten seconds on pit road. When the leaders are racing at 190mph ten seconds is over half a mile.
His errors turned out to be a non-issue however when Rusty's infamous superspeedway luck struck and he was forced to drop out of the race. Rusty finished 37th.
Great Quotes
This week we have two entries into the great quotes file. First up was Dave Despain's reaction to the somewhat unusual pseudo-operatic rendition of the National Anthem. Dave said "That'll get the hair up on the back of your neck!" No kidding Dave.
The other quote came after the race when PosterBoy was asked what happened that caused him to get shuffled from second to fifth place at the end of the race. #24 explained that "Earnhardt kind of snookered me and I learned a little something." Looks like the kid still has some things to learn from the seven time champion.
Next Up
This week the boys head back to the heart of NASCAR country for the Winston Select. If you're a new Winston Cup fan you definitely don't want to miss this. Although there are no points available this week there is a big check waiting for the winner and the drivers always really let it all hang out. The Select never fails to give the fans something to talk about. It's a 50 lap shootout in three pieces for a ton of cash. Earnhardt knows how to get around Charlotte and the Select owes him after tough wrecks and near wrecks took him out of competition the last two years. Watch him break the string this week.
Go Fast, Turn Left, Stay Safe!
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