NASCAR: Winston 500 Report (Finish)

10 May 1997

TALLADEGA, AL - 

Lap 141: Trickle comes into the pits for a scheduled two-tire pit
stop.

Lap 141: Martin, Irvan, MWaltrip, Gordon, TLabonte, Spencer, Andretti,
JGordon, Schrader, Earnhardt

Irvan loses the draft as MWaltrip, Gordon, and TLabonte all get by
him.

Lap 147: Martin, MWaltrip, Gordon, TLabonte, Andretti, JBurton,
Spencer, Schrader

MWaltrip goes high on the track and loses second and more back to seventh.

Lap 147: RWallace is in the pits. He overshoots his pit slightly and
NASCAR makes the team push the car back into the box. A sloooow stop
for the Miller crew.

Andretti moves up alongside TLabonte and takes the position. 

Little and Marcis are in the pits. 

Lap 151: Martin, Gordon, Andretti, TLabonte, Spencer, Earnhardt,
Schrader

A big pack of cars into the pits including Elliott, Skinner, DWaltrip,
Nemechek, KWallace, Mayfield

Lap 154: The leaders come into the pits. Two tire stops for almost
everybody.  BLabonte - gas only.

Running order after pit stops: Gordon, Martin, Andretti, JBurton,
TLabonte, BLabonte, Rudd, Spencer, MWaltrip, Earnhardt, Benson

Martin takes second bringing JBurton and TLabonte with him. 

Martin goes low on the track and grabs the lead from Gordon with
JBurton and TLabonte right behind him. Gordon's back to fifth.

Andretti takes third from TLabonte and moves into second while the
positions continue to shuffle.

Lap 162: Martin, Andretti, TLabonte, Gordon, BLabonte, Spencer,
Earnhardt, JBurton, Benson, Rudd, Irvan, MWaltrip

Gordon grabs third bringing BLabonte, Spencer with him.

Jarrett is off the pace in turn two. 

Lap 165: Andretti looks low but falls back in line. 

Andretti looks low again as the leaders come up on slower
traffic. Andretti has no drafting help and he loses spots.

Lap 169: Martin, Gordon, BLabonte, Earnhardt, Andretti

The lead draft bypasses Dallenbach and DWaltrip who drop into the low
groove.

Martin now catches and laps Hillin, Speed, Nemechek. Martin almost
makes contack with Elliott but gets around cleanly.

Lap 170: Martin, Gordon, BLabonte, Earnhardt, Andretti, Spencer,
TLabonte, JBurton, Benson, Rudd

Martin has some trouble lapping Skinner but finally gets around with
17 laps to go.

TLabonte takes sixth from Spencer. Those two drivers have lost the
lead draft.

Earnhardt makes a move and takes third from BLabonte who falls back in
line fourth.

Lap 177: Martin, Gordon, Earnhardt, BLabonte, Andretti, TLabonte, Spencer

Earnhardt pulls to the outside of Gordon with help from BLabonte and
Andretti. The trio freight-train past Gordon.

Lap 179: Earnhrdt weaves on the backstretch looking low then high for
the lead. Martin manages to block him and stays out front.

Lap 181: The front five remains single file. 

Lap 182: Martin, Earnhardt, BLabonte, Andretti, Gordon, TLabonte,
Spencer, JBurton, Benson, Rudd

5 laps to go and nobody makes a move yet. 

Lap 184: Irvan moves into tenth.

Lap 195: The second pack of four has caught the lead pack of five.

Lap 186: Still single file into turn three. 

White flag! Through turns one and two no change in position. They're
down the backstretch, Earnhardt follows Martin through turns three and
four. Earnhardt looks low as they enter the tri-oval but he doesn't
have enough and Mark Martin wins by a foot!! His second Winston Cup
win in a row.

Finishing third through fifth: BLabonte, Andretti and Gordon.

Lori Vizza -- The Auto Channel