Jeff Gordon
is considered one of the best car racers in America. On Sunday, October
3, 1999 he won the NAPA AutoCare 500 at Martinsville Speedway. The NAPA
AutoCare 500 is a car race where drivers race around a .528-mile oval
track in Martinsville, Virginia. The race is made up of 500 laps around
this track, or 263 miles.
Jeff Gordon
won this race with a new crew chief, Brian Whitesell who took his old
crew chief's place just earlier in the week.
Gordon
averaged a speed of a fast 72.624 miles per hour during the race but
he was not in the lead for the entire race. He actually only led two
times for a total of 29 laps.
Second
place went to Dale Earnhardt, Geoff Bodine finished third, and Rusty
Wallace finished fourth. This win was Gordon's 48th victory in his career
and his sixth win this season. He beat the second place driver Dale
Earnhardt by less than a two-car length distance at the finish line.
Gordon
also just signed a long-term agreement with Hendrick MotorSports. He
has driven for Hendrick during his entire career. The agreement will
take effect on January 1, 2000. This agreement gives Gordon a more active
management role on his Hendrick team.
