Despite chilly conditions and a persistent Terry Labonte, Dale Earnhardt scored another win, thanks to his speedy crew by Bruce Newman Well-executed pit stops made all the difference in Dale Earnhardt's second '96 win, which vaulted him to second place in the Winston Cup point standings. (Margin of victory: 4.17 seconds) Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 328 laps at 161.257 mph Terry Labonte, Chevrolet, 328 laps Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 328 laps Ernie Irvan, Ford, 328 laps Jeremy Mayfield, Ford, 328 laps 3 hours, 5 minutes, 10 seconds; 3 flags, 13 laps run under caution Johnny Benson 185.434 mph with point totals (and points earned this weekend) 1 Dale Jarrett 660 (130) 2 Dale Earnhardt 610 (185) 3 Ricky Rudd 588 (147) 4 Bill Elliott 543 (139) 5 Ricky Craven 533 (127) All day long the weather had been so cold and the racing so close that every time Dale Earnhardt exhaled, he could see frost on his breath and Terry Labonte in his windshield. As their two cars swirled around Atlanta Motor Speedway together, preparing for their final pit stops, Earnhardt found himself trailing his old rival and realizing that his chances for victory were slipping away. As always, Earnhardt wanted to dictate the terms of this final stop—particularly whether to take the time to put on four fresh tires or to gamble on a quicker stop by putting on only two for the 50 or so miles that remained. "If we put four tires on, we felt everyone else would have to put four on too," said Earnhardt's co-crew chief Bobby Hutchens. People often ask racers if they can feel the difference between one very fast speed and another—does 200 miles an hour seem faster than 190?—but what felt fastest to Earnhardt on this day was his last pit stop. His crew got him serviced (they went with four new tires) so much faster than they normally do that he could feel the difference. "When they drop the jack before I've finished my drink and it spills all over me," he said, "then I know it's time to throw the cup out." Earnhardt's crew finished in 19.7 seconds; when Labonte pitted the next lap, his stop was timed at 21.8 seconds. That fast stop—and some fast driving—helped Earnhardt take the lead for good. Earnhardt's crew gave him crucial seconds in the end. photograph by George Tiedemann After the race Labonte's Monte Carlo was chosen by NASCAR officials for wind-tunnel tests to help resolve a feud between Chevy and Ford teams over aerodynamics rules. Labonte and his crew chief, Gary DeHart, upset with the confiscation of their car, dusted it up with race officials, but to no avail. For once Earnhardt was enjoying a victory while someone else squabbled with NASCAR. "And nobody's mad at me, neither," he said, smiling—but just a little.