DAYTONA'S FINAL LAP WORRIES EARNHARDT\Veteran tired of finishing oh-so-close.

Byline: Mike Harris Associated Press 

As concerned as Dale Earnhardt is about the first 499 miles of today's Daytona 500, it's the last critical mile that fills his thoughts.

"We've won the Daytona 499 a bunch of times," Earnhardt said, the hard look in his eyes belying the grin under his bushy, black mustache. "What we need to do is get that last lap right."

Standing between Earnhardt and his most coveted remaining racing prize - besides the memories of 17 winless 500s - are a bevy of serious challengers.

Those include two-time defending Daytona 500 winner Sterling Marlin and two other former winners, teammates Ernie Irvan, continuing the incredible comeback from near-fatal injuries 18 months ago, and Dale Jarrett.

But the harsh glare of the spotlight falls mostly upon Earnhardt, who by now is sick and tired of answering questions about why he has never won the Daytona 500 and if he expects to ever win it.

"You guys are the only ones who care about all that stuff," an irritated Earnhardt told reporters last week. "The guys in the garage area don't ask me about it."

But everyone is aware this is a race Earnhardt should have won at least a couple of times.

"If I was close to winning it 10 straight years, I'd think it was time, too," said Mark Martin, who finished right behind Earnhardt in third last year. "I have to think Dale Earnhardt would expect to win the Daytona 500 after the kind of success he's had here."

Marlin, trying to become the first driver to win the race three straight times, has only four total victories.

"There's no way you can explain how I've won two Daytonas and Earnhardt hasn't won one, yet," Marlin said. "All I can say is Daytona's been good to me. I got my first pole here and my first win. It just hasn't been as good to Earnhardt, but I've got to think he'll win it eventually. Probably more than once."

So many times Earnhardt, winner of 68 other Winston Cup races and a seven-time series champion, has come tantalizingly close to winning NASCAR's biggest race.

Earnhardt has lost after leading into the last of the 200 laps on the 2-1/2-mile oval at Daytona International Speedway. He has lost after leading the most laps and dominating the race. He has lost while driving what obviously was the best car.

He has finished second three times, including two of the past three years.

At 44, Earnhardt is very aware his chances to finally win the crown jewel of the sport are dwindling to a precious few.

But the racer greets each new opportunity with studied determination.

Today, he will start for the first time from the pole position in the 43-car field. Again, his Chevrolet Monte Carlo is the favorite to finally reach Daytona's Victory Lane - a place he has visited a record 28 times after winning a variety of support events on the high-banked track.

Friday, he won the opening round of the International Race of Champions series here, following Thursday's win in one of the Twin 125-mile qualifying races for today's race.

Adding to the suspense this year is a rule change that has sapped between 30 and 50 horsepower from the already restricted engines used at Daytona.

"This year, the compression change took a lot of horsepower out of the engines, and that takes acceleration away," Earnhardt said. "You definitely need help getting by someone. It's more of a two-car race now. That changes the whole complexion of it, really."

Thursday's twin 125-mile qualifying races proved the point. Earnhardt and Irvan each won one of the 50-lap events - races that were mostly single file until it was time to challenge for the win.

Those drivers daring enough to attempt a pass without help found themselves going quickly to the rear of whatever drafting pack they were in.

At one point in the first race, veteran Rick Mast, driving one of the new Pontiac Grand Prixs that will debut today, slipped from second to 18th in less than one lap after finding himself in the lower lane with no drafting help.

"We'll try to stay out front," Earnhardt said. "If we can't, we'll get back in the rocking chair and wait to the end to make our move. You've got to be patient or you're going to go straight back."

The drafting situation could put a premium on working together, and that could put Earnhardt at a disadvantage with a new movement in NASCAR toward multi-car teams.

Jarrett and Irvan drive Fords for Robert Yates Racing; Jeff Gordon, the defending Winston Cup champion, Ken Schrader and Terry Labonte drive Chevrolets for Hendrick Motorsports, and Martin, Ted Musgrave and Jeff Burton all drive Thunderbirds for Roush Racing.

All of them will start in the top 20 in today's race.

"We still have to do whatever it takes to get to the front," Gordon said. "If we can do it together, we will. If we have to do it on our own, we'll do that."

Earnhardt's Richard Childress Chevy is a single entry, as is Marlin's Morgan-McClure Monte Carlo.

"It is pretty frustrating when you're out there drafting along and here comes a group of team cars and they draft right on by you," Earnhard said.

"I guess we're going to have to talk to Sterling and see if we can work together. That's what it's going to take to stay out of the crowd. Maybe Sterling and me can work together until the last 10 laps, then let her rip.

"Maybe I can pass on the last lap instead of getting passed. Then I'll win the Daytona 500 instead of the Daytona 499."

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