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Decades of dominance

Two-time champ Labonte looking for success at Pocono

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	• Lugnuts • On the track • In the pits • Stop 'n' Go • Finish Line

From CNNSI.com

Looking for a sleeper to keep an eye on this weekend at Pocono Raceway? Look no further than Terry Labonte.

In a sport becoming dominated by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon, this is a track where "Texas" Terry perhaps could steal some of the spotlight. He's won the Pocono 500 twice -- and Sunday looks to win it for the third time in as many decades; no other driver can even vie for that honor until at least 2010. Labonte previously won this race in 1989 and '95.

While all that may be ancient history and make for a feel-good storyline, the fact remains that Labonte, a two-time Winston Cup champion, has struggled in 2001. He has two top-10 finishes (fifth at Atlanta and sixth at Bristol), but Labonte's average finish is 22nd. He is 23rd in points (1,379).

Nonetheless, Labonte must be considered a darkhorse, if for no other reason than he runs for Hendrick. In addition to his two Pocono 500 victories, Labonte has two other top-5 finishes. Overall at this track, he has six top-5 finishes and one pole position. It doesn't hurt that Rick Hendrick is the all-time winningest car owner at Pocono (eight).

Jeff Burton Burton has had recent success at Pocono. He was seventh in last year's Pocono 500 and he finished second to Rusty Wallace in the Pennsylvania 500 last July. Looking for his fifth top-10 finish of the year. Jeff Gordon As if you needed more motivation to pick Jeff Gordon to win Sunday, he has three wins and 11 top-10 finishes in 16 career starts at Pocono. By the way, he now leads the points race. Rusty Wallace Wallace has four wins at Dover. Most recently, he won the Pennsylvania 500 last July. A year ago, Wallace took the pole and finished 10th in the Pocono 500 to Jeremy Mayfield. Wallace sits sixth in the points. Jeremy Mayfield Mayfield has won two of the last three Pocono 500s. He was headed to a second consecutive Pocono win last July when a tire cut coming out of the second turn of the final lap.

Flattery Is there a hotter driver than Jeff Gordon? A week after making the rest of the field look silly at Dover, he made a mockery of things again in Michigan, leading 143 of 200 laps to give Hendrick Motorsports its 100th win. Flag Since winning at Fontana and posting a third in Richmond, Wallace has finished out of the top 20 in his last two starts. He hit rock bottom in Michigan, where he finished 41st. He's sixth in the points standings. Flattery After leaving California in early April crushed by not qualifying for the NAPA Auto Parts 500, Shawna Robinson dusted herself off and not only qualified for the race at Michigan, but finished 34th. Flag Sure, Kmart sponsored last week's race at Michigan, but it sure had a bad day. Todd Bodine and Jimmy Spencer, both sponsored by the store, were involved in three of the race's first four wrecks.

Tony Stewart turned in his own dominating performance Saturday, leading 48 of 50 laps in the IROC race at Michigan. His luck in Sunday's Winston Cup race wasn't as good; he finished 25th. Kevin Harvick will try to pull off double duty this weekend. He'll race in the Outback Steakhouse 200 Busch Series race Saturday night in Kentucky and then head to Pocono for the Winston Cup race Sunday. Jack Sprague broke a 22-race drought in the NASCAR Truck Series, and ended Dodge's eight-race winning streak Friday night by taking the O'Reilly 400. The series goes back to work June 23 in Memphis, Tenn.

Outback Steakhouse 300 -- 8 p.m. Saturday (FX): 200 miles, 300 laps. Sparta, Ky., is a new track for 2001. Pocono 500 -- 1 p.m. Sunday (FOX): 500 miles, 200 laps. 2000 pole winner Rusty Wallace. 2000 winner: Jeremy Mayfield.

FOX's NASCAR coverage has been pretty good so far. The only problem is with the commercials. It seems that they go to a commercial no matter what is happening on the track. As for FX, NASCAR is a family show; please cut out the commercials for Son Of The Beach. -- Rick, Lumberton, Miss. I have been a race fan for over 40 years and I love the fresh approach that FOX has given to the coverage this year. -- Howard, Schertz, Texas I have two issues: 1. FOX's primary broadcast team is entertaining and enlightening, (but) get rid of the Hollywood Hotel. 2. The "mandate" to acquire FX in order to view specific NASCAR races is outrageous and will, in the end, cause many NASCAR fans to take a harder look at the Mike Heltons of the world. -- Craig, Huntington Beach, Calif. Another FX race, another missed chance to watch. It's a shame FOX is so shamelessly trying to force its FX station on people at the expense of loyal race fans. -- Gene, Dayton, Ohio I am a loyal ESPN fan, but as the season as gone on, FOX has certainly stepped up to the plate and given fans what they want. The Hollywood Hotel is the funniest. And when you show the speeds with the bubbles, that's cool. -- Cindy, West Sand Lake, N.Y. I'm pleasantly surprised at FOX's coverage. The color is great, but Larry McReynolds has to go! He's gramatically horrible and is an insult to the majority of intelligent viewers NASCAR has. Please tell him "help" isn't pronounced "hep"! -- Dorothy, Manchester, Md. FOX sucks! Simple as that! It's like watching a circus! If Darrell Waltrip yells "TROUBLE" one more time when there isn't any, I'm going to scream! Oh yeah, can someone please teach D.W. and Larry McReynolds to talk! C'mon! This 'sperience thing was old the first time I heard it! -- Marshall, Chapel Hill, N.C. To all of you crybabies out there complaining about NASCAR coverage, I have one thing to say: Let me call the WHAAAmbulance for you. -- Kevin, Continental, Ohio

 

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