Burkart pulled away toward the top end as Bazemore's engine let go. Burkart's second career victory, which came 105 races after his Columbus triumph in June 1999, was the CSK team's third victory in the first four events this season.

By eliminating Tim Wilkerson, Gary Scelzi and John Force, he helped rearrange the standings. Wilkerson dropped from fourth to ninth, and Scelzi fell from fifth to a sixth-place tie with Eric Medlen. Force maintained second place and cut Worsham's lead from 110 points to 71.

"The first two rounds were intense," Burkart said. "I mean, Tim Wilkerson and Gary Scelzi? That's a lot to take on. So we win those and who do we get? John Force! We picked off all the big dogs, one by one."

Burkart, who jumped from 11th place in the standings to fifth with the $40,000 victory, said he is doing more than running interference for boss Worsham. "Don't think I'm not trying to chase him!" Burkart said. He's within three points of fourth-place Bazemore and 194 off Worsham's pace.

Burkart, of Yorkville, N.Y., did it from the No. 12 qualifying spot in the field of 16. Worsham, too, had given CSK victories at Phoenix and Gainesville from the bottom half of the ladder.

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"When I won at Columbus, I had qualified 14th," Burkart said. "I guess it's the element of surprise."

He said he wasn't surprised, though, by the job co-crew chiefs Chris Cunningham and Marc Denner did in switching to the new Monte Carlo body and fixing the damage from his first-round engine explosion at the previous race, the Gatornationals.

"We torched it pretty badly, and we broke a lot of stuff," he said. "I feel I owe these guys. I know what it takes to fix a care we mangled like that. Chris Cunningham and Marc Denner are two young crew chiefs who have a long future ahead of them. I'm just the lucky guy who gets to sit behind the wheel and steer their creation.

"We learned a lot this weekend with the new equipment thrown into my lap," Burkart said, referring to the new Goodyear tire in addition to the new body. "Maybe the big boom in Gainesville was symbolic, as a way to say good-bye to the Firebird and say hello to the Monte Carlo."