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Saturday, July 7
Drivers: It's time to move on
Associated Press
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A black flag with a blazing No. 3
hangs from the grandstands, waving in the wind.
Outside Daytona International Speedway, a shrine of pictures,
flowers and candles hangs along the fence below turn 4 as a tribute
to Dale Earnhardt.
|  | | Reminders of Dale Earnhardt are everywhere at Daytona International Speedway. |
For the fans still struggling with the death of NASCAR's biggest
star, the flags, pictures and signs are therapy. But for the
drivers -- especially the three at Dale Earnhardt Inc. -- it's agony.
"I think it's just time that we give it a rest," said Steve
Park, the only DEI driver willing to speak this weekend about
Earnhardt. "We've all tried to work through our issue with this."
And it's not just at Daytona, where The Intimidator was killed
in turn 4 on the final lap of the season-opening Daytona 500.
"We're reminded every day that we go to the shop the loss that
we've suffered, and we're reminded every week with the memorials we
see at each and every race track," Park said. "It's about time we
all give it a little bit of a break."
That couldn't happen Saturday, when the circuit raced at Daytona
for the first time Earnhardt died Feb. 18.
As if just being at the track wasn't painful enough for the
drivers, the reminders were visible the moment they drove toward
the facility on International Speedway Boulevard.
Earnhardt was everywhere, it seemed, so larger than life that he
overshadowed another significant date: Saturday also was the
one-year anniversary of Kenny Irwin's death.
Irwin, the second of four NASCAR drivers to die since May 2000,
was killed last July 7 in a crash during Winston Cup practice at
New Hampshire International Speedway.
But just like those of Adam Petty and Tony Roper, Irwin's death
has been eclipsed by grief over Earnhardt.
"Although Dale played a huge part in motorsports, we also feel
for Kenny Irwin and Adam Petty and Tony Roper and a number of other
folks," Mark Martin said. "It feels like it's taken away from
that, too.
"In a way, if you want to turn it around, it's being
disrespectful to other people we lost by overkilling on this."
The Earnhardt issue has been so prevalent this weekend that
Sterling Marlin wasn't even asked about Irwin -- his former teammate
-- during the pole winner's news conference.
|
“ |
Dale
Earnhardt will never be forgotten, it's not like we want to try to
forget. But we're all grown people here and we just need for the
family to get a little bit of a break.” |
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—Steve Park |
Instead he was asked about his feelings returning to Daytona
without Earnhardt, a question he glossed over in the same weary way
all the drivers have done in the five months since the 500.
"We've dealt with it long time, we've had time to deal with
it," Jeff Burton said. "The truth of the matter is I haven't
talked to other drivers about it. We don't do that, and everybody
wants to make it look like we do.
"When I drove through the tunnel, I was thinking about racing,
not Dale Earnhardt."
Unfortunately for the three DEI teams and Richard Childress
Racing, the team Earnhardt drove for, The Intimidator was a silent
factor.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. kept a low profile at the track, stepping
outside his hauler only when it was time to climb into his
Chevrolet.
But it was a clear there was an edge to him during the final
practice, when he nudged Kevin Harvick out of his way as he charged
to the front of the pack to lead several laps around the track.
No one will ever know if he noticed the seats in the Earnhardt
Grandstand near turn 4 -- changed from green to black in honor of
his father. And it's doubtful he paid attention to the postrace
activities Saturday night, when the track had a tribute that
included special effects in the fireworks show and a video tribute.
"We have to remember that Dale Jr. and (Earnhardt's widow)
Teresa have to go on with their lives," Park said. "Dale
Earnhardt will never be forgotten, it's not like we want to try to
forget. But we're all grown people here and we just need for the
family to get a little bit of a break.
"We know what he wants us to do -- be down here, be racing and
be winning."
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