Another Emotional Win for Waltrip

By SHAV GLICK

Feb. 23, 2001 12 AM PT

“Bittersweet” is not the word to describe the feelings of Michael Waltrip after he’d won the Daytona 500, only to learn later that Dale Earnhardt, his close friend and car owner, had been killed in the same race.

His feelings ran deeper than that.

But Waltrip, one of racing’s most popular drivers who took a lot of kidding about not winning in more than 400 Winston Cup races, knows about bittersweet, which combines pleasant feelings with overtones of sadness.

In 1993, Winston Cup champion Alan Kulwicki was killed in a plane crash on his way to Bristol, Tenn., for a Winston Cup race.

Two days later, Waltrip won a Busch Grand National race.

“I wanted to do something for Alan and I remembered how he did his Polish victory lap, where he circled the track in the opposite direction, so I did it for him,” Waltrip said.

“When Benny Parsons was interviewing me [after the race], I just came out and asked Buffy to marry me. I had been planning on asking her, I even had the engagement ring back in the hauler, but asking her over the PA system was completely spur of the moment.

“Thank goodness she accepted or I would have looked like a real jerk. It was quite a day, after Alan had been killed, to win a race, do the Polish lap and get engaged.”

Buffy was in victory circle Sunday at Daytona International Speedway when Waltrip not only won his first Winston Cup race in 463 tries, but won the biggest race of them all.

Waltrip wanted to do something special for the fans, but what he wanted most was to be there when Earnhardt arrived to give Waltrip one of the Intimidator’s traditional arm-around-the-neck bearhugs.

“I wanted to stop on the front straightaway and stand on my car, but [teammate] Steve Park already did that at Watkins Glen and I thought that was pretty cool, but I didn’t want to redo it,” Waltrip said. “I don’t like people who do doughnuts, so I couldn’t get into that.

“So I thought I’d just ride by and wave at all the fans. It’s almost like you’re in a bowl when you do that. That was a special feeling.

“I didn’t know anything about [Earnhardt’s death] at the time. Dale and I had talked for years about one day me driving for him. It finally happened and this was our day in victory lane and I just couldn’t wait until I got that big grab on my neck and a big hug.

“But that wasn’t to be. My belief is that, in a twinkle of an eye, you’re in the presence of the Lord. So instead of patting me on the back and hugging me, he’s up there hanging out with my dad. So, that ain’t a bad thing either.”

OUTLAWS ARE BACK

Steve Kinser, winner of 16 World of Outlaws sprint car championships, does not take losing lightly.

The king of the Outlaws has never won at Perris Auto Speedway, however, where he will be Saturday night for the Outlaws’ only visit to the half-mile semi-banked dirt oval.

“I’m coming out there and get the season started the right way,” Kinser said.

The Outlaws open their 24th season tonight at Kings Speedway in Hanford, where Kinser has won seven times.

It took him seven races before he won last year, but single-digit finishes in 27 of the first 28 races gave him the points lead he never relinquished. In 61 main events, he scored 51 top-10 finishes in his No. 11 Quaker State Maxim.

After winning 14 titles driving for Karl Kinser, his uncle, Steve won the crown for the second time as an owner-driver.

His cousin, Mark Kinser--Karl’s son--has been the family winner, though, at Perris. He won the first five main events at the Riverside County track, and last year, he won 12 features, more than any other driver. Inconsistency plagued the team, though, and he finished only third in the standings.

Even so, Mark finished ahead of his cousin in money won with $441,635, tops among the Outlaws. He also won the Amoco Knoxville (Iowa) Nationals, sprint car racing’s most prestigious event, for the third time in five years.

Danny “the Dude” Lasoski won the main event at Perris last February and is looking for even bigger targets this season as driver of Winston Cup star Tony Stewart’s No. 20 JD Bynder car. Lasoski finished fourth in points last year.

The Blaney brothers, Dave and Dale, also have a NASCAR connection. Dave, a Winston Cup driver who won the 1995 World of Outlaws championship, owns the car driven by Dale. Dale scored his first victory last June, then won the $50,000 first prize in the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway a month later.

Jac Haudenschild, sprint car racing’s “Wild Child,” has left Jack Elden after nine years to join Dennis Roth’s Beef Packers team. He won the Silver State Shootout, and $20,000, in Las Vegas last year, passing Steve Smith on the last lap.

Joey Saldana has yet to win at Perris, but he set the track lap record of 14.07 seconds a year ago. He finished sixth in points, driving his father’s No. 17 HEM Saw Eagle.

The busiest major racing organization in the country, the Outlaws have scheduled 65 events at 41 tracks in 25 states with more than

$10 million in purses, contingencies and point-fund awards.

SCHMIDT BACK IN RACING

Sam Schmidt, a former Indy Racing League race winner who was paralyzed from the shoulders down in an accident in January 2000, is returning to the IRL as owner of Sam Schmidt Racing.

Schmidt plans to campaign his No. 99 Dallara-Oldsmobile for the entire season, starting with the Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 18.

He has not selected a driver, but candidates are Billy Boat, Davey Hamilton and Jacques Lazier.

“The idea really came when I met with Frank Williams at the Formula One race [at Indianapolis] in September,” Schmidt said. Williams, an F1 team owner, was paralyzed in a traffic accident but remained active as his team leader.

“I got a little fired up talking with him,” Schmidt added. “It was a true inspiration. Nothing motivates me like [wanting to be] a part of the Indy 500. I can’t explain how difficult it was to be there last May and not be a part of it.”

Driving for Fred Treadway, Schmidt won in his hometown, Las Vegas, in September 1999. He drove for Larry Nash of LP Racing in 1996-98 and will be reunited with his former owner. LP Racing will work on the car at its shop in Lebanon, Ind., while Schmidt coordinates the management and marketing from his home in Las Vegas.

“Fifty percent of the reason I’m sitting here is my burning desire to win the Indy 500,” Schmidt said. “I couldn’t do it as a driver. Now I have to do it as an owner.

“The other 50% is because I’m selfish. I want to walk again. The way I’m going to walk again is to raise a lot of money. The bottom line is, it takes research, money and people. I want to make it perfectly clear, in no way is the Sam Schmidt Foundation funding this race team. We want to go the other way. We want to create awareness for spinal-cord injuries.”

PASSINGS

Larry Krieger, NASCAR Grand American modified car champion at Irwindale Speedway, died last Saturday of a rare brain infection after a five-month fight against the disease. Krieger, 35, is survived by his wife, Donna, and a son, Dean Jarrett, born a few weeks ago.

Services will be held today at 12:30 p.m. in the Red Brick Chapel at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills in Burbank. Donna Krieger has requested that attendees come dressed as they would be at the racetrack, because “Larry would never recognize all his friends in coats and ties.” Krieger’s race car will lead the funeral procession.

A trust fund for the baby has been set up at the California Oaks State Bank, 50 W. Hillcrest Dr., Thousand Oaks, 91360. Checks may be made out to Dean Jarrett Krieger Trust Fund.

LAST LAPS

Irwindale Speedway will hold an open house “spring training” for drivers and spectators Saturday and Sunday. All of Irwindale’s regular NASCAR divisions will be on the track Saturday from noon to 9 p.m., with its regular touring divisions Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. Admission and parking are free. The weekly racing season will open March 17.

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This Week’s Races

WINSTON CUP, Dura-Lube 400

* When: Saturday, qualifying (Fox Sports Net, 7:30 a.m.); Sunday, race (Channel 11, 10 a.m.)

* Where: North Carolina Speedway (tri-oval, 1.017 miles, 22-degree banking in turns 1-2, 25 degrees in turns 3-4), Rockingham, N.C.

* Race distance: 399.681 miles, 393 laps

* Defending champion: Bobby Labonte.

* Next race: UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, March 4, Las Vegas.

* On the net: https://www.nascar.com

BUSCH, Alltel 200

* When: Today, qualifying, 10 a.m.; Saturday, race (FX, 10 a.m.)

* Where: North Carolina Speedway.