Race
35: Pop Secret Popcorn 400
North
Carolina Speedway
Sunday Nov. 9,
2003
Awesome
Bill wins race, Kenseth captures Title
At the track
where Bill Elliott made his first start in 1976
he was able to dominate and claim the 44th
win of his Winston cup career. Elliott led for
140 laps and 72 of the final 74. It was a fitting
victory for the 48-year-old veteran of NASCAR’s
premier series. With his future in Winston cup
undecided for the 2004 season. The last win for
Elliott came in the 2002 when he won back to back
at Pocono and Indianapolis. Elliott started in 5th
position and stayed with the top runners all day
and was happy with his ability to beat the “new
kids” in the series. After his
disappointment in Kansas a month ago when Elliott
led 150 laps only to loose on a fuel run to Ryan
Newman, Elliott was eager to make his point. On
Sunday Jimmie Johnson finished in second with
Elliott’s teammate Jeremy Mayfield in third,
and Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman rounding out the
top five.
The race at Rockingham was
an exciting affair as usual with numerous
cautions jumbling the field. Matt Kenseth who
started 23rd was able to move his way
to the to five and clinch the 2003 championship
with one race remaining. Jeff Gordon was
penalized for rough driving early in the race
after he spun Ryan Newman exiting turn four.
Gordon lost a lap and was never able to overcome
the deficit; he finished in 22nd
position a lap down to the leaders. The decision
by NASCAR was not popular, especially later in
the race when it appeared that Newman made
deliberate contact with Ken Schrader late in the
race and was not penalized. Schrader was having
one of his best races of the year running in the
top 10 when Newman made a three wide pass late in
the race and spun Schrader to the outside wall,
NASCAR made no call on the move.
In all the excitement that
was involved in the race, Matt Kenseth was able
to move his way to the front and capture the
first ever championship for Roush Racing. After
15 years of accomplishments in the Winston Cup
series Jack Roush was finally able to claim the
top prize. The innovations in Winston cup racing
made by Roush Racing are used on every car in the
field, but he has never been able to capture the
big crown, Sunday he finally broke through. Roush
was quick to give praise to Kenseth’s team
for the title and to Mark Martin who was
instrumental in giving Kenseth his shot in stock
car racing. Martin followed Kenseth during a
Busch race at Talladega in the early 90’s
and was impressed with his driving. Martin, who
has finished second in the standings 4 times in
his career told Roush that Kenseth was a winner,
the rest is history.
My Rant: NASCAR’s
decision to scrap a race at Rockingham is wrong!
How many races are run on tracks that are a
competitive as “The Rock”? Last weeks
race was one of the most exciting races of the
year and next season it is gone. California
Speedway gets the date. I understand the effort
to get more fans into the stands however the
layout of the North Carolina Speedway lends
itself to exciting racing every time. There is
nothing like watching a race where fuel mileage
has little effect on a race and every driver is
running over 60 grit sandpaper. I will miss the
November race at this track!
|
