Rusty Wallace wasn't the quickest driver at Michigan, but he did reach the finish line first—by letting up on the throttle and saving fuel by Bruce Newman The race does not always go to the swift, as Rusty Wallace taught Sterling Marlin during a lesson in fuel economy and race strategy. (Margin of victory: 1.10 seconds) Rusty Wallace, Ford, 200 laps at 166.033 mph* Terry Labonte, Chevrolet, 200 laps Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 200 laps Jimmy Spencer, Ford, 200 laps Ernie Irvan, Ford, 200 laps 2 hours, 24 minutes, 23 seconds; 2 flags, 8 laps run under caution Bobby Hamilton 185.166 mph with point totals (and points earned this weekend) 1 Dale Earnhardt 2,106 (138) 2 Terry Labonte 2,091 (175) 3 Jeff Gordon 2,059 (155) 4 Dale Jarrett 1,874 (139) 5 Ricky Rudd 1,799 (75) *Record (previous record: Davey Allison, 160.912 mph, 1991) Sterling Marlin had the fastest car in the Miller 400, and he led the most laps (78). So when the race was over and he had lost to Rusty Wallace in an obviously slower car, Marlin surely sounded like the most puzzled driver at Michigan International Speedway. "I guess that's the best car I've ever had not to win a race," he said. Wallace, a classic charger who reluctantly employed his crew chief Robin Pemberton's strategy of fuel conservation from the race's midpoint, inherited the lead after the front-runners were forced to make pit stops for gas with fewer than 15 laps to go. By resisting the urge to mash the throttle, he covered 52 two-mile laps on a single 22-gallon tank of gas, while Marlin (third), Dale Earnhardt (ninth), Ernie Irvan (fifth) and Jeff Gordon (sixth) all required a gulp of fuel late in the race to make it to the finish line. Those less patient drivers were able to turn just 45 to 50 laps as Wallace bided his time. "I don't like running half-throttle and trying to win a race like that," Wallace said. "But we did it." Irvan's strong showing was remarkable for the fact that it came in his first race at the track where he almost died. An August 1994 crash at Michigan International left him with head injuries so severe that doctors gave him a 10% chance of survival. This race was his fourth top-five finish of the season. "Nobody really knows when a comeback is complete, but I'll use this as a plus," Irvan said. Wallace benefited from the absence of caution periods during the second half of the race—which would have brought all the cars in for fuel. His Ford made it to the winner's circle on fumes. "You could probably drink what was left in the tank and it wouldn't hurt you,'' Pemberton said.