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| | Sunday, September 19 | |||||
| LOUDON, N.H. -- The Rushville Rocket didn't run out of fuel
this time, but his engine certainly ran out of power Sunday in the
Dura Lube 300.
Tony Stewart was trying to become the first rookie in 29 years
of Winston Cup racing to win consecutive races. Two months ago,
with a big lead, he ran out of fuel with three laps remaining on
the same New Hampshire International Speedway where he finished
second Sunday.
As fall closes in on New England, Jeff Gordon comes to town and wins. Some things never change. This time they did, and Gordon wasn't necessarily unhappy to have finished fifth in the shocking upset by Joe Nemechek on Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway. Gordon had hoped to restore some order to a chaotic season Sunday by taking the Dura Lube 300 for the third straight year. But, like many of the top drivers in the race, he was caught up in some of the many accidents that punctuated the event. "There isn't a place on that car that hasn't hit something," Gordon said. "I was getting hit all over the place." Jeff Burton, who won the Jiffy Lube 300 in July for the third straight year, finished fourth in a bid for his series-leading sixth victory of 1999. Gordon, who also has won five times, is trying to extend his own record for leading the series in victories to five consecutive years. "I was just going to be happy to stay on the lead lap," said Gordon, who has come up short in his bid for a third straight Winston Cup championship." Jarrett's fails parallel parking test It looked like the lull was over for Dale Jarrett, that he again would make headway in his march to the Winston Cup title. But he flunked parallel parking Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway. Jarrett, who hasn't won since taking the Brickyard 400 six weeks ago, looked like he was about to rout the field in the Dura Lube 300, until he parked with the right side of his Ford out of the box on pit road. It resulted in a one-lap penalty and an 18th-place finish. "I knew the 4 car (Bobby Hamilton) was changing four tires and we were only going to get two, and I would be out before him" Jarrett said. "I just didn't realize I had gotten it that far out. It was just a mistake." But not as costly as it could have been, because nearest pursuer Mark Martin had been unable to avoid a rash of accidents on the track. He finished only one position ahead of Jarrett, but lost second spot in he points race to Bobby Labonte. Jarrett leads Labonte by 254 points after 26 of 34 races. | ALSO SEE 'Front-Row Joe' finally finishes in Victory Lane
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