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The Chevy's of
Harvick and Earnhardt Jr. battle on Thursday
Photo: CIA
Stock Photo |
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Four Chevrolets will lead the field to the
green flag Sunday afternoon for the start of the Daytona 500. RCR
Racing drivers Robbie Gordon and Jeff Green drive the two on the
inside. DEI drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Michael Waltrip drive
the two on the outside.
It should make for a very interesting start to both the Daytona 500
and the 2003 Winston Cup season.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has been quite vocal with his opinion of all
three RCR drivers – Kevin Harvick, Jeff Green and Robbie Gordon. It
makes for one of the more interesting love/hate relationships in the
Winston Cup garage.
The success of both teams is tightly knit on the engineering side of
the business. Both owners, Richard Childress and Teresa Earnhardt,
are quite protective of each other. However, don’t expect the
drivers to get along.
Dale Jr. has suggested the drivers at RCR don’t understand the
meaning of teamwork in a story in the Charlotte Observer. He
suggests the independent nature of all three drivers works against
the efforts of their veteran car owner.
Surprise! Surprise!
When Childress first announced the hiring of Robbie Gordon and Jeff
Green, a resounding groan passed under the breath of the collective
motorsports media. Green would have never had a shot driving at RCR
as long as Dale Earnhardt was alive. Green was driven out of the DEI
Busch Series ride, replaced by Steve Park, a better team player.
Gordon, apparently more mature now than just three years ago, still
has a ways to go before he thinks of anyone beside himself, at least
on the racetrack. He certainly wasn’t using his noodle when he
injured his ankles in a motocross accident last year.
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Dale
Earnhardt Jr leads his teammate Michael Waltrip and Kevin
Harvick in the 2nd 125-miler on Thursday
Photo: CIA
Stock Photo |
Criticism of Harvick might be slightly misdirected. Harvick stepped
up the plate under the most horrible of circumstances and did an
excellent job of filling the empty shoes of Dale Earnhardt. That he
stumbled in his sophomore year is no reason to suggest he doesn’t
have the best interests of his car owner in mind. The spotlight on
Harvick was so intense it was inevitable the youthful driver would
get burned. Once burned, Harvick lashed back like any wounded
animal. He also learned his lesson and a bit of humility along the
way.
Harvick is good for racing. He owns a truck team that is giving Ed
Berrier a chance to drive again. He thinks past the steering wheel
and the next morning. The same might not be said for his teammates.
It came as no surprise that Jeff Green lashed backed at Dale, Jr.’s
comments. Green has a temper and in the mold of Jimmy Spencer a
desire to extract his own level of revenge.
This brings us full circle. The first lap of the Daytona 500 is
either going to be like a ballet as four drivers tip toe through the
first four corners mindful of the year ahead of them. On the other
hand, it may be the four tangle like hungry wolves taking along a
good number of innocent victims with them in the process.
Guess we’ll know how it pans out come Sunday morning.
The author can be contacted
stanc@autoracing1.com
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Daytona 500 Past Winners
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|
Year
|
Winner
|
Avg.
|
Pole Winner
|
Speed
|
|
1959
|
Lee Petty
|
135.520
|
Cotton Owens
|
143.198
|
|
1960
|
Junior Johnson
|
124.740
|
Fireball Roberts
|
151.556
|
|
1961
|
Marvin Panch
|
149.601
|
Fireball Roberts
|
155.709
|
|
1962
|
Fireball Roberts
|
152.529
|
Fireball Roberts
|
156.995
|
|
1963
|
Tiny Lund
|
151.566
|
Johnny Rutherford
|
165.183
|
|
1964
|
Richard Petty
|
154.345
|
Paul Goldsmith
|
174.910
|
|
1965 Shortened to 332+ miles by rain
|
Fred Lorenzen
|
141.539
|
Darel Dieringer
|
171.151
|
|
1966 Shortened to 495 miles by rain
|
Richard Petty
|
160.627
|
Richard Petty
|
175.165
|
|
1967
|
Mario Andretti
|
149.926
|
Curtis Turner
|
180.831
|
|
1968
|
Cale Yarborough
|
143.251
|
Cale Yarborough
|
189.222
|
|
1969
|
Lee Roy Yarbrough
|
157.950
|
David Pearson
|
190.029
|
|
1970
|
Pete Hamilton
|
149.601
|
Cale Yarborough
|
194.015
|
|
1971
|
Richard Petty
|
144.462
|
A.J. Foyt
|
182.744
|
|
1972
|
A.J. Foyt
|
161.550
|
Bobby Isaac
|
186.632
|
|
1973
|
Richard Petty
|
157.205
|
Buddy Baker
|
185.662
|
|
1974 Shortened to 450 miles because of energy crisis
|
Richard Petty
|
140.894
|
David Pearson
|
185.017
|
|
1975
|
Benny Parsons
|
153.649
|
Donnie Allison
|
185.827
|
|
1976
|
David Pearson
|
152.181
|
A.J. Foyt
|
185.943
|
|
1977
|
Cale Yarborough
|
153.218
|
Donnie Allison
|
188.048
|
|
1978
|
Bobby Allison
|
159.730
|
Cale Yarborough
|
187.536
|
|
1979
|
Richard Petty
|
143.977
|
Buddy Baker
|
196.049
|
|
1980
|
Buddy Baker
|
177.602
|
A.J. Foyt
|
195.020
|
|
1981
|
Richard Petty
|
169.651
|
Bobby Allison
|
194.624
|
|
1982
|
Bobby Allison
|
153.991
|
Benny Parsons
|
196.317
|
|
1983
|
Cale Yarborough
|
155.979
|
Ricky Rudd
|
198.864
|
|
1984
|
Cale Yarborough
|
150.994
|
Cale Yarborough
|
201.848
|
|
1985
|
Bill Elliott
|
172.265
|
Bill Elliott
|
205.114
|
|
1986
|
Geoff Bodine
|
148.124
|
Bill Elliott
|
205.039
|
|
1987
|
Bill Elliott
|
176.263
|
Bill Elliott
|
210.364†
|
|
1988
|
Bobby Allison
|
137.531
|
Ken Schrader
|
193.823
|
|
1989
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
148.466
|
Ken Schrader
|
196.996
|
|
1990
|
Derrike Cope
|
165.761
|
Ken Schrader
|
196.515
|
|
1991
|
Ernie Irvan
|
148.148
|
Davey Allison
|
195.955
|
|
1992
|
Davey Allison
|
160.256
|
Sterling Marlin
|
192.213
|
|
1993
|
Dale Jarrett
|
154.972
|
Kyle Petty
|
189.426
|
|
1994
|
Sterling Marlin
|
156.931
|
Loy Allen Jr.
|
190.158
|
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1995
|
Sterling Marlin
|
141.710
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Dale Jarrett
|
193.498
|
|
1996
|
Dale Jarrett
|
154.308
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Dale Earnhardt
|
189.510
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1997
|
Jeff Gordon
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148.295
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Mike Skinner
|
189.813
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1998
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Dale Earnhardt
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172.712
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Bobby Labonte
|
192.415
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1999
|
Jeff Gordon
|
161.551
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Jeff Gordon
|
195.067
|
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2000
|
Dale Jarrett
|
155.669
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Dale Jarrett
|
182.334
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2001
|
Michael Waltrip
|
161.794
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Bill Elliott
|
183.565
|
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2002
|
Ward Burton
|
142.971
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
185.831
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