Ricky Rudd won four times at Dover. Credit: Autostock

Enduring Performance: 1997 Miller 500

Given lead, Rudd holds off Martin for final victory at Dover

If good things come to those who wait, in Ricky Rudd's case, staying patient during the final 500-mile race at Dover Downs Raceway in the 1997 Miller 500 proved to be a very good thing.

However, it didn't look that way with 50 laps remaining, as Rudd was fourth, trailing leader Dale Jarrett, Jeff Gordon and Ernie Irvan.

	Mark Martin has won four times at Dover since his runner-up finish. Credit: Autostock
	1997 Miller 500 Official Results Pos. Driver Start Make 1. R. Rudd 13 Ford 2. M. Martin 7 Ford 3. J. Burton 34 Ford 4. J. Mayfield 25 Ford 5. K. Petty 3 Pontiac 6. K. Schrader 11 Chevy 7. M. Waltrip 24 Ford 8. B. Elliott 12 Ford 9. M. Skinner 40 Chevy 10. S. Marlin 26 Chevy • Complete results, click here

"I didn't think we were ready to win," Rudd said. "We had a third- or fourth-place car, but the race fell into our lap. We were looking for a third and got more."

Gordon was the first to find trouble on Lap 452, when Kenny Wallace spun out directly in front of the leaders. Jarrett slowed to miss Wallace, but Gordon didn't -- and ended up rear-ending Jarrett's Ford, which punctured the radiator on Gordon's Chevrolet.

"The wreck happened in [Turns] 1 and 2 and by the time I got there, I saw Dale check up and I slid right into the back of him and spun him out," Gordon said. "Stuff like that shouldn't happen. I had no idea there was a wreck ahead, and by the time I did, I was driving into the back of him."

Despite some damage, Jarrett appeared to have victory well in hand when the engine let go 10 laps later.

"It just blew up," Jarrett said. "The incident with Gordon didn't have anything to do with it. Something went wrong with the motor. No warning. Everything was just fine. Then it was gone."

That handed the race lead to Irvan, but he only held it for nine laps before his Ford unexpectedly hit the wall hard in Turn 1 on Lap 471, possibly on a patch of oil or grease.

"I felt something slippery getting into Turn 1, then it got out from under me" Irvan said. "I know that sounds like a typical excuse when you wreck leading the race, but we'd driven into that turn 470 times today without that happening."

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That left Rudd to hold off a hard-charging Mark Martin over the final 28 laps to take the checkered flag -- and keep alive a streak of at least one Cup victory in a 15-year stretch.

Rudd's biggest worry was the final restart, with Ken Schrader to his inside and Martin on his back bumper.

"I just said, 'I've got to get up there and run. If I slip, I slip and the race is over anyway if I let them get underneath me,'" Rudd said.

Martin hounded Rudd over the final few laps, but the leader never faltered.

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"We put a little daylight on Mark, then with four or five laps to go, he ran us down," Rudd said. "He drove up behind me and really got me pretty loose when he got on my back bumper. He was just about touching it the last couple of laps."

Martin, unwilling to bump Rudd out of the way to win, finished .091 seconds behind.

"I couldn't wreck him to win the thing," Martin said. "That's stealing, and I don't believe in stealing.

"We had a great shot at it. We just couldn't pull it off."

Jeff Burton, Jeremy Mayfield and Kyle Petty were the only other cars on the lead lap.

It was Rudd's fourth and final victory at Dover, although he would come close again with two third-place finishes while driving for Robert Yates. Jarrett would get his revenge with a win 12 months later, while Gordon would add to his Dover victory total in 2001.

Both of Dover's races were shortened to 400 miles, beginning with the 1997 MBNA 400 that fall.