Fans often complain about the tedious racing at Pocono Raceway.The cars have the tendency to spread out during long green flag runs on the flat 2.5-mile tri-angular shaped facility.Passing can be difficult for the drivers.Moreover, it is a 500-mile race.
While the mid-portion race may become sleep-inducing, we have witnessed some fantastic, yet unexpected finishes.In 2000, both races at Pocono saw the lead change hands on the final lap.Jeremy Mayfield was involved in both last lap lead changes.In the rain-delayed Pocono 500, he prevailed in a way in which few predicted.He utilized the bump ‘n’ run tactic on, guess who, Dale Earnhardt, the Intimidator himself.
As you watch the closing laps, Earnhardt seemingly had this race in the bag.It almost seemed as if he was toying with Mayfield.On the final lap, Mayfield turned it up a notch, perhaps he was toying with Earnhardt.
It was a popular win for Mayfield, unless you were among Earnhardt Nation.Many drivers and fans applauded Mayfield for giving Earnhardt a taste of his own medicine.The bump drew the ire of Earnhardt, as he pulled along Mayfield and gave him the one-finger salute.When asked about it, Earnhardt sarcastically said that he was ‘telling Mayfield he was number one’.
Mayfield offered no apologies to the seven-time champion, in fact, he was borderline arrogant in his post-race interviews.Clearly, he was proud to have defeated the Intimidator at his own game.
“I never tried to wreck him, I just wanted to rattle his cage,” Mayfield said facetiously, as he repeated what Earnhardt said when he wrecked Terry Labonte a year earlier at Bristol.
“If he comes back to get me, then I’ll go back and get him,” he went on to say.
A Mayfield-Earnhardt rivalry never developed from this incident.Earnhardt tragically died at Daytona eight months later.Mayfield’s career began to go downhill following the victory, as he did not win another race until September of 2004, more than four years later.Currently, Mayfield has been in the news frequently, but not for his on-track accomplishments.In May, NASCAR indefinitely suspended Mayfield after he failed a drug test.Mayfield is wholeheartedly fighting NASCAR in court, as he maintains his innocence.
Every February, I break out the old not-so-accurate crystal ball, attempting my annual preseason projections. Once again, I was off the mark in 2009. …
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Race of the week- 2000 Pocono 500
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