Sports: Utilizing some spin control

Utilizing some spin control

By KEVIN KELLY

Bobby Labonte was mindful of the big picture, even when he finally caught the car he had chased lap after lap in the Dura Lube 300 on Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway.

The Winston Cup points leader had a chance to pass Jeff Burton, who led all race, on a restart six laps from the finish. But with an engine choked of its power by a restrictor plate and on a track that was becoming slippery as ice, Labonte couldn't pull off the pass.

Realizing a wreck would cost him in the points standings, Labonte backed off and Burton won after Sterling Marlin blew a tire with three laps remaining and ended the race under caution.

"The only thing that I could see was me spinning out," Labonte said. "I don't believe I could have gained anything by sticking my nose in there any farther -- not in the position I was in. I was already a little bit loose right there, so chances are I would have spun out instead of him."

The consideration drew praise from Burton, who became the second driver since 1973 to lead a race from flag to flag.

"I need to say thank you," he said. "He drove me real clean there at the end. I pinched him off pretty bad (in Turn 2). He could have spun me and easily said it was Burton's fault, but he didn't do it and I appreciate it."

MOVE OF THE RACE: Perhaps more important than Burton's dominating win was the fact he moved from fourth to second in the standings.

Burton trails Labonte, who has 14 top-five finishes this season, by 168 points. Burton never has finished higher than fourth in the standings during his career.

"You lead every lap and you win the race and you look in your mirror and he finishes second," Burton said. "They've got an awesome team and they're doing a great job.

"We wanted a day like this. We haven't led a whole lot of laps this year and we made a lot of them up today. ... There's a lot of racing left. Bobby's going to be hard to beat."

WHAT IF: Had the Dura Lube 300 not ended under caution, Jeff Gordon might have been a factor. The three-time Winston Cup champion finished sixth and was one of only a half-dozen drivers to make a pit stop for fresh tires after a wreck on Lap 246. None of the five drivers who finished ahead of him made pit stops after Lap 201.

"Gordon had those new tires and was coming hard," said Rusty Wallace, who finished fifth. "Man, I wanted that thing to end because he was going to get me if he didn't."

HINT, HINT: Still mindful of his position as a CART car owner and interim president and CEO of the series, Bobby Rahal is expected to announce this week in Indianapolis he will take over the Jaguar Formula One team next year.

Asked about the possibility before the Motorola 300 on Sunday at Gateway International Raceway, Rahal didn't offer too many details.

"What the future holds will probably be confirmed in a week or so," he said.

Ford Motor Company purchased the Jaguar team in 1999 and Rahal's two CART teams use Ford engines. Formula One will hold the inaugural U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday at Indianapolis.

PIT NOTES: Defending CART champion Juan Montoya, who won the Motorola 300 on Sunday, has led 788 of 2,471 laps this season. That's more than double the number of any other driver. ... With his victory, Burton moved into a tie with Dick Hutcherson and Lee Roy Yarbrough for 39th on the all-time wins list. ... Bump day for the Indianapolis 500 next season has been moved from May 19 to May 20. ... Among the 33 drivers entered in the Porsche Pirelli Supercup race, the supporting event of the U.S. Grand Prix this weekend, are Al Unser Jr. and Mario Andretti.

-- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.