Earnhardt’s No. 8 Is No. 1 at Daytona

The race it took Dale Earnhardt 20 years to win, the Daytona 500, was conquered in five by Dale Jr. And it came on the sixth anniversary of his father’s victory.

From the sounds in the grandstands, where it seemed all 180,000 fans were standing and screaming for Junior’s No. 8 Chevrolet, the win was as popular as if it had belonged to the Intimidator himself.

“He was over in the passenger seat riding with me,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I’m sure he was having a blast.”

His car isn’t black like his dad’s -- it’s red and white in Budweiser livery -- but the way he is driving it may become as legendary.

After dueling with close friend Tony Stewart for nearly the entire 200 laps, Earnhardt’s winning move came 19 laps from the finish when he daringly passed Stewart with an inside move coming out of the fourth turn.

From then on, there was no challenging the horsepower in his Chevy engine.

“If I did that move 100 times over, I might not make it again,” Earnhardt said. “I got by him luckily. It really meant more to me to win the 500 racing against my buddy for the win. It was just the greatest ever. I can’t believe it. I’m a Daytona 500 champion. “

President Bush stopped by long enough to give the “Gentlemen, start your engines” command and visit with some of the drivers, but he left after about 100 laps, flying away in Air Force One as the crowd watched it take off from behind Daytona’s backstretch.

After taking the checkered flag about four car lengths ahead of Stewart, Earnhardt stopped his car, jumped out and hugged his crew one by one before delighting the crowd by spinning a couple of doughnuts in the infield grass.

Stewart, who usually can’t stand losing, seemed nearly as excited as Earnhardt after the race.

“Junior has been the class of the field ever since we came to Daytona and our plan was to run together and shake off the rest of the field,” he said. “Late in the race, when I saw him goofing around back there, I knew it was just a matter of time. He was so strong. We talked about working together earlier in the week and it worked out perfect. No one could stay with us.

“Normally, I would not be this excited about second, but I have to feel good for him. Consider what that kid has gone through, losing his father here the way he did, you have to feel good for him. He’s a great kid.”

The late Earnhardt won his only 500 in 1998 and was killed on the final turn of the final lap of the 2001 race.

Dale Jr. finished second in that race to Michael Waltrip. Both were in cars owned by the senior Earnhardt.

Waltrip, who had been favored with Earnhardt Jr. after the two DEI teammates had dominated restrictor-plate racing the last three years, was eliminated in a 12-car wreck on Lap 72 that destroyed his car.

In the last 13 races at Daytona and Talladega, the pair has won 10 times.

Rookie Scott Wimmer was a surprise third in a Dodge, followed by Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Joe Nemechek, Elliott Sadler and Jeff Gordon.

Wimmer’s crew gambled on his last pit stop by giving him only two tires, instead of four, to get him out on the track in front of Stewart and Earnhardt. The edge lasted five laps before both passed him.

“It was a great call to get us out in front, but they were too strong when they teamed up together,” said Wimmer, the highest finishing rookie since Jeff Gordon was fifth in 1993. Wimmer moved up from the Busch series this year with Bill Davis’ Dodge team. “It was tough for me, I didn’t have a lot of drafting help all day. I could have used a partner.”

Stewart led 97 laps and Earnhardt 59. The two Chevrolets destroyed the Ford mystique that overtook Daytona this year when Fords won the pole, Budweiser Shootout, a Twin 125 and a truck race.

Like his father, who won 39 races here, Earnhardt is racking them up. He has won two this year, a Twin 125 and the 500, and is leading in the Hershey’s Kisses 300 Busch series race that is scheduled to be completed today after being halted by rain Saturday.

If he wins, it will be nine at the world center of racing.

He and Stewart teamed to finish fourth last month in the 24 Hours of LeMans, losing only when their Chevy prototype quit running while leading with 18 minutes remaining in the race.

Because pole-sitter Greg Biffle was forced to go to the rear of the field before the race because his crew changed the engine in his Ford, Earnhardt moved up to the pole position and led off the starting line.

“I just had an awesome car,” Earnhardt said. “I had a great car built by Tony [Eury] Sr. and all those guys in the garage. It seemed like I could do anything I needed to. It’s an awesome feeling.”

Earnhardt led the first 29 laps. After Harvick took the lead when the No. 8 pitted, the race became one of the most entertaining and competitive in years. There were 26 lead changes among 10 drivers.

The Fords, which had been running up front during SpeedWeeks until Sunday, had problems early. Mark Martin, the most veteran of Jack Roush’s stable, was the first car out, victim of a blown engine on the seventh lap. The next car out was Jeff Burton, another Roush driver, with another expired engine.

The highest finishing Ford was Elliott Sadler, in seventh place behind five Chevrolets and Wimmer’s Dodge.

Earnhardt and Stewart credited the new Goodyear tire compound for giving the drivers more control of the race, making it more enjoyable to drive and for spectators to watch.

“Believe it or not, I’m real surprised the Goodyear tire was good all day,” Earnhardt said. “I didn’t expect the car to handle them so well.”

Said Stewart: “I honestly think it was the tires that made the difference. You know, guys had to drive their cars. It put the driver back in the car. Guys got to race today. I know I was able to drive my car and adjust.

“It was a good feeling, knowing that whatever I did wasn’t because of an aero package.”

The win was worth $1,608,070 to Earnhardt and gave him a five-point lead over Stewart.

“Hey, that’s the first time in my life I’ve led in points,” Earnhardt said with a big grin. “Ain’t that awesome?”

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TOP FINISHERS

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr....Chevrolet

2. Tony Stewart...Chevrolet

3. Scott Wimmer...Dodge

4. Kevin Harvick...Chevrolet

5. Jimmie Johnson...Chevrolet