TRACK CONFIGURATION
Distance: 2.66 Mile Tri-oval
Banking in Turns 1-4: 33
Banking on Tri-oval: 18
Banking on Backstretch: 2
Length of Frontstretch: 4,300 ft.
Length of Backstretch: 4,000 ft.
Grandstand Seating: 138,000
Miles/Laps: 500 mi. = 188 laps
Purse: $4,882,015
Last year's winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Ok, my thoughts on this race and who to pick.  DEI or RCR.  Period!  Kurt Busch has a good finishing record here, and he seems to be on a roll.  Matt Kenseth too.  Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon may also do well, (but not win).  Dale Jarrett, Jeff Burton, Sterling Marlin may have a good showing. Terry Labonte has something to prove, and he does race well here.  As long as he doesn’t get caught up in the big one.

My pick to win?  None other than Michael Waltrip.  No other driver has had 4 wins in a row at this track; otherwise I would pick Dale Jr.  Either way, you can’t go wrong by picking the DEI powerhouse.

DEI finishes 1-2 in Aaron's 499

By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. prevailed in a four-lap shootout and won the Aaron’s 499 Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway -- his second straight win at the “World’s Fastest Speedway.”

Earnhardt Jr., who had a dominant No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet all day, was .060 seconds -- about a car-length -- ahead of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. teammate Michael Waltrip’s No. 15 NAPA Chevrolet at the line. The victory was the first this season for Chevrolet.

It was the third time since the 2001 Daytona 500 that Earnhardt Jr. and Waltrip had finished 1-2 on restrictor plate tracks. Waltrip won at Daytona and Earnhardt Jr. won the 2001 Pepsi 400, Daytona’s summer race as well as last fall’s EA Sports 500 here.

“All day we led,” Earnhardt Jr. said Sunday after averaging 159.022 mph and leading 133 of 188 laps. “I don’t think anyone could beat my car -- even though I think the No. 48 (Bud Pole winner Jimmie Johnson) had the best car -- but when they gang up on you and you’re by yourself (you don’t know).”

“His car was just faster than us (and) I thought it was my turn to win, too,” Waltrip said. “I was able to get up to his bumper but it was too little, too late.”

Kurt Busch’s No. 97 Rubbermaid Ford, Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet and Sterling Marlin’s No. 40 Coors Light Dodge rounded out the top five.

“We were just having fun -- this is awesome,” said Busch, who had the added pressure of racing for injured team owner Jack Roush. “We were the best in class, but there was just nothing we had for the DEI cars today -- they’ve got it going on.”

Dale Jarrett, Johnson, Rusty Wallace, Jeff Burton and Kyle Petty completed the rest of the top ten.

After the race Marlin, who finished sixth, queried the NASCAR officials on what he interpreted as a yellow-line violation by Kenny Wallace with two laps to go.

After reviewing the tape, NASCAR determined Wallace had in fact gained a position by going under the yellow line and penalized him, dropping him from fifth to 21st, the last car on the lead lap.

Wallace accepted the penalty without protest.

“They were looking for help from me,” said Wallace, who has not driven in a Winston Cup race since leaving the No. 1 Pennzoil Chevrolet in March that he was driving for Steve Park. “You had to take every move you could make.  That’s dangerous, but when you want a win that bad you do it.”

Marlin unofficially maintained his lead in the Winston Cup standings by 109 over DeWalt Ford driver Matt Kenseth. Wallace, Busch and Earnhardt Jr. -- who moved up four spots with his win -- round out the top five.

“It’s a lot of hard work on the restrictor plate tracks that leads to this,” Earnhardt Jr. said of his success, which includes three wins, a second place and an eighth in the last six plate races at Daytona and Talladega. “We’ve done it and it’s paying off.

“It’s just a great win for us. We’re going to try for that championship and if we keep up like this we’ll get it.”

Two cautions in the last 24 laps, including the second that forced a red flag for 15:29 with six laps remaining, set up the finish to the ninth NASCAR Winston Cup race of the season.

Earnhardt Jr. leaped into the lead by three car lengths on the next to last restart with 14 laps left, but by the end of lap 175, Jarrett and Waltrip had pulled up on Earnhardt Jr.’s bumper.

The complexion of the race changed again when Mark Martin’s crippled No. 6 Pfizer/Viagra Ford, which had been blackflagged by NASCAR for not meeting the minimum speed, pulled off the track in Turn 3.

As the caution flew with eight laps left, Tony Stewart’s similarly damaged No. 20 Home Depot Pontiac leaked oil onto the race track, forcing a cleanup that induced NASCAR to display the red flag as the field circulated on lap 183.  NASCAR permanently parked Stewart during the caution, as well.

While the field sat on the backstretch under caution, an oil leak was detected under Jeremy Mayfield’s No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Intrepid. He was instructed when the race resumed to return to the garage area on the track’s apron, with a cleanup truck following him to put absorbent on the fluid he left behind.

In terms of the depth of the field that could be involved in the finish, the number of competitive cars was cut roughly in half by a 24-car wreck entering the backstretch with less than 25 laps remaining.

The accident appeared to begin when Mike Wallace’s No. 33 Preen Chevrolet and Stewart’s car made contact, forcing Stewart’s Pontiac into the outside wall.  Elliott Sadler had the most serious impact when his No. 21 Motorcraft Ford arrowed across the infield grass into the inside retaining wall.

“I commend NASCAR on what they do with our safety devices,” Sadler said. “My HANS device did great -- I’ll just be sore tomorrow.”

Earnhardt Jr. and Jarrett led about 14 cars that were in front of the melee and Jarrett was ahead by inches when the field got back to the start/finish line with 24 laps remaining. When the race restarted, Earnhardt Jr. was in front of Jarrett and Johnson.

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- When racing on restrictor-plate tracks, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. has a 1-2 punch befitting Mike Tyson.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip have finished first and second in three of the past six restrictor plate races -- a Daytona 500 victory for Waltrip in 2001, a Pepsi 400 win for Junior five months later and Sunday’s rousing 1-2 finish in the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Moments after taking the checkers Sunday, marking his second plate race win in the past three tries, Earnhardt Jr. made certain his crew understood the importance of their teammate.

“All credit goes to Michael on this one y’all, all of it,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Do y’all hear me? Without him we wouldn’t have won this thing.”

Agreed. Following a 15-minute red-flag stoppage of the event, Waltrip ran second to Junior over the final four laps, fending off possible contenders left and right.  Junior is well aware the frustration that builds from such a precarious situation.

“I know how frustrating it is, it’s awfully mentally hard when guys are beating on your bumper and trying to pass you, and you’re holding them off so your teammate can win,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “That’s why we have teammates.

“When you’re in those situations you have an advantage over the field. I know what he deals with. It’d be hard, but what’s good for me is good for DEI . What’s good for Michael is good for DEI. It’s all about keeping the company going.”

They’re doing just fine on plate tracks. Earnhardt Jr. has won three of the past four plate races, including the past two at Talladega. He had a good teacher, mind you.

“He’s very talented, obviously,” said Waltrip, whose second-place effort Sunday marked his season high. “I observe him doing things out there that are pretty impressive. He’s just learned a lot by watching on TV when he was growing up, and being at the races on the weekend and then we could apply what he learned directly to himself when he would get the car and he could perform.”

Sunday, the duo ran one after the other for essentially half the race. That’s becoming commonplace.

“That’s best hand to be holding at the end of the race -- to have a teammate with you,” Junior said.

Fifty laps into Sunday’s event, Junior held up the hang loose sign as the duo coursed through Turns 3 and 4. Waltrip was amused.

“He’s crazy,” Waltrip said. “We’re from two different generations, but we seem to be able to mesh pretty good.”

Your  Momma
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast.  Get the hell out of the race car  if you've got feathers on your legs or butt.  Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998

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If you read nothing else in today's list, please be sure to read "Racing Perspectives" below.  This will truly fire you up, and I expect you to email that jerk and let him know just what NASCAR is all about and what you think of him.

Today In Nascar History

February 21, 1948

Nascar becomes incorporated.

A driver can still be considered a rookie if he/she has run no more than seven races in the previous season.

Don’t for get to vote on whether or not DEI is behind Steve Park 100 percent.

http://bhb10.tripod.com/de3fan/

from Trudy
To all the Jeff Gordon fans out there:
I'm sorry you have to buy new racing apparel.
He will be racing a new number this year, No. 12.
Brooke is taking half of his number too.

LMAO Trudy.  The sad thing is, she would probably do that if she could….

Nissan May Race In Nascar To Promote Truck: Nissan Motor Co. (NSANY), gearing up to launch a full-size pickup truck later this year, may race in a top pickup truck league of the National Association for Stock Car Racing, or Nascar, in an effort to promote the truck.  Larry Dominique, chief product specialist for Nissan's full-size pickup truck and sport-utility vehicles, said Nascar has contacted and asked Nissan whether the Tokyo auto maker is interested in taking part in its Craftsman truck race series. Though there are some obstacles, including a sizable investment needed to develop race-ready pickup trucks, Dominique said Nissan told Nascar it wanted to keep the dialogue open and learn more about the series. - Wall Street Journal/Yahoo Biz

Jeff Gordon and Sesame Street Drive Into 2003 Cookie Monster Car is Second in Series:

CONCORD, N.C. (Feb. 14, 2003) - The Speedway Club is offering a unique, upscale motorsports experience for the May races at Lowe's Motor Speedway. A limited number of Access Passes are now on sale, offering premium tickets along with amenities only The Speedway Club can offer.

An Access Pass includes a frontstretch seat, a pre-race pit tour, dining in The Speedway Club's elegant restaurant, a souvenir program and a subscription to Winners Magazine.

Access Pass options: The Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Winston Cup event on Sunday, May 25: Veranda seat, $385; Clubhouse seat, $447.

The Winston Pole Night, Hardee's 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race and The Winston All-Star race on Friday and Saturday, May 16-17: Veranda seat, $458; Clubhouse seat, $474.

The Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Winston Cup event on Sunday, May 25, and The CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, May 24: Veranda seat, $588; Clubhouse seat, $656.

The Winston Pole Night and Hardee's 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday, May 16, The Winston All-Star race on Saturday, May 17, The CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, May 24 and The Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Winston Cup event on Sunday, May 25: Veranda seat, $931; Clubhouse seat, $1,015.

The Speedway Club is a private club located above the 1.5-mile oval at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Its 4,000 members enjoy fine dining, live entertainment and the excitement of racing throughout the year.

To purchase an Access Pass or obtain information about The Speedway Club, call (704) 455-3240 and mention you saw this on racingone.

The real racing season starts Sunday at Rockingham if you ask most Winston Cup drivers. After all the preparation and excitement of Daytona, Rockingham begins the meat of the NASCAR season.

“Leaving Daytona to go to Rockingham is a major transition," said Dale Jarrett.  "Everyone says it’s where the real season begins primarily because when we’re competing at Daytona it’s pretty much just putting the pedal down and surviving the big one. At Rockingham the driver has a lot more to do with the outcome of the race.  It’s all about tire conservation, and having a good enough race car during the last 100 miles.”

Jarrett and the UPS Racing Team has a pretty solid record at "The Rock," scoring one win, 10 top fives and 12 top 10s in 14 starts since the #88 team’s inception in 1996. The rough and tumble North Carolina Speedway is a welcome site for Team UPS.

“It is a great track for this team,” said crew chief Todd Parrott. “It is a little hard to go from the 12 days we spend in Daytona to Rockingham, because teams typically spend all winter getting their Daytona car ready. Fortunately for us we spent a lot of time getting our Rockingham car ready too. The #38 team went to Rockingham and tested and it was real successful. With Elliott and Dale having the same feel for a racecar we should be able to use a lot of what Raymond (Fox, #38 crew chief) and the guys learned there. We’re taking the same car we raced at Indianapolis last year, and depending on how that works out for us, we may take it to Las Vegas the next weekend.”

Jarrett has left his mark at North Carolina Speedway. He is the track record holder for most laps led in a 400-mile race. He led 321 of the 393 laps raced at the spring race on February 23, 1997. In 31 starts at ‘The Rock,’ Jarrett’s total laps led equals 1,036 laps.

Lack of confidence is not a problem with Richard "Slugger" Labbe.

No wonder. Results speak for themselves.

Labbe joined Dale Earnhardt Inc. late in the 2001 season as crew chief for driver Michael Waltrip. Forty-eight starts later, he has two Winston Cup victories at Daytona International Speedway with Waltrip, including last weekend's 2003 season opening Daytona 500.

"We know what we build and we know what we have. Sometimes, people can't see that," Labbe, 34, said. "Some people thought we would finish 22nd, 23rd or so this year. So be it.

"My philosophy? We'll just show you on the race track we can do it."

They certainly did last weekend. Waltrip had run strong throughout Speedweeks, but his performance was overshadowed by his DEI teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

When Earnhardt Jr.'s successful Speedweeks performance was cut short by an electrical problem in his No. 8 Chevrolet in the Daytona 500, Waltrip became the biggest beneficiary, earning his third win at Daytona and second Daytona 500 trophy.

"We need to contend each week and we need to be a title contender this year, or at least be a team that wins a lot of races, wins some poles and does a lot of good things," Waltrip said. "Slugger has put his signature on our team. He runs it. It's his. He respects my opinion and that's important to me that we have that type of relationship. I think what we have is a perfect definition of a team."

It wasn't always that way.

Waltrip opened the 2001 season with a win in the Daytona 500 – his first career victory, ending a 462-race winless streak. But things went downhill fast.

By April, his crew chief, Scott Eggleston, had left, and Waltrip's performance plummeted.

Late in the season, the team found a permanent replacement in Labbe, a former tire specialist and car chief at Hendrick Motorsports. He had also served as crew chief for Kenny Irwin during the late driver's 1998 rookie season with Robert Yates Racing.

As he began his tenure at DEI, Labbe turned to Ty Norris, DEI's executive vice president for motorsports, for advice on how to approach the difficult process of reorganizing Waltrip's team.

Norris' advice? "Run it like you own it," he told Labbe.

There has been no looking back.

Waltrip's performance showed some signs of improvement late in 2001 and he became a consistent force last year. He made a return trip to Victory Lane, winning the July race at Daytona.

With his job performance under scrutiny, Waltrip's team continued to make strides as the 2002 season wound down. He ended the year 14th in points –10 positions higher than 2001.

"You got to have somebody who says, ‘This is my ship and I'm the captain.'  We didn't have that at the 15 car," Waltrip said. "We spent a lot of 2001 just floundering. We were lost.

"Slugger has the type of personality and is the kind of leader who can say, ‘I know where I'm going and you all can go with me.' "

Labbe said his most difficult job is to make every member of the No. 15 team a believer.

"I told the guys on the team before we left to come down to Daytona. I said, ‘We are leaving that car in Daytona USA,' " he said. "They said, ‘Aw, no way. You're crazy.'

"I said, 'We are leaving that car in Daytona ... – I don't care if I have to sell it to some drunk in the infield.' And look where it is. They believe in me and I believe in all the work they do."

A Response to Jeff Arenz
Someone Who Has No Clue About NASCAR
by Jeff Alan - Staff Writer

Every once in awhile, the NASCAR pot is stirred up by a --- dare I say --- journalist who seems hell-bent on getting a e-mailbox full of threatening and vile letters from those whom he might push to the limit of patience and decorum.

A few years ago, it was Gerry Callahan, who read the Petty family, and the entire racing community, the riot act, in a column that even Saddam Hussein would consider in bad taste.

And now, from the land of Mark Twain, another blithering boob has surfaced with a scathing dissertation of NASCAR racing ----- directed at both drivers and the fans. And the more I think of it, perhaps this whole thing is a staged diatribe by the editors of the Hannibal Courier-Post to boost newsstand sales or website hits. If it is, it will work.

But it will come with a price.

To be fair to Mr. Arenz, I will post his exact quotes here, lest I take something out of context. What will follow is my response. And I sure hope you guys agree.

(Arenz) “In my view, it doesn't take much talent to be a race car driver.”

I can understand your view, Jeff. Most narrow-minded, stick-and-ball writers stuck in a small, hometown newspaper would probably consider driving home after drinking 20 drafts at the local sport pub, and do so without killing someone, a badge of honor. So, why would I expect anything else from you?  Your statement is so absurd …. so shallow … so far removed from the opinions of noted sports psychologists … and so inaccurate, that it isn’t worth even debating.

(Arenz) “There aren't many people that I know who can make the less than split-second decision to swing a baseball bat and have the hand-eye coordination to hit it 400-to-500 feet.”

You don’t know many people then, Jeff. But then, I don’t know many people who can hit a baseball 400 feet, either. But I know OF at least 250 guys who do it all summer. So, does that make baseball players unique? I think not.

Put down that swimsuit issue and wake up, Jeff. Dr. Fran Pirozzolo, the world’s most renown sports psychologist (He is also the staff psychologist for the New York Yankees) makes no bones about the fact that competitive driving challenges as many finely-developed physical and mental attributes as any other athlete. And, in some cases, more. But if you knew that, Jeff, you wouldn’t have made such an asinine remark.

(Arenz) “Why is there a need to drive in excess of 80 miles-per-hour (for those of us who may have a lead foot on interstate highways), let alone make the dashboard needle reach the 180-mark? Why would anyone pay good money only to sit there and have their hearing ruined?”

First of all, Jeff, race cars don’t have speedometers ---- another direct indication of your lack of knowledge and imbecile attitude. NASCAR racing is the most popular spectator sport in America. This means there are plenty of people who don’t share your view about the noise, or anything else your anus has spouted via your PBR-stained fingertips.

While I am at it, Jeff. why would people pay good money to see a bunch of over-fed, under-paid, out-of-shape, whining, ready-to-strike-at-the-drop-of-a-hat baseball players, just to have an excuse to drink some beer in the sun?

(Arenz) “A race car driver doesn't have to be in shape. He or she doesn't need the offseason workout program of true athletes”

Jeff, your stupidity is exceeded only by your stupidity. Guess you never took a few minutes to do some research before you lambasted this sport. You would have learned that conditioning and physical training is pretty much standard for drivers and crew today. Yes, it does make a difference because the physical condition of those who tend to the cars in the pits have slashed four-tire pit-stop times by almost 8-seconds in the past 10-years.

Let me tell you something, Jeff; It takes more stamina and physical endurance for a driver to run a 500-mile race, than it is for one of your beloved baseball players to sit on the bench, chewing tobacco, and scratching their genitals for nine innings, then trotting to their positions on the field in a vapor trail of methane. Go ahead and try to convince me otherwise. Go ahead. Try it. I dare to say that if you climbed into a race car, you go about two laps before you came in to grab a PBR, or crap in your pants. Or both.

(Arenz) “I realize that a racing event can't be contested when there is pouring rain. The crashes, which unfortnatety (I left the typo from the story intact. My guess is that the newspaper can’t afford a spell-checker) seem to be the only entertaining aspect of racing, would be endless…”

At least you realize something, Jeff. There may be hope for you. Unfortunately, you don’t realize that fans also find entertainment in the competition and rivalries. But why would you know that, Jeff? You are a lover of ‘stick and ball’ sports, and you have the sports bar mentality to go with it.

(Arenz) “Why would anyone want to start a year with a Super Bowl-like event?”

It is called ‘marketing,’ Jeff. There has been a long, cold, off-season. Everyone is ready for racing. Daytona is, typically, temperate in February, and folks can plan their vacations around the race, instead of shoveling a foot of snow. A big race in February – the beginning of the season --- generates worldwide excitement for the upcoming year.

But I don’t expect you to know, care, or understand that, Jeff. I really don’t.

(Arenz) “It's such an important event, that Dale Earnhardt (a man that I respect very little because of his brash personality) died trying to capture the checkered flag at Daytona in 2001. I am passionate about many things, but taking that passion to a dying level seems to be too extreme for me.”

Well, Jeff, I am sure you must be passionate about getting hate mail, because that comment right there will light the fuse to the biggest stick of dynamite you have ever seen. I sure hope your pitiful, second-rate newspaper has something other than a used Packard-Bell 386 for a Pop-3 Server, because about 500, 000 fans are about to attack it with vitriol … the likes you have never seen.

And by the way, Jeff, a baseball player (You know, Jeff, those super-human athletes that you adore?) just died because he was using a drug that caused his bodily organs to stop working --- all in the name of making the roster of a baseball club. Are you going to insult that dead man, and his family, by criticizing his passion, which was so great that he risked his life to achieve his goals?

I can think of a dozen or more athletes who have risked --- and lost --- their lives in the pursuit of their passion. But I’m not going to pass them along here for you. You don’t care. The words of your article bespeaks of lurid deductions and antiquated views.

And that was the one that had me so pissed I had to stop reading for a half hour just to collect my thoughts.  This guy needs to be taken out behind the woodshed and whipped with a birch strap.  How dare he slander NASCAR, let alone Dale Earnhardt.  I wouldn't wipe my ass with Arenz, let alone help him if he were dying.

(Arenz) “If NASCAR ever wants to be considered a serious sport, instead of being one step above pro wrestling, it should determine a true champion by finishing what it starts.”

Jeff, there you go again. You know what? I haven’t seen an imbecile like you since Gerry Callahan. Are you two related? You actually believe NASCAR isn’t a serious sport? Granted, the pre-race shows and the victory lane celebrations, complete with confetti and fireworks, may look like a professional wrestling event, but I assure you those drivers aren’t following a script. Ask Ryan Newman if this isn’t a serious sport. Ask guys like Troy Aikman or Terry Bradshaw if this isn’t a serious sport.

Ask your mother. Hell, she might even know.

Jeff, climb out from under that old steamboat on the Mississippi. NASCAR garners the second-highest annual TV ratings than your beloved baseball, hockey, and basketball…. COMBINED! Only the NFL can claim hold of the top of the heap. And that’s not bad for a sport that wasn’t even in the mainstream until just 15 years ago. But, Jeff, I don’t expect you to know that, or care, either. You’ve been sitting in front of too many big screens, in too many sports bars, sucking down nickel drafts to really care and research what you write.

(Arenz) “Now, chew on that Billy Ray and Bobby Sue.”

Oh, don’t worry, Mr. Arenz. We will. And wait till’ you see what is spit back out.

Have a nice day, Mr. Arenz.

Peace to you.

You can reach Jeff Alan at: Jalan@...

Jeff Arenz can be reached by calling (573) 221-2800 or by e-mail at jeff.arenz@...

To read the whole story, here is the link….

http://www.hannibal.net/stories/022003/spo_0220030022.shtml

Ok guys, you know what to do.....go for it!

Your  Momma

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Number of the Day

14

Age Kurt Busch began his racing career.

Ned Jarrett is the only driver to retire as the reigning Winston Cup Champion.

Check it out……

I have a new poll on the website regarding Steve Park and DEI.  Check it out.  Once again you can vote once each day. Larry
http://bhb10.tripod.com/de3fan/

To Trudy:

Thanks for the pic….it made my day…LOL

from Jo
I have to comment on calling the 500 after 272.5 miles.  Rain, yes. And it was still raining heavily at 10 PM, and at midnight, and still misting at 6 the next morning (Monday).   Dampness in the air kept things fairly wet way after noon. We were there, we sat in the rain.  But Mikey led the most laps, most likely he would have won anyhow, but we'll never know.  If they'd held the race late Monday after everything dried, the guys wouldn't be able to continue to their next race and then the whole schedule would be fouled up.  We are in Daytona for five days every February and since we also live in Central Florida, we know how Florida rain is.  Jo   Lake Alfred, FL

from DE3FAN
Momma, I have to agree with Susie!  The race should have went the 500 miles no matter what.  Afterall, they do call it the Great American Race.  We sat thru a 3 hour rain delay at Daytona in 1995 and the race continued.  If they would have 'called' the race in '95, Dale Earnhardt would have won (finished 2nd)!  Whether it be Monday or Tuesday, the Daytona 500 should run in its entirety.  Would Michael have won after 500 miles?  I think not!  He received a pretty nice gift from the 'airheads' at NA$CAR and $1.4 million to boot!
Larry

Larry, sorry to disappoint ya, but I think Mikey would have won.  Hands down.  He let Jr. get one lap back, but I don’t think he would have let him get 2 back.  Mikey wanted it too much!

The final results of the Toyota/Move Races Poll has been posted on the website listed below.

http://bhb10.tripod.com/de3fan/

from Chris
Did you happen to notice Todd Bodine wrecked another couple million dollars worth of cars on Saturday in the Busch race?  When is NASCAR going to do a little more than slap his wrist? They parked Harvick for spinning a truck out at 75 mph on a short track.  I guess they don't deem it dangerous when a driver runs over another car at 185 mph at Daytona.
Chris
P.S. Dale Jr. will recover from his Daytona setback.

I sure did Chris.  That was the first thing out of my mouth when I was watching the race.  Read on, there is a short story on that one!

Earnhardt statue to be sold on Ebay
For millions of NASCAR fans, Tuesday marks a sad anniversary. Two years ago, racing superstar Dale Earnhardt died in a crash. To honor him, a special likeness of the legendary NASCAR driver goes on the auction block Tuesday night.  Sculptor Nick Rosseter will offer a life-sized carving of Earnhardt on the online auction site Ebay. Rosseter said he spent thousands of hours carving the 450-pound white oak statue. Rosseter said he expects the bids to start at $20,000. The artists’ other works have sold for thousands of dollars. - News14.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Todd Bodine's 2003 season didn't start as he had hoped.

After being involved in a late race crash with Jimmy Vasser and Jason Keller in Saturday's Koolerz 300 Busch race at Daytona, Bodine was called into NASCAR's big red trailer.

Bodine finished last season on probation and there are indications he'll be headed back after Saturday's wreck.

The accident began whenn Bodine rammed Vasser from behind as they raced through the third turn. Vasser went sideways and quickly collected Keller and McLaughlin.

Bodine left the NASCAR meeting visibly shaken and upset over the day's events..

"I tried to be patient and run a clean race, and I run right into him,'' said Bodine, his voice breaking with emotion.  "I don't blame anybody, but he let off. I did nothing wrong. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"The tape shows I ran into him, and I did, but a lot of things had to happen for me to get into him. It wasn't like I just ran right into the back of him. It really hurts to have people think of me this way.''

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - One way or another, there will be more fans in the seats for Winston Cup action at Kansas Speedway in 2004.

The track in Kansas City, Kan., joined by government and civic groups on both sides of the state line, is pushing hard for a second Cup date when NASCAR reshuffles its schedule for 2004.

But if a second date doesn't materialize, track president Jeff Boerger said, the 2-year-old speedway will expand again after this season. Kansas Speedway added 1,500 seats in the offseason after its second straight sellout year, bringing its capacity to 78,000, and has already sold out its 2003 season-ticket package.

"We could go, if the market would let us, to 150,000. We have the infrastructure in place for that," Boerger said Monday.

Last week, he and other officials presented the track's case to its parent company, Daytona, Fla.-based International Speedway Corp. ISC is owned by the family of NASCAR owner Bill France.

"Who knows when there's going to be another opportunity to get another race?" said Steve Kelly, the Kansas Department of Commerce's director of business development and a member of the "Project Blitz" team trying to land a second race. "When you get the opportunity, you'd better make a run at it."

NASCAR's realignment could include moving races between tracks but likely won't involve additional dates. That means one of the circuit's older tracks - perhaps Darlington Raceway or North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, both of which now have two races a year - could lose their Cup dates.

Atlanta Motor Speedway and Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., both owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc., have also been mentioned as candidates to have Cup races taken away. Each of those tracks has two Cup dates each year, and Lowe's also hosts the Winston all-star event.

But Kansas City isn't the only ISC track looking for a second date, and SMI's Texas Motor Speedway has long argued that NASCAR has never given a second date as promised when the $250 million track opened in 1997.

"Within ISC, I would say our competition is probably going to be between Phoenix, California and Chicago," Boerger said. "And you know, Darlington is not just going to give us a second date. They're going to give us a challenge."

The speedway's close relationship with the state, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., and the city's Board of Public Utilities should give it an edge, Boerger said.

"I do believe we have the fan base to sell out a second Cup weekend," he said. "Then we also have that strong public-private partnership, which can assemble a strong incentive package to attract that second weekend."

Selling out the track's first two Winston Cup races hasn't been a problem, at least.

The season-ticket package at Kansas Speedway, which covers Indy Racing League and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races in July and a full Busch Series/Winston Cup weekend in October, sold out in January - 45 days earlier than the sellout date in 2001.

Tickets for an ARCA event in June are sold separately.

The track's success at selling tickets, however, could be offset by Kansas City's perceived "small-market" status.

Kansas City is the nation's 33rd-largest television market, according to the 2003 edition of Bacon's TV/Cable Directory. By comparison, Los Angeles is No. 2, Chicago is No. 3, the Dallas-Fort Worth area is No. 7 and Phoenix is No. 16.

"I know we're only 33rd, but we're surrounded by top 100 markets and we get a lot of ticket holders from those markets," track spokeswoman Sammie Lukaskiewicz said. "We've got St. Louis at (No.) 22, Oklahoma City at 45, Tulsa (Okla.) at 60, Wichita (Kan.) at 66, Des Moines (Iowa) at 72, Springfield, Missouri, at 73, Omaha (Neb.) at 78 and Cedar Rapids (Iowa) at 88."

On the Net:  http:/www.kansasspeedway.com

Dale Earnhardt and Daytona will be forever linked -- because of both his success on the track and his death there two years ago today.  Now, his team's success at Daytona keeps his legacy alive. Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s Michael Waltrip, who won the race in which Earnhardt was killed, scored another Daytona 500 win Sunday. And though he didn't win, Dale Earnhardt Jr. dominated the rest of Speedweeks.

Earnhardt Jr. helped Waltrip win
Associated Press

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The father would have known how the son felt.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. would have been proud, too, to see the way Junior handled his bad luck Sunday and helped a teammate win the Daytona 500.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. came to Daytona feeling he still had something to prove -- to fans, to the rest of the racing world, maybe a little to himself. He wanted to be taken seriously as a driver, not be seen as a star in name only who loved the fast life more than the fast lane.

He left without the big trophy but not without making his point.

Junior outdrove everyone with three victories during Speedweeks, only to get stopped Sunday by the simplest of problems -- a dead battery. A $100,000 car with a lousy $100 part.

His dad would have empathized. One year he lost the Daytona 500 by running into a seagull. Another year he cut a tire on the last lap.

What would have pleased his father immensely was the way his son, two laps back, roared ahead on the inside to help teammate Michael Waltrip draft into the lead past Jimmie Johnson on the 106th lap.

It was a sloppy, choppy race, this rain-soaked Daytona 272½ that ended under a caution after just 109 of the scheduled 200 laps. But it was huge for Dale Earnhardt Inc., for Waltrip and, in a way, for Junior, who had led from the 43rd lap to the 64th before his battery failed.

If he couldn't win, he could at least help his friend and teammate with the kind of move that serious drivers make.

In winning the Busch Series race Saturday, Earnhardt looked as if he were cruising in the country, not bothered by the havoc behind him. There was fire and smoke, spinouts and crashes, and for all anyone could tell, he could have been singing along with songs on the radio as he took the lead on lap 54 and stayed in front the rest of the way.

He was the same in the 500, enjoying views of the race on the five Jumbotrons around the track while he was ahead.

"It bugs me,'' he said of the way fans and critics perceived him. "But you've got to know me to understand where I came from and how I came to become a driver and how I've watched the sport eat other people alive. It may eat me alive, but I'm going to win my races and try to go get my championship. I ain't going to get an ulcer over it.''

Junior got nothing handed to him as a kid and his father was more often traveling than staying home to coach him. When Junior and his half-brother, Kerry, decided to be drivers, they had to prove themselves on their own. They got their fingernails dirty, built their own cars, put together their own crews and raced around North Carolina short tracks.

Their father encouraged them, helping out with used equipment, but didn't make it too easy. Yet Dale Sr. couldn't have been prouder than when Junior won his first Winston Cup race, hugging his son and smiling and saying it felt better than anything he, himself, had ever won.

When Junior says he saw the sport "eat other people alive'' he means drivers who had talent and no sponsors, or sponsors and no luck. He means his father, the greatest driver in Daytona history, who didn't win the 500 until his 20th start in 1998, finishing second five times before that.

Junior was a teenager when his father led the 500 until cutting a tire on a piece of metal with half a lap to go. Earnhardt limped home fifth as Derrike Cope grabbed the victory.

"It hurt,'' Earnhardt Jr. said. "Those were tough, tough times. It was awful.''

The Intimidator, for all his popularity and all the sympathy his hard luck won him, agonized about it until he finally won the Daytona 500 -- three years before he was killed at 49 in a collision on the last lap.

Whatever happened in his own career, however the luck played out and the public perceived him, Junior was determined not to let it give him an ulcer. Still, he couldn't ignore it.

"When you read in a magazine that people say, 'Well, if he matures and he goes after it, he can get it.' It upsets me that I don't have that perception already,'' he said after the Busch victory. "But it's hard to change that. It's something you won't change overnight. And it was my attitude in creating some kind of partying persona that's failed me a little bit now.''

Junior's "Club E'' in his basement, his love of a good time and touch of a wild streak, gave some people the impression he wasn't as serious about being a great driver as he was about being a star. He reinforced the image last week by agreeing to be the guest celebrity photographer for Playboy.com at a session with former Playmates Erica, Nicole and Jaclyn Dahm.

It was the same kind of commercially inspired "image is everything'' rap that Andre Agassi had to overcome from his early years in tennis. Agassi outgrew that perception, becoming a player and a man of substance. Earnhardt has already begun to do the same.

Instant Replay: Bad Call on Marlin
By Ryan Seek - Guest Contributor

Instant Replay. It's not an uncommon picture; some NFL zebra cowering under the hood of a replay camera while a clock is ticking, hoping his high-pressure decision doesn't go against all common sense and he is later subjected to a public thrashing not seen since the last time Kurt Busch went down pit road.

If NASCAR is going to initiate a rule as subjective as their "out-of-bounds" rule at Daytona and Talladega, they need to present the man responsible for that decision so we know who to aim our spoiled refrigerator items at.

NASCAR has its own faceless version of that trembling head official, somewhere up there in the maze of media suites atop the front grandstands. Not unlike his football counterpart, he probably has one lap to make his decision. I am sure he is thankful to be encased in plaster and glass and not out there in a position where fans can start pelting him with $5 cans of un-opened beer.

What am I getting at?

That penalty assessed to Sterling Marlin in Sunday's Daytona 500 was one big crock of steaming donkey dung.

Forget the fact that Mike Helton himself said in the driver's meeting that anyone who appeared to be over-aggressively blocking their competitors below the yellow line would also be subject to a penalty.  Elliott Sadler's move on the race track at the moment in question would certainly fall under the realms of Helton's above-mentioned rule.

But Elliott wasn't blocking; he was simply trying to get out of everyone's way while he switched to the back-up ignition after the engine had failed...thanks to the FOX broadcast crew for picking up on that little tidbit of information.

It "just so happened" that Sterling was moving up a wide-open bottom lane in the backstretch when Sadler's little power-hiccup occurred.  Within a blink of an eye, Elliott cut his Ford a lane-and-a-half to the inside while that M&M on the back bumper screamed at decibel levels far beyond that of the exhaust pipes. Sterling had to Dodge (no pun intended) below the yellow line to avoid becoming a whirling dervish like Bobby Labonte just a few laps earlier.

And he get's penalized for that? Bullspit.

Just from the snippet of video that FOX was able to catch of the incident, it was perfectly clear that Sadler's car moved down suddenly just as Sterling's car was rocketing up the inside.

This is a prime example of two experienced drivers doing what they thought was best to avoid an end result of screeching rubber and crashing metal. It's hard to believe anyone could actually be penalized for that.

By the rules stated in the driver's meeting on Sunday, BOTH drivers could or should have been penalized. In this case, I don't believe either driver should have had the black nylon waving in their face. Instead, they should have been awarded the Insert Sponsor Here Move Of The Race for their awesome reflexes under sudden unexpected conditions.

If NASCAR continues with this bully-mentality of enforcing their "out-of-bounds" rule, drivers may be forced to make decisions that could create more problems than the rule was designed to avoid.

In concept, the "out-of-bounds" rule has definite merit. But the way they enforce it leaves a little to be desired.

You can reach Ryan Seek at: rseek@...

Your  Momma

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Today In Nascar History

February 18, 1979

The Daytona 500 is televised live on CBS for the 1st time.  Just as CBS was going off the air, a big fight ensued between Cale Yarborough and brothers Bobby and Donny Allison after Cale and Donnie took each other out on turn 3 of the final lap of the race.

The winner of a NASCAR Winston Cup series race is guaranteed 175 points.

7

DEI wins in the past 9 restrictor plate races.

from Trudy
I'll just take Elliot Sadler LOL!!

M &M 's The Woman's Survival Kit

from Susie
Well, that sucked. First race of the year and one of the most touted and they call it after 272.5 miles. The rain delay had been only a bit over an hour. Some of the races last year had much longer delays and one even came back the next day. What a disappointment. Only run it a little over half way and then quit.  The way they were racing and the  changes in the leaders, it was anyone's race yet. If they had kept it going, it is even possible that Jr could have come back and won. And to think I waited for months to see it. Blah! Susie

Have to agree with you….I just sat there, staring at the TV!  I didn’t know what to do.  I looked at my husband and best friend and said….S*@#  now what!

from Tommy
How Could you trash FORD that way by calling a  dodge a FORD.  The losers deserved to crash for switching to dodges. To bad he didn't take rusty with him.  Sorry, I get a little protective of my dear FORDS.  I'm glad he wasn't hurt, but I have no regret for cheering as he spun.

Thanks--Tommy Truetell
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The rear end of his No. 12 Ford sailed high in the air as the car  pirouetted on its left front. With the right rear wheel assembly torn off, the car came down and dug into the grass, then started flipping.   It rolled once to the left and then three more full turns to the right, finally winding up on its roof, a battered mess. It took several minutes to get Newman out of the car.

LOL Tommy good catch….I didn’t even see that….I didn’t do it!  The writer did, I just posted it!

WALTRIP CAR GOES ON DISPLAY
Daytona USA today put Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s No. 15 Chevrolet on display, one day after Michael Waltrip drove it to his second Daytona 500 victory.  The car, which was autographed by Waltrip and all of the team's crew, will rest inside Gatorade Victory Lane at the attraction for a year. Waltrip, who today participated in a fan forum along with crew chief Richard "Slugger" Labbe and DEI Executive Vice President Ty Norris, says he celebrated his victory last night with his crew on team owner Teresa Earnhardt's yacht.  Waltrip, who also won the race in 2001, becomes the eighth driver to win the Daytona 500 more than once.

Dale Jarrett was pretty vocal during NBC's telecast of the Daytona 500 that perhaps NASCAR should take a look at its rules regarding what makes an official race. After a race is halfway, it becomes official, and in the event of inclement weather, the race could be called well short of its posted distance.

That's what happened Sunday, when Michael Waltrip was awarded the victory 91 laps short of the posted 200-lap distance. Jarrett wondered that since the Super Bowl isn't stopped at halftime if it rains, so maybe an exception for NASCAR's Super Bowl should be made.

Other drivers were on both sides of the argument.

"It's a shame that the Daytona 500 had to finish a little over halfway," rookie Jack Sprague said. "This is the big race that everybody comes to see. They saw half of it."

Others agreed but didn't think a special rule should be made for Daytona.

"I think it shouldn't matter which race it is, it just needs to be consistent throughout all 35 or 36 so we know what we're dealing with every time," Jimmie Johnson said. "No, I'm not upset. You know, of course, I would have loved to race till the end. I felt we had a shot to win the race.

"We've been here for two weeks. This pays the same amount of points was Rockingham does next week. We need to get home and get ready for that. I wish we could have finished under green and been out there. That's kind of a double-edged sword."

One guy who liked the current rule was, of course, Waltrip.

"Oh, yeah, it's just ruining me," Waltrip said if his rain-shortened victory. "You know what I heard? They're still going to pay me the whole amount. That's kind of crazy, isn't it?"

Harvick vs. Busch, Round II

Kevin Harvick called Kurt Busch a "rubberhead" after an incident on pit road Sunday. Rubbermaid, you'll recall, is one of Busch's sponsors. And it wasn't the first time Busch and Harvick had troubles on pit road. They got together in their Gatorade 125 qualifying race last Thursday.

As for Sunday, here's what each driver said: 

“He came in there, hot as usual," Harvick said. "I don't know what happened, but he was sitting in my pit, and I was sitting on pit road stopped. That's about the third time (he's done that). Then, he about ran over our jack guy, running through our pit stall and ran over our jack.

"They just need to put a restrictor plate on his foot because obviously his foot doesn't register with his brain."

Ouch.

Obviously, Busch had another version.

"I don't think anybody knows what's going on there," Busch said.  "We've got three cars running three positions apart right there next to each other. The 01 pulls in, I've got to come around the 01. Then the 29 has to come around him. So we've got three cars. We're going 55 to 0 in a space where you can't park anything. We're all trying to do two tires or fuel only or four tires, and it's the most congested pit area with those three cars pulling in that way. I'm in the middle, so I'm making guys mad behind me and in front of me, so what am I supposed to do?"

Ford: Chevys have advantage

And here we thought NASCAR's aero matching would end the squabbles between manufacturers. But some Ford drivers were complaining of a Chevrolet advantage after Monte Carlos took five of the first seven spots.

"All of the Fords have an enormous amount of work to do to even get in the hunt," said Mark Martin, who finished fifth. "I don't even know if a Ford led a lap today. I would be surprised if they did. There was no one that had a chance to win with a Ford, so that means we have to go to work. We've got to find something new that we didn't know was out there to be able to take a step and contend."

Martin's teammate, Jeff Burton, sang the same song. 

"Our speedway program's behind some, and then on top of that, take the advantage that the Chevys have, and that makes it that much worse," said Burton, who ended up 11th.

Martin the thief

Martin was as pleased as he could be to finish fifth. Winning the race would have been criminal, he said.

"Let me tell you something, for me winning with that car I'd have had to have a gun and a mask," Martin said. "That wouldn't have been right, so to run fifth was really awesome."

Bodine almost steals one

Todd Bodine was in a position to steal the victory Sunday. Bodine stayed on the track during the penultimate caution to get the lead but his team decided to pit when the race was going back to green.  The rains came soon after, and Bodine was left with an 18th-place finish.

"Yeah, we took a shot," Bodine said. "You've got to gamble when you're in that position in the Daytona 500. You've got to gamble and we did, but it didn't pay off. We had to come back in with the one to go to change tires and fuel it up, and that put us back in the pack.  We were fighting our way back through, but we needed more time.  We had a better car than 18th and we felt like we could get a top 10."

Bodine said his team was looking at the weather radar, which indicated rain was coming.

"Yeah, we had everybody telling us what was happening," Bodine said. "(Car owner) Travis (Carter) was standing by the radar, the spotter was up there trying to be the weatherman, and we rolled the dice. It didn't work out, but it was something we had to do."

Stewart in better shape

Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart began his run for the 2003 title in a much better position than last year. He finished 43rd in 2002 but ran up front and finished seventh Sunday.

"It's our best Daytona 500 finish, so I'm excited about that," Stewart said. "But we ran in the top-three pretty much all day and even led at one time. We had a better car than a seventh-place car. Part of me is really happy and excited, considering we left here last year 43rd in points. But at the same time, I'm a little bit on the sad side because I know we could've finished better than where we did."

Waltrip celebrates with car induction at Daytona
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- After a long night spent reveling with family and friends and relishing his role as a two-time Daytona 500 champion, Michael Waltrip finally rested at noon Monday.

But before he finally put his head down for some sleep, Waltrip and his family watched over the induction of his No. 15 Chevrolet into the Daytona USA motorsports attraction outside Daytona International Speedway.

It continued a tradition established in 1996 when the attraction opened, of the Daytona 500 winner's car residing in the facility for the next year.

Waltrip, of course, won the 2001 edition of the "Great American Race" so he had practice at the event. He also donated his helmet and several key pieces of his driving gear worn Sunday in the rain-shortened race.

The celebration began in Victory Lane, spilled into the drivers' motor coach lot and continued overnight at team owner Teresa Earnhardt's yacht on the Daytona Beach riverfront.

Despite the overnight rain, the celebration hardly abated.

"That shows how much Michael means to everybody in the garage," DEI's executive vice president for motorsports Ty Norris said. "It took a long time to get back to that motorhome lot, after he had got done with all his obligations, and the people standing there were Dale Jarrett, Elliott Sadler, Dale (Earnhardt) Jr., Schrader.

"Everyone was calling. I think, in that garage, everybody pulls for Michael, whether they want to admit to it or not. When you stand around in the rain for two hours waiting for him to come back, that shows how much it means."

As much perspective as the celebration's aftermath gave Waltrip, there was one fact he didn't dwell on: He has surpassed his older brother Darrell's single win in the Daytona 500

"Well, he had three championships and 80-something victories over me," Waltrip said, "So that's a ship I won't sail."

A lot of Waltrip's reflection Monday morning was on family, and his brother figured heavily in that.

"I'm so proud of what my brother accomplished and what he did in this sport," Michael said. "And we're so blessed and I'm so lucky that he showed up at Daytona to do his new job and every time he's come here I've won, and that's pretty cool."

Both Sunday and Monday Waltrip recalled trips from Owensboro, Ky., in the back seat of his parents' Chevrolet to come to Speedweeks, beginning when he was five years old.

"When you've accomplished the things and have the longevity in this sport that he has, every day  you grow older and winning Daytona becomes more special," Michael said of his brother. "He knows what it did to me yesterday and what this place means to me in general.

"It feels good to have someone that appreciates and understands the significance of what we accomplished yesterday."

Short term, the victory placed Waltrip atop the Winston Cup standings, and fattened DEI's coffers by $1,400,706. The operation, which with Waltrip and Earnhardt Jr. has won seven of the last nine restrictor plate races, added another chapter to its legend.

The winning car will rest inside Daytona USA for one year and will be returned to the team before the start of the 46th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 15, 2004. DEI technical director Steve Hmiel isn't worried.

"This was Michael's favorite race car -- he just liked the way it drove and he did a good job with it," Hmiel said. "But we have two more fresh bullets at home just like it. The spare car from Speedweeks is actually as good as this one.

"The other car hasn't been to the wind tunnel yet or on the race track, but we're pretty confident it will be the equal of either of these, so we're still in good shape. The spare car has been tested at Daytona and Talladega and in the wind tunnel three or four times -- similar to this car."

The car on display is in the same condition as it was when it left Victory Lane -- including a liberal sprinkling of confetti -- and bears the signatures of all of the crew members including Waltrip.

After the induction Waltrip participated in a fan forum along with his crew chief Richard "Slugger" Labbe and Norris.

Speedway president Robin Braig presented all three with custom made Daytona 500 leather jackets while Gatorade's Ed Shull presented the 2003 Daytona 500 champ with a framed photo of Waltrip and his family from Sunday night's Victory Lane celebration.

Waltrip will continue handling the media obligations of a Daytona 500 winner in the next few days, including an appearance via satellite on Monday night's Late Show with David Letterman.

"I thought it was fun to get to party with Teresa and just enjoy her company," Waltrip said. "I had a lot of good folks over. We went back to the motorhome. I didn't do anything crazy. I just enjoyed family and friends."

But not much sleep.

Waltrip's victory made him only the eighth driver to win the Daytona 500 more than once. He joins Richard Petty (seven), Cale Yarborough (four), Bobby Allison and Dale Jarrett (three) and Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon and Sterling Marlin (two) on the list.

Brooke The Crook
by Steve Nash-Staff Writer

"I love you," the wife says. The husband turns around and smiles, looking at his wife, thinking about their love, thinking about their relationship...only to find she's not talking to him, but a wallet that fell out of his pocket.

If this scenario hadn't of happened between Brooke and Jeff Gordon during their time together, then something close to it most likely did.

It's sad to see their relationship, called racing's "first couple", end in such a trashy way. Brooke wants half the world over, Jeff just wants her to shut her big mouth.

In case you've been living under a rock the last year, here's what's happened. In March 2002, Brooke filed for divorce with Jeff after seven years of marriage. Citing "marital misconduct" and other factors, Brooke attempted to take half of Jeff's money and a lot of Jeff's stuff as alimony.

Of course, Jeff didn't want to give her everything he's worked for, so he countersued saying that the small fortune he's assembled he "risked his life" for.

So, now it's February 2003. The racing season is starting up again, new rules are changing the face of NASCAR, more fans than ever before are watching the sport, the energy is juiced up beyond any level before, and a series of Volusia County sheriffs are running around the Daytona International Speedway.

These sheriffs aren't running around trying to find the prime spot to feel 3,400 lb. race cars churn by in a 190+ mph draft just inches apart from 30 other cars; they're there trying to serve subpoenas.

The subpoenas aren't directed towards Jeff or Hendrick Motorsports; but to the rest of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series world.

Says Brooke's hero, Terry Young, her Orlando-based attorney, "We wanted to take advantage of the fact they are in Florida and issue Florida subpoenas.  If they choose to contest them, we want them to go before a Florida judge to do so."

Jack Roush, Chip Ganassi, Richard Childress and many other top car owners have been asked to hand over confidential contracts to show how much a top Winston Cup driver really makes a year.

In other words, instead of getting $25,000,000 from Jeff's estimated $50,000,000 worth, she wants even more.

Brooke has gone from loving wife to a girl that wants nothing more than a lot of money.

But the question is, what has Brooke done to deserve so much money? Has she supported Jeff, given him the ride he's in, given him the talent he has?  Did Brooke go out and change tires on pit road, and fill the car up with gas during a pit stop? The answer is an obvious, no. But under Florida law, she could very well get what she wants.

An outrageous cry; an outrageous lady. Says Jeff of this whole situation, "It's out of my control, but I think it's really disgusting...This is just harassment."

Not only does Jeff think it's wrong, but so do many others in the NASCAR world. Ray Evernham, who had been Jeff's crew chief from Jeff's Busch Series days until 1999, was given a subpoena, outside the track (NASCAR wouldn't let the officials subpoena anyone inside the track).

Evernham took the subpoena, and promplty said that he wasn't going to appear in court; he had more important things to worry about, like getting two cars ready for qualifying.

Geoff Smith, president of Roush Racing, refused to take the subpoena as well. Nobody wants to give up confidential information, but especially not for a reason like this.

Says Felix Sabates, who was also given a subpoena, "She (Brooke) has no consideration for Jeff Gordon's career and thinks NASCAR is just a toy to play with."

No truer words have ever been spoken, and no less devious of a greed-ridden odysee has ever been thought up in the NASCAR world.

You can reach Steve Nash at: snash@...

Your  Momma

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Today In Nascar History

February 17, 2001

The greatest driver in NASCAR history died on this date.  It forever changed the face of racing and it will never be the same.

A track must be at least 1 mile in length in order to be considered a superspeedway.

Waltrip became just the eighth driver to win multiple Daytona 500s. He joined Richard Petty (7), Cale Yarborough (4), Bobby Allison (3), Jarrett (3) and Bill Elliott, Gordon and Sterling Marlin (2 each). . . .

from Melinda
I've been a longtime fan of NASCAR, but new to your newsletter. I really enjoy it, and I wonder if I could get you to research a little something for me.

Many years ago as a gift from a dear friend, I received a cold-cast bronze of "Meerkats". On the bottom, it is signed by Charles Earnhardt and it says "made exclusively for the Smithsonian Institution."  It was created in 1988 at the Aus-Ben Studios in Boone North Carolina.

Of course my question is--is this a relative to the late Dale Earnhardt?  If so, how may I contact Mr. Charles Earnhardt to let him know how much I cherish this gift?

I thank you for whatever direction you might be able to send me

Sincerely,
Melinda Parry

Ok guys, put on your thinking caps……help Melinda here!

from Jeff
Momma,
Me again. Tim and other fans should do some research and see who really controls the the big 3. They should find out where alot of the techology is coming from along with the millions of dollars pumped in from the overseas investors. The big 3 would go broke if it  wasn't for foriegn investors. The technoligy would be way behind if not for the foreign designers and engineers. Not that our workers are not up to the
standards, just that that the foreign technology is a little ahead for ours.  I just wish people would wake up and figure out that the USA is behind in some fields. You only have to watch the news to realize we have fallen behind in our technology, and our children are behind in their education. Maybe all manufactures could learn from each other.   Momma I am not saying we are experiencing serious problems from our lagging behind, we just could learn from other people and countries.  What is wrong with bringing in new teams that others could learn from? I am a true AMERICAN, that supports his family by a manufacturer that is very much AMERICAN now. You and others may disagree, but my Pay check is good in any AMERICAN bank.  Wake up AMERICA we are no longer just owned by our home country people. Look at who owns the the property next door. Look at who owns the mall you shop in. Look at who is bankrolling your car manufacturer. Look real  close you may be really surprised.  I am just saying that NASCAR realizes all of this and they know that for the sport to grow they must add other manufactures.
NASCAR fans don't jump the gun until you know all the facts!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jeff Sealy, Texas

from the dogs and Dave
thanks  for  the sat  addition  great  race  today  -  but i wanted  to  see  the  race to  the finish
can t  wait  till  tomorrow   the  dogs  and dave

From where I was sitting, I was able to see the entire race…what a race it was!

from slydog
Yo Momma!!!!     I enjoy your daily letter, but I was a lil disturbed when I read the segment in your 2/15/03 edition { courtesy of the "Florida Times Union"} about Stewart  & the Ormond Beach speeding incident.  Firstly,  he was traveling almost double the posted speed limit.  Secondly, the location was evidently residential according to a posted speed of 35 mph.  Does he have no regard for public safety???   Why  was he shown preference by not being cited?  I will give him credit for his abilities on the track, but even there he is required by sanctions to observe safety issues under penalty of fines being imposed.  Personally I find Tony a little arrogant & self centered.  Just my opinion  ///  waddaya think????     "slydog"

Tony may be all of those, but I still like the guy.  Kinda reminds me of another driver that ended up being the greatest driver of all. Now I'm not saying that Tony will be as great a driver, but I do feel that the drivers need to be a little arrogant in order to race hard.

from Cliff
I suffered a glitch on my computer and lost 3 days of messages, one of which was the 2-14-03 issue. I've been saving them for my wife.  Is there a possibility of getting another??
 
Thanks, and thanks for a great e-zine
Cliff Counter........

Thanks Cliff, any thing to help a fellow fan…..If anyone out there needs copies, let me know.  I’ll resend them!

Time to do something about the weather: With NASCAR's fickle history of calling a race when weather is an issue, some drivers would prefer to see a mandate so they will know what to expect. "I think it shouldn't matter which race it is, it just needs to be consistent throughout all 35 or 36 [races] so we know what we're dealing with every time," said Jimmie Johnson, who finished third. "I agree with him," said second-place finisher Kurt Busch. "Then there's the fact that this is the Daytona 500 and you have to respect how long this race has been continuing on over the years, the prestige that it has, and of course the history behind it. "I think Dale Jarrett led us all in the right way saying we should try to complete this race. Mother Nature had other ideas." This is the third time in NASCAR history that a Daytona 500 has been rain-shortened. It happened in 1965 (completed 133 laps, 332.5 miles) and again in 1966 (completed 198 laps, 495 miles).

Some thoughts on Sunday's Daytona 500... 

Smooth move

No matter what you think about teamwork in Winston Cup racing, it's a fact of life - particularly in restrictor-plate racing. Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have had it working, winning seven of the past nine plate races. If Waltrip hadn't got a drafting boost from Earnhardt Jr.'s lapped car, he wouldn't have passed Jimmie Johnson for the lead. But if ifs and butts were candy and nuts, somebody else would have won Sunday.

Black flag

The Daytona 500 was shortened by rain for only the third time ever and the first time since 1966. As Fox killed time during the last rain delay, Dale Jarrett suggested this might be the one race NASCAR should always try to run to its full distance, even if it means coming back another day. That's a fine suggestion.

Quote of the race

“When you're at DEI, you understand that Dale wanted fast restrictor plate cars. ...People are still motivated and driven by Dale's presence."

- Michael Waltrip, on the late Dale Earnhardt.

The Daytona Not Quite 500s

The Daytona 500 has never been rained out, and Sunday's 109-lap race was only the fourth in history not run to 500 miles. Here's the history of the abbreviated events:

1965 - 332.5 miles - Rain - Fred Lorenzen
1966 - 495 miles - Rain - Richard Petty
1974 - 450 miles - Shortened due to U.S. energy shortage - Richard Petty
2003 - 272.5 miles - Rain - Michael Waltrip

Waltrip wins Daytona 500 for second time

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Michael Waltrip is the new master of Daytona. He doesn't win anywhere else.

It's a burden well worth bearing -- being the best driver in NASCAR's biggest race, at stock-car racing's most famous track.

Under dark clouds, Waltrip raced past leader Jimmie Johnson after a restart on lap 106 Sunday to win the rain-shortened Daytona 500 for the second time in three years.

Counting last year's Pepsi 400, he has three victories in the last five races at Daytona International Speedway. Those are the only ones in his 535 career starts.

"It's just amazing that we put that car in the front and then it started raining," Waltrip said. "Today, I really wanted some rain, and I got it."

Pre-race favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr., done in by a dead battery, helped his friend and teammate take the lead on the last green-flag lap.

"I had a plan," Waltrip said. "I knew what I had to do. I had to get behind Junior. I did that and I was able to squeeze out the win.

"The victory in July was the best thing in the world, but this is the Daytona 500."

Waltrip's first career Winston Cup victory came here in 2001, but his joy was wiped away by the fatal last-lap crash of Dale Earnhardt Sr., his boss and friend.

On Sunday, Waltrip followed Earnhardt Jr., who had been lapped, past Johnson in a tight two-car draft.

As the leaders neared the finish line, defending champion Ward Burton spun and slammed into the fourth-turn wall, bringing out the fifth caution flag of the day.

Moments later, rain fell for the second time, and cars were stopped on pit road to wait it out after completing 109 of 200 laps.

After a little more than an hour, NASCAR declared Waltrip the winner. As anticlimactic as the triumph might have been, his team celebrated in a garage 100 yards from Victory Lane.

Waltrip's wife, Buffy, and Earnhardt's widow, Teresa, hugged. Waltrip lifted the trophy high above his head as the crew sprayed beer and champagne all over him.

Waltrip has practically owned Daytona's famed 2.5-mile oval the past few seasons.

He finished second to Earnhardt Jr. in the 2001 Pepsi 400 and was fifth in last year's 500 after winning a qualifying race. Three-time Winston Cup champion Darrell Waltrip's younger brother finally got to fully enjoy a victory in July, taking that year's Pepsi race.

At the 500, the tandem of Waltrip and Earnhardt Jr. dominated.

Junior, the heavy favorite after winning three preliminary races in eight days, led 22 laps and was still out front when he started having electrical problems. He finally slowed on lap 88 and drove slowly into the pits the next time around. He lost two laps -- and his shot at victory.

Waltrip then became the man to beat. He wound up leading three times for a total of 68 laps, including the final four.

Kurt Busch finished second, followed by Johnson and Kevin Harvick. Mark Martin, last year's series runner-up, was fifth, with Robby Gordon sixth and defending Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart seventh.

Officials moved up the start of the race about 20 minutes to try to get it in before the rain.

Pole-winner Jeff Green was shuffled back to ninth on the first lap, and Waltrip moved from fourth to first. Earnhardt Jr. fell to fourth, but worked his way back to second on lap five.

That's the way it remained until the first round of pit stops.

Stewart led for a while, but there were more pit stops after Terry Labonte was bumped from behind by Elliott Sadler and slid through the backstretch grass, bringing out the first caution.

Earnhardt made a gas-only stop and came out in front, with Waltrip next. They appeared content to run that way until Sadler broke up the teamwork by passing Waltrip on lap 55.

Two laps later, a big crash brought out the second yellow flag.

With most of the field racing in a two- and three-wide pack, Burton bumped Ken Schrader from behind coming off turn four.

That turned Schrader into Ryan Newman, last year's top rookie. Both slammed off the wall and slid across traffic into the grass, where Newman took a wild ride.

"It was a pretty hard hit and when I saw the grass, I figured I was in more trouble than hitting the wall," Newman said.

He was right.

The rear end of his No. 12 Ford sailed high in the air as the car pirouetted on its left front. With the right rear wheel assembly torn off, the car came down and dug into the grass, then started flipping.

It rolled once to the left and then three more full turns to the right, finally winding up on its roof, a battered mess. It took several minutes to get Newman out of the car.

Bobby Labonte, who managed to avoid the accident in front of him, drove down the pit lane and was almost out of harm's way when Schrader's car suddenly slid into his path.

The two cars wound up pinned against the pit wall.

As the debris was being cleaned up and the cars hauled away, it began to rain. Soon after, NASCAR halted the race for the first time.

Rusty Wallace, who through a promotion had promised free beer to every adult ticket-holder at Daytona if he won, sent some fans home unhappy as well as wet. He started near the back of the field, never was in contention and wound up 25th.

Junior's victory plans altered by alternator
By Eddie Pells, The Associated Press

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Fast cars don't always win races. No one has dealt with that reality more often at Daytona than the Earnhardt family.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. might have had the fastest car at the Daytona 500 on Sunday, but it wasn't the best.

A balky alternator -- the part that supplies power to the battery -- doomed his chances early. A wintertime Florida rainstorm did him in for good.

"It's really heartbreaking to do so well and then have something like that go wrong," Earnhardt said. "We know that this kind of thing happens to champions."

The son of the famed seven-time Winston Cup champion settled for 36th place, and watched teammate Michael Waltrip take the victory in the 109-lap race.

Junior again found himself star-crossed at NASCAR's most famous track -- the scene of some of his family's greatest triumphs and, of course, the ultimate tragedy of his father's death.

The Intimidator was 0-for-19 in NASCAR's biggest race before he finally broke through in 1998. His son is 0-for-4.

Earnhardt Jr. won three preliminary races at the track this week, but came up short in the big one.

"You can win everything at Daytona, but the 500 is another kind of deal entirely," Earnhardt said. "It took my dad 20 times to win this thing.  Hopefully, we're not going to have to wait that long, but it just seems like weird things happen in this race."

Earnhardt, who led 22 of the first 64 laps, knew there was trouble on the restart after the first of two rain delays. The engine wouldn't crank, and his red Monte Carlo needed a push from a tow truck to get started.

A few laps later, the battery ran out of juice, and the crew replaced it during a time-sapping unscheduled pit stop that pushed Junior two laps behind the leaders.

After the second red flag, crew chief Tony Eury Sr. said the team had come up with a solution.

Crew members knew they had enough juice in the new battery to finish the race. Or, under an even better scenario, they knew they could replace the alternator in less than two minutes during a yellow flag. That meant Earnhardt, who had already made up one lap, could get his problems solved and stay one lap off the lead.

"He'd have made up the lap with no problem," Eury said.

But Earnhardt never got the chance.

Junior's troubles caused a stir of optimism elsewhere on the track.  He was the favorite all week, and his early lead gave nobody reason to doubt him.

Then, the quick slide back began.

"Everybody's eyes lit up," second-place finisher Kurt Busch said.  "Everyone's foot got heavy. It was a whole new race."

Great news for them, but not for Earnhardt, who won the Budweiser Shootout last weekend, the 125-mile qualifying race on Thursday and the Busch Grand National series race Saturday to put himself on the threshold of history. Only Fireball Roberts had ever won four races during Speed Weeks at Daytona, and nobody had won four under the current format.

But past victory is no guarantee of future success. The Earnhardts know that better than anyone.

"That's why it took Dale Earnhardt 20 years to win," Eury said.  "Sometimes, it's just a $2 part."

Your  Momma
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The Toyota poll regarding 'non-domestic' U.S. car manufacturers entering Winston
Cup racing will end tomorrow at the conclusion of the Great American Race Daytona 500.  Please vote again at the URL below.  This is your last chance and the poll will be terminated tomorrow night.  The results will be posted on my website and also by "Know Your NASCAR" by NASCAR Momma sometime next week.
 
Larry
02/15/03
 
http://bhb10.tripod.com/de3fan/
 

Dale Eanhardt Jr. (right) meets with Jeff Green before the Koolerz 300 at Daytona on
Saturday. Credit: AP

Earnhardt Jr., RCR drivers heal rift
By Marty Smith, Turner Sports Interactive

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The highly publicized battle-rap between Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a dead issue, both drivers said Saturday following the Koolerz 300 at Daytona International Speedway.

The matter in question was raised Thursday after Junior won the second Gatorade 125-mile qualifying race at DIS. During the post-victory press conference, Junior questioned the appreciation Harvick and Jeff Green had for car owner Richard Childress:

"I will always wish Richard well. I don't necessarily see eye-to-eye with every one of his drivers," Junior said Thursday. "They ain't been there that long, and they might not be there for much longer.

"Jeff and Harvick were too competitive at times with each other (in 2002). You've got Richard Childress over there busting his (butt) for all these years to get what he's got, and I don't think those guys appreciate what an opportunity they have."

The motorsports media was taken aback by Earnhardt Jr.'s statement, triggering a frenzy to get to the bottom of the predicament.

Simply put, Junior misspoke. Hence, he sought Harvick and Green out Saturday prior to the NASCAR Busch Series event, explained himself and made amends.

Case closed.

"It's dead," said Harvick, Saturday's third-place finisher. "What he said isn't what he meant.  Unfortunately it got turned into something bigger. He apologized that it got out of hand.  Everything's fine now.

"He knows that Richard Childress made Richard Childress Racing what it is with Dale Earnhardt.  Dale Earnhardt made DEI what it is. We all understand that. We all respect that.

"We directly appreciate everything Richard's done for us. (Junior) directly appreciates everything Richard's done for him. That's the way it is."

"I didn't mean to piss 'em off, but I guess what I said would piss somebody off. It'd piss me off," added Junior, who by winning Saturday's affair gave himself the opportunity to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win all four events he's entered in at Daytona.

"I talked to 'em. We all qualified in the top three, so I saw 'em today and talked to them.  What I said and what I wanted to say was two different things. I was a little asinine in here the other day, but sometimes you do that."

So what did he mean to say?

"The question that was asked me was if they could out-duel us in a drafting battle between me and Michael (Waltrip). And I felt like me and Michael had more experience at it because we've worked together more often.

"I didn't intentionally want to take a stab at any one driver or any group of drivers. I wasn't in the best mood that day, either, but that don't matter. I just run my mouth a little too much.

"My point was that if me and Michael team up tomorrow that everybody else on the track will just be bowing for third. I didn't upset Richard too much, and that was the one I really worried about."

Favorite Earnhardt Jr. covets Daytona victory
By Mike Harris, Associated Press

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- In the NASCAR garages, the refrain heading into the Daytona 500 goes something like this: "If Junior don't break or crash, ain't nobody gonna catch him."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has followed his late father as perhaps the best superspeedway racer in Winston Cup action, and few can dispute the kid is the favorite going into Sunday's race.

His father won seven Winston Cup championships and 76 races before his death here two years ago. He often said none of his accomplishments was more precious to him than winning the 1998 Daytona 500.

It took the elder Earnhardt 17 tries to win NASCAR's biggest event, although he came close several times. Junior doesn't plan to wait that long, yet he's somewhat amazed to be in position to do it on his fourth try.

"The strange thing about it for me, though, is that I have a chance to win it so early, and Dad came in for years and years," the 28-year-old scion said.

Earnhardt Jr. pointed out that his father didn't have a strong ride here for most of his early years and didn't become a real contender until his second stint driving for Richard Childress began in 1984.

After that, Earnhardt became a dominant force at Daytona, winning every preliminary race and the  July Cup race multiple times. But he couldn't seem to make the magic happen in the race he wanted most.

In 1990, The Intimidator was leading until running over a piece of metal and blowing a tire with half a lap to go. That gave the victory to Derrick Cope and broke Earnhardt's heart again.

"I was a teenager and I remember how hard it was and, I mean, it hurt," Junior said. "When he cut the tire in front of Cope that year, those were tough, tough times. It was awful. It just ruined the whole deal."

The heartache he saw and felt over his dad's near-misses, and the joy he experienced when his father finally won, have made the season-opening race just as special to Junior.

"Going through that, I realize how big this race is," he said.

Acknowledging his role as the favorite, Junior added, "I'm probably going to look back 10 or 15 years from now and wish I had a chance to do it all over again if I don't win this race because I'm going to have all this experience and go, 'Man, what the heck?'

"Hopefully, I'll win it and I won't have to worry about that."

If he does win Sunday, it will take more than pure speed.

NASCAR requires carburetor restrictor plates at Daytona to keep the cars under 200 mph, an effort to make the race safer for drivers and spectators.

An unwanted side-effect of the horsepower-sapping plates is bunching the field in huge packs with cars drafting two- and three-wide at up to 190 mph. A spectacular multicar crash is virtually a given during races here and at Talladega Superspeedway, the only other track where the plates are used.

"All it takes is to lose your focus for a moment," said two-time Daytona 500 winner and four-time series champion Jeff Gordon. "It's hard to hold your breath for three hours, but that's what it feels like."

NASCAR's solution to pack racing is a small fuel cell, forcing the cars to pit more often and, hopefully, stringing out the field. The tanks -- 13 gallons as opposed to the usual 22 -- were first used last fall at Talladega and the results were mixed.

Thursday's twin 125-mile qualifying races were the first time the drivers got to see the effects of the smaller tank on Daytona's 2 1/2-mile oval. It was the first time in more than a decade that a pit stop was needed in the 50-lap races.

Jeff Green will start at the front of the 43-car field alongside Earnhardt Jr., who won his qualifier. Green finished second to teammate Robby Gordon in his 125, losing the lead when Gordon outbraked him coming in for their pit stops.

"It's so much a different track than Talladega. Handling comes into play so much here," Green said. "It really pushes the front end off the corner and, if your car is handling, that singles cars out, too. It's going to get down to maybe 10 cars you have to race instead of 40."

If that scenario develops, it's likely the cars at the front will include Earnhardt Jr. and Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate Michael Waltrip, as well as Richard Childress Racing drivers Green and Robby Gordon.

The elder Earnhardt won all but one of his championships while driving for Childress, and he and his car owner always put a particular emphasis on the plate races.

DEI was founded by the elder Earnhardt, who continued to drive for Childress until his death, and it has placed the same priority on the Daytona and Talladega events.

Earnhardt Jr. and Waltrip have combined for six wins in the last eight plate races, with Junior winning the 2001 July race at Daytona and the last three 500-milers at Talladega. Waltrip won the 2001 Daytona 500 and added a victory here in July 2002.

There's no guarantee, though, that those two teams, which also include RCR's Kevin Harvick and DEI's Steve Park, will dominate Sunday.

Tony Stewart, the 2002 Winston Cup champion, will begin defense of that title in a race in which he has failed to finish better than 17th in four tries. He was the favorite last year, but his engine blew up after two laps and he wound up last.

Other contenders in the big field are Jeff Gordon and other former Daytona winners Sterling Marlin, Dale Jarrett, Bill Elliott and Ward Burton, last year's winner.

The Roush Racing trio of Mark Martin, Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth can't be overlooked, either. Martin finished second to Stewart in points; Busch finished the season as the hottest driver, winning three of the last five races; and Kenseth led the 2002 series with five wins.

Then there are last year's rookie stars, Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson, both of whom finished in the top six in points.

The lineup also includes Rusty Wallace and Ricky Rudd, winless here in 20 and 25 starts. Six rookies also dot the field, including Brazilian Indy-car star Christian Fittipaldi, 2002 Busch Series champion Greg Biffle, three-time Craftsman Truck Series champion Jack Sprague, and Jamie McMurray, who ran a handful of races last year and won in his second start, the quickest victory in NASCAR history.

Wallace starts 38th, 30 positions lower than he thought he would be. His team was fined $10,000 and his car disqualified from his qualifying race for an illegal carburetor.

Dale Jr. stays perfect with dominant win

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. is on the verge of doing something his father never did at Daytona: a Speed Weeks sweep.

Junior put himself in position for the sweep on Saturday, winning the Koolerz 300 Busch Series race for the second straight year.

He is the first driver to win back-to-back Busch races here since his late father got his fifth in a row in 1994.

This was also Junior's third victory at Daytona International Speedway in eight days, including the Bud Shootout and a 125-mile qualifying race for Sunday's Daytona 500.

Three times, Dale Earnhardt Sr. won all the preliminary races, only to come up short in the Daytona 500 -- a race he didn't win until his 20th try. Now, his son is poised for a sweep during Speed Weeks -- something no one else has accomplished under NASCAR's current format.

"I'm a little nervous because nobody's ever done it," Junior said, when asked about winning them all. "It doesn't bode well for tomorrow, but we've got a good car and we'll go in with a good attitude."

The only competition Earnhardt hasn't won this week is pole qualifying for Sunday's race. He'll start second, beside Jeff Green, but he still goes in as the favorite to win NASCAR's biggest race.

"With the success we've had up to this point this Speed Weeks, we've got to be the favorite," Earnhardt said.

In Saturday's race, Earnhardt got out front just past halfway and stayed there. A four-car accident two laps from the end put the 120-lap, 300-mile race under a caution flag for the final trip around the 2.5-mile oval, with Earnhardt's No. 8 Chevrolet driving slowly across the finish line behind the pace car.

"It feels great," Earnhardt said. "We only an occasional starter in the Busch Series, took the lead from Kevin Harvick in the leaders' pit stops during a caution period on lap 54. He led the rest of the way and was never really challenged.

The win on Saturday gives Junior five total race victories at Daytona, including the 2001 Pepsi 400. But the third-generation driver is still far behind his father's Daytona-record 34 wins. The elder Earnhardt won the Busch race seven times.

Harvick came back to finish third, despite a penalty -- for leaving the pits with a gas catchcan stuck in the car -- that sent him all the way to 30th place on lap 81.

"You can't make a mistake and expect to beat the best of the best," he said.

Junior averaged 143.770 mph on the way to his 16th Busch Series victory. It was also the 28-year-old driver's third victory in his last four Busch starts. He was the series champion in 1998 and 1999 before moving up to the Winston Cup series.

It was his second win as a team owner.

"This (car) is my little baby, in a way," Dale Jr. said, grinning. "I'm real proud of my team. None of them have a whole lot of experience and they were real nervous about making some kind of a mistake on pit road.

"I got behind Kevin early in the race and couldn't get past him," he added. "I knew I needed to get out front to win and I kept getting two tires all the race. It was something I did last year and it worked out great."

With the late crash shaking up the top 10, Mike Wallace wound up fourth, followed by Jamie McMurray, Bodine, Bobby Hamilton Jr. and Kasey Kahne.

Green was subbing for pole-winner Joe Nemechek, who sat out the race with the flu. Green, who started from the back of the pack, saw his day end when Scott Riggs bumped him from behind and sent his car spinning into the wall.

Michael Waltrip also was a victim of someone else's mistake. Vasser, riding at the top of a three-wide draft, bounced off the wall and hit Randy Lajoie, who slammed into Waltrip and sent him hard into the wall.

Stacy Compton had the most spectacular crash of the day. He banged the outside wall coming off turn four and the engine compartment and underside of his car burst into flame.

The fire continued to roar and the smoke bellow out until Compton got the car stopped in the infield grass nearly halfway down the back straightaway.

All the drivers except Keller were checked and released in the infield medical center. Keller was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital to be checked for a possible concussion.

Your  Momma
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Bits and Pieces

NASCAR DOCKS WALLACE TEAM
NASCAR said late this afternoon that Rusty Wallace's fourth-place finish in yesterday's second Gatorade 125 qualifying race has been thrown out. The sanctioning body said he was disqualified from the event after an illegality in the carburetor was discovered during a post-race inspection of Penske Racing South's No. 2 Dodge. NASCAR said Wallace would still start the Daytona 500 since he had posted a qualifying speed and did have a provisional. Crew chief Billy Wilburn was fined $10,000 and the team lost its winnings from the qualifying race, but NASCAR said Wallace would not lose any points because the 125-mile race was considered an extension of the qualifying session. Instead of starting eighth in Sunday's 500, Wallace will now have to use a provisional starting spot.

In a spectacular finish, Crawford won a three-wide battle with Pressley and Travis Kvapil. Kvapil beat Pressley by inches for secopnd place.

The win is Crawford's first in 120 starts -- he last won at Miami in 1998.

Only 17 trucks finished the event.

The Dale Earnhardt Inc. vs. Richard Childress Racing story line for Sunday's Daytona 500 picked up steam Friday with Jeff Green firing back at comments Dale Earnhardt Jr. made after Thursday's Gatorade 125s.

"I heard what he said," said Green, who will start first in Sunday's 500 alongside Earnhardt Jr. on the front row. "I think it's pretty chicken (expletive), to tell you the truth."

Earnhardt Jr. and DEI teammate Michael Waltrip finished first and second in Thursday's second race after the RCR Chevrolets driven by Robby Gordon and Green took the top two spots in the first 125-miler.

"I always will wish Richard well," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I don't necessarily see eye to eye with every one of his drivers, but they haven't been there that long and they might not be there for much longer."

Earnhardt Jr.'s father, seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, won six of those titles with the Childress team.

Earnhardt Jr. said he was "upset" in 2002 with how RCR drivers "worked against each other," singling out Green and Kevin Harvick for being "too competitive with each other at times."

“You've got Richard Childress over there busting his butt for all these years to get what he's got," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I don't think those guys appreciate what the man is in this sport and the opportunity they have in his race cars."

The comments clearly didn't sit well with Green.

"If it wasn't for his dad, he wouldn't be here either," Green said of Earnhardt Jr. "He's got a fast race car, but if it wasn't for Michael Waltrip helping him out every race he probably wouldn't have won the races he won. He'd better count his blessings."

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - In an interview aired Friday night on "Dateline NBC," Teresa Earnhardt recounted how she came to find out about the death of her husband, racing legend Dale Earnhardt, and spoke of her efforts to prevent the publication of his autopsy photos and preserve his legacy.

Dale Earnhardt, a seven-time Winston Cup champion, was killed in a last-lap wreck in the Daytona 500 two years ago.

In the interview, NBC's Katie Couric asked Teresa Earnhardt what she was thinking when her late husband's accident unfolded.

Earnhardt said she did not think anything serious at first. "I know the cars are safe," she said. "And in racing, things happen so quick that there's no time to like dwell on anything."

Asked why she became so deeply involved in the efforts by the Florida legislature to prevent the publication of her husband's autopsy photos, Earnhardt replied:

"I just think it's a privacy issue, and a dignity issue. And it should never have even been an issue. But it was."

Earnhardt went on to explain her efforts to preserve her husband's legacy through the creation of a foundation that will work to further causes her husband held dear.

"I hate it so bad, feeling bad, that I just turn it off. I mean, I miss him, and I always will," Teresa Earnhardt said. "Just terribly. But I'm not going to feel bad about it. I'm going to feel glad about what I had."

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.-- Winning his first career 125-mile qualifying race Thursday only made Dale Earnhardt Jr. think of losing.

Although his victory reaffirmed his status as the favorite for Sunday's Daytona 500, Earnhardt Jr. was not in a celebratory mood. He threw his right arm up in victory lane after exiting his car but it was more reflex than revelry.

"It seems like every time we do something good, it stacks the odds against us even worse to win the 500," Earnhardt Jr. said in a monotone voice that matched the drama in the final 18 laps he led to win.

Based on what he says and the week he's had, Earnhardt Jr. would be a long shot in Sunday's NASCAR Winston Cup season opener.  Consider:
 

• He surged by Jeff Gordon to lead the final five laps and win Saturday's Budweiser Shootout.

• Earnhardt Jr. qualified second for the Daytona 500.

• He qualified second for Saturday's Busch Grand National race.

• He won his qualifying race.

There's a familiarity to this stepladder success at Daytona International Speedway. It's too personal for Earnhardt Jr., who watched his father often dominate Speedweeks only to lose the 500 late several times.

In 1986, Dale Earnhardt won the Shootout (then called the Busch Clash), the BGN race and his qualifying race only to run out of fuel with three laps left while running second in the Daytona 500.

In 1990, Earnhardt won his qualifying race and the BGN event and started second in the 500. He lost the lead in turn 3 on the final lap when he cut a tire, allowing Derrike Cope to win.

"It hurt when he cut the tire in front of Cope that year," said Earnhardt Jr., who was 15 when that happened. "Those were tough, tough times. It was awful. Everybody can look back at that day and remember what it felt like, and you can imagine what it felt like for him."

A crash two laps from the finish while racing for second ruined Earnhardt's chance to complete a week of winning in 1991. Dale Jarrett passed him for the lead on the final lap of the 500 to end Earnhardt's chance at winning four events two years later. In 1994 and '95, Earnhardt won three events leading up to the 500 only to finish in the top 10 in the 500 both times.

That luck seems to have been passed to Earnhardt Jr.

Last year, he won the BGN race and finished second in the Shootout and his qualifying race. He placed 29th in the 500 after running over debris from teammate Michael Waltrip's car and later spinning across the infield grass.

"It was our race to lose last year," Earnhardt Jr. said. "We lost it. I can't say I knew it was coming, but it's just so weird.

“Everybody puts so much emphasis on this race and you talk about the favorite to win. It's not easy to win it. You're singling out one event that you'll run 20, 30 times, maybe in a full career. What are the chances you're going to win the race with everything that can happen in 500 miles? That's like saying before my career is over, I'm not going to be satisfied unless I win at Watkins Glen. What are the odds there? You're really stacking yourself up against some pretty strong odds."

It makes Earnhardt Jr. wonder what will happen this year. That doesn't mean he won't try to win the 500, though.

"I want to win anything I'm competing in," he said. "I'm a terrible loser. I was disappointed we didn't get the pole, especially to get beat by Jeff Green, who wasn't somebody you expected to get beat by.

"That's my competitiveness. We go into the 500 the favorite to win the race. We just want to back it up."

Something it took his father 20 years to do and what Earnhardt Jr. hopes doesn't take as long for him.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Kyle Busch is a young man in search of his own identity.

Although only 17 years old, Busch has spent much of his racing career in the footsteps of his successful older brother, Kurt, who enters his third Winston Cup season with Roush Racing.

Kyle, too, was expected to join Roush, but NASCAR's adoption of a minimum-age requirement prior to the 2002 season disrupted his plans. Instead of running his first full season in NASCAR's Truck series last year, Kyle moved to the America Speed Association.

He was still expected to rejoin Roush following his 18th birthday in May, but earlier this month he surprised the NASCAR community by announcing he would immediately join Hendrick Motorsports.

"Basically, it was a decision I had to make on my own," said Kyle, who has been acclimating himself with the Hendrick organization during Speedweeks at Daytona.

"We talked to Kurt about it," Kyle Busch said, "and he kind of stepped back away into the closet and didn't want anything to do with it. He said, 'It's your decision, it's your career. You are either going to help it or hurt it.' "

Kyle decided he would make the change for two reasons - to establish himself as a driver on his own terms and the ability to do so on a faster timetable.

"I needed to step out of the shadow of Kurt and say, 'Hey, I'm my own person out here. I'm Kyle Busch.' Everything Kurt has ever driven, I've followed his steps right into that car," Kyle said.

"It was kind of like Kurt was leading my way and I was going to follow him up into a Roush Cup car. I need to be own person and make my own way and show everybody that I can drive."

The best way Kyle knew how to accomplish that goal was to get in a car as soon as possible.

Roush wanted Kyle to sign a nine-year contract that would put him in Trucks for two to three seasons. Hendrick offered him a chance to run a limited Busch schedule this season and full time in 2004.

"At Hendrick, in 2004 I'll be in the Busch series and at Roush in 2006 I'd still be in the Trucks," he said. "It's an exciting time frame to look at."

Your  Momma

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Here is some information on the Great American Race.  Enjoy it, and the list is attached!

My picks for Sunday's race?  I gotta go with Dale Earnhardt Jr.  Michael Waltrip, Jeff Gordon, and of the DEI guys.  And the sleeper of the race?  Ricky Rudd and Dale Jarrett.

Posted on Sun, Feb. 17, 2002

Ward Burton wins a wild Daytona 500
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Ward Burton won Sunday's Daytona 500 in a Dodge. He also was driving one.

After a series of circumstances almost too bizarre to imagine had finally played out, Burton held off Elliott Sadler and Geoffrey Bodine over a three-lap green-flag dash to the checkered flag in Winston Cup racing's biggest event.

Burton, 40, avoided all the wrecks and other wackiness that befell a garage full of would-be contenders to earn the biggest victory of his career.

"When we all started out in racing, all of us always took the Sunday off to watch the Daytona 500," Burton said. "You think about all of the heroes of the sport, like my hero Bobby Allison, and the guys who made the sport what it is today winning this race. I can't think of anything more special.

"Being able to make that victory lap, coming down and joining our team in victory circle, there's nothing you could experience to top that."

There's not much you could experience to top a lot of what went on during this exceedingly odd afternoon.

Burton led only the final five laps, inheriting the top spot when fellow Dodge driver Sterling Marlin was penalized for working on his car under the red flag.

Seriously.

Marlin was second and Burton was third behind Jeff Gordon on a restart with six laps left in the race. Marlin laid back as he approached the green flag, leaving a gap between his car and Gordon's Chevrolet in hopes of using that to build momentum for an eventual pass for the lead.

Gordon saw the move coming, however, and moved down to block Marlin's advance.

"If I had been in his shoes I would have tried to do the same thing," Marlin said. "…He kept coming down and we hooked bumpers and he spun out. I went on."

He didn't get far, though. Marlin's maneuver before the green flag had bunched up traffic behind him, starting a five-car wreck that had the yellow flying even before Marlin and Gordon hooked bumpers.

Marlin raced back to the line, edging Burton by a nose to keep the lead.  NASCAR then threw a red flag to stop the cars while the track was cleaned up for the finish.

Marlin knew he'd damaged his right-front quarterpanel in the contact with Gordon, so when the field stopped behind the pace car on the backstretch he climbed out of his Dodge and went around to check the damage. When he started pulling the sheet metal away, a NASCAR official jumped out of the pace car to stop him.

Teams are not allowed to work on their cars under the red flag, and Marlin's actions were clearly a violation of that rule. As punishment, he had to drop to end of the longest line of traffic on the restart and he was out of contention for the win.

"I saw (Dale) Earnhardt do it at Richmond one time," Marlin said his critical blunder. "He got out and cleaned off his windshield, so I thought it was OK. It don't guess it was."

Gordon was banished to the back on the restart, too, because he pitted under the yellow before the red flag when pit road was closed.

"I should have just given up when he (Marlin) got beside me," said Gordon, who fought back to finish ninth, one spot behind Marlin. "I still would have had a shot to win the thing."

Gordon had already survived the day's biggest wreck, a 21-car dust-up in Turn 1 that began when Kevin Harvick, running second, tried to block Gordon, in third, on Lap 149. Their Chevrolets made contact and Harvick went spinning up the Turn 1 banking in front of most of the field.

"I tried to hold my ground," Harvick said. "Gordon wanted the same spot I did. I tried to block, he came up and all hell broke loose."

Ken Schrader, Ricky Rudd and Jerry Nadeau, all of whom had been running near the front at various points in the race before then, were damaged in the crash.

Somehow, Burton missed it.

"I had just a moment to decide what to do," Burton said as he tried to avoid Harvick's spinning car. "Either way, it was going to be awful close. I tried to stay low and cut the wheel hard to the left. I actually got sideways and it couldn't have been more than a foot or two in front of my nose when I went by."

A number of potential contenders had been sidelined much earlier. Tony Stewart had lost an engine on Lap 3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. twice blew tires and once went sledding across the infield grass at 150 mph with no brakes. When the late-race craziness sent others to the wayside, Burton was there to take advantage.

Last year in this race, Burton led more laps than any other car but finished 35th when he got caught up in a late-race wreck. That luck turned around for him on Sunday.

It was his fourth career victory, his first since winning the Southern 500 at Darlington last September. That win in NASCAR's oldest 500-mile race was special for Burton. Sunday's was even better.

"You never really know what will happen here," he said. "It's an atmosphere that can play in your hand or play against you. We were in the right place at the right time."

That was first place, after 500 miles at Daytona.

Your  Momma

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Did You Know

In 1978, Dale Earnhardt replaced African-American driver Willy T. Ribbs at the last minute after Ribbs didn’t show up for practice due to receiving a ticket for driving the wrong way down a one-way street a few days before a race.  This turned out to be a 5 race deal driving for Will Cronkite.

from Jeff
Momma,
This shouldn't be a suprise to you. But I say way to go Bill France!!!!!!!!!! NASCAR is realizing that there are other AMERICAN  made cars and trucks, worthy to be involved in NASCAR. Like I have said before several of the cars are manufactured here, and now all of the trucks will be, since the annoucement of the new plant in San Antonio. By the way the Tundra was fought for and developed right here in the great old USA.  Why should NASCAR deny another AMERICAN manufacture the right? If they have the technoligy and money to get involved. Are the big 3 afraid and their fans too!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeff Roberts, Sealy Texas

Not afraid Jeff, just most of the viewers feel that Toyota isn’t a “true” American made car.  Now don’t go getting mad at me, I just report what I read here!

ELLIOTT PULLS OUT OF POPULARITY BALLOT
After being voted NASCAR's most popular driver 16 times, Bill Elliott has announced that he is removing his name from the ballot this year to let other drivers have an opportunity to enjoy the same level of fan support. "I've had such a loyal fan base for so many years, it's been incredible," said Elliott, who edged Dale Earnhardt Jr. in last year's voting. Grands! Biscuits will again sponsor the voting on the Web site, www.mostpopulardriver.com. Balloting will begin Thursday and run through Nov. 17. The National Motorsports Press Association, which runs the contest, has said that whenever Elliott retires, the award will be renamed the Bill Elliott Trophy.

Steve Kinser and Danny Lasoski, two drivers who compete on dirt tracks in the World of Outlaws series, drew the front-row starting spots for Friday's 2003 International Race of Champions series opener.

Lasoski had never raced on a paved oval or on a track even half as big as the 2.5-mile Daytona track before running in the IROC series a year ago. Kinser has raced in the IROC series three times before and won a race at Talladega in 1994.

IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish and Winston Cup's Jimmie Johnson got the Row 2 starting spots.

Johnson was saddled with the pink-colored IROC car when Mike Bliss drew it along with the sixth starting spot and was allowed to swap colors with anyone ahead of him in the starting order. Bliss took the red car from Johnson and will start in it on Row 3 alongside Felipe Giaffone from the IndyCar series.

Winston Cup's Ryan Newman, Mark Martin and Kurt Busch and IndyCar's Helio Castorneves round out the top 10. Defending IROC champion Kevin Harvick starts 11th with Greg Biffle starting last.

Also... Penske Driver Did A Little Damage: Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace, both in a Dodge for Penske South Racing, also required repairs on crumpled fenders following yesterday's session. - Florida Times-Union

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - There is lot more to lose than there is to gain for most drivers in Thursday's Gatorade 125s at Daytona International Speedway.

Winning one of the 125-mile qualifying races for the Daytona 500 will get a driver on the evening highlights shows, but it certainly provides no guarantee for success in Sunday's main event.

Rain washed out the qualifying races in 1968, but in the 43 years they've been run and used to set starting positions for the 500 only seven times has a driver won his qualifying race and then gone on to win the 500 in the same year. The last to do it was Dale Earnhardt in 1998.

"We're going to go and try to win the race," Kevin Harvick said. "I think that's what we have to do. I think that's the only way to approach it. Otherwise, I think you're going to get yourself in trouble and lose a lot of spots from where we qualified."

Harvick was sixth fastest in Monday's time trials, but all that assures him of is starting third in the second of Thursday's 50-lap races.

While Jeff Green and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have the front-row starting spots for Sunday locked up, nobody else yet knows where - or, in some cases, if - they'll start the 500. The top-14 finishers in Thursday's first race, aside from Green, get the inside starting spots on rows 2 through 15 on Sunday's grid. The top 14 aside from Earnhardt Jr. in the second race will line up in the outside spots on those rows.

If something should happen to Harvick's car Thursday, he's assured of a starting spot for Sunday by the speed he ran on Monday - spots 31 through 36 on the grid are filled by the six-fastest cars from qualifying that don't finish in one of the transfer spots in the 125s.

The final seven spots are saved for provisionals and will be doled out to the remaining cars entered based on last year's car owner points standings.

If a team didn't have a good qualifying day on Monday and didn't do well in the points last year, Thursday will be a very stressful day.

"The 125s mean different things to different teams," said Ricky Rudd, driver of the No. 21 Ford. "There are a lot of guys here who that race is the only race they're thinking about. They're not even thinking about the Daytona 500 because ... if they don't do well in the 125s, they won't have a Daytona 500."

Rudd's not in that boat. He was fifth fastest on Monday so the worst he could start on Sunday would be 33rd.

"Our goal is to get through it in one piece," Rudd said. "The biggest thing we want to do is have a car to run in the 500 and come out of it with a good starting position. If you go into it and end up three- or four-wide and have the attitude of going out to win the race or knock the wall down, that doesn't make sense for us in our position."

Kurt Busch knows the other side of the equation. In each of his first two seasons in Winston Cup the driver of the No. 97 Ford knew he needed to race his way into the 500 on Thursday.

“It has been tremendously nerve-wracking because we were so far back in the points and we qualified so poorly," Busch said. "We finished 12th and 11th and barely squeaked by the number. There's a different feeling going into this year's race."

That's because Busch finished third in the points last year, locking him in the safety zone no matter what transpires Thursday afternoon.

Greg Biffle, Busch's rookie teammate at Roush Racing, has a little more to worry about. His team can't count on a provisional, and while his 21st-fastest qualifying lap is likely to be enough to get him into the 500 on speed if need be, nothing's assured until the smoke clears Thursday.

"Hopefully, the racing in the top 10 won't be as frantic as the race from about 13th to 17th," said Biffle, who starts 11th in the first race Thursday. "That's where they're fighting for that transfer spot. "I'm starting near the top 10 so, hopefully, I can stay there and not get in that rat race."

Dave Blaney was only 44th fastest Monday in his No. 77 Ford, but he's 16th in line to get a provisional when the racing starts Thursday.

"It would be a pretty freakish deal to get us knocked out of the 500," he said. "There would have to be a big wreck in front of the pack or maybe both races. You can think and worry about that all you want, but if we race like we should we ought to be able to make it easy. We'll go after that first and then, if it doesn't happen, worry about the rest."

It just seems there are a million ways to make Sunday's Daytona 500. The Charlotte Observer's David Poole breaks it down for us:

Step 1: The Front Row

Jeff Green and Dale Earnhardt Jr. earned the front-row starting spots in qualifying on Monday.

1. Jeff Green
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Step 2: Gatorade 125s

The top 14 finishers from today's first 125-mile qualifying race other than Green get the inside get the inside (odd-numbered) spots on rows 2 through 15. The top 14 other than Earnhardt Jr. from the second race get the outside starting spots on those rows.

Odd-numbered starting spots are filled in Thursday's first race; even-numbered spots are determined in the second.

Step 3: Qualifying speeds

Drivers with the fastest speeds from Monday's qualifying who didn't earn their way in through the 125s fill positions 31 through 36. (On the list below, cross out the 28 cars qualified through the 125s, then put the next six in spots 31-36): 31, 15, 21, 29, 88, 18, 40, 45, 42, 9, 25, 6, 32, 48, 1, 19, 22, 38, 16, 74, 41, 33, 17, 09, 23, 0, 24, 97, 10, 12, 14, 01, 7, 43, 5, 54, 60, 49, 11, 2, 4, 77, 99, 02, 37, 90, 78, 20.

The remaining spots go to teams highest in the 2002 car owner points standings not otherwise qualified. (On the list below, cross out cars already in the field, then put the top seven in the remaining spots): 20, 6, 97, 24, 48, 12, 2, 40, 17, 38, 8, 99, 9, 32, 30, 77, 10, 45, 5, 22, 41, 19, 33, 43, 1, 23, 01, 25, 4, 54, 14, 7, 11, 49, 90, 02, 09, 74, 0, 37, 16.  Confused?  LOL…I’ll send out the starting lineup on Friday.

By BOB POCKRASS Staff Writer

A lawyer for Brooke Gordon said Wednesday the goal in serving subpoenas to NASCAR team owners at Daytona International Speedway is not to disrupt their preparations for the Daytona 500.

Ray Evernham was served at the track Tuesday and asked to appear in Daytona Beach for a deposition Friday concerning Brooke's divorce with four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon.

"Mr. Evernham spoke at length with Gordon's lawyers and experts, and we want to find out what he told them and what he provided them," said Brooke Gordon attorney Terry Young. "It's only fair."  A lawyer talking about fair?  Isn't that like a blind man talking about the blue sky?

Young said he would be open to discussions to postpone the deposition. If they do not come to a resolution and Evernham does not appear for the deposition on Friday, a judge could find him in contempt of court.

"We're just trying to get facts," Young said. "We're not trying to harass anybody."

Volusia County deputies attempted to serve five subpoenas at the Speedway on Wednesday, but both times the people they were looking for could not be located.

"NASCAR officials have been cooperative," sheriff department spokesman Gary Davidson said. "They looked for the individuals we're seeking to serve and both times they were not there."

Evernham went outside the track to receive his papers Tuesday. The car owner for Jeremy Mayfield and Bill Elliott, Evernham has been frustrated with how his cars have been doing in addition to the legal wrangling he was going through Wednesday to possibly challenge the subpoena.

"How can you not let it affect you?" Evernham said. "My cars aren't running as good as I'd like and I'm trying to keep my own troops' morale up. I'm getting pulled outside to meet with sheriffs and I'm on the phone with attorneys when I should be on the phone with carburetor tuners, engine guys and body guys.

"It's been a distraction but what goes around and comes around."

Gordon's wife, Brooke, filed for divorce last March. Brooke's attorneys have been seeking information on how much teams pay their drivers.

Evernham was the crew chief for three of Jeff Gordon's Winston Cup titles.

"He's got to stick his guns," Evernham said. "I'm one of his friends in the garage area and support him. It's just not fair."

bob.pockrass@...

1. Toyotas are made in America as much as Detroit iron is made in Canada and Mexico.

2. It's fun watching newcomers flounder around at the back of the pack.

3. Be wary!  This Toyota invasion may be revenge for George Sr.'s indiscretion at the dinner table several years ago in Japan.

4. First salsa and, now, teriyaki!

5. In light of recent events, we might need to see Asahi and Kirin alongside Bud and Miller.

6. To borrow a phrase from Will Rogers, NASCAR's never met a solvent corporation it didn't like.

7. During the development years, some fans will have fun reading the Toyota TRD stickers.

8. Why not a Japanese truck!  Several NCTS stock drivers are sumo-sized anyway!

9. YUM! Grits and sushi!

10. The picture we all want to see: Mike Helton in a kimono sitting on the floor trying to eat nachos with chopsticks.

We witnessed carnage of an unbelievable sort on Wednesday in Daytona, the death of one of our own. Not many people know our plight, but maybe now with the national exposure that the NASCAR has brought to us, people will understand. This is the story of Sammy the Seagull. He lived a fairly normal life, as far as seagulls go.  But he was always plagued by the NASCAR nemesis. The circle of life has befallen Sammy the seagull, in the 90's his father Sammy Sr. lost his life when he flew into the #3 car driven by Dale Earnhardt. He gave his life to keep Dale from winning.

Sammy got up on the morning of February 12, 2003 like any other morning. I know because I spend the day foraging food from the beach and the parking lot of the mall across the lake. Everything was going good. It was a morning just like any other, we knew they were back. The loud beasts were there. They circle the lake like vultures, only so much faster and all different shapes and sizes.

Sammy had learned from prior experiences of his father in when he took on Dale Earnhardt and the rest of the 43 beast pack and his cousin Ernie took on Dale Jarrett in 1996 that he was no match for the 43 beast pack. Sammy's plan was fool proof or so he thought. It was a simple plan. Wait until the right beast came along by himself and jump him. Two wing power was no match for one of them. But Sammy had one too many fish at the lake and he wasn't as fast as he thought. Wonder what these beasts eat, Sammy thought, because it doesn't slow them down. Too many fish and Budweiser cans from the infield proved to be his demise. He saw the beast with two 9's coming out of the turn. His heart raced and his anticipation grew. This was his moment. Now was his time. He had to seize the day. He took off and began his quest for revenge. Don Quixote made his final charge. Less than a second later, it was over. This was no ordinary windmill. Sammy has gone to be with his father and cousin at that great landfill in the sky. All that remained were a few feathers and a dent on the beast with nines. Rumors are circulating that it was actually suicide after hearing of Toyota's announcement entering the NASCAR CTS. Sammy always wanted to be cremated and his ashes thrown over Lake Loyd, well he got part of his wish granted.

Let this be a reminder to all of us this weekend, those beasts on the track aren't the only warriors in town. That is my story. It's sad but true. Hey is that a leftover Big Mac in the parking lot. Gotta go!

Note: It has been rumored that NASCAR is now looking into their policy of fans in the infeild due to Sammy's death.

Your  Momma
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Did You Know

The most races Dale Earnhardt won in a single season was 11, which happened in 1987.  He won his third championship that year.

2

Number of laps Tony Stewart completed in the 2002 Daytona 500.  He still earned $199,949 for finishing 43rd.

This is from an article I had posted awhile back on handicapped parking and the idiots who use them without good cause.

from Denise
My mom had a stroke & had gotten a handicapped sticker. Whenever I went to visit her & we went to the store or out to eat somewhere I would take her to the door & let her out, then I would go park out in the parking lot somewhere. She kept telling me to just park in the handicapped spot but I told her I was capable of walking & someone else needed it worse than me. I would have felt guilty to park there then get out & walk to the door. That’s one reason I would take my mom & let her out at the door so I wouldn't have to park there. I think anyone who parks there & doesn’t need too should get a ticket if not worse. They should be ashamed of themselves for taking that spot from someone who really needs it. This is one of my biggest pet peeves. Thank you for bringing this up.    Denise

TOYOTA ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK?
Toyota officials may announce as early as this week their entry into NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series next season, the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal reports. The paper says it's basing its story on Detroit executives who have been following Toyota's planning and speculates that the announcement could come in conjunction with the series' season-opening race Friday. NASCAR Chairman Bill France Jr. said Monday that he expects an announcement soon about a new manufacturer in one of the sanctioning body's top three series, according to the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel. NASCAR prohibits foreign-made cars, but France pointed out that Toyota manufactures some of its cars in the United States, the paper says.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP)— Car owner Ray Evernham was subpoenaed in Jeff Gordon's divorce case Tuesday, accepting the papers from a sheriff's deputy outside Daytona International Speedway.

Brooke Gordon's lawyers want to look at the contracts NASCAR car owners have with their drivers and sponsors to determine what Gordon is worth as a car owner. The four-time Winston Cup champion owns a stake of Hendrick Motorsports.

The car owners fought original subpoenas they received over the past month at their home offices, but the lawyers have been trying to serve them during preparations for Sunday's season-opening Daytona 500 to get them to appear in a Florida court.

NASCAR turned away a process server attempting to get into the track last week, and Evernham said officials from the sanctioning body asked him to go outside of the track on Tuesday to accept the papers.

"NASCAR asked me to do it and to not make a scene about it," Evernham said. "So I did it because I care about this sport, unlike Mrs. Gordon, who is trying to make a circus of the Daytona 500."

Evernham, who won three Winston Cup titles as Gordon's crew chief, was the best man at the Gordons' wedding.

The subpoena orders Evernham to appear in court this Friday, but he said he would not be showing up.

"I have 150 employees to worry about and two race cars to get ready for the biggest event of the year," he said. "I'm not stopping to go to court."

Car owner Chip Ganassi said he was not served before he left Daytona on Monday to return to his home in Pittsburgh, but was told a deputy had been looking for him where he had been staying when he first arrived for the race.

Roush Racing general manager Geoff Smith said his organization had not received an order to appear in a Florida court.  One thing I gotta say, in all the NASCAR news I've been watching, not one second is wasted on this bullshit.  Brooke needs to go find that rock she crawled out from under and stick it where the sun don't shine.  I can NOT believe that gold-digging psycho bitch.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jason Leffler was back on track Tuesday.

Picking up where he left off last season as the top qualifier in the NASCAR Truck series, Leffler ripped off another blistering lap to claim the pole for Friday's Florida Dodge Dealers 250 at Daytona International Speedway (1 p.m. Eastern, Speed).

Leffler, who won eight poles in 2002 but failed to win a race, turned a lap at 182.994 mph to claim the top starting position. He was almost a mile-an-hour faster than runner-up and fellow Dodge driver Robert Pressley (181.973 mph).

Leffler's Ultra Motorsports teammate Ted Musgrave was third, Ed Berrier fourth and Terry Cook rounded out the top five.

Robert "Bootie" Barker, crew chief for the No. 77 Fords driven by Dave Blaney, was seen in the Busch Series garage Tuesday afternoon looking to borrow "legal" gas cans for his team to use on pit stops in Thursday's Gatorade 125s and Sunday's Daytona 500.

Barker wasn't the only crew chief scrambling after NASCAR inspectors began checking closely cans the teams use to shuttle gas from the fuel pumps to their pit stalls. The maximum they're supposed to hold is 11 gallons each.

With 13.5-gallon fuel cells in the cars at Daytona, however, teams were getting creative in making one can hold enough gas to fill up a car in an effort to save time on pit stops.

"There are ways to very cleverly allow a drop can to hold 13.5 or 14 gallons," Winston Cup series director John Darby said. "In appearance, there is not enough change in the can to notice a difference. So we're inspecting and sealing all cans that will be used."

Darby said several cans had been sent back to various teams for "repair for various infractions." He said some teams are being forced to have different cans shipped to Daytona from their shops in time for Thursday's 125-mile qualifying races.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Texas Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith may be in a buying mood for racetracks in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. But Smith can forget about purchasing any facilities owned by corporate rival International Speedway Corp., to add to his Speedway Motorsports Inc. empire.

Bill France Jr., chairman of the family-owned ISC and NASCAR, has flatly dismissed the idea of selling any ISC tracks and their Winston Cup race dates to Smith.

"You know better than that," France said during an impromptu news conference at the Daytona International Speedway on Monday afternoon.

Reminded that Smith said during a Media Day visit to TMS in Fort Worth two weeks ago that he was in a "buying mood" for racetracks -- including those owned by ISC -- France replied, "Bruton, sometimes when he opens his mouth, he sounds constipated."

Joking that he had walked into the media center only to get out of the sun, France also touched on the following topics:

• There is no hard deadline to implement NASCAR's proposed realignment plan for swapping Winston Cup race dates beginning in 2004, after a cool reception from series track operators/promoters.

“We've put a word behind that, called 'beyond' ... 2004 and beyond," France said.

• The proposed schedule realignment is being undertaken, in part, to accommodate the wishes of NASCAR's network TV partners.

"For the amount of revenue they're [the networks] putting into the sport, we've got to pay attention to 'em," France said.

• A proposal made by Smith to split NASCAR into two divisions to create more race dates has been deemed unworkable by the sanctioning body and likely would be rejected by its TV partners.

• A major foreign manufacturer, rumored to be Toyota, is expected to announce its intention of joining the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this week.

• At age 69, France is in good health after a protracted battle with cancer, as well as recovering from a triple bypass and surgery for a broken leg last year.

“I feel pretty good. I still kind of walk a little wobbly, like I've had a few drinks," France said.

"It's like you put your feet in a deep freeze and your head in a microwave oven. On average, you feel pretty good."

Monday's salvo by France was the third exchange with Smith since mid-January, when France -- speaking as NASCAR chairman -- suggested that the North Carolina businessman could satisfy his desire for a second Winston Cup race at TMS by moving one of two dates from either his Atlanta Motor Speedway or Lowe's Motor Speedway to Texas. France presented that date swap as part of a proposed realignment of the schedule that could take effect as early as 2004.

Smith rejected the date-swap offer, and disclosed a week later that he had begun "minor discussions" about purchasing any available ISC property. However, Smith said that even if he were successful in purchasing another racetrack and its Cup date(s), he would ask NASCAR to assign the date as a second race at his Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Smith and Eddie Gossage, the executive vice president and general manager of TMS, contend NASCAR still owes SMI a second race in Texas, a "promise" made when Smith purchased 50 percent of North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1996. NASCAR allowed Smith to move one Cup date to Fort Worth. The promise of a second date is the basis of a federal lawsuit filed in Texas by SMI shareholder Francis Ferko of Plano.

In the meantime, NASCAR offered its realignment plan last month to get a second date to Texas, which has sold out each of its Winston Cup races since 1997.

"We'd be happy to look at moving a race from Atlanta to Texas," France said. "The rationale behind all that is it's going to be the same company. We're willing to go to Texas a second time from that standpoint."

France also admitted that not all of his dealings with Smith, the chairman of SMI, are adversarial.

"He's a hard worker," France said of Smith. "I'll give him credit for that. He does work hard. He's not dumb by any stretch of the imagination. I said 'not dumb.' Don't turn that around. And he builds nice racetracks."

Sadler frustrated by late practice pileup
By Marty Smith, Turner Sports Interactive

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Elliott Sadler slouched beside his mangled M&Ms Ford Tuesday afternoon, arms folded across his chest and a look of fury in his eyes.

Minutes earlier, Sadler was screaming down the frontstretch in a large pack of cars, driving what he felt was the best racecar of his Winston Cup Series career. LOL on this comment....every time he gets wrecked, he says "It was my favorite car" or "That was the best car I've ever driven."  Don't get me wrong....I feel for the guy, but he just cracks me up!

He had led the pack for several laps; but with some five minutes remaining in practice, he drifted to the rear to gauge how his car would react in turbulence. He would later regret that choice terribly.

As he followed Mike Skinner into Turn 1, Jack Sprague bobbled a bit in the No. 0 Pontiac and washed up the track into Steve Park's Chevrolet, then bounced off into Mike Skinner's Pontiac.

The resulting multi-car accident collected Skinner and sent Jeff Burton and Sadler to backup cars. 2001 Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip missed the melee by some six inches.

"This is very, very frustrating," Sadler said. "This was by far the best car I've ever had. This thing was a rocket. (Skinner) was blending in and I guess (Sprague) didn't see him and just absolutely ran in the side of him.

"We're all professionals here and everybody should know how to give people room. I mean we're practicing for God's sake."

That raises the question if competitors are driving too hard in practice.

"That's the first practice of the year," Burton said. "That's not what we're looking for. The drivers have to take responsibility, however the only way for the driver to find out what your car will do is to put it in the spots to find out what it will do. You have to hold your line. And you know what? If you get passed, whoopty (do)."

Skinner tested extremely well here in January and posted the sixth-fastest time of the day prior to the accident, so he was none too pleased, either.

"This was our first race practice, so I'd say it was a little premature," he said. "When I was a rookie, I'll make some mistakes, too, and I'll probably make some more. But it was uncalled for."

Sprague agreed that the competition was too tight for the weekend's first practice, but didn't feel as if he was to blame for the accident.

"Just three-wide, you know. I ain't seen the TV, but I'm pretty sure I didn't move," Sprague said as he exited the car. "I was in the middle and Skinner was on the bottom there on the yellow line trying to catch the draft and there was plenty of room.

"Steve (Park) come off the wall and got me in the right front, turned me a little bit and I got Skinner in the right rear. Three-wide, you've got to know you're three-side and stay against the wall. It's not Skinner's fault. There was plenty of room, I think the 1 car just ran us out of room."

Regardless of who is at fault, several teams have suffered a major setback. After Tuesday's accident, teams only had one hour left before the Winston Cup Series garage closed for the day.

"That's a lot of hours, a lot of time (put in)," said two-time Daytona 500 champion Jeff Gordon. "They come down here and test, go to the wind tunnel and build a car they think can win the Daytona 500 -- it's a big setback, man."

Sadler is confident in his backup, but it doesn't ease the pain much.

"This puts you behind the 8-ball, man," Sadler said. "It's so early in the week and you know that this was a really great car. The backup's a good car, but nowhere near what this one is. This is very discouraging."

By Ed Hinton
Staff Writer

DAYTONA BEACH -- There's one legacy Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't want from his late father. He grew up with the specter, and privately the thought of it nags him in his own right.

"You're d--- right it does," he said softly the other night. "It was no fun. It hurt."

Maestro of Daytona that Dale Earnhardt was in every other race here, it took him 20 tries to win the Daytona 500 itself.

Junior doesn't want to inherit the agonizing question: Will Earnhardt ever win the big one?

The son also has risen to dominance in restrictor-plate racing, here and at Talladega, Ala., the latest example being his convincing win of the Bud Shootout on Saturday. But he is 0 for 3 in the Daytona 500.

That would be a minor flaw, virtually no indication of his future here, except for the black hole that expanded with every year that Junior grew older.

"I think it bothered me just as bad as it bothered him," Little E said. "That time he cut the tire down, that was the worst thing in the world."

That was 1990, when Junior was 15. Big E would take the memory of that day to his grave: "It ain't the Daytona 499," he would say, time and again.

The man in black dominated that day for 499 miles, in arguably the nearest thing to a perfect car that ever touched tires to the asphalt of Daytona International Speedway. But coming off Turn 2 on the final lap, he ran over a piece of metal debris. Down the backstretch, the tire began to shred.

Entering Turn 3, almost exactly one mile from the checkered flag, the tire blew. He did a masterful job of avoiding a wreck, but the drafting line that had been trailing him flew past. And dark horse Derrike Cope went on to win the race.

That was the race that turned what had been a festering question into a gaping wound that would not be closed until Big E finally won the 500 in 1998. It would be the only time. He would die in this race in 2001.

Junior has no bitterness toward or fear of Daytona. He loves it, hallows it, often calls it his favorite track.

"When you come here, you can't get here fast enough," he said. "And then when you leave, you drive out real slow, [taking in] every last little bit you can. ..."

Even though the tunnel through which he leaves runs just beneath Turn 4, where his father was killed.

"There are other tracks that are cornerstones to NASCAR. But this place is a pillar," Junior said. "This place really represents everything I like about the sport."

His showing Saturday night made him the early favorite to win next Sunday's 500. At just the thought of getting it done, getting that first Daytona 500 win out of the way early in his career, Junior burst out laughing.

"That," he said, beaming, head bowed and slowly shaking, "would be awesome."

The nearest he's come to winning the 500 was when he finished second to Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate Michael Waltrip on that awful Feb. 18, 2001, taking the checkered flag as his father's fatal crash occurred virtually in his rear-view mirror.

Last year Junior had the strongest car on the track but was plagued by two entanglements in other drivers' wrecks. The first one ripped open his Chevrolet's right-front fender, and yet with this enormous aerodynamic handicap he came flying back up through the field, threatening anew to win, until the second accident ruined his chances.

He and his crew bosses, old family friends Tony Eury Sr. and Tony Eury Jr., had feared their edge of recent years on the two restrictor-plate tracks would vanish with this year's new body styles, which left them with a sort of aerodynamic blank sheet of paper.

"I was nervous, somewhat skeptical, over the offseason," Junior said, "about what the new body was going to give us when we came here for testing [in January]. But we have a talented group of individuals over at the fabrication shop at Dale Earnhardt Inc. ... Tony Jr. and Tony Sr. have a track record that speaks for itself."

What are the tricks? The secrets?

"Our success comes from hard work, that's exactly where it comes from," said Eury Sr. "We worked a lot of long days and long nights to get this new body style where we want it, and try to get back to where we were when we left Talladega [with a third straight win there] in October."

And there's the edge they have that no aerodynamics engineering rules can take away -- restrictor-plate engines that are clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the field in sheer horsepower.

"The motors are as much [a reason for his strength here] as the bodies are," Junior said. "You've got to have that power range and that torque range, and everything positioned just perfectly with the gear, to where the car runs when it needs to run when you get those [aerodynamic] pushes" from trailing cars, so necessary to
passing in plate racing.

How is that accomplished? Little E smiled slightly. He wasn't telling.

"There's ways to kind of tweak things and make things happen to where when you get a push from somebody in the draft, your car will hold it."

He has the aerodynamically optimal car. His engine has the field covered, blatantly, on horsepower. Now, Little E, at 28 the same age Big E was upon his arrival here as a rookie in 1979, could be touted as a virtual lock to win the 45th Daytona 500.

But that's precisely the position his father was in, February after February, going into 19 heartbreaking runnings of this race, before the breakthrough of '98.

Always the favorite ... but then there was always something.

That's the only thing that haunts Dale Earnhardt Jr. about Daytona.

Ed Hinton can be reached at ehinton@....

Conversation: Kevin Harvick
By Marty Smith, Turner Sports Interactive

CONCORD, N.C. -- For those who know him best, Kevin Harvick's silence in 2002 was as deafening as a sonic boom.

An early-season run-in with the powers that be in Central Florida rendered Harvick speechless -- literally -- for the remainder of his sophomore campaign. From that moment on the swagger was gone, the magic of a fairytale freshman year replaced by the nightmarish reality that he'd far overstepped his bounds.

His hands -- and his tongue -- were tied in a double knot.

But rest assured, with the new year comes renewed vigor. Kevin Harvick is back, swagger and all. He took a few moments recently to prove that statement to NASCAR.com's Marty Smith, offering a brutally honest outlook on where he's been, where he's going and exactly how he plans to get there.

Two thousand two was obviously a difficult year for you professionally. Will we see a new Kevin Harvick in 2003?

Harvick: The main reason I put myself in a box last year because every time I turned around I was having to look over my shoulder and point people by. I couldn't talk to anybody. That's not my style. I can go back to racing this year. I put myself in a position last year with NASCAR and I can't blame anybody about that but myself.

I couldn't race anybody. My dang hands were tied and there was nothing I could do about it but just accept it. I had to watch it twice as much when I drove my truck, had to be twice as cautious when I drove the Busch car and in the Winston Cup car, I just kind of did what I had to do to make it through the year. So we had a lot of bad luck and we weren't prepared as a race team going into the season. And I was still worn out from the year before.

They've beat up on us once, and they may beat up on us again, I don't know, but I can promise you one thing -- as a person, as a race team it's embarrassing the way we ran last year and, while I can't promise you it won't happen again, we've done everything in our power to make it better.

You just touched on this a bit right there, but when you look back at what happened in the early season last year, it certainly changed your driving style. When you look back at last year, does it just make you mad?

It's terrible. They can say whatever they want -- that I could do whatever I wanted to. But that wasn't how I felt. I was just crippled. Like I say, I put myself in that position and I wasn't as focused as I needed to be. The year before (2001) it was 100 percent racing. This year we're going back to 100 percent racing.

We're going to race the Winston Cup car, we're going to race 16 Busch races, 10 Truck races and IROC cars. That's me. Right there. I'm a racer. That's what my fans like and that's what they want to see, so that's what we're going to do. Everybody says, "Well, what if you get hurt?" And I say, "Well, I can get hurt riding my four-wheelers around the yard. I can get hurt walking across the street, too." The hell with it. I got here by racing and that's what I'm gonna do.

So it seems like you've gone back to that gung-ho attitude. That's Kevin Harvick.

That's what got me to where I am. I kind of let the "you're acting like Earnhardt" and the "you want to be like Earnhardt" get to me. Well you know what? I got here by being myself, and people can complain and compare me to whoever they want, and if they think I'm acting like Dale Earnhardt, tell them to go root for somebody else because that's why I got hired -- the way I drive and the things I do in a racecar.

And if that happens to be like Earnhardt, and people want to get nitpicky and say I'm trying to be Earnhardt, well, I'm not trying to be nothing. I'm trying to be myself, and that's what I'm going to go out and do because the only people I have to please are myself, my wife and Richard Childress. That's what they want me to do and that's what I'm going to do.

Well hell yeah. You were discussing working out and your preparation tactics for this season. How did last year's struggles help you prepare for this year in a more suitable manner?

I think the best way to compare it is to compare it to other sports. You can compare it to the New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Lakers, you can look at the St. Louis Rams.

What happens is, you go into a year and you win everything in the world and everybody wants a piece of you - media, sponsors, and everything requires time. Well, all the sudden you lose focus on the things that got you where you're at.

And it's happened to all those teams. It happened to us, not only myself but my race team. We weren't content, we went forward with doing things, but we got behind as a race team with our racecars.

Then, the rules were going to be one way and the next thing you know we're going to Rockingham and they say "nope, can't do it that way." So we're cutting our cars up the week before Rockingham and the next thing you know, you're way the hell behind.

And when you're behind as a race team or person, it's hard to get caught back up in Winston Cup racing. This is serious (stuff). You've got to take it serious and I've been in the gym six days a week for the past two months.

We have Monday morning meetings with all our drivers, all our crew chiefs, all our managers. Like I say, we've done everything in our power and they may still kick our butts. But as far as we're concerned we're working as hard as we possibly can to mentally prepare ourselves with the right people, right equipment and do them as right as we know how. That's all we can do.

If they kick our butts this year, we can honestly say, you know what, we tried as hard as we could and did everything within our power. Richard has given us everything. So we either need to find a new approach or figure out what we're doing wrong. We'll just have to wait and see. I really believe racing more will help me more than anything.

So you don't see 18th, 20th and 22nd next year out of RCR?

No. I don't think Jeff and Robby are proud of where they finished, either. But once you get past 10th, it just doesn't matter. Out of the three race teams, we still had the best stats -- and they weren't all that impressive.

That's not right. The main thing is, is that I understand where NASCAR's coming from, understand what they want and need out of me, understand the field they're working in. And they understand that I have to go out and drive that racecar the way I have to drive it. If it pisses people off, oh well.

What does NASCAR want out of Kevin Harvick?

The main thing is, you know, they just want to be treated like civil people, and at some points I wasn't treating them like civil people. That was probably the biggest reason I got in trouble. It wasn't for the way I drove on the racetrack. It was for the things I did and said behind the doors.

Just childish (things). On the racetrack I can be myself and say what I want, but say it in a professional manner. I can still tell somebody to stick it up their ass, but tell 'em without trying to rip their heads off.

Back to the gym a minute. How are you training? Weights and cardiovascular workouts?

Actually, I've hired a personal trainer for myself and DeLana, so that when I get to the middle of the season and start shedding weight, I'll be back to my natural weight. I've probably put on eight to 10 pounds, and it's been the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

I wrestled for four years in high school, but that was all about lean. This is the other way. I'm trying to get to a body weight that I can afford to lose some weight, and as much racing as I'm going to do -- it's going to be like 2001. Actually, it's going to be more racing than 2001. It's something I felt I needed to do.

You were discussing how you guys got behind early last year. This year, with you guys being the pioneering arm for the new Monte Carlo, you should probably be pretty far ahead, right?

Well, you'd like to think of it that way. But you know, the Dodges basically didn't change a whole lot, so they should be at the forefront. As far as the Chevrolet, I mean, everybody's done a lot of testing, but it's still going to take some time to completely understand how to make the racecar balanced how I like it and what it takes to get it that way.

So we're still going to have a little bit of a learning curve. I think half the field's going to have a learning curve. But it's a much better racecar than what we had and it's probably going to take some problems and magnify them and take a lot of problems and take them away. So, you know, like I say if they kick our butts this year it won't be because we didn't try.

Not that we didn't try last year, but we've focused and have really tried to take everything and streamline it as much as we can and keep everybody involved and knowing what's going on. In my four years at RCR, this is the most everyone's ever been on the same page -- from the motor shop to the body shop to the drivers.

I know it's the most involved I've ever been, with Richard. Ever since Martinsville, he and I have become a lot closer on a friendship level and as people. I understand where he wants me to help and what he wants me to do more than I ever have.

Like I say, I'm not telling you that we're going out to win championships or win 10 races or win one race, for that matter. I'm telling you that we're prepared as best as we know how to be from each person.

Your  Momma
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Today In Nascar History

February 10, 1980

Dale Earnhardt wins the 2nd running of the Busch Clash, his first of a record 34 wins at Daytona.

19

Starting spot of Dale Jr. in the Shootout on Saturday and last 2 Daytona 500 winners starting position.

At the start of the 2002 season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had five victories.

from Shawn
I found this link at www.jayski.com
http://www.motorsportsone.net/ It has up to date info on  Drivers, races, etc. It is full of stats!
Shawn

Thanks Shawn.  I appreciate it.  So will my readers.

from twerp
Momma,
I'm by far a jr basher(he is a chip off the ole block so to speak) but isn't it ironic that winston cup has never had a car start from the rear of a field and finish first until now. In all sports (not just racing) it seems when some record or something spectacular needs to happen it suddenly appears. Just to name a few ( Earnhardt winning Daytona,the Patriots winning the Super Bowl with no superstars, Jerry Rice and Tim Brown records,and recently the Michael Jordon drama) to name a few. So what's next in racing....Rusty Wallace winning the Daytona..and yes i'm a Rusty fan. I just thought I'd give the viewers something to ponder while watching any sports event on the tube. Thanks for letting me spout off and we really enjoy your mail.I've even sent your cloumn out to alot of friends to subcribe and they love it.
thanks again.
twerp2

Well, I’m gonna leave that alone, cuz I sometimes wonder too….but I don’t think anyone helped Jr. on Saturday nite.

from Dale
Momma,
Thanks for posting my question about African-American drivers on your page. Also thanks to those who supplied info, and a special thanks to DE3FAN for the link he provided.
Dale

And on that note, read below Dale!

from RD
Momma,
There is only one Black driver in NASCAR currently, he is Bill Lester, runs for Bobby Hamilton in a Dodge truck. Willy T Ribbs used to run NASCAR briefly back in 1986.Wendel Scott ran NASCAR back in 1961 through 1973.
rd

Once again, guys, you should check out RD’s page…he’s a hoot and so are the people involved.  It’s definitely a NO HOLDS BARRED list, but fun! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NASCAR_ANARCHY

from Trudy
Hey Momma!!  Sorry to be gone so long.  Thanks for all the wonderful things about Junior!!!  He really is a "chip off the old block"!!!  He RULES, especially in the eyes of my 15-year-old daughter, who would LOVE to have that cardboard stand-up!!!  And the picture with Mikey...WHOOHOO!!
 
HOWEVER, what about Ward?????  No pics of the great lil man?;(
 
As far as Joe Nemechek...I have been a member of his fan club, which is great.  (His mother and wife are AWESOME!!!) But he NEVER takes responsibility for wrecking or anything else.  It's ALWAYS someone else's fault.  Too bad for him.  He wouldn't even give me an autograph until I told him I was a member of his fan club.  Even Tony Stewart gave me one..."just one, darlin'."
 
Thanks for a wonderful list!!!
Trudy

Welcome back Trudy…missed you and your comments.  Gotta fess up here guys, I have a stand up of Jr. up on my wall at work.  It is so awesome!  I have a stand up of Sr. too….but I keep him at home!  As far as Joe N goes, I know of quite a few drivers that are the same way.  Listen to Todd Bodine sometimes!  You should listen to Elliott Sadler too.  Every time he gets in a wreck, it’s always his “best” or “favorite” car.  He is such a hoot!

from hunichouse
Thanks Mom!   Finally it arrived.        Thanks again, I missed ya.

No problem.  If you have more probs, let me know.  Hubby has several lists and he gets a lot of complaints from AOL users, and he know’s how to fix most of ‘em.

from Jeff
I really enjoy receiving your newsletter.  Keep up the good work. Today I forwarded my newest newsletter that I received from you to a couple of guys that I know that due to work don't get to watch much of the Nascar Winston Cup races.  I hope that they will subscribe to your newsletter to keep up on the information availible from your newsletter.
 
Your newsletter ROCKS!!!...and I' don't plan on unsubscribing any time soon.

Thanks…..make sure they sign up….the more the merrier I always say!

Saturday Night's Shootout Most Watched Ever: Saturday's telecast by Fox Sports of the first nighttime running of the Bud Shootout posted a 5.5 rating, a 10 share nationally, according to Nielsen Media Research. The event generated an average audience of 9.5 million people, making it the most- watched Shootout in its 25-year history. - The Tampa Tribune

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A timely caution and a heavy rain combined to help Robert Huffman to his third consecutive NASCAR Dash series victory at Daytona International Speedway.

It is likely also to be his last.

Huffman, of Claremont, N.C., stayed out while others pit on Lap 33, taking over the lead and held off newcomer Dusty Williams before rain halted the race after 44 of 60 laps.

NASCAR is not expected to sanction the series, which features smaller-bodied cars with six cylinder engines, after this season. Huffman was won the series championship four times (1990, 1998-2000).

"It's nice to win here no matter how many times it is," Huffman said. "The race played out there in the end right into our hands.

“We needed a caution lap around Lap 24-25 and we got it. We could make it on gas and everybody else couldn't, to they pitted again and we didn't."

The race was slowed three times for caution, the final time for rain, for a total of 19 laps. There were four lead changes among four drivers.

Arlene Pittman hit the inside retaining wall hard on Lap 27 and was immediately transported to Halifax Medical Center, where her condition will be evaluated.

Rudd starting year with new team, attitude

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- The Wood Brothers finished second in the Daytona 500 last year, cashed in their winnings and immediately paid back their father the money they owed him.

A year later, things aren't nearly as tight.

Eddie and Len Wood are back at Daytona with veteran driver Ricky Rudd, a major commitment from sponsor Motorcraft and a ton of support from Ford Motor Company.

For the first time since 1994, when Morgan Shepherd ended the year sixth in points for the 54-year-old family owned Virginia-based team, the Wood Brothers have targeted finishing in the Top 10 as their season goal.

"We feel better than we have in a long time," said Len Wood, who along with older brother Eddie, runs the business started by father Glen and uncle Leonard the year after NASCAR was founded.

"Our immediate goal is to get to (the awards ceremony) in New York and the closer to the stage, the better. But we think we've got a shot at getting there."

Rain forced a 24-hour postponement of Sunday's pole qualifying for the Feb. 16 race, so Rudd and his new team sat idle through the storm thinking about what could be the beginning of a comeback for the famed No. 21 Ford.

Rudd takes over the car from Elliott Sadler, who drove it to a runner-up finish here last season, only to announce a few months later he wanted out of his contract to go to a more competitive team.

When owner Robert Yates decided not to renew Rudd's contract after three seasons, Sadler and Rudd essentially swapped seats.

Rudd is confident he can bring the car back to prominence. The Wood Brothers have 97 career wins -- 36 by David Pearson from 1973 to 1978 -- but only three victories since 1988.

"Everyone thinks this is a tiny team tucked away in Stuart (Va.) and 100 years behind," Rudd said. "But it's the total opposite. I know what we've got to work with, I know where we are and I know where we are headed.

"At this time of the year, all the teams are optimistic, but we really are feeling good about our chances."

To get Rudd, the Wood Brothers needed to significantly upgrade their program. They had the money to pay the salary Rudd was looking for, but meeting his demands would have meant skimping in competition areas.

So sponsor Motorcraft upped its commitment and Ford did everything it could to lend its support.

With a sudden surplus of cash, the Woods are guaranteed a minimum of 120 hours in the wind tunnel this season -- each hour costs $2,100 -- to improve their technology.

And they are one of just a handful of teams using an innovative 40 percent model program, which gives them a scaled-down version of a Winston Cup car to try new technologies on and take to the wind tunnel at half the cost.

But they were forced to wait until Monday to see how far they've come in the short time since Rudd was hired in August.

The delay was the first time Daytona 500 qualifying was postponed since 1983.

Rudd knows he should have a good car, based on testing results, his eighth-place finish in Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout, and Sadler's success last season in the car.

But he knows it will be a crowded field and is already acknowledging Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip are probably the favorites.

"We'll have to deal with the No. 8 (Earnhardt) and No. 15 (Waltrip)," Rudd said, "but after that, we've got as good a chance as anyone."

Practice crash forces two teams to backups
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A five-car accident with less than 10 minutes remaining in the day's only NASCAR Winston Cup practice cost at least two teams their primary cars for the Daytona 500.

Teams were conducting drafting practice preparing for Thursday's Gatorade 125-Mile Qualifying Races at Daytona International Speedway when the cars of Jack Sprague and Steve Park made side-to-side contact heading into Turn 1.

Sprague's NetZero Pontiac bounced off Park's Pennzoil Chevrolet and crossed the track into Mike Skinner's Kodak Pontiac, which was running on the inside of what was developing into a three-wide situation.

Skinner's car was knocked into a spin and it collected the trailing M&M's Ford of Elliott Sadler and the CITGO Ford of Jeff Burton. It was the second straight year that Burton was involved in a crash in practice.

Burton's Roush Racing team and Sadler's Yates Racing teams immediately said they would go to back-up cars.

Skinner's team unloaded its back-up car and began sending it through inspection to use it in Wednesday's 10:05 a.m. ET Winston Cup practice. The team intends to fix the damaged car to use in the first Gatorade 125.

Sprague said his Haas CNC team would try to repair his Pontiac's nose to use that car.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It took his father's old team, and a driver who kept trying to tell people that he had something up his sleeve, to deny Dale Earnhardt Jr. the pole for the Daytona 500 on Monday.

Jeff Green and his Chevrolet from Richard Childress Racing, the team the late seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt brought to glory, trumped Earnhardt Jr. in the rain-delayed time trials by running 186.606 mph to earn the top starting spot for Sunday's race.

Green, driving the No. 30 Monte Carlo, was lined up right behind Earnhardt Jr. in the qualifying order and to a large degree seemed to be in his shadows as 50 cars vied for the front-row starting spots in the 500.

Earnhardt Jr. went out 35th and ran 186.382 mph in his No. 8 Chevrolet owned by the team his father built with the money he earned from winning races in Childress' cars. That put him on the pole at the time, but before the cheers had even died down Green one-upped him in the next car out.

"I really expected it," Green said. "A lot of people looked at me like I had four eyes when I said it."

Green didn't do a lot of practicing on Saturday because he saw no reason to tip his hand. Rain on Sunday then pushed qualifying back a day, forcing Green through an agonizing wait.

"Yesterday was the longest day of my life because I knew how good of a car we had," he said. "I kept telling my wife, Michelle, how good it was. She was just shaking her head, but we made a believer out of her today."

Green credited his team's new crew chief, Mike Beam, and all the people who build the cars and the engines for Childress' teams. Childress, who was smiling after seeing all three of the Chevrolets he owns among Monday's six fastest qualifiers, credited Earnhardt, too.

"He was the man here for many, many years," Childress said.

And it looked like his son, who won the Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway, was going to be the man here during Speedweeks 2003.

Earnhardt Jr. had been strong in Saturday's 500 practice before the Shootout, and after his Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate Michael Waltrip went 185.460 mph to set the early mark on Monday, nobody was surprised to see the No. 8 pop to the top of the scoreboard after Earnhardt Jr. made his run.

Earnhardt Jr. had no major complaints even after Green slipped ahead of him.

"I am satisfied," he said. "For me, it was a fantastic lap. I didn't expect to beat Michael. It was kind of bittersweet to lose the pole, but we've got a locked in position for the start of the race and our teammate Michael is in our 125. ...I think he's my toughest competition, so it's going to be fun to race with him."

Earnhardt Jr. and Waltrip will be the front-row starters for the second of Thursday's Gatorade 125s, qualifying races that will fill positions three through 30 in Sunday's lineup. Green will be on the pole for the first with his teammate, Robby Gordon, alongside him on Row 1.

Ricky Rudd, in his new Ford ride with the Wood Brothers, was fifth fastest on Monday with Kevin Harvick sixth in the third RCR Chevy. Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Sterling Marlin and Kyle Petty rounded out the top 10.

Reigning Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart never completed a qualifying lap in his No. 20 Chevrolet, backing off the throttle after hearing what he called a pop in his engine as he began the first of his two laps. He decided not to risk blowing up the motor and oiling down the track, further delaying time trials that started about 90 minutes late on Monday because of rain that returned to the Daytona area in mid-morning.

Stewart will start last in Thursday's second qualifying race, one that also will include Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace, the Penske Racing teammates who were a disappointing 32nd and 42nd, respectively, on Monday. Jeff Gordon, also something of a surprise with the 29th fastest speed, will be in the first race on Thursday.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Jeff Gordon's divorce case spilled over to the race track Monday when attorneys for his wife tried to subpoena several car owners at Daytona International Speedway.

NASCAR officials did not allow process servers into the track.

Most of the top teams have been subpoenaed at their home offices in the past month, and all have refused to open their books to Brooke Gordon and her lawyers.

Because the divorce is being heard in Florida, her lawyers want the car owners to have to fight new subpoenas in a local court.

"We wanted to take advantage of the fact they are in Florida and issue Florida subpoenas,'' said Terry Young, an Orlando-based attorney representing Brooke Gordon.

"If they choose to contest them, we want them to go before a Florida judge to do so.''

Young said a process server was turned away Friday when NASCAR teams reported to the track to prepare for Sunday's Daytona 500, so the papers were sent again Monday with Volusia County sheriff's deputies.

Young did not know if the deputies had gotten into the track, but a NASCAR official said they did not allow the subpoenas in.

Gordon, the four-time Winston Cup champion, was aware of what was happening at the track.

"It's out of my control, but I think it's really disgusting,'' he said. "It's a real shame that they are trying to drag all these other guys into this because to me, there are other ways for them to get what they are looking for. This is just harassment.''

The Gordons met early in the driver's career in Daytona's Victory Lane when the former Miss Winston model presented him with a trophy. They were married for seven years; she filed for divorce in March, citing marital misconduct.

Since then, her lawyers asked to examine the contracts other car owners have with their drivers and sponsors to determine what Gordon is worth as a car owner. The four-time Winston Cup champion owns a stake of Hendrick Motorsports.

NASCAR contracts are closely held secrets because teams don't want to reveal what kind of deals they are able to negotiate.

Most of the car owners have been outraged at the request to open their books, even though Jeff Fisher, Brooke Gordon's lead attorney, has promised confidentiality.

"They say they will keep it a secret, but the only way it can be kept a secret is if only two people know and one of them is dead,'' said car owner Felix Sabates. "This is just plain harassment, and by sending people to the race track, it shows she has no consideration for Jeff Gordon's career and thinks NASCAR is just a toy to play with.''

Gordon had to turn over papers in November that estimated his worth at about $48.8 million and that he earned more than $18 million in 2001.

Brooke Gordon has asked for exclusive use of their Highland Beach, Fla., mansion, valued at $10.2 million, as well as alimony, two cars and periodic use of their boats and an airplane. She also wants him to continue to pay the salaries of their housekeepers, maintenance workers and chef.

The racer has countersued, saying he should not have to equally split the couple's estate because he risked his life to collect it.

Florida law requires assets amassed during a marriage to be split evenly.

Your  Momma
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Did You Know

Dale Earnhardt won his first race in 1979 driving for Rod Osterlund.  The win was at Bristol.  Earnhardt went on to win at the half-mile track nine times.

from David
Who do you think was hollering louder..... You or me..... What a race.... I'm so proud of that kid.... A chip off of the ole' block..... From last to first..... And of course, you know his competitors are talking.... Jr's the man to beat when you unload at Tallegeda or Daytona.... It was also nice to see Teresa in Victory Lane and smiling..... He did everyone proud, including his Dad, who you know had to be looking on from the heavens up above.... The local paper had an article this morning comparing Jr. to his dad at Daytona.... As I read it to my wife, I ended
up getting all choked up..... And I thought I was over it.... Just goes to show, Dale Earnhardt's legacy lives on.... He is on my mind at all times when NASCAR goes to Daytona or Talledega.....
 
Enjoy your vacation.... I know you'll have plenty of racing to watch this week.... In fact, I'm sort of jealous...
 
Best Wishes,
David Robertson

Well, I did tell my friend that I heard ya hollerin clear up here in Colorado...but figured that you heard me too!  If my friend hadn't been here during that race, I would have bawled like a baby when Jr. won...lol

from MamaBigPat

Thanks for all the info on the Bud Shootout.  And YES I plan on having a ball.  I printed out some daily papers with your info, HOPE YOU DON'T MIND, for the crowd going up and WE ARE IN GEAR!!
MamaBigPat

Any time, that’s what I’m here for!  You can print whatever you want...be sure to pass this to your friends....they may want to get it too!

from lugs
Willy T Ribbs was another black driver but he only ran the Crafsman truck races for one or 2 seasons.

...lugs

Wendell Scott was the only African-American driver to win a NASCAR Winston Cup Series Event.  that is a Nascar fact, but i can find more info about him.

......Lugs

There is also another driver in the Craftsman Truck series right now.  He drives for Bobby Hamilton.

from Jo
Something worked!  After two years of getting the runaround from Time Warner, my daughter got SPEED on cable installed this morning!!!  Yeah.
Jo, Lake Alfred, FL

Just in time for 77 hours of televised Speedweeks.  Way to go!

From DE3FAN
This is a link to a 2002 article on African-Americans in NA$CAR.

 http://www.aaim1.com/aaim1%20web2/Web%20pages/2002_winston_cup_schedule.htm

Momma,
Yes I will be glad to post, and host, any polls you would like.
Larry

So there you have it.  Once again, DE3...you come to the rescue!  Thanks Larry.

from Mike
How about the Square D-Cup? Pamela Anderson could be the Official Mascot.

Mike Cary

LMAO Mike….good one!

from Kate
I was like you so thrilled to see Jr. win! Disappointing to see qualifying rained out tho. Just delays the tension. How about doing a stat list on all the drivers in this season. I see a lot of new names. By stats I mean name,age,car number, etc... Oh and how many rookies are there this year and who do you think will be the rookie to watch?

I’ll see what I can do…it may take awhile, but will get most of it done!

from Dave and the dogs
ok hi we won the 1st one  -  Good job  - thanks for the sunday edition
dave  and  the dogs

from Judy
Momma, Received a newsletter today.  Sunday.  Still nothing else. Glad Jr. won.  Will be getting a large cardboard cutout of him from my beer store.  Have to wait til november.  It is cool.  Hubby is going to be riled.         Judy

At this point Judy, I went in and fixed you on the site, but I’m thinking it has to be AOL on your end.  Don’t know what to tell you!

INDY DOUBLE POSSIBLE FOR 2
The Indianapolis Star reports today that John Andretti has Petty Enterprises' OK to try to run in the Indianapolis 500 as well as the Coca-Cola 600 Winston Cup race this year and says Robby Gordon may try the same double. The paper says Andretti has Petty Enterprises' permission for the first time since 1994, when he became the first to run both races on the same day. The story says the race is significant to Andretti because his cousin Michael Andretti will retire after the race. The story also says that Gordon, the Richard Childress Racing Winston Cup driver who ran in both races last year, is close to lining up a sponsorship deal that would enable him to run as well.

First out: Geoffrey Bodine, who drew the pole position for the Budweiser Shootout, was the first driver out of the race. Bodine was only able to compete three laps before suspension problems ended his day in the No. 11 Hooters Ford.

Film Honored: The remake of The Daytona 500 was honored as “Best Sports Documentary” at the Los Angeles Film and Video Festival on Friday. The new Daytona 500 movie began showing in DAYTONA USA last week.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Joe Nemechek had a warning when Saturday's final Winston Cup practice was over: "Somebody better watch out for us, because we're coming."

Nemechek registered two second-place finishes in Hendrick Motorsports' No. 25 Chevrolet in the final four races last season and appears ready to build on that momentum.

He was fifth fastest in Saturday morning's practice and fastest in Saturday's final practice, followed closely by Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

"I think we're pretty good. You never know until it's time to go out (and qualify) and show everything you have," Nemechek said. "We just don't know how much everybody else is going to pick up.

"We should have a good shot at a top 10, hopefully a top five tomorrow. You know DEI is going to be strong."

Nemechek's No. 25 was among the first cars to clear inspection Friday, which the drive attributed to his team's preparation.

"The biggest thing is that they've got so many templates - trying to make all the templates fit - and all of ours fit when we went through," he said. "We didn't have to work on our car."

Strong Shootout gives Schrader hope for future
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- If anyone thought otherwise, Ken Schrader proved Saturday night in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona there's plenty of raciness left in the wily veteran.

Schrader, who little more than a month ago had serious questions about whether his NASCAR Winston Cup career would continue in 2003, was second -- by only .088 seconds -- to race winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. with only three laps to go in the 70-lap special event.

The decision to take only fuel on a pit stop with less than 20 laps remaining and what Schrader called a minor miscalculation in traffic cost him three spots at the finish.

"I'm just the oldest, not the worst," Schrader said, shaking his head. "I threw two spots away at the end and that really aggravates me.

"I left (Matt) Kenseth about an extra foot, but he deserved it. He had been knocking the hell out of me for the last 10 laps to get us up there but I left him an extra foot and he got up in there."

In the end, the fact that Schrader, 47, was disgusted with his sixth-place finish was proof enough that there's plenty of spark left in the Fenton, Mo., driver.

At Daytona, Schrader showed signs of becoming a Daytona legend when he won three consecutive Bud Poles for the Daytona 500 in 1988-90 and two straight editions of the Busch Clash, the forerunner to the Shootout. But Schrader hasn't won a Winston Cup race since 1991.

"Another day at the office," Schrader said after clambering out of his cockpit. "Last I remember I led most of this damn thing last year -- a fourth of the (Daytona) 500 and I qualified second the next week  (at North Carolina Speedway).

"Then stuff started falling off and we had problems."

The fact is despite the resounding start Schrader had no top-10 finishes, nine DNFs and finished 30th in the standings. MB2 Motorsports decided to go in a different direction well before the end of the season and Schrader picked up the last full-time seat available for 2003, with Beth Ann Morgenthau's BAM Racing.

"We're just trying to make 1-800-CALL-ATT proud," Schrader said of his team's sponsor. "The Morgenthaus committed to run the full year, with or without (sponsorship) and we signed seven races (with ATT)."

NASCAR brought a new aerodynamic package to Speedweeks 2003 in the Shootout, the first race of the new season; the racing was two- and three-wide all night -- similar to all four restrictor plate races last season.

"I didn't see where it was a lot different," Schrader said. "I mean, I think the rules are good. It's just teams -- crew chiefs, chassis guys, pit stops -- that make the difference.

"When everybody was complaining about the Pontiacs, Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart won championships with them. I was driving a Pontiac and not doing very good with it, but I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut about the Pontiacs with those guys winning.

"It's teams (that excel), and what they've (NASCAR) done is just eliminate all that aero stuff so you don't have an excuse -- just go race."

"It's all about momentum," BAM team manager Eddie Jones had said the day before, talking about his team's strong testing performances, at Daytona and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in January.

Schrader was only too happy to oblige Saturday night.

"Whose fault was that, anyway," Schrader said of the no-tires decision on his pit stop. "I was sitting there running fourth and saying, 'it isn't going to be too good if we put on tires,' so we didn't. It was getting a little wobbly, but it was OK -- it was a short race."

Schrader couldn't count on anyone remembering that he had led 46 laps in the 2002 Daytona 500 before he finished 26th.

"I got up to second and I knew that Jeff (Gordon) was going to have an entourage follow him on the inside and knew that Kenseth wasn't going to be happy keeping pushing me. I just screwed up that last lap and I hate that."

NASCAR's new policy limiting access to fans during Winston Cup races and practices met with general approval after its first live test in Saturday night's Bud Shootout.

"It was a lot less crowded last night on pit road, I thought," said Mike Smith, the rear-tire changer on the Wood Brothers' No. 21 Ford. "It was nice."

Smith understands why race fans would want to be on pit road during races. "I know the people want to get close," he said. "I don't blame them a bit; the closer you get the more you're going to be into it."

Still, having fans standing around a few feet outside a race teams pit stall can sometimes be vexing.

"What would happen is that you'd stack the tires two high and people start standing on them," Smith said. "They step in the middle of them and knock lug nuts off but don't tell you that. Then you go to put the tire on and the lug nut falls off."

Smith also said he's noticed a difference during practices. Under the new policy in effect this year, fans with "cold" pit passes must leave the garage and pit road a half-hour before practices or qualifying sessions begin. Only those with "hot" passes are allowed during those sessions.

"In practice, the cars come in coasting and people step out to take pictures and get cleaned over by a car that's not running and they don't hear it," Smith said. "You need to really pay attention, you can get hurt bad.

"Practice has been real clean. The ones who are in there are the ones who've been around Winston Cup racing and they know how to stay out of the way."

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Rusty Wallace peered under the hood of his new Dodge Intrepid, his brow crinkled with concern and his eyes glistening with frustration.

The first practice sessions for the Daytona 500 can be the most agonizing time for a team. When the cars hit the track Saturday, Wallace was slow and his crew had no idea why.

"It's humiliating when you run like we just did," Wallace said. "I'm as mad as can be about this because we do not know what the problem is."

Wallace, making the switch from Ford to Dodge this season, was 42nd out of 51 cars after the final practice session before Sunday's official qualifying session.

Only the top two qualifiers earn a spot in the field for the Feb. 16 season opener. In Daytona's unique qualifying format, the rest of the 43-car field will be filled by a combination of qualifying speeds, results of two 125-mile qualifying races run on Thursday and car owner provisionals.

So teams want their cars as fast as possible in the two rounds of time trials, otherwise they've got five days of hard work ahead to improve the car before the qualifying races.

Ryan Newman, Wallace's teammate, also struggled Saturday with the 19th fastest speed.

It was baffling to the Penske Racing South teams because they had strong testing sessions at Daytona last month and made no changes to the cars.

"We're as stumped as anyone," Newman said. "We changed nothing and we lost speed."

The Penske cars at least had some hope of learning a few things in Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout. Because both Newman and Wallace were entered in the race, they had a chance to see how their secondary cars ran in race trim and apply it to the primary cars if they have to race their way into the 500.

"The Shootout cars are so good, that's what makes this so confusing," Wallace said. "Neither of us are as good as we were in testing and we don't have much time to figure out why."

The season hasn't even started yet and Jeff Gordon already is tired of the often-asked questions about his personal life.

Gordon is in the middle of a divorce from his wife, Brooke, and spent much of last season denying the split was a distraction in his racing career.

The offseason did little to silence the skeptics.

"I still have a hard time believing that breaking a rear-end spring at Sears Point had anything to do with (the divorce)," Gordon said Saturday when asked about the distraction.

Mechanical failures aside, Gordon is now admitting that attention paid to his personal life sometimes caused his mind to wander last year.

"I didn't maybe think it was going to be as big of news as it was," he said  "There's no doubt that that stuff was a distraction - more of just the actual events going on than the media."

Junior, Waltrip like chances for Bud Pole

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. has established himself as a favorite any time he takes to the track at Daytona International Speedway.

What he doesn't have on his racing resume is a Daytona 500 pole -- yet.

Junior, who still loves this track despite the painful memories it brings to mind, is considered one of the strong favorites to get that pole Sunday when the two front-row positions for the race Feb. 16 are determined.

Earnhardt led the first Winston Cup practice on Saturday with a lap of 184.521 mph. Several hours later, he improved to 184.759, but finished third on the day behind Joe Nemechek's 185.189 and Michael Waltrip's 184.953.

Earnhardt didn't mind being third in practice.

"The car is good," he said. "I don't want to say too much and jinx us."

Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway, NASCAR's biggest and fastest tracks, are the only places where carburetor restrictor plates are required.

The steel plates, with tiny holes drilled in them, limit the amount of air mixing with the gasoline, thereby sapping horsepower. As NASCAR intended, that keeps the cars under 200 mph on the big tracks.

Earnhardt Jr. and Waltrip, teammates at Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team founded by the late Dale Earnhardt, have become the drivers to beat at Daytona and Talladega since the beginning of the 2001 season.

Two years ago, Junior's famous father was killed in a crash on the last lap of the Daytona 500.

At the moment Dale Sr. was hitting the fourth-turn wall, Little E was following Waltrip across the finish line for what would have been a joyous 1-2 finish for DEI Chevrolets under other circumstances.

To that point, it was Junior's best finish on NASCAR's most famous track.

Since then, Waltrip and Earnhardt Jr. have combined to win six of the last eight plate races. That includes a victory by Earnhardt Jr. in the 2001 Pepsi 400 at Daytona and wins in his last three Talladega starts.

Waltrip added a victory in the 2002 Pepsi 400, with Earnhardt Jr. finishing second.

Junior's father openly disliked plate racing, but he was acknowledged as the master at Daytona and Talladega. Junior has inherited the knack but not the distaste.

"I like the tracks," he said. "I like the speed. I like racing in the close packs, bumper to bumper.

"It's a little bit different than what we normally do throughout the year. I don't feel like I get enough of it."

Nobody will be surprised if the teammates sweep the front row Sunday.

"Our cars are capable of doing that," Waltrip said. "Even if we don't, though, they'll have to think about us in the 500."

Waltrip, who had never won until he ran his first race with DEI in 2001, loves being a favorite.

"I was so confident about running the 2001 Daytona 500," he said. "No one really thought much about our chances, except us. Then we won.

"Last year, I had the same mentality. We won the 125 (qualifying) race and we were leading the 500 when we had a failure on a part of our car, which kept us from defending. Once again, that same state of mind is present and I feel good about winning."

Nemechek, starting his first full season in the No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, isn't sure he is really a pole contender.

"Everybody has got to go through the 'Room of Doom,' " Nemechek said, referring to NASCAR's inspection area. "So I think we've got as good a shot as any to be close.

"A top 10 would be great. But, just to have a shot at the pole is going to be pretty cool."

1. Matt Kenseth
2. Ricky Craven
3. Mike Skinner
4. Norm Benning
5. Jimmy Spencer
6. Jeff Burton
7. Michael Waltrip
8.  Jack Sprague
9.  Mike Wallace
10. Ward Burton
11. Ricky Rudd.
12. Kyle Petty
13. Sterling Marlin
14. David Green
15. Elliott Sadler
16. Terry Labonte
17. Greg Biffle
18. Jeff Gordon
19. Hermie Sadler
20. Bobby Labonte
21. Jamie McMurray
22. Ken Schrader
23. Mike Harmon
24. Mark Martin
25. Rusty Wallace
26. Tony Stewart
27. Joe Nemechek
28. Jerry Nadeau
29. Jeremy Mayfield
30. Derrike Cope
31. Casey Mears
32. Kirk Shelmerdine
33. Johnny Benson
34. Steve Park
35. Todd Bodine
36. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
37. Jeff Green
38. Kurt Busch
39. Larry Foyt
40. Bill Elliott
41. Jimmie Johnson
42. Robby Gordon
43. Kevin Harvick
44. John Andretti
45. Ryan Newman
46. Tony Raines
47. Dave Blaney
48. Dale Jarrett
49. Christian Fittipaldi
50. Kenny Wallace
51. Brett Bodine

Your  Momma

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What a battle that raged on the 2 1/2 mile track last night.  The last 5 laps, I couldn't sit still.  My legs were shaking, my heart pounding, my lungs ready to burst.   When Jr. crossed that finish line, what a yell I let loose....Hubby was not a happy camper.  He wanted Jeff to win.  But my driver won.  With a little help from Ryan, he was able to pass Jeff and take the win.  WAY TO GO JR.!!!!!!!!!!  But for the rest of the race, Jr. did it on his own.

I had a friend over yesterday, and she just couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about.  What was the big deal of grown men driving in circles fast and turning left.  By the time the race was over, she knew.  She is hooked.  She said she would be back for the 500.  She just busted a gut watching me in the last 5 laps.  But now she understands at least!

Ok, I'll get on with the stories!

Dale Earnhardt Jr. gave the new Monte Carlo a victory in its first event of Speedweeks.
Credit: Autostock

Dale Jr. outruns Gordon, wins Budweiser Shootout

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. powered past Jeff Gordon five laps from the end Saturday night and held off the four-time Winston Cup champion to win the Budweiser Shootout.

Earnhardt appeared able to wheel his red No. 8 Chevrolet to the front any time he wanted, staying at or near the lead throughout the 70-lap made-for-TV event at Daytona International Speedway.

Little E was already considered the favorite to win the Daytona 500 pole on Sunday and to win the big race on Feb. 16. His performance in the first Shootout under the lights didn't hurt that speculation.

With Gordon, a two-time Shootout winner, leading at the start of lap 66, Earnhardt, with some drafting help from Ryan Newman, took the outside line on the high-banked 2.5-mile oval and charged to the front.

Gordon pushed his Chevy hard the last five laps, trying to get back past Earnhardt, but he never quite caught the high-flying third-generation driver.

Asked about taking the lead, Junior said, "I can't remember, there was so much happening the last two laps," Earnhardt said when asked about his move to the lead. "But I stayed out front. That's a tough win."

It was only the second time Earnhardt has qualified for the non-points race featuring the previous year's Winston Cup pole winners and former Shootout champions. Last year, he finished second to Tony Stewart.

Earnhardt, who started last in the lineup determined by a blind draw, was hemmed in at the rear for a few laps, but finally broke free and began to move forward by diving to the bottom of the banking and making a three-wide pass.

He moved steadily forward and took the lead for the first time on the 16th of 70 laps, passing the Ford of Kurt Busch, who had led from lap five.

Under a new format, the 19 starters in the 25th Shootout raced for 20 laps, then took a 10-minute intermission, during which their crews were allowed to make any changes to the car they wanted.

After the break, Earnhardt found himself in a battle with Busch's teammate, Matt Kenseth. The pair exchanged the lead five times before Gordon, who started just ahead of Earnhardt at the rear of the field, raced to the front.

Gordon stayed in the lead until all the cars pitted on lap 51. With some teams putting in gas only, others taking two tires and Jimmie Johnson taking four tires, there was considerable shuffling.

Mark Martin and Ken Schrader came out of the pits on top, with Gordon fifth and Earnhardt sixth.

It took Gordon until lap 56 to get back out front, with Earnhardt biding his time after following Busch up to third on lap 59.

Earnhardt was actually fourth at the start of lap 66, but took the line at the top of the banking and shot past Rusty Wallace, Busch and Gordon to take the lead for good.

"I was looking good with five to go," Gordon said. "But Junior is so strong on these restrictor- plate tracks."

NASCAR uses the plates at Daytona and Talladega, it's two longest and fastest ovals, to sap horsepower and keep the cars under 200 mph in the interest of safety.

Earnhardt's late father, a seven-time Winston Cup champion, was a master of the plate tracks. The younger Earnhardt is probably the best on those tracks today.

He has won four of the last eight plate races at the two big tracks and finished second to Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate Michael Waltrip in two others.

"This is a drivers' track sometimes, and you have to know what you are doing, especially when the tires get worn," Earnhardt said. "I love this track.

"This is like coming home to your mom from college or something.  It's great to be back here."

Earnhardt, who won $205,000, beat Gordon to the finish line by 0.180 seconds -- about four car-lengths. There were no caution flags and the winner averaged 180.827 mph.

Kenseth finished third, followed by Newman, 2002's top rookie; defending Daytona 500 champion Ward Burton, Schrader and Johnson -- who came from last after the break.

The only driver who didn't finish was Geoffrey Bodine, who started from the pole but came in after just three laps because of a broken suspension.

Stewart, who won the 2002 Winston Cup championship in a Pontiac, had a disappointing night in the debut of his Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet. He never challenged for the lead and wound up 15th.

There were 13 lead changes among seven drivers in a race that featured considerable two- and three-wide racing and passing in the pack on nearly ever lap.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. impressive in Budweiser Shootout win
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Much has changed since the end of the 2002 NASCAR season, but one thing hasn't.  When it comes to restrictor-plate racing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has learned his lessons well.

Earnhardt Jr., who has followed in his late father's footsteps as the man to beat in events where Winston Cup cars use the horsepower-reducing carburetor plates, passed Jeff Gordon for the lead on Lap 66 of the 70-lap race and held on to win this special non-points event for the first time in his career.

"This is my first win here in February," said Earnhardt Jr., who did win the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway in July of 2001 and has won the past three Cup events at Talladega, the other track where plates are used. "I've finished second two years in a row in this race. We finally figured it out."

Daytona, of course, is where Earnhardt Jr.'s father, seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, is the all-time leader in victories.

It's also where Earnhardt was killed in a last-lap crash in the 2001 Daytona 500, but despite that tragedy Earnhardt Jr. continues the affection his father had for the place where Earnhardt often thrilled crowds by going from worst to first, just like his son did on this cool evening.

"I am really excited to be in victory lane at Daytona," said Earnhardt Jr., who started 19th in the 19-car field. "I love this place. This is like coming home to your mom from college or something. I look forward to coming back every year."

Earnhardt Jr. pulled out of line on Lap 64 to make his bid to go from third to first. Gordon had to choose which lane to defend, and he chose incorrectly.

"When you're the leader and they're two-by-two behind you it's tough," Gordon said. "You have to pick a lane. He got a shove and the inside lane kind of held up a little bit."

That shove came in the form of a bump draft from Ryan Newman's Dodge, which helped push Earnhardt Jr. by Gordon on the high side.

The winner then held off one late charge from Ken Schrader and beat Gordon and a rapidly closing Matt Kenseth to the checkered flag.

"There was so much happening in the last few laps I can't even remember how I got the lead," Earnhardt Jr. said. "There is so much going on in your mind. You're trying to watch who is running on the top and who is running on the bottom and you're trying to get help from those guys."

It's no wonder that others might be reluctant to give Earnhardt Jr. help on a plate track, however, since he's hardly seemed to need it. His performance Saturday night in the first time this event had been run under the lights, combined with a strong showing in practice earlier for Sunday's Daytona 500 qualifying in the other No. 8 Chevrolet his Dale Earnhardt Inc. team has built has him excited about his outlook for Speedweeks.

"We come down here and we test and we run real hard," Earnhardt Jr. said. "We normally don't qualify real well, but our car looks good for (Sunday). We never really do play with them. I've just always gone to the front. I want to be up front. I want to be the guy leading."

Despite starting last Saturday night, he was leading by Lap 18, two laps before a 10-minute break new to the event's format this year.

Earnhardt Jr. was seventh on Lap 53 after pit stops in the final 50-lap segment, trailing four cars that took fuel only and then Gordon and Kurt Busch. He was fifth by Lap 59 and then made a jump to third behind that latter pair.

It was Lap 64 when Earnhardt Jr. pulled out of line and went to the high side to make his bid for the lead. His momentum faltered at first, leading Gordon to believe the low line Gordon was leading was the right place to be.

"When they're two-by-two and you're the leader in a single car, you have to pick a lane," Gordon said. "It's kind of a crapshoot. You just go with the one you think is going to work out.

"I was looking good. I had Kurt Busch behind me and we were going along pretty good. Junior got stalled out in that top lane and when he did, Ryan Newman came up there and just drilled him. If a guy can actually get to your bumper and hit you, it sends you so far out there and you get so much momentum. That's something you can't guess on.

"I knew Junior was out there but I thought even if he got beside me I still thought between Kurt and myself and what I know about drafting here I could still work the draft and beat him back to the line. But it didn't work out that way."

Tony Stewart, who had finished first ahead of Earnhardt Jr. in the past two Shootouts, battled an overheating problem in the first segment but fought back into the lead pack in the second before fading to 15th as traffic shuffled madly on the final laps. Newman wound up fourth with Ward Burton picking his way through traffic at the end to round out the top five.

1   Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2   Jeff Gordon
3   Matt Kenseth
4   Ryan Newman
5   Ward Burton
6   Ken Schrader
7   Jimmie Johnson
8   Ricky Rudd
9   Kevin Harvick
10 Ricky Craven
11 Kurt Busch
12 Rusty Wallace
13 Todd Bodine
14 Terry Labonte
15 Tony Stewart
16 Bill Elliott
17 Mark Martin
18 Dale Jarrett
19 Geoffrey Bodine

Ok, today is qualifying.  We will know who will be on the pole for the 500 before the day is out.  Enjoy your day, I know I will!

Until the next time, I remain,

Your  Momma

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Did You Know

There is a 10 inch clearance between the engine and the ground for a NASCAR Winston Cup car.

from Lugs
wow i'm surpized of Winstons disision to leave, but the BudweiserCup dont sound to bad, heres my top 10 list on companys that can aford to have it, sum don't realy sound to good tho lol.

1)     Budweiser Cup
2)     Pfizer Cup
3)     Pepsi Cup
4)     Coke Cup
5)     McD's Cup
6)     Miller Cup
7)     Coor's Cup
8)     Kelloge's Cup
9)     Mobil1 Cup
10)    Ford Cup.....:-)

Peace....
....Nuts

I have to say I was very shocked too…..I’m thinking the “Chevy Cup” sounds soooooo much better Lugs….you and yer dern ferds just ain’t gonna cut it….LOL

from Dale
Momma,
 
How many African-American drivers are there currently in NASCAR ? I have some money riding on this.

Ok guys, need your help here.....any ideas? As far as I know, in the Winston Cup series, there are no African-American's driving at this time.

from DE3FAN
Momma,
My poll will run until the Daytona 500 and then I will end it.  At that time I will send you the results.
Larry

Momma,
 
Look at the attachment and "tell me it ain't so"!  This surely has to be a mistake by Stock Car Racing magazine?  I just received my copy yesterday and just noticed the 2003 season line up today.  If Pennzoil quit DEI it has been kept secret all year!.........yet it still lists Dupont as the sponsor of Jeff Gordon/Hendrick #24????????
 
Larry

Thanks Larry, I appreciate your offering your poll in place of mine!  Greatly appreciated!  As far as Dupont being the sponsor of the number 1.  As far as I know, Pennzoil is the one and only major sponsor of Steve Park and the number 1 car….but I will keep my feelers out…

from Judy
Hi,  Something has happened that I am not getting the newsletter.  The last one was where we were supposed to vote.  Did I do something wrong or is aol jerking me around again?  I wait for it everyday and it never arrives.   I'm in withdrawal.       Judy

I went into the members page, and you had set up yourself to received only special notices.  I have changed you to now receive daily emails.  You should be getting this one today!  Let me know.

from Jeff
Momma,
 I still object to your use of the term" foreign" In your poll. I think it was a bias term, used to sway the voters. Not only does Toyota, have plants in Indiana, Kentucky, California, they just announced a new plant that will be be built in San Antonio, Texas. This plant will employ 2000 plus workers!!!!! Plus all the residual workers. How many of us has to work for a manufacturer in the great USA for us to be consider an American product, made by American workers????????? There are also all of us in warehouses and processing plants, dealerships, and all concerned.
 We are proud AMERICANS and deserve our product be able compete, and show the quality workmanship we provide also!!!!!!!!!!!  Why not rerun to poll and ask if other Manufactures should be allowed to compete. Be unbias and run one that represents all AMERICAN workers!!!!!!!!!!!  Jeff Roberts, Sealy, Texas

Jeff, I have agreed to let DE3Fan run the poll, as you have to be a member of yahoo in order to vote.  That link is below.  Going forward, if DE3 agrees, any poll run will be through him or through a new polling place as yahoo is too limited.

http://bhb10.tripod.com/de3fan/

GE Plastics Helps Power NASCAR; LEXAN Resin is Trackside with DEWALT Sponsorship and Windshield Technology: GE Plastics, a leading worldwide producer of engineering thermoplastics and a division of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) today announced a one-year sponsorship of the DEWALT #17 stock car, driven by Matt Kenseth in the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Racing Series. GE Plastics is the manufacturer of LEXAN(R) resin, a material that has long played an important role in NASCAR safety and stock car performance. LEXAN resin is one of the toughest and most versatile polymers in existence and can be found in everything from the bullet resistant canopies on fighter jets to camping equipment, computers, cell phones, CDs and DVDs. 2003 marks the 50th anniversary of GE Plastics' invention of LEXAN polycarbonate. The company is celebrating this important milestone with events and activities throughout the year.

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DAYTONA BEACH -- Taking the stage at NASCAR'S annual media day at Daytona International Speedway, Teresa Earnhardt today announced the first four confirmed musical artists who will perform at the inaugural Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert June 28, 2003.

The all-star fundraising concert will cap a daylong festival honoring the seven-time Winston Cup Champion. The concert, sponsored by Kraft and its Nabisco Biscuit Division, will be the first marquee event of the Dale Earnhardt Legacy Program, which was unveiled in December. It will feature as many as seven headliners including Grammy Award-winning artists Sheryl Crow, Alabama and Brooks & Dunn and double platinum artist Kenny Chesney.

"Dale was a fan of many types of music and over the years we've been fortunate to meet some wonderful and talented artists who have become good friends," said Teresa Earnhardt. "Many of those immediately agreed to get involved with this project. Music was a big part of Dale's life, so it's only fitting that we kick off the Dale Earnhardt Foundation in such an uplifting and entertaining way."

This all-day festival of music and memories – the first to benefit the Dale Earnhardt Foundation –begins at noon when fans will be treated to interactive exhibits from concert sponsors and special guest appearances. The music starts at 3 p.m. and will continue well into the night.

Teresa Earnhardt established the Foundation as a means to carry on Dale's name and good works through the charitable causes he championed during his lifetime. The Foundation is a cornerstone of the Dale Earnhardt Legacy Program.

"Dale Earnhardt was a tribute to the sport of NASCAR and his legacy is undeniable," said Lesa Kennedy, Executive Vice President, International Speedway Corporation. "His success at Daytona International Speedway is unmatched by any driver and this concert will be a fitting celebration of his accomplishments."

Tickets for the concert will go on sale March 22 through all Ticketmaster outlets. However, all Dale Earnhardt fans should mark the date March 3, when all www.DaleEarnhardtInc.com premium content members, otherwise known as DEInsiders, will get the exclusive opportunity to purchase advance tickets to the Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert. All concert ticket holders will receive a free ticket to the Kraft/Nabisco Qualifying night on July 2 at Daytona.

Long time corporate supporter Kraft and its Nabisco brands are sponsoring the Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert as part of the company's 100th anniversary celebration in 2003. In addition, the company announced that it is donating $500,000 to the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, marking the Foundation's first large contribution.

"We consider it a privilege to lend our support to both the Tribute concert and the Foundation," said Tom Corley, Vice President, South Area Sales for Kraft. "We hope our involvement in the Tribute concert will raise additional awareness for this important cause, along with being a fun event for everyone."

In other news, Teresa Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. announced that Dale Jr. will race a new, custom-painted No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert Chevrolet car in the 300-mile NASCAR Busch Series event at Talladega Superspeedway on April 5, 2003. The special Tribute car was unveiled at the news conference.

"This concert at Daytona is going to rock," said Dale Jr. "When you see this level of performers jumping on board to play just shows how much my Dad meant to them. This is a show he would have loved."

The cornerstone of the Dale Earnhardt Legacy Program, the non-profit 501 C-3 Dale Earnhardt Foundation, will carry on Dale's name and good works through charitable causes he supported during his lifetime. These include those in the children's and educational areas, as well as wildlife preservation. Teresa Earnhardt is working with high-level fundraising consultants to determine how to best utilize monies raised across these areas. The Foundation will be funded through individual and corporate donors, as well as fundraising events like the Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Geoffrey Bodine drew the pole position Thursday for Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway, the opening event of Speedweeks 2003 and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series season.

Bodine, who a month ago had no plans to race anything this season, will lead the 19-car field to the green flag in his No. 11 Hooters Ford.  His younger brother, Brett Bodine, entered the car this week due to Geoffrey's guaranteed starting spot in the Shootout.

The elder Bodine, 53, earned his spot in the Shootout field when he won the 1992 version of the event. Their younger brother, Todd, will start eighth in the No. 54 Army National Guard Ford.

The race will be telecast live by FOX Sports and broadcast on MRN Radio at 8 p.m. ET. The winner will pocket $205,000.

"This is what's called brotherly love and I'm happy to be able to help Brett out," said Geoffrey, who finished third in the 2002 Daytona 500 while running a partial schedule for James Finch.

"It's a tune up for Brett to get ready for the 125s (qualifying races) and the Daytona 500. I love my brothers Brett and Todd. When we put our helmets on it gets a little heated, but this is going to be a lot of fun."

Jimmie Johnson will start his sophomore season on the outside of the front row in his No. 48 Chevrolet.

"That's gonna be good," Johnson said. "With the smaller pack there's not as much going on and if you get sent to the back there's not far to go. I just have to do my job and stay up there."

Tony Stewart, the defending Winston Cup champion, has won the last two Budweiser Shootouts. Stewart will start his Home Depot Chevrolet in the 12th spot.

Kurt Busch, Ricky Rudd, Matt Kenseth, Ricky Craven, Dale Jarrett, Todd Bodine, Mark Martin and defending Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton will start third through 10th.

Ken Schrader, Stewart, Bill Elliott, Rusty Wallace, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, Terry Labonte, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. round out the field.

The race format calls for an initial 20-lap segment. At lap 20 a caution flag will be thrown and teams will come down pit road for a 10-minute break to add fuel, change tires and make minor chassis adjustments.

Drivers will align themselves in the same way they finished the first segment for a final 50-lap run that will require at least one fuel stop to complete, due to 13.5-gallon fuel cells mandated by NASCAR for Speedweeks 2003.

During both segments caution laps count but this year the race must finish under green.

Earnhardt Jr., who drives the Budweiser Chevrolet, wasn't too bothered by his 19th starting spot.  Junior has won four out of the last eight races at NASCAR's restrictor-plate tracks, including the 2001 Pepsi 400 at Daytona.

"Can't get any worse, I guess," Junior said. "That will be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to it. I'll probably get my game face on during that break."

And the lineup for the Shootout is:

1.  Geoffrey Bodine, Ford.
2.  Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet.
3.  Kurt Busch, Ford.
4.  Ricky Rudd, Ford.
5.  Matt Kenseth, Ford.
6.  Ricky Craven, Pontiac.
7.  Dale Jarrett, Ford.
8.  Todd Bodine, Ford.
9.  Mark Martin, Ford.
10.  Ward Burton, Dodge.
11.  Ken Schrader, Dodge
12.  Tony Stewart, Chevrolet.
13.  Bill Elliott, Dodge.
14.  Rusty Wallace, Dodge.
15.  Ryan Newman, Dodge.
16.  Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet.
17.  Terry Labonte, Chevrolet.
18.  Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet.
19.  Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet.

Manfred von Brauchitsch, a Grand Prix winner for Mercedes-Benz in the 1930s who became a senior sports official in communist East Germany after World War II, died at age 97.

Brauchitsch died in the eastern village of Graefenwarth, where he lived, the local council said Thursday.

Born in Hamburg in 1905, Brauchitsch turned to motor racing in 1929 after a motorcycle accident left him unfit for military service.

His first victory came in the Avus race in Berlin in 1932 with a streamlined Mercedes-Benz SSKL car. He won the Eifel race of 1934, but in July that year, he broke his arm and several ribs in an accident at the Nuerburgring circuit, knocking him out of contention for the rest of the season.

Brauchitsch won again at Monaco in 1937 and the 1938 French Grand Prix.

His racing career was cut short by the war, during which he served in a German army motorized division. Toward the end of the war, he worked as a tank consultant in Albert Speer’s armaments ministry.

Brauchitsch’s account of his racing career, “Fighting for Meters and Seconds,” was published in East Berlin in 1950. The following year, he signed an East German petition against the “remilitarization of Germany.”

In May 1953, West German police arrested Brauchitsch at his home in Bavaria on suspicion that he was planning an act of treason.  During his release on bail two years later, he defected to East Germany – leaving behind his first wife, Gisela, who committed suicide in 1957.

In the east, Brauchitsch became head of the national motor sport association and was involved in other sports bodies. He retired after Germany was reunified in 1990.

Remembering Speedweeks 2001:
A Speedweeks of Highs & Lows - Part 2
by R. Mark Stiles - Senior Editor & News Director
Part II

It's now Saturday and I have made my way back up in the tower. As I walk into the lounge area, there is Speedvision (SPEED Channel now) booth announcer Bob Varsha, a person that I have watched and admired over the years in covering Formula 1. I get the chance to talk to him for a little while, telling Bob how impressed I was of his ability to pronounce all those drivers names from the various countries (especially drivers in Formula One).

As I now enter into the announcer's booth the first thing I notice is that the fax machine has a stack of press releases which are sent over from the infield media centers. I check them over, highlighting things of importance that the announcers could relate over the PA to the gathering crowds in the grandstands and down in the infield. This now becomes part of where assisting the announcers begins.

The track was kind enough to set me up with an outside line, where I could plug in my laptop and do the work that I needed to get done with Catchfence. It also gave me the ability to do research and pull up various stats pertaining to the series, so that I could relay that information to the announcers. Before the night came, the hook up served to be even more advantageous with accessing Intellicast's weather radar. Rain was coming!

This 39th running of the Rolex 24 Hours, for me, was going to be exciting. I had some drivers that I wanted to keep my eye on, including Dale Earhardt and his son Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who were both making their debut in this endurance race. The Earnhardts had teamed up with Andy Pilgrim and Kelly Collins to drive the #03 Goodwrench Service Plus Corvette C5-R, and had shown during practices that they were going to be a team to reckon with. Another driver, Lyndon Amick (staff writer with Catchfence now) was also there, as well as Kyle Petty.

For the announcers working the 24 hours, shifts would be taken, just like how the drivers racing in the Rolex do what is called "stints." However, with this being my first, I was going to stick it out as long as I could.

It's just after 12:30 and the cars have started to take their warm up laps. Andy Pilgrim is starting the race, and Dale Earnhardt is expected to take over after Pilgrim, then Collins and then finally Earnhardt Jr.

About two hours later, Pilgrim comes into pit for tires and fuel, and the crowd notices that there is a driver change, and by their reaction, you know its Dale Earnhardt. At this point, the #03 was 2nd in its class, with their teammates in the #02 with Ron Fellows are leading the class.

Around 4:00pm, slight rain has begun to fall, and one by one, the cars had to pit and put on the rain tires. About thirty minutes later, the bottom dropped and it starts raining a lot heavier. By now, all the cars had switched to rain tires, and Kelly Collins is now behind the wheel of the #03. Collins stays in the car for the next hour or so, when there is some kind of confusion between the #03 team and the #02 team with pitting. This forces Collins to have to make one more lap, and as Collins is coming in to pit, he spins out, causing the car to stall and wasn't able to get it restarted (it turned out that the #03 was low on fuel).

Now for us up in the booth, Bowser has pulled his 6 hour "stint," while having some announcing assistance from sports car driver Frank Del Vecchio. As for me, I was continuing to keep an eye on the fax machine, as throughout the event, there would be long pit stops for problems to the various cars ranging from damage, gear box changes, brake problems et… This would give the DIS media people working the pit area, the chance to get quotes from team owners or drivers, and then fax those statements or anything else that was important to us, as well as the media personnel working the media centers and next door in the Press Box.

Another one of my duties was to keep an eye on the timing and scoring, keeping track of who was advancing or not advancing in each of the classes represented. I would then report to the announcer, who in turn would contact announcer Mike Paz down in the pits. Mike would then go over and get an interview with someone with the team, and do it over the PA.

As the evening approached, announcer Al "The Prince of Darkness" Robinson would come in take over for his shift (the Prince of Darkness was given to Al because he does the night announcing). Now Al, as some may know, is the Busch Grand National North media coordinator, but what many don't know about Al is that he is a walking auto racing encyclopedia. I was simply amazed at the stats that he would pull out right off the top of his head. If there was ever to be an auto racing version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and if Al was on it, he would go all the way to the million.

Along with Al Robinson, Tom Hnatiw (pronounced Nat-shoe) has joined us to assist in announcing. You may know of Tom from "Dream Car Garage" seen on SPEED Channel which he and Peter Klutt are the hosts of the show. Tom and I hit it off, as we both had interest in Mark Donohue. I shared with Tom the article that Jay Adamczyk (Jayski) and I co-wrote in the summer of '98 on remembering Mark Donohue. Before I knew it, Tom was reading excerpts of the article over the PA, and then sticks the microphone in front of me, asking me questions.

Now for me, the evening part of the 24 Hours is the most exciting, and to make it even more exciting, it had been raining on and off, with more rain expected throughout the night and into the early morning.

It's now around 7:30 pm, the rain had slacked off some and the #03 C5-R Corvette has come into pit, where Dale Earnhardt, Jr., gets behind the wheel for the first time of the race. But, unfortunately for Junior, they put slicks back on the car (they should have put on the intermediate rain tires instead or left the regular rain tires on until the track was dryer), and as soon as he got on the track and into the first turn, he spins out. Junior is able to collect the car without damage, only to spin out once again, but, staying calm and collective, Junior is able to continue on and gathers a very decent rhythm maintaining the 4th-place class position, and 9th-place overall.

Dale Earnhardt re-takes the reigns sometime after 9:30pm, but gets involved with another car, forcing him to pit and change the tire. Dale stays in the car for about the next two hours, and then is replaced by Pilgrim. Meantime, Lyndon Amick /Team Amick in the AGT Class #44 Corvette are running second in their class, while Kyle Petty/Orbit Racing team in the GT Class #43 Porsche, are running 8th in their class.

Back up in the booth, I have been watching the radar on Intellicast on my laptop, and Tom has turned me into the track weatherman (I don't claim to be a meteorologist, I just played one at the track), getting me to do hourly weather updates over the PA. At this point, I am in "hog heaven" as I sat there thinking to myself, this is great; I am actually being part of history made with the 39th running of the Rolex 24 Hours. And, I am still awake!

It's now just after midnight, Tom has left the booth to get some sleep before returning at daybreak, and it's just Al and I now up in the booth. With as big as Daytona is and with the addition of joining parts of the infield roads to the superspeedway that makes up the road course, another one of my duties was to serve as a spotter for the announcers. I have two different binoculars, one 25x zoom and one 50x zoom power, to help mainly in identifying numbers on the cars when there is an incident on the track or a car that has slowed down or stopped on the backstretch. With the combination of the binoculars and the direct feed to the television in the booth, helps in serving a more detailed description of what occurs.

It was about this time, while spotting, that I noticed that the #03 with Dale Earnhardt, Jr., had slowed down on the backstretch, and eventually coasted his way back to the pits. Junior had reported that he thought they lost the transmission, so the team immediately began to replace the transmission. It took approximately a half-hour to change the transmission and get Junior back on the track, but the car doesn't leave the pits. Unfortunately, Junior had mistakenly diagnosis the problem, as it turned out to be a broken half shaft instead. This causes further delay, and drops the team to 3rd-place in their class, and 15th-place overall, and it's now around 1:30 in the morning.

I continue to spot for Al and to do the things that I previously mentioned for the next couple of hours. Then as we are getting close to 4:00am, the yawning and the stretching is starting to take its toll on me and the eyelids are getting heavier. I then decided that if I wanted to be around for the last couple of hours, I better try and get some sleep. I ended up falling asleep in my chair, right there in the booth, and was eventually awaken by Bowser, joking on me being asleep in the chair.

We are now starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, as we are in the final three hours of the twenty-four hours to be run. The #02 C5-R Corvette team has taken the overall lead, while the #03 team has worked themselves up to third overall and second in their class. Unfortunately for the #03, they are many laps down and within the next hour if nothing happens to the #02 team, the hopes for a first-place finish for the #03 will be out of their grasp.

It's checkered flag time and the Ron Fellows/#02 Corvette Racing team were able to maintain the overall lead to the drop of the checkered flag, while the Earnhardts/#03 Corvette Racing team followed to a 4th-place overall finish and 2nd-place class finish. Kyle Petty/#43 Orbit Racing team finished with 7th-place overall and 4th-place in their class, while Lyndon Amick/#44 Team Amick Racing team finished 40th overall and 3rd in their class.

This been one experience that I don't think I can ever expect to forget, and it's just the beginning. At least I have a couple days to rest, look over all the fax of stats and releases that came over (matter of fact, I still have that stack) and check out the sites in Orlando before I need to return to the track, because now, NASCAR IS COMING!

In Part 3, NASCAR comes, ARCA, Goody Dash and Cheever gets a touch of Earnhardt in IROC, and in Part 4, "The Great American Race," the Daytona 500; we lose a hero.

You can reach Mark Stiles at: mstiles@...

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Michael Waltrip has a more confident stride these days. He remains a proud little brother to retired NASCAR icon Darrell Waltrip but no longer drags a family scrapbook filled with great expectations.

After an ominous winless streak extending 462 races, Waltrip slowly is shedding the obligatory references that made his failures that much more obvious. He broke the streak with a bittersweet victory in the Daytona 500 in 2001, marred by the death of close friend Dale Earnhardt. Waltrip returned here in the summer of 2002 to win the Pepsi 400, the highlight of an otherwise uneven Winston Cup season in which he finished 14th in points.

A new season brings new expectations, but perhaps nobody is calling themselves out more loudly than Waltrip and his comrades at Dale Earnhardt Inc., who are looking for a top-10 finish.

"He knows that this is his time," said Ty Norris, vice president for motorsports at DEI. "It's time for him to make hay."

Everything is in place: The team has been together for a year. Waltrip is in excellent shape. So is his No. 15 Chevrolet.

No excuses.

It's a better place to be than where Waltrip was last summer, driving around making left-hand turns without going anywhere. There were rumors that DEI didn't want him back for another run in 2003.

"There were a lot of questions," Norris said. "A lot more questions than answers."

But Waltrip rewarded DEI's faith by winning the Pepsi two weeks after signing a two-year contract extension.

Now, the burden of proof shifts to Waltrip. He seems fit for the ride, having taking a serious interest in physical fitness and proper diet. Part of the inspiration came from health guru Bob Greene, who has written a number of books on the subject. Some of it just was common sense. And most of it was Waltrip wanting to be in the best shape of his life.

At 6 feet 5 and 210 pounds, Waltrip is the tallest driver on the Winston Cup circuit, and the fit of a snug stock car certainly poses more of a challenge to him than anyone else.

He ran and stretched regularly, though he stopped short of putting in the mileage that allowed him to run the Tampa Bay Marathon in December 2001

"Physical strength gives me great mental strength, like the marathon deal I did," Waltrip said. "I did that because I thought I could be a better race-car driver. People might outrun me, but they're weren't going to outlast me."

The more pertinent issue is whether they can outlast his car.

Waltrip is an obvious is a good fit on superspeedways, with first-, second-, fifth- and eighth-place finishes at the superspeedways last season. The questions are a matter of consistency and what he can do on shorter tracks.

He might not be a three-time NASCAR champion and 84-race winner like big brother. But Waltrip, a few months short of 40, is working on becoming his own man, on his terms.

"A lot of people say, 'We're going to be great this year and so and so is going to happen,' but they're just words," Norris said. "Michael took action. Michael went out and took care of some areas where he thought he might need some help.

"We're in the best position we've ever been in. If we walk out of here and Michael Waltrip is anything else other than the Daytona 500 champion again, I think he and his guys will be very disappointed. We believe that he's the guy to beat."

Well, I guess that's it for today.  Enjoy the Bud Shootout tomorrow night...
Until the next time, I remain,

Your  Momma
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Poll Results
 
Ok, for those of you who could vote, here are the results!  Thanks for voting.

POLL QUESTION: Do you think Toyota and other "foreign"  cars should be allowed to race in  NASCAR?

CHOICES AND RESULTS
  - No Way, No How, 33 votes, 71.74%
  - Absolutley, 10 votes, 21.74%
  - On a limited basis., 3 votes, 6.52%

Wendell Scott is the only African-American driver to win a NASCAR Winston Cup Series event.

from Linda
Momma,
 
I did not know Dale's first start was at Charlotte.  However, I have a picture of Dale and on that picture it states: First start:  05/25/1975-Finished 22nd, Richard Childress finished 23rd. First win:  04/01/1979 @ Bristol-(named rookie of the year) First Winston Cup:  1980-Only driver ever to win both Winston Cup and Rookie back-to-back. Eighth Winston Cup:  Heaven's Raceway.....................2001

Concerning this article from Larry
Jeff Gordon was Rookie of The Year in 1994 and won his first Winston Cup in 1995. So Dale Earnhardt wasn’t the only one to do it
Linda 24 Fan

Hate to tell you this Linda, but Jeff Gordon was Rookie of the Year in 1993, and won his first Championship in 1995.  Jeff’s first start was at Atlanta in the fall of 1992.  It was Jeff’s first start in Winston Cup, and Richard Petty’s last race of his career.

BUSCH TO TEST CHAMP CAR

Kurt Busch, a Roush Racing Winston Cup driver who has expressed some interest in open-wheel racing in the past, is scheduled for a one-hour test today in a CART Champ car on the road course in Sebring, Fla. Roush Racing says Ford Racing and Team Rahal extended the invitation to the Las Vegas native, who this week re-signed to continue to drive for Roush. "I'm really excited to see how I do," Busch said. Plans call for Busch to take to the track from 4 to 5 p.m. today. (Wednesday)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - NASCAR and R.J. Reynolds officials on Wednesday confirmed changes to the format of the 2003 Winston all-star race, including a record $1 million payoff for the winner.

The race, scheduled for May 17 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., features race winners from the 2002 and 2003 seasons as well as past winners of the event.

Then-rookie Ryan Newman won the 2002 Winston and its then-record $750,000 purse. The race, entering its 19th season, has been hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway since 1987.

The Winston will continue to be run in three segments for a total of 90 laps. However, several changes have been in thoses segments and to The Winston Open, a race among drivers not already qualified for The Winston.

Among the changes:

- The first segment will consist of 40 laps, during which teams must make a mandatory green-flag, four-tire pit stop. If there's a late-segment caution, efforts will be made by NASCAR to ensure a green-flag finish. The top-20 finishers advance to the next segment.

- Following a 10-minute break, during which teams may work on their cars without losing track position, the second segment of 30 laps will be held. Only the top-14 finishers will advance to the third segment.

- Following another 10-minute break, the final segment of 20 laps will take place. The starting order will be inverted from positions three through 10 pfollowing a random selection process during the break. Only green-flag laps will count toward the total.

The winner of the final segments receives $1 million. The winner of the first two segments - as well as the pole winner - receives $50,000.

- The Winston Open, which included opportunities for two drivers to advance to The Winston the last two years, will return to one race in 2003.

However, the race will consist of two segments - of 20 and 10 laps - and only the top-14 finishers from the first will advance to the second. Only green-flag laps will count in the final segment and only the winner will advance to The Winston.

The Winston weekend will also feature the debut of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series at Lowe's Motor Speedway, with the inaugural Hardee's 200 set for May 16.

RJR, NASCAR discuss sponsor switch
By Lee Montgomery Turner Sports Interactive

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Winston Cup in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series may be gone after 2003.

The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company said it has talked with NASCAR about the possibility of the sanctioning body finding another company to become the title sponsor of stock-car racing's top division.

Last July, RJR signed a five-year agreement to continue as the backer of the Winston Cup Series. But times have changed, said Ned Leary, president of Sports Marketing Enterprises, the arm of RJR that handles NASCAR sponsorship.

"Since that time, our business dynamics have changed dramatically," Leary said. "In our ongoing conversations with NASCAR, we have discussed the potential of their exploring a new series sponsor at some time in the future."

The news is a bombshell in the NASCAR world.

RJR has been the title sponsor since 1971, when the company came into the sport as manufacturers were leaving. Many have considered Winston to be a saving grace to NASCAR, establishing a points fund and pumping millions of dollars into the sport.

Winston Cup has become synonymous with NASCAR in the years since. Last week, Winston announced an increase in its season-ending points fund to $17 million, with the Winston Cup champion getting $4.25 million.

But on Jan. 6, perhaps a sign of things to come, RJR announced it was discontinuing the No Bull 5 program that could have handed out a $1 million bonus to a driver and fan at one of five selected races.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings Inc., the parent company of RJR, announced last week losses in the fourth quarter of 2002. The company lost $59 million in the final three months, as opposed to an $89 million profit in the same span of 2001.

The company blamed increased spending on promotions on the losses, saying it needed to spend more to compete with other tobacco companies both large and small.

The company also had a $224 million restructuring charge for the elimination of 635 jobs and the proposed sale of two businesses, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.

RJR also had a loss in the first quarter of 2002, and profits for the entire year were down compared to 2001.

Reynolds Holdings stock was down .49 to 41.65 Wednesday, a decline of 1.16 percent.

Leary set no timetable for when Winston could leave the sport.

"We have always worked with NASCAR and others to do what was in the best interest of this great sport," Leary said. "As the series sponsor, we will continue our work to grow this sport."

Last week, NASCAR lost another long-time sponsor when ConocoPhillips, owner of the 76 gasoline brand, announced it would not return next year as the official provider of fuel.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Winston and NASCAR have discussed the prospect of the sanctioning body finding a new title sponsor for its top racing series, an official with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. admitted Wednesday.

"In our ongoing conversations with NASCAR, we have discussed the potential of their exploring a new series sponsor at some time in the future," Ned Leary, president of Sports Marketing Enterprises for RJR, said in a statement issued Wednesday.

Leary's statement included no definitive word that RJR will end its sponsorship of the Winston Cup series, a relationship that began in 1971. Neither did it give any timetable for making such a decision.

"I hope it doesn't happen," said Clay Campbell, president of Martinsville Speedway. "If it does, they definitely will be missed."

NASCAR officials did not return phone calls seeking comment on the statement, in which Leary said NASCAR and RJR had signed a five-year contract for Winston to be the title sponsor last year.

"Since that time, our business dynamics have changed dramatically," the statement said. RJR's parent company lost $59 million in the final three months of 2002 and has eliminated about 600 jobs from its total work force.

Still, any possibility that NASCAR and RJR could part ways brings huge ramifications for stock-car racing.

The first Winston Cup points fund in 1971 totaled $100,000, with champion Richard Petty collecting $40,000. Last year, the fund's total was $14 million. Champion Tony Stewart earned $3.75 million.

Earlier this year, Winston announced that the 2003 points fund would be $17 million, $4.25 million of which would go to the champion. That puts the company's total points-fund contributions to the sport alone over the $100 million mark.

Winston also sponsors The Winston all-star race, which will this year be held at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte for the 18th time in its 19-year history.

The company also sponsors the Winston West series and, before dropping the program after last season, its No Bull 5 bonus program awarded $1 million bonuses to drivers and fans in designated races.

RJR previously sponsored NASCAR's weekly racing series at dozens of short tracks around the country and has also spent millions of dollars supporting tracks hosting Winston Cup events.

"I don't think everybody appreciates what RJR brought to the table in terms of signage, suites and track-side promotions alone," said Andrew Gurtis, president of Darlington Raceway. "(Its departure) would leave a huge hole."

While Wednesday's statement from Leary stopped well short of saying that Winston is leaving NASCAR, speculation about a replacement has already begun.

"In a hypothetical world, if the need ever came, we think it's a pretty good property," NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said in a story posted on ESPN.com Tuesday that set off discussions about Winston's possible departure from the sport.

Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Anheuser-Busch are three companies that have been mentioned as possibilities.

"I don't doubt that NASCAR can find a replacement, but with the relationships that have been built over the years with Winston, it would be a big loss," Martinsville's Campbell said. "Things like that are hard to replace.

"I feel like somebody would jump at the chance to be the series sponsor, but Reynolds kind of picked us up in the '70s and walked down the aisle with us to where we are now."

NASCAR last week lost another longtime sponsor when the owner of the 76 brand of gasoline, ConocoPhillips, announced it would no longer be the sport's official fuel supplier after the 2003 season.

DEI anticipates tough Daytona inspection
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The three Winston Cup teams of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated are in the majority in anticipating an intense two days of inspections later this week at Daytona International Speedway.

DEI cars, driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip have won six of the last eight events at the restrictor plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

"We assume that NASCAR is going to be looking at our cars real hard," DEI executive vice president Ty Norris said.

In fact, major changes in check-in procedures and the inspection schedule for Speedweeks 2003 have some Winston Cup teams a little upset with NASCAR.

In the past, Winston Cup teams checked into the Daytona garage area on the Thursday before the opening weekend of Speedweeks and unloaded their cars for both the Budweiser Shootout -- the first racing event of the weekend -- and the Daytona 500.

Inspection for both cars began the same day.

For Speedweeks 2003, the Budweiser Shootout -- a 70-lap special event with a field of 19 qualified drivers including 15 Bud Pole winners from the 2002 season and four former winners of the race -- was moved from Sunday  afternoon to Saturday evening.

Bud Pole qualifying for the Daytona 500 was changed from Saturday to Sunday afternoon.

With that change, NASCAR ruled that although all teams would park their transporters Thursday morning, only those teams entered in the Budweiser Shootout could unload -- and the only cars they could remove would be their Shootout pieces.

"We've always done it that way -- we've been doing it that way for years," Norris said. "But we found out at 5 o'clock today (Tuesday) what they were doing. I'm sure NASCAR has a reason for doing it, but we don't know what it is."

He said simply getting settled in the garage area for an arduous 11-day stay was his biggest concern for his employees.

"It takes an hour-and-a-half to two hours to get the truck unloaded and get your garage stall set up with all your tool boxes and equipment situated," Norris said. "Then, you have to get the inside of the track geared up for all you have to do in it for the two weekends.

All Winston Cup practice on Friday will be for Shootout cars only. The remaining Winston Cup teams enter the garage Friday morning, with inspection for all Daytona 500 cars beginning at 7 a.m. ET.

Part of the reasoning behind the changes was a completely new template package for the four manufacturers fielding cars in Winston Cup and the typically lengthy process of getting through Daytona's first inspection of the season -- with the year's most prestigious and lucrative race as the payoff.

Winston Cup teams have two practices Saturday to prepare for Sunday's Bud Pole Qualifying session, which locks-in the front row for the Daytona 500 and begins forming the starting lineups for Feb. 13's Gatorade 125-Mile Qualifying Races for the 500.

"I don't know if some of the teams complained about it or what," Norris said. "We always though the cars in the Shootout had an advantage anyway by getting on he race track and in a racing situation, first.

"If you lose some of your advantage in the garage, you're gaining it back by being out on the race track."

Last Friday, crew chief Michael McSwain and his Joe Gibbs Racing partner, 2002 Winston Cup champion crew chief Greg Zipadelli found out about the plan from NASCAR inspectors who visited their shop to brief them on some new procedures.

Reportedly, the pair spent more than a little time on the phone with the NASCAR hierarchy hotly debating the issue. By this week, McSwain was resigned to the change.

"It's great," McSwain said Wednesday, obviously being a little sarcastic. "It just gives us another day at home before we have to come down to Daytona."

Bobby Labonte's team, McSwain's unit, which is not eligible for the Shootout, changed its travel plans from Wednesday to Thursday afternoon. Norris said that was a potential upside to the situation.

"Our guys were planning to be there Thursday morning, first thing," Norris said. "But if they can't do anything they'll just stay at the shop longer and work on the Rockingham stuff, so you gain an advantage there, I guess."

"For the first time in my career, I am looking forward to returning for Speedweeks," said Burton. "Even with all the pressure and media attention, it is a great honor to have won the Daytona 500. At the time of the win, I was so overwhelmed with emotion and media and sponsor obligations that it all just seemed surreal. Now, I have a full understanding on what it's about and I am hopeful to have the chance to get back into victory lane and do it again."

Burton has a lot to smile about these days and it isn't all attributed to being the defending champion of the Daytona 500. He has a new crew chief - Frank Stoddard remains as the crew chief after filling in as crew chief for the remaining seven races of the 2002 season - and a lightening bolt fast pit crew that is ready to take on the competition.

"I truly believe that we are beginning the race season more organized and better prepared than we ever have been," added Burton. "We had a couple of holes in our program and Frankie, with the help of Bill and his support system, has been able to fill in those holes."

Stoddard brings fresh ideas and renewed confidence for Burton. Stoddard's resume speaks volumes with 14 wins and over $20 million in winnings. The Caterpillar Racing team is hopeful that that knowledge will spark a fire among the No. 22 team.

"Frank is a very dedicated and hardworking person with a mind that is working at always trying to outsmart the competition," said Bill Davis, owner of the No. 22 CAT Dodge. "He has an impressive resume that includes making smart calls on pit road and commanding a team that had to come from the back to the front a lot."

The Caterpillar Team is not setting their mark too high, but within arms reach. They hope that the 2003 season will bring renewed confidence and consistency to the program. If the consistency returns, the top-10s, top-fives and hopefully the wins will follow.

"We have some stiff competition out there," said Stoddard. "If we can bring the No. 22 back to where they were a couple years ago, a top-10 team, we will have made great strides. Right now, we need to build our team and make it better and the rest will follow as a result."

The Caterpillar team kicks off Speedweeks on top and their desire is to emerge a repeat winner in the most coveted race of the season.

Ganassi's M&M boys have little in common

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- On his first day as a Winston Cup driver, Casey Mears turned to teammate Sterling Marlin and asked for a little advice from the seasoned veteran.

Marlin's words of wisdom about turning a lap at Talladega were so simple that the rookie never forgot them.

Neither did Jamie McMurray, his other teammate, who already knew a little about Marlin's humor.

"Casey went up to Sterling real serious and asked 'Sterling, what can you tell me about running on this track?"'  McMurray remembered. "And Sterling said in his slow Southern accent, 'Well, I guess you run high one lap, low the next.'

"That was it, that was all he said! And poor Casey thought he was going to get some real advice from him."

McMurray could barely contain his laughter at the memory, while Mears simply shrugged.

As rookie teammates, Mears and McMurray couldn't be more different.

McMurray, a 26-year-old from Joplin, Mo., is a wisecracking smart-aleck who got his start in go-karts around the Midwest before jumping through NASCAR's top three series -- from trucks to the Busch Series to Winston Cup in little more than three seasons.

Mears is a laid-back 24-year-old Californian with a dry sense of humor and a rich racing heritage. His uncle, Rick, is a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and his father, Roger, was an off-road racing star. With an open-wheel background, Mears has just one full season in stock cars under his belt.

Together, the M&M Boys will try to help Marlin win his first Winston Cup championship.

Individually, they'll be the first teammates in NASCAR history to race against each other for Rookie of the Year.

But Ganassi won't pit the two youngsters against each other. His entire organization is built on a one-team concept. For example, instead of each driver having his own hauler as most teams do, Ganassi has his three serving designated functions: One for all three drivers to lounge in, one for the engineers from all three teams to work out of, and one for sponsors and other guests.

"It's not going to be Casey and Jamie against each other, that's just not how we do things around here," Ganassi said. "If Sterling wins the championship, everyone wins the championship because all three teams worked together for it.  If one of them wins rookie of the year, everyone wins rookie of the year."

Still, a certain level of competitiveness will run between the two of them simply based on their desire to succeed at the highest level.

"I don't think either one of us will start each race saying 'I have to beat Jamie' or 'I have to beat Casey,"' Mears said. "We're not going to be out there racing only against each other every week, there's going to be 41 other guys in the field.

"But at the same time, neither one of us is going to want to be the one who comes back to the truck after a bad run and watch the other one celebrate a good run."

Mears and McMurray certainly aren't alone in the rookie class -- four other drivers, including Greg Biffle, the reigning Busch Series champion, will be competing for top newcomer.

But the early attention will be on Mears and McMurray, NASCAR's newest two "young guns" who'll be expected to continue the unbelievable recent run of rookie success.

Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson combined for four victories, 10 poles and Newman's win in the annual all-star race last season. Kevin Harvick won twice the year before, Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. had three victories between them in 2000 and Tony Stewart set the bar with his rookie record three wins in 1999.

Mears and McMurray will be counted on to continue the tradition while driving for Ganassi, a highly demanding car owner who looks for immediate results and has little patience for a learning curve.

Ganassi pulled the plug after Jason Leffler had a miserable rookie season in 2001 and veteran Jimmy Spencer lasted just one year before he was fired.

But team manager Andy Graves, entrusted by Ganassi to oversee the entire Winston Cup operation, has watched both youngsters in a series of offseason tests and is confident each will hold his own.

Graves expects McMurray to excel on technical tracks that require experience and knowledge of tire conservation, while Mears, with his background in the speedier open-wheel series, should have an edge on the faster tracks.

Together, they should learn from each other as well teach Marlin a thing or two about the newest technology.

All of a sudden, we have a reputation that if a guy doesn't perform, we're just going to shoot them out of here," Graves said. "But that's not true; we watch how they progress throughout the year.

"We think both Jamie and Casey are going to be just fine. Jamie brings an energy level to us that is just unreal and Casey brings so much focus. I'm not worried about them at all."

Your  Momma

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Number of the Day

10:22:

Days, Hours, Minutes and Seconds to the Daytona 500

Richard Petty has the most wins at Rockingham.

from Lugs
well i'm suprized that Kyles going to Hendrick Racing an i thougt Kenseth would forsure go to DEI next year an take DeWalt with him, cuz Dale Jr wants him as a teammate.  Hendrick is a good team for Kyle but he won't win as many races being in a Chevy as he would in a Jack Roush FORD LOL.

Peace....
...Lugs

Yea, yea yea, we will see now won’t we Luggy….Kyle’s gonna kick major butt in Hendrick Chevies!

Shootout to feature 20-lap break, race to finish

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The inaugural nighttime running of Saturday's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway will have an added twist with a new format.

There will be some slight modifications to the format to Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway –the "unofficial" start to the 2003 Winston Cup season.

NASCAR officials confirmed Tuesday the 70-lap all-star event – which features pole winners from the 2002 season and past winners of the event – will be split into two segments.

The first segment will consist of 20 laps after which a 10-minute intermission will be held. Teams may make pit stops and do other work that transpires during a normal pit stop during this time.

The second segment will be 50 laps and must end in a green-white-checkered finish. Caution laps will count toward the total in both segments so the second segment may extend beyond the scheduled 70-lap total.

In the event of a red flag, crews will be permitted to work on the cars; however, all work must be performed on pit road or in the garage. When the race is resumed, all cars must immediately be ready to return to competition.

All re-starts will be double-file re-starts. All lapped cars will re-start at the rear of the field.

The Shootout format was changed from a 20-lap race to two 10-lap segments in 1991. The move to a 25-lap event in 1998 marked the third format change of this prestigious event.

The format was again changed in 2001, this time to a 70-lap event.

The list of drivers eligible for the Budweiser Shootout is a who's who of NASCAR and consists of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace, Ryan Newman, Ward Burton, Matt Kenseth, Ricky Craven, Ricky Rudd, Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin, Geoffrey Bodine, Ken Schrader, Todd Bodine and Terry Labonte.

Stewart, the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion, will be gunning for a record third straight Budweiser Shootout victory. In 2001, he held off the late Dale Earnhardt and in 2002 he withstood a furious challenge from Dale Earnhardt Jr.

LAS VEGAS - A man in town for a business convention died of natural causes while driving at a racing school named for Richard Petty.

Philip Jerome Malarkey's death at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was attributed to coronary atherosclerosis, a common cause of heart attacks, the coroner's office said Tuesday.

Malarkey, 58, of Arnold, Md., paid several thousand dollars to participate in the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

After classroom instruction, Malarkey became unconscious while driving a race car similar to those used in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, said Brad Mark, driving school general manager.

Mark called Malarkey's death the first in 13 years at the race driving school.

The maximum speed for the cars is about 160 mph, but Malarkey was not traveling at top speed when he became unconscious and his car scraped the wall on the 1 1/2-mile oval, officials said. His car did not hit any other vehicles.

CENTRAL CITY, Ky. -- For Hank Parker Jr. it's a chance to shed some light on a career that was momentarily in the dark.

For Chase Montgomery and Joey Clanton it's a chance to walk on one of NASCAR racing's brightest stages.

Brewco Motorsports will run the three drivers representing a pair of sponsors in its No. 27 Pontiacs in the 2003 NASCAR Busch Series, team owner Clarence Brewer Jr. announced Wednesday.

Montgomery, 19, was the first to lock-in his plans when he previously announced a plan to run seven races with Brewco. Now, the Mount Juliet, Tenn., teenager will open his season in the Feb. 15 Koolerz 300 driving the No. 27 TrimSpa Pontiac.

Montgomery became the youngest driver to win a pole at Daytona when he qualified fastest for the ARCA RE/MAX Series event last Speedweeks at the 2.5-mile track. Montgomery tested the car at Daytona last month preparing for the Koolerz 300.

Parker Jr., who was left on the sidelines at the end of 2002 when sponsor GNC left the sport, was jilted again when TrimSpa -- a competitor to Bill Davis Racing's Busch Series sponsor Stacker 2 -- nearly put together a full-season deal with him as the driver at Roush Racing.

Now, he will compete in the season's second race at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham on Feb. 22 before Montgomery gets back into the car for the next race, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Parker's only other confirmed ride this season will come at Darlington Raceway on March 15.

R.J. Reynolds and NASCAR recently announced this year's Winston Cup point fund will be a record $17 million. What they didn't say was that whoever snares the $4,250,000 for first place in 2003 may also be the final Winston Cup champion.

ESPN.com has learned that R.J. Reynolds is seriously looking at ending its long and rich association with the stock car world after 33 years. This follows by just a few days Union 76's announcement that it would cease its 50-year relationship as NASCAR's official fuel and oil. A top-level source inside the tobacco industry and another source close to the situation said RJR is prepared to shut down this remarkable partnership and that NASCAR is already pursuing a replacement.

"There are five years left on the contract, but RJR would walk away as the title sponsor if a suitable replacement could be found," said the source, who requested anonymity. "With all the lawsuits and litigation surrounding the tobacco industry now, Winston feels like it's time to step aside.

"And NASCAR is actively looking for a new title sponsor."

UPS, Coca-Cola and McDonald's are thought to be very interested in hitching their wagon to the marketing monster that has become NASCAR.

"We just re-established our relationship with R.J. Reynolds and we look forward to continuing our long-standing and beneficial relationship," said NASCAR vice president of corporate communications Jim Hunter when asked about the possibility of losing NASCAR's sponsorship.

Asked if NASCAR had a waiting list of potential title sponsors in the event RJR did bail before its contract expired, Hunter said:

"In a hypothetical world, if the need ever came, we think it's a pretty good property."

Denny Darnell, senior manager of media relations for Sports Marketing Enterprises, denied the report had any validity.

"That would be a shock in that we have a 33-year relationship with NASCAR and we have a multiyear contract with NASCAR," said Darnell, whose agency handles all of RJR's involvement with the series that has exploded into the national consciousness the past decade.

"Our intentions are to continue to grow with NASCAR in the future."

NASCAR's drivers, teams and partners have reaped the rewards of an estimated $100 million in purse, bonus and point fund money since becoming the Winston Cup Series in 1971.

Rusty Wallace also reacted with disbelief, but said replacing RJR would be nearly impossible.

"First of all, I've never heard one word on the subject of RJR leaving and I'd have a hard time believing it," replied the 1989 Winston Cup champ. "The Union 76 thing was a big surprise, but this would be a shocker.

"To lose a sponsorship like Winston would be catastrophic."

Wallace knows firsthand all the little things RJR has done throughout the years.

"When a lot of us were coming up we didn't have anything and Winston would buy us uniforms. If you were a little stock car track Winston would supply all the paint so we had all these red and white tracks across the country.

"I mean they did so many good things for so many people."

Winston, which ended its sponsorship of the National Hot Rod Association and professional golf in order to comply with the Master Settlement Tobacco Agreement, dropped NASCAR's No Bull 5 Program for 2003 after a five-year run.  That was a bonus program that offered $1 million to a driver and a NASCAR fan in five selected events.

RJR also continues to sponsor NASCAR's Winston West stock car series.

While the Indy Racing League has failed to keep its title sponsors (Pep Boys and Northern Light) and is currently seeking one, Championship Auto Racing Teams had PPG Industries during 1979-96, FedEx during 1997-2002 and now has Bridgestone and Ford. After losing Winston, the NHRA acquired POWERade last year.

But no racing series can approach the numbers (years and dollars) that NASCAR has had with Winston.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A spokesman for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco said Tuesday night that there's no validity to an Internet report saying the company is considering ending its sponsorship of NASCAR's top series after the 2003 season.

An ESPN.com story quotes an anonymous source as saying RJR, which has the name of one of its brands of cigarettes on the Winston Cup series, "would walk away if a suitable replacement could be found."

But Denny Darnell, senior manager of media relations for Sports Marketing Enterprises, the division of RJR that directs the NASCAR program, said the company isn't looking to leave.

"We have just signed a multi-year deal with NASCAR to continue our long-running partnership," Darnell said. "We're looking forward to the 2003 season and beyond."

Winston began its sponsorship of NASCAR's top series in 1971 and has spent millions in bonus and points fund money since.

MBNA, Bass Pro Shops to sponsor Atlanta race

HAMPTON, Ga. -- Atlanta Motor Speedway officials have announced that MBNA America, the world's largest independent credit card lender, and Bass Pro Shops, the nation's leading outdoor retailer, will be the title sponsors of the track's NASCAR Winston Cup race on Sunday, March 9.

The race, the fourth stop on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit, will be known as the MBNA Bass Pro Shops 500. MBNA also sponsored the spring Winston Cup race last season.

"Being a sponsor of one of the biggest single-day sporting events in Georgia continues MBNA's decade-long relationship with Atlanta Motor Speedway, one of our valued customers," said Richard K. Struthers, executive vice chairman of MBNA American Bank.

Bass Pro Shops is beginning its foray into race sponsorship with this partnership. Headquartered in Springfield, Mo., Bass Pro Shops currently operates stores in 14 cities nationwide, including Atlanta.

The MBNA Bass Pro Shops 500 is the culmination of an action-packed weekend of racing, beginning with Georgia Power Qualifying on Friday, March 7, the fastest qualifying session on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit. The excitement continues on Saturday, March 8, when the up-and-coming stars of racing compete for the trophy in the ARCA 400.

LOGANVILLE, Ga. – The wife of NASCAR driver Brett Bodine was charged with making harassing phone calls and threatening a woman she suspected was involved with her husband.

Diane Bodine surrendered to authorities Tuesday and was released on $6,500 bond. Her lawyer said she denies all the charges.

Police said she was calling a 43-year-old Loganville woman, a corporate employee of the restaurant chain Hooters of America, one of Brett Bodine’s NASCAR sponsors. Her name was not released.

Terroristic threats is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, Walton County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Jeff Johnson said.  The harassing phone calls charge is a misdemeanor.

Diane Bodine was accused of making the calls since last July.  Johnson said she made up to 10 harassing phone calls a day at one point and continued to call after police warned her to stop in January.

She was arrested in Volusia County, Fla., where the Bodines have a home, on Jan. 16 and agreed to appear in Walton County with her attorney to avoid an extradition hearing.  Temper Temper!

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 4, 2003) - Not many things leave Jimmy  Spencer speechless, but as he watched CNN's coverage of the space shuttle Columbia breaking apart over Texas Saturday morning, everything around him froze in time. A cold stare and a numb feeling was all he had to offer, for in his mind he couldn't help but think about the seven families who were left waiting at the end of a runway somewhere in Florida.

It was a moment Spencer would love to forget but never will.

"I can't imagine what the families are going through," he said. "I know that we're all going to leave this place eventually, and there is no way around that. But those astronauts were 16 minutes from home, and you know they couldn't wait to see their families to tell them about their trip to space. When my son or daughter goes on a trip, I want to know all about it when they come back. I don't know how I would handle myself if I knew they weren't coming back to me."

Spencer says he plans to write the families to express his condolences. At the same time, he joins the millions of people who feel that abandoning the manned space program would be a mistake.

"I don't know if abandoning the manned space program is something NASA is even talking about, but I sure hear a lot of people making that debate on television," Spencer said. "I think it's a natural reaction, and that's fine. But look where we are because of manned space flight. Look where we are because of the space shuttle. I drive for a sponsor that wouldn't be where it is today without the space program. SIRIUS Satellite Radio has three of those satellites floating around in space, and FedEx or Yellow didn't have a thing to do with getting them up there. I drive to the shop every day listening to my satellite radio, and I'm captivated by all the things it does. But never once did I stop and think about how this is even possible. But now I do, and I hate that it took the events from Saturday morning for me to stop and appreciate the things we have in life."

It bothers Spencer to draw comparisons between NASA and NASCAR, but the similarities are almost unavoidable. First and foremost, both have dealt with loss. And drivers - like astronauts - know and accept the risks they take before ever strapping into their vehicles.

"Had we quit racing after the loss of Neil Bonnett or Dale Earnhardt, we'd be in big trouble when the time comes that we meet up with them again," Spencer said. "I think the same is probably true with those astronauts, especially since their mission was specifically geared around science, and experimentation that only humans can do. I think NASA knows that, and I think they'll learn from this, make it better, and keep going."

FINISHING TOUCHES: The No. 7 SIRIUS racing team is working its final full day at the Ultra Motorsports race shop before the first wave of crew members departs for Daytona on Wednesday. Spencer will be among the first group, as NASCAR Media Day on Thursday, Feb. 6, kicks off the Speedweeks schedule for Winston Cup teams.

THE FANS HAVE SPOKEN: Of all the mail Spencer receives at the shop, one in particular caught his attention on Tuesday - a box containing the glass trophy with the inscription "Driver You'd Least Like to See in Your Rearview Mirror." The award was part of the NASCAR.com 2002 Fans Voice Awards, and Spencer took first prize in the "Rearview Mirror" category. Said Spencer with a laugh, "I'll take that as a compliment."

Remembering Speedweeks 2001:
A Speedweeks of Highs & Lows - Part 1
by R. Mark Stiles - Senior Editor & News Director
02/05/2003

In November of 2000, I got a call from Daytona International Speedway track announcer Bill Bowser to come down to Daytona Beach, and to assist him during Speedweeks. Of course, this was an experience of a life time, and in no way was I going to pass up the invite.

This was going to be my first venture to the historic track, and the excitement of starting it all off with the Rolex 24 Hours race and ending with the Daytona 500 was overwhelming.

I enjoy almost all forms of auto racing, and follow to the best of my ability, all the different series, especially ones driven by my all-time favorite driver, the late Mark Donohue. And, with the Rolex 24 Hours being one race that Donohue had won in, as well as that year's race was going to have both Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., participating in, I could hardly wait for my departure on January 30th to come.

Arrangements were all made, I was going to stay with my cousin outside of Orlando, and commute back and forth. This turned out to be an experience all by itself with having to deal with the traffic surrounding Orlando, and trying not to get run over on I-4 (and I thought I-95 near the Washington D.C beltway was bad). As I look back, I guess you can say it was one way to get pumped up for racing, as what would usually take over an hour to drive the distance from Orlando to International Speedway Blvd., would only take 45 minutes going 90 mph (and still getting passed).

Finally the time arrived for my trip to Daytona, and I had decided that I would drive from home in Chesapeake, VA. It took about twelve hours to make the trip and it gave me plenty of time to think about what I was in for, and what I was going to see. I really had no idea what was involved in being a track announcer's assistant, but I was pumped up and ready to tackle what lay ahead.

I arrived in Windermere, which is on the west side of Orlando, around 8:00 pm and got reunited with my cousin and her family. They didn't really follow NASCAR that much, but I really appreciated their hospitality, and putting me up for the 18 days that I was going to be there.

I got up early the next morning, anxious to get to the track and start my journey of a life time.

Now, as I got closer to the intersection at International Speedway Blvd., I could see the Winston Towers in the distance. I can tell you that trying to describe what I see as I get closer, won't give the scenery it's due justice, and it's just something that you have to experience on your own. Basically to sum it all up in one word is complete AWE.

Practice and qualifying is now underway for the Rolex 24 Hours cars, and I quickly follow the signs, telling those that are here to pick up their credentials, need to be over in the far left lane. As I drive pass the track, still in awe, I roll down all the windows in the car and can clearly hear the cars on the track. By now the excitement has hit another high, but it doesn't hit its highest level until I got up into the announcer's booth on the sixth floor of the Winston Tower.

I get over to the credential office and pick up my awaiting credentials and then head over across the street to the track. To the left of me at the entrance is the famed Daytona USA, and to the right is the gate entrance to the Winston Towers where I needed to go and start my day.

It is here that as I get off the elevator on the sixth floor, that I see the pictures of Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., and the various legends of racers to have won at the famed, historic track.

I make way over to the entrance area of the booths, and what I mean by booths is that the TV booth, MRN Radio booth, control booth, and the PA booth are all right there. There is a little "bar/lounge" area where everyone working in those booths can come to get some Pepsi or coffee and take a break when needed.

Now, it is here, as I walk through the PA/Timing and Scoring System booth doors, and look out through the huge windows overlooking the speedway, that the overwhelming sensation of what you are seeing takes over. The sight of the 2.5 mile track, the garage area, the infield, and Lake Floyd hits you, and to be able to see where drivers like Richard Petty, Cal Yarborough, Mario Andretti, Dale Earnhardt, and all of the other legends of racing that have walked and driven there, comes flooding into your mind. I'm finally here!

After being in the announcer's booth and after I finished taking in all of what I am seeing, track announcer Bill Bowser comes in and we finally get to meet face to face. Bill then introduces to me his fellow track announcing team of Al Robinson and Mike Paz, as well as, DIS PR Director of Communication Glyn Johnston and then at the time assistant Mike Manning (Mike is now involved with Daytona USA).

It was Friday and there wasn't really much to do that day, I pretty much stayed back and watched them work the practice and qualifying session for the Rolex 24 Hours and support series that was there. My big day didn't really start until the following day on Saturday, as this was the beginning of the Rolex 24.

Stay tuned for part 2, as I will discuss working in the announcer's booth for the 39th running of the Rolex 24 Hours, and the Earnhardts make their debut. In Part 3, NASCAR comes, ARCA, Goody Dash and Cheever gets a touch of Earnhardt in IROC, and in Part 4, "The Great American Race," the Daytona 500; we lose a hero.

You can reach Mark Stiles at: mstiles@...

Your  Momma
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Today In Nascar History

February 1, 1969

Richard Petty gets his 1st road course win at Riverside California.  Petty would get 6 of his record 200 wins at road courses.

from Karen
Hey, question for ya...we got a little debate going here. We are betting on the Bud Shootout (we got it bad! lol) and I got the list of drivers who are going to be in it from NASCAR.com and in that list there are 18 drivers and Kurt Busch is not one of them. We have already drawn going by what NASCAR.com had.....IS Kurt in it? If he is it's gonna mess everything up for us cuz there are 9 of us drawing drivers and that would make it uneven but the point is that Kurt isn't in the list on NASCAR.com which I would consider to be the "official" line up. Right? Karen

Here is the entry list for the Shootout….Kurt Busch is included.  What you might want to do, is leave one driver out there, then roll the pot over for the 500.  That makes it much more more interesting!

Budweiser Shootout Entry List
Rusty Wallace
Terry Labonte
Mark Martin
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Bill Elliott
Ryan Newman
Matt Kenseth
Tony Stewart
Ricky Rudd
Ward Burton
Jeff Gordon
Kevin Harvick
Ricky Craven
Jimmie Johnson
Ken Schrader
Dale Jarrett
Kurt Busch

from DE3FAN
Momma,
I had some problems with the Bravenet server and lost the poll count totals and you may want to re-post it.  Not to worry.  I had them saved as I asked for a reply to my email address when someone voted.  It is now repaired and they assure me it will be alright.  I have also changed it so I can edit out any more than one vote per day per visitor.  Seems as though there were some that were voting more than once a day.  I know that old trick of 'cleaning cookies' out and then re-voting.  It may register but everytime I get a response that someone has voted, I also get their ISP and DNS numbers and will delete any double votes in the same 24 hour period.  The Big "3" fans as well as the Toyota fans will find out that their double voting will be in vain.  Anyone will be allowed to vote once a day.  I really don't understand why I should have to 'screen' votes from NA$CAR fans!
Larry

http://bhb10.tripod.com/de3fan/

Ok, here it is guys.  Go back and vote if you want!!

Momma,
 
I did not know Dale's first start was at Charlotte.  However, I have a picture of Dale and on that picture it states: First start:  05/25/1975-Finished 22nd, Richard Childress finished 23rd. First win:  04/01/1979 @ Bristol-(named rookie of the year) First Winston Cup:  1980-Only driver ever to win both Winston Cup and Rookie back-to-back. Eighth Winston Cup:  Heaven's Raceway.....................2001
 
Larry

MARTINSVILLE PLANS EXPANSION
 
Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell today announced plans to add 2,000 seats and build a new six-lane entrance to the facility. Plans also call for moving the railroad tracks that parallel the speedway's backstretch to allow for future expansion. Work on the new entrance and seats will begin immediately after the April 13 running of the Virginia 500 Winston Cup race, and those projects should be completed before the Oct. 19 Old Dominion 500. The new seats, which will bring the track's capacity to 88,000, will be built above the suites in turns one and two. Work is already under way on a new 2,000-square-foot infield care center and the conversion of the old care center into a public relations workroom.

Three corporate defendants are named in a lawsuit over the May 2000 walkway collapse at Lowe's Motor Speedway, and each says the other is at fault.

Opening arguments began Friday in the $27 million lawsuit brought by a Virginia family hurt in the collapse. Their case is the first of dozens to make it to trial, and it could signal how much money - if any - juries are willing to award people hurt in the fall.

Cindy and Marty Taylor and their son, Brody Wright, of Nelson County, Va., are suing the speedway, the bridge builder and the maker of a substance that corroded the steel supporting the bridge.  They say a series of construction mistakes and negligence caused the bridge over U.S. 29 to fall May 20, 2000.

Deborah Renshaw lives every day with something she can't remember.

Since Oct. 9, she's worked through hours and hours of physical rehabilitation. Renshaw also has had to climb out of what she calls the hole she fell in emotionally after the worst day of her life in automobile racing.

During practice for an Automobile Racing Club of America race at Lowe's Motor Speedway, driver Eric Martin's car spun and hit the wall off Turn 4 at the Charlotte track. Several cars avoided hitting him and Martin radioed to his crew that he was OK.

When Martin's spin started, Renshaw's car was somewhere on the backstretch of the 1.5-mile track. Bob Schacht, her team owner, was spotting for her on top of the trailer in the infield. As Martin's car came to rest off the wall, Renshaw's came through the turns 3 and 4 end of the track. Renshaw's car slammed into the driver's side of Martin's car, killing the 33-year-old driver from Hixson, Tenn.

Renshaw, who suffered broken bones in her left leg and foot in the crash, knows only what she's been told about the crash.

"It's very much still a blessing," she says. "God has a way of helping you forget tragic things in your life."

But Renshaw has confronted the awful truth of that day.

Late last year, she and Schacht came back to Lowe's Motor Speedway.

"I went around the race track with Bob and we replayed that day in our heads," Renshaw said. "We relived it and that helped. It helped to face what happened.

“Bob and I have had conversations about it several times. Bob was right there with me when it happened, He wasn't driving the car, but he was right there with me."

After the crash, NASCAR changed its rules regarding practice sessions and now requires teams to have spotters in a track's spotters' stand when cars are on the track

It took weeks before Renshaw could bring herself to go to her computer and read reports about the accident. Some questioned whether Renshaw and Martin had enough experience to be racing at the kind of speeds their cars could reach at the Charlotte track.  In the search for answers following the crash, fingers of blame were pointed.

Renshaw admits she had questions of her own.

"I've questioned what my fate in racing would be after the accident," she said. "I went through the questions of whether I really want my dream of driving a race car, whether it's worth it. And I keep coming back to the same answer every time."

Renshaw is scheduled to race for the first time since the October crash on Saturday at Daytona. She'll drive a car Schacht owns in an ARCA race that will help begin Speedweeks activities leading up to Winston Cup's Daytona 500.

"I've got two choices when I wake up in the morning," said Renshaw, who still walks with a slight limp and continues physical therapy to rebuild strength in her left leg. "I could feel sorry for myself and think that today's not going to be a good day. Or, I could wake up and feel blessed that I am able to still live my dream, to realize that I can still drive a race car."

When the wreck happened in October, Renshaw was just more than a week away from making her debut as driver of a NASCAR Busch series car owned by Rick Goodwin at a track in Memphis, a precursor to a full-season ride with that team in 2003.

In December, however, Goodwin and Renshaw agreed to go their separate ways. Renshaw said she was grateful for the opportunity, but decided that wasn't the road she needed to go down right now.

"I decided to stick with ARCA for the time being with Bob," she said.  "That's where I felt I could be most successful at this point."

Bob Schacht Motorsports has the money to run only two or three ARCA events this year. Renshaw would like to add six or seven Busch races to this year's agenda, but that depends on sponsorship. For now, Renshaw said, the team is concentrating on Daytona, the first step back.

"There for a while, I was definitely in a little bit of a hole," Renshaw said. "I didn't want to talk to anybody. Thank God for my family. My mom and dad would help take phone calls and return them or keep a list. It took them reaching down in there and grabbing me up and saying, 'Look here, Missy, you're not going to be feeling sorry for yourself in this family.'"

Renshaw said she has been inspired by support and encouragement she's received from friends, from family, from fellow racers and from fans. She's received crosses, seven-page letters and a homemade card from a 7-year-old boy.

She's exchanged letters with Martin's family. "I know one day we'll sit down and talk about it," Renshaw said. "But it's just not the right time now."

She doesn't remember the crash but knows that others do.

"It has been an emotional roller coaster and it still is," Renshaw said. "It's going to be a lifelong thing I will have to deal with. I read somewhere that one driver said that if I am going to make it I have to forget what happened. With no disrespect for the Martin family whatsoever, there's truth in that. You have to move forward and move on.

"I do believe that people are on a predetermined path in their lives.  You do have choices to make in weathering through any storm that comes your way. But I do feel that at some point God will lead you in the direction he has for you.

"In your heart you have to know you're going in the right direction at all times and not have regrets about what you do."

Junie Donlavey doesn't possess a driver or a sponsor, but he does hold the will to bring his Richmond-based Winston Cup team to Daytona International Speedway this week to attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500.

The No. 90 Ford missed nearly all of last season's second half after losing its primary sponsor in June. An offseason search for financial backing has proved fruitless, but the team decided to finish preparing a superspeedway car and make the trip.

"You only live once," said Donlavey, who figures to settle on a driver after arriving. "Why quit when you feel good and you've got the equipment? We've got a lot of people that want to help and be a part of it, too."

Donlavey, who will turn 79 in April, has been traveling to NASCAR races at Daytona Beach, Fla., for more than 50 years.  He has attempted to qualify for every 500-mile race since the famous superspeedway opened in 1959. Donlavey has raced on shoestring budgets at Daytona in the past, but fielding a Winston Cup car is considerably more expensive now compared to his early years. Top-notch teams spend about $15 million to $20 million a year.

"It didn't cost anywhere near it. I couldn't even put [the difference] in percentages, but the sport has grown to where it takes that much," he said. "Sometimes I feel halfway on the stupid side trying to compete with the well-financed teams, but that's part of racing. It's always a gamble anyway.

"We'll give it a try." - Nate Ryan

It started with a news report by XM Satellite Radio's NASCAR reporter, Claire B. Lang.

It's now become a mission.

Following Lang's airing of an interview with Mike and Katie McLaughlin on Tuesday in which the couple discussed the folding of McLaughlin's new NASCAR Busch series team, Angela's Motorsports, due to financial problems with the owner, Lang's weekday listeners responded in force.

Nicknamed the "XM Nation," fans have swamped XM's call-in lines and flooded the office with email filled with pledges to help fund McLaughlin's dream of winning the Busch series opener at Daytona.

The response traveled to new heights Friday, when Greg Zipadelli, crew chief for 2002 Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart, donated $10,000 to getting McLaughlin's team to Daytona.

"If it wasn't for Mike McLaughlin I would never have had the chance to win the championship here in Winston Cup," Zipadelli said on the air Friday. "He's like a brother to me and anything we can do to help out, we're gonna.

"There's a lot of people that have worked hard to get where they are at, but I don't believe there's anybody that's wanted it any more or worked any harder than Mike has."

The team McLaughlin and crew chief Harold Holly had assembled was impressive and their car performed well at the preseason test last month at Daytona.

"This has been a very tough week for all of us involved with the team, but I am not going to let this defeat me," McLaughlin said.

"I have to follow my heart and do everything possible to win the Koolerz 300. I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to chase my dream."

The campaign to get the team to Daytona for the season opener has been dubbed "Hopes and Dreams 2003."

It began with listeners on XM Radio pledging their support. Now, two additional avenues have been established should fans or other interested parties wish to donate money to the effort.

McLaughlin has secured the use of the car he tested with in Daytona and will be joined in Daytona by many of the team members from his former team.

Jay Robinson Racing will be listed as the owner of the No. 39 Ford.  Earlier this week, Robinson purchased the assets of McLaughlin's former team.

Donations may be mailed to the Mike McLaughlin Fan Club, P.O. Box 45, Waterloo, NY 13165; or secure donations may be made on-line by visiting www.paypal.com and sending the donation to katermclaughlin@....

Gordon says distractions were factor last year
By Marty Smith, Turner Sports Interactive

CONCORD, N.C. -- Looking back now, Jeff Gordon admits the circus surrounding his divorce proved more distracting than he was willing to admit during the 2002 Winston Cup season.

"I think that they probably, at times, were affecting me more than even I realized," Gordon said during a recent media outing at Hendrick Motorsports.

"There were a lot of distractions. It was a totally new thing, something I'd obviously never been through before."

When Gordon failed to win a race during the first half of the 2002 campaign, questions were raised about his focus. Pressure rose with each passing week, though Gordon continually discounted the notion that his on-track performance was suffering on account of his off-track situation.

When he finally did win, at Bristol in August, the winless streak was stopped at 31 races. Not since his first victory -- which came in his 41st career race -- had he gone so long without visiting Victory Lane.

He'd won 58 times before, but none were more meaningful.

"I think as we went and got into that point in the season when we hadn't won in quite a while, the pressure was on from the media, the pressure was on internally with the race team," Gordon said. "That's why that first win was so exciting. It's just nice to get that off your back.

"It's enough when it's just what's happening with your race team. When you have other things going on, it can affect you, and I think it affected me more than I thought. But for the most part, when I got to my car I felt like I was doing my job."

Brooke Gordon filed for divorce in March 2002, citing the "martial misconduct" of the four-time Winston Cup champion as grounds. Gordon has since counter-sued, saying he shouldn't have to split the couple's estate because he risked his life to attain it. His net worth is reportedly more than $48 million.

A recent Associated Press report said that Brooke Gordon's lawyers have subpoenaed sensitive materials from his competitors to use in their divorce case, which teams are admittedly reluctant to hand over.

Such files are considered very sensitive in NASCAR, where each owner negotiates separate agreements with individual drivers and sponsors.

Sister helps Earnhardt Jr. cope with celebrity

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- After months of pondering the contract offer, Dale Earnhardt Jr. decided he needed some advice.

He didn't call a lawyer, an accountant or an agent.

Instead, he took the paperwork to his sister, Kelley, and let her hash out a deal.

If it's business, pleasure or personal, Earnhardt's 30-year-old sister is the first one the NASCAR superstar turns to.

"Dale Jr. was always littler than everybody -- shy, got picked on a lot at school -- and I was always the caretaker for anything he needed," she said. "He borrowed lunch money from me. I did his chores when he wasn't in the mood to do them and would have gotten in trouble. I was always the mother hen."

It started when they were children of an absent father, living with their mother in Virginia. Kelley was two years older than her brother and always looked after him.

Eventually, they moved to North Carolina to be with their father, the late Dale Earnhardt, but were split up when Dale Jr. went to boarding school and Kelley went to college.

The time apart was good for the little brother -- "he started to become his own person" -- but not so good for their father.

After years of focusing most of his time on his racing career, Earnhardt had decided he wanted to reconnect with his children. He begged Kelley to leave school in Wilmington, promising her she could live by herself and even start her own racing career.

"He was just starting to become a lot more family oriented and we just never got to see each other," she said. "He sent me flowers one time at school and I still have the card, it said 'It's been so long, I have almost forgotten what you look like."'

So Kelley came home, transferring to North Carolina-Charlotte, where she earned her business degree while driving Late Model cars. At the same time, Dale Jr. was getting his start in NASCAR along with their older half brother, Kerry.

As Dale Jr. started to blossom into a NASCAR star, their father took care of everything. The son had little interest or involvement in the business side of racing and no one had a problem with it.

Whatever was good for the father was good for the son.

"When dad was here, him and (stepmother) Teresa, whatever they did for dad, they mimicked for Dale Jr.," Kelley said. "They made his decisions. Even when he started his own company, they made the decisions about where he banked, all of his insurance. ...

"They told him what they were doing, but he didn't really care to sit there and understand it."

Then, Earnhardt was killed in a wreck in the 2001 Daytona 500.

Brother and sister were on their own again, and Kelley knew Dale Jr. would need her.

"I called Dale up and said, 'I need to work for you, and you need me to come work for you,"' she remembered. "It took him about three weeks. He always had the trust in me, he knows how I operate."

Those close to the family have always said Kelley is most like her father -- no-nonsense with a keen sense for business, but able to kid around at the proper time.

And when it comes to her brother, no one has ever looked after him the way she does.

So Dale Jr. turned everything over to her, making Kelley his business manager.

She's president of JR Motorsports, his company that encompasses everything not related to his Winston Cup team, which is owned by Teresa and Dale Earnhardt Inc.

"I instill a lot of trust and dependability on her to help me out because she's pretty smart about this stuff," he said. "And let's face it, I'm probably not too experienced in it. I would probably let people walk off with the bank."

Kelley didn't let that happen when it came time for Dale Jr. to sign a contract with DEI. He had worked under a handshake agreement with his father, but wanted something official this time around.

He rejected the offer of a lifetime contract that Teresa offered, and worked with Kelley on the things he wanted included in his new deal.

So the two of them packed up the paperwork, crossed the parking lot from JR Motorsports into the main building at DEI, and had a meeting with their stepmother in the conference room.

After months of going back and forth, Dale Jr. finally signed off on a five-year deal that included the one main sticking point: a cap on the amount of personal appearances he had to make for the sponsor and DEI.

Although they have solid relationships with Teresa and their half-siblings, the two of them have created their own mini-family.

The birth two years ago of Kelley's daughter, Karsyn, has changed them both. Dale Jr. spends hours on end with his niece, sometimes playing computer games with her, sometimes secretly teaching her curse words, and sometimes just sitting back and watching her.

And Karsyn's arrival finally allowed the little brother to look after his sister.

"He'll tell me about dating, going out or outside interests, 'You don't need to be doing that because you have Karsyn,"' she said. "He definitely is way harder on me about personal things than I am on him."

The racing legend's widow, Teresa Earnhardt, talks for the first time about her loss.

Sometimes Teresa Earnhardt almost slows down long enough to talk to Dale. She wants to tell him that everyone is doing fine. She wants to explain how much people miss him, how senators, governors and even the President were rocked on Feb. 18, 2001, when he crashed his black Chevy into a wall at Daytona and died.

She wants to tell him about his daughter Taylor, 14 now and in the eighth grade, but she simply can't. "To do that, you really have to be still and quiet and dwell on your thoughts," she says in her first interview since Dale's death. "And I don't have a lot of time to dwell on any thoughts. I don't have time to dwell on anything."

It has been two years since the racing world lost its biggest star, Dale Earnhardt, and in that time his widow, Teresa, 44, has not stopped going full speed.  While taking control of Dale's multimillion-dollar business ventures, including four racing teams, a new charitable foundation and a vast merchandising outfit, Teresa has made it her mission to keep spirits up around the Earnhardt camp, bolstering others with her strength and resolve.

"She grieves every day, but she also feels a real sense of responsibility to Dale," says her sister Sherry Houston Clifton, 49, a partner and promoter at North Carolina's Hickory Motor Speedway. "You want to crawl into a hole for a while, but that didn't happen because people were depending on her."

Even during the battle over Dale's autopsy photos -- she fought off newspapers trying to publish them days after his death -- Teresa was remarkably composed.  "She's never shown any signs of crumbling or going into a shell," says her friend Kix Brooks, of the country singing duo Brooks & Dunn. "She's just taken care of business and gone on with her life."

“She's not the kind of person that needs to be consoled," says her stepson Dale Earnhardt Jr., 28, one of NASCAR's top drivers. "She really helped us understand how to deal with losing Daddy. She just has a lot of common sense."

It is the way she feels Dale -- the gruff, tough, good ol' boy known as the Intimidator --would have wanted her to handle things. Married for 18 years and partners in every way, "they would look at a situation and say, 'Well, that's the way it is, life goes on,'" says Darrell Waltrip, 55, a friend of Dale's and a retired racer who is now a NASCAR analyst.

In the numbing days after the crash, amid a massive outpouring of emotion from fans across the nation, Teresa was the calm center of the storm. Most important, she comforted Dale's children: daughter Taylor, who lives with her in the Earnhardts' log house in Mooresville, N.C., as well as Dale Jr., Kerry, 33, and Kelley, 30, his children from his first two marriages.

"She has helped us remember his passion for the things he loved and the importance of carrying them on," says Kelley, the business manager for JR Motor Sports, owned by her brother Dale Jr.  “Teresa has been our rock.”

More than most, Teresa understood the dangers of racing because she was raised in a car-loving family.  Her father, Hal Houston, 70 (he and wife Betty, 71, are now retired from the furniture-making business), raced stock cars all over their home state of North Carolina.  "We were racetrack brats," says Teresa's sister Sherry.  "Every weekend we were at a track with Dad. If we got sleepy, we'd get in the back of the pickup and curl up in a tire."

Teresa was studying interior decorating at a Charlotte community college when she met Dale at a race in the late '70s. A high school dropout from Kannapolis, a mill town in North Carolina, and the son of Ralph Earnhardt, one of racing's earliest stars, and Martha, Dale worked odd jobs-as a welder for a trucking company, at a tire store-and raced only on weekends.  But even then "he was very magnetic," says Teresa.  "He was always exciting to watch."

Divorced from second wife Brenda, Dale married Teresa in 1982. Friends say they survived some rough spots as Teresa reined in Dale's wild side and helped him focus on racing.

Not regarded as especially promising in his early days, Dale soon became the most daring and charismatic driver on the burgeoning NASCAR circuit, greatly boosting the sport's popularity. Since 1990, attendance at NASCAR events has more than doubled to nearly 7 million fans; the sport's TV ratings are now second only to the NFL's.

Things were going great guns for the Earnhardts -- Dale's handsome son was coming into his own as a driver -- when everything changed on the fourth turn of the Daytona International Speedway. Trying to hold on to third place behind his son, Dale spun right and hit the concrete wall at 170mph.

"I called him on the radio and he never answered," says Richard Childress, the owner of Dale's No. 3 Monte Carlo racecar. Childress radioed Teresa, who rushed to the track's care center. By the time she got there, Dale was on his way to the Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach.

"We figured it was just an injury," says Dale Jr., who drove with his stepmother to the hospital. But in the somber emergency room "there were a lot of doctors standing around doing stuff. Nobody had to tell us. We just knew."

Dale Earnhardt died of blunt-force injuries to his head and neck. Those present that day say Teresa was shaken but otherwise in control. When a technician cleaning Dale's body tried to slip off his wedding ring, Teresa demanded he keep it on.

"I am not one to curl up at any time," she says. "I do what you gotta do. There's right and there's wrong, and you do the best you can."

 -- ALEX TRESNIOWSKI
 -- MICHAELE BALLARD and DON SIDER in Mooresville

2nd part of story will follow on or about February 10th.

February is here already, and that means it is almost time for Daytona!

Elvis Presley was the King of Rock n Roll, Richard Petty is the King of NASCAR, but Dale Earnhardt will always be the King of Daytona.

This year has been different to me for some reason, and just couldn't figure it out. I was chatting with friend Chris the other night and soon realized, Daytona and no Dale again! Daytona was Dale Earnhardt. Who ever your driver was, when you thought Daytona, you thought Dale Earnhardt. I was also corrected by a Earnhardt Fan, that Dale never liked to be called Sr. So I respect that and it will be Dale Earnhardt from now on to me.

I must say this and please no one get offended or take it the wrong way. Let Jr. be Jr. That is what he has asked of all his fans. He has never and will never try to replace his Dad.  Jr. is his own person, so lets respect Jr. for Jr. and not compare him to Dad at all. Ask any driver in the garage they will tell you the same thing. No one will ever fill those shoes. Rusty said it all, there will NEVER be another Dale Earnhardt. That is the part that is getting harder and harder as years go by.

No matter if you were a Dale Earnhardt fan or not, you say Daytona, Dale came to mind. He owned that place, and in my heart and mind he always will.

Dale Earnhardt only won Daytona 500, one time, but how many times did He finish second? Second S__ks Dale use to say, that is the first to loose. Take off the plates and let us run!  If you know anything about NASCAR history, you know Dale Earnhardt had a passion for Daytona, and it always carried over with his fans.

Going to qualifying every year, you just knew when Dale was headed out on pit road, the crowd let you know with the cheers. You stood up, and watched and cheered as He headed down pit road, passing everything in site. That I miss so much. Most of the time the sound of the crowd was like their driver had just won the race.

Then think every Daytona 500, maybe my driver will win today, but Dale will be there, you knew that in the back of your minds. Sure enough when came the end of the race, there he was, don't care if He started dead last, he was up front racing for the win.

Dale always made a difference in our sport, rules, body styles, no matter.  He had an input and NASCAR listened. Lets try to remember that is what some of the veterans are trying to do now, just fill in the gaps, cause there will never be another mentor like Dale was, they know it to. Try to remember that these veterans speaking up are the veterans that Dale Earnhardt himself taught.

Dale and Rusty had their run-ins on the track, but off track it was like family.  What Rusty is trying to do with the tire situation is, what Dale tried to get back in 2000. Passing abilities for these cars. Makes for a more competitive race. Use to have a lot of those thanks to Dale and Rusty. No matter who was your Driver, you went to Bristol to watch Dale and Rusty. Those days are gone, but memories will never be replaced in my mind.

Our veterans drivers have made this sport what it is today. Now with NASCAR taking over and trying to be the mentor! Sorry I question that. NASCAR needs to listen more to these drivers they are the one that are out there risking their lives every week, for the sport we call NASCAR.

Some of the rules NASCAR has come up with, I must say I do agree with. But this sport belongs to the drivers. Every since 2001 all or most of the positions at NASCAR have changed, Why? Gary Nelson? there for years? Now we have what's his name? Mr. Darby? Mr. Darby needs to listen, he talks to much. Was Mr. Darby a driver before now? Not sure on that one? Gary Nelson if He didn't understand Dale Earnhardt use to put him in his race car and hit the track.  Does Mr. Darby do that? No, he gives out fines and penalties, some for no reason at all. At what point now can drivers try New things? They will get big fine and loose points.

Lets get back what We use to have they say? It will never be the way it use to be, but give our veterans a chance. They are the ones that has been there, done that.

Dale Earnhardt was the man to fear at Daytona, and no one will ever take that away from us veteran fans.

Dale and Rusty gave us the best of both worlds. They were as competitive as they could be.

So when the season starts this year, take a few minutes to go back into NASCAR history? Then you will soon realize and admit that you miss Dale Earnhardt to.

For all my Earnhardt friends and fans. This is especially for Chris, Ed and more, God only takes the best, and memories can last you a lifetime.

PS, I bet, he is still Intimidating.

Your  Momma
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"The problem with the designated driver program, it's not a desirable job, but if you ever get sucked into doing it, have fun with it. At the end of the night, drop them off at the wrong house."  -- Jeff Foxworthy

Today In Nascar History

January 26

Scott Wimmer, driver in the BGN series, is born on this date.

In 1950, Bill Rexford became the youngest NASCAR  Winston Cup series champion ever at the age of twenty three.

from Tommy
If they want to add race dates at Texas & Las Vegas or Chicago, there is a simple solution.

Eliminate those of date and boring road courses.  My wife knows that on race weekends that have road races she can plan other things to do and i'm available.

I  think the owners would love to rid themselves of the expense of setting up cars they only use 2 times a season.

I may be wrong, but I don't know anybody who really cares about them.

Thanks-(FORD Lover w/the Dale E. poem about Daytona) Tom Brunette
The poem follows and thanks Tommy

 from DE#Fan

from Dave
Sandra,

Thanks for the super work on the newsletter.  I look forward to every issue!
 
One thing I'd love to see you exercise your persuasive abilities for is to get your group members to pressure FOX, FX, NBC, and TNT to broadcast the races in High Definition!  Those cars are just too gorgeous flying around the track to suffer with a grainy, low resolution picture!  I've seen demo film of a NASCAR race that was produced in the best mode - 1080i - over double the scan lines of regular TV and it was so incredible - it was like sitting at a window looking out onto the real scene.  We need to be able to see that in every race!
 
Can you find out where at NASCAR or those major networks such decisions are made, and mobilize your loyal troops in a writing campaign to put on the pressure?

Thanks, and keep up the fabulous work!

Dave

Ok this is what I have done in the past.  I usually go to their websites, and contact them that way.  I will post the websites in tomorrow's list.....Let's get it on!

HENDRICK ADDS SPONSOR FOR ITS NO. 5

Hendrick Motorsports says the American Dairy Association is becoming an associate sponsor on its No. 5 Chevrolet driven by Terry Labonte in the Winston Cup Series. The team says the Got Milk logo from the association will be displayed on the hood, side panels and television panel of the car, which has primary sponsorship from Kellogg's Corn Flakes. The dairy association will also be featured in special paint schemes for races at Richmond International Raceway in May and Chicagoland Speedway in July.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recorded the fastest lap in Busch Series testing at Daytona International Speedway Thursday. Earnhardt lapped the 2.5-mile track in 49.004 seconds at an average speed of 183.658 mph in Chance 2's No. 8 Chevrolet, which is co-owned by the driver and his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt. He also lapped at 183.441 mph in a second car owned by the team. Behind Earnhardt came Shane Hmiel in the No. 48 Pontiac (181.958), Joe Ruttman in Phoenix Racing's No. 1 Dodge (181.792), Coy Gibbs in Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 18 Pontiac (181.616) and Kenny Wallace in the No. 23 Chevrolet (181.558). The second of two, two-day tests for Busch Series competitors is scheduled to end today.

GOLDEN, Colo. - Johnny Mauro, who competed in the 1948 Indianapolis 500, was killed in a head-on collision.

Mauro's car crossed into incoming traffic on Interstate 70 Thursday night, about 10 miles west of Denver, state Trooper Ron Watkins said.

Both Mauro, 92, and Christopher Basinski, 17, were killed. A 16-year-old passenger in Basinski's car was injured, authorities said.

Mauro usually drove a couple of blocks every day to drop off bank receipts from the U.S. Truck Driving School he founded, but rarely drove on the interstate, said Mauro's nephew, Richard Lammers, who runs the school.

"I don't think he's been on I-70 for 20 years. We don't know how he got there," Lammers said. "It's a tragic accident. We feel for ourselves and the other parties involved."

Mauro raced for years in the Midwest, using the name "Jack Morris" for a time so his parents wouldn't know he was racing. He finished eighth behind winner Mauri Rose in the Indy 500 in 1948.

The Department of Defense announced today that a group of NASCAR celebrities, team owners, track owners and civilian employers of Guard and Reserve members will visit U.S. military installations in Germany, Bosnia, Italy, and England Jan. 27-31.

The tour will kick off with a press conference at the headquarters of the 145th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard, 5225 Morris Field Drive, in Charlotte, N.C., Jan. 27 at 5 p.m. The base is adjacent to Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.

The visit is being coordinated by the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, an agency of the Department of Defense.

Among the NASCAR celebrities participating in the tour are drivers Ernie Irvan, Brendan Gaughan, Rick Crawford, Dan Green, David Starr, Mike Wallace and Chad Little. NASCAR teams are also well-represented, with Richard Childress of Richard Childress Racing, Sam Belnavis of Belcar Racing, and Ashton Lewis Sr. of Lewis Motorsports.

Also Related... Seeing the light: Night racing at NHIS? It is not out of the realm of possibility, especially with NHIS set to make a major announcement with Sylvania Thursday, reportedly on a multiyear agreement. The speculation is that Sylvania will come aboard as a major event sponsor, but with NASCAR looking to air more races on prime-time television, it would seem to make sense for NHIS officials to hammer out a quid pro quo deal with Sylvania to outfit the track with lights ... One of the track improvements Bahre expects to make this season is to resurface Turns 3 and 4, which have long been a source of frustration for drivers and track officials. ''We'll do it the first of April,'' said Bahre, who reported that the Loudon track was blanketed by about 2 feet of snow. ''We'll let it cure for about four months before the first race in July. It should be enough time.'' Last year, Bahre expanded the racing groove of his track and resurfaced it, but problems arose shortly after a Busch Series race in May when fissures were detected in the asphalt's aggregate, prompting NHIS officials to repave those turns. ''I don't think we gave it enough time to cure last year,'' Bahre said. ''We only had about six weeks. But this time we'll have four months, which should be enough time. - The Boston Globe

Hunger, changes have DEI ready for success
By Lee Montgomery, Turner Sports Interactive

When fans talk about the major teams in NASCAR Winston Cup racing, the ones that immediately pop up are Hendrick Motorsports, Robert Yates Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Roush Racing, Penske Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Those six teams filled the entire top 10 in the 2002 Winston Cup points standings. Well, five of them did. DEI, the team with the "Garage Mahal," didn't have a driver in the top 10.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. won two races but finished 11th in the points. Michael Waltrip won once but finished 14th.  And Steve Park ... well, he was dreadful in returning from a moderate concussion, running 32 races and finishing 33rd in the points.

That's not what Dale Earnhardt had in mind when he started DEI. Of course, that's not what anyone at DEI wants.

Of course, everyone at DEI believes 2003 will be better. Every other Winston Cup team believes that, too, but DEI does seem to be positioned for better results.

Earnhardt Jr. is back with the father/son combination of Tony Eury Sr. and Tony Eury Jr., but a subtle change made late last year should improve communication and results.  Plus, Junior has an entirely new pit crew.

Park recovered from his injuries and rumor-mill troubles to return to the No. 1 car, and he'll have crew chief Tony Gibson for a full season.

Michael Waltrip was arguably one of the strongest drivers the second half of 2002, and he and crew chief Slugger Labbe return with their entire No. 15 team intact.

Park said DEI is a "three-car team that acts like one car," but there's little doubt who the main man is. Bill Elliott may have won the most popular driver award last year, but Earnhardt Jr. consistently gets the loudest cheers on race days.

Those cheers, though, have more often than not been before the race -- and not in Victory Lane. His 2002 season included a stint where he finished 30th or worse in six of 12 races after a well-documented concussion at California Speedway.

Earnhardt Jr. rebounded, thanks in small part to a change between he and the Eurys. In the past, Junior would have to debrief both, and that often resulted in miscommunication. What he'd tell Eury Sr. wouldn't quite be the same as what he told Eury Jr., through no fault of his own.

Finally, in the middle of 2002, Earnhardt Jr. decided he would tell only Eury Jr. what was going on with the car.

"That started working really good," Earnhardt Jr. said. "We started making some big gains and started running better."

Earnhardt Jr. rebounded to move from 17th in the points to 11th. But he wants more, and he points the finger at himself. While it's natural for some drivers to prefer certain tracks, Junior said his poor disposition at tracks he doesn't like spread "like a virus" through the team.

"I changed that last year, and we got some good runs at places we hadn't expected," Earnhardt Jr. said. "That's given us more inspiration to try to stab at the championship this year."

"I'm seeing improvements, and I'm seeing where my attitude has a big effect on that."

But no matter what his attitude is like, if Junior doesn't get good pit stops, it won't matter. Last year, he would sometimes get them, but often when the pressure was on, they would falter.

"They could make fast stops," Eury Sr. said. "They could just not do it every time. Inconsistency."

Eury Sr. made some dramatic changes, with two new tire changers and a new rear-tire carrier in hopes of getting fast and consistent stops.

Park's team is worried about pit stops, too, but there's more about which to worry. Simply getting in position up front to worry about how a pit stop would affect you is a good place to start.

Park didn't have a single top-five finish last year, but that didn't stop Gibson from asking Park, "Are you ready to win?" Gibson, Jeff Gordon's former car chief, never believed Park was damaged goods, and a sixth-place run at Talladega -- Park's best finish of '02 -- proved that.

Now, Park and Gibson want more.

"We're going to win," Gibson said. "I promise you we're going to win."

Park, who signed a one-year contract late last year, echoes Gibson's confidence.

"We know for a fact that we're going to win races," Park said. "I feel confident that with my ability and the team we have now that we're not only going to win poles, we're going to win races."

"Contracts or not, they'll settle themselves out.  The main thing for us to do is run good, win races, and maybe I'll get a contract extension for 10 years. Who knows?"

Then there's Waltrip. Unlike Earnhardt Jr.'s and Park's teams, Waltrip's team made no major changes.

"Our biggest goal is to win the Daytona 500," Labbe said. "The team is real committed to Michael and myself and DEI. We had zero turnover over the winter, and today that's kind of hard to do. It makes the team feel real good that we start together."

Waltrip had a slow start in 2002 and was in 27th place in the points early in the year. But he rallied, thanks in no small part to talk of his imminent demise with the team, and finished 14th in the points.

"Hopefully, we'll get to sneak into the top 10," Labbe said, "and run good every week."

CONCORD, N.C. - Not everybody was heeding officials' advice to stay off ice-covered roads in these parts.

Tony Stewart, the reigning Winston Cup champion, hit the highway at about 70 mph to go from his home to an interview session.

Sure, Stewart said, he saw the piles of cars wrecked and abandoned along the sides of Charlotte-area roads as the result of a storm that dumped more than a half-foot of snow overnight.

But he was unfazed.

"They just don't know how to drive down here" on snow and ice, Stewart said.

Stewart, an Indiana native, was late, prompting speculation that either he was held up by the snow or simply had decided to blow off the interview. But, no, he was just running late because a previous engagement had gone long.

Once at the interview, Stewart made those who had insisted he was not capable of being a classy, gracious champion look like fools.

He may have been considered a traffic menace by the state patrol, but he was a delight to talk racing with by members of the GM-UAW media tour. He answered questions until the question reservoir ran dry and then stayed 10 minutes longer.

Stewart lent credence to an opinion offered up earlier in the day by his team owner, Joe Gibbs.

Gibbs had said: "I've kind of been watching him this off-season.  He just seems more relaxed. It (winning the championship) has been good for him."

There was considerably more humor than rancor from a guy who made as many headlines for physical alterations with reporters than winning races.

He talked about body-slamming quadruple-X crew chief Michael "Fat Back" McSwain, about refusing to consider racing in the Indianapolis 500 because he owed it to families of crew members to focus on Winston Cup, about having a friendship so valuable with crew chief Greg Zipadelli that it should be "put in Fort Knox."

And finally there was a warning issued to the NASCAR establishment: There could be fashion trouble at next year's banquet in New York.

"If we ever win the championship again," Stewart said, "at the champions party it's going to be required that you won't be allowed to come in tuxedos or anything like that. You'll be required to go up and change into blue jeans and T-shirts."

Yes, it was that Tony Stewart.

The VHS tape sits on a bookshelf, the last in a stack of my cherished, neatly catalogued racing memories. The label reads: Black Sunday 2/18/01.

My eyes pass over it quickly, as I scan my collection. Too late. There is that familiar hushed ache of longing. There is that vague sense of disbelief, still.

The following poem was written by the celebrated sports journalist Grantland Rice, upon the death of the great Babe Ruth. But as you read it, imagine a racetrack instead of a ball field - substitute "racer" for "player." I was struck by how well the poem expresses the void so many of us continue to feel even now, nearly two years after the loss of Dale Earnhardt - the man we thought of as 'Simply The Best.'

Game Called
By Grantland Rice

Game Called. Across the field of play
the dusk has come, the hour is late.
The fight is done and lost or won,
the player files out through the gate.
The tumult dies, the cheer is hushed,
the stands are bare, the park is still.
But through the night there shines the light,
home beyond the silent ill.

Game Called. Where in the golden light
the bugle rolled the reveille.
The shadows creep where night falls deep,
and taps has called the end of play.
The game is done, the score is in,
the final cheer and jeer have passed.
But in the night, beyond the fight,
the player finds his rest at last.

Game Called. Upon the field of life
the darkness gathers far and wide,
the dream is done, the score is spun
that stands forever in the guide.
Not victory nor yet defeat
is chalked against the players name.
But down the roll, the final scroll,
shows only, how he played the game.

I have never been a Dale E. fan but i thought you may like this. (if you don't have it already)
 
God Bless you and yours and have a Happy and Safe Earnhardt Holiday season!!!
 
Tom Brunette-A NASCAR FAN
 
 
   A fine Daytona afternoon
        the season just began,
My boys were running one and two
       and I was having fun.
I probably could have won the thing,
     but something held me back.
I was busy watching Dale and Mike,
        and holding off the pack.
  I was looking toward the front,
     and not really to the rear.
Something tapped me on the bumper
          but still I had no fear.
    I thought it might be Sterling,
        I knew he was nearby.
When Sterling smells the checkered flag,
          I'll tell ya, he ain't shy.
  I slipped a bit, I turned the wheel,
      I sensed something very odd.
     It wasn't Sterling's tap I'd felt,
          It was the tap of God.
"Not now", I said,"I'm racing hard,
    There's work still here to do."
"Your time is up," he wispered low,
          "So say a quick adieu."
           I wasn't really ready
       but I didn't have a choice,
   He'd tapped me on the bumper
  and I'd heard his hallowed voice.
        So I did as He instructed,
        I just packed it in and left.
        I guess it can't be helped,
      that I left some of you bereft.
Did you see those birds upon the wall,
     as they scattered in the breeze?
         Will it make it any easier
      to know that those were me?
   There was Davey, Dad, and Neil
   and some other guys I've known.
     And they all came to Daytona
          just to escort me home.
     Hey--congratulations Mikey!
         you made a worthy run.
     I wish you many, many more,
       your wins have just begun!
All that fun you had in Victory Lane.
     I was proud as proud could be.
   Did you see a Seagull flying low?
       Yeah, Mikey, that was me.
   So, friends and fans and family,
        Don't mourn me to long.
Get on with life, take care of things,
   be brave and proud and strong.
    I'll surely miss you every one,
      About of that I will not lie.
But as long as you remember me,
     --I DIDN"T REALLY DIE—

Your  Momma

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"Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar. -Drew Carey

Today In Nascar History

January 25, 1941

Buddy Baker is born on this date in history.  Baker would start his Grand National career in 1959.  It ended in 1992.

Baker would win 19 races in his career.  He would also win the 1980 Daytona 500.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University located in Daytona Beach, Florida helped develop the roof flaps on Nascar stock cars.

Whew!  There are a lot of comments today…..

from luggy
The Ford bashing realy sounds stupid coming from a lady whos never driven a Ford? or even worked on cars all ur life like i have, whats the LOGIC REASON for hating Fords an their drivers so much?  go work on a few an you'll find out  THEIR ALL THE SAME!! show me sum data were a Chevy is better then a FORD....:-)

.....Lugs

Hey lugs, I did drive a ferd once, and it cost me nothing but money and time….that thing nickel and dimed me to death!  So there!  Put that in yer pipe and ‘moke it…lol  ;-p  They may look the same under the hood, but ferds break down more!!!!!

from Jeff
Momma,
You still have the best NASCAR list as far as I am concerned. I just wish would have left  the " foreign", since alot of us true Americans make a good living working for the other manufacturers. Yes some of the money goes overseas but alot of it pays for my kids college education, and pays our bills. Love what
you are doing. Jeff Sealy, Texas

Momma,
 Just a thought about the owners of TMS  wanting another race here in Texas. The owners should be spending their money on making improvements on getting to the track and getting out after the race. I am sorry to say that as much as I love racing and especially Tony Stewart, I have never been to a race at TMS. The main reason being I have friends that have been there and all they can talk about is spending up to 3 hours to get in and 3 hours out. I would love to go and watch the action, but 6 hours of my life are better spent with my family. TMS shoud be spending their money on serving the need to get the fans in on time to see the whole race, and out in time to get a good night sleep, instead of fighting NASCAR in court for a second  date to but their fans through this much disappointment. TMS better wake up or they are going to loose fans instead of gaining another race. Jeff, Sealy Tx

from Jo and Dick in Florida
Hi!  Let's hope the promoters and track owners insist that all people who sing or play the National Anthem do it the way it was written.  These personal renditions really aggravate and irritate us!  If they're gonna do it, do it right!  Thanks.  Jo and Dick Miller, Lake Alfred, FL

from Phil
I drive a ford, but what’s wrong with everybody, are they afraid of the competition? Just look at the money that it would generate for nascar and the teams. I voted yes, looks like I am in the minority and I'm as country as anyone. Phil

Ok, if anyone out there knows how I can set up a poll, and not through Yahoo…..HELP!

from kat2220
I still can't vote, it requires me to sign on the Yahoo site, to which I do not belong.   I enjoy your newsletter, but you need to make it more user friendly.

from BigDaddyTJ
Well Momma,
I have tried for 2 days to get to the poll and still haven't been able to get there.  Yesterday, I tried to sign into it through my yahoo account and no luck and now today, I tried this link and had no luck with it. I know it isn't because I am up in Ohio in the 20 below wind chill and the internet has frozen....lol. And, dang, if I were in Florida, it has freeze warnings too....lol. And both places have no school because of the weather friday. But back to the poll, I am not sure what else I can try. I will say this, being a retired auto worker, basically it isn't home grown or foreign cars, it is more about the union and non union cars.  But honestly, American made are still the cream of the crop, even if they aren't always made the best....lol. Not sure what the choices are but, mine is for General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. Honda, Toyota, and all of them, even Saturn, are still owned, or partially owned, by foreigners and it just isn't right for them vehicles to be here.....
bye for now momma... think you got my vote... take care and remember, I am 30 minutes from the great speedway in Daytona. I have heard the roars of those engines a few times running errands down there already this year. Can't wait for DEI to dominate everything...Go Mikey, Steve, and Jr... later and have a great racing year....Keep up the great work here.... Tim

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TOON OF THE WEEK

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The Travel Channel Visits the World of NASCAR With Two World Premiere NASCAR Specials on Sunday, February 9: The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and the Travel Channel are taking viewers on a high- octane ride into the world of NASCAR. NASCAR's THUNDER ROAD, which airs at 9:00 pm (ET), and ULTIMATE NASCAR, which airs at 10:00 pm (ET) on February 9, provide viewers with both the familiar and the lesser-known elements of the sport and a NASCAR race. The programs will re-air on Saturday, February 15 from 9 - 11 pm (ET), the evening before the launch of NASCAR's 2003 season debut, the Daytona 500. NASCAR's THUNDER ROAD takes a behind-the-scenes look at race weekends, documenting pre-race preparation for the drivers, teams and fans. Beginning with an overview of the sport and its history, the program examines the people and the innovative technology that go into the preparation for each event. The NASCAR race season is a challenging 38-week journey, and NASCAR's THUNDER ROAD will highlight the travel to and from NASCAR events showcasing how the team haulers serve as the "life system" of the racing crew on the road. Widely regarded as one of the most fan-friendly sports, NASCAR's THUNDER ROAD gives viewers a fan's view of the race from both the grandstand seats and VIP suites, including adrenaline-laden race action, the marvels of souvenir row, and the thrill of the Victory Lane celebration.

Four-time Winston Cup title-winner Jeff Gordon said he thinks Tony Stewart will do fine during Stewart's first reign as the sport's champion.

"He deserved to win the championship because of what he did on the race track," Gordon said, "and off the race track he certainly keeps us entertained. "I enjoy that part of it, too.

"Tony is a great guy. I've gotten the chance to get to know him a lot better in the past year. ...Sometimes little things set him off.  Those are just things he'll have to learn to balance for himself, but I don't think he should change.

"We hear all the time about not giving 'politically correct' answers and letting your personality come out. That's what it does sometimes and it gets him in trouble. But if that's him and it's his personality, he needs to stick with it. I think he will do a great job."

Tony Stewart's goals for 2003 are simple: Defend his Winston Cup championship, win more than the three races he won in 2002 and have some fun.

There wasn't much fun for Stewart and his Joe Gibbs Racing team as they won NASCAR's most prestigious title despite nearly constant controversy swirling around the often volatile driver.

During a stop on the fourth and final day of the UAW-GM Motorsports Media Tour sponsored by Lowe's Motor Speedway, Stewart appeared relaxed and bantered easily with reporters who were often the object of his anger last year.

"It's the most relaxed I've been coming into a race season," Stewart said. "I think a lot of it is because I don't feel like there's any pressure to try to prove anything this year.

"I just enjoy being a regular guy and being a race car driver. I don't want to be a politician, I don't want to represent anything. I just want to go out and drive race cars and try to win races."

Stewart said he hopes to eliminate distractions in 2003.

"I have to quit letting things get to me so easily," he explained. "If somebody writes something in the paper that I don't agree with, I let it eat at me for weeks. That was part of the reason I quit reading the papers and the magazines and watching TV.

"That's been a thorn in my side as far as my performance on the track because I carry stuff emotionally inside of me so much that I let it get to my work. If I can eliminate that stuff and focus more on the work, that will automatically make me a better race driver."

Stewart said he is hoping 2003 will be a "very uneventful, unemotional year."

"All I care about is how I do each week on the racetrack and entertaining the fans that were there to support me that day."

As much as his focus these days is on his NASCAR team, Joe Gibbs still pays close attention to what's going on in the National Football League.

The former coach of the Washington Redskins, who took the team to four Super Bowls and won three of them, is looking forward to watching Sunday's game matching Tampa Bay and Oakland.

Asked who he thinks will win, Gibbs said, "I told everybody I vote with my heart, so it's always been hard for me to pull for the Raiders. I'm forced into the box; I have to go with Tampa."

"I used to always say that defense leads you to a championship.  Offense may be the heart of the team and gets you points and special teams is the heart of the team, but that defense is going to lead you and both these teams have good defenses."

Gibbs said it will be interesting to see how Tampa Bay's defense handles Oakland's powerhouse offense.

Referring to Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, Gibbs said, "Monte is a friend of mine and I'll tell you, you have to go a long way to beat that guy."  Yea, well guess what Joe....You will eat your words come Sunday night....My Raiders are gonna do some major kick ass....just you wait and see!

ALLTEL has extended its primary sponsorship agreement with Penske Racing South and the No. 12 Dodges driven by Ryan Newman through 2006.

The communications and information services company's current agreement with the 2002 roolkie of the year would have expired at the end of the 2004 season.

ALLTEL began its association with Penske Racing and Newman in 2000, running a limited schedule of events in the Automobile Racing Club of America series. In 2001, the team ran a mixed schedule in three series - ARCA, NASCAR's Grand National series and Winston Cup Series - to prepare for a full Winston Cup season in 2002.

IN his rookie season, Newman posted 22 top-10 and 15 top-5 finishes. He grabbed his first Cup win at New Hampshire International Speedway and also won The Winston all-star race.

Newman also won six poles.

FRIDAY FODDER
by Jeff Alan - Staff Writer

It’s Friday! Super Bowl weekend is here. Your fridge is stocked full of salsa, wings, and plenty of malted barley and hops, all in anticipation of the big game on Sunday. And with temperatures in most of the United States hovering around the level of your kitchen freezer, a prescription of frequent naps, a good book or two, and plenty of Friday Fodder, is most in order.
 

• The biggest news of the week was Bill France’s idea to ‘geographically’ rearrange the Winston-Cup schedule, which means moving dates from some other tracks. Bruton Smith had a cow when he heard that France was considering pulling the fall race at Charlotte, and another at his beloved Atlanta raceway. Seems as if the idea is to give Texas a second date by taking away Charlotte and/or Atlanta. And while that alone is a raw deal, it just might be enough to get them out of hot water with that lawsuit they are involved with. Think about it.

Martinsville, which has the smallest seating capacity of all Winston-Cup tracks, is apparently not in danger of losing both of their dates. Oh, I forgot. Bill France owns 30-percent of it. Duh!!!
 

• NASCAR has known for years --- many years --- that Carbon Monoxide was a factor in the health of drivers. And now, it takes the retirement of a fine driver to motivate them to pursue a permanent fix.

• Cheers to Chip Ganassi, who follows RCR’s lead and orders complete physicals and medical tests for his stable of chauffeurs.

• Brooke Gordon is oiling her chainsaw. Her lawyers have sharpened the blades and have subpoenaed contract records of some major Winston-Cup teams, including Roush Racing, to use as ammunition against her formerly beloved. Drivers are worried that sensitive information, including their income, would be made public.

Think about this: NASCAR drivers are one of the very few athletes who do not make their income and salaries public. The salaries of a majority of NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL players’ are widely known, and even published in the newspaper and sporting journals. What’s the big secret? If I made four million bucks a year, I’d sure as hell wouldn’t be ashamed to admit it.
 

• Don’t look for any details on Juniors’ 5-year contract with DEI. Only rumors.

• Richard Petty is so overwhelmed by the state of the sport today, that he is distancing himself more and more from it. There will be weekends this year where we won’t see him at the track at all. Sad.

• Steve Park has been given a seat at the Guillotine, and DEI is sharpening the blade. He has exactly 36 point-races to prove he can keep his ride.

• Has anyone heard a peep from TRAC lately? They aren’t even answering their phones.

• Everybody who wants to see Toyota in Winston-Cup, raise their hands.

• From the P.T. Barnum department….. Humpy Wheeler might consider conducting marriages during the pace laps at the Coca Cola 600, with couples running on the apron in a conversion van or a large bus.  Think of the PR that such a stunt would generate? And you know what else? I’ll bet they’d have to rent a hundred of those things to accommodate the crowds.

• The ‘sophomore jinx’ will either be debunked or validated this year.  Ryan Newman, along with Jimmy Johnson, are aiming at a championship this year. Last year, Kevin Harvick did too.

• It doesn’t happen often, but I will stand and applaud NASCAR for finally mandating the new ‘Hot Pass/Cold Pass’ regulations at Winston-Cup tracks. However, I follow it with a Bronx cheer. NASCAR still has access and authority to distribute as many free passes as they want, to anyone they want to, for access to anywhere at the track.

• You know, I think the Busch series will be more exciting than Winston-Cup this year.

• Bruton Smith says that North Wilkesboro speedway is “Fast returning to the Earth.” A most idiotic incantation since Junior Johnson has already said he wants to buy it and bring Saturday night racing back to Holly Farms country.

• Hooters has realized that you can sponsor a Winston-Cup car for 20 races, and still sell chicken wings.

Thanks to you fans who left your big coolers at home last year, the International Speedway Corporation posted record profits ….. again…. for 2002. Keep those hot dogs and cokes comin.’

You can reach Jeff Alan at: Jalan@...

Growing up, my knowledge of NASCAR was nil and my acceptance of it even less.

To me, it was nothing more than a reckless pack of rednecks driving mobile billboards around in circles for hours, for no apparent reason other than to promote Mountain Dew, Holly Farms chicken and Wrangler Jeans, and to contribute to ozone depletion.

To me, it was a pastime for backwoods folk, a chance for trailer park trash to convene in the middle of nowhere, (Darlington? Wilkesboro? Rockingham? Where the hell are these places?), compare beer guts and throw chicken bones at moving objects.

To me, Monte Carlos, Thunderbirds and Cutlass Supremes were all "NASCARs." To me, NASCAR was a speed bump on the channel dial, slowing down my progress to the nearest football game.

To me, Winston Cup may as well have been a British political leader. To me, NASCAR was wasting valuable broadcast time on ESPN, time that could have been reserved for college hoops, bowling or that deal where they see who can cut the tree down the fastest. That was real racing.

A fan of NASCAR I was not.

Shows what I know.

Despite all of that, there was one aspect of the sport that garnered my attention -- the No. 28 Ford. Talk about sharp. Black as night with a star on the hood and borderless red numbers on the side. Plain. It was a Penn State football jersey on wheels. Speedy, baby.

Every time the old man made a beer stop at the local Texaco, I'd act like I was headed for the drink cooler, then veer straight for the Davey Allison die-casts. I wanted terribly to buy one but didn't dare, didn't have the brass to admit I thought it was cool.

Idiot.

What I'd give for those cars now. I'd entertain the idea of sacrificing a digit. Why? Because the No. 28 Texaco Ford is gone, likely forever, and may never again grace NASCAR's hallowed high-speed halls.

Somehow, this simultaneously saddens and comforts me.

I'm sad because that car sparked my interest in this glorious game. Watching that car on TV helped hook me, helped transform me into one of those chicken-bone-chuckers.

I know Daytona won't have the same zeal this year. I always single out the 28 during that first practice, the one that sounds like a freight train and makes your hair stand on end. Talladega? Please. In Alabama, black and red play second fiddle only to crimson and white.

And as sad as I am that my ride is extinct, I'm equally elated for Elliott Sadler.  His move to Yates is pressure-filled enough, never mind the added load of backbreaking expectations and striking similarities. He's young, personable, good-looking.

He has a hot shoe and an open mind.

In short, he's a lot like Davey Allison.

"I actually have this whole deal about packaging Davey and the 28 car up and not discussing it in any text, but, you know, it's hard not to see (Allison) in (Sadler)," said team owner Robert Yates. "He's fun to be around. He's involved and he's a hoot.

"Davey was always that way. He didn't come in with a sourpuss attitude and that's the way he's been. Davey was a great competitor, but he was always fun to get rejuvenated by Monday morning at 10 o'clock and I see that in Elliott. He's easy to talk to. He's in it, he's with you, he doesn't look down his nose at you or disrespect you.

"He respects all the people here and that's exactly the way the Allisons were, so I feel good about that. Respecting people -- he doesn't think he's any better than anybody else, but he knows that if everybody works together, he'll look like he's better than everybody else."

No matter the number, that car will always be top-notch in my heart. No doubt it holds a special place.

Without it, I'd likely still hold many of the aforementioned ignorant misconceptions.

Marty Smith's column appears on NASCAR.com every week. The opinions listed here are solely those of the writer.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Lawyers for Jeff Gordon's wife have subpoenaed records from his competitors and NASCAR for use in their divorce case.

Geoff Smith, general manager of Roush Racing, said the team planned to file an order Friday to block Brooke Gordon's request in Wayne County Circuit Court in Michigan, where the company is headquartered.

Roush does not want to make public the individual contracts it has with its drivers and sponsors. Those deals are highly sensitive in NASCAR, where each car owner works out separate agreements with every individual.

Numbers are rarely talked about, preventing drivers from knowing how much their rivals receive in salary, percentage of winnings and souvenir sales.

Sponsor deals also are secret, lest a company should find out if it is paying extra for something another might get for free.

"Those are all the things that are the heart of our business," Smith said. "When we give it to Brooke, we're going to give it to Jeff. It's like having the Hendrick organization inside our team."

NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said the lawyers requested prize money information on Gordon, which it provided to the lawyers.

Gordon, a four-time Winston Cup champion, drives for Hendrick. Roush fields cars for Winston Cup drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle.

Smith said other teams have also been asked to turn over contracts.

Brooke Gordon's lawyer, Jeff Fisher, did not immediately return a call to The Associated Press for comment.

Jeff Gordon has unsuccessfully tried to get a Florida judge to require his estranged wife and anyone involved in his divorce to sign a confidentiality agreement.

The request was denied and Jeff Gordon had to turn over papers in November that estimated his worth at about $48.8 million and that he earned more than $18 million in 2001.

Brooke Gordon filed for divorce in March, citing "marital misconduct." The racer has countersued, saying he should not have to equally split the couple's estate because he risked his life to collect it.

Jeff Gordon had to reveal his worth in an affidavit filed to comply with a Florida law that requires assets amassed during a marriage to be split evenly.

Brooke Gordon has asked for exclusive use of their Highland Beach, Fla., mansion, valued at $10.2 million, as well as alimony, two cars and periodic use of their boats and an airplane. She also wants her husband to continue to pay the salaries of their housekeepers, maintenance workers and chef.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. - When the white-hot lights focused on Dale Earnhardt Jr. from close range Tuesday, it was easy to understand just how much the third-generation driver's life has veered out of control.

One hundred reporters muscled for position like they were fighting for a rebound. There were threats of punches as everyone pushed through the crowd of television cameras and tape recorders, each trying to get closer to young Earnhardt has he talked of his future in the family business.

The annual media tour before the racing season was void of fans, but that didn't ease the demands on the son of the seven-time Winston Cup Series champion. Instead of autographs, he was dishing out answers. There were questions about his future with Dale Earnhardt Inc., questions about his personal life, questions about the upcoming season.

A representative from the Lowe's Motor Speedway, which is host of the annual conference of journalists and race teams, reminded reporters of the "halo" rule - an imaginary bubble of space - to keep them from getting too intrusive.

If nothing else, he's learned there's no escape from the family name and the fame that comes with it. But for the first time, he's trying to gain some control, no matter how insignificant.

"I don't want to get burned out before my time," he said.

Earnhardt ended months of speculation that he may follow his father's footsteps and drive cars for Richard Childress Racing by saying he finally reached an agreement with his stepmother's operation. He said they worked through the details of sponsor appearances and off-track demands during a four-hour meeting Monday.

He then agreed to drive for DEI for the next five years.

Eight years ago he was making $6 an hour changing oil at his father's Chevrolet dealership; now he's the most-intriguing and popular figure on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series circuit.

Earnhardt mentioned six months ago he hadn't signed an extension with the family team, now headed by his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt. It was a curious admission at the time, but he insisted both sides simply didn't have time to hammer out the details. In reality, it was a sort of power struggle.

By the end of the season, the contract remained unsigned and the rumors of his moving to Childress intensified. At the same time, Earnhardt was wrestling to regain small portions of his free time. His team has the enviable position as one of the best-funded operations in the sport, but with the help of several Fortune 500 companies comes extra demands of his time away from the track.

"Teresa has a lot of responsibility," he said. "She's going to have to make a lot of big decisions here in the future. I want to help her as much as I can - as much as she'll let me.  Hopefully she'll make the right decisions and we prosper and we're successful.

"I'm 28 years old and I've got to put myself in position to win championships. I don't want to have to compromise too much to do that. Since drivers are contract labor, my primary focus is the team and driving for the team. I sell my services as a driver to the team, so I allot the team 40 appearances for whoever or whatever. That's all they get. I had to put a cap on it because there was no control.

"I just didn't want to give away every free day I had. I've cut my appearances from last year in half. That's going to help me a lot. Race car drivers can race into their 50s and still be competitive. But it's the stuff off the track that drives you away from the sport. Maybe this will be the future of contracts and I can be credited for it."

A driver generally spends about 130 days at the track each year, and that doesn't include travel. A year ago, Earnhardt was required to make about 80 off-track appearances for sponsors, and that also doesn't include travel. Add it all up, and it's common for drivers to have only one or two off-days in a month.
 
Earnhardt realizes the demands of living up to the family name will never go away. His father found a balance, but he had seven championships to use as leverage.

Sponsors and fans are enamored with Earnhardt's youth and playfulness. He wears his caps backwards, plays his music loud and loves computer games. He reaches a new generation of race fans who never bought into the sport's stereotypical image of country music and cowboy hats.

And on the track, he's had just enough success - seven career wins - to keep his father's memory fresh in everyone's mind.
 
"In the situation that I'm in now, you've got to understand, that no matter how you put it, no matter how long I'm there, I'm always going to be the son of the man who started the business and who envisioned it all," he said.

His father owned the race team, but he drove for somebody else. The idea, now at rest for the next five years, remains intriguing.

"I'm always going to wonder what it would be like to drive for somebody else," the son said.  "That's not saying the grass is greener on the other side of the fence; I'm just always going to have that in the back of my mind."

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. wasted little time Thursday proving he was the favorite to defend his 2002 victory in the Koolerz 300 NASCAR Busch Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 8 Chevrolet was half a second quicker than the other 21 teams present as the final two-day session of NASCAR Preseason Thunder opened on a cool day with blustery winds.

By the end of the day Earnhardt had fortified his reputation of being able to "sniff the wind" when he improved to 49.004 seconds, an average speed of 183.658 mph. His appearance was the debut for Chance 2, the team co-owned by Earnhardt Jr. and his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt.

A year ago, Junior drove a No. 3 Chevrolet prepared by Richard Childress Racing to an emotional victory during Speedweeks 2002.  Thursday he had two cars that were together at the top of the speed chart, as the second ran 183.441 mph.

"It's going pretty good," Earnhardt said. "We're not as fast as some of the other guys that were here a couple of days ago (but) we feel like we're right on par.

"Some laps you would run and you could tell it would be a good lap because the wind wasn't messing with you, but some laps, you could tell that even though you didn't change anything the wind was slowing you down.

"I don't know, we ran (49) flats in all parts of the day, in all kinds of wind, though."

CART Indy car driver Jimmy Vasser was the fastest driver of the 20 teams that tested in the opening two-day session earlier this week, with a lap of 48.871 seconds, 184.158 mph in the No. 19 Dodge.

"A lot of these guys are going to work their way up and will probably be right there with us after a while," Earnhardt said. "We're happy with the way the car has come out of the trailer."

Rounding out the top-five speeds Thursday was Busch Series sophomore Shane Hmiel in the No. 48 Pontiac (49.462/181.958), Phoenix Racing stand-in Joe Ruttman in the No. 1 Dodge (181.792), Coy Gibbs in the No. 18 Pontiac (181.616) and Kenny Wallace.

Bill Davis Racing Winston Cup driver Wallace shook down BDR's No. 23 Chevrolet for his teammate and its regular driver, Scott Wimmer. Wallace ran 181.547 while Wimmer attended funeral services in Wisconsin for a friend that was killed in a recent snowmobile racing accident.

Earnhardt plans to run both Daytona Busch Series races and the event at Talladega in the same car. In addition, Chance 2 will field cars for DEI teammate Steve Park in five races and for Busch North driver Martin Truex Jr. in up to five more Busch Series events.

Earnhardt said he did not see his own Busch Series schedule expanding much beyond the scheduled races.

"I don't foresee doing a lot of Busch racing in a single year," Junior said. "I'm just taking on a thing or two that seems fun, seems enjoyable (and) this little program is going to be a lot of fun.

"I'm going to have as much fun with the owner's side of it as much as I would driving it."

Chance 2 will also enter a No. 81 car in three Winston Cup races.  Busch Series regular Jason Keller will make his Winston Cup debut driving it at Chicagoland Speedway and Ron Fellows will drive in the road-course events at Watkins Glen International and Infineon Raceway.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Cumulative single-lap results of Busch Series testing at Daytona International Speedway, through Thursday, Jan. 23:

1. No. 19, Jimmy Vassar, Dodge, 48.871, 184.158
2. No. 20, Mike Bliss, Pontiac, 48.905, 184.030
3. No. 8, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 49.004, 183.658
4. No. 38, Kasey Kahne, Ford, 49.059, 183.453
5. No. 4, Mike Wallace, Pontiac, 49.112, 183.255
6. No. 19, Chad Blount, Dodge, 49.129, 183.191
7. No. 21, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.190, 182.964
8. No. 99, Michael Waltrip, Chevrolet, 49.192, 182.957
9. No. 87, Joe Nemechek, Pontiac, 49.248, 182.749
10. No. 28, Brad Baker, Dodge, 49.302, 182.548
11. No. 26, Kevin Grubb, Dodge, 49.324, 182.467
12. No. 25, Bobby Hamilton Jr., Ford, 49.345, 182.389
13. No. 10, Scott Riggs, Ford, 49.388, 182.231
14. No. 43, Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet, 49.392, 182.216
15. No. 48, Shane Hmiel, Pontiac, 49.462, 181.958
16. No. 1, Joe Ruttman, Dodge, 49.507, 181.792
17. No. 77, Donnie Neuenberger, Ford, 49.511, 181.778
18. No. 27, Chase Montgomery, Pontiac, 49.527, 181.719
19. No. 18, Coy Gibbs, Pontiac, 49.555, 181.616
20. No. 23, Kenny Wallace, Chevrolet, 49.571, 181.558
21. No. 03, Mike McLaughlin, Ford, 49.586, 181.503
22. No. 49, Derrike Cope, Pontiac, 49.634, 181.327
23. No. 7, Randy LaJoie, Pontiac, 49.640, 181.305
24. No. 12, Kerry Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 49.646, 181.283
25. No. 47, Kevin Conway, Pontiac, 49.661, 181.229
26. No. 59, Stacy Compton, Chevrolet, 49.740, 180.941
27. No. 2, Ron Hornaday, Chevrolet, 49.750, 180.905
28. No. 60, Stanton Barrett, Ford, 49.784, 180.781
29. No. 37, David Green, Pontiac, 49.849, 180.545
30. No. 5, Brian Vickers, Chevrolet, 49.926, 180.267
31. No. 61, Mark Day, Chevrolet, 49.927, 180.263
32. No. 6, Toby Porter, Pontiac, 49.938, 180.223
33. No. 92, Todd Bodine, Chevrolet, 50.019, 179.932
34. No. 72, Michael Dokken, Pontiac, 50.038, 179.863
35. No. 57, Jason Keller, Ford, 50.100, 179.641
36. No. 46, Ashton Lewis Jr., Chevrolet, 50.115, 179.587
37. No. 53, Hank Parker Jr., Ford, 50.138, 179.505
38. No. 67, C.W. Smith, Chevrolet, 50.164, 179.412
39. No. 22, Larry Hollenbeck, Pontiac, 50.172, 179.383
40. No. 16, Larry Gunselman, Pontiac, 50.417, 178.511
41. No. 86, Jeff Fultz, Chevrolet, 50.490, 178.253
42. No. 44, Mike Harmon, Chevrolet, 50.751, 177.336

Your  Momma
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Did You Know

Ned Jarrett has the best average finishing position at the Daytona 500 without ever having won the race (with a minimum of 5 starts).

Seems that some of you are having problems voting on the poll.  What you can do is go the the web site, click on Polls and vote from there.  Let me know if you still have problems…as this is my first ever poll, I may not have set it up quite right….Sorry bout that!

Seems I may have upset a few of you with the way the poll is worded….sorry, I just get going and don’t always get it right….so here we go…

from Jeff 
Momma,
I take bake my statement about you being  unbiased!!!!!!!!! I really took exception to the word foreign cars in your poll. Since so many of the so called foreign cars are now made in the great USA, I feel that word made the poll unjust and unfair to all other car manufactures. What if Saturn wanted to enter a car would you put them in a foreign category?????????? Jeff Sealy,Texas

Well Jeff, I hate to say it, but I’m not always unbiased.  I try to be but as I hate Ford and their drivers (for the most part that is), I really slam them.  Foreign to me is when profits from sales end up overseas…and yes, I know that Daimler-Chrysler is now part foreign company.  I didn’t mean to offend, and I still want to hear from you on anything you have to say.  Don’t give up on me, I can be persuaded to change my mind on occasion – I am female ya know!

from Gary&Gina regarding the poll
I like your nascar news  but this DON'T work!

Try to go to the web site and see if you can do it from there.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KnowYourNascar

from DE3FAN
I guess this is alright for those that belong to yahoo, but I don't and will not sign up for anything at yahoo.  I have had too many problems with them in the past.  So, I cannot cast my vote.

Sorry to hear that.  I’m not sure if you have to sign up though.  Because you are on the list, you should be able to click the link without joining, but I already know what your vote would be Jeff!  Below this, you will find a commentary written by Jeff…read on, it makes sense to me.

I have read several articles on the NA$CAR/I$C take on the 2004 Winston Cup season and schedule.  It is very apparent that the France family wants to, once more, line their pockets with even more the fan’s money.

It seems as though they want to take away Winston Cup races from the tracks that are not selling their seating capacity completely out and moving them to other tracks.

Of course, the obvious place to move those races are to tracks that are already owned by I$C. (by the way I$C, NA$CAR, and the France family are one and the same!)

Sure, they make mention of moving one more race to Texas Motor Speedway but was that because a lawsuit was filed against them for not offering a second race to that track by a stockholder of TMS which was promised when TMS was built?

Who knows, and who could ever guess what the France conglomerates will try to pull next.

My best guess is that fans are not going to the tracks in ‘throngs’ because I$C has gotten the price so HIGH that the average race fan with a family just cannot afford it any longer.  Myself, I don’t have $350 to put out for a major race and I think there are a lot of fans with my exact feelings.  And, it is not just the tickets to the race!  What about food and lodging for that race?

Bill France Jr. and his family have lived in luxury for years at the race fan’s expense!  As Dale Earnhardt Sr. once said, “If Bill France Sr. could see what is happening in NA$CAR today, he would roll over in his grave!”  Ain’t it the truth?!!....and I’ll bet Dale is too!

C’mon NA$CAR/I$C give something back to the fans!!!!!!

Larry L. Lange
DE#FAN@...
Prairie du Cheien, WI

from David
Hello, Sandra.... Hope all is going well on your end.... I see you are getting alot of feedback with your newsletter.... You go girl, go..... Here's a little homework for you.... I'd like help you but to be quite honest, this is really something I know nothing about.... Never heard nor read....Here's the question, I read where Dale Jr. signed his new contract.... The amount not being disclosed.... When a driver signs a contract how much is he or she subject to make in a given year, salarywise ?  Is it a percentage of his winnings ?  A percentage, plus a flat salary ? Who knows ?  It's the one subject you never hear being discussed by the TV people and I believe it's the one subject that NASCAR doesn't have any involvement in..... Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.... 25 DAYS TO GO, (REALLY LESS, THE BUD SHOOTOUT IS ON THE 8th, THE GATORADE TWIN 125's ARE ON THE 13th, THE TRUCK RACE IS ON THE 14th, THE BUSCH RACE IS ON THE 15th AND THEN THE DAYTONA 500 IS ON THE 16th)..... GENTLEMEN --------->>>>>>>START DEM DARE ENGINES....
 
Talk to you later
David Robertson

Ok, David, bet you thought I wouldn’t know this one!  From what I understand, each driver is given a base salary, and depending on what kind of driver they are depends on that base.  Usually averages 1-5 million.  They also get a percentage of the purse…again, usually 35-50%, average of 45% for most of the drivers.  The drivers and owners don’t talk too much about it because I think most of the fans would have fits!!

Terry Labonte to Celebrate 25th Daytona 500 - Terry Labonte, Hendrick Motorsports Hope To Make More Magic On Feb. 16: Terry Labonte will start the 2003 season with not one, not two, but three anniversaries to celebrate. In the process, Kellogg Company welcomes a new partner to the Kellogg's Racing Team as the American Dairy Association (ADA) debuts as an associate sponsor of the No. 5 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.  ...With Speed Weeks at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway set to begin Feb. 7, Labonte is poised to make his 25th start in "The Great American Race." He has three second-place finishes in the traditional season opener since making his first visit to Daytona in 1979. In fact, Labonte's most recent runner-up showing was in 1997 when Hendrick Motorsports teammates swept the top three positions. Jeff Gordon won that race on Feb. 16, the very day on which this year's 45th running of the stock car classic will take place.  Labonte finished second and Ricky Craven placed third. February 16 also is the date of the team's first Daytona 500 victory in 1986 with Geoffrey Bodine behind the wheel of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet that day.  Labonte finished second and Jim Long, his current crew chief, was on pit road as Bodine's chief mechanic. Today, Long is entering his second season at the helm of the Kellogg's / got milk? Racing Team with high hopes for improvement over last year's 24th-place finish in the point standings.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- John Andretti made a pledge back in October, and today, he'll follow through on it.

Through his association with General Mills, Andretti raised $30,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Target House program by completing every lap in the EA SPORTS 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. In fact, he placed in the top 20.

This afternoon, he'll meet and sign autographs for Target House children and their families at the Memphis facility.

Target House is a home away from home for families with children receiving life-saving treatment at St. Jude, offering fully furnished apartments, free of charge.

St. Jude is a world-class center for the treatment and research of pediatric cancer and other life-threatening childhood diseases.

NEW YORK -- Lamott Ebron has aspirations of becoming a Winston Cup driver.

If he makes it that far, he'll already have friends in the garage area, namely Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Dale Jarrett.

The 14-year-old member of Philadelphia's Urban Youth Racing School recently spent a race weekend as Johnson's guest, all part of a television series called "A Walk In Your Shoes," to be broadcast the evening of the Daytona 500, on Feb. 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET on The N and Nickelodeon.

The show will be repeated on The N on Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

While he can't slip behind the wheel of a stock car just yet, he does just about everything else during the weekend with Johnson, including experiencing the thrill of watching cars fly by at speeds close to 170 mph, something he thinks is not only cool, but seems pretty easy.

"All you have to do is drive in a circle and let your pit crew take care of the rest," Lamott said.

With an all-access pass to the track, Lamott hangs out with Johnson's pit crew and even provides a helping hand. He takes a ride around the track in a pace car and watches the race from pit road, getting to see Johnson and the rest of the Winston Cup drivers in action.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR Busch Series owner James Finch wants to compete for the series championship in 2004, so he recently made one of the most difficult decisions he's had to execute in his long career in the sport.

He had to tell veteran driver Jimmy Spencer there wouldn't be a place for him on his Phoenix Racing team in 2003. Spencer is attempting to rebuild his Busch season with his own Spencer Motor Ventures team.

"We have an agreement to operate an alliance with Ganassi Racing, starting with this year," Finch said. "I want to run for the Busch Grand National championship.

"I've done it with Winston Cup drivers and you get penalized on all the money plans. So, after this year I am going to pick me a driver and run for the championship in 2004."

The deal with Chip Ganassi will pay off for Finch, but was a bitter pill for Spencer to swallow, after winning four times for Finch in two seasons.

Spencer had a handshake deal to drive a limited schedule of Busch Series races in 2003 for Finch, for whom he drove in 23 races in 2002, winning at Bristol Motor Speedway.

"I had agreed to drive for (Phoenix) this year and then Chip got involved," Spencer said. "He just offered them a lot of money and bought me out of my deal. That's life and I'm a big boy and I'll go on -- I'm still good friends with all the people down there."

Car owner Chip Ganassi is sending his Winston Cup drivers for a three-day medical test so his organization will have detailed health records in case of injuries.

Sterling Marlin, Ganassi's top driver, spent 25 straight weeks on top of the Winston Cup standings last season before he was sidelined for the final seven races with a cracked vertebra in his neck.

Now Marlin and rookies Jamie McMurray and Casey Mears are being sent in April to the University of Pittsburgh's Medical Center in Ganassi's hometown for "a baseline-operation program."

"It's just one more tool for us to have, just in case things like Sterling's injury happen again in the future," Ganassi said. "I hope we don't need the information, but it can only help."

Teams are constantly working on improving the safety aspects of racing, but Ganassi said he is not a pioneer in sending his drivers' in for the test.

"Everyone is always trying to be proactive, but this is something I read about somewhere else," Ganassi said. "The Steelers do it, the Pirates do it. It can't hurt for us to do it."

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Bruton Smith said Wednesday there is "zero chance" his Speedway Motorsports Inc. would move a race from one of its other racetracks to Texas Motor Speedway.

That suggestion was made Tuesday by NASCAR officials during a news conference at its new Research and Development Center in suburban Mooresville.

With no new races likely to be added to the Winston Cup schedule in the foreseeable future, NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. said the stock car sanctioning body would realign its schedule "in 2004 and beyond."  He said corporations already part of the schedule and wanting a second race at one of their own tracks could shift events from one track to another.

As an example, he said SMI could conceivably move one of its two annual races at either Lowe's Motor Speedway in suburban Charlotte or Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., to Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth, Texas, which currently has one Cup race each year.

SMI also owns tracks in Bristol, Tenn. and Las Vegas, Nev. Bristol has two races a year, while Las Vegas has one and would also like a second date.

France also mentioned the possibility of International Speedway Corp., controlled by the France family and owner of all or part of 11 racetracks, take a race from Darlington Speedway in Darlington, S.C., or North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham, N.C., to other ISC tracks that draw bigger crowds.

"We have spent probably more than $100 million in improving the Atlanta track and making it first class and fan friendly," Smith said.  "Each race also has a considerable economic impact on Atlanta and we're not going to go into that community and take a race away.  NASCAR should be giving Texas a second race because the track deserves it."

As for moving a race from the Charlotte track, Smith said, "That just isn't going to happen."

Smith has long contended he was promised a second race date.  NASCAR insists it never promised Texas another race.

NASCAR has never even awarded one date to Texas -- Smith landed the April race by purchasing half of the now-defunct track in North Wilkesboro, N.C., and moving one of its Winston Cup events to Texas.

A TMS shareholder is suing NASCAR over the lack of a second race.

Mast, who has not raced since May, said Wednesday he is suffering from acute and chronic carbon monoxide poisoning that carries symptoms similar to "the worst hangover in your life."

"You wake up feeling nauseated and you want to throw up and you can't," Mast said. "Your head is pounding all the time and you just feel awful. That is what I lived with for five and a half weeks, seven days a week."

Mast, who made 364 starts over a 15-year Winston Cup career, said he began feeling ill in March but didn't get of the car until May.

It took dozens of visits to various doctors before he was finally diagnosed in November -- he said he lost 43 pounds in that time -- and there is no timetable for when the poisoning will be out of his system.

The only thing he knows for certain is that he can no longer be around chemicals that are spinoffs of carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that is in everything from a car's exhaust to poorly ventilated heating systems.

That means everything from racing cars to using a lawnmower and riding a tractor on his Virginia farm are off limits to Mast.

"I cut grass one day in June and the air was blowing just a certain way and the fumes were blowing and I was down for five days after it," Mast said.

The 45-year-old driver from Virginia can't pin his illness on NASCAR, although he is now working with the sanctioning body to educate other drivers on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Because he has been around race cars since he was 4 years old, Mast said the lifetime of exposure to the fumes is probably to blame.

"I was a grease monkey of sorts," he said. "In the winter time, we worked in the garage with the doors shut and the windows closed and all the cars running."

Still, NASCAR is taking a proactive approach to the problem.

Gary Nelson, NASCAR's managing director of competition, accompanied Mast while he discussed the illness during an informal announcement at the annual media tour.

Mast first told NASCAR about the poisoning after he was diagnosed in November, and the sanctioning body immediately went to work on ways to prevent it.

A lab was built into NASCAR's new research and development center, and all drivers were asked if they had an air filter system they used in their car that they wanted NASCAR to test for them.

"We have found plenty of systems that didn't work that were being used," Nelson said. "What we're looking for is a way to get drivers to breathe the freshest air possible in the car.

"The way to do that is to find a way to bring air from the outside through a hose into the helmet."

NASCAR has even tested some drivers for toxic levels in their body, including Jimmy Spencer following his fiery wreck in the season-finale in Homestead, Fla.

Nelson said Spencer's toxic level was less than 3 percent. Major problems begin when the level nears 20 percent, Nelson said.

Spencer, the only driver on the Winston Cup circuit to still use an open-face helmet, thinks that choice has kept his levels of toxicity fairly low.

"I think I get less of the carbon monoxide than the full-face helmet guys because I've got a lot more circulation," he said. "You have to have the air circulating and moving. You cannot sit there in that dirty air."

Both Mast and Spencer applauded NASCAR for aggressively targeting the problem. Earlier this week, even before Mast's announcement, the sanctioning body said developing an air filter system for the cockpits of the cars was a goal for its new R&D center.

"I have been pleasantly surprised with the way NASCAR has handled this and attacked this," Mast said. "From the moment I told (NASCAR president) Mike Helton, they have taken this thing and run with it in trying to get data on it and solve this problem."

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s toughest challenge isn't driving a race car.  It's trying to retain some sense of normalcy while living in the public eye.

Credit: Autostock

Junior comes to terms with life in the spotlight
By Marty Smith, Turner Sports Interactive

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- At the center of a quaking Garage Mahal lies a pristine showroom with a detailed gold ceiling and a black onyx floor so spotless one could eat from it.

Typically, this room sits empty, uninhabited aside from a few vintage cars and various racecars driven to landmark achievements by Dale Earnhardt, Inc. wheelmen.

But not today. On this Tuesday morning in mid-January, 300 journalists are milling about the room. Most are over in the far right corner, jockeying for position amid a sea of television cameras, spotlights and boom microphones.

Individuals push and shove, squeeze and grab to improve their position on the target. Verbal lashings abound. Fisticuffs seem imminent.

Call it the Dale Jr. effect.

Even from afar, it is obvious that Junior is in the house. And when he speaks, folks hang on every last word.

He's talking racing, yet folks prod for more as if he were a great prophet offering crucial remedies to life's most perplexing problems.

Most would be overwhelmed. It's routine for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

It's all he's ever known.

"There's nothing, really, about being whom I am -- there ain't nothing really too hard about it," Earnhardt Jr. said, seated on a backless stool in the eye of the media hurricane. "I understand that I'm very fortunate.

"I really enjoy my job and I enjoy the circus that we travel with every year. It's a lot of fun to see it change. It's great to be a part of it, great to be successful in it. And at this age, as you start to understand what you need to be doing to prepare yourself for getting older, it's good to be successful.

"It's a good feeling, a lot of weight off your shoulders that you have the ability to maintain a job as a racecar driver for the rest of your life."

Earnhardt Jr.'s success has afforded him much. Many race teams would do just about anything to acquire his services; but until Monday he couldn't come to terms with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. executives regarding his first-ever driver contract with the company.

He has now signed an extension through 2007.

"We just had a hard time getting in the same place where we could all hash it out," he said. "We were passing the contract back and forth from building to building and just hadn't all gotten in the same room yet. We did that yesterday and took about four hours and got everything agreed upon."

One thing about Earnhardt Jr. that everyone agrees upon is his prowess on superspeedways. DEI currently has a stranglehold on restrictor-plate racing in the Winston Cup Series, having won six of the past eight superspeedway events.

It's safe to say Junior is anxious for Speedweeks to arrive.

"It's the biggest race of the season," he said. "Obviously, every driver in the field would love to win it. I'm no different than anybody else. It's the biggest race of the season, you know? It's second, probably, to winning the championship in our sport."

Some wonder if the No. 8 Budweiser team can find the consistency necessary to make a serious bid for the 2003 title. Earnhardt Jr. seems to think so. At last week's T. Wayne Robertson Winston Cup Preview, he said his team was, at worst, a top-five team heading into the year.

Were it not for a concussion suffered at California -- one that garnered a substantial amount of negative press -- he may have finished among the top 10 in 2002.  He said the injury barely affected his driving ability, but some find that hard to believe.

"I think everybody understands that I've got to be a pretty damn good racecar driver to be here in the first place, and that even at 80 percent I'm still better than half the field," Earnhardt Jr. said.

"I was pretty upset that some people said I was endangering other drivers out there. That's about the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

Competing with injuries is no new phenomenon. Most every driver has done it at one time or another. But head injuries garner more attention. And when the subject is Dale Jr., focus is once again compounded.

It became one of the biggest stories of the year.

"This sport is dangerous as it is," he said. "I don't think it can be any more dangerous. I'd drive with a broken arm if they could put a cast on me and let me in the car. I don't care. I'm not trying to endanger anybody. That's what they've got roll cages for.

"I was upset that people took that ball and ran with it. That wasn't fair. I feel like I was treated unfairly by a few people in the press about it. But you know, it seemed like there wasn't much of a story to write until I said that."

When Earnhardt Jr. talks, it's always a story. But a handful of individuals can trigger such a ruckus just by hanging out in the corner, talking about their job.

Your  Momma
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Today In Nascar History

January 22
Ashton Lewis, driver in the Busch Grand National series is born today.

The Daytona 500 trophy is named after Harley J Earl?

from Jeff 
Momma,
    I really love your news letter and realy love all you do. You give unbias sides to all of your articles. and I look forward to your letter every day.
    I realize that the big 3 employ alot more people than Toyota does. But 3 against 1, why is that fair.We proud Toyota employees just think it is right for a newcomer to have the chance to compete.
    Yes they have been around along time, but what is wrong with bringing a new competitor to NASCAR!!!!!!!!!!! Are they afraid that a new competiter will ruin NASCAR. Are they afraid of advanced new tech advantages.What is really their problem??????????
    When Dodge finally made a came back, everyone thought it would be a sad day to NASCAR, except people like Ray Everham and a few others.Dodge came back and won!!!!!!
    If NASCAR is to be more popular every year, new Automotive Manufactures willl have to be added. Even though I don't personally like Honda, and some of  the    rest of the other manufactures, I wouldn't deny them the chance to race.
    Momma run a poll and see if all of the fans feel that just the big 3 race. Or if more fans feel that adding more manufactures will make the races more exciting. I personally feel,  the more the better.
    I personally am a Tony Stewart fan!!!!!! I loved watching Tony in a Pontiac, I will love watching him in a Chevy!!!!!! But I feel if Toyota or another manufacturer will come along with an even better car, that Joe Gibbs will put him in the car that will win.
    Don't limit our favorites to just 3 older manufactures!!!!!!!!!! Let  them compete in what ever car they feel they can win in.  Go  Tony!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Win and win again!!!!!!!!!! Repeat and repeat again!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                                                       Jeff Roberts Sealy, Texas

Ok, I’ll do the best I can with the poll.  I’ve never set one up before so will try to get it going in the next couple of days, then will notify everyone.

NASCAR EYES BIG SCHEDULE CHANGES IN 2004

NASCAR officials said today that the sanctioning body is open to a major shakeup of the Winston Cup schedule in 2004 that could see some tracks loose one of their two dates and newer tracks in larger markets gain races. While NASCAR would not mandate the changes itself, it would allow track owners to move races that aren't selling out their current dates to other tracks. NASCAR Chairman Bill France Jr. said, for instance, Speedway Motorsports Inc. might be allowed to give up one of its Atlanta dates to have a second race at Texas Motor Speedway.  Similarly, he said, International Speedway Corp. might move a race from its Darlington or North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham to its California or Kansas City facilities. NASCAR officials also said tracks that don't currently have lighting for night races would be encouraged to add it and said more races would be started later in the day to give them greater exposure to West Coast audiences. NASCAR President Mike Helton said th at even the Daytona 500 might one day be run at night to run during television's prime-time period.

CONCORD, N.C. - Denying it was a veiled threat, NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. suggested that motorsports mogul O. Bruton Smith could satisfy his desire for a second Winston Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway by moving one of two dates from either his Atlanta Motor Speedway or Lowe's Motor Speedway to Fort Worth.

France lumped AMS and the Lowe's facility here with the famed Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, N.C., as "candidates" for an aggressive realignment plan NASCAR officials will use to shape the 2004 Winston Cup schedule.

"It's not a threat [to Smith] at all," France said after an elaborate presentation at NASCAR's new Research and Development Center on Tuesday afternoon. "Haven't said that all day today. Not saying it now. We like the view that we're going to do this in concert with them [Smith's Speedway Motorsports Inc.] And it's going to make financial sense for them to do that. If they don't want to do it, they don't have to do it. At the same time, we've got to grow the sport."

But Smith, the chairman and CEO of SMI, and Lowe's president H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, rejected the notion of shifting Cup races from the sister 1.5-mile AMS and LMS facilities. "Moving anything to Texas is absolutely not anything we're thinking about," Smith said during his annual "Tireside Chat" that capped Day Two of the UAW/GM Motorsports Media Tour at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "That's probably the worst philosophy I've heard in years."

Earlier in the day, NASCAR president Mike Helton and the sanctioning body's management team presented the option of moving dates in 2004 while showing off the new Research and Development Center. The Cup schedule is comprised of 36 points-paying races and two special events over a 41-week period. All but seven races on the 2003 Winston Cup schedule are at tracks east of Birmingham, Ala.

"We're going to be more proactive this year than any other time in our history in meeting with the track operators and discussing how we can continue to grow the sport," said George Pyne, NASCAR's senior vice president and chief operating officer. "What does that mean?

"It means we're going to look at the geographic distribution of events. And even though we believe at this time that the schedule cannot expand beyond the 38 races -- that we're either at the end or near the end -- for 2004 we believe the schedule cannot expand. We need to look within the schedule to see whether or not there are any moves that make sense to again better realign the schedule, have a better geographic representation nationally and to bring the sport to more fans across America."

France, a son of NASCAR founder Bill France, rose from his seat in the audience to spell it out further.

"I'll give you four tracks right now that would be good candidates -- Atlanta [Motor Speedway] for their last race; a race here in Charlotte; Darlington, Rockingham," France Jr. said. "This [option] is going to be available to every track operator.

"Dover [Del.], we'd like to take one of their races and shift it to St. Louis or Nashville. Or if Humpy and Bruton would like to take an Atlanta race and shift it to Texas, where they can sell all their tickets -- from what I read -- we're going to be entertaining that. I think I'm putting that clear up there.  We're calling this 'Realignment 2004 and Beyond.' That's a key word you're going to hear more about as the year goes along."

Included in the realignment plan is the likelihood of more prime-time TV races, including Saturdays, and starting times moved back from 11 a.m. (Central time) to 2 p.m. to draw better ratings on the West Coast.

The Darlington and North Carolina facilities are owned by International Speedway Corp., which along with NASCAR is the subject of a federal lawsuit filed by Plano resident Francis Ferko. An SMI stockholder, Ferko's suit alleges that NASCAR is in breach of contract for failing to deliver a "promised" second Cup date to TMS.

Brian France, Bill France's son and NASCAR's vice chairman, denied the "realignment" proposal was a means to settle the suit before it goes to trial.

"It [the lawsuit] didn't weigh in the decision," Brian France said, "because we have so many other concerns that we don't model our schedule on litigation."

Speculation is that when the schedule is realigned in 2004, ISC's tracks in Darlington and Rockingham will surrender one of their two dates to the California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., and Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. -- successful markets with one Cup date that NASCAR has added since 1998.

TMS easily has sold out each of its six Cup races beginning in 1997.

“If Texas can sell 160,000 seats, [and] Atlanta is selling 80,000 seats in the spring -- would NASCAR take a look at reaching 80,000 more fans?" Pyne said. "If it benefitted SMI, one of our best customers, then we certainly might take a look at that."

That line of reasoning failed to register with Smith.

"If I'm sitting up here looking stupid, I apologize," Smith said. "Does that answer your question? I sit here thinking we already should have had that [second Texas] date."

Now, is this guy stupid or what!  He doesn’t just look stupid, he is stupid.  So, he’s going to sue NASCAR for another date.  So if he wins, NASCAR will just take away a date from one of his other tracks.  Use your brain Smith, I think you just screwed yourself.

Dale Jr. finally signs DEI deal
By John Sturbin
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

CONCORD, N.C. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. has four more years to figure out his future with the company founded by his famous father.

Earnhardt Jr. said Tuesday he has signed a contract with Dale Earnhardt Inc. that will keep him with the organization through the 2007 NASCAR Winston Cup season.

"Yeah, I'm relieved," said Earnhardt Jr., 28, a son of the seven-time Cup champion who was killed nearly two years ago at the Daytona International Speedway. "It [signing] wasn't really an issue. We were passing the contract back and forth from building to building, and we hadn't got in the same room yet. We did [Monday], spent about four hours and got everything agreed upon.

"I got what I wanted."

Salary terms were undisclosed, but Little E was satisfied with a clause that will reduce his personal appearances for sponsors away from the racetrack from a reported 89 last year to 40.

"There isn't really anything that doesn't thrill me about my new contract," Dale Jr. said during a visit to DEI's "Garage Mahal" on Day Two of the UAW/GM Motorsports Media Tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway. "We all read it front to back and all made several changes, but we didn't make one change that didn't all add up."

Dale Jr.'s contract with primary sponsor Budweiser will expire at the end of this season, but negotiations for an extension are underway.

Former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, partner in a new Winston Cup venture with NFL Hall of Famer Roger Staubach, will conduct his first NASCAR-related news conference during the Texas Tour 2003 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth on Jan. 29.

Aikman and Staubach, another legendary Cowboys quarterback, have formed Hall of Fame Racing with the intention of joining the Winston Cup Series in 2004.

The guest lists features Bruton Smith, chairman of the board of Speedway Motorsports Inc. and owner of TMS; four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon; and Sam Hornish Jr., two-time and reigning Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion.

Formula One news

 • Formula One's governing body made changes Tuesday to a sweeping set of proposed rule changes, a plan that had upset the top carmakers.

Max Mosley, president of the sport's governing body, had proposed banning high-priced electronic devices to cut soaring costs. He wanted many driver aids eliminated from the 2003 season, which begins March 9.

On Tuesday, FIA modified its demands and said it would bar traction control, automatic gearboxes and launch control beginning with the British Grand Prix on July 20.

It was not immediately clear what affect the modified proposals would have on the five carmakers -- Ferrari, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Ford and Renault -- opposed to the original changes. They had formed a company called GPWC and were again threatening to form a breakaway series.

 • Five-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher escaped injury when his Ferrari spun off the track during practice in Barcelona, Spain. This was the German's first practice lap since October. Schumacher blamed the morning accident on a track that became slick overnight. He did not return to the Montmelo course until the afternoon.

This Report Contains Material From Star-Telegram Wire Services.

Haas CNC Racing announced today the team would field Pontiac Grand Prix racecars throughout the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup season.

Jack Sprague will start the season in the No. 0 NetZero Pontiac at Daytona International Speedway.

"Pontiac has had a long history of excellence in NASCAR Winston Cup racing, including winning the 2002 Winston Cup championship," said Sprague on behalf of the team. "I'm extremely happy to be driving a Pontiac for Haas CNC Racing this year because I think it will give us the best opportunity to run up front on a weekly basis this season."

Archangel Motorsport Services has announced that it will again attempt the Rolex 25 with NASCAR veteran Derrike Cope, Chris Bingham, Brian DeVries and Larry Oberto.

Archangel Motorsports Services, Inc., will field their No. 21 Nissan-powered Lola which won its class at the Rolex 24 in 2001 and finished second in 2002.

"We're very busy right now," said team owner Mike Johnson. "We're getting a little bit of a late start and are working very hard getting the car ready for the new SRPII rules."

In addition to his proven success running a championship sports car racing organization, Johnson is well known for his role as a cast member on MTV's critically acclaimed "The Real World IV - London."

Cope, the 1990 Daytona 500 champion, will be Bingham's coach and consultant for both his 2003 Busch Series and Winston Cup programs.

Does this mean Derrike won’t be hosting NASCAR This Morning on Sundays any more?

Teresa Earnhardt, who is beginning to emerge little by little back into the public eye nearly two years after her husband's death in the 2001 Daytona 500, helped Dale Earnhardt Jr. unveil a new name for the race team they've formed to compete in the NASCAR Grand National series this year.

The team is called Chance 2. The original Chance Inc. was a company Dale and Teresa Earnhardt formed in 1994 to give Earnhardt's children, Kerry, Kelly and Dale Jr., their first taste of racing. The company disbanded when Earnhardt Jr. started racing in the Grand National series for what has grown into Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Earnhardt Jr. will drive the No. 8 car in two Grand National races at Daytona and one at Talladega. Steve Park will drive it in five races and Martin Truex Jr. will drive it in five more.

The team will also enter a No. 81 car in three Winston Cup races. Jason Keller will drive it at Chicagoland Speedway and Ron Fellows will drive in the road-course events at Watkins Glen and Sonoma.

NASCAR plans to study driver restraints, roof flaps on race cars, alternative exit hatches for drivers, side impact crashes and several other safety initiatives at the 61,000-square foot research and development complex it now occupies near the Concord airport.

Gary Nelson, managing director for competition, and Joe Garone, the director of the new facility, gave reporters a brief tour on Tuesday, showing off fabrication, engine development, engineering and machining capabilities NASCAR hopes to use in developing ways to make cars safer and help contain the costs of racing.

NASCAR president Mike Helton said the sanctioning body is also continuing its research into energy-absorbing barriers for race track walls.

Such barriers were installed in the outside of turns at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and on the inside of turns at Talladega Superspeedway last year. Helton said the barriers have not been added at any other tracks because Dr. Dean Sicking, the leader of the group doing the development at the University of Nebraska, still has concerns about its application on tighter-radius turns found at other tracks.

Jury selection began Tuesday in the first civil trial involving people seeking damages for their injuries in the May 2000 walkway collapse at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Cindy and Marty Taylor say they suffered head and orthopedic injuries as well as memory loss when the pedestrian bridge over U.S. 29 collapsed as fans left The Winston, NASCAR's all-star race.  More than 100 people were injured, but no one died.

There were 72 original plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking damages, but 23 have reached out-of-court settlements with the three defendants in the case.

Named as defendants are the speedway; Tindall Corp. of Spartanburg, S.C., which designed and built the walkway's concrete support beams; and Anti Hydro International Inc. of Flemington, N.J.

The trial could be an important indicator for plaintiffs that follow because the jury will determine liability and how that liability will be spread among the defendants. The amount of the out-of-court settlements are confidential.

"It will set the precedent for cases to come," said Marvin Blount, the Taylors' attorney.

No jurors were seated Tuesday in Mecklenburg County Superior Court; it's expected to take the rest of the week to empanel a jury.

Tindall has blamed an Anti Hydro grout used in the walkway for corroding metal cables inside the 320-foot walkway.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR Busch Series veteran Kevin Grubb will drive Carroll Racing's No. 26 Dr Pepper Dodge in 2003.

Grubb appeared for the first time with the car Monday at Daytona International Speedway, when the first two-day segment of NASCAR Preseason Thunder began for 20 Busch Series teams.

"It's pretty cool," Grubb said. "For our first test I think it went pretty good and I think we'll come back down here and run pretty good.  We'll qualify good and then the race, you know, is halfway luck, anyway."

Carroll's team is one of no less than three Busch operations that have switched from Chevrolets to Dodge Intrepids for 2003. Grubb ended the two days 10th on the speed chart of the 20 teams that tested, but said he was comfortable with the switch.

"We're going to Las Vegas next week for our first test on a non-restrictor plate track so I'm really looking forward to that," Grubb said. "So far I love the Dodges. The guys have been building new short track cars and intermediate cars and they look good."

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s successful and high profile career as a Winston Cup driver has garnered many new opportunities to showcase his racing talent and interests off the track.

He's been featured in national publications such as Rolling Stone magazine and Playboy; and made appearances at the World Series, "The Tonight Show" and the MTV Music Awards.

This weekend he'll take on a somewhat different role – that of promoter.

With the help of some friends who got him interested in the sport of jiu-jitsu – the unarmed fighting art of Samurai warriors from Japan –Earnhardt Jr. put together the inaugural Dale Earnhardt Jr. Grappling Classic, scheduled Saturday at the Cabarrus Arena in Concord, N.C.

"I'm sure there are a lot of people who are like, 'What is he doing now?' But this is something I am really interested in," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I wanted to do something to bring some notoriety to this sport."

The idea of the tournament was hatched by two of Earnhardt Jr.'s friends, Joe Hurst, the 2001 jiu-jitsu world champion, and Garrett Barger, an N.C. state trooper and jiu-jitsu student.

"This is definitely uncharted territory for me," Earnhardt Jr. said.  "What I liked about jiu-jitsu was it wasn't something that you only could watch on TV. It's something that anyone can learn and can be used for self-defense."

Along those lines, some proceeds from the tournament – including a raffle the day of the event – will be donated to CVAN, a domestic violence service for women.

"We are glad to give this charity some help and I hope others will follow our lead," Earnhardt Jr. said. "It's cool to know we might can make a difference in something that goes on everyday and is often swept under the rug."

Tournament competition begins at 10 a.m. will continue throughout the day with the professional fights and "super-fight" beginning about 8 p.m. Earnhardt Jr. will be on hand all day, as will other celebrities.

Tickets are $20 for adults; $10, for ages 3-12. Children under 3 are free. For more information, go to www.dalejrgrapplingclassic.com ; or call Ticketmaster at (704) 522-6500.

Me, Chocolate and Jr. At The Preview
by Chris Campbell- Guest Contributor

Well this is not my "normal" article on the Earnhardts, though it is because of them that I decided since this was my first time living in North Carolina during the WC Preview, I would attend. I received my tickets, and to my dismay I was in Group N. I looked up the information to see what my chances were to get a wristband to get to see Dale Jr., and hand him my portfolio of stories I had written about him and his Daddy. When I saw that only 400 people were going to get a chance to see Jr, and there was 250 people in each group...my bubble was burst.

However, when I got to the Coliseum Friday night, my excitement was at almost full tilt. As expected Jr.'s wristbands were sold out, as was Jeff Gordon. Neither lasted past the first 4 or 5 groups. I was dressed for the cold weather and expected a lengthy wait. To my amazement, (and thanks to knowing the times of expected distributions of the wristbands to each group), we were let inside within 10 minutes of arriving.

Now, there was a big decision for my husband and I who we were choosing the wristband for. He went for his driver, Dale Jarrett, but I didn't want him. I was going to choose Tony, but alas, he sold out with the group ahead of me!  The other 9 drivers were pretty much equal in my desire for their autograph, but I figured Ryan Newman was an up and coming driver, that I just might have difficulty getting his autograph later on. So I chose Ryan. Then we went back home for about 3 hours of sleep only to turn around and go right back in the morning.

We arrived just in time to hear the first driver introductions. The stage show was pretty neat and it was my first time to see the drivers away from the track, so I was in heaven! When we realized most of the driver's sections were full that we wanted to get their autograph, we decided to go look at the trailers and in the annex. I was thrilled to see a new 2003 Dale Earnhardt shirt with the new Legacy logo. We reminisced about him and how much he is still missed. We browsed Jr.'s trailer and Jarrett's and made our purchases then went inside the annex.

I walked through the doors and my jaw dropped. I had in front of me at least 43 cars all with their 2003 paint schemes, available for photos and close inspections. I have to admit that Ricky Rudd had the prettiest special paint scheme with the 100 Years of Ford Racing, and the fireworks on the side.  The ugliest paint schemes (agreed by more than one of us) was a 3 way tie. Kenny Schraeder has been stuck with Carrot Top on his hood (poor Kenny), Jimmy Spencer's was too plain, and Elliott Sadler's M&M's had too much brown and wasn't as pretty as last years paint scheme.

We then traveled over to the other building and immediately lined up for Sam Bass' autograph. We bought two posters for his signature and enjoyed meeting this amazing artist in person. We then registered for free tickets to many race tracks. I was shocked to see Buddy Baker over signing autographs and got in line for mine. They had a bunch of old timer racers and some really old race cars (Red Byron's was one of them). The current WC driver wives were also doing autographs for a small donation to charity.

We continued browsing and that is when I saw the flashes! I looked over and became speechless, as sitting about 3 feet from me was Danny "Chocolate" Myers! I immediately stood in line and acted so stupidly when I got up to him. He posed for my picture, then shook my hand. I handed him my preview guide and told him how I wrote a story about him that was posted on catchfence.com (good advertising huh Mark?). He was kind and then said he had to go back to his wife who he was assisting with that day. He flashed that well-known smile and left. I was the last autograph he gave! Well now that made my day, even if I didn't get Jr.'s autograph.

I later got the opportunity to get Larry McReynolds' autograph, Jeff Hammond's and Mike Joy. These three are as nice and as cute as they are on TV. Jeff's smile is intoxicating and he is so friendly! I was disappointed that many sections filled up before we were even done with the drivers/tv characters we were with.

I was seated about 4 rows directly in front of Ryan and heard his "interview" with the reporters that were there. He was cordial and flashed that grin. He was nervous and his hand had to be cramped . He posed for my camera, like he did many times before and signed my preview and card. I then left the building.

I have to say that I was thrilled to see Jr. be announced on stage and hear the deafening roar of the crowd. It was so awesome to see him in street clothes. It was great to see all that money raised for charities. I know there wasn't a single item that went for below $150 -- way beyond my price ranges unfortunately. Every driver and race team contributed something and I want to give a big KUDOS to them for helping out with the charities and giving the fans some of their time. The band even volunteered their time and they were pretty good. I think their name is Smile.

Tony had come out on a Harley and hoisted the trophy in front of us. I had got a picture of it when it was on display in the hall a little earlier. I heard from fans that got his autograph that he spent a lot of time with each of them. Maybe that was why the last session was delayed just slightly...way to go Tony.

Most of the fans were very nice and cordial. I think I found the one exception. Although he came across as nice at first, he was LOUD, obnoxious, and had not one pleasant thing to say about 95% of the drivers. I want to thank the woman who sat next to me and commiserated about this rude jerk the whole time. I told you he'd be mentioned in this article.

But in conclusion, although I didn't get Jr.'s autograph, the overall day went pretty good. I have already decided I will be attending next year, and get some of those drivers autographs I didn't get the chance to get this year. I am a pro at it now, so watch out! Good job organizers, drivers, legends (oh there were many legends there...aka bobby and donnie allison, buddy baker, etc...), and the auctioneers and FANS. See ya there next year.

But I will see you next week hopefully with my article on my favorite family The Earnhardts.

You can reach Chris Campbell at: foreverafan3n8@...

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- On Monday, former CART Indy car champion Jimmy Vasser was not approved to test a NASCAR Busch Series car at Daytona International Speedway.

On Tuesday, the 36-year-old California native owned the fastest lap of NASCAR Preseason Thunder when he turned the 2.5-mile speedway in 48.871 seconds, an average speed of 184.158 mph, in a Braun Racing Dodge.

"Yesterday, I didn't think I was going to get a chance to test, but they reviewed my resume this morning and considered my background and approved me," Vasser said. "They wanted to put some qualifying tricks to the car to see how fast it would go and that's why, I think, it appears to be a bit faster than the other cars."

Mike Bliss, the 2002 Craftsman Truck Series champion, also got over 184 mph Tuesday afternoon in the No. 20 Rockwell Pontiac at 48.905 seconds, 184.030 mph. Kasey Kahne (183.453) in the No. 38 Great Clips Ford, Vasser's teammate Chad Blount in the second No. 19 APPGas Dodge (183.001) and 2001 Busch Series champion Kevin Harvick (182.964) in the No. 21 Payday Chevrolet rounded out the top-five speeds.

Wallace had the fastest speed in Winston Cup testing, 48.899 seconds, 184.053 mph.

Vasser, who won the 1996 CART championship for Chip Ganassi Racing and was runner-up to teammate Alex Zanardi in 1998, said Busch racing would be his true test. He plans to do at least 10 Busch races while also competing full-time in CART.

"The car's fast, with an (Ernie) Elliott motor, by itself for qualifying," Vasser said. "I'm sure the race will be a whole different story for me (since) I've never encountered a whole bunch of cars in a pack, drafting.

"Driving around in testing and doing quick times is one thing, and I can do that; but racing is another and that needs to be learned to see if I fit in that style of racing. I'm not all that comfortable -- I can't see anything out of this thing (and) I'm used to being able to see the blue sky."

Vasser's sole stock car racing experience came in the True Value IROC Series, while he also tested for Ganassi and for Herzog Jackson Motorsports.

Busch cars return on Thursday for the final two-day stock car test of Preseason Thunder.

1. No. 19, Jimmy Vassar, Dodge, 48.871, 184.158
2. No. 20, Mike Bliss, Pontiac, 48.905, 184.030
3. No. 38, Kasey Kahne, Ford, 49.059, 183.453
4. No. 4, Mike Wallace, Pontiac, 49.112, 183.255
5. No. 19, Chad Blount, Dodge, 49.129, 183.191
6. No. 21, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.190, 182.964
7. No. 99, Michael Waltrip, Chevrolet, 49.192, 182.957
8. No. 87, Joe Nemechek, Pontiac, 49.248, 182.749
9. No. 28, Brad Baker, Dodge, 49.302, 182.548
10. No. 26, Kevin Grubb, Dodge, 49.324, 182.467
11. No. 25, Bobby Hamilton Jr., Ford, 49.345, 182.389
12. No. 10, Scott Riggs, Ford, 49.388, 182.231
13. No. 43, Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet, 49.392, 182.216
14. No. 77, Donnie Neuenberger, Ford, 49.511, 181.778
15. No. 27, Chase Montgomery, Pontiac, 49.527, 181.719
16. No. 60, Stanton Barrett, Ford, 49.784, 180.781
17. No. 37, David Green, Pontiac, 49.849, 180.545
18. No. 72, Michael Dokken, Pontiac, 50.038, 179.863
19. No. 53, Hank Parker Jr., Ford, 50.138, 179.505
20. No. 67, C.W. Smith, Chevrolet, 50.164, 179.412

Your  Momma

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Today In Nascar History

January 21, 1973

Mark Donahue wins the only Winston cup race of his career at the Motor Trend 500 at a road course at Riverside California.

The win by Donahue, in an AMC Matador, is the first win for American Motors also.

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TOON OF THE WEEK

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from Gary
Hello NASCAR Momma,
Finally, I'm going to a Winston Cup race, and in Vegas !!  I can't wait!!  Can you give me any info about the weekend's activities and any related events, so I can have a great experience at my first "live" race?  I really appreciate any help you can give me. And keep up the great job on the newsletter!!    Thanks,  Gary

Way to go Gary!!!  Wish I could be there too!  Well, I’ll see what I can do.  If anyone out there has any information on this race, Gary and myself would greatly appreciate it.  I’ll post the information for everyone in case there are more of you going.  I’ll also check into it, and if the information is too much, I’ll email you separately with the information.  Enjoy that race.  I know you will!!!

from DE3FAN
Momma,
It's not that we seasoned race fans don't want Toyota in NA$CAR a 'little bit'.  It is because we don't want Toyota in NA$CAR a 'whole lot'!!  Where was Toyota when Bill France Sr. founded NASCAR?  The "Big 3" employ many, many more people than Toyota will ever hope of employing.  Sorry, but they, Toyota, were not around in 1949 and no, they are NOT welcomed into the AMERICAN racing scene!  Let them start their own sanctioned body of racing and keep their nose OUT of NA$CAR and WC racing!  This is America and I have the right to my opinion too!  NA$CAR fan since 1969. Larry

Whew, I can tell this is a very touchy subject for a lot of people.  Although I see both sides of the same coin, and can understand both opinions, I agree with Larry more than I do Jeff.  But I have to straddle the fence here, I don’t wish to offend anyone and want to keep you guys happy!  What does everyone else feel?  Should I do a poll on the site?  Let me know!!!

NASCAR to introduce new policies Tuesday
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer

NASCAR is expected to talk policies, procedures and philosophies Tuesday, as more than 250 journalists on the UAW-GM Motorsports Media Tour pay a visit to a new research and development facility in Concord.

New rules governing access to the garage area and pit road during times when Winston Cup cars are on the track will be outlined by NASCAR officials during the midday session.

NASCAR and race tracks will this year begin issuing "hot" and "cold" passes granting garage area access.

Fans with "cold" passes will be allowed to visit the track's working areas when cars are not on the track. But during practice and qualifying sessions and races, only those with "hot" passes will be allowed in the garage or on pit road.

Teams will have a limited number of "hot" passes to hand out to sponsors and guests, and tracks will also be limited in the number of "hot" passes they can hand out to local media, sponsors and guests.

Safety issues, such as development of information gleaned from crash data recorders and progress with research in to energy-absorbing barriers, will also be on the agenda at the R&D facility located near the Concord airport.

Additionally, it is also likely that NASCAR officials will address the likelihood that more tracks will be encouraged to add lights to their facilities to provide more flexibility in setting the starting times for races, particularly those in the season's second half. NASCAR is considering later starts to allow the finishes of some races to extend into the late afternoon and early evening hours in an effort to further boost television ratings.

The visit is part of a second-day tour schedule that includes a visit to Dale Earnhardt Inc., a session with the Wood Brothers team and an evening audience with Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman Bruton Smith.

HARRISBURG, N.C. -- Haas CNC Racing announced the team would field Pontiac Grand Prix racecars throughout the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup season.

Jack Sprague, a three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, will open the 2003 campaign behind the wheel of the No. 0 NetZero Pontiac.

Sprague will be a Rookie of the Year candidate this season.

The most successful driver ever in the Craftsman Truck Series, Sprague enters the Winston Cup ranks this season after a fifth-place finish in the final 2002 NASCAR Busch Series championship standings.

Ray Dunlap, a familiar face for NASCAR fans from his work with ESPN, will join Phil Parsons as pit reporters on the Speed Channel's broadcast team for this year's NASCAR Truck series.

Rick Allen, 33, who tried out for the Fox Winston Cup team two years ago and who has been a track announcer at Eagle Raceway in Lincoln, Neb., will be the anchor in the booth with former crew chief Barry Dodson and driver Dorsey Schroeder as analysts.

Clarence Brewer Jr., owner of Brewco Motorsports Inc., announced Monday that Chase Montgomery will drive the No. 27 Brewco Pontiac for a limited schedule in 2003. The agreement calls for Montgomery to drive seven races for Brewco, all during the early part of the 2003 season.

"The first race for Chase (Montgomery) will be at Daytona," Brewer continued. "We haven't identified the other events that Chase will drive the No. 27 car yet. We almost have all of the elements in place to ensure our entry at all of the Busch events in 2003."

Brewer also announced that rock music legend Alice Cooper has signed a deal to join Montgomery at Brewco. Cooper will assist in the promotion of Montgomery and the #27 Brewco Motorsports Team. Brewco and Montgomery are still seeking sponsorship to form a unique marketing opportunity with Chase behind the wheel and Alice Cooper in the pits.

Montgomery drove 22 races in the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Series last year, earning four top-five and ten top-ten finishes. On his way to a fourth-place finish in the point standings, the 19-year old competitor set a record as the youngest driver to win a pole at Daytona when he paced the ARCA 200 last February.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – 1-800 CALL ATT will sponsor BAM Racing's No. 49 Dodge and driver Ken Schrader.

AT&T will be the primary sponsor for six NASCAR Winston Cup races and an associate sponsor for the remainder of the season.

"Watching this race team grow from what was infancy a year ago to a full-season schedule with one of the top drivers in motorsports and one of the top corporate brands in the world has been tremendously exciting," said Beth Ann Morgenthau, the Florida investor who owns BAM Racing with her husband, Tony.

"We paid our dues last year and that is starting to pay off for us. All along we have been building and fine-tuning our race team, on and off the track." she said. "Bringing a wonderful brand like AT&T in as a sponsor is a tremendous step in the right direction for us."

The 1 800 CALL ATT primary sponsorship will make its first appearance on the car at the season-opening Daytona 500.

It will make future runs at Darlington, S.C.; Bristol, Tenn.; Talladega, Ala.; Martinsville, Va.; and the July race at Daytona Beach, Fla.

UPS signs extension with Robert Yates Racing

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- UPS, the principal sponsor on Dale Jarrett's car since 2001, announced Monday it has signed a two-year extension with Robert Yates Racing.

The original contract ran through the 2004 season and has now been extended through 2006.

The Atlanta-based shipping company has teamed with Jarrett to make some of the most popular television commercials in sports, based on people asking when the 1999 Winston Cup champion will "drive the brown truck."

"I suggested that UPS give me $1 for every time somebody asks me about driving the brown truck," Jarrett said, laughing. "It would amount to a substantial amount of money."

A series of new commercials featuring Jarrett will be released during 2003.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Hank Parker Jr. showed up at Daytona International Speedway for the opening two-day segment of NASCAR Preseason Thunder for the Busch Series with a "teammate" -- Roush Racing driver Stanton Barrett.

The pair shared one set of crewmen for the No. 60 Odoban Ford shoed by Barrett and the No. 53 Taurus that was driven on a limited number of runs in the afternoon by Parker.

While Barrett's full season deal in the car driven to the 2002 Busch Series championship by Greg Biffle is long done, Parker, a two-time winner in the Busch Series, said he hopes the announcement of his program should come soon.

"This is a great opportunity, but it's still not 100 percent done," Parker said. "It's just one of those deals that when it all works out it's going to be real exciting."

Parker said the program would be for a full season. That would mark the first time that Roush's organization, which will field five fulltime Winston Cup teams in 2003 along with two Craftsman Truck Series teams, would have two full-time Busch programs.

"We're starting a little bit late," Parker said, "but I feel like if anyone can do it, these guys can, so I just look forward to it. I'm not a rookie at this, but this is definitely a great opportunity and I want to take full advantage of it."

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Gone was the scraggly red beard, replaced by a freshly shaven and scrubbed face.

The backward-turned baseball cap has been discarded in favor of a stylish coiffure more typical of a young, successful Wall Street 20-something.

The t-shirt and torn blue jeans were nowhere to be found; rather, he was clad in an expensive leather jacket and designer shirt and pants.

One has to wonder, given his appearance at Saturday's annual T. Wayne Robertson NASCAR Preview, whether we are seeing the transformation of Dale Earnhardt Jr. from fun-loving kid to a more mature persona indicative of his place and status as one of NASCAR's most popular drivers.

Once a featured star on MTV's "Cribs" because of his collection of cars and other toys, as well as the disco-like party room at his sprawling suburban Charlotte, N.C., abode, one could get the sense Saturday that Junior is on the verge of putting away his toys and getting serious about becoming one of NASCAR's top drivers in 2003.

Following Jeff Gordon, Earnhardt is probably the second-most popular driver among fans in Winston Cup racing today. The long lines at Saturday's annual fan fair and charity fundraiser were more than indicative of that.

And when he spoke to the media after his lengthy autograph and meet and greet stint with the fans, a stoic, seemingly more businesslike and mature Junior addressed reporters afterward in a non-Junior like manner more fitting of a rising young star on a corporate ladder. He was respectful, insightful, and delightful with his answers.

Along those same lines, it would appear that at least on the surface of what we saw at the fan confab in Winston-Salem, that this could be the dawning of a new, all-business Dale Jr. If that is indeed the case, it's not surprising given last season, one he's trying hard to forget.

Not only were there the obvious performance struggles, save for his domination in restrictor plate races at Talladega and Daytona, but Earnhardt was roundly criticized not only by reporters, but by fans and driver peers alike, for continuing to race for more than two months with the aftereffects of a concussion in a crash at Fontana, Calif., in April.

And he had the gall not to tell anyone, potentially risking not only his own life, but also the lives of others around him on and off the track.

Yet at the same time, it may have been that very crash and the resulting fallout that made Earnhardt realize Winston Cup racing is not a video game, the likes of those routinely enjoyed by members of his generation.

Perhaps he also realized that when he suggested last summer he might consider jumping to another team after last season, that he realized just what he has and how good he truly has it driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Yes, perhaps Dale Jr. has grown up.

While the season-opening Daytona 500 is still nearly a month away, the image that Earnhardt portrayed Saturday in Winston-Salem could very well be part of the "new Junior" for 2003, if indeed such a likelihood is realized.

When asked whether he felt the resulting responsibilities that go along with his huge fan appeal and whether he was comfortable with it, Earnhardt answered in a surprising way.

He didn't crack a joke or act the fool; rather, he was serious about who he is and what he represents, not only to the sport but to the diehard fans that cheer him on, buy his souvenirs and merchandise and literally worship the ground he walks on merely because of who he is.

"I have a lot of fun with the fans, and I think that even at this age, I have an idea or good appreciation of what they mean to me as a driver and to the sport itself," he said.

There's obviously a big difference between having fun and being flippant. There have been times in the past that Earnhardt could have been accused of the latter, but instead of looking at the world through the rose-colored sunglasses of a young man, it seems as if he suddenly has a much more grown-up attitude and approach to who he is, what he is and what he means both to the sport and to himself.

"There are some responsibilities (with being such a big fan favorite), but they're not very heavy to carry," Earnhardt said. "Like when we were getting introduced to the crowd, it feels really, really good to get such a loud applause and for people to be excited for you to be here."

He also realizes that, while he has the world by a string right now, he is mindful not to let that same string strangle him by forgetting where he came from or how people perceive him the world over.

"You really try not to compare (his popularity) to other drivers, or try not to compare your popularity to other people," Earnhardt said. "You keep in the back of your mind that it's not always going to be that way. One thing you always do is be careful about what you do and what you say, try not to put yourself in a position, because you can lose it.

"It takes years to gain such respect or such admiration, but it takes just second to lose it, which is amazing."

His famous surname is enough of a lure to draw fans to his merry band of supporters, but the way Junior is, what he represents and how he relates to his fans, in particular, is what makes the fans stay loyal and supportive.

For, while Earnhardt is a wealthy and famous race car driver, he doesn't want to be treated that way. He wants to be thought of more as one of the boys, or one of the crowd, no better than Joe Fan who slaves away in a mill or coal mine or some other backbreaking job, with the solace that watching NASCAR and cheering for Junior is one of the highlights of his life.

"One thing that I've always done is just try to be honest and try to be somebody that is easy to relate to, I guess," Earnhardt said. "And I think that's what's been most profitable for me when it comes to creating my fan base. No matter who you are, I think there's something that you can relate to.

"That makes it a little easier for me, that when I'm around a crowd of race fans, I don't feel uneasy or out of place. I feel like I'm standing in the same crowd that I stood with when I was in the infield at Concord (N.C.) Motor Speedway, watching my daddy run dirt tracks.

"So, I feel pretty comfortable around the people. It's kinda of funny when they come up to the (autograph) table and they might be really excited or shaking or something, because I don't feel like there's a big difference between me and them, and yet they see something else."

And those same fans, not to mention the rest of the NASCAR world, may very well see that something else in 2003: a new, improved, more mature and grown-up Junior, one who appears ready to discard the last vestiges of his youth and early adulthood and get down to the serious business of becoming a Winston Cup champion like his legendary father.

He has the talent, the famous genes and surname and may have finally added the final necessary ingredient -- maturity -- to round out the complete package of a champion.

Jerry Bonkowski covers NASCAR for ESPN.com.

Some fans are finding out that a small chocolate candy that melts in your mouth and not in your hand can also break your heart.

Imagine if New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner decided to ditch the team's pinstripes in favor of polka dots, rename the organization and completely change its identity. Ludicrous? Probably. Yet that is essentially what NASCAR team owner Robert Yates has done with the famed No. 28 car.

As part of widespread restructuring at Robert Yates Racing, M&M's and the No. 38 have replaced the highly celebrated No. 28 Texaco Ford in the RYR stable. Over the last decade Ricky Rudd, Kenny Irwin, Dale Jarrett and Ernie Irvan each drove this machine. But it is inarguably the late Davey Allison who made it famous.

Allison began his Winston Cup career in 1987, driving for Ranier/Lindy Racing. It was then that he navigated the white with black and red trim, gold-numeraled No. 28 Texaco Ford Thunderbird to two victories and Rookie of the Year honors. That car was known as "Battlestar" and it is now preserved at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Ala.

In October of 1988, Harry Ranier sold the team to Yates, who was Allison's crew chief at the time. Together they built a winning tradition that has been rivaled by few since.

Before being tragically killed in a helicopter crash in 1993, Allison collected 19 victories in this car. To his legion of fans the memories are endless. There was triumph, like the 1992 Daytona 500. There were heart-stopping moments like the 1992 Miller 500 at Pocono, Pa., where Allison led 115 laps before tangling with Darrell Waltrip, flipping 11 times and being seriously injured. And no fan of the Alabama Gang can forget the emotion of the 1988 Daytona 500 when Davey finished second to his father, Hall of Famer Bobby Allison.

"Davey was so loved by the world and that drew attention to the car number," Bobby Allison said. "The first attachment to Davey was the race car."

And it continued to be a source of comfort for Davey Allison fans long after his death.

"It was a reflection of Davey Allison," said the 1983 Winston Cup champion. "So many people thought of him when they looked at the 28 car and Texaco. That was it's identity and what it represented to so many."

This source of comfort will be absent in 2003, but it's hard to blame Yates for the move. Even Bobby Allison called it a "smart" decision. It would seem that the cold financial reality of the sport today was the catalyst. Undoubtedly M&M's wanted to create a new identity. After seven lackluster years in NASCAR the candy maker is still looking for its first victory. At the same time Havoline wanted to maintain control of the No. 28, despite the fact its sponsorship is now aligned with Chip Ganassi Racing, who will field the No. 42 Havoline Dodge for Jamie McMurray.

"When it was first mentioned to me that Havoline wanted to take the 28, (my thought was) there's not money, not anything I would even consider to do this," said Yates, who aside from his own sentimental attachment knew this would not be a popular decision. "I had a lot of people give me a lot of grief about it. Some of Dale Earnhardt's closest people said Dale would literally jump out of the grave and beat me up. But he understands and Davey I'm sure understands."

Aside from the sponsor, driver Elliott Sadler and co-crew chiefs Raymond Fox and Shawn Parker were also new additions. Yates' son Doug has even taken over majority control of the team this season. With all the changes the conditions seem right for building a new legacy.

"To us, the 28 will always be Davey Allison's number, so hopefully we can start out with the 38 and make that my number," Sadler said. "I grew up being a Davey Allison fan, too, just like everybody else my age. No matter if I would have won 20 races in a row next year it still would have been Davey Allison's car. Because of that I think Robert (made) the right choice. It's hard and a lot of race fans are 28 fans but hopefully they'll switch over to the 38."

So as the cliché goes, it depends how you look at it. Yates hopes fans will see this as a new beginning. But certainly many will see it as the conclusion to a rich, memorable era.

Mike Massaro is a reporter for ESPN and contributor to ESPN.com.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Maybe he just got spoiled with a former Winston Cup champion in his stable.

After Dale Jarrett grabbed stock car racing’s most lucrative prize in 1999, no Robert Yates Racing driver has captured the series title. Not that his drivers haven’t been winning and contending.

Jarrett won twice last year and Ricky Rudd once, with both finishing in the top 10 in the Cup standings.

Yates demands greater than that and has done a major shuffle in his ranks. Jarrett is back and Rudd is gone, replaced by the promising Elliott Sadler.

Todd Parrott, Jarrett’s veteran crew chief, is director of competition. His younger brother, Brad, returns to the Ford organization to take over Jarrett’s outfit.

Yates has handed over the reins of team manager to his son, Doug. Another youngster by traditional crew chief standards, Ramon Fox III, runs the show for Sadler.

 “There have been a lot of changes, a lot of shake-ups around here,” Jarrett said on Monday at the new shop he shares with Sadler. “If it didn’t show everybody that you better be doing your job or you might be looking for another one, then they’re not paying attention. But I think that everybody realized that, including myself.

 “Elliott and are I are going to work close together in getting these two cars to where they can perform each and every week.”

Yates has 53 wins and 38 poles, along with one championship, to his credit as an owner. He sees the outlook for 2003 as bright, and that goes for competing with the Roush Racing team, whose drivers combined to grab 10 checkered flags a year ago.

Yates wants to be the dominant Ford operation.

“We’re going to keep Jack Roush very honest,” he said. “We’re going to make our Fords run real well.”

Yates said it all began when he started trusting the judgment of his son, who began his career with the team sweeping floors as a youth along with Fox.

“We’ve got a better organization now than ever before, because I gave Doug all the money,” Yates said. “I was always trying to run everything with 10 people, and he’s got 160 people well organized. So watch out competition, here we come.”

Todd Parrott sent his younger brother packing two years ago, and Brad proceded to take over the Busch team of Winston Cup regular Jeff Burton. Running a limited scheduled, Burton won five times 13 races.

Little brother showed he belonged in the big time. The Parrott boys have worked together for Yates five of the last seven years.

“The role that he’s in, as we all know, you go out in this sport and you try to prove yourself,” Todd said.  “Well, he went out last year, on his own after I fired him, and he got a real job. He got a great job working with Jeff Burton and Jack Roush, and he proved himself.

“I listened to him call the races and do the things that he did. I was very impressed. Doug came to me with the deal, and thought that might be something that’s really good. I’m really looking forward to working with Brad and with Ramon, Elliott and Dale in the role that I’m in. I’m excited about this year and the Brad Parrott is ecstatic he’s back among stock car racing’s elite, and likes the situation with where he and his brother stand.

“He’s focused, and I know where his focus comes from,” Brad said. “I know what he’s thinking and I know what his next move is. That’s why we won a lot of races with Dale over the years, and I kind of missed that last year.

“It was truly just a Busch deal and now this is Winston Cup. I have Doug, Todd and Ramon to go to. But it’s about me organizing the guys. We’re structured into an offensive battle basically.

“We took it off Todd’s shoulders and put it on about four of our shoulders. It’s going to be a team call, based on what I end up finishing the call on.”

(Contact Rick Sheek at rsheek@...).

********************************

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Preseason Thunder continued on Monday at Daytona International Speedway and Mike Wallace is still going fast.

Wallace, the fastest driver after two weeks of Winston Cup testing (184.053 mph) wheeling the No. 09 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Dodge for Phoenix Racing, was also the fastest driver after the first day of testing for odd-numbered teams in the 2002 NASCAR Busch Series owner's standings.

Driving the No. 4 Geico Pontiac, Wallace posted a fast lap of 183.255 mph as he prepares for the season-opening Koolerz 300 on Feb. 15.

"We had egg on our face when we left last (February)," Wallace said.  "We were quick in practice and we ended up missing the race. Believe it or not, we found out today probably why we missed the race.  Hopefully, we got that out of our way and we're ready to run good.

"We kept picking away, picking away. We went one speed, then backed up and then went forward and forward. I was really surprised at the last change that it picked us up a tenth and a half."

Wallace, who has posted both an ARCA Series and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory at Daytona, is excited about all of his testing success at Daytona during Preseason Thunder.

"It brings a lot of momentum to the organization," Wallace said. "Anytime you can go somewhere and you know that you've legitimately run a good speed, you didn't do anything to run the number, it makes you very comfortable with the whole group. We're coming back with that Cup car thinking we've got a shot at sitting on the pole (for the Daytona 500). Those guys are working in that direction."

Wallace will enter not only the Daytona 500 and the Koolerz 300, but he'll also race in the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season opener driving a truck fielded by Ken Schrader.

Rounding out the top five in testing on Monday was rookie Chad Blount (183.191), Michael Waltrip (182.957), Kasey Kahne (182.860) and Kevin Harvick (182.622).

Harvick a busy man at Daytona

Kevin Harvick will be the busiest driver during Speedweeks 2003 at Daytona International Speedway.

Races on Harvick's schedule during Speedweeks include the Daytona 500 (Feb. 16), the Koolerz 300 NASCAR Busch Series season opener (Feb. 15), Round 1 of the True Value IROC Series (Feb. 14), the Gatorade 125's (Feb. 13), Bud Pole Qualifying for the Daytona 500 (Feb. 9) and the Budweiser Shootout (Feb. 8).

Harvick will also be atop his pit box during the Feb. 14 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 as an owner. He'll field a truck in the season opener of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for driver Ed Berrier.

"Just winning anything, whether it's IROC or a truck race as an owner or a Busch race or a Winston Cup race or a Budweiser Shootout. Just winning at Daytona is important," Harvick said. "Whether it's any of those or a 125 or anything."

Staying busy racing is just the way Harvick likes it. In 2003, he plans on racing limited schedules in both the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, defend his True Value IROC championship and compete full time in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in the No. 29 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.

"I think I'm better when I race more," Harvick said. 'I'm more in to what's going on. You don't have time to loose track of what's working and what's not working. It's important to me to be in the race car."

Harvick has been close to victory in the Koolerz 300. In his two starts in 2000 and 2001, Harvick has finished fifth and second.

"We led quite a few laps," Harvick said of his runner-up finish in 2001. "We finished probably where we should have finished. I should have actually won the first race (in 2000) if I had any clue what I was doing the first time I came down here to race. I went high and nobody went with me."

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Cumulative single-lap results of Busch Series testing at Daytona International Speedway, through Monday, Jan. 20:

1. No. 4, Mike Wallace, Pontiac, 49.112, 183.255
2. No. 19, Chad Blount, Dodge, 49.129, 183.191
3. No. 99, Michael Waltrip, Chevrolet, 49.192, 182.957
4. No. 38, Kasey Kahne, Ford, 49.218, 182.860
5. No. 21, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.282, 182.622
6. No. 87, Joe Nemechek, Pontiac, 49.383, 182.249
7. No. 10, Scott Riggs, Ford, 49.388, 182.231
8. No. 28, Brad Baker, Dodge, 49.425, 182.094
9. No. 43, Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet, 49.493, 181.844
10. No. 20, Mike Bliss, Pontiac, 49.511, 181.778
11. No. 77, Donnie Neuenberger, Ford, 49.511, 181.778
12. No. 27, Chase Montgomery, Pontiac, 49.730, 180.977
13. No. 26, Kevin Grubb, Dodge, 49.732, 180.970
14. No. 25, Bobby Hamilton Jr., Ford, 49.907, 180.335
15. No. 37, David Green, Pontiac, 50.071, 179.745
16. No. 60, Stanton Barrett, Ford, 50.140, 179.497
17. No. 72, Michael Dokken, Pontiac, 50.248, 179.112
18. No. 53, Hank Parker Jr., Ford, 50.285, 178.980
19. No. 67, C.W. Smith, Chevrolet, 50.451, 178.391
20. No. 30, Jimmy Vassar, Dodge, NT, NS

Your  Momma

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Today In Nascar History

January 18

Bill Davis and Christian Fittipaldi were born on this date.
 
January 19, 1964

Joe Weatherly, 2 time defending champion is killed at Riverside Raceway at the season-opening Motor Trend 500.  Joe won the 1962 & 1963 season titles.  Joe also won 25 races in his Grand National career, now known as the Busch Grand National.

from Susie
Had to comment after being reminded by seeing the picture of Tony Stewart and Greg Zipadelli in today's newsletter. They could pass for brothers. Man, I think they look alike. Susie  I've often thought the same thing....and I also think Tony looks alot like my little brother!

from Jeff
Momma,
 I understand your and others not  wanting Toyota in NASCAR a little bit. But you all must accept the fact that there is is several thousands  of us NASCAR fans that are employeed by Toyota. Toyota started out Japanese, but is now as much a part of the American automotive part of this country as the big 3. We are willing to back our product against any of theirs. We are here and won't be denied our chance. Our company is strong and still growing. We have had no layoffs, and we are still proud to be called Toyota employees. Can the Big 3 say the same?????  Do they still pay their employees every week and have them feel the job security we do? Jeff Roberts, Sealy. Texas

When asked if Boxer or Briefs, Michael Waltrip responded:

Definitely briefs!  Those boxers get wadded up down there and I don't like that.  LMAO

Stewart receives NMPA honor in his first title season
By DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart was named the winner of the 2002 Richard Petty Driver of the Year award winner at Sunday's National Motorsports Press Association convention.

Stewart accepted the award via a videotaped message. He was in Philadelphia attending Sunday's NFC Championship Game, where he appeared on the Fox Sports pregame and postgame shows to promote the network's upcoming Daytona 500 coverage.

"I think we did it the hardest way imaginable with all the stupid stuff I did off the track, finishing last in the Daytona 500 and having six DNF's," Stewart said last weekend.

Kevin Harvick was the 2001 winner of the award.

Expectation levels vary widely

Optimism is always rampant this time of the year in Winston Cup racing, with virtually everyone believing they can accomplish great things.Joe Nemechek, for example, said Saturday at the T. Wayne Robertson Winston Cup Preview that his No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports team believes three to five victories are possible.  Kenny Wallace, who'll be in the No. 23 Dodges owned by Bill Davis, declared he won't be satisfied unless he's able to get Victory Lane.

The boldest statement, however, came from Dale Earnhardt Jr. "We are definitely a top-five, or a top-three team coming out of the box this year," he said.

Drafting practice defined

January testing at Daytona International Speedway isn't exactly a thrilling exercise for drivers. It was described by several Saturday as three days of sitting on pit road waiting to make three-lap qualifying runs.

"You sit there and fall asleep until the car in front of you fires his engine and wakes you up," Bobby Labonte said.

There was some limited drafting practice at each of the two test sessions, but Ken Schrader said there wasn't a whole lot to that, either.

"It's not drafting practice," he said, "until you're three-wide and you look in your rearview mirror and all you see is the top of (Jimmy) Spencer's helmet."

Briefly

• Darlington (S.C.) Raceway is holding a contest asking fans in the state to design the trophy that will be presented to the pole winner for the March 16 race.

The grand prize winner will present the trophy before the race and will earn $1,000, five years' worth of tickets to the track's qualifying sessions and tickets to the March 16 race.

• More than 200 journalists will arrive in Charlotte Monday to begin the annual Lowe's Motor Speedway media tour sponsored by UAW-GM Motorsports. The first day's schedule will include a luncheon with Evernham Motorsports, a trip to Robert Yates Racing and a dinner with NASCAR Truck series officials at which Speed Channel will announce its crew for telecasts this year. The tour will continue through Thursday.

• In addition to running a partial Winston Cup schedule for a team he owns, Derrike Cope will spend time mentoring Chris Bingham, who will run selected Grand National races, and Shelby Howard, who will compete in the Automobile Racing Club of America.

• Danielle Frye is leaving her position in NASCAR's public relations office and will become a member of the Motor Racing Network's broadcasting crew as a pit reporter.

Although a specific schedule is still being fine-tuned, STA-RITE will race the TBR Dodge in the series season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 15, the Koolerz 300.

Wimmer confident despite team changes
By Marty Smith, Turner Sports Interactive

Third-year driver seeks to maintain momentum

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Scott Wimmer, unquestionably the sharpest-dressed man at Friday's NASCAR Busch Series preview in downtown Charlotte, strolls into the interview area wearing gray slacks, black square-toed shoes and a white button down shirt.

The pants and shoes scream class. But for Wimmer, the shirt is undoubtedly the difference-maker.

It actually has a sponsor logo on it.

"Oh yeah, it's real nice to have a sponsor," said Wimmer, who won four races and finished third in the 2002 standings despite having limited financial backing from anyone but owner Bill Davis.

Davis solved that problem by adding Stacker2 as the sponsor for his Busch program. Stacker2 also backs one of Davis' two Winston Cup cars.

"We haven't had (a sponsor) for a whole year yet, really," Wimmer said. "To go into the year with one it's exciting for me. And I'm sure it's exciting for Bill, not to have to fund the whole thing out of his pocket. It always helps to have sponsorship."

Not that Wimmer and his boys need much help. After breaking through for his first career victory at Dover International Speedway in September, Wimmer went on to win three more times, including back-to-back victories at Phoenix and Homestead to close the year.

"I think there was a lot of things building up to Dover and once we got that first win under our belt it seemed like everything just started rolling real well. Everything just seemed to start going right," Wimmer said. "The team was real excited and I was hungrier than ever to get another win.

"We were all clicking and managed to pull out three more (wins) after that one. It was pretty amazing, but I knew once that first one came we'd probably start rolling and get some more."

New crew chief, new manufacturer for 2003

Continuing the momentum they carried into the offseason is a daunting task. They're changing makes, from Pontiac to Chevrolet. Crew chief Robert Barker moved to Jasper Motorsports and the Winston Cup Series, handing the reigns to rookie crew chief Chris Rice.

"We've had some changes in our team, but Bill Davis has given me some great people to work with and I think we can get through that," Wimmer said. "Chris is real smart. He knows Bootie real well and listens to me and we've got real good communication already.

"Testing is going to be real important for us just to be sure we get that communication down. That's a big thing - building momentum for next year.

"We were fortunate, we had a lot of momentum at the end of the year and hopefully that'll help us right at the beginning of Speedweeks and we'll go down there and test real well and keep that momentum."

If Wimmer & Co. can manage to maintain their current good fortune, they'll almost certainly vie for the 2003 title. Aside from a handful of setback, Wimmer learned the art of racing patiently during his sophomore campaign.

"That's our main goal," he said. "I'm sure, though, that some people will think otherwise. We changed makes, we changed crew chiefs and things like that. But Bill Davis has a goal, and he's put a lot of money into our program to help us build new racecars. So that's really what we're gunning for. We're going to be a real strong Busch team."

And a well-dressed one, too.

Preview could be sign of things to come for fans
By Mike Harris

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) -- Janice Compton and her family drove eight hours for the chance to spend about 30 seconds with four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon.

"We just want to get a family portrait with Jeff," the Landenberg, Pa., woman said Saturday as husband Randy and children Megan and Jessica stood in a long line waiting for their moment with their favorite driver.

The Comptons were part of a throng of NASCAR fans, estimated at more than 10,000, that turned out for the 14th annual T. Wayne Robertson NASCAR Winston Cup Preview at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

On the coldest day so far this winter, with overnight temperatures dipping into the low teens, hundreds of fans lined up before dawn for $15 tickets to the event benefiting several local charities.

Wrist bands -- a maximum of 400 for each driver -- were handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis to ticket holders, allowing the fans to sit in a section or two of the Coliseum assigned to their favorite driver. All were guaranteed an audience with the driver.

As each driver's two-hour signing stint came up during the day, his fans streamed down the aisle, row by row, to the arena's floor.

Most fans clutched die-cast replicas of their favorite's car, framed photos, treasured pieces of old race cars or just about any other kind of souvenir linked to their driver. Each person was limited to two autographs.

Gerald Guill, of Danville, Va., wore a No. 17 baseball cap, a No. 17 jacket and carried a bag with a couple of No. 17 souvenirs. He moved steadily down the aisle toward Matt Kenseth, the driver of the No. 17 Ford.

"I've been here a few times and I've had him sign something every year," Guill said. "I love this. I wouldn't miss it."

Not everybody was happy, though.

Teenager Brittany Phillips, of Beckley, W.Va., wearing a Dale Earnhardt Jr. shirt, sat in an unassigned section of seats glumly watching her hero signing autographs one section over.

"I really wanted my picture taken with Dale Jr.," said Brittany, who didn't arrive early enough to get an Earnhardt Jr. wrist band.

At the same time, an auction was taking place on a stage in the middle of the arena. A Mark Martin driving suit went for $4,300, a front bumper off the No. 8 Earnhardt Chevy sold for $1,500 and so it went.

NASCAR is considering establishing a time and place each weekend for drivers to sign autographs for fans with garage passes. Aside from the area immediately surrounding the team hauler, drivers would be prohibited from signing anywhere else.

That was a big topic among the more than 40 Winston Cup and Busch Series drivers on hand Saturday.

Robby Gordon laughingly called it "The Tony Rule," referring to Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart, who has often complained about the stifling presence of fans in the garage, particularly on race mornings.

"They have to realize that's our workplace," said Stewart, who smiled and chatted through his two-hour session Saturday. "Just let us do our jobs the three days at the racetrack so we can put on a good show for you in the races."

Jeff Gordon reminisced about being a teenager and getting an autograph from four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears.

"I just think about waiting for that autograph and how much it meant to me," he said, "There's a trade-off, a compromise. Nobody wants to cut the fans off from the garage area."

Jeff Burton agreed that the garage is not the place for autographs.

"If it doesn't change, somebody is going to get run over," he said. "It's surprising it hasn't happened already."

legacy:

1. Something that is part of your history or which stays from an earlier time.

2. Something handed down or received from an ancestor or predecessor, or from the past.

3. A business with which one is intrusted by another; a commission.

Someone made the remark to me shortly after Dale Earnhardt’s death that the outpouring of grief was just unbelievable, and said, “It’s almost like a cult. I just can’t understand why so many people cared about him”. I didn’t have an answer for him then, but I do now.

I’ve seen this massive national grief before. I was 5 years old when President John F. Kennedy was killed. I was a teenager when Elvis died. I remember how many people cried for each of them. I remember the tributes, and I remember seeing the masses gather together for comfort. Unfortunately, the legacy they left was not 100% heirloom quality. Many things they did during their lifetime, which were hidden until after their deaths, are not things I want to pass on to my son.

After Dale’s death, many hidden stories started coming out about him also. They were stories of compassion Dale showed to kids, stories of helping other drivers in a bind, stories that Dale never bragged about. He did so many good things that the general public never knew about until after his death.

Dale Earnhardt left us with individual legacies. He left each of us with special memories. My personal legacy from Dale is that he set an example for me. He wasn’t perfect, but he was a good person, and he did the right things from his heart. That is what I want to pass on to my son, and others around me. That is what I want to be remembered for when I’m no longer here.

I’d like to know what your legacy from Dale is. What memory is special to you? How did Dale change your life, or make you a better person? I’d like to use what you share with me in a future column.

Teresa Earnhardt had something to say during the week of the banquet in New York City that I felt was very important to all of us who will always remember Dale Earnhardt. She announced the formation of the Dale Earnhardt Legacy Program. This will be a multi-faceted program that will have two purposes. First, it will provide help to charitable causes that were important to Dale, the children’s, educational, and wildlife causes that he cared about during his lifetime. Second, it will help preserve his legacy in the sport, and give fans an outlet to continue showing what he meant to them. Thank you Teresa, for sharing Dale with us in the past, in the present, and in the future. He was and always will be a very special person. His legacy will never end.

lisa@...

DAYTONA BEACH -- Each winter we hear of two Super Bowls -- the one that really is, and the one that really isn't.

The Daytona 500, some NASCAR drivers will tell you ad nauseam, is "our Super Bowl."

It is not.

After Super Bowl XXXVII next Sunday, there'll be no doubt who is champion of the NFL.

After the 45th Daytona 500 on Feb. 16, there'll be no clue who'll win the Winston Cup.

The season-opening 500 isn't even a typical NASCAR race. The rules and equipment are vastly different from those for 32 of the 36 races each year. That's because the playing field here is an aberration.

The NFL does not place 20-pound weights around the ankles of all "skill" players, stifling their ability, just for the Super Bowl. NASCAR mandates carburetor restrictor plates that cut horsepower almost in half for the Daytona 500.

There is no reason to anticipate the NFL changing the rules between now and Sunday. There is every reason to anticipate NASCAR changing the rules between now and Feb. 16. Last year the rules were tweaked repeatedly, right into race week.

Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon said during testing here last week that he won't know whether his stable of Chevrolet Monte Carlos will be competitive this season until "I go to Las Vegas" for testing on a 1.5-mile track that is far nearer a standard playing field on the tour than is 2.5-mile Daytona.

How well he runs on the more sensible tracks is, he said, "all I really care about."

He acknowledged, "It is the Daytona 500, and we all want to win the biggest race. But I still want to win a championship. And I know that winning a championship consists of being good at the majority of the tracks."

Only four plate races are run each year -- two here and two at Daytona's sister in obsolescence, 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

Current Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart recently called his Daytona test sessions "three days of just playing around, I guess."

And Stewart is living proof Daytona 500's insignificance toward the championship. He fell out of last year's race after only two laps, finished dead last, and left here 43rd in the standings.

Only once in the restrictor-plate era (1988 to present) has a driver won the 500 and gone on to the season championship. That was Gordon in '97. Before that, nobody had done it since Cale Yarborough in '77.

Defending 500 champion Ward Burton won but one other race last season. The late Dale Earnhardt, called by NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. the league's "best driver ever," won seven championships and 76 races, but only one Daytona 500.

The race became NASCAR's showcase event largely because of its dead-of-winter date when there's nothing else going on but the humdrum regular seasons of basketball and hockey. And because the 500 is so tradition-bound to February (its roots go back to the Winter Speed Carnival of 1903 on Daytona Beach), it is doomed never to join the Super Bowl as a grand finale of a season.

As big yet aberrant as it is, the Daytona 500 has become a distraction, an impediment, a strategic waste of time to teams whose overriding goal is the championship. They spend all winter preparing for this race, then veer off to a steady diet of normal tracks before the next restrictor-plate race, at Talladega in April.

So call Daytona what it is -- a big show, a grand happening, a lovely tradition, a big and prestigious payoff for any driver.

But don't call it a Super Bowl. That's a term for a championship event.

-Ed Hinton

Your  Momma

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Today In Nascar History

January 16, 1935

AJ Foyt, owner of the #14 Dodge, Indy 500, Daytona 500 winner, is born on this date.

30:23:26:39

Number of days hours, minutes, and seconds to the Daytona 500!

from Dave
I have a nice 3bd/2ba house across from beach in Daytona Beach  available for speed week if you know anyone looking. Email  me for all  the details. Have a great safe season. Thanks Dave
dmbgreen@...

Ok Dave, I'm passing this along to my list.  Hopefully someone calls!

from Sherry
Hi Sandra,
Just wanted to let you know that you have been doing a great job in the off season.
I am really looking forward to Daytona.  I haven't been into football at all.  Being from Texas,
 the Cowgirls (I mean boys) sucked.  So its been a long off season for me.  Keep up the good work!   I will probably get on another fantasy team.  I'll let ya know, might need your help again.  Didn't do to bad last year. I won a little money, not much, but hey its better than nothing!  Tx chic loves Jr!!   GO # 8.

Thanks Sherry!  Glad you won some money....hopefully you beat a bunch of men (j/k guys) and really show em up this year...lol

from Kristy
Just wanted to let you know that someone made a small typing error.  I'm not sure if it was you guys or the AP but it says Earnhardt won 6 championships.  I think they meant 7.......hehe.
Kristy Black

Oh sure!  Point out when I mess up!!!...seriously, sometimes things get past me, but maybe they were saying that Dale won 6 championships with RCR, and one - with sheesh, I can't remember...That's what happens when you get old!
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Bits and Pieces

Brett Bodine said today that Hooters would sponsor his No. 11 Winston Cup entry again this year, but he said the restaurant chain's owner has put plans to buy into the team on hold, according to ThatsRacin.com. Hooter's owner Bob Brooks had been reported to be interested in buying part of the team last year, but owner/driver Bodine says Brooks has had to devote his attention to his purchase of Pace Airlines. Bodine told the Web site that his team is behind in preparation for the new season and has brought only one new car to this week's test at Daytona International Speedway. "We don't have very many cars built," Bodine said, "and it's going to be very taxing for us to be prepared for the start of the season."

Friendly's first race backing Cope's No. 37 Quest Motor Racing Chevrolet will be the Feb. 16 Daytona 500. The team tested last week and as of Wednesday was 51st of 53 teams that hit the track.

Friendly's was introduced to Winston Cup racing last fall at New Hampshire International Speedway -- the closest track to the company's corporate base in Western Massachusetts.

Driver Kevin Lepage started 26th and finished 40th when the engine in his No. 37 Quest Ford failed after 84 laps in the New Hampshire 300.

"A family sport needs family-type sponsors, and Friendly's certainly is that," Cope said. "That is good for all of us in NASCAR racing. Having a company like Friendly's join us means a lot to me and to everyone at Quest Motor Racing."

"NASCAR and Friendly's demographics are similar, (so) becoming a sponsor and getting involved with NASCAR is a great fit for Friendly's," Friendly's senior director, marketing Peter E. Bell said.  "This sponsorship fulfills a marketing objective for Friendly's of increasing brand awareness (and) we believe Friendly's and Quest Motor Racing make a formidable team."

The team's schedule after Daytona has yet to be determined.

The No. 54 Army National Guard Ford is being driven at the final three-day test for Speedweeks 2003 by Geoffrey Bodine, the older brother of BelCar driver Todd Bodine -- who is recovering from back surgery he had done after the end of the 2002 season.

The team is being led by new crew chief Derrick Finley, formerly its engineer and shock specialist who was initially recruited to join Richard Childress Racing by the late Dale Earnhardt. He has been with Carter for the past three years.

A team spokesperson said the younger Bodine expects to return to the car for a test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the end of the month.

Ward Burton returned to the site of his biggest victory, when he tested the No. 22 Dodge at Daytona.

Burton, who won the season-opening Daytona 500 last year, has a lot of work to do to get back to that level. He was 20th-fastest in the first day of the three-day test, turning a fast lap of 181.587 mph.

Burton is sure he and new crew chief Frankie Stoddard will get the car figured out before they leave the test on Thursday. If not, he knows finishing the 500 has as much to do with luck as it does with equipment.

"Coming into this race, everybody puts so much preparation into it," he said. "Months, even in some development, a year or more going into this one event.

"With all that being said and with all that preparation being done, it's still a race that 35 cars out there are going to be able to win.  You're going to have to have some luck and not have any bad luck and be at the right place at the right time to go to racing those last 50 laps."

LONDON - Formula One teams will no longer be able to communicate with their drivers or exchange data between the cars and pits during races in cost-cutting moves imposed by the FIA on Wednesday.

The FIA is applying the following rules at the start of the 2003 season, which begins March 9 in Melbourne, Australia:

- Eliminate pit-to-car telemetry;
- Eliminate car-to-pit telemetry;
- Eliminate radio communication between team and driver;
- Allow only two cars per race; and
- Eliminate traction control, launch control and automatic gearboxes for all or part of 2003, and outlaw them in 2004.

The FIA is also proposing that teams start using common components.

Two F1 teams folded due to financial problems in the last year, and the gap between the poorest and richest teams continued to expand. Minardi has a reported yearly budget of $32 million, while defending series champion Ferrari has a budget of $440 million.

FIA also said it would introduces rule changes for the 2004 season, including requiring the use of standard braking systems, the use of standard rear wings, and ensuring that car manufacturers supply engines to all interested teams.

The changes for 2003 include voluntary testing, changes to qualifying and a revised point-scoring system. The FIA believes by making testing voluntary it could eventually save about $200 million to $300 million, the largest single expense in the sport.

An 8-foot-tall, stainless-steel tombstone embossed with a race car has revved up a controversy in a tiny town southwest of the Quad Cities.

The dispute has landed in the lap of the village's cemetery board, which is mulling ways to make the memorial coexist with the cemetery's more traditional grave sites.

Brothers Dennis Begyn Jr. and Jesse Begyn hand-built the massive monument as a tribute to their father, Dennis Begyn Sr., who was killed last May when he lost control of his race car at an area drag strip.

The brothers said they plan to add lights - a "Christmas tree" - like the ones that count down the start of a drag race.

DAYTONA BEACH -- If Dale Earnhardt Inc. drivers Steve Park and Michael Waltrip had any doubts about what was expected of them this Winston Cup season, team leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. filled them in Wednesday.

The bottom line: Both are expected to improve on lackluster 2002 seasons.

Never mind that Park rebounded from a serious concussion suffered in an accident in a Busch race at Darlington in 2001 and struggled to regain his stroke last season, when many people in the sport felt he had lost it for good.

And never mind that Waltrip is one of NASCAR's most visible, vibrant and quotable personalities and a whiz at Daytona and Talladega.

"It's not really a big secret that this is a make-or-break year for Steve," Earnhardt Jr. said after testing at Daytona International Speedway. "We put a lot of thought into what to do there. That was a real tough decision. We felt we needed to give Steve a good opportunity this year and I think we have put good people into position to really make a difference on that team. The team morale was really awful last year at the end of the season. Now that's changed tremendously.

"So this season here, hopefully he can get some good finishes and get some confidence back, get the guys to get some confidence in him. We signed a two-year contract and hopefully he's going to give us good reason to extend that."

As for Waltrip, who was publicly uncomfortable playing second fiddle to Earnhardt last season, Little E was just as blunt.

"With Michael, he changed his attitude quite a bit," Earnhardt said. "I don't really know what was affecting their performance on the race track, but it changed dramatically last year and they got some good runs in.

"They kind of faltered a little bit at the end of the season, but his attitude's changed tremendously and that was the biggest thing with him -- trying to get him to be more cooperative, I guess, and be by the shop more often and work with the guys. Dad was always around to keep him straight before. There's nobody to keep him straight now, so he gets out of control every once in a while."

And then Junior laid it on the line.

"He's such a good guy, so funny. He's marketable and is really good for our sponsors," he said. "He keeps the money coming back every year, which is very important. I know he wants to run really good this year. I'm expecting him to do well."

Earnhardt knows a thing or two about marketable drivers. He himself is perhaps NASCAR's most visible personality and has attained superstar status. But the responsibilities inherent with stardom wore on him last season and he insisted on putting a clause in his contract allowing him to limit off-track appearances to 40.

The contract, by the way, remains unsigned.

"Since drivers are contract labor . . . I sell my services as a driver to the team, so I allot the team 40 appearances for whoever or whatever -- and that's all they get," Earnhardt said.

"I had to put a cap on it. There was no control. I didn't want to give away every free day I had. Now I got control of it. If felt like we cut my appearances from last year in half. That's going to help me a lot.

"Race car drivers they can race on into their 50s and still be competitive, but it's the stuff that you do off the track that drives you away from the sport. I don't want to get burned out before my time. Maybe that will be the future of contracts."

Earnhardt and sister Kelly reworked a deal offered to Little E by stepmother Teresa Earnhardt and Ty Norris, DEI's executive vice president of motorsports, and resubmitted it three weeks ago.

"They have yet to sign their end of it," he said. "Once they sign their end, I'll sign mine."

Once completed, the DEI deal would be for five years, Earnhardt said.

"We were going to go lifetime, but you never know," he said. "The plane could crash into the mountain any day. The ball's in their court."

Earnhardt has lofty expectations for 2003. He knows the key lies with his attitude, especially when it comes to tracks where he struggles.

"I used to hate going to certain places . . . I'd always go there with a bad attitude and run bad," he said. "You carry that bad attitude into the first practice and it sprays like a virus through the guys. They see it, they know you're not happy and you don't want to be there, so it just makes for a long weekend.

"I feel like we can be a contender if we can just get through certain places we don't run well at."

Last summer, Earnhardt flirted with the idea of driving for another team. While he admits the idea still has life, he's happy where he is.

"I don't know if there's many people that's been in the situation I'm in to where you're driving for your dad . . . I've always wondered," he said. "No matter how you put it or how long I'm there, I'm always going to be the son of the man who started the business and the man who envisioned it all. I miss out on some things.  There's advantages to it. So I'm always going to wonder what it would be to drive for somebody else, but that's not saying I think the grass is greener on that side of the fence. I'm always going to have that in the back of my mind. I like where I'm at."

And while he kept the olive branch fully extended to his stepmother -- who he acknowledged still carries a heavy workload at DEI -- he is keeping his interests at heart, as well.

"There's just a lot of things that need to be better to where I feel more comfortable racing for (DEI)," he said. "I'm 28 years old and I've got to put myself in position to win championships. That's what I want to do. I don't want to have to compromise too much to do that. I don't want to feel like anybody's holding me back."

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. stopped short of saying he would never leave Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, but said Wednesday he is committed to doing all he can to win the NASCAR Winston Cup championship with his family-owned team.

Earnhardt Jr. took a break from testing during the second day of NASCAR Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway to speak about the reorganization of his No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet team -- and his lack of a signed DEI contract.

"Me and my sister (Kelley) turned in our proposal of (their contract) -- it's kind of revised from what they gave us," Earnhardt Jr. said.  "They have yet to sign their end of it. Once they sign their end, I'll sign my end.

"Right now, I'm working it as five years. We were going to go lifetime, but you never know.  The plane could crash into the mountain any day ..."

Not that a contract has ever been much of an issue for Earnhardt Jr., who has never driven  for anyone but either his late father, seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, or the team that he formed and nurtured until his death on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

He's never had a contract with DEI. He said an extension of his Budweiser deal is awaiting consummation of his DEI paperwork.

But some jagged results last season -- at least partially tempered by driving part of the year recovering from a head injury suffered in April at Fontana -- made change necessary.

"I didn't expect as many changes," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I've got a new bus driver and a new truck driver. I've got two new tire changers and one new tire carrier."

At different venues last season, Earnhardt Jr. complained about the performance of his pit crew and changes were even made last season under the direction of crew chief Tony Eury and car chief Tony Eury Jr. to find a more effective combination.

In addition to shuffling the deck on his Winston Cup team, Earnhardt has also been involved in putting together a new Busch Series team that he owns with his stepmother, Teresa.

"It's been a lot of fun getting to know these people and trying to see if you've improved the situation or the position and how good the personalities are and if they are going to improve the team," Earnhardt Jr. said.

"I feel like the changes we've made weren't really wholesale changes or big, big changes. There were good reasons for the things we did -- the people that we had in those positions before had kind of lost the spark we needed or the enthusiasm toward the team.

Earnhardt Jr. said at least initially, things are better.

"The morale just around the truck is different here at the track. The mentality and the feeling you get when you walk in the shop is a lot better. And, it's really amazing to me sometimes how just one person can affect so many.

"You are reminded of that every once in a while," he continued. "The guys we've got are really pumped up and real enthusiastic about being with the team. That's what we need and that's what makes you feel good when you're a driver."

Even more important than that, Earnhardt Jr. in many corners is seen as one of the chief architects of its future. It's a role he has slowly segued into. Despite a deserved reputation as something of a sophomoric hellion, has also shown a deeply thoughtful side.  Considering where he sits to do his job is part of that.

"I don't think you ever work your way through that," Earnhardt Jr. said of thoughts of driving for another owner. "I don't think there are many people that are in the situation that I'm in -- driving for your dad.

"I think Kyle Petty probably has dealt with some of the things that I've faced or thought about (but) I've always wondered ..."

Earnhardt Jr. had a chance to experience the freedom of driving outside the boundaries of his family operation last season, when he won the Speedweeks 2002 Busch Series race at Daytona driving a car prepared and fielded by Richard Childress Racing -- his father's team.

"When I drove Richard's Busch car here it was so cool," Earnhardt Jr. said. "We won the race. If we hadn't won the race, I don't know if it would've been quite as cool (but) it was neat to see him (Childress) get excited about it and him being a car owner, I felt like I was a real asset to the team.

Earnhardt Jr. said that the fact that he's driving for his father will always mean that his success will field questions.

"In the situation that I'm in now, you've got to understand, that no matter how you put it or no matter how long I'm there, I'm always going to be the son of the man who started the business and who envisioned it all.

"So I miss out on some things, but there are advantages to it. I'm just always going to wonder what it would be like to drive for somebody else. That's not saying that I think the grass is greener on that side of the fence, I'm just always going to have that in the back of my mind -- but I like where I'm at."

But he is also being more analytical about it.

"Teresa has a lot of responsibility (and) she's going to have to make a lot of big decisions here in the future," Junior said. "I want to help her as much as I can -- as much as she'll let me. Hopefully, she makes the right decisions and we prosper and we're successful.

So far, so good, says Junior.

"I didn't know if Teresa was really sure about what she was getting herself into because there's a lot of responsibilities being a car owner -- with the sponsors and everything (and) she didn't really have the type of relationships that she needed to have with some of the sponsors (but) I think she's working on that."

In the end, Earnhardt Jr. is in a position where -- if he is not actually making a decision that will affect his career, he is in a position to contemplate one.

"There's just a lot of things that need to be better to where I feel more comfortable racing," he said. "I'm 28 years old and I've got to put myself in position to win championships -- that's what I want to do.

"I don't want to have to compromise too much to do that (and) I don't want to feel like I'm compromising. I've never held Tony Jr. or Tony Sr. back. If I felt like I was, I'd make a decision to do something different (and) I don't want to feel like anybody's holding me back."

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. says the difference between racing well into his 50s and suffering early burnout is how he balances his responsibilities away from the racetrack.

Therefore, Earnhardt Jr., 28, says he's structured his first contract with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated to include less appearances than last season. He said he returned his first DEI contract to management about three weeks ago and is waiting to get it signed.

"I talked to Dale Jarrett last year about that and told him I was a pioneer and that I was giving back to the sport," Earnhardt Jr. said.  "Since drivers are contract labor, my primary focus is the team and driving for the team.

To that end, Earnhardt Jr. says he wants to put a cap on off-track appearances. 

"I sell my services as a driver to the team and I allot the team 40 appearances for whoever or whatever -- that's all they get. I had to put a cap on it because there was no control -- nobody had a hold of the reigns.

"They could just sign and do and bring everybody in that they wanted to (and) I just didn't want to give away every free day I had," Junior continued. "Now I've got control of it.

Junior says less appearances will translate to more success on the racetrack.

"We cut my appearances from last year in half (for this year). That's going to help me a lot. Race car drivers can race on into their 50s and still be competitive -- but it's the stuff off the track that drives you away from the sport."

Earnhardt Jr. has managed to cross many generational and promotional boundaries, but he's found it comes with a price.

"I don't want to get burned out before it's my time," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I'm just trying to get control of it. Maybe that'll be the future of contracts and I can be credited for it."

He did say he would still be available to the media at racing events.

"No, this doesn't count as an appearance," he said, laughing.  "Anything at the track doesn't count."

***************************

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Gotta be the car, right? That's what the Dodge folks would have you believe, anyway.

Last year, Ryan Newman was as slow as post-Daytona 500 traffic.  This year, he's as fast as they get.

Newman was fast again Wednesday, posting the second-quickest speed in NASCAR Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway. That's no surprise, for he was second-fastest Wednesday morning, second-fastest Tuesday afternoon and fastest Tuesday morning.

Newman went 182.901 mph Wednesday afternoon, second only to three-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Jarrett, who went 183.064. Sterling Marlin (182.697) was third-fastest, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. (182.585), Jeff Green (182.537), Kyle Petty (182.415),  Ricky Craven (182.363), Christian Fittipaldi (182.338), Joe Nemechek (182.245) and Ward Burton (182.227).

Only Jarrett, Newman and Fittipaldi posted their fastest speed in the afternoon session. Temperatures began to drop after lunch, and the wind picked up.

Of course, so did Newman.  Especially when you consider how slow he and his No. 12 team ran last year in testing.

"I didn't have a clue what to expect," Newman said. "I go back to this time last year when I think we were 30th out of 35 teams in testing, and we qualified 42nd (for the Daytona 500).

"The bottom line is we've learned a lot as a team, and the performance has been pretty good from the people at Dodge, as well as the product itself."

Penske Racing switched to Dodge from Ford in the off-season, but the massive undertaking of a manufacturer change hasn't seemed to slow him down. Maybe Newman's engineering background has taught him to keep things in pers pective and look at the raw numbers. 

Newman is one of the few drivers who seems to enjoy testing.

Again, that's the engineer in him.

"A lot of what the driver does here is back up the information the computer might lose," Newman said. "You're out there trying to duplicate everything to make it simple for the team to figure out what's good or bad. It's tough in that respect, but overall it's still a lot of fun to go out and learn a lot about the cars."

Engineers rule testing, especially at Daytona.  And these days, engineers are starting to rule NASCAR. And Newman, with his engineering degree from Purdue, helped usher in that era.

"I think some people are trying to change," Newman said. "It's not just the team. It's not just the people. It's the chemistry. If you've got the best engineer in the world, the best driver in the world, the best crew chief in the world, the best car or whatever, if they don't get along together then you have nothing. You've got to have good teamwork and communication."

Newman proved that last year, when as a rookie he won one race and had chances to win several others.  Before he cooled off in the last few races, no one was hotter than Newman in the second half.

He went from 16th in the points to fourth before he slipped to sixth.  Still, that's not bad for a rookie team. But he wants more.

"Our goal is to maximize the top 10s," Newman said. "We've got to make it better. We can't have the same season we had last year because that was only good for sixth. I know one thing's for sure, this team, the Dodge, learned a lot of things last year and we'll be able to carry them over. I think we might surprise ourselves a few times."

Preseason Winston Cup testing at Daytona concludes Thursday. The next time the series returns to Daytona is Feb. 6, when haulers are due to enter for registration and inspection of Budweiser Shootout cars.

1. No. 40, Sterling Marlin, Dodge, 49.262, 182.697
2. No. 12, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 49.287, 182.604
3. No. 8, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 49.292, 182.585
4. No. 30, Jeff Green, Chevrolet, 49.305, 182.537
5. No. 88, Dale Jarrett, Ford, 49.329, 182.448
6. No. 45, Kyle Petty, Dodge, 49.338, 182.415
7. No. 32, Ricky Craven, Pontiac, 49.352, 182.363
8. No. 25, Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 49.384, 182.245
9. No. 22, Ward Burton, Dodge, 49.389, 182.227
10. No. 33, Christian Fittipaldi, Chevrolet, 49.443, 182.028
11. No. 23, Kenny Wallace, Dodge, 49.452, 181.995
12. No. 6, Mark Martin, Ford, 49.462, 181.958
13. No. 24, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 49.534, 181.693
14. No. 29, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.539, 181.675
15. No. 0, Jack Sprague, Pontiac, 49.545, 181.653
16. No. 19, Jeremy Mayfield, Dodge, 49.586, 181.503
17. No. 21, Ricky Rudd, Ford, 49.631, 181.338
18. No. 9, Bill Elliott, Dodge, 49.679, 181.163
19. No. 14, Larry Foyt, Dodge, 49.691, 181.119
20. No. 7, Jimmy Spencer, Dodge, 49.744, 180.926
21. No. 31, Robby Gordon, Chevrolet, 49.827, 180.625
22. No. 60, David Green, Chevrolet, 49.988, 180.043
23. No. 57, Jeff Fultz, Ford, 50.044, 179.842
24. No. 16, Greg Biffle, Ford, 50.059, 179.788
25. No. 11, Brett Bodine, Ford, 50.096, 179.655
26. No. 54, Geoffrey Bodine, Ford, 50.158, 179.433
27. No. 84, Norm Benning, Chevrolet, NS, NT

1. No. 88, Dale Jarrett, Ford, 49.163, 183.064
2. No. 12, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 49.207, 182.901
3. No. 40, Sterling Marlin, Dodge, 49.270, 182.667
4. No. 33, Christian Fittipaldi, Chevrolet, 49.359, 182.338
5. No. 8, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 49.396, 182.201
6. No. 19, Jeremy Mayfield, Dodge, 49.399, 182.190
7. No. 45, Kyle Petty, Dodge, 49.411, 182.146
8. No. 32, Ricky Craven, Pontiac, 49.421, 182.109
9. No. 6, Mark Martin, Ford, 49.466, 181.943
10. No. 30, Jeff Green, Chevrolet, 49.487, 181.866
11. No. 24, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 49.488, 181.862
12. No. 23, Kenny Wallace, Dodge, 49.538, 181.679
13. No. 29, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.561, 181.594
14. No. 25, Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 49.562, 181.591
15. No. 22, Ward Burton, Dodge, 49.569, 181.565
16. No. 9, Bill Elliott, Dodge, 49.581, 181.521
17. No. 21, Ricky Rudd, Ford, 49.599, 181.455
18. No. 0, Jack Sprague, Pontiac, 49.636, 181.320
19. No. 7, Jimmy Spencer, Dodge, 49.670, 181.196
20. No. 57, Jeff Fultz, Ford, 49.757, 180.879
21. No. 14, Larry Foyt, Dodge, 49.770, 180.832
22. No. 31, Robby Gordon, Chevrolet, 49.807, 180.697
23. No. 78, Mike Harmon, Chevrolet, 49.903, 180.350
24. No. 60, David Green, Chevrolet, 50.024, 179.914
25. No. 16, Greg Biffle, Ford, 50.171, 179.386
26. No. 54, Geoffrey Bodine, Ford, 50.222, 179.204
27. No. 11, Brett Bodine, Ford, 50.359, 178.717
28. No. 84, Norm Benning, Chevrolet, NS, NT

Your  Momma
 
 

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HOMESTEAD, Fla. - It took Tony Stewart only three questions into his NASCAR Winston Cup champion's interview Sunday evening to bring into perfect perspective why he might be one of the best champions ever -- and certainly better than anyone's expected.

"Like I've said every year since I got here, you learn as you go," Stewart said. "I still don't agree with everything that NASCAR does, but the things that they do, they do for a reason -- that's what's made NASCAR what it is right now.

"You know what -- I'm a race car driver and I don't have to understand everything they do. I don't have to agree with everything they do. I just have to abide by the rules.

"It's like I've always said, you never get an instructional video, they don't give you a freshman pamphlet saying, 'This is what your life is going to be like -- this is how you do things, this is what is going to happen to you in the garage area.'

"None of that is explained to you -- none of that is taught to you. It is trial and error, and Lord knows I've had enough trials and errors, and more errors than trials. But, as you go, you learn.

"All those things that we've learned in the past didn't contribute to winning the championship. But, it makes winning a championship a lot more enjoyable when you start figuring out the rest of it along with it."

Stewart had learned enough to dodge disaster on two restarts with less than 40 laps remaining and clinched his first Winston Cup championship by finishing 18th in the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The championship was the ninth of Stewart's racing career, the third NASCAR title for crew chief Greg Zipadelli and the second Winston Cup title in three years for team owner Joe Gibbs, who won in 2000 with Bobby Labonte.

Stewart credited his crew, particularly Zipadelli, for fixing that, but even more, for ensuring the championship.

"None of us could have done it without the whole group," Stewart said. "This was a team effort this year. I'm not saying anything that you don't normally hear from everybody else's race teams, but I don't think you guys realize what all went into winning this championship this year and how hard it was.

"Zippy played multiple roles. He wasn't just a crew chief all year. He had to be a crew chief, a babysitter/best friend and a huge leader. Zippy held this team together single-handedly and kept everybody motivated and focused on what we had to do and we couldn't have done it without him."

Neither Stewart nor Mark Martin, who came into the race 89 points behind in second, managed to lead a lap in the 267-lap event on the flat, 1.5-mile oval.

"We never gave up," Stewart said. "I went into this race (and) I honestly thought I had a shot to win. I didn't realize we were as bad as we were -- it was just that the car didn't like being in traffic."

And that's where he was all day.  Stewart dodged disaster on two restarts with less than 40 laps remaining and clinched his first Winston Cup championship by finishing 18th Sunday in the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Martin second in standings for fourth time in 13 seasons

But Martin was only able to finish fourth, gaining 51 points. He moved up at the finish and ended up 38 points behind. It gained him his fourth second place finish in the points since 1990.

That year, Martin's Roush Racing team was penalized 46 points and lost the championship by 26.  Saturday, the National Stock Car Racing Commission denied Roush's appeal of a 25-point penalty issued three weeks ago, but it would not have made a difference this time.

"I can't remember 1990," Martin said. "I think this may have been the greatest battle ever, for me and the people around me, for 36 races this season (but) I can't predict what will happen next season. I may not end up in the top-10."

On Sunday, he was not totally disappointed.

"What an effort, man -- we gave it everything we had," Martin said.  "Those guys were just a little bit stronger than us. We came from the back of the pack and wrestled ill handling all day."

Stewart, who had swore he would try to win, ended up never having a shot, but it was not for lack of trying. The effort of the day, and the season, overcame his crew chief, Greg Zipadelli, who was in tears following the checkered flag.

"It's been a long year," said Zipadelli, who won the 1998 Busch North championship and 1987 Featherlite Modified title. "It's been a tough year -- up and down -- but this makes it all worth it."

NASCAR crown added to Stewart's 1997 Indy-car title

The finish, however, secured Stewart's sixth major series championship since 1994 -- but by far the most prestigious. Stewart won his first national championship in 1994, when he claimed the USAC Midget title.

The next season, Stewart swept USAC's "triple crown" -- winning championships in the Midget, Silver Crown and Sprint Car divisions.

After winning the IRL Rookie of the Year title in 1996, Stewart won that Indy car division's championship in 1997. The year before he had started making inroads into NASCAR, running in the Busch Series with Ranier Walsh Racing.

Stewart has some close calls at Homestead

Stewart's closest escape came only two laps after a restart at lap 234, when John Andretti blew the engine in his Dodge going into Turn 3.

Stewart was behind Andretti and had to drive to the apron, while other drivers were trapped high, including Robby Gordon, who spun his Cingular Chevrolet after popping through the smokescreen created by Andretti's problem.

On the restart from that cleanup, Stewart was caught in a three-wide run through Turns 3 and 4, when Ricky Rudd passed Jason Leffler in the bottom groove while Stewart was caught on the high side.

Stewart, at the beginning of his racing career, won three karting championships. He won a 1987 World Karting Association national championship and a 1983 International Karting Federation Grand National championship. He won the 1980 4-cycle Rookie Junior championship at the Columbus (Ind.) Fairgrounds.

Second Winston Cup championship for Joe Gibbs

The championship was Gibbs' fifth sports title, to go with NFL Super Bowl championships in 1983, 1988 and 1992 with the Washington Redskins.

Gibbs began his NASCAR career in 1992 with driver Dale Jarrett. He expanded to two teams in 1999, Stewart's rookie season.

Stewart made note of the honor he felt at joining a select roster as the 25th Winston Cup champion in NASCAR's 54-year history.

"I think the coolest part about this whole thing is that I finally did something that (A.J.) Foyt didn't do," Stewart said. "Most people don't realize but the first Indy car I ever drove was (in a test) for A.J. at Phoenix (and) it was one of the most frustrating experiences of my life.

"But it was one of the best experiences of my life, too. The relationship I built with A.J. that week will last a lifetime with him and I. I never got beat up as bad verbally as I did with A.J. for five days.

"His favorite comment, when I was proud of something I did, was 'Just check the record books, big boy.' Well you're damn right, A.J - check the record books (now)!

"He may have won Daytona (500) and he may have won Indy -- but he hasn't won an Indy car championship and a (NASCAR) stock car championship. I finally got one up on the old man."

HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Kurt Busch wishes the 2002 Winston Cup season hadn't ended Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Tony Stewart must have thought it never would.

Busch won the Ford 400, his third victory in the season's final six races to cap a surge that carried him to third in the season's final standings.

Stewart, meanwhile, battled an ill-handling Pontiac and fought back from a lap down to finish 18th and clinch the circuit's championship, finishing 38 points ahead of Mark Martin, the points runner-up for the fourth time in a career in which he still has not won stock-car racing's ultimate title.

As Busch was fighting past rookie Ryan Newman to take the lead on Lap 257 in the 267-lap race, Stewart was biding time in traffic among the 21 lead-lap cars, knowing that was enough for him to add the Winston Cup title to his already substantial racing resume.

With Busch winning, Jeff Burton finishing third and Martin finishing fourth, it was a good day for Roush Racing.

But thanks to the 89-point lead that Stewart had over Martin coming into the race, it was an even better day for Stewart and Joe Gibbs Racing.

"Did we do it?" Stewart asked after taking the checkered flag.

There were times on Sunday when it looked like that answer might be no.

"This was an ugly day, but we never gave up," Stewart said. " ... I went into this race and I honestly thought we had a shot to win it. I didn't realize we were as bad as we were. We really struggled today. That's now how we've ever run here. I guess to the day I die I'll wonder about it."

Stewart, who'd won two of the previous three Cup races at this 1.5-mile track, started sixth and stayed in the top 10 until the midway point. Toward the end of a long green-flag run, however, he started dropping back as his car got too loose. Martin, who'd started 34th, passed him for 14th position on Lap 151.

Stewart continued to lose ground after his pit stop, and fell a lap down when Joe Nemechek, who led 111 laps in a Chevrolet but wound up second, went by on Lap 192.

"Hang in there, pal, and believe," crew chief Greg Zipadelli told his driver. "Somehow we'll figure this thing out."

Stewart jumped ahead of Dale Jarrett, who took the lead on pit road during a yellow for a fiery Jimmy Spencer crash in Turn 1, to get on the tail end of the lead lap. Stewart then got the break he needed on Lap 224 when Kenseth, in the fourth Roush Racing Ford in the race, blew an engine. Three laps later, NASCAR threw a yellow and Stewart was back among the 21 cars on the lead lap.

"We never got frustrated with each other," Stewart said of the battle. "We did it the way that we got here, as a team. We never gave up on each other. ...Once we got back on the lead lap there I felt better and got my second wind for the race."

There were anxious moments to come. On Lap 237, John Andretti's engine blew just in front of Stewart's Pontiac. Robby Gordon spun into the wall, but Stewart made it through unscathed.

"We're fine," Stewart said. "We've got no problems."

And he didn't. The championship was in hand. All he had to do was ride out the final laps, slipping from 15th to 18th as they counted off and as he allowed other cars to go by rather than challenge them needlessly.

Up front, though, there was a race to be won.

Newman had stayed on the track during the yellow for Kenseth's blown engine and took over the lead. Fellow rookie Jimmie Johnson took fuel only and was second on the restart. Jeff Gordon came out third after changing two tires, with Busch fourth and Nemechek fifth.

Busch moved up quickly and by Lap 254 was on Newman's back bumper. It took him just more than two more laps to move into the lead as the age of Newman's tires began to show. He eventually faded to sixth.

Nemechek got second on Lap 258 in his No. 25 Chevrolet, but he couldn't make up enough to deny Busch his fourth victory of the season and his third in five races, helping him secure third place in the final standings. He was 12th with nine races to go.

"What a day, what a year," Busch said. "This team has showed it could do it. We've had an awesome year and we can't wait for next year."

It was the 10th victory of the season for Roush Racing, the fourth in the season's final five races. Kenseth won at Phoenix and Busch won at Martinsville, Atlanta and Homestead. One year ago, Jeff Burton's two victories were the team's only wins. This year, Burton didn't win but Roush Fords won 10 times - Kenseth five, Busch four and Martin one.

Roush is still angry at a 25-point penalty levied against Martin for a spring rule infraction at Rockingham two races from season's end, and still steamed that his appeal got a rubber-stamp denial on Saturday. But he's not giving up.

"We like what we do," he said. "We enjoy the challenge. ...If we win a championship with Mark sometime in the future that will be great. I can't imagine for the next five years what they (NASCAR) could do to stop a number of these guys - Kurt and Matt and Jeff and Mark - from having a number of championships."

Martin made no apologies. He finished ahead of Stewart in each the year's final three races and whittled a 146-point deficit to 38.

"I gave it everything I had from January testing to the last lap today," he said. "We whittled down, down, down each week.  Unfortunately, we got a little bit too far behind."

And Stewart was far enough ahead at the end of a season that began with him blowing an engine on the third lap of the Daytona 500 and finishing last in the season's first race. Nobody had ever recovered from a start like that to win the championship.

"I still have a hard time believing we accomplished what we did this year," Stewart said.

HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Tony Stewart not only won his first NASCAR Winston Cup championship Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he also went "one-up" on the legendary A.J. Foyt.

Stewart, who clinched his title with an 18th-place finish in the Ford 400, said he was honored to join a roll call of Cup champions that includes Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison and Ned and Dale Jarrett. That elite list, however, does not include Foyt, the native Texan who won NASCAR's Daytona 500 in 1972 but whose legacy is as the first four-time champion of the Indianapolis 500.

Stewart went NASCAR Busch Series racing in 1998, the year after he won the Indy Racing League championship for car owner John Menard.

"I think the coolest part about this whole thing is that I finally did something that Foyt didn't do," said Stewart, who in 1995 became the first driver to win championships in the U.S. Auto Club's National Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown series in the same season.  Foyt, of Houston, came from a similar short-track background before moving up to Indy-cars and scoring a record 67 open-wheel victories.

"Most people don't realize, but the first Indy-car I ever drove was for A.J. at Phoenix," Stewart said. "It was one of the most frustrating experiences of my life. But it was one of the best experiences of my life, too. The relationship I built with A.J. that week will last a lifetime with him and I. I never got verbally beat up as bad with anybody as I did with A.J. for five days. His favorite comment was, when I was proud of something I did ... 'Just check the record books, big boy.' That was his favorite quote: 'Just check the record books.'

"Well, you're damn right, A.J. -- check the record books! He may have won Daytona and he may have won Indy, but he hasn't won an Indy-car championship and a stock-car championship. I finally got one-up on the old man."

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- NASCAR's bad boy finally made good.

Tony Stewart won the Winston Cup championship Sunday with an 18th-place finish in the Ford 400. It wasn't the way the intense, combative 31-year-old wanted to win his first stock car title, but he got the job done.

Kurt Busch, the hottest driver in the series, won the race for his third victory in the last five events.

Stewart came into the race knowing he needed only to finish 22nd or better to beat Mark Martin in their championship duel. Martin gave it a game try, finishing fourth but coming up 38 points short.

"Unbelievable!" Stewart said as he got out of his car and thrust his arms skyward. "We never gave up. I'm really happy. This team deserves this."

Stewart, who has undergone anger management sessions for his fiery temper that has led to fines and probation, then hugged his crew chief, Greg Zipadelli.