Martinsville - Green Flag
Martinsville Speedway
March 20, 1997
The drivers have been introduced. As usual The Man in Black and the Rainbow Warrior elicit the biggest response from the crowd. Half the fans cheer and half the fans boo depending on opinions. And everybody's got one. You either love 'em or hate 'em. And what a crowd it is! I don't think you could possible squeeze another human body into the grandstands. The command to start engines is given as dozens of red. blue, and yellow balloons are released from the roof of the infield care center. The race is slated for 500 laps and after four parade laps the pace car will set them loose. Kenny Wallace leads the field out of turn four and....Green Flag!! Joe Nemechek gets the advantage coming out of two and JGordon slides ahead of KWallace for second. TLabonte and BBodine get together on the backstretch but we stay under green. Grissom spins in turn two and can't get going quick enough to avoid the yellow flag. Grissom loses a lap and we're under caution for the first time on lap 4. Running order: Nemechek, JGordon, KWallace, Stricklin, Hamilton, GBodine, Petty, Rudd, TLabonte, Elliott, Musgrave, Spencer, BLabonte, JBurton, Pressley, RWallace, DWaltrip, Shepherd, Benson As soon as the green flag comes out the field accordions about three-quarters of the way back. Chad Little's machine shows extensive damage to the front end and his car dumps a ton of oil on the track. GBodine spins in the oil in turn four and noses into the wall. We're back under yellow (#2) on lap 11. Rick Mast's car is also showing damage. I'll check back in with updates as I can. Running order under caution: Nemechek, JGordon, KWallace, Stricklin, Hamilton, Petty, Rudd, TLabonte, Elliott, Musgrave, Spencer, BLabonte, JBurton