Sports: Nadeau falters with win in hand

Nadeau, driving for Steve Grissom in the No.44 Dodge, had just two laps left and a big lead in NASCAR's Dodge/Save Mart 350 Sunday when he suddenly spun off the track.

Rudd, who ran a steady race in the No.28 Ford after starting seventh, went on to victory for the first time this season.

It was Rudd's second victory on the winding track formerly known as Sears Point Raceway.

Rudd also won the inaugural race in Northern California in 1989.

Jeff Gordon, who has a Winston Cup-record seven road-course victories, had early gear trouble and wasn't a factor at the end.

Defending champion Tony Stewart, who held the pole for the 110-lap race on the 2-mile course, finished second.

Nadeau, who hasn't had a steady ride since he was let go by Hendrick Motorsports last month, was despondent as he climbed out of his disabled car on the island near Turn 10.

He said he "spun the gear and tore the rear."

"It always seems to happen to me," he said, shaking his head.

Driving for Petty Enterprises, Nadeau took the lead with 22 laps to go.

"I felt for him. We weren't going to catch him," Rudd said of Nadeau.

"We were going to finish second. I hate to win on somebody's bad luck."

Rudd's previous victory was at Richmond in September.

Terry Labonte finished third Sunday. Kurt Busch was next, and Jeff Green rounded out the top five.

Gordon, who had won three of the past four Sonoma races, moved from fourth to second after the first lap, then overtook Stewart on the final turn of the second.

The four-time Winston Cup champion led for 31 laps until his No.24 Chevrolet lost power with apparent transmission problems.

His crew worked furiously on the car's gears in the garage before Gordon rejoined the race seven laps back after a caution.

Stewart also dropped back after the caution for oil on the track when he pitted the No.20 Pontiac.

John Andretti briefly held a lead for the first time on a road course when his well-timed pit stop just before a caution gave his Dodge excellent track position.

But while most of the teams, including Andretti, took another pit stop after the third caution with 25 laps left, Bill Elliott stayed out and took the lead.

It was short-lived, however, when Elliott's Dodge went off-course and Nadeau took the lead.

Points leader Sterling Marlin dropped out of the race early when his power steering went out and his engine burned up.

"We've been due to have a little bad luck," he said.

"We had it, so maybe it's over with."

Stewart won his first pole in 58 races, dating to Martinsville two years ago.

His qualifying lap of 93.476 mph on the scenic wine country course also gave Pontiac its first pole of the season.

Rudd has 10 top-10 finishes in 14 races at Sonoma, with a track-record four poles.

He won twice in the now-defunct Riverside race and twice at Watkins Glen, N.Y., for his other road-course victories.

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