Actually, the way the team has been able to side step the rule has been a bigger factor.

The rule requires teams to use the same engine for practice, qualifying and the race in an effort to cut about $1 million from the operating budget of each team. The penalty for changing an engine is starting the race from last place or the possible reduction of points.

Although they say Roush's ability to find a balance between speed and durability gives them an advantage, Roush cars have made three engine changes this year, and each time the driver has rallied for a good finish.

Matt Kenseth worked around the rule during the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway. He torched a motor during Friday's practice session, but he took a new engine to Victory Lane on Monday.

Kenseth also changed engines at Atlanta earlier this year, turning a back-row starting spot into a fourth-place finish.

And at Rockingham, N.C., Kurt Busch changed engines two hours before the race and rallied to finish 12th.

The way Roush has been able to avoid the teeth of the single engine rule is a small factor in the team's success. Kenseth is second in the current point standings, just 70 points behind Sterling Marlin. Mark Martin, who was third Monday in the rain-delayed race, is fifth in the standings, while Busch is seventh and Jeff Burton is 14th.

THE POINTS RACE: Marlin finished seventh Monday for his sixth, top-10 finish in seven races, and that allowed him to maintain his lead in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series standings.

Marlin has 1,082 points. Kenseth is second with 1,012 points.

The rest of the top-10 includes: rookie Jimmie Johnson in third with 963 points, Rusty Wallace in fourth with 950, Martin in fifth with 938, Jeff Gordon in sixth with 909, Busch in seventh with 893, Tony Stewart in eighth with 887, Ricky Rudd in ninth with 847 and Bill Elliott in 10th with 837.

The biggest winner in the points race was Rudd, who moved up five positions with a fourth-place finish.

The biggest losers were Dale Earnhardt Jr. (42nd), Ryan Newman (40th) and Burton (39th). They all dropped five spots.

BROKEN STREAKS: Rusty Wallace led his first laps of the 2002 season when he pulled away to a two-second advantage with 150 miles to go. That cushion evaporated in a round of pit stops and he faded back to an 11-point finish.

By finishing seventh, Marlin broke an impressive streak with one of his Dodge Intrepids. The car, just three races old, at Texas was the same one he used earlier this year at Las Vegas and Darlington, S.C., and he won both of those races.

Terry Labonte finished 10th at Texas and it was his first top-10 performance of the year. In fact, the last time he had a top-10 finish was 20 races ago at Bristol, Tenn., last August.

And finally, Gordon enjoyed his first top-five finish of the year. The race was his 300th career start and he's never used a provisional exemption to make the starting lineup in his Winston Cup Series career.

SHELMERDINE SCHEDULE: Former crew chief-turned-driver Kirk Shelmerdine will drive a second car from Brett Bodine's shop at five selected races this year.

The car will be sponsored by Eastern Foods Inc., the same people who own Hooters Restaurants.

Shelmerdine, who guided Dale Earnhardt to four of his seven series championships, will drive at both races at Concord, N.C., Chicago, Kansas and Atlanta.

PIT STOPS: Gordon has received a $1.2 million book advance ... Jimmy Elledge, who resigned last week as Dale Jarrett's crew chief, is being courted by Ray Evernham to assume the same role for Casey Atwood's Dodge at Ultra/Evernham Motorsports ... NASCAR ordered Brett Bodine and his crew chief, Doug Richert, to it hauler after Monday's race after Bodine's right-side window fell out for the second time this year ... The next race is the Virginia 500 next Sunday at the Martinsville Speedway.