Earnhardt Jr. Unhurt in Eerily Similar Crash

On a rainy, dreary Sunday in the sand hills of North Carolina, Dale Earnhardt Jr. emerged unhurt after crashing on the first lap of the Dura-Lube 400.

That means Earnhardt Jr., still mourning the death of his father in an accident last Sunday in the Daytona 500, won’t be driving when the rain-delayed Winston Cup race resumes today at North Carolina Speedway.

“I got piled into going into [turn] three when somebody got in the back of me,” said Earnhardt Jr., who started 25th. “After that, I couldn’t keep it under control. And then we were sliding and suddenly going in the wrong direction.”

In a frightening parallel to his father’s fourth-turn crash, Earnhardt Jr., 26, whacked the wall with the front end of his red No. 8 Chevrolet after he was rear-ended by Ron Hornaday Jr., who was caught in the same tight quarters on a slick track. Earnhardt Jr. was traveling at a much slower speed than his father had been when he crashed.

“I got into the wall a little too hard,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “ I think it’s killed the car, but we’re doing all right. I want everybody back home to know we’re feeling OK.”

When he climbed out of the car, Earnhardt Jr. was limping slightly. Asked what happened, he responded with a macabre answer: “The lap belt was a little too tight.”

It was a broken lap belt in his father’s car that is thought to be a primary cause of Earnhardt’s death in the head-on crash on the final turn of the final lap at Daytona.

After a week of grieving over the loss of the legendary seven-time champion, the Dura-Lube 400 was to have been NASCAR’s closure of sorts, but drizzle and fog that turned into steady showers halted the 393-lap race after only 52 laps--37 of them under yellow caution-flag conditions.

There had been talk that Earnhardt’s death would cause fans to stay away from NASCAR races, but the opposite occurred. Despite conditions that almost guaranteed a rainout, the 65,000-seat stands were nearly filled. It was about 10,000 more than the usual spring-race turnout, local observers said.

In honor of Earnhardt’s memory, fans were given 12-inch-by-30-inch pennants of his No. 3 black Chevrolet. As the drivers took their final pace laps, the fans stood and waved the pennants in a touching tribute to their fallen hero.

The race started after a one-hour, 33-minute delay with pole-sitter Jeff Gordon leading the way. Most of the field got safely through the first lap before Earnhardt Jr. broke loose from Hornaday’s nudge and crashed. Four other cars, driven by Mike Wallace, Kenny Wallace, Jimmy Spencer and Hut Stricklin, were involved.

“It was just like a traffic jam,” said Kenny Wallace, whose car was knocked out of the race. “Everybody was wanting the bottom of the racetrack and everybody stacked up. I guess somebody got into the back of Little E and then he got into me and all hell broke loose.”

Just about the time the emergency crews cleared the track and racing was ready to resume, the rains came. Because it was a light drizzle, cars continued to run caution-lag laps until lap 31.

When racing resumed, Gordon again assumed command, leading for 12 laps before Steve Park, Earnhardt Jr.’s teammate, swept into the lead going through the second turn. Rain brought out another caution flag on lap 45. When the leaders pitted for tires, Stacy Compton assumed the lead and held it until heavy rains halted the race seven laps later.

The postponement was a hardship because the Winston Cup traveling troupe must be in Las Vegas later this week for Sunday’s UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, and it’s a 37-hour haul for the team transporters.

“I think [the delay] is hard on everybody, but it’s part of what we do,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of series champion Bobby Labonte’s car. “We knew the weather was going to be risky today, but I think NASCAR did the best it could at getting it in and they didn’t. You’ve got to be resilient in this sport.”

Labonte said the postponement was especially tough on the truck drivers.

“The guys wanted to get our stuff lined up to get set to leave Monday night or Tuesday morning for Vegas,” he said. “It’s not going to make for an ‘all-nighter,’ but it’s going to be a ‘half o’nighter.’ ”

Before the cars were returned to the garages, the big red transporter carrying Earnhardt Jr.’s car headed out the tunnel and onto the road to Vegas--a day ahead of the pack.

DURA-LUBE 400

* Sunday: Stacy Compton was the leader when the 393-lap race at Rockingham, N.C., was postponed because of rain after only 52 laps--37 under caution-flag conditions.

* Today: The race resumes at

8 a.m. PST.

* Television: FX