Even before the green flag dropped on Sunday's Bass Pro/MBNA 500, weather was the topic on everyone's minds. Not the threat of rain that has plagued the last few races, but rather the sun that emerged early in the day to wreak havoc with car setups made during yesterday's cool, cloudy practice session. Teams that had qualified well found themselves struggling to stay competitive, while several drivers came from dismal starting positions to challenge the leaders.
Starting from the pole position in a car the boasted the weekend's fastest practice times, Ryan Newman was an early favorite, but lead just 20 laps before losing the lead to Bobby Labonte and slipping back through the pack. Despite an early pit stop and several adjustments to his car, he couldn't make it back to the front and finished one lap down, in 10th position.
While the pole sitter lost ground, two of NASCAR's most popular drivers were making it up at amazing speeds. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. charged up through traffic from their respective starting positions of 30th and 37th, and by lap 60 and their first scheduled pit stops, they were both racing in the top ten. Not everyone was helped by the weather changes, though, and Earnhardt's teammate Michael Waltrip fell to the back of the field just as quickly as Jr. raced to the front.
Joe Nemechek took the lead from Labonte as the first set of pit stops drew near, but a 22 second stop and pit road traffic cost him valuable track position. When the pit stops were done, it was Jeff Gordon that led the field. Gordon held the lead for only nine laps before Labonte's #18 Chevy blew past him to lead another 42 laps. The lead pack, made up of Labonte, Gordon, Stewart and Earnhardt battled back and forth for position while turning blistering lap times, putting 33 cars a lap down during the long, green flag run.
The first caution of the day came on lap 135, when Mark Martin's Ford began to smoke. For the second consecutive race, he steered his car back to the garage, his day ended early by an engine failure. Just ten laps later, he was joined by his Roush Racing teammate, the #97 of Kurt Busch. As the smoke from Kurt Busch's damaged engine clouded the track and the yellow flag waved, Brett Bodine and Kenny Wallace made contact in turn two, sending Bodine to the garage to try to repair his battered car. Wallace pitted several times under the caution, but remained in the race.
On lap 166, Georgia native and local favorite Bill Elliot limped his #9 Dodge back to the garage, but did not bring out a caution. Rusty Wallace, still trying to end a 65 race winless streak, went up into the wall in turns 1 & 2 on lap 175, bringing out the first of two yellow flags that flew in quick succession. Only a few laps into the restart, a plume of smoke trailed behind Ken Schrader's car, and he pulled back to the garage, the fifth car to be retired due to engine failure. With the help of the caution, Rusty Wallace was able to make some repairs to his car without losing a lap, but couldn't keep pace with the leaders and faded back to finish 15th.
The fourth caution within 50 laps prompted some crew chiefs to alter their pit strategy to try to gain track position. As the rest of the leaders came into their pits for four fresh tires, Earnhardt stayed out on the track, and Ryan Newman opted for only two tires. Both struggled to hold off the pack until another caution, brought out when rookie Jamie McMurray cut a tire, brought all the leaders into the pits yet again.
When racing resumed, Gordon led the field, followed by Tony Stewart, Earnhardt, Labonte, and Jimmy Johnson. A long green flag stretch gave Labonte the opportunity to take the lead once again as Gordon began to struggle with the handling on his Dupont Chevy. The gap between the leader and the rest of the pack widened to just over two seconds, only to be closed again by another caution as Ricky Rudd pulled his smoking car back to the garage. On the restart, Jimmie Johnson was unable to get up to speed, and Jeff Burton's car lost an engine, sliding up into the turn four wall before he could steer it off the track. Both cars went to the garage, reporting engine failures. Burton was the fourth driver with a Roush engine to leave the race.
The final restart set up a 13 lap sprint to the checkered flag, with Labonte, Gordon, Earnhardt, Matt Kenseth, and Elliot Sadler jostling for position in the top five. Gordon got around Labonte to take the lead on as the green flag flew, but Labonte clung to his bumper, getting into the back of him and reclaiming the lead. As the race wound to a close, Labonte opened up a 1.2 second margin before taking the checkered flag to claim his 6th Atlanta victory.
Despite 23 lead changes between nine different drivers, Labonte led an impressive 172 of the race's 325 laps, scoring his 20th career victory and his first with Michael "Fatback" McSwain as his crew chief. Gordon seemed content with his runner-up finish, his first top ten of the season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third to complete a Chevrolet sweep of the top three positions. Matt Kenseth, the only Roush driver to finish the race, came in fourth to take an early lead in the points battle. Tony Stewart rounded out the top five, followed by the final four lead lap cars of Elliot Sadler, Jimmy Spencer, Dave Blaney and Joe Nemechek.
Unofficial Results
Unofficial Standings
- Matt Kenseth
- Tony Stewart -49
- Michael Waltrip -75
- Jimmie Johnson -99
- Bobby Labonte -108
- Johnny Benson -131
- Kevin Harvick -140
- Jeff Gordon -141
- Jeff Burton -142
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. -144
