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Wednesday, June 6
Petty: 'Leave it alone and go on'
ESPN.com news services

NASCAR needs to get on with life after Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty told the Chicago Sun-Times, but the media won't let the story go.

"The press is keeping something alive that we just need to go ahead and bury," Petty, NASCAR's all-time winningest and most popular driver, said in a release by the Dodge public-relations office. "I hate to say it in a hard-hearted way, but the sun keeps coming up and the sun keeps going down. Out of respect for yourself and fellow men, you're going to think about it and mourn a little bit. But you've got to leave it alone and go on."

NASCAR has not been diminished by Earnhardt's absence, said Petty, who has lost his father, Lee, and grandson Adam in the last two years while continuing on as a Winston Cup team owner.

"I don't see any difference," said the man known as the King. "I don't see any enthusiasm gone from my side of the fence. There's nobody important enough to stop everything. You might think about it, but you just go right on and do your thing."

In comments sure to ruffle feathers, Petty also questioned Earnhardt's driving ability and the motivation behind Jeff Gordon's fan appeal.

Earnhardt "was an exciting driver to watch, but he really didn't win that many races," said Petty, whose 200 victories are nearly twice that of No. 2 David Pearson (105). Earnhardt is sixth all-time with 76.

"He wasn't that dominant of a driver," Petty said. "He was not a standout, but he met the criteria the fans wanted in excitement.

"There's not a charismatic person like Earnhardt out here now. Gordon is not that kind of person. The people that didn't like Earnhardt could go with Gordon because Gordon is the smooth part of everything that was the rough part about Earnhardt. Gordon is more of a middle-of-the-road guy. He doesn't cause a lot of trouble."

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