1988 Budweiser At The Glen 08/14/88 Watkins Glen International RUDD CRUISES TO GLEN VICTORY RUNNER-UP SLAMS INTO WINNER ON LAST TURN WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- With eight unfurlings of the yellow flag, the racing in yesterday's Budweiser at the Glen seemed to slow to a pace more becoming of a leisurely afternoon drive along the Finger Lakes than a high-revving NASCAR race -- that is, until the final four laps. In a furious charge to the finish, Ricky Rudd held off a strong challenge from Rusty Wallace, stuffing the defending champion into the guardrail as both came barreling around the final turn toward the finish. Wallace's Pontiac slammed into the rear fender of Rudd's Buick, causing it to swerve around the final sweeping curve. It appeared as though they were going to collide 100 yards from the finish line. However, Rudd regained control and shut off Wallace's bid on the outside, winning by 52-100ths of a second in an average speed of 74.088 miles per hour at the winding, 2.428-mile road circuit at Watkins Glen International. "He gave me a pretty good lick and tried to get me going sideways into that final turn, so he could get back inside of me," Rudd said. "I ran a real awkward line through the last corner -- just like one of those dirt trackers. I had to kick the tail out, stand on the gas and smoke the tires. When he turned me sideways, I kept my foot in it and wrestled with the steering wheel. I saw him coming on the outside, and I wasn't going to give him that line, so I gave him the dirt." Wallace, NASCAR's most dominant road course racer (and winner of three previous Winston Cup road races, including last year's Bud at the Glen), strayed off course and onto the dirt apron of the last curve, but maintained control to settle for second and a mouthful of dust. "I did everything I could," Wallace said. "The car ran good all day, and Rudd was real slow on the last lap, but he blocked me and that was all he could do." Rudd, a 31-year-old native of Chesapeake, Va., won his first Winston Cup race in 23 attempts, dating back to an '87 victory at Dover, Del., and pocketed $49,625 for his ninth career victory. "I thought we were going to wreck on that last lap," said Rudd, after having delivered owner Kenny Bernstein his first NASCAR victory in 77 races. "My car was stronger than Rusty's through three-fourths of the track, but his was strong once we got past turn No. 5 and through the finish he was able to outrun me." Bill Elliott was third, Phil Parsons fourth and Mike Alexander fifth. The race appeared destined to end under caution when Herschel McGriff spun out on Turn 1, a tricky, 90-degree righthander referred to as "The 90," thus bringing out the race's eighth and final yellow on Lap 84 of the 90-lap event. Darrell Waltrip gunned his Chevy past the start/ finish to assume the lead, but when the race resumed three laps later his car sputtered with transmission problems and surrendered the lead to Rudd. "Darrell and I had stayed out during one of the caution periods and didn't get fresh tires, but Rusty did," Rudd said. "Because of that, I felt Rusty was the man I was going to have to deal with in the end." Wallace charged from fifth to second with two laps remaining and seemed poised to overtake Rudd on Lap 89, stalking him through Turns 6 and 7. "Before the last lap, he tried a stab at me but failed," Rudd said. "While we were going through traffic, he showed me his line with a couple of maneuvers, so I knew where he would try to make his pass." Wallace played into Rudd's hands on the final curve, and was cut off at the pass -- precisely where he figured on executing a pass. "He was driving hard," Rudd said of Wallace. "He made me earn it. 1 Ricky Rudd 2 Rusty Wallace 3 Bill Elliot 4 Phil Parsons 5 Mike Alexander 6 Dale Earnhard 7 Morgan Shepherd 8 Sterling Marlin 9 Joe Ruttman 10 Ken Schrader 11 Dale Jarrett 12 Rick Wilson 13 Bobby Hillin 14 Jimmy Means 15 Brad Noffsinger 16 Davey Allison 17 Richard Petty 18 Terry Labonte 19 Alan Kulwicki 20 Darrell Waltrip 21 Ron Esau 22 Tom Rotsell 23 Brett Bodine 24 Rodney Combs 25 Hershel McGriff 26 Dave Marcis 27 Ken Bouchard 28 Mark Martin 29 Ernie Ervan 30 Pattie Moise 31 Harry Gant 32 Geoff Bodine 33 Michael Waltrip 34 Kyle Petty 35 Jocko Maggiacoma 36 J.D. McDuffie 37 Lake Speed 38 Neil Bonnett 39 Benny Parsons 40 Derrick Cope Time Of Race: 2 hours ,56 minutes, 58 seconds Average Speed : 74.096 mph Margin Of Victory: 1.5 Car Lengths