NASCAR Flat tire sends Labonte to victory

Bill Elliott led almost the entire race until the final lap.
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) -- A shredded tire made Bobby Labonte's determination pay off.
Bill Elliott was the leader for most of Sunday's Ford 400 at reconfigured Homstead-Miami Speedway, but lost his chance to win the final Winston Cup race when his right rear tire exploded on the final lap, allowing Labonte to take the checkered flag and put a happy ending on his disappointing season.
"I honestly thought 'I can't win unless something happens,' and lo and behold something happens," Labonte said. "You just don't ever give up."
Rebounded
Elliott's misfortune was good news for Labonte, who had nearly fallen out of contention early before rebounding to move into second behind Elliott late in the race.
After winning a week earlier in Rockingham, N.C., Elliott dominated Sunday, leading 189 of 267 laps on a faster Homestead track, whose banks were changed this year from a nearly flat 6 degrees of banking to 20 degrees.
Elliott pulled away late on a restart with nine laps to go, leading in the first turn of the last lap by nearly five car-lengths. But his Dodge wiggled and slowed as his tire came apart rounding turn two, giving Labonte the opportunity he needed.
Labonte had not led a lap all day, but passed Elliott and beat runner-up Kevin Harvick by nearly half the front straightaway.
"I think our never-give-up deal happened from lap one until the end," Labonte said. "We were dead last at one time, or nearly dead last. We came back and fought back a lot of times today."
Labonte won three races in 2003 but also failed to finish five times and wound up eighth in the series standings. He said luck just did not seem to be with his Joe Gibbs Racing team, particularly in the second half of the season.
Elliott, the 1988 series champion, held on to finish eighth and took the loss in stride.
Unfortunate
"Our Dodge ran so well today and it's just an unfortunate thing," he said. "I don't know if I've ever won one like that, but I've sure lost them like that. Obviously, it wasn't our day."
Elliott, who finished ninth in the season standings, appeared to spike the season-long rumors that he will retire.
Asked how soon he might have a decision on whether to retire or race in 2004, Elliott said, "I ain't got no decisions to make. I'm ready to go.
"We've done an awesome job this year. We finished in the top 10 in the points and we've accomplished a lot of goals."
Elliott's was just the last of a series of tire problems in the race, but Goodyear spokesman Mike Stucker said track conditions were mostly to blame.
"It's just the nature of a new, repaved racetrack," he said. "A new fresh asphalt, black racetrack, makes a lot of heat and we're seeing some blistering."
It was not a good day for Matt Kenseth, who wrapped up the last Winston Cup championship a week earlier at Rockingham, N.C. He had an engine failure and finished last in the 43-car field.
Jimmie Johnson was third in the race and easily held onto second place in the standings, finishing a deceptively close 90 points to Kenseth, who led from the fourth race of the 36-event season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 24th Sunday and wound up third in the points, 117 behind Johnson.
Johnny Benson had a season-best fourth-place finish. It gave Pontiac, which is leaving NASCAR, its top finish in the race.
Harvick's second-place finish came despite being involved in a three-car crash on the fourth lap. Harvick was trying to pass Ryan Newman and defending race winner Kurt Busch, but hit Newman. Newman and Busch then hit the wall and Harvick spun himself into the grass in turn two.