Andretti Works Fast in Victory

MARTINSVILLE, Va. —  John Andretti recovered from an early race spinout that cost him a lap, and passed Jeff Burton with three laps to go Sunday to win the Goody’s Body Pain 500.

Andretti, who changed only two tires on the final yellow-flag pit stop with 112 laps to go, trailed Burton by 2.8 seconds with 19 laps remaining and also was behind Jeff Gordon. But Andretti was able to pass both.

He passed the reigning Winston Cup champion with 11 laps left, then took aim at Burton.

“As fast as he came, I knew it was going to be hard to hold him back,” said Burton, who led for 99 laps until Andretti raced him side-by-side for three before pulling away to win by 1.066 seconds.

“The car was awesome. It spits concrete,” Andretti said after his second career victory and first since the Pepsi 400 at Daytona in 1997. “I’m so happy I can barely stand. I’m about ready to fall out of my skin.”

The victory, coupled with Jimmy Hensley’s victory in the NAPA 250 Craftsman truck race Saturday, gave Petty Enterprises a sweep of the weekend at Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR’s oldest and shortest track.

Burton’s Ford, Gordon’s Chevrolet, and the Fords of Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace dominated the race. They took turns leading and rarely dropped from the top five.

But all four faded during the long-run finish.

Andretti seemed destined for another also-ran showing when he spun out in the second turn after the 49th of 500 laps. But he got back on the lead lap when he passed Gordon, then the leader, on the 135th lap.