| | Associated Press
DOVER, Del. -- Bobby Labonte, looking more like a champion with each passing week, now has a season-best lead of 249 points after finishing fifth Sunday at Dover Downs International Speedway.
But his team isn't taking anything for granted, even though only
seven of 34 races remain on the Winston Cup schedule.
Gas man Peter Jellen remembers a similar scenario in 1992, when the late Alan Kulwicki left Dover 273 points behind. Kulwicki, who was to die a year later in a plane crash, wound up winning by 10 points.
"I'm not counting anything until it's over," said Jellen, a crewman for Kulwicki at the time. "So, just remember, it can be done."
But it won't if Labonte continues to be consistent. If he averages sixth-place finishes from now on, the 36-year-old Texan will win his first title.
"Every race is important from now on," Labonte said. "One slip on our part and we could really lose a lot."
But Labonte says his approach won't change.
"We'll just race real hard, like we did today," he said.
Jeff Burton, hoping to stage a late-season run for the championship, looked like he was ready to take a major step.
Burton had said he wouldn't be counting points, but would try to reel in leader Bobby Labonte by winning races. For a while, it looked like he would do that Sunday in the MBNA.com 400 at Dover Downs International Speedway.
But tires proved his undoing as they would to others on this day. He blew his right front, went into the wall and then had to scramble from his flaming Ford.
"I was running the high groove and really taking care of the tires," he said. "Any time it would think about pushing, I would just slow down."
What really slowed down was Burton's plan to outpoint Labonte by
20 per race. Burton came into the race Sunday trailing by 168
points, but lost two positions and fell to fourth, 268 back.
"Like I said before the year started, we have to race every
race," he said. "These things happen. What are you going to do
about it?
Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn't."
Mayfield's patience almost pays off
Jeremy Mayfield added patience to his game, and he thought it might help him find the winner's circle.
But an engine problems ended his hopes.
"We probably broke a valve spring," he said after a finish of
35th.
Mayfield said after winning the pole two days earlier that he
wasn't going to beat himself in the MBNA.com 400. He was true to
his word, but unlucky on The Monster Mile.
"If we ever start finishing races, we're going to win a bunch
of them," he said. "We have an awesome team and it's just a shame
that we can't get to the finish."
The 31-year-old driver from Owensboro, Ky., lost a great chance
to win three weeks ago because he was overanxious. He took the pole
for the Southern 500, but wrecked with huge lead when he tried to
get in line in front of a lapped car and spun himself out.
That was just one of the negatives this season for Mayfield,
whose team was penalized twice by NASCAR. He also blew a tire on
the final lap after dominating the Pennsylvania 500.
Still, he has two victories this season.
Nadeau's day blows up
Jerry Nadeau hasn't given up on the dream that he can win on stock car's racing's top circuit.
For a while it appeared the dream could become a reality Sunday
at Dover Downs International Speedway. The 30-year-old driver from
Connecticut looked like he could win in his 96th Winston Cup start,
in the MBNA.com 400.
He led the race, but like others blew a tire.
"Goodyear had always come out with a good tire," he said.
"This weekend, it's been a bad tire."
After just one top-10 finish in his first 80 starts, Nadeau has
five in his last 16. | |
ALSO SEE
Gibbs' boys enjoy monster day at Dover Downs
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Points leader Bobby Labonte will continue to race hard to maintain his lead.
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