Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
The three-time Winston Cup champion triumphs for the seventh time on a road course.
©Associated Press
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 13, 2001
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- The first time Jeff Gordon saw Watkins Glen International, setting a record never entered his mind.
"I thought this was one place I'd never win at," he said.
Now, after making history, it seems like he can't lose.
Gordon set a record Sunday for road-course victories by winning the thrill-packed and attrition-filled Global Crossing.
"You start working on shifting and braking, and pretty soon you're in Victory Lane," he said after his fourth trip there in the last five years at Watkins Glen.
The three-time Winston Cup champion won for the seventh time on a road course, breaking a tie with Rusty Wallace, Richard Petty and Bobby Allison for the most in history.
Gordon's victory also extended his lead in the points race to 194 over fourth-place finisher Ricky Rudd.
But it wasn't easy -- right to the end. Jeff Burton, with whom Gordon waged a magnificent battle over the final laps, hit him coming to the final turn.
"If he wanted to, he could have taken me out," Gordon said. "I like racing with him because he's hard, aggressive and clean."
Burton thought Gordon had the better car and credited Gordon's talent for helping him win the race.
"I gave him a good shot coming off the last corner but he didn't even budge," Burton said.
Patience had much to do with Gordon's victory, and he had said he would not try to press for the lead at the outset.
And, some early problems convinced him that was good strategy.
"The brakes were running a little hot and the pedal was going down to the floor," he said. "We had to pump them for the rest of the day."
Gordon had the lead for only one lap before passing Burton in the first of 11 turns on the 78th of 90 laps. Burton got the lead back on the next turn, but Gordon beat him through the chicane, making a great save as the cars nearly touched and almost spun.
"He drove in there too deep, and I was surprised he didn't spin out," Burton said.
"I didn't know if I was going to make it, either," Gordon said.
There were two more cautions, but each time Gordon got a good jump on the restart.
Gordon said Burton was going very slow hoping to get a run at him each time the green flag came out.
"He was hanging back so far I finally took off," Gordon said. "I thought NASCAR was going to say I was jumping the restarts."
Still, he had a close call that enabled Burton to close in on the final lap.
Elliott Sadler had hit the wall, and his badly bent car was still running -- in the path of the leaders -- as they neared the final turns.
"Elliott Sadler was all over the place, and I was just trying to be cautious," Gordon said. "But Jeff wasn't because he wanted to win the race."
It was a record-setting fourth victory for Gordon on the 2.45-mile course. He also has won three times on NASCAR's only other serpentine layout, in Sonoma, Calif.
Gordon benefited more from staying out of trouble than fast racing.
Wallace had mechanical problems and was out after 14 laps, pole-sitter Dale Jarrett spun out on the 18th of 90 laps, road-racing ace Ron Fellows stalled on Lap 36 and a fire in a telemetry box caused hard-charging Robby Gordon to quit on Lap 59.
That left only Jeff Gordon, Rudd and Burton as serious contenders.
But Rudd lost his chance after a collision with Boris Said.