Just so at Talledega
Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 10:46 pm
How appropriate: You go, Goodwrench Chevy. Damn, but I luv 'dega! If there's one track I want to watch a race at before I'm dead, that'd be it...moreso than even Daytona.
Happy 54th posthumous birthday to the Intimidator. Jeffy shouldn't have to wonder too hard or long where Harvick got that extra mph from.
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Harvick pays tribute to Earnhardt with pole for Aaron's 499
April 29, 2005
By Bruce Martin SportsTicker Contributing Editor
TALLADEGA, Alabama (Ticker) Kevin Harvick gave Dale Earnhardt a posthumous birthday present.
On what would have been the legendary Earnhardt's 54th birthday, Kevin Harvick put his old car on the pole at Talladega Superspeedway.
Harvick was named as Earnhardt's successor at Richard Childress Racing four days after the seven-time NASCAR series champion was killed in a crash in the last turn of the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Earnhardt won 10 races at Talladega.
By winning the pole for Sunday's Aaron's 499 with a lap at 189.804 miles per hour in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Harvick spoke of the significance on "Dale Earnhardt Day" in Alabama.
"It's really special for everybody at RCR and it means a lot to everybody for what happened here in the past," Harvick said. "Hopefully, we can open a new chapter in that long book of history that Dale Earnhardt and Richard Childress have shared here and get a win. We've been pretty close here before and hopefully we can knock that door down on Sunday."
Defending race champion Jeff Gordon was second at 188.988 mph in another Chevrolet and saw some significance in Harvick's accomplishment on Earnhardt's birthday.
"I think he's a crowd favorite," Gordon said. "There are a lot of Earnhardt fans that are here that know that his birthday would have been today. It's a great way for them to celebrate. You've got to give him credit."
Harvick picked up seven-tenths of a second - about 2 1/2 mph - from his fastest practice lap to his pole-winning lap.
"How you go out there and pick up almost a second, I don't know how they did that," Gordon said. "You have to give them credit. Whatever they are doing works for them. They are on the pole and we're second. But it definitely gets your attention when you see that."
Elliott Sadler's Ford Taurus was third at 188.548 mph.
"A Ford hasn't won a race here since 1998 and we hardly even lead any laps when we come and everybody in the fabrication shop wants to change that," Sadler said. "They've built me a brand new race car. It's never been tested or anything. That says a lot about our program.
"We want to get it up there. We want to be recognized as another DEI or another Hendrick, but we've got to win some races and run up front and lead some laps and this is a great place to start to do that at here at Talladega."
Scott Riggs' Chevrolet was fourth at 188.474 mph and Ryan Newman's Dodge Charger fifth at 188.237 mph.
Two of the Chevrolets from Dale Earnhardt Inc. that have dominated restrictor-plate tracks did not fare well in Friday's qualifications.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the last car to make it on speed and will start 36th after a lap at 185.935 mph. Michael Waltrip had to make the field based on his position in the standings and will start 38th after a lap at 185.877 mph.
"We'll be fine," Waltrip said. "When they start drafting on Sunday, we'll be part of the show. That's all you ask for. These cars just draft so well and run so well with a little bit of air stirring around. And I'd rather have that than being the star today."
The late Earnhardt drove for RCR and owned DEI, creating obvious connections between the teams. But Harvick said there is no more feeling to beating DEI than any other team on the track.
"I don't think there is a rivalry; it's not anything as far as sharing information and stuff going back and forth when Dale Earnhardt was alive," Harvick said. "But other than Chevrolet stuff, there is not much shared with the teams anymore.
Last year's race spawned the "green-white-checkered" finish rule after a yellow flag waved six laps from the finish and a television replay showed that Earnhardt Jr. passed Gordon for the lead after the yellow light was turned on.
When NASCAR officials ruled Gordon was the leader, fans showed their displeasure by hurling bottles and cans onto the track, causing the race to finish under yellow. A near riot ensued, with Gordon's victory spinout in front of the main grandstand interrupted by bottles and cans bouncing off his car.
That sort of reception would be just fine with Harvick.
"If we win the race, they can throw stuff at me, too," Harvick said. "I don't care I'll be the target of their frustrations. But last year's race came down to a lot, where the race ended under caution and a television camera determined who won the race. When the fans are up there in the grandstands after drinking 10 or 12 beers, they don't always see that. But they can throw stuff at me as long as I get to Victory Lane."
Happy 54th posthumous birthday to the Intimidator. Jeffy shouldn't have to wonder too hard or long where Harvick got that extra mph from.
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Harvick pays tribute to Earnhardt with pole for Aaron's 499
April 29, 2005
By Bruce Martin SportsTicker Contributing Editor
TALLADEGA, Alabama (Ticker) Kevin Harvick gave Dale Earnhardt a posthumous birthday present.
On what would have been the legendary Earnhardt's 54th birthday, Kevin Harvick put his old car on the pole at Talladega Superspeedway.
Harvick was named as Earnhardt's successor at Richard Childress Racing four days after the seven-time NASCAR series champion was killed in a crash in the last turn of the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Earnhardt won 10 races at Talladega.
By winning the pole for Sunday's Aaron's 499 with a lap at 189.804 miles per hour in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Harvick spoke of the significance on "Dale Earnhardt Day" in Alabama.
"It's really special for everybody at RCR and it means a lot to everybody for what happened here in the past," Harvick said. "Hopefully, we can open a new chapter in that long book of history that Dale Earnhardt and Richard Childress have shared here and get a win. We've been pretty close here before and hopefully we can knock that door down on Sunday."
Defending race champion Jeff Gordon was second at 188.988 mph in another Chevrolet and saw some significance in Harvick's accomplishment on Earnhardt's birthday.
"I think he's a crowd favorite," Gordon said. "There are a lot of Earnhardt fans that are here that know that his birthday would have been today. It's a great way for them to celebrate. You've got to give him credit."
Harvick picked up seven-tenths of a second - about 2 1/2 mph - from his fastest practice lap to his pole-winning lap.
"How you go out there and pick up almost a second, I don't know how they did that," Gordon said. "You have to give them credit. Whatever they are doing works for them. They are on the pole and we're second. But it definitely gets your attention when you see that."
Elliott Sadler's Ford Taurus was third at 188.548 mph.
"A Ford hasn't won a race here since 1998 and we hardly even lead any laps when we come and everybody in the fabrication shop wants to change that," Sadler said. "They've built me a brand new race car. It's never been tested or anything. That says a lot about our program.
"We want to get it up there. We want to be recognized as another DEI or another Hendrick, but we've got to win some races and run up front and lead some laps and this is a great place to start to do that at here at Talladega."
Scott Riggs' Chevrolet was fourth at 188.474 mph and Ryan Newman's Dodge Charger fifth at 188.237 mph.
Two of the Chevrolets from Dale Earnhardt Inc. that have dominated restrictor-plate tracks did not fare well in Friday's qualifications.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the last car to make it on speed and will start 36th after a lap at 185.935 mph. Michael Waltrip had to make the field based on his position in the standings and will start 38th after a lap at 185.877 mph.
"We'll be fine," Waltrip said. "When they start drafting on Sunday, we'll be part of the show. That's all you ask for. These cars just draft so well and run so well with a little bit of air stirring around. And I'd rather have that than being the star today."
The late Earnhardt drove for RCR and owned DEI, creating obvious connections between the teams. But Harvick said there is no more feeling to beating DEI than any other team on the track.
"I don't think there is a rivalry; it's not anything as far as sharing information and stuff going back and forth when Dale Earnhardt was alive," Harvick said. "But other than Chevrolet stuff, there is not much shared with the teams anymore.
Last year's race spawned the "green-white-checkered" finish rule after a yellow flag waved six laps from the finish and a television replay showed that Earnhardt Jr. passed Gordon for the lead after the yellow light was turned on.
When NASCAR officials ruled Gordon was the leader, fans showed their displeasure by hurling bottles and cans onto the track, causing the race to finish under yellow. A near riot ensued, with Gordon's victory spinout in front of the main grandstand interrupted by bottles and cans bouncing off his car.
That sort of reception would be just fine with Harvick.
"If we win the race, they can throw stuff at me, too," Harvick said. "I don't care I'll be the target of their frustrations. But last year's race came down to a lot, where the race ended under caution and a television camera determined who won the race. When the fans are up there in the grandstands after drinking 10 or 12 beers, they don't always see that. But they can throw stuff at me as long as I get to Victory Lane."
