Sears Point Race Notes, Lap 48

05/04/97

SONOMA, CA - Wallace is putting the heat on Martin.... Martin is just
driving his race and maintaining his position.... Wallace seems to
like turn 7 for his passing spot as he closes up as close as you can
get with out actually passing .... once the pair are clear of there,
Martin manages to stretch out his lead.

At lap 30 it's Martin, Wallace, T Labonte, Gordon, Jarrett, J Burton,
Rudd, M Waltrip, Elliott and B Bodine.

Martin has a 6 car lead over Wallace and Wallace is about 15 car
lengths over Terry La-B who is in the third spot.

Hillin and Stricklin make stops.

@ lap 34 it's Martin, Wallace, T Labonte, Gordon and Jarrett.

The 77 car is off the pace.... and heading to the pits.

Rudd has brought the Tide Ford to a stop on the start finish line with
a problem..... and he's backing his way to the pits..... now the crew
comes out to push him back to the garage.

Martin is the leader at halfway..... followed by Wallace, T Labonte,
Gordo Jarrett, J burton, M Waltrip, Elliott and B Bodine Rudd broke
the rear-gear of the Tide Ford.

R Gordon is back on the track.

Martin now has a lapped car between himself and Wallace.

The 78 car is having a tough time of it.... he's spun and driven
through the dirt the last 2 laps.

Terry Labonte is closing in on Wallace while Martin is pulling away.

The 20 car just blowd up.

Caution on lap 42 for the blown motor of Hooper (the 20 car).

Wallace is reporting motor problems..... seems he's over-reved the
Miller Ford.

Well this should get good now with the field bunched up
again..... let's see who comes in to the pits..... well big
surprise..... all the leaders are in.

Martin comes in first leaves third, Wallace comes and goes in the
second spot, Terry La-B in third out first, and Gordo in and out in
4th.

Martin's jack-man dropped the jack.

WE may have us a fuel 'situation' developing towards the end of the
race....  Most teams say they can go 28 or 29 laps..... We should have
just about that many laps left when we take the green.

Rudd is back on the track.

Hang on a minute..... a quick review of the tape shows that Martin
beat Terry LAbonte to the pit 'line' and he gets put in front of
Labonte.

So it'll be Martin, Labonte, Wallace, Gordon, and Jarrett... with
Mayfield in front of them on the tail-end of the lead lap.

A few cars on the tail end of the lap come in for fuel... just a bit
more insurance for a few teams.

The green flies on lap 47.

Wallace looking over Labonte but nothing there.

Martin and Terry LAbonte get by the lapped car of Mayfield.

Martin and Labonte taking off with Mayfield playing the pique on
Wallace...  Gordon takes a look at Wallace.....

Wallace just blew up on lap 48.



Mike Snow -- The Auto Channel