Wallace Wins at Riverside : He Takes Final Race as Penalty Drops Earnhardt

Rusty Wallace won the Budweiser 400 Sunday after NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, contending for the lead with seven laps to go, was knocked down three places by a penalty.

In the final stock car race at Riverside International Raceway, Earnhardt was dropped down during the race after he passed the pace car while there was a yellow caution flag on the 88th lap.

Although he was not officially leading at the time, he had moved in front and was placed down to fourth, where he also wound up the race.

The 400-kilometer event, run over the 2.62-mile road circuit on the track that is set for demolition later this summer, was also marred by a red flag that halted the event for more than 25 minutes, and seven yellow flags.

Wallace, driving a Pontiac Grand Prix, averaged 88.341 mph for the 95-lap race.

Terry Labonte finished second in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS, 0.34 seconds behind. Pole-sitter Ricky Rudd finished third.

The win put Wallace into the lead in the Winston Cup points. He now has 1,790 points to Earnhardt’s 1,786. Labonte is third with 1,702.

It was the fifth career Winston Cup win for Wallace and his third consecutive road course victory.

He won the 1987 Budweiser at Watkins Glen, N.Y., and the Winston Western 500 at Riverside’s last 1987 event. He becomes the ninth different Winston Cup winner in 12 races.

On lap 29, Ruben Garcia, the final starter, lost control of his Chevrolet in turn nine, going through over the guard rail, through the tire barrier and into a catch fence.

Garcia stopped his Chevrolet just two feet short of a crowd of spectators near the timing and scoring stand.

The yellow caution flag was displayed, but the damage to the fencing was so bad that the race was stopped with a red flag. After 25 minutes, 5 seconds, the race was resumed with one lap under caution before the green flag was displayed.

At that point, pole-sitter Rudd took the lead in his Buick, leading until a round of pit stops started on lap 48.

With pit stops complete, Wallace took the lead and held it over Labonte’s Chevrolet, but continued to battle with Neil Bonnett and Earnhardt until lap 82, when he took the lead and held it -- with help from the penalty to Earnhardt -- until the checkered flag.

Wallace earned $49,100 for the victory.