Nemechek gets first win in New Hampshire

Dick Brinster

Sunday, Sept. 19, 1999 | 2:17 a.m.

LOUDON, N.H. - After winning the Dura Lube 300 for his first NASCAR victory, Joe Nemechek knew exactly what to do. He dedicated the win to his brother, who was killed in a race two years ago.

"This is for my brother, John, I love you," he said Sunday shortly after crossing the finish line at New Hampshire International Speedway.

"Mom and Dad weren't here today," Nemechek said of his parents, who did not attend the race. "But John was, and he was looking out for me."

Nemechek pulled off a big upset, getting a big break when Winston Cup points leader Dale Jarrett was penalized for a pit road violation.

Nemechek, who acquired the nickname Front Row Joe because he had two poles and had started on the outside of the front row five more times in his career, finally won in his 180th start. Tony Stewart was second in a race that ended under caution.

At one point, Stewart appeared ready to make a pass. But Nemechek said the track condition was largely responsible for that.

"My tires were just loaded up with rubber, and the thing started to turn sideways," he said of his Chevrolet. "But I just drove it away off the corner, and it straightened out."

Stewart, fighting an ailing engine, was happy for Nemechek, who is leaving Sabco Racing after the season and is without a ride for next year.

"If I had to lose to a guy, I lost to one of the best guys in the sport," he said. "Joe Nemechek deserved it."

Stewart said his car was better on long runs, something he couldn't get at times because 11 caution flags slowed the race for 59 laps.

"Once the tires got cool, we were sliding all over the place," he said.

Nemechek passed Terry Labonte on the 230st of 300 laps on the 1.058-mile oval, then held off a bid by Stewart to who gave Sacbo its first victory since Kyle Petty won in four years ago in Dover, Del.

But Jarrett's mistake, when he stopped with his right side outside his box on pit road, was the key to the victory. Jarrett, in position to increase his lead in the standings to a season-high 320 points, was penalized a lap.

Jarrett wound up 18th, and now leads Bobby Labonte by 254 points with eight of 34 races remaining.

Nemechek survived a late bid by Stewart, who was trying to become the first rookie to win consecutively in 29 years of Winston Cup racing. But Stewart, after closing a gap of four seconds to a car-length, had an engine problem that allowed Nemechek to pull away on the straightaways.

Stewart, who held off teammate Bobby Labonte, never got a final chance to challenge because two cautions on the final nine laps prevented the cars from getting a good roll to the end.

Nemechek's victory coupled with that by Stewart a week earlier in Richmond, Va., marked the first time new winners were crowned back to back in NASCAR's top division since Pete Hamilton and James Hylton in 1970.

Jarrett's situation could have been worse. Because Mark Martin was victimized in some of the many spins and crashes, he finished 17th, and fell to third in the points race.

Nemechek, who best career finish had been third, collected $157,625 from a purse of $2 million.

The were 12 lead changes among nine drivers. The rash of cautions slowed Nemechek's average speed to 100.673 mph.

The Pontiacs of Stewart and Labonte were followed by the Ford of three-time NHIS winner Jeff Burton and the Chevy of two-time defending race champion Jeff Gordon.