The Race Report.(Jeff Gordon wins 2002 Sharpie 500)(Brief Article)

As slumps go, Jeff Gordon's was more aggravating than demoralizing. But in NASCAR land, where everything's a big deal (or at least NASCAR land thinks that's the case), his zero-for-31 became an uppercase Big Deal.

The four-time champ ended it with a late-race pass to win the Sharpie 500 at Bristol. More than 140,000 fans gathered at the half-mile bullring for NASCAR's best racing, and the beating and banging didn't end until Gordon bumped past Rusty Wallace on lap 497. And while it wasn't the night's only mugging, it surely was the most timely.

After qualifying fastest and leading three times for 235 laps, Gordon's Chevy beat Wallace's Ford, the Chevys of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick, and Matt Kenseth's Ford.

Since the spring, Gordon's slump had consumed barrels of ink and filled hours of talk-show psychobabble. Folks blamed it on everything from his breakup with wife Brooke to his new role with teammate Jimmie Johnson to sunspots. How silly did it get? (Hey, Bubba, hear about Jeff and Britney? No wonder the poor boy's worn out. Pass the beer and bologna.)

But it was never that bad. Gordon went into Bristol fifth in points, only 150 from first. He had two poles, six top-fives and 12 top-10s, and had led eight races. His last DNF had been 54 races ago, in March 2001, at Darlington. But his last win had been 31 races ago, at Kansas City last ...