Welcome, gay NASCAR fans! That crazy old paperclip-shape Martinsville speedway lived up to its bumpy wreckutation Sunday in a smackfest that included 15 cautions. Pole-sitter and winner Jeff Gordon led the first 107 and the last 206 laps, completing his 2003 Winston Cup sweep of the track. This was Jeff's second win of the year. A race with only nine lead changes might not sound too exciting, but this one sure was! Those boys were pushing each other all over that racetrack -- it was a great show!

The Rev. G.H. Vaughn offered the invocation, in which he remembered our American troops, as we all should We should never forget that while we are grooving on the race, these poor men and women are living in misery and constant danger so some giant corporations can make even more money! Bush is shoving our future down a rathole and should be put on trial!

The National Anthem was served up by Lorrie Beth Hogan, an entertainer from Pigeon Force, Tenn. She sang nicely and did some pretty dramatic stretching to end up right when the planes arrived.

Y'all know how much I miss my FOX announcers during the NBC half of the season, so I was delighted to hear Darrell Waltrip visiting the guys up in booth on Sunday. DW also took some honorary victory laps in his old car before the race. We miss you, DW -- see you in the FOX half of next year, plus when you're racing your truck!

Jimmy Spencer spun for the first wreck at lap 55. Shortly after the restart, there was a crazy accordian-style wreck that involved the #40 and a bunch of other cars. Then Steve Park wrecked Ryan Newman, and Baby E damaged Kurt Busch's left side. Don't you know Kurt must have been cussing? Robbie Gordon -- who the announcers told us was suffering from food poisoning, oh dear -- was way wrecky, and after he spun the #45 of Kyle Petty and rubbed the Petty team's #43 car, NASCAR told him not to do it again.

Then the #6 of Mark Martin wrecked the #2 of Rusty Wallace. Our wonderful Jamie McMurray got hit not once but twice in the check-up -- luckily, he was hit from the sides at the same time and stayed right on his line. (Later in the race, Jamie got penalized for leaving his pit with equipment. But because the initial penalty was too severe, NASCAR gave him a lap back on a restart, and he finished eighth. Go, Jamie!) On pit road, the always wrecky Army car and Tony Stewart's #20 had a slight run-in.

The big controversy of the day involved whether pit lane was open or not at one of the cautions. The front runners were furious that the open flag came out too late, they thought, for them to drop down and pit. The replays made it look like it was close, but because of the new rules and the Lucky Dog Pass and all, no one expected the pit lane to be open, and so they were not really looking for the flag. It was hilarious, though, to hear the announcers talking about how mad Dale Jr. was about it. I bet if you had those radio headphones at that track, you could have heard him cussing a blue streak! Jr., who was described as "livid" and "furious" took his revenge (again!) on Kurt Busch, dogging him relentlessly until he got him and took the lead at 246. The controversy over the flag raged on so much so that NASCAR President Mike Helton came on TV to explain what had happened.

Cute Dave Blaney was the next victim of the National Guard car. In a desperate move for position, the #29 of hot, hot Kevin Harvick got all up on another dude -- I wrote down #12, but it may have been #2. That was way cool. The #97 tore up (FORD!) and then spun in crazy donuts on pit road. It came out later, then broke again.

Late in the race, after a furious duel, Dale Jr. moved Ryan Newman out of second spot. But while those guys went at it, Gordon got away. In the gamble between fresh tires (#8) and track position (#24), Gordon, who had stayed out while Jr. took on four, won. The trophy they give the winner at Martinsville is a grandfather clock. Yes, I said a grandfather clock! If there is a more hideous item of home decor in all the world, I beg you, do not show it to me!

This week we had six boys in the top ten. In the points race, Bill Elliott knocked Kurt Busch out of the top. Mark Martin is now bringing up the rear of the DeVine 9 1/2.

GAYTONA IN THE NEWS!

Friends, this week I am totally thrilled to be the subject of an interview by Lisa Napoli on the Web site www.thatsracin.com. If you haven't already discovered it, thatsracin is the Internet's largest site of independent NASCAR news, and it's a great place to buzz into for the racing dish. The Knight-Ridder newspaper chain runs it. Lisa is a very well-known writer who's also a contributor to the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune, so I was honored to be interviewed by her! Check out the article -- Lisa was way fun to talk to, and she really caught the spirit Gaytona.com!

HOME SWEET TRAILER HOME!

On Oct. 17, the New York Times' "Escape" section ran a big feature on infield life called "NASCAR Nirvana: RVs, Rock Bands and Jell-O Shots." The writer, Mary Billard, spent some time at the Lowe's Motor Speedway weekend before last interviewing people whose lives revolve around setting up homey accommodations in the middle of the madness that is race weekend. Wisely, the writer focused mainly on people who slap together their own hillbilly versions of the drivers' $2 million-plus motorhomes, like the family that built a 46-foot plywood viewing platform furnished with sofas, lamps, a grill and a TV. We learn that infield spots are so coveted people bequeath them to their loved ones in their will. Like the recent New Yorker piece on NASCAR, this article has a whiff of that "I'm exploring this strange native lifeform" tone. Still, it's a pretty cute piece -- check it out if you have the chance.

WHO IS THAT MAN?

NBC has twice lately introduced us to the crew of the #24 car. I've noticed that the rear tire carrier is Shane Church. Can't help but wonder if he is any kin to Jeff's girlfriend, Miss Amanda Church, of Atlanta?

HERE KITTY!

By the way, if there is a CAT equipment rental store near your home, you might want to stop by. I hear they are giving away free diecast replicas of the Ward Burton car. Another shiny car to set up on your computer and look at while you read Gaytona.com!

WELCOME TO ATLANTA, WHERE THE PLAYAS PLAY!

This week Winston Cup racing comes back to Atlanta Motor Speedway, and as an Atlantan myself, I say, welcome race fans! We appreciate the excitement you bring to our town! I just missed a Kurt Busch autograph session at the Home Depot last week; I understand that Dale Jr. will be downtown at the CNN Center one day this week signing for Drakkar Noir; I'm sure that will be mobbed! Any of y'all Winston Cup racers visiting the ATL, drop me a note if you want a date or have VIP passes for me!

Thanks for stopping by the trailer, racing buds and babes! Give me a holler if you're in the ATL this week -- I'll meet y'all at the Track Bar!