The Best of Dale Earnhardt
Here is a video clip with some highlights of Dale Earnhardt’s career. I thought you might be interested in seeing it.
Take a look.
Dale Earnhardt at a Loss for Words
Dale Earnhardt had to climb out of his No. 3 Chevy and turn the wheel over to relief driver Mike Skinner in the 1996 Brickyard 400. Earnhardt was recovering from injuries suffered in a previous race and drove the car until the first caution in order to get credit for starting the race.
You can see the emotion on Dale’s face. He could hardly speak and very obviously did not want to give that car up.
On a side note – take a look at the people in the grandstands. They had a very impressive crowd that day.
What the video and you’ll understand how badly Dale wanted to race.
Why Dale Earnhardt was the First Man to Win NASCAR’s Brickyard 400
First of all let me apologize for asking a tricky question like “Who was the first man to win the Brickyard 400?”
Now let me tell you the back story of where all this is going. 
Jeff Gordon did in fact win the first Brickyard 400 on August 6, 1994. But the question was not who won the first one.
Dale Earnhardt won the second Brickyard 400 on August 5, 1995.
Earnhardt was making the TV talk show rounds to talk about the race the following week when he proudly proclaimed “I’m the first man to win that race.”
The host looked a little puzzled and asked Earnhardt about Jeff Gordon’s win the previous year. Dale simply flashed that sly trademark grin of his and said “Wonderboy?”
Dale was a master of intimidating his rivals both on and off the track, and the rivalry between Earnhardt and Gordon was about as hot as it gets at that time. One of the two had the car to beat almost every week.
Dale’s Wonderboy comment was just another of his calculated moves to gain a slight edge over Gordon.
Congratulations to mamadonia. Your name was selected from all the correct answers.
The Next Dale Earnhardt?
Mike Bianchi over at The Orlando Sentinel wrote an article last week claiming that Jimmie Johnson is the next Dale Earnhardt. 
Well I’ve got news for you Mr. Bianchi. There is no next Dale Earnhardt – and there never will be. Dale Earnhardt was one of those men who only come around once in history.
Dale Earnhardt Jr is not the next Dale Earnhardt. Kyle Busch is not the next Dale Earnhardt. And Jimmie Johnson certainly is not the next Dale Earnhardt.
Mr. Bianchi goes on to say that “for nearly a decade now, NASCAR fans have been waiting for the second coming of Dale Earnhardt.” Most true hard-core fans recognize that Dale cannot and will not ever be replaced on or off the track.
Is Jimmie Johnson the greatest thing NASCAR fans have seen since Dale Earnhardt? That’s what Mr. Bianchi would have you believe. Johnson has a long, long way to go to prove that statement to most NASCAR fans.
According to Mr. Bianchi, “Johnson will win the championship at the end of the year.” That may happen, but even then Jimmie Johnson will be 2 championships behind Dale Earnhardt.
How many different crew chiefs did Dale Earnhardt win Championships with? I’d like to see how many races Jimmie Johnson would win without Chad Knaus.
And Jimmie Johnson will never be the man that Dale Earnhardt was off the track. Dale helped a lot of people in a lot of ways. Some like Wessa Miller you will hear about. Some you will never hear about.
Mr. Bianchi was wrong when he said that we “might as well put the No. 3 on Jimmie Johnson’s car.” Johnson has not earned the right to drive that number.
What do you think? Is Jimmie Johnson the next Dale Earnhardt?
Photo Courtesy NASCAR Media
Why Dale Earnhardt Jr Won Daytona
Dale Earnhardt Jr went to Daytona for one reason — and one reason only – Friday Night. To win the race. He didn’t go to have a top five finish or a good points race. He didn’t go to put on a show for the fans.
But what a show he put on. Earnhardt drove the No. 3 Wrangler Chevrolet all the way to Victory Lane in the Subway Jalapeno 250 Nationwide race.
Dale Earnhardt Jr knows how to drive a race car.
“I was so worried that I wasn’t going to win, ’cause nothing but a win would get it. For everybody,” an emotional Dale Earnhardt said in Victory Lane.
“I worked hard to try to win, not only for daddy—I’m proud of him going to the Hall of Fame, and he would be proud of this, I’m sure—but just all these fans. I hope they enjoyed this.”
The win came because preparation met opportunity Friday Night at Daytona. It wasn’t just the driver that was focused on winning. It was the entire team.
Crew chief Tony Eury Jr set the car up perfectly. He made the right calls at the right times to put the No. 3 car out front when it counted. Anyone that questions Eury’s abilities as a crew chief needs to take a second look.
The pit crew was at the top of their game when it came time to service the car. The car was pitted by a group of guys who volunteered for the job. The same group of guys who pit Junior’s No. 88 Sprint Cup car.
A collaboration between Teresa Earnhardt, Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr saw that the car showed up at the track ready to race and win. Hendrick Motorsports provided the engine for the car.
Still it took a race car driver that knows his way around the two-and-a-half mile superspeedway at Daytona to claim the checkered flag. Earnhardt drove through traffic in the last half of that race as if he could actually see the air. Some say he can.
Earnhardt held off a last lap challenge from Joey Logano to win the race. Logano looked to make a run on Earnhardt’s outside, but had no drafting help.
“He had a pretty good run on the last lap, said Earnhardt.. “He kind of ducked out a little bit and then thought twice about it because I don’t know if the guys behind him were going to do it. Once they got back in line and felt that little shove I got off into three, I felt pretty confident we was gonna win.
Earnhardt continued the tribute to his father – and the race fans – on the Victory Lap. No burnout. Just an old school victory lap like another Earnhardt used to do.
What did the win mean for Dale Earnhardt Jr, for NASCAR, and what did it mean for you?
Photo Courtesy NASCAR Media
Dale Earnhardt: A Tribute
Dave Bowles posted this fine tribute to Dale Earnhardt in response to the article about Dale Jr driving the No. 3 car Friday Night at Daytona.
I know the Yellow/Blue was years ago and that’s fine by me! BUT, I would love to see that BLACK # 3 come thundering out of the pits, fire licking the night air from the exhaust, the windows so dark you can’t see inside.
You feel the seats vibrate, the ground quakes, #3 glides out so smooth like it’s rolling on air, not air as we know it, it doesn’t even kick up dust. Down past the start finish line lightning branches through the first turn building speed every second.
Turn two lights up as the stealthy black image explodes from the second turn and rockets down the back stretch so fast the white of the legendary #3 on the side looks like it’s flowing off the rear quarter panel on fire.
Turn three is laid waste as you feel the chill run up your spine. All heads are anxiously looking as turn four comes up, never letting off entering turn four, riding down to the bottom of four everyone waits for the black #3 to come blasting out to the front stretch.
We wait, we wait, since February 2001 we have waited in hopes to see one more time, #3 roar past us, with that familiar shadow leaning left in that seat.
Feel free to add your own tribute to Dale — and please let Dave know what you think about his words. Thanks Dave and Thanks Dale!
Today is Dale Earnhardt Day
A celebration is under way today at Dale Earnhardt, Incorporated in Mooresville, North Carolina. This is the ninth annual Dale Earnhardt Day. Dale would be 59 today.
Dale Jr, Kelley, Kerry, Taylor and Teresa Earnhardt will be on hand for the ceremonies.
Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Teresa Earnhardt are going to unveil a special No. 3 Chevrolet that Dale Jr will drive at Daytona.
Also set to make its debut is a Dale Earnhardt Hall of Fame Chevy Camaro.
I hope you’ll join me in saying Happy Birthday Dale!
The Nancy Pelosi Secret to Winning in NASCAR
Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus have mastered the art of psychological gamesmanship. They are experts at getting inside the hearts and minds of their opponents.
Drivers are more concerned about beating Jimmie Johnson than they are about making their own cars faster.
Johnson enjoys the games. “I get caught up in that mind game stuff and find a lot of satisfaction in it,” Jimmie Johnson said. “I told Chad before the year was over I want to win a lot to frustrate the competitors.
Kurt Busch is concerned
Just look at Kurt Busch’s remarks after losing at Bristol despite dominating the race and leading 278 laps.
“I don’t know, I’d rather lose to any of the 41 cars out there than the 48 car,” Busch said
“It’s up to the best of us to knock him off the top,” Busch said after losing to Johnson in the closing laps of Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol. “So it’s rough. You know, they’ve won three times this year. Not that we need to, deserve to win, it’s just that they are winning every chance they’re given. We just need to position ourselves more to get those wins.”
Matt Kenseth is worried about Johnson, too. During the spoiler test this week at Charlotte Motor Speedway Kenseth was asked about the upcoming race at Martinsville and Johnson’s winning record there. “He’s good everywhere,” said Kenseth.
What drivers can learn from Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi knows how to play mind games all too well. She called President George Bush a “total failure” when Bush criticized Congress’s inaction on important legislation.
“God bless him, bless his heart, President of the United States — a total failure, losing all credibility with the American people,” said Pelosi.
When Barack Obama was pushing for passage of his Obama Care plan Pelosi urged her colleagues to vote for it. “But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it’” urged Pelosi.
There are a few NASCAR drivers who can stand to learn a thing or two about mind games from Pelosi.
Chad Knaus does the same thing to other crew chiefs. He’s been known to walk through the garage on the morning of the race with a rear spring over his shoulder headed to the race car – but never intending to change a thing on the car.
He just wants to get the other crew chiefs talking – to throw them off their game.
When the No. 48 team was invited to participate in a Goodyear tire test late last year many drivers including Greg Biffle were complaining that Johnson was gaining an unfair advantage. Here’s how Chad Knaus responded to that:
“But as far as sending a message, I hope it does. I hope people talk about it. Like I said earlier, I hope people are worried. I hope people are talking about the fact that we tire tested and it’s wrong. All these people can get wound up about stuff that really doesn’t matter,” said Knaus.
Dale Earnhardt was the master
I haven’t seen anyone this good at psychological racing since Dale Earnhardt. He wasn’t known as The Intimidator just for what happened on the race track.
Once at Talladega when all the other drivers were busy dialing their cars in during practice Dale shook things up with a very simple move. He parked his car in the garage, covered it up, and went fishing.
Dale Earnhardt won 10 Cup races at Talladega.
Earnhardt once struck fear into the hearts of his fellow drivers when he made his famous comment about drivers complaining about the high speeds at Daytona. Essentially, he told them if they were afraid to drive the car they should go home.
So who else in NASCAR is good at psyching out their competitors? What tactics have you seen played out by drivers? I’d be happy to hear about it in the comments, or feel free to contact me.
Dale Earnhardt Shooting Star
9 Years Ago We Lost Dale Earnhardt
Please share your thoughts about Dale.
What if Dale Earnhardt Did Not Drive for Richard Childress?
What if Dale Earnhardt had Driven for Junior Johnson Instead of Richard Childress?
Rick Houston over at NASCAR.com asks Richard Childress a very important question.
How would Richard Childress Racing have turned out if Dale Earnhardt had raced for Junior Johnson instead of Childress?
“You’ll never know,” said Childress.” Dale was a huge player.”
The article details how Junior Johnson had a deal with Earnhardt, and how Dale nearly went to drive for Johnson before sponsor conflicts came to a head.
Junior Johnson surely regrets the deal he brokered to send Earnhardt to the No. 3 car instead of a Junior Johnson car.
So do the sponsors who refused to back Earnhardt as his career was getting started.
Richard Childress would not have 6 NASCAR Championships without Dale Earnhardt.
But that street goes both ways. Earnhardt and Childress had a chemistry that would have never existed between Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson.
Dale Earnhardt would never have 7 NASCAR Championships without Richard Childress.
