The annual trek out west to Sanoma, California for the Dodge/Savemart 350 at Infineon Raceway may not be the most popular race to the competitors in Winston Cup, but the two mile road course always produces some excitiment for the fans and drivers alike. The series has also started loading some of the cars up with so called road course specialists, putting cars up front that are usually mired in the middle of the pack on the oval tracks. The race also produces some of the best controversies in racing. Sunday’s race was no different.
A couple of unfamiliar names started the race on the pole, as Boris Said and Canadian Ron Fellows occupied the front row, Said and Fellows both were hired just for the road course, driving cars that have had some driver problems in the 2003 season. Said took the early lead in the Army sponsored car, normally driven by Jerry Nadaeu who is recovering from severe injuries, but close behind was Fellows driving the Pennzoil Chevrolet, normally driven by Jeff Green who replaced Steve Park earlier in the season. Both drivers looked like they had good cars early in the race, but really had nothing for Robby Gordon who showed that he was serious about winning this race.
Robby Gordon has had some unlucky races on the road courses in the past, but had the car to beat, leading 81 of the 110 scheduled laps. Gordon and teammate Kevin Harvick pitted on lap 66, believing they could go all the way to the end of the race, when the rest of the field would have to pit one additional time. The strategy paid off for both drivers, but neither was without challenge. Enter the other Gordon, Jeff, who fans are used to seeing up front on the road courses. Jeff Gordon, who set a record winning six straight road course races at both Sanoma and Watkins Glen, made his way past Rusty Wallace for the second spot late in the race and challenged Robby Gordon hard. The former Champion looked to have a better car, but it is very hard to pass on the narrow, winding course. Robby was able to stay out in front.
Both Gordons had words after the race, as Jeff accused Robby of not obeying the gentleman’s agreement to not race back to the yellow flag. Jeff’s contention is that he violated a rule that the drivers agreed on for safety reasons, although NASCAR does allow a driver to race back to a waving yellow on the road courses.
“Do you think I care what Jeff Gordon says?” Robby Gordon said after the race. “I guess he just doesn’t like it when someone rains on his parade a little bit.”
Jeff Gordon quipped that Robby needed to be as fast under green flag conditions as he was on yellow flags, then he would win more races.
Robby Gordon gives Richard Childress racing its first win in thirty-three races, elating the crew of the Cingular Wireless Chevrolet. Jeff Gordon’s second place finish also vaults him into second in the points, in front of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished eleventh, and moved him within 174 points of Matt Kenseth who finished fourteenth.
Behind the two Gordons, Kevin Harvick had a great day, leading some of the race and bringing the Goodwrench Chevrolet home in third. Veteran driver Bill Elliott drove the whole race with a broken foot, taking fourth, just in front of Ryan Newman. Newman’s finish gives him his third top five finish in three races as he tries to shake the monkey off his back from the first part of the season. Boris Said held on for sixth and Ron Fellows worked his way back to seventh after having to pit late, taking him as far back as nineteenth. Rusty Wallace faded back to eighth after running in the top three most of the day with Bobby Labonte taking another top ten after spinning off-course once. Jeremy Mayfield had his best finish of the year in tenth in the Ray Evernham Dodge.
With all the attention of the race put on the “hired guns,” the Winston Cup regulars proved again that they can show some versatility, turning right and left, leaving the owners of cars that hired the “expert” drivers to win on road courses scratching their collective heads.
The Winston Cup Series takes a week off before heading to Daytona for the annual July 4th classic under the lights.

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