| ESPN Network: ESPN | NBA.com | WNBA.com | NHL.com | ABC | Radio | EXPN | Page 2 | INSIDER | Shop | |
|
| | Saturday, April 1 Nothing little about Lone Star State racing | |||||
Special to ESPN.com | ||||||
FORTH WORTH, Texas -- When you think of the word "big," a lot of things come to mind.
There's Tom Hank's movie "Big."
There's The King's number of career Winston Cup victories ... 200.
The Grand Canyon.
Earnhardt's Bristol "bump in the night" on Terry Labonte and Mark Martin's chances for a victory when we come to 1.5 mile tracks.
Mike Skinner just might get that big breakthrough win Sunday. OK, go ahead and pick yourself up off the floor. So Texas hasn't been Skinner's best track with finishes of 22nd, 33rd, and 42nd. But he was injured coming into Texas last year and it was pre-Larry McReynolds. I expect must better results from a 31 team that continues to build a strong foundation for its first win. Remember, Skinner had the dominant car in Atlanta before his engine gave out, and the 31 should be strong at Texas. A big turnaround This could also wind up being the biggest shocker, but Jeff Gordon and the revamped Rainbow Warriors have clawed their way back into the contender column. Darlington marked Gordon's first race dating back to Homestead last season that he finished on the lead lap. That's right, the lead lap. I typed it twice because it was a shocker to me, too. The team's chemistry appears to be improving each week, but the shocking part of the equation could come in the form of a Texas victory. Gordon 2000 falls into the old category of "it doesn't matter where you start, but where you finish." The 24 team has two top-10 starts, including the pole at Darlington, but finishes of 30th, 31st, and 43rd. History is just that, history, and Gordon could make some good history of his own this weekend. (By the way, while writing this column at 5:45 a.m., I'm flipping through the channels on TV. The rock band REM is on Sesame Street, what's up with that? Now that truly is a shocker!) The big debut Fourth-generation racer Adam Petty qualified for his first Winston Cup race on Friday -- barely. Petty will start 33rd Sunday. By making the 43-car field, Petty's PR guy Dan Fromme said Adam is the first fourth-generation athlete to make his professional debut, let alone from the most famous name in all of racing. Petty, 19, has generated plenty of attention. And the pressure will be immense Sunday. Heck, even his sponsor, Sprint, has produced special Adam Petty cell phones to commemorate his debut. Just for historical purposes, Lee Petty's 1949 debut resulted in 17th-place finish in Charlotte. His son, Richard, finished 17th as well in his 1958 debut in Canada of all places. His father won the race. Kyle Petter debuted at Talladega in 1979 and finished ninth. His father Richard finished fourth in the race. Big turnaround The biggest turnaround so far in 2000? It depends on what you classify as a turnaround. Ricky Rudd was 33rd in points at this time last year and had recorded a best finish of just 19th. Fast forward to this year. Rudd qualified on the front row for the first three races, and he hasn't finished worse than 17th. Texas has been a Ford track, winning two of the three Texas races. Rudd could really turn things around with a victory this weekend. Big problems Texas traffic, not on the racetrack, but leaving this motorsports facility. It usually resembles Los Angeles rush hour on a Friday. Another thing to keep in mind while watching the race Sunday is a big wreck happening somewhere along the way. In the inaugural event, it happened on the very first trip around the track. The next year, it took two laps for the inevitable to happen. Last year, lap 32 saw several cars taken out of the race. The big favorite The big favorite this weekend? Hmmmm, it doesn't take a "scientific rocket" (quoting former Clemson coach Danny Ford on this one) to put the big bull's eye on Mark Martin. Martin won the second race here in '98 and he's won two of the three Busch races at Texas. He loves to race on 1.5-and two-mile tracks. Now the bad news. In the three starts at Texas, Martin's finished 38th, 1st, and 34th. However, last year should have an asterisk next to it. Martin was leading when he blew a right front tire. | ALSO SEE Kernan: Texas doesn't thrill me Dunlap: Tired of messy pit boxes DirecTV 500 Breakdown Labonte brothers return to Texas roots Adam eager to continue Petty legacy in Texas Gordon struggles to find winning combination  | |||||
|
|
