"I don't know how you walk into Rockingham anymore -- or any track, for that matter -- and point to any one team and say, 'Hey, those are the guys to beat,' " said Kyle Petty, a three-time winner at Rockingham. "You always have somebody running better than somebody else and you always have teams that are on a roll."

Not that it means all that much.

Rusty Wallace Wallace leads active drivers with five victories at Rockingham. His most recent triumph came in February 1994. He finished seventh in the Dura Lube 400 there earlier this season after starting 33rd. Bobby Labonte Labonte took the checkered flag at Rockingham in February 2000. This February, he finished second behind Steve Park. He has five top-five finishes in 16 career starts at North Carolina Speedway. Mark Martin In 30 career starts at Rockingham, Martin has 17 top-10 finishes. He is also tied with Kyle Petty for the most pole positions at North Carolina Speedway with five, most recently in the fall of 1999. Jeff Gordon Gordon has four wins in 17 starts at North Carolina Speedway. He was third there in February, the seventh time Gordon has finished in the top five at Rockingham.

Flattery Mike Wallace snagged his best career Winston Cup finish Sunday when he was second to Jeff Burton in the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix. Before Sunday, Wallace's best effort was fifth at Atlanta in 1994. Flag John Andretti was expecting a solid showing in Sunday's Checker Auto Parts 500 after qualifying second Friday. A crash 42 laps from the finish relegated Andretti to a 39th-place finish. Flattery Roush Racing had a very productive weekend at PIR. Greg Biffle captured both the Truck series event Friday and the Busch series event Saturday while Jeff Burton took his second Winston Cup win of the year Sunday. Flag The season just keeps getting worse for Kyle Petty. He finished 43rd Sunday at Phoenix, the second time in the past three races that Petty has finished 43rd. It's also his fifth finish outside the top 40 this year.

Asked if and when the No. 3 might make its next appearance in Winston Cup racing, Richard Childress said Saturday, "I don't see the No. 3 running again for Richard Childress Racing unless an Earnhardt is running it." Jeff Burton's win in Sunday's Checker Auto Parts 500 -- his 17th career victory -- moved Burton into a tie with Curtis Turner, Marvin Panch and Bobby Labonte for 35th on the all-time win list. Jeff Gordon's lead in the battle for the Winston Cup championship sits at 380 points on second-place Ricky Rudd. Gordon will clinch his fourth title if he finishes 24th or better in each of the last four races. The Truck series closes its season Saturday at California Speedway. Points leader Jack Sprague has a 141-point advantage on second-place Scott Riggs. Joe Ruttman is third, 145 points back.

Sam's Club 200 -- 1 p.m. Saturday (TNT): 200.349 miles, 197 laps. 2000 pole winner: Mark Martin. 2000 race winner: Jeff Green. Craftsman 200 -- 4:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPN): 200 miles, 100 laps. 2000 pole winner: Kurt Busch. 2000 race winner: Kurt Busch. Pop Secret 400 -- 1 p.m. Sunday (TNT): 399.681 miles, 393 laps. 2000 pole winner: Jeremy Mayfield. 2000 race winner: Dale Jarrett.

I expect someone who has just come to this sport to think that this season has had too much "rough riding." They don't know that is what NASCAR is. This sport was built by a bunch of old moonshiners in the '30s and '40s, and it was then, and is now, a dangerous pastime. Over the years, we have lost drivers. Sure NASCAR could make it "safe" by putting a speed limit on the track like they do in the pits, or shoving a bunch of airbags in the car. The fact is, as Dale Earnhardt used to say, "If you have feathers on your butt, get out of the car!" I know tons of guys dying to get in one. If they want to make Talladega safer, then there needs to be fewer rules, not more. Dump the restrictor plates and crank down the spoilers, then the good motors will be able to pull away from the sorry ones, and with less spoiler, and less traction, you sure won't see them four wide in the corners for 500 miles. -- William, Branson, Mo. Jeff Gordon will win his fourth championship this year, with many more to come. -- Jeremy, Mason, Ohio. I miss Mike Skinner in the No. 31 car. -- Brenda, Memphis, N.Y. The only rough riding I've seen is all the commercial spots NBC runs. Take us back to the old cable TV days. -- Les, Lexington, S.C.

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