IRWIN Rough to Finish Award: This week, no one would doubt that Lee McCall, crew chief for the #40 Coors Light Dodge, had the roughest start to the race and the best finish. As a result, he’ll take home the “IRWIN Rough to Finish Award” for the team’s worst to first finish at the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington. Sterling Marlin, who initially qualified in the 11th position, started at the back of the field due to a weekend engine change. But that didn’t slow down Marlin, McCall and the team. Sterling drove from 43rd to the top 20 early and by lap 100 Marlin found himself in the top five. After avoiding the big wreck on lap 226, Marlin won the race. Despite the engine change and the move to the back of the field, the team’s crew chief, Lee McCall, was confident that they had a car capable enough to pull through the pack and be a top competitor in the race. “We knew we had a problem with the engine and couldn’t take a chance with it,” said Lee McCall. “We put our best motor in and started in the rear and watched Sterling drive that thing up through traffic all day long. He picked ’em off one at a time, and raced this race track all day long. He did a heck of a job, and my hat’s off to him and our whole race team. That just goes to show how strong he is.”(PR)(3-21-2002)
