The 1993 Coca Cola 600

CONCORD, N.C. (May 30, 1993)

Never, never count Dale Earnhardt out of any race. Even under the most adverse circumstances.

Earnhardt overcame penalties for rough driving, speeding on pit road and for having too many crew members over the wall on a pit stop and roared back to win the 1993 Coca-Cola 600 on the 1.5-mile quad-oval of Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was the 55th career victory for the Kannapolis, N.C., driver.

Earnhardt was assessed a one-lap penalty for allegedly spinning Greg Sacks out on the 327th lap of the 400-lap event. Earnhardt had been fading at the time and was in danger of going a lap down to leader Dale Jarrett.

"We looked at the television replays five or six times," said NASCAR spokesman Chip Williams. "We asked the crew chief of the 68 car to ask Greg what happened and Greg said Earnhardt spun him out. There was absolutely no question in our minds. The incident was uncalled for and the penalty was instituted to make up any advantage Earnhardt might have gained."

The penalty lit a fire in Earnhardt, and he was relentless the rest of the way. Earnhardt insisted that he never touched Sacks' Ford when it slid on the front chute.

"When I got behind him, it must have taken the air off his spoiler," Earnhardt said. "I may have rubbed against him, but I didn't run up there and bang him intentionally."

Sacks, who was taking his second ride in the Tri-Star Motorsports Ford, said he "felt like a co-pilot coming off turn four. Dale was running right under me for three or four laps. He really got me loose. Replays don't lie, but I don't think it was intentional. Things happen."

Earnhardt was able to make up the lap when Rusty Wallace spun on the 350th lap. It took only eight laps of green flag racing for Earnhardt to come from the rear to snatch the lead from Ernie Irvan, who complained that Earnhardt had roughed him up on the decisive pass.

Earnhardt led the final 39 laps and finished 3.73 seconds in front of rookie Jeff Gordon as the sun was setting over the 1.5-mile track. Jarrett finished third, Ken Schrader was fourth and Irvan fell to fifth.

Chevrolets swept the first five positions -- the first time a car make had finished one through five since Buick swept the top-five spots at Talladega in 1982.

"It was really satisfying to win this race after getting penalized," said Earnhardt, who increased his lead in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings to 129 points over Wallace.

Earnhardt had fallen a lap down earlier in the race when he made a routine pit stop for fuel and tires. The caution came out a few laps later, leaving Jarrett and rookie Bobby Labonte with a healthy advantage. But Earnhardt sped back into the lead lap within a few laps.