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| | Monday, October 11 | |||||
| CONCORD, N.C. -- There was a heavy security presence for the UAW-GM Quality 500 on Monday in response to the possibility of terrorism, but no bomb threats were called in and no problems were reported.
Federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies had increased
their presence at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte in the days
leading up to the race because of recent bomb-related problems
associated with the company that owns the track's naming rights,
Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouses Inc.
Race winner Jeff Gordon appeared to cut off Mike Skinner as the two drivers went down pit road on their final round of green-flag stops with 74 laps remaining. Skinner, who was leading at the time, had to wait to turn into his pit stall until Gordon went by him on the left. Skinner, who wound up third, later questioned whether it was legal for Gordon to pass him on the left on pit road. Skinner was quick to add, however, that the question should not overshadow Gordon's victory. "I doubt if it was the difference in winning the race or not," Skinner said. NASCAR officials said there were no written rules governing Gordon's pit-road move. "That's something that they'll have to settle between themselves," said Tim Sullivan, a spokesman for the sanctioning body. "Neither of them was speeding on pit road, thus no penalty was handed out." Water wars The Charlotte area was hit with more than 3 inches of rain Sunday, and when it finally ended shortly after daybreak Monday, it didn't necessarily mean the end of the water on the track. While four trucks equipped with jet engine-powered air blowers circled the racing surface to dry it off, two problem areas appeared. Water kept coming over the top of the concrete retaining wall and spilling down the banking near the exits of the second and fourth turns. Crews used concrete saws to cut thin grooves running down the banking of the track to channel away the water, a tactic that appeared to suffice in the fourth turn. In the second turn, however, they had to take the additional measures of stacking sand bags atop the retaining wall and using a backhoe to try to dig out the area behind the wall. Kenseth takes a wild ride Matt Kenseth's first Winston Cup start at Charlotte was a memorable one -- for the wrong reasons. Eighteen laps into the race, Kenseth was tapped in the rear by Bill Elliott as the two came out of the fourth turn. The contact sent Kenseth into a long slide that took him through the infield grass and then back onto the track, where several cars had to take evasive action at high speeds to avoid him. Kenseth fought to stay on the lead lap before hitting the fourth-turn wall on lap 221, effectively ending his day. He parked it a few minutes later and wound up 40th in the 43-car field, 103 laps off Gordon's winning pace. Pit stops ... Three drivers have won eight of the last 11 Winston Cup races at Charlotte. Gordon has won four times, Dale Jarrett has won three and Mark Martin has won twice. ... Ward Burton wound up fifth, meaning he has finished eighth or better, including a second last year, in the last five fall races at Charlotte. ... John Andretti came in 17th, two laps down, representing a considerable improvement over his recent performances. Andretti had finished 41st or worse in the last three races. ... Gordon began the race from the 22nd spot on the grid, tying him for the worst starting spot by the winner of Charlotte's fall race. Dale Jarrett won the 1994 race after also starting 22nd. | ALSO SEE Gordon, Whitesell make it 2-for-2 in Charlotte victory
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