Darlington: Another day, another drama

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Early Monday morning, long before the start of the darlingtonraceway.com 200, track officials were huddled in the media center attempting to conjure up a worthy slogan for Sunday's breathtaking Winston Cup finish.

Among the options was "Darlington: Don't Blink."

Perfect.

One day removed from the closest finish in Winston Cup history, Todd Bodine and Jamie McMurray did their best in the Busch Series event to one-up Sunday's Ricky Craven/Kurt Busch drama.

Coming out of Turn 4 on the final lap, Bodine bobbled a bit, enabling McMurray to make up ground in the top groove. Entering the front stretch, Bodine washed up into McMurray, cutting McMurray's left-rear tire, spinning him around and sending Bodine into the outside wall.

Luckily for Bodine, he remained facing forward after glancing off the wall, allowing him to take the checkered flag two-tenths of a second ahead of McMurray, who took the flag backwards.

"We were pretty much both out of control," said Bodine, a first-time Darlington winner. "The tires get so worn out, you're doing all you can do to get the throttle. I got down into 3 and 4, there was a slick spot. I don't know if it was a sealer or what.

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"I hit it, got the car sideways, and that's when Jamie got the run to the outside. We got back to throttle and were going to drag race off the corner, but I broke loose again and got into him. He was going to beat me to the start/finish line. But it cut down his tire and we started wrecking from there."

The drama actually started two laps prior, when Bodine used a daring maneuver to put himself in position to win. Stacy Compton stayed out during the final round of pit stops, and was the race leader when Bodine and McMurray caught him on lap 245.

As the trio entered Turn 2, Compton was on the high side and McMurray down low, leaving Bodine the middle lane. He shot the gap.

"I debated whether to do it or not," Bodine said. "Jamie was down there and Stacy was up high enough. I had Jamie pushed down to the bottom, and man I mashed the gas. It was really tight. To go three wide here -- man."

After the pass, Bodine pulled away, appearing to have the win well in hand. Then, the slick spot.

"Todd just got a little bit loose in the middle of 3 and 4, and I hadn't really given up, but generally if you can't get beside somebody at least getting in the corner you're not going to pass them," McMurray said.

"I was just going to finish the race out, but when I saw him get loose, I had committed myself to the top and he pulled to the bottom. I really thought I was going to beat him to the line. But when he got into me, it cut my tire down. I lost control after that.

"I don't blame Todd, but when he cut the tire down I lost control."

Both drivers agreed there was no blame to be cast, as did third-place finisher Scott Riggs:

"If you bring home the steering wheel, it's all fair," Riggs said.