This might seem hard to believe, but
before he took the track for the Bud Shootout, Mark's excellent
NASCAR Winston Cup record had one void. He had never won a stock
car race at Daytona. Of course, that really never bothered Mark.
A philosophical sort who prefers to deal with realities than "what-ifs."
Mark said he would never feel an emptiness if he never won a race
at Daytona. "I've had a career beyond the dream of any kid from Arkansas," he said.
It just got a little better. Taking command of the Bud Shootout following
the mandatory pit stop that began on lap 10 of 25. Mark, in the
Rousch Racing Ford, held off a late challange from Ken Schrader
in the Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet to win in a stock car at Daytona
for the first time. Although not an official Winston Cup points
race, the Bud Shootout, contested around the 2.5-mile Daytona track
by last season's pole winners, is one of the most anticipated
events of Speedweeks. Mark, who had won class races in the Rolex 24
Hours of Daytona Sports Car classic in 1989, 1991, 1992 and 1995.
started the Bud Shootout in 12th place after pole-sitter Rusty
Wallace was sent to the rear of the field for missing the pre-race
drivers meting.
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Wallace's punishment sent Kenny Irwin,
driver of the Robert Yates Racing Ford to the No. 1 starting spot.
But he didn't stay there long, Rick Mast, in a Ford Thunderbird, moved
into the lead and brought Jeremy Mayfield, in a Ford, and Schrader with
him. On lap 6, Jeff Gordon, in the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet,
slipped by Irwin to take fourth place. Over the next three laps,
three drivers - Schrader, Mast and Gordon, swapped the lead before
the mandatory pit stops began. Gordon led the entire field down pit
road. And there, Mark found the edge he would need to win while Gordon
engineered disaster.
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Mark's crew was swift enough to help
him exit pit road in first place, a crucial development. "Yes, it was
crucial," Mark said. "I was lucky that I moved through the pack
to be where I was when I pitted. It's all a product of parity. If
you have a good car and stay in front, that's great. If you have a great
car and you are not in front, you have to hope things go your way
to get you there. That includes pit stops. Track position is so
important." As good as the stop was for Mark, it was quite otherwise for
leader Gordon. He sped through his pit box and instead of pushing
him back for service, which would have resulted in a 15-second penalty
from NASCAR, the Hendrick Motorsports team opted to work on Gordon's
Chevrolet outside of the pit box. That brought a one-lap penalty.
Hopelessly out of contention, Gordon retired to the garage area, where he admitted his
mistake.
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After Mark was launched into the lead, he
had to deal with those behind him. Skinner, who had won the Bud Shootout
qualifier earlier in the day, was second, followed by Mayfield, Bobby Labonte
in a Pontiac and Wallace in a Ford. Mark held his lead as his rivals
diced behind him, a sight he was pleased to see. "You never know
what's going to happen," he said. "I didn't know what was going to
happen after I took the lead. I wasn't sure until sometime out of
the exit of turn four on the last lap. But there was a lot of racing
behind me and that helped." Mark and Schrader broke away slightly
from the field over the last two laps, but Schrader could do nothing
to take the lead. Mark won by 0.215 second.
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