In NASCAR circles, Teresa Earnhardt has gone from the highly sympathized widow of a legend to the wicked witch of the South.
After losing her stepson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., to the biggest free-agent move in the sport’s history, Teresa seemingly lost further respect from Earnhardt Nation by indirectly bashing Junior for leaving the “family business.”
NASCAR fans know better. This sport isn’t about teams – even one that’s named Dale Earnhardt Inc. It’s about drivers, and the fans who followed Dale Sr. realize that Junior is doing what his father would have done: taking advantage of the opportunity and putting himself in the best position to win championships.
“I feel strongly that I would have my father’s blessing,” Junior said.
Dale Sr. never drove for his own team. At the time of his 2001 death, he was driving the No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress, because he believed Childress gave him the best chance to win.
Junior, 32, is planning to do the same thing, and Earnhardt Nation is going with him.
The movement could have been avoided, but Junior hinted that his father’s real intentions for DEI were not going to materialize.
“I feel like his vision, and he said it himself, was for me to have a huge role in the company,” Junior said. “Throughout the negotiations, I felt like me and (sister/manager) Kelley came to the understanding that that was not in the cards.”
What might be in the cards is another Earnhardt-Childress relationship in the No. 3 Chevrolet.
Childress still owns the rights to Dale Sr.’s car number, and Junior said he would like to continue driving Chevys.
That’s an all-in-the-family situation Teresa won’t be able to compete with.
Gordon on pace
Points leader Jeff Gordon is on pace for his best season since 1998, when he won the third of his four championships.
Gordon, who captured his third race of the season on Sunday, is on pace to reach at least 10 victories for the fourth time.
He had 10 wins in 1996 and 1997, and 13 in 1998. There were 32, 33 and 34 points races in those seasons, respectively, and now there are 36.
Gordon is on pace to exceed his personal record of 28 top-10 finishes in a season, which he established in 1998. He has a series-most 10 this year, finishing outside the top 10 just once.
He has won three of the past four races and produced seven consecutive top-four finishes.
All-star break
This weekend’s Nextel All-Star Challenge will have a different look in its 23rd year. In the past, the race has featured two or three segments; now it is four, with each consisting of 20 laps.
Other minor tweaks have been made, but the same rules apply to get into the race.
All winning drivers and owners from this year and last year are automatically qualified, along with Cup champions over the past 10 years who have made at least one recent start. All previous all-star winners are included, and three entries will come from finishing first or second in the Nextel Open and a fan vote.
Footnotes
Gordon and Earnhardt Sr. are the only three-time All-Star Challenger winners. Davey Allison, Terry Labonte and Jimmie Johnson are the only other multiple winners. … The first all-star race was in 1961 and was called the American Challenge Cup. Joe Weatherly won among a field of 11 by passing Fireball Roberts on the last lap.
SPOTLIGHT: KENNY WALLACE
Making Colorado proud
The driver for Denver-based Furniture Row Racing has qualified the No. 78 Chevrolet in the sixth position for two of the past three races, including last weekend at Darlington, S.C. Wallace also has made the past five races, after failing to qualify for four of the first six. Wallace is 41st in the standings, up two spots from last week, and proudly carrying the flag for team owner Barney Visser of Cherry Hills. Visser is making believers out of those who thought a single-car Cup team working out of far-flung racing area like Denver wouldn’t have a chance. Furniture Row undoubtedly would like to finish better – its top result over the past five races is 24th – but the unique team should feel great about its ability to make the shows. At Darlington, Wallace started in the top 10, and veterans Jeremy Mayfield, Ward Burton, Mike Bliss, Michael Waltrip, Dale Jarrett and Scott Riggs failed to qualify.
ON THE MOVE: RYAN NEWMAN
Climbing toward berth in Chase
Three consecutive top-10 finishes have propelled Newman from 26th to 14th in the standings. He finished a season-best fourth last weekend at Darlington, allowing him to gain a series-best five spots. The Penske driver, coming off a disappointing 2006 season (18th in points), is now just two spots from securing what would be a playoff spot.
THIS WEEK’S RACE: NEXTEL ALL-STAR CHALLENGE
Challenge at Lowe’s
5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Speed Channel
Where: Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C. (tri-oval, 1.5 miles, 24 degrees banking in turns)
Distance: 80 laps (four 20-lap segments)
Last year: Jimmie Johnson won the all-star race for the second time in four years. He also captured the 2003 event.
ALL-STARS
Drivers with the top average running positions in the past two Nextel All-Star Challenges:
(Name Avg.)
1. Ryan Newman 6.00
2. Jimmie Johnson 6.22
3. Jeff Gordon 7.20
4. Mark Martin 7.68
5. Greg Biffle 8.53
6. Matt Kenseth 9.94
7. Kurt Busch 10.08
8. Tony Stewart 10.13
9. Kevin Harvick 10.21
10. Carl Edwards 10.52
Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
