Earnhardt gets elusive road-course win in 1995

Mark Martin's surprising victory at Michigan just before the first of the two road courses on the Sprint Cup schedule reminded me of a similar situation in 1995. Martin had just come off a rare win at Talladega when the series headed for Sonoma and the Save Mart Supermarkets 300.

Dale Earnhardt would have been the first to admit he wasn't the prettiest of road-course racers. His style at a technical track like Sears Point International Raceway was much like watching a cowboy wrestling a steer, as he manhandled his Chevrolet through the corners and willed it to keep up with those who had more road-course experience.

How good was Earnhardt? He won poles at Riverside, Sears Point and Watkins Glen, and recorded a total of 31 top-10 finishes in 47 road -ourse starts. But next to that elusive Daytona 500 win, a victory on a road course was one of the goals he most desired to add to his resume. And Earnhardt could be just as intimidating when it came to turning right, as Martin found out that day.

Ricky Rudd started on the pole and led the first four laps, but Martin took the lead following a quick caution on Lap 5 and showed his early dominance, giving up the advantage only during a round of green-flag stops. In fact, after taking the top spot back from Ken Schrader on Lap 29, Martin pulled away for a comfortable advantage over Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Rudd and Terry Labonte.

However, the field was bunched up one final time for an accident involving Davy Jones, Dale Jarrett and Rusty Wallace, and when the race restarted on Lap 66, Earnhardt clung to the back of Martin's bumper like tin cans tied to the back of a newlywed couple's car. Martin tried his best to shake Earnhardt, but for six consecutive laps, the Intimidator stayed in Martin's tire tracks as the field wound its way up and down the Sonoma hillside.

With three laps to go, Earnhardt began to pressure Martin, hoping for one slight bobble, one little mistake from the Arkansas veteran. But unless that happened, it didn't appear that Earnhardt was going to have enough to make the pass.

"I was going to be there," Earnhardt said. "I was going to be all over his back bumper or up beside him. I was going to race him hard, race him clean. I kept working on him, wearing him down, getting closer and closer. We were there when the mistake was made." (Continued)