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NASCAR WCUP: Pocono 500 Race Wrap Up and Notes

21 June 1999

Todays Winner: Bobby Labonte

Team: Interstate Batteries Pontiac

* Bobby Labonte won the Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway, his second victory in 1999. It was his ninth career victory in 205 NASCAR Winston Cup races. He moved into a tie for 43rd on the all-time winners list joining Cotton Owens and Paul Goldsmith. His most recent victory came in the MBNA Platinum 400 at Dover, three races ago. It is his 12th top-10 finish, including 11 top-fives, in 15 races this season.

* Labonte became the fourth repeat race winner in 15 races in 1999 joining Dale Jarrett who also has two wins and Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton who each have three wins in 1999.

* Labonte scored his seventh straight top-five finish this season, extending a streak that began at Talladega.

* This is Labontes first victory in 13 races at Pocono. It was only his second top-10 finish at the Pennsylvania track, both occurring in the last two race here.

* Labonte led three times for 27 laps. He did not lead the most laps. Labonte is the only driver to lead at least one lap in 14 of the 15 races this season. Dale Jarrett led 71 of the 200 laps today, the most of all drivers. It was the second time in 1999 that Jarrett led the most laps.

* This is the fourth straight race at Pocono that the winner has started from a top-10 starting position.

* Labonte also won the MCI WorldCom Fast Pace Award with a speed of 166.015 mph on lap 199 (the next to last lap).

* This is the third victory for Pontiac this season. Ford has seven and Chevrolet has five victories in 1999.

NOTEBOOK ITEMS...

* The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader bonus will be worth $20,000 at Sears Point for next weeks Save Mart/Kragen 350.

* Dale Jarrett (third) leads the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings by 89 points over second-place Bobby Labonte. The top five in the point standings are separated by 349 points with the top-three drivers (Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte and Jeff Burton) separated by just 186 points.

* Jeff Gordon (second) has finished first or second in seven of his last eight races at Pocono. He moved from sixth to fifth in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings.

* Jeff Burton (36th) posted his third finish of 35th or worse this season. He dropped from second to third in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings.

* Tony Stewart (sixth) has been the highest finishing rookie in 14 of the 15 races this season. This is his sixth top-10 finish in the last seven races. He dropped to sixth in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings, just two points behind fifth-place Jeff Gordon.

* Jimmy Spencer (14th) scored his first top-15 finish in 1999.

* Rick Mast became the 36th different driver to lead a lap in 1999. The last time that Mast led in a race was at Las Vegas in 1998, 46 races ago.

Editors Note: For hundreds of hot racing photos and racing art, be sure to visit The Racing ImageGalleries and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.