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Sunday, February 25
Earnhardt Jr. knocked out of race
By Wayne Drehs
ESPN.com
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. -- When the fans were gone, the cars were put away and the sun finally started to peek from behind the clouds, the No. 8 red Budweiser semi made its way down pit row.
It turned around the back straightaway, headed for a side exit of the North Carolina Motor Speedway and sat. Still. In traffic.
|  | | Emergency workers help Dale Earnhardt Jr. from his car after he crashed on Sunday's first lap. |
It was a trying end to what was one of the most difficult weeks any racing team has gone through.
Last Sunday, team owner Dale Earnhardt died in a crash at the Daytona 500. This Sunday, Dale Earnhardt Jr., the heir apparent to the Earnhardt racing legacy, failed to complete one lap of the Dura Lube 400, smashing his car into the wall between turns three and four.
It happened heading into turn three, as Earnhardt Jr., caught in a mess of traffic, was bumped from behind by Ron Hornaday, losing control of his car and sending it into the wall.
Though nobody was injured in the six-car crash, the damage to Earnhardt Jr.'s car was enough to end his day. Twenty-nine laps later, as the race went back to green following a brief drizzle, Earnhardt Jr.'s mangled car was being raised into the No. 8 semi.
Two hours later, after a red flag postponed the race until Monday, drivers returned to their campers, the cars returned to the garage and Budweiser team No. 8 moved on, pushing toward next weekend's race in Las Vegas.
"Everybody back home, I want them to know that I'm feeling OK," Earnhardt Jr. said after the accident. "I was just really anxious to get back to racing, but now I guess I'll have to wait another week and get ready for Vegas."
During driver introductions, Earnhardt Jr. received the warmest reception of any other driver. Wearing blue jeans and a red Budweiser jacket, Earnhardt Jr. took a second to stand on the podium and wave a "thank you" to the crowd.
He also shared a hug with Sterling Marlin, who he defended earlier in the week after Marlin received threats blaming him for the elder Earnhardt's death.
But the week hardly ended for Earnhardt Jr. like many would have hoped. In the official race starts for Sunday, an ominous "0" rests next to his name for laps completed.
"I got piled up there getting into turn three," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Somebody got into the back of me and I couldn't keep it under control once that happened. Suddenly we were slipping and sliding in the wrong direction. I went right into the wall too hard and it killed the car."
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I was just really anxious to get back to racing, but now I guess I'll have to wait another week and get ready for Vegas.” |
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—Earnhardt, Jr. |
Earnhardt Jr. was limping when he got out of the car, favoring his left leg, but he said it was unrelated to the crash. Earnhardt Jr. said he tightened his lap belt too tight. Ironically, NASCAR officials announced Friday that a torn seat belt may have contributed to the death of the elder Earnhardt last week.
"The track was a little slick when I was getting out," Earnhardt Jr. said. "The lap belt was a little too tight. So I'm a little bruised up. But we'll be o.k."
Others involved in the crash included Hornaday, Kenny Wallace, Hut Stricklin, Mike Wallace and Jimmy Spencer. Kenny Wallace, who was also knocked out of the race in the crash, called it "unfortunate."
"It was just like a traffic jam," Wallace said. "Everybody was wanting the bottom of the racetrack and everybody stacked up. Somebody got into the back of 'Little E' and then he got up into me and all hell broke loose. It's a bad deal."
A gap now sits in the garage area where Earnhardt Jr.'s truck used to be. And on Monday, when racing continues, its absence will be even more noticeable, as nowhere will there will be an Earnhardt -- Jr. or Sr. -- to cheer for.
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