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| | Friday, October 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Special to ESPN.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| If you think Winston Cup racing is all about the money, let me introduce you to the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. This is the kind of place, and the kind of race, that tells me it's not about the money. No amount of money can make a guy do what they'll do Sunday in the Winston 500.
You have to love to race. You have to love the thrill. You have to crave the reward. You have to be aware of the risks to race race door-to-door, bumper-to-bumper, foot-to-the-floor in a tight-fisted wad of traffic on a tight-rope of asphalt.
There is no net. There is no forgiving. There is no forgetting. This is Talladega.
I have been impressed and intrigued with the appearance and approach of the Ford Quality Care team in 1999. They were virtually untouchable from Rockingham in February to Michigan in July. In 21 straight races, they finished worse than eighth just once -- and never lower than 11th. During that span, the No. 88 won four times. How good was Jarrett in that 21-race stretch? In the last seven weeks, the team has posted just two top-five finishes. In three of those seven races he has finished 16th or worse -- including the 38th-place finish at Bristol. But, because they were so good early, the fact they have been so, well, less-than-good, has not been a costly run. No one has been closer to Jarrett than 157 points since June. Mark Martin climbed within 168 points after Darlington, but lost 102 points the following race at Richmond. Still, I have never felt the championship race was over. I have never believed Jarrett had the championship locked up. Why? One word -- Talladega. Too far to go, too much to lose at the Lady in Black. I could be willing to concede the title to No. 88 on Sunday night, but until then, Jarrett is still 500 miles away from a sure thing. Just ask the Cleveland Indians.
Here's something else to watch this weekend. Make that five drivers to watch. Five guys chasing $1 million and the Winston No Bull bonus. And three times already in 1999 the Winston No Bull Five $1 Million Dollar check has been cashed. Gordon at Daytona. Jeff Burton twice -- in Charlotte in May and Darlington in September. This weekend, the Burton brothers -- Jeff and Ward -- Jeremy Mayfield, Mark Martin and Kevin Lepage are the five eligible drivers for the No Bull bucks. The first five No Bull winners have all won from a starting position of fifth, or better. But at Darlington, Burton changed the rules, he won the money from 15th spot in the rain. Three of the five eligible drivers are from the Roush stable, four of the five are Fords. Ward represents the GM fraternity in his Caterpillar Pontiac.Added pressure? Not for Martin or Burton, but I think it makes a tense weekend even more intense for Ward, Mayfield and Lepage. Ward and Mayfield each have just one career win. Ward's lone win came 122 races ago. Mayfield has had a disappointing season after what was expected to be a follow-up to his breakthrough season in 1998. Lepage has never won a Winston Cup race. For these three teams, the $1 million is an added incentive to achieve a goal that requires no extra motivation -- winning any damn race. But, the bonus brings along with it a glaring spotlight and additional pressure to perform. If you've never won, or haven't won in a while, the last thing you want is everybody watching you, closely.For the five No Bull contestants, there's a lot of money on the line, but it's not about the money. It's about winning, being successful, achieving lifetime goals and beating long time rivals. It's about racing on the edge and racing against the odds. It's about being in the spotlight, and then stealing it for yourself. That's how it is for the No Bull guys. In fact, you know what, that's the way it is for EVERYBODY. | ALSO SEE Race for the Winston Cup
Drivers tremble at the thought of Talladega
Andretti finds a home in Petty's family
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