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Friday, Sept. 22
Momentum is a funny thing in Winston Cup racing. Going into Dover this weekend, one would think Jeff Burton has all the momentum after leading every lap in New Hampshire last week. But if you look at past performances at Dover, it's Bobby Labonte who should have plenty of confidence at the Monster Mile.
Since the Dover track's surface was changed from asphalt
to concrete, Labonte's finished in the top 10 nine times in 11 races. In fact, if you throw out the '97 June race
and his ninth-place run in the fall of '95, Labonte's known
nothing but top-fives on the concrete.
As for Burton, this past June's race saw him endure transmission trouble and finished 34th. Labonte, meanwhile, was finishing third to his teammate Tony Stewart, who won the race.
Oh, and remember one other important thing about racing at
Dover. It's nicknamed the "Monster Mile." Why? Well, just ask any driver. They'll tell you it's mean, nasty, and it will bite at any moment.
The key to running and gaining points at Dover Downs is simple. Don't try to beat the monster. Just hope not to antagonize it.
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DOVER, Del. -- Jeremy Mayfield's roller-coaster season swung
up again Friday when he won another pole on one of NASCAR's most
demanding tracks.
Mayfield, looking to win Sunday for the third time this year,
captured his third pole of the season with a lap of 159.872 mph.
His Ford got around Dover Downs International Speedway in 22.518
seconds for the fifth pole of his career.
Three weeks ago, Mayfield won a pole at Darlington Raceway,
considered with Dover and the half-mile track in Bristol, Tenn.,
the most difficult drives on the circuit.
"There we are again with an up-and-down year," Mayfield said.
"We have three or four bad weeks and then we come back and get the
pole."
On the downside, not much could have been more disappointing
than the run that followed his pole-winning effort at Darlington
for the Southern 500. Mayfield drove away from the others, then
lost patience while trying to pass the lapped car of Dave Marcis
and wrecked.
"Mentally, every time something good happens it pumps up our
confidence," said Mayfield, who will try in the MBNA.com 400 to
win for the third time this year. "We wanted to be confident that
we can win the race Sunday with a great car."
The Darlington accident was the most dramatic of four straight
failures. He has finished between 35th and 41st in those races.
The driver from Owensboro, Ky., whose team was punished twice
this year by NASCAR, also missed two races with a concussion. One
penalty, for a fuel irregularity, cost him 151 points and seven
positions in the Winston Cup standings.
Mayfield credited teammate Rusty Wallace, who leads the circuit
with eight poles this season, for helping him lock up the top spot.
"He was the one who told us he got loose in qualifying, so we
put a little extra air in the right front tire," Mayfield said.
"If he didn't tell us, we probably wouldn't have changed the air
pressure.
"When you get a pole in Winston Cup you've got to be satisfied.
I couldn't ask for any better."
Rick Mast could have, but he certainly wasn't unhappy to wind up
on the outside of the front row for the race on the high-banked
concrete track.
Mast's Pontiac covered The Monster Mile at 158.926. He is
seeking his first win in his 331st career start.
Starting third will be Johnny Benson, whose season has been as
surprising as Mayfield's has been inconsistent. On Sunday, the 1996
Winston Cup Rookie of the Year will try to make the MBNA.com 400
his first victory in 154 career starts. His best career finish was
second earlier this year in Bristol. Benson's Pontiac had a lap of
158.800.
This has been an eventful season for Benson, whose ride with
vaunted Roush Racing ended after 1999. He started this year in an
unsponsored car by leading the Daytona 500 until he was overrun by
a pack of drivers just before the end and wound up 12th.
He found sponsorship, but by summer the checks stopped coming,
leaving Benson within a week of sitting out the rest of the season.
But he persevered, his team was sold and a new sponsor appeared.
"Our goal is to qualify in the top 10, and we were able to
accomplish that," Benson said. "We've raced good here in past,
but haven't been able to get a good qualifying effort in."
Wallace, who set the track record last September with a lap of
159.964, will go from the fourth spot on the grid. His Ford got
around at 158.632.
Next came the Ford of Mark Martin, the three-time defending
champion of this race. He went 158.416. Ward Burton was next in a
Pontiac at 158.346.
Bill Elliott, series champion Dale Jarrett and Jeff Gordon took
the next three spots. Kurt Busch, the top rookie in the NASCAR
truck series, wound up 10th in his first qualifying effort for a
Winston Cup race.
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ALSO SEE
MBNA.com 400 lineup
Yocum: Burton running strong, but short on time
Weber: Closing on Labonte a monster task at Dover
Paris in spring? Give Martin Dover in fall
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Dover pole-winner Jeremy Mayfield talks with ESPN's Matt Yocum.
RealVideo: 28.8
 2nd place qualifier, Rick Mast sees his team improving with time.
wav: 135 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Johnny Benson couldn't believe he would end up third in qualifying.
wav: 122 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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