DAYTONA BEACH - While one of Robert Yates' Fords was crossing the finish line first Sunday in the Bud Shootout, another Yates Taurus was sliding down the frontstretch on its roof and hood.
Ricky Rudd's first race in the No. 28 Texaco/Havoline Ford ended upside down after a last-lap wreck coming out of Turn 4 at Daytona International Speedway. Moments after defending Winston Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett put the Yates-owned No. 88 Quality Care/Ford Credit Taurus across the finish line first for the victory, Rudd climbed out of the No. 28 car, which had slid about 600 feet on its hood and roof before coming to rest about 100 feet short of the start-finish stripe.
"Coming off 4, I couldn't tell exactly what happened, but somebody started checking up," explained Rudd, who escaped injury. "They got three-wide, and I was sitting around fourth at that time. I really thought I could have squirted through that hole there and I was going to end up second or third.
"I made it through there and I started relaxing, and the next thing I know I'm sideways. Somebody got into me from behind. I don't know exactly who it was. The next thing I know I'm upside down."
The incident was reminiscent of a wreck Rudd had here 16 years ago.
"This one really looked bad, but it really wasn't nasty," Rudd said. "It was weird because I slid on the roof a long way and it was never a hard hit. There was no violence at all inside the car and I'm sliding along. I'm kind of scrunched up thinking Man, I hope nobody hits me when I'm upside down.'"
Rudd, 43, moved to Yates Racing after owning his own team the last six years.
It was an unlikely ending for Rudd's debut with Yates Racing, because the No. 28 Ford was running a strong second for most of the race. The veteran driver looked like he might start his 26th Winston Cup year with a visit to Victory Lane as he stayed on leader Sterling Marlin's bumper from the 13th lap until Marlin was overtaken on the final lap by Jeff Gordon and Jarrett.
Marlin, driving the No. 40 Coors Light Chevrolet, took full blame for causing the crash that resulted in Rudd being knocked to the outside wall before the No. 28 lifted and flipped on its hood. Marlin got into Bobby Labonte, who was turned into Rudd, sending the No. 28 Ford on a wild ride.
"I thought for a split second I was going to miss (Labonte), but it was my fault," Marlin said. "I got into (Labonte), and the car wouldn't turn. It was the last lap. I knew if I lifted I was probably going to run 10th. I thought I could make it, but I didn't."
Rudd and Jarrett had run nose-to-tail for some time and had shared information leading up to the final laps.
"Really, what was happening was with three to go I thought we had a plan," Rudd said. "I was gonna dive to the inside of Sterling and I had relayed that to Dale, and about the time I make my move to go to the inside it sort of jumbled up. All of a sudden Schrader was behind Dale and it just got all knotted up there with about three or four to go. Things didn't quite turn out like we expected them to."
Jarrett said he had to make a move and he had hoped Rudd could jump in line with him.
"Waiting until the last lap is kind of a thing of the past; you've got to start shuffling before then," Jarrett said. "I saw (Schrader and Gordon), they were getting a little impatient back there with about three or four (laps) to go and started laying back, so I knew that I was gonna have to start trying to make a move. I got the outside of Ricky and I really thought I was gonna be able to clear Ricky with the push that I had and maybe we could stay in line and go from there, but we got side-by-side and things started happening."
