Earnhardt Wins at Talladega

Dale Earnhardt says racing at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway is like a big game of chess.

If it is, the seven-time Winston Cup champion is a grand master.

“It’s knowing when to move and where to move to,” said Earnhardt, who was the Intimidator of old in winning the DieHard 500 on Sunday.

To get only his second win in his last 101 starts and first since the 1998 season-opening Daytona 500, Earnhardt had to make his way back to the lead after a four-tire pit stop dropped him to 16th place.

Then, he had to hold off a determined bid by Dale Jarrett over the final four laps on the 2.66-mile, high-banked oval.

“Man, it was like who was going to work with who and what was what,” said the smiling Earnhardt, who had to catch his breath when he stepped out of his black No. 3 Chevrolet. “I was going to settle for second place until the last few laps, but when they got to jumping around, I got out front and just stayed with it.”

Earnhardt, who will turn 48 on Thursday, led 70 of the 188 laps, including the final 14. It was his eighth Winston Cup win here. Earnhardt has also won one Busch event and three IROC races at Talladega, including a 38-lapper on Saturday.

A small vibration late in the race caused Earnhardt and his Richard Childress Racing crew some worry. To make sure everything was all right, crew chief Kevin Hamlin decided to change four tires while most of the other teams were changing only two.

Earnhardt came into the pits on lap 134 leading and came out in 16th place. But it didn’t take him long to get back up front after the green flag on lap 140. In fact, he was back in the lead on lap 148.

There was some more shuffling, but Earnhardt took the lead for the last time on lap 175, making a strong outside pass on Jarrett, who slid from first to fourth.

“We came out a little further back than we wanted to, but we had the race car to come back,” Earnhardt said.”

It took Jarrett’s Ford until lap 185 to work his way back to second. The winner of the fall race here in 1998 then went after Earnhardt.

Jarrett managed to get up to his bumper several times, but never was able to pull alongside.

“I was just glad to have the chance just to contend there at the end,” Jarrett said. “It seems like every time I finish second here, the guys behind me starting racing side-by-side and I don’t get any help. That’s what happened today.”

A crowd estimated at 150,000 stood throughout much of the typically competitive race, but the roar as Earnhardt neared his first victory in 41 starts was deafening.

As the seven-time Winston Cup champion crossed the finish line 0.137-seconds and about two car-lengths ahead of Jarrett, thousands of people in the vast grandstands, waved, jumped up and down, hugged and gave each other high fives.

Earnhardt, who averaged 163.395 mph in the race slowed by just three caution flags for 18 laps, won $147,795. There was one major wreck, on lap 49, and among those knocked out of the race was Jeff Gordon.

Defending champion Bobby Labonte finished fourth in a Pontiac, followed by rookie and teammate Tony Stewart. Polesitter Ken Schrader was fifth in a Chevy.

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Tony Pedregon scored a Funny Car victory that included a $100,000 Winston No Bull Challenge bonus at the Castrol Nationals in Ennis, Texas.

Pedregon powered away from Dean Skuza’s Dodge Avenger to collect his second victory of the season and record $140,000 payday. Pedregon became eligible for the Winston No Bull Challenge through a pre-race, lottery-style drawing.

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California 500

Mark Martin won the event last year and will be back to defend his title:

* WHEN: Sunday, 11 a.m.

* TV: Channel 7.

* WHERE: California Speedway, Fontana.