Monday, August 26, 2002
Gordon's win at Bristol feels like the first time
The Associated Press
BRISTOL, Tenn. - It had been so long since he last stood in Victory Lane, Jeff Gordon wanted to savor every moment
“It feels like the first one all over again,” Gordon said after bumping his way past Rusty Wallace to win the Sharpie 500 late Saturday night and snap his 31-race winless streak. “I can tell you, we don't take wins for granted. That moment there in Victory Lane, I wanted to pause it and burn it into my memory forever because it's just such an awesome, awesome feeling.”
For a driver and a team used to dominance - Gordon has 59 victories in his career - not winning since Sept. 30, 2001 was agony.
“When you go as long as we've gone without a win ... and how hard you work for them, and just how everything's got to fall in place to get there, you look back and go, "How in the world did we win 58 races?”' Gordon said.
Gordon went to Bristol confident. He broke a six-race qualifying slump by earning the pole, then led a race-high 235 laps.
But Wallace seemed in control in the waning laps until lapped traffic slowed him and gave Gordon a chance to steal the win. He did it with three laps left in the race, tapping Wallace's Ford enough to knock him out of his way.
Noteworthy
Andy Petree, in discussion for most of the year to partner with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, said he should know his 2003 plans by this weekend.
“I'll have something to talk about at Darlington next week if all goes as planned,” he said.
Jones is expected to buy a portion of Petree's team and the duo has been shopping for drivers.
Because sponsor M&M's is leaving MB2/MBV Motorsports at the end of the season to go to Robert Yates Racing, Ken Schrader might be out of a job after this year. But Jay Frye, general manager at MB2, said the team would retain Schrader if it can get a car sponsor.
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Gordon's win at Bristol feels like the first time
