Saturday, August 07, 1999
Surprises unlikely at Brickyard
Gordon still the man to beat
BY TOM GROESCHEN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Expect the expected at the Brickyard 400 today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The winner should come from among pole sitter Jeff Gordon and the usual handful of suspects.
Gordon (four wins), Jeff Burton (four), Dale Jarrett (three) and Bobby Labonte (three) have won 14 of the 19 NASCAR Winston Cup races this season. Toss in Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt (one win each), and you've about covered most experts' picks to win.
“Six guys dominate Winston Cup racing, and about 35 of the 43 starters (today) don't have a prayer of winning,” said Robin Miller, the longtime motorsports columnist for the Indianapolis Star-News.
The big names, all of whom drive for wealthy multi-car operations, always seem to dispatch the David Greens and Michael Waltrips — who start third and fifth today, respec tively. Green ranks 39th in season points, and Waltrip is winless in 413 career starts.
Yet, this noisy Battle of the Network Stars won't stop 300,000 devoted fans from attending, with millions more riveted to their televisions.
A purse of at least $6.1 million, second only to the Daytona 500 in stock car rac ing, is at stake.
Half the fans will be rooting for Gordon and half against him, with NASCAR's wonderboy having destroyed the track record by running 179.612 mph in qualifying. That was nearly a full mile per hour faster than runner-up Martin.
Gordon's dominance at Indy includes victories in the inaugural Brickyard (1994) and again last year. He has won three poles in six Brickyard attempts. He has led 253 laps in five Brickyard races, more than double the next man (Ernie Irvan, 114).
“This is a special place, and I love competing here,” said Gordon, who is from nearby Pittsboro, Ind. “A win here would mean a lot.”
Gordon and Martin finished 1-2 in last year's Brickyard and will start from those positions today.
Martin is recovering from injuries he suffered in a practice-session crash last month at Daytona but said he no longer feels “beat up.”
“We've got a good car,” he said. “This could be our weekend.
Also watch Jarrett, the season points leader who starts fourth today. Jarrett annually brings some of the meanest horsepower, thanks to owner Robert Yates' engine-building genius, and he won this race in 1996.
At Indianapolis, with its relatively flat banking (9 degrees in all corners), the main ideas are conserving gas and staying out of trouble. Indy's narrow straightaways, a relatively scant 50 feet wide, don't allow much passing.
Starting position is not crucial. No pole winner has won this race, and Jarrett came from 24th to win in '96.
“It's much more important to drive a fast car than it is to drive up front,” Martin said. “If you start up front with a mediocre car, your best shot is a mediocre finish.”
A fast car is good, Martin said. A durable car may be even better.
Gordon, Martin, Jarrett — they have both.
But the one to chase is Gordon, who only seems like he has been around forever. Gordon turned 28 on Wednesday.
Speedway President Tony George, in a photo-opportunity this week with former Brickyard winners, presented Gordon with his second Indy brick to commemorate his 1998 victory.
“Being only 28 years old,” George told Gordon, “soon you'll have enough of these to redo your patio.”
Complete Brickyard coverage from Associated Press
Sports Stories
REDS 9, BREWERS 2
Reese returns with a bang
REDS NOTEBOOK
Box, runs
Astros split doubleheader
Gwynn passes 3,000
Bengals scrimmage key for hopefuls
Smith talks hit another snag
Sargent concedes starting job to Jones
TRAINING CAMP INSIDER
BENGALS NOTEBOOK
Lumpkin to play in Finland
