OXFORD – Perhaps it was of some consolation to Johnny Clark that, while his first victory in the TD Banknorth 250 slipped from his grasp with just nine laps to go, he wouldn’t have had much time to celebrate if he had won.
Clark had to catch a 6 a.m. flight from Manchester, N.H., to North Carolina this morning. He’s headed to Roush Racing’s Gong Show, where he’ll compete for the right to wear the team colors in the Craftsman Truck Series.
That was the furthest thing from Clark’s mind as he looked in his rearview mirror with 10 laps to go Sunday night and saw one of the legends of Oxford Plains Speedway, Mike Rowe, hot on his tail.
“It’s Mike Rowe and if you see him, it’s something you have to think about,” Clark said. “I messed up on (Turn) 4 and bounced off the curb and it was just enough to get it under my rear bumper. And then I was tight. I really couldn’t keep it on the bottom. It was fine when I had some distance on everyone.
“Mike drove it in real hard and he got in there and I had to let him go.”
Clark did so reluctantly after leading 58 laps, including the 48 prior to being overtaken by the now three-time 250 champion.
In the week leading up to the race, Clark, the defending Pro All Star Series (PASS) champion, preached patience. It was a hard lesson learned last year, when the Farmingdale racer won the pole and led the first 119 laps before falling back to sixth and eventually crashing in lapped traffic.
He started 24th this year, and languished in the back of the pack until he visited pit row for the first time 80 laps into the race.
“The first 100 laps, the car was terrible. Then we pitted and the pit was good, but I was afraid we’d pitted too early,” he said. “My intentions were to pit again, but my crew didn’t want to hear it. I told them I wasn’t staying out for 170 laps, and they were like We’re not going to change your tires so you’re not coming in.’ We were sitting there arguing.”
The bickering didn’t prevent Clark from seizing the lead from Patrick Laperle in lap 124. Kyle Busch overtook him in lap 134. Clark returned the favor on lap 193 and enjoyed a handful of laps with several car lengths separating his rear bumper from his nearest challenger. Then the last caution flag came out in lap 224.
“We didn’t need to see that caution,” he said. “The car got tight, and I just couldn’t pivot. Then, of course, I see Mike in my rear view.”
“Hey, you know, second is good,” he added. “It’s good money. We got some lap money.”
Clark then asked what time it was. It was getting late.
“I’ve got to be on a plane in eight hours,” he said. “I’m going through (post-race technical inspection) and try to get a little bit of sleep.”
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