Gordon Edges Gordon

Once Jeff Gordon pulled up behind Robby Gordon with 27 laps to go in the Dodge/Save Mart 350 on Sunday, it seemed only a matter of time before the four-time Winston Cup champion would slip his DuPont Chevrolet past Robby’s Cingular Wireless Chevrolet for the win.

For lap after lap, Jeff dogged Robby, once shoving the nose of his car alongside Robby’s, but he couldn’t muster that little effort needed to complete the move.

At the checkered flag of a dramatic, 110-lap road race on Infineon Raceway’s two-mile course on a picturesque Sonoma Valley hillside, it was still Robby’s No. 31 in front.

It had been a long time coming for the former off-road racer from Orange, who let a win slip away two years ago when he refused to let a lapped car by and wound up losing to Tony Stewart. Last year he was running second and thought he had the car to win before getting caught in the pits at the wrong time.

“I learned last year that track position is everything here, so that’s what I wanted and I got it when it counted,” the feisty winner said.

The other Gordon, Jeff, insisted he had the best car.

“I did everything I could, I had the best car, I’m sure of that, but Robby did what he had to do to win,” Jeff said. “I’m happy to get second-place points, it was just a great day all the way around for us -- except a win.”

Like most Robby Gordon stories, it was not without controversy. During a yellow caution period late in the race, he passed teammate Kevin Harvick for track position, a move that was legal but not considered gentlemanly.

“It was good hard racing except for that chicken move under yellow,” said Harvick, who finished third.

“That was the race, right there,” Jeff Gordon said. “I feel more for Kevin than for myself. I could not believe it. What Robby did cannot be condoned.”

Robby’s response: “Do you think I care anything about what Jeff Gordon thinks? As far as I’m concerned, it’s none of his business.”

A series of yellow caution periods and a variety of pit-stop strategies had turned the race upside down. After Robby Gordon and Ron Fellows had led a parade of cars through the first 72 laps, Johnny Benson suddenly found himself in the lead, followed by Rusty Wallace, Ward Burton and Bill Elliott, with the lapped car of Joe Nemechek adding to the mix.

Robby Gordon was fifth and Jeff Gordon eighth at the time. One by one, the two picked off one after another until Robby took the lead from Benson on Lap 80. Seven laps later, Jeff slipped by the lapped Nemechek and set sail for Robby.

“I had no trouble running Robby down,” Jeff said, “but he was strongest in the attacking zones. There are only two places on this track to pass and Robby was at his best in both of them. It was frustrating, because I knew we had a much better car.”

Harvick, who won a Featherlite Southwest Series race here Saturday, never led but was a factor from the start. He ran second to Robby for most of the first 55 laps and had one attempt to pass him frustrated by Fellows, who swept past the both of them.

Boris Said, the road-racing specialist who won the pole, led the first lap before giving way to Robby. He stayed on the pace until he got caught at the wrong place during a yellow caution period and slipped to 26th. He battled back and finished sixth, his highest finish in a Winston Cup race.

“Today was a blast, the most fun I’ve ever had in racing,” Said said.

Ryan Pemberton, Said’s crew chief, said it was his fault Said didn’t do better.

“Boris did an awesome job,” Pemberton said. “Had the yellow flag come 10 seconds later for our second pit stop, there was a good chance he would have won his first Winston Cup race. I want to apologize to him. I lost the biggest race of his career for him.”

Fellows led twice but like Said, got out of sync with the pit stops and wound up seventh.

The win was Robby Gordon’s second since becoming a Winston Cup regular with Richard Childress in mid-2001. His other win was at New Hampshire in the final race of 2001. The win moved him from 16th to 13th in points.

Jeff Gordon’s second place moved him past Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished 11th, into second in the standings, 174 behind Matt Kenseth, who came in 14th.