Mature Gordon bringing poise, authority to the table

Sporting News, The, May 21, 2001 by Lee Spencer

Bob Margolis is an associate producer and contributing editor for Motor Sports Weekly and a regular contributor to THE SPORTING NEWS.

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1. Crystal ball. Why is "Humpy" Wheeler's prediction of Dale Jarrett winning The Winston worth noting? He has correctly picked the winner nine of 13 times.

2. Good thinking. Giving drivers the weekends of Easter and Mother's Day off makes sense, but the weekend of June 30-July 1? It's just Canada Day weekend.

3. We must Cope. Derrike Cope, the 1990 Daytona 500 winner, is attempting to qualify for the Coca-Cola 600. That's good news because anything that gets Mr. Personality out from behind the TV studio desk is a good thing.

4. The Winston. Three segments, 70 laps. You'll see nothing but the absolute best racing because there are no points positions to protect.

5. Tearful anniversary. Pattie Petty, on son Adam, who died just over a year ago: "It doesn't heal. It just gets worse the more time that has gone by."

6. Farewell, Smokey. Henry "Smokey" Yunick, notorious for driving NASCAR officials crazy with his ability to circumvent rules, recently died of leukemia at 77. --Roger Kuznia

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Michael Waltrip seems to have lost his sense of humor along with his position in the point standings. Since winning the Daytona 500, Waltrip has fallen from first to 26th on the leader board. Waltrip, who was short with the media during testing for The Winston, says driving in the race is fun, but being able to race through the field is the key to winning. "People talk about the last 10 laps being so intense, but laps 31 through 60 are every bit as intense because there is no way you can start sixth or eighth in the last 10-lapper at the end and win," says Waltrip, who won The Winston in 1996. A spokeswoman for Waltrip's team says there was no truth to the rumor that crew chief Scott Eggleston was being replaced, but his responsibilities might be redirected in the future. Expect to see tech director Steve Hmiel taking a more visible role.... Plans for next year's Winston have yet to be settled. Neither a date nor a location has been agreed upon by NASCAR and RJR's Sports Marketing Enterprises, which manages the Winston account. The consensus in the garage is that the drivers would like to keep The Winston on their home court, allowing the teams some well-deserved rest.... Lowe's Motor Speedway president H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler has made his annual pick for this year's Winston, and it's points leader Dale Jarrett. "Picking the winner this year was the toughest it's ever been," he says. "But I saw something when Jarrett and his Robert Yates team were here testing earlier this week, and I think this will be their year." ... It's exciting to see new blood--first-timers Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Elliott Sadler--in The Winston. Sadler was particularly optimistic. "Hey, I get to be in The Winston, and I'll win that one too," said Sadler after his first career victory at Bristol, which gained him entry to the big race.... NASCAR teams won't have as far to travel if they're looking to conduct aerodynamic research in the future. Last month, Auto Research Center opened the first commercially available wind tunnel in North America in Mooresville, N.C. It has a yawing, roiling road design to simulate actual race conditions. The project is a partnership between Adrian Reynard and Roger Penske. Mooresville is home to many Winston Cup, Busch Series and Craftsman Truck teams.... Performance Racing Network has created the ultimate contest for die-hard race fans: "You Call the Race Sweepstakes." A lucky winner will receive tickets to the Bristol night race--the hardest seat to obtain in NASCAR--and get to play broadcaster for three laps in the PRN radio booth.