Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Bump-and-runs may be on tap at Richmond

Friday, Sept. 6, 2002 | 8:30 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Kurt Busch used it to move Jimmy Spencer out of the way and win the spring NASCAR Winston Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Jeff Gordon used it to move Rusty Wallace out the way and win the race at Bristol two weeks ago.

It's called the bump-and-run and Wallace said he wouldn't hesitate to nudge Gordon if the situation presents itself Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. Like Bristol, Richmond is a short track (.75-mile oval) where such a move is considered a legitimate racing tactic.

"If I get close, though, he can expect a bump-and-run ... absolutely," Wallace said. "I'm not going to spin anybody out and wreck him for a payback (but) if I get close enough to bump him and get past him, I'll absolutely do that."

Wallace, who takes a 51-race winless streak into Saturday night's race, said he believes there is a difference between rough driving and the move Busch and Gordon used to win the races at Bristol.

"'I don't think the bump-and-run is something that anybody will tolerate," said Wallace, who finished second to Gordon at Bristol as a result of the move. "It's something that happens, but I don't think NASCAR considers that rough driving; I just think that's on the edge of it. If they thought that was rough driving, they would have done something to Gordon.

"But it was just a deal where if you bump somebody and he wiggles and he slides up out of the groove and you go on and pass him for the win, I guess that's a legitimate bump-and-run we're talking about now. But if you bump him and he spins and three or four cars get past him, maybe that's another situation. If you bump him and he loses it and he backs it in the wall, it's either his problem that he wasn't able to hold onto the car or else that was rough driving."

But that doesn't mean his runner-up finish at Bristol is any easier to take -- especially for a driver who has not won since April 29 of last year.

"If I was four wins into the year or already had a couple of victories and that happened, I'd go, 'Oh, that's a bump-and-run,' " Wallace said. "But with no victories and that race being targeted like crazy, and with two laps to go (and) that happens, it was a really tough thing to handle and I'm still not over it."

Wallace, who has won at least one race every year for the past 16 seasons, admitted his victory drought this year is beginning to get to him.

"It's getting deep into the year and I am a bit on the ragged nervous side, so to speak," he said. "I really thought that we put a lot of focus on the race going into Bristol ... but we missed that win. I really thought we had the Brickyard 400 won right at the very end with the two-tire strategy and got the car working real good and got it up front (but finished second).

"I've won every year now for 16 years and I'd love to keep that winning streak going. If I don't, it's going to be a sad day over at the Wallace camp, I tell you that."

"He has a tremendous amount of talent but when he pulls the helmet over his head, he knocks some sort of switch that makes him an idiot."

"Paul will make a great addition to the No. 99 CITGO team,' Burton said. "Frank has done a magnificent job helping to build a Winston Cup championship contending team. But after long consideration, we both think we're better served to take the next step forward by revamping the chemistry of the team by making this change."

Stoddard has been offered a management position within Roush Racing but has yet to announce his future plans.

Manning, 27, is a former Formula One test driver and is considered one of England's rising racing stars.

On Saturday, the motorcycle stunt show "Project Mayhem" and a Mini Monster Truck exhibition will headline the "Back-To-School Bash" at The Strip. The Monster Truck portion of the program will feature the only Las Vegas appearance this year of Bigfoot. Spectator gates will open at 5:30 p.m. and the show will begin at 7:15.