NASCAR: Winston 500 Report (Lap 45)

10 May 1997

TALLADEGA, AL --

Lap 13: Andretti, Earnhardt, Skinner, Marlin, Schrader

Petty has gone to the garage. Broken engine.

Martin and Gordon make big moves towards the front and end up fourth
and fifth.

Martin looks inside Skinner and takes third. Earnhardt makes a move on
Andretti and give the lead to the Man in Black!

Andretti hangs on to Earnhardt's back bumper for second.

Spencer takes fifth from Gordon.

Here comes Skinner. He passes Martin for third and then tries for
second.  They're side-by-side. Now Skinner inches ahead and takes the
position.

Lap 19: Earnhardt, Skinner, Andretti, Martin, Spencer

Earnhardt's out front and they're two-by-two behind him. There's a mad
scramble for positions. Spencer muscles his way to second momentarily
but then gets shuffled back to eighth.

With nearly the entire starting field in the lead draft and positions
are changing rapidly.

There's a three car breakway at the front: Earnhardt, Martin, Gordon,
But not for long...

Martin taks a run on Earnhardt. He gets the lead and brings Gordon to
second.  Earnhardt and Andretti are side-by-side for third.

Gordon goes high on the track gets a nose out front for briefly but
Martin still leads at the stripe.

Three wide for the lead. Gordon outside, Martin in the middle,
Andretti to the bottom of the track. Martin is hung in the middle by
himself and goes backward.  Andretti continue to battle door-to-door
for the lead.

Gordon gets a slight advantage with drafting help from Earnhardt and
Gordon takes the lead in turn three.

Lap 30: Gordon, Earnhardt, Andretti, BLabonte

BLabonte takes the high line and moves into third.

Earnhardt sweeps to the bottom of the tri-oval and takes the
lead. BLabonte gets second.

Lap 34: Earnhardt, BLabonte, Andretti, Marlin, Gordon, WBurton, Skinner

Andretti goes low and takes second from BLabonte as they exit the
tri-oval, Marlin, Gordon, Skinner and WBurton all slip by as BLabonte
goes high on the track.

Marlin steps out of line and meanwhile Andretti passes Earnhardt on
the outside for the lead. Andretti has help from Gordon and Eanrhardt
rallies back on the bottom of the track by himself.

Three wide, Earnhardt low, Andretti in the middle, Gordon on the
outside and just like Martin a few laps ago Andretti gets hung in the
middle by himself.

Gordon is still high, Earnhardt low battling for the lead. Andretti
shows a little muscle and makes his way back to third.

Gordon finally gets an advantage. Earnhardt gets shuffled back to
sixth.

Gordon, Andretti, Marlin, Skinner, WBurton,

Marlin squeezes ahead for second. Now Marlin makes a move and takes
the lead in turn one.

Lap 45: Marlin, Skinner, Andretti, Earnhardt, WBurton, Dallenbach,
BLabonte, Spencer, Gordon, Stricklin, MWaltrip

Mike Snow -- The Auto Channel