MBNA America 500 the race is over, the winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway is #20-Stewart wins his 13th career Cup race, his first in 2002 and his first ever 500 mile race, his 12 other wins were 400 miles or shorter.(thanks Mike of WLLR). It was also Pontiac’s 150th Winston Cup win. The Top ten finishers (unofficial): 1) #20-Stewart (123 laps led) 2) #8-Earnhardt Jr (38 laps led) 3) #48-Johnson 4) #17-Kenseth (46 laps led) 5) #32-Craven 6) #2-Wallace 7) #22-Burton (20 laps led) 8) #6-Martin 9) #40-Marlin 10) #12-Newman (15 laps led) 7 cautions for 37 laps DNF’s/out of race (8): #23-Stricklin(engine); #71-Trickle (accident); #30-Green(engine); #15-Waltrip(engine); #29-Harvick(engine); #11-Bodine(engine); #9-Elliott(accident); #43-Andretti(accident); 16 (of 43) cars were on the lead lap. Lap Leaders (8 leaders, 34 lead changes – new record for a spring race): #12-Newman; #97-Busch; #20-Stewart; #8-Earmhardt Jr; #77-Blaney; #17-Kenseth; #45-Petty; #22-Burton; Pole sitter, #9-Elliott out/accident 35th. 2002 Points Leader: #40-Marlin was 9th 2001 Champ: #24-Gordon was16th. Rookies: #12-Newman – 10th #48-Johnson – 3rd #49-Robinson – 34th Caution 1: Lap 77 – trash bag on track; Around lap 138 while green flag pitstops were being done, #41-Spencer came out of his pitstall as #18-Labonte was starting to enter his, causing Labonte to spin ending up backwards in his stall against the pitwall, a Winston Cup official and crew member were able to fall back over the wall and not get hit by Labonte’s car, both are ok. Labonte did a nifty 180 degree spin and got back into his pitstall correctly. #41-Spencer’s Dodge was damaged on the right front and came back in to get sheet metal pulled out, also NASCAR has told the #41 team that the owners, crew chief and driver are required to come to the NASCAR trailer at the end of the race. Caution 2: on lap 185, #71-Dick Trickle got loose and lost control and hit the wall head on. Trickle got out of the car and walked away under his won power, also noticed he had a full face helmet on (he used to wear a open faced helmet. Just before the caution, #18-Labonte went to the garage when his engine broke, he damaged it when he over revved it during the pit road incident with. #41-Spencer. Caution 3: lap 207. #30-Jeff Green lost an engine and got oil on the track. #15-Waltrip also lost an engine around the same time. Caution 4: lap 213, side window of the #11 Hooters Ford fell out just as the green flag came out. #18-Labonte is going back on the track with 7 cylinders and will run if he can get up to minimum speed. Caution 5: lap 258, fluid on the track when #29-Harvick lost an engine and #22-Burton and #43-Andretti got together. Caution 6: lap 280, #11-Bodine lost an engine. Caution 7: lap 290, #10-Benson and #43-Andretti got together, spinning Benson around, came back accross the track, collecting #9-Elliott. #25-Nadeau also got some damage to the front end. Some Penalties Assessed during the race – stop-and-go’s: #1-Wallace, catch can left in the car; #4-Kodak and #30-Green, speeding pitroad; #29-Harvick, loose lugnet, #36-Schrader held 15 seconds for pitting outside his pit box. See Results at ThatsRacin.com or NASCAR.com. See Unofficial standings at ThatsRacin.com and ThatsRacin.com for a column: Stewart holds off Earnhardt Jr., wins and see my Race Results page for each race results, lineups, etc.(3-10-2002)
