The battle between Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch resulted in the closest finish ever recorded in NASCAR. Credit: AP
By Lee Montgomery, Turner Sports Interactive
August 29, 2003
11:05 AM EDT (1505 GMT)
DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Five months later, Ricky Craven still hasn't fully grasped what his victory in March at Darlington Raceway means.
Five months later, despite constant reminders from fans, Craven still hasn't been able to let his stirring battle with Kurt Busch sink in.
 | RACE RECAP | |  | |
|
|
Five months later, Craven heads back to the site of his Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 victory -- you remember, the closest finish in NASCAR history -- without a five-month long celebration.
"I don't know that it's really sunk in, even five months later," Craven said recently. "I thought about it a lot during the week after the race, but it's like turning a page when you get to the next race. I took the time to celebrate with the crew, my family, and even the media to a certain extent, from the time I won until we got to Bristol the following weekend.
"As soon as I got to the next track, the celebration was over. You have to get your head back in the game."
| 2003 Winston Cup Series | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
|
That's the way Winston Cup racing works. If you focus too much on the previous week, whether it was good or bad, you could find yourself falling behind. Sure, Craven would probably love to spend all his time thinking about that race, but it's counterproductive, no matter what psychologists might tell you.
"A lot of fans I meet, that finish is the first thing they mention," said Craven, who is preparing for this weekend's Southern 500. "I'm really proud that I was a part of something that some people say will go down in the history books, but it's not something I constantly dwell on. In this business, you can't afford to."
This week, though, Craven can afford to think back to March a little bit. The focus this week is Darlington, after all, and no one got around Darlington better the last time Winston Cup cars tackled the 1.366-mile track than Craven.
Craven's Pontiac was excellent on long runs that day in March, and even though Busch had worked his way to a big lead, Craven was coming. He caught Busch with less than five laps to go, passed him, got passed and then passed Busch again off Turn 4 heading to the checkered flag.
In what has been replayed countless times since -- and is still as compelling today -- Busch and Craven rubbed fenders several times during the final sprint to the finish line. Smoke billowed from the contact as both drivers looked for the checkered flag.
Finally, it was Craven in a near photo finish. The official margin of victory was .002 seconds, the closest since NASCAR began recording such a statistic. That's about 6 inches, give or take a few.
"The last third of the race, we felt like we were absolutely one of the cars to beat," Craven said. "There was a lot of drama in the last 15 laps. Some people watching that race may have looked at how big Kurt's lead was and thought that his lead would allow him to cruise on home. When we got into second place and could see him, I really felt like I could get up to him and race him for the win."
Craven whipped by Busch with three laps to go, but Busch wasn't done, giving Craven a nudge and retaking the lead.
"Turns 3 and 4 were my strengths, and where I was able to run in those turns was a bit unique," Craven said. "I knew that coming off the exit of 4 was where we were going to win or lose it. Knowing it was going to be a contact sport, I felt like 4 was the most logical place to pass on that last lap.
"At that point, I just wanted to make it to the finish line first. I didn't care if we went across the line sideways, backwards, or upside down. Getting around Darlington is hard enough on new tires, so you can imagine how hard it was on worn-out 55-lap tires."
Busch was a gracious loser, if there is such a thing. He went to Victory Lane to congratulate Craven on a job well done.
"I really appreciated that Kurt came and congratulated me," Craven said. "I didn't expect a high-five and a pat on the back. He showed a lot of maturity in that situation, maybe more than I could have shown had the finish gone the other way. I know it would be very difficult for me, even at 37 years old, to be that gracious after barely losing a race I had fought so hard to win."
Some may have forgotten how the two drivers handled the battle to the finish and the aftermath, especially in light of the recent controversy surrounding Busch. On that day in Darlington, however, the two drivers pushed each other to the limit, and then shook hands and walked away.
"What I'm proudest of about that finish is that Kurt and I took it right to the edge and didn't take each other out," Craven said. "It meant the difference between a controversy vs. a spectacular finish. We did it the Darlington way. We swapped paint and went toe-to-toe and pushed it as hard as we could go. It was a case of circumstance meeting opportunity. It was all adrenaline and intensity. From a purist's standpoint, I think it was a beautiful ending."
It was even beautiful to the runner-up.
"I'm already on an emotional high, so to speak, after winning at Bristol this past Saturday," Busch said. "But to come back to Darlington -- which was the scene of one of the most thrilling finishes in history and I got to be a part of it -- is just wonderful."
Taking nothing away from Busch, but Craven was suitably impressed yet humbled by winning at Darlington. The track is NASCAR's first superspeedway, and history is etched in every inch of the tricky race track.
"The finish was fantastic, but even more than it being a great finish, it was all about winning at Darlington," Craven said. "It's absolutely the ultimate place to compete. There are certain tracks where every driver wants to win. Daytona, Indianapolis, and I would put Darlington near the top of that list.
"There's such a mystique and a history about this place. The type of racing that Darlington creates is some of the best racing you'll see, period. The track is unique, special, and you have to be here to see it."
And there's no doubt the best place to see it is from Victory Lane. Craven may not be fully aware of what winning that day at Darlington means, but one day he'll be able to take time and reflect.
"I don't think it will really sink in or that I'll really reflect on that win until after I'm finished with racing," Craven said. "I think it will be really neat to be able to show the tape of that win to my grandkids and let them see what their grandpa used to do for a living."
|
