Wallace out with engine failure

By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive
July 23, 2001
9:35 AM EDT (1335 GMT)

LOUDON, N.H. -- "Ridiculous" was the only label Rusty Wallace, Joe Nemechek and Elliott Sadler could put on the first 11 laps of Sunday's NASCAR Winston Cup New England 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway.

Wallace, who came into the season's 19th race fourth in the point standings, stood to lose ground to the leaders when he was the first car out after an engine failure in his No. 2 Miller Lite Ford on lap 12 of 300 at the 1.058-mile oval.

"It came off Turn 2 and just seized-up solid -- it blew up big time," said Wallace, who came into the race 189 points behind third-place Ricky Rudd and only 11 ahead of fifth-place Sterling Marlin. "It's a shame because the car was handling awesome. We didn't need this because of the points but that's racing."

Wallace finished 43rd, dropping him into sixth in the points standings, 353 points behind co-leaders Dale Jarrett and Jeff Gordon. Wallace began the day just 207 points out of the lead.

Joe Nemechek assesses the damage to his car.

Wallace's day was a bed of roses compared to that of Nemechek and Sadler, whose cars were wrecked in an accident in Turn 1 on lap five. It appeared Sadler was the odd man out when Dave Blaney tried to drive into the corner on the inside of Sadler, in the middle and Nemechek, who was minding his own business on the outside.

Sadler locked the brakes of his No. 21 Motorcraft Ford and ran into the back of Nemechek's No. 33 Oakwood Homes Chevrolet. Both cars hit the outside wall and immediately drove back to their garage stalls.

Nemechek, a former winner at NHIS, declined comment as he watched his crew attempt to repair his car after the crash. He ended up 41st.

Elliott Sadler watches repairs to his No. 21 machine.

"I don't really know what happened," said Sadler, who has had a largely difficult year since he won his first career race at Bristol in March and had slipped to 16th in points coming into this race. "I know the 93 (Blaney) was under me and I was under the 33. I thought I was gonna have a little room but I guess I didn't.

"I locked the brakes up trying not to hit the 33 and slid into him. It's my fault and this is gonna kill us in the points."

Sadler returned to the track, only to crash heavily later in the race. He wound up 40th.