Jeff Gordon celebrates his win in the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 in Las Vegas. Gordon edged out pole-sitter Dale Jarrett to win. ASSOCIATED PRESS

The gamble worked.

While other teams turned wrenches, played with tires and swung hammers, crew chief Robbie Loomis found relief in an unlikely place: a roll of tape.

On every pit stop during the race, Loomis added a bigger patch of tape to the front grille to block off the air into the engine. By reducing airflow, Gordon's DuPont Chevrolet Monte Carlo had more grip with the front wheels, and that was an advantage that allowed him to recover from a 24th-place starting position to a 150-yard victory over Dale Jarrett.

The win made Gordon and race fan Rodney Mims of Clanton, Ala., a pair of high rollers in a town made famous for rewarding risks. Both won $1 million as part of the No Bull Five bonus plan from series sponsor R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

``Winning at this race track means almost as much to me as the money,'' Gordon said after collecting $1,389,802. ``If we can run strong as a track like this, I know it means we're off to a great start (toward a possible fourth NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship).''

Gordon started deep in the 43-car lineup, and he didn't make any significant moves until midway. That's when Loomis started adding tape and the team decided to change just two tires while the other leaders changed all four.

Gordon jumped from 12th place after 120 laps to third after 180 by gaining track position -- and traction.

``The car just took off with two tires,'' Gordon said. ``We drove by a lot of guys who took four tires and we pulled away from them. That shows how this team has to never give up.''

A decision to change all four tires during the final pit stop, however, was another critical decision that helped Gordon win his 53rd career race and tie Rusty Wallace for eighth on the sport's all-time victory list.

``At the beginning of the race, it was really frustrating because the car was so tight,'' Gordon said of a condition created when the front wheels lose traction in the turns. ``It was hard to pass. We took a gamble and took on two tires to gain track position. We kept chipping away at it and the car was the best it had been all day at the end.''

A lot of that came from Loomis' decision to block the air into the engine, although he knew it could have overheated Gordon's engine and eventually cause it to blow up.

``Every pit stop we kept adding tape and adding tape,'' Loomis said. ``We decided we were going to burn the motor up trying to get the front end to stick. It was a gamble, but it was a gamble we needed to take.''

Jarrett's Ford Taurus also had trouble turning in the corners. But unlike the winner, he said his car needed a lot more than tape. It's going to require a change in NASCAR's rulebook.

``Anytime you're in traffic, the front end slides,'' Jarrett said. ``Just a little help on the front end, where we can get the car a little balanced. A little bit of help would be nice.''

Sterling Marlin finished third in a Dodge Intrepid, while Johnny Benson was fourth in a Pontiac Grand Prix to give NASCAR salvo in its campaign for parity since all four manufacturers finished in the top four.

Todd Bodine was fifth in a Ford, followed by Mark Martin's Ford in sixth, Steve Park's Chevrolet in seventh, Kevin Harvick's Chevrolet in eighth, Ron Hornaday's Pontiac in ninth and Jimmy Spencer's Ford in 10th.

Gordon averaged 136.377 mph.

There were six cautions that spanned over 26 laps. The worst accident came on the 10th lap when Jeremy Mayfield lost control in the third turn and crashed into Penske Racing South teammate Rusty Wallace. Mayfield was able to make repairs and return, while Wallace, who was the points leader before the race, dropped to 11th in the standings with a last-place finish.

The bonus from R.J. Reynolds was the fifth garnered by Gordon. The plan is offered at five selected races, and it qualifies the top-five finishers from the previous No Bull Five event for a chance to join five race fans selected at random. If any of the five qualifiers win the next No Bull Five race, the series sponsor pays both the driver and one fan $1 million.

The top-five finishers Sunday now become the next No Bull Five qualifiers at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, N.C., in May.

The victory moved Gordon to second in the overall standings, and it further removed the team from the scrutiny of a year ago when the team finished ninth in the championship race after crew chief Ray Evernham left to spearhead Dodge's return to stock car racing.

``I feel we had the best team (on Sunday) and that can make up a lot,'' Gordon said. ``I've never lost that confidence. I've had to push myself to new levels.

``When Robbie came aboard, he was followed three championships and a bunch of race wins. We had nowhere to go but down, but he was willing to make that sacrifice. He endured a lot last year, but we had full confidence in him.''

And his ability to gamble with a roll of tape.

Reach Don Coble at doncoble@bellsouth.net.