It’s Marlin Who Hooks the Big One : Auto racing: He has barely enough gas for his first victory, the Daytona 500. Earnhardt is seventh.

No family in stock car racing history ever drove in as many Winston Cup races without winning as the Marlins of Columbia, Tenn.

Coo Coo, the daddy of the clan, drove in 165 races before retiring in 1976 without a victory. Sterling, the son, drove in 278 of them before he broke the chain.

When he did it, he did it right--in the biggest race of all, the Daytona 500.

Sterling Marlin became the 36th winner of the Super Bowl of stock racing Sunday when his red and yellow Kodak Chevrolet fought off the challenge of Ernie Irvan’s Ford in what might have been the most competitive race ever held at Daytona International Speedway.

There were 33 leader changes among 13 drivers in the 200 laps--and that didn’t count some laps where there was passing for the lead in every corner of the 2 1/2-mile tri-oval. Leader changes are counted only at the start-finish line.

Ironically, it was Irvan whom Marlin replaced on the Morgan-McClure team after Irvan left to take over for the late Davey Allison on Robert Yates’ Havoline Ford team. The finish reversed the order of the 1991 race, which Irvan won with Marlin second.

“It means a lot to me and my daddy to win the Daytona 500 because this is where he drove his first superspeedway race,” Marlin said. “I watched him win a 125-miler (qualifying race) here in 1973 and I was in his pits when he almost won the 500 a couple of times, and he was here when I almost won three years ago. So it was just great, just unbelievable to win it.”

Coo Coo finished fourth behind Richard Petty in 1974 and fourth again to Cale Yarborough in 1977.

Dale Earnhardt, the six-time Winston Cup champion who was nearly everyone’s choice to win his first Daytona 500 in his 16th try, led for 45 laps, but faded down the stretch and finished seventh.

“There’s always a championship and there’s always next year to win the Daytona 500,” Earnhardt said. “I’ve tried 16 times and haven’t done it yet. We’ll come back next year. I’ll be another year older, but that’s the only way I can look at it right now.”

Earnhardt led as late as lap 141 and appeared to be laying in wait to make one of his famous moves only to slide down the leader board in the last 20 laps.

“The car was just too loose today,” he said. “We’d won three in a row (Twin 125, IROC and Busch Grand National races), but I didn’t think we’d used up all our luck. I really wanted the gold today, but we didn’t even get the bronze.”

Irvan finished 0.23 seconds behind the winner, with Terry Labonte and Jeff Gordon third and fourth.

A yellow caution flag on lap 141, caused by debris on the track, set up a dramatic battle of fuel consumption. Most of the leaders, including Irvan, Earnhardt and Gordon, ducked into the pits to top off their fuel shortly before the green flag came out on lap 146. Marlin and Mark Martin, who had been racing with the leaders all day, did not come in.

Two laps from the finish, Martin was running in third place when his gas tank ran dry going down the backstretch.

“I breathed a little easier when I saw Mark go dry,” Marlin said. “I knew if the three of us raced to the finish, the Fords (Martin and Irvan) would gang up on me. I figured I could beat them one on one.”

For the next five miles, Marlin’s crew and most of the 150,000 spectators were wondering if Marlin would suffer the same fuel fate.

“They (crew chief Tony Glover) had said on the radio that some of the teams were coming back in to top off,” Marlin said. “I asked, ‘Guys, what do you want me to do?’ They told me to stay out, that we had enough to finish.”

Sure enough, he did. The Chevrolet ran out of fuel as Marlin came down pit row to enter Victory Circle. He might have made it all the way, but crews up and down the long pit lane ran out to congratulate the popular Marlin, who stopped to exchange high-fives.

“It was pretty emotional for me right then,” Marlin said. “I was one of those guys, crewing for my daddy, for years, and I know a lot of them boys. And they know how much I appreciate what they do.”

Yates, owner of Irvan’s car and the man who picked Irvan to sit in Allison’s seat, said: “I’m happy for Sterling, since he didn’t run out of gas, dadgummit. They were tight on fuel, but they made it, that’s all that counts.”

Irvan, who left the McClure-Morgan team in midseason last year under anything but happy circumstances, said he gave it everything he had to beat his former team, but he couldn’t catch Marlin.

“I tried to make a run at him, but when I pushed off Turn Four I didn’t have anything left,” Irvan said. “The handling was great during the middle of the race, but we just didn’t quite have it right at the end. It’s nobody’s fault, it’s just part of racing.”

Thirty-four of the 42 starters were running at the finish of the 3-hour 11-minute 10-second race, a record for the Daytona 500. Twelve of them finished on the same lap with Marlin. Marlin, who led 30 laps, averaged 156.931 m.p.h.

Two accidents early in the race knocked seven drivers, including Rusty Wallace, out of the race. In the first one, Robert Pressley tagged the wall coming out of the fourth turn on lap 62 and when he bounced back across the track, it set off a tangle of crumpled cars. Ten cars were involved, although some returned after being repaired.

Harry Gant, making his final Daytona 500 start, was one of them. Gant’s crew patched up his Chevrolet and he chugged around the track, 35 laps behind.

“It looked like the 54 car (Pressley) blew a tire or something,” Wallace said. “I picked a hole and was going for it, but Hut (Stricklin) couldn’t get slowed down and got into the rear of me. It wasn’t his fault. It was just one of those deals.”

Eight laps later, Todd Bodine was preparing to take over the lead when Irvan suddenly slowed. Bodine was hit by Gordon, knocking his car sideways.

“I don’t know what he was thinking,” Bodine said. “I guess he was just pumped up . . . but when you’re running 190 or 195 (m.p.h.) at Daytona, you don’t do that stuff.”

Daytona 500 Finish

Driver Hometown Car Laps 1. Sterling Marlin Columbia, Tenn. Chevy 200 2. Ernie Irvan Rockwell, N.C. Ford 200 3. Terry Labonte Archdale, N.C. Chevy 200 4. Jeff Gordon Huntersville, N.C. Chevy 200 5. Morgan Shepherd Conover, N.C. Ford 200 6. Greg Sacks Winter Park, Fla. Ford 200 7. Dale Earnhardt Doolie, N.C. Chevy 200 8. Ricky Rudd Lake Norman, N.C. Ford 200 9. Bill Elliott Blairsville, Ga. Ford 200 10. Ken Schrader Concord, N.C. Chevy 200 11. Geoff Bodine Julian, N.C. Ford 200 12. Bobby Hamilton Nashville, Tenn. Pontiac 200 13. Mark Martin Jamestown, N.C. Ford 199 14. Lake Speed Concord, N.C. Ford 199 15. Jimmy Hensley Ridgeway, Va. Ford 199 16. Bobby Labonte Trinity, N.C. Pontiac 199 17. Wally Dallenbach Jr. Greensboro, N.C. Pontiac 199 18. Joe Ruttman Franklin, Tenn. Ford 199 19. Jimmy Horton Hammonton, N.J. Ford 199 20. Dick Trickle Iron Station, N.C. Chevy 198 21. Derrike Cope Huntersville, N.C. Ford 198 22. Loy Allen Jr. Raleigh, N.C. Ford 198 23. Chuck Bown Ashboro, N.C. Ford 198 24. Bobby Hillin Jr. Charlotte, N.C. Ford 198 25. Dave Marcis Avery’s Creek, N.C. Chevy 198 26. Jeff Burton South Boston, Va. Ford 197 27. Rick Mast Rockbridge Baths, Va. Ford 197 28. Darrell Waltrip Franklin, Tenn. Chevy 197 29. Chad Little Charlotte, N.C. Ford 196 30. Jeremy Mayfield Nashville, Tenn. Ford 195 31. Michael Waltrip Davidson, N.C. Pontiac 194 32. Brett Bodine Harrisburg, N.C. Ford 185 33. Hut Stricklin Calera, Ala. Ford 174 34. Harry Gant Taylorsville, N.C. Chevy 165 35. Dale Jarrett Hickory, N.C. Chevy 146 36. Todd Bodine Harrisburg, N.C. Ford 79 37. Jimmy Spencer Mooresville, N.C. Ford 79 38. Ted Musgrave Troutman, N.C. Ford 79 39. Kyle Petty High Point, N.C. Pontiac 64 40. Robert Pressley Asheville, N.C. Chevy 62 41. Rusty Wallace Concord, N.C. Ford 61 42. John Andretti Indianapolis Chevy 47

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Driver Trouble Earnings 1. Sterling Marlin $253,575 2. Ernie Irvan $190,750 3. Terry Labonte $138,475 4. Jeff Gordon $112,525 5. Morgan Shepherd $92,805 6. Greg Sacks $70,480 7. Dale Earnhardt $110,340 8. Ricky Rudd $56,465 9. Bill Elliott $65,615 10. Ken Schrader $59,565 11. Geoff Bodine $52,065 12. Bobby Hamilton $51,265 13. Mark Martin $65,670 14. Lake Speed $50,530 15. Jimmy Hensley $42,315 16. Bobby Labonte $43,195 17. Wally Dallenbach Jr. $39,175 18. Joe Ruttman $34,005 19. Jimmy Horton $33,485 20. Dick Trickle $33,475 21. Derrike Cope $36,220 22. Loy Allen Jr. $43,515 23. Chuck Bown $36,860 24. Bobby Hillin Jr. $29,955 25. Dave Marcis $31,150 26. Jeff Burton $37,145 27. Rick Mast $36,540 28. Darrell Waltrip $35,435 29. Chad Little $30,805 30. Jeremy Mayfield $27,645 31. Michael Waltrip $36,545 32. Brett Bodine $39,865 33. Hut Stricklin $28,235 34. Harry Gant $34,630 35. Dale Jarrett engine failure $38,325 36. Todd Bodine crash $35,870 37. Jimmy Spencer crash $28,790 38. Ted Musgrave crash $32,360 39. Kyle Petty crash $39,075 40. Robert Pressley crash $28,490 41. Rusty Wallace crash $57,865 42. John Andretti crash $32,365

Winner’s speed: 156.931 m.p.h.; Time of race: 3:11:10; Margin of victory: 0.23-seconds (1 car-length); Caution flags: 4 for 22 laps; Lead changes: 33 among 14 drivers. Lap leaders: Irvan 1-10; Earnhardt 11; Irvan 12-23; Earnhardt 24-25; Gordon 26-27; Earnhardt 28-37; Irvan 38-47; Earnhardt 48-57; Irvan 58; Earnhardt 59-66; G.Bodine 67; T.Bodine 68-74; Irvan 75-79; Earnhardt 80-81; Gordon 82-86; Little 87; Martin 88-89; Earnhardt 90-95; Shepherd 96-102; T.Labonte 103; Earnhardt 104; Martin 105-106; Earnhardt 107-110; Irvan 111-134; Jarrett 135-136; Hamilton 137; Jarrett 138; Hamilton 139; Earnhardt 140-141; Cope 142-148; Marlin 149-157; Irvan 158-179; Marlin 180-200. Series point leaders: 1. tie between Marlin and Irvan 180; 3. T.Labonte 170; 4. Gordon 165; 5. Shepherd 160; 6. Earnhardt 151; 7. Sacks 150; 8. Rudd 142; 9. Elliott 138; 10. G. Bodine 135; 11. Schrader 134; 12. Hamilton 133; 13. Martin 129; 14. Speed 121; 15. Hensley 118.