DRIVING AMBITION FULFILLED; EARNHARDT CONQUERS 20-YEAR JINX.Byline: Skip Myslenski Chicago Tribune Chicago Tribune Daily newspaper published in Chicago. The Tribune is one of the leading U.S. newspapers and long has been the dominant voice of the Midwest. Founded in 1847, it was bought in 1855 by six partners, including Joseph Medill (1823–99), who made the paper His left arm appeared as he crossed the finish line, and Dale Earnhardt This article is about the elder Dale Earnhardt. For his son, see Dale Earnhardt, Jr.. For the racing team he founded, see Dale Earnhardt, Inc.. Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. pumped his fist toward the dark Florida sky. On his 20th try, Earnhardt had finally won a Daytona 500, and there would be no restraint, no holding back Sunday. ``I got that damn monkey off my back! Bury that monkey!'' he would later shout. As Earnhardt slowly took his victory lap around the Daytona International Speedway Daytona International Speedway is a superspeedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is a 2.5 mile (4 km) tri-oval race track facility with a seating capacity of 168,000 spectators. , the crowd of 185,000 roared and the pit crews of his competitors began climbing over the wall that separated them from pit road. His own crew members were busy hugging, jumping and crying. But these others who worked for his bitter rivals began forming a reception line to welcome back the king. Never before had this happened at Daytona. But by the time Earnhardt appeared at the mouth of pit road, there they were, standing side-by-side and stretched out over 200 yards. With his black No. 3 Chevrolet at a crawl, he rolled past them, shaking 10 hands, 20 hands, all the many hands extended toward him. ``I knew a few teams would come out,'' he said, ``but for all the teams to come out? That was great. It let you know how much they wanted you to win. That was awesome. That was unbelievable. That made it all even better.'' With that procession complete, he turned sharply to his right and onto the infield grass and spun one doughnut on the flags decorating that grass, another over the top of the ``A'' in ``DAYTONA,'' and then it was on to Victory Lane. ``Yes! Yes! Yes!'' he kept shouting as he exited his car, and then he spotted his crew chief, Larry McReynolds Larry McReynolds (born January 10, 1959 in Birmingham, Alabama) is a racing anaylst on Fox Sports and was a long-time NASCAR crew chief. He currently lives in Mooresville, North Carolina. . He grabbed McReynolds, pulled him to his chest and shouted again: ``We won! We won! We won!'' Then Mike Skinner Mike Skinner is the name of:
``How 'bout it? Man, can you believe it? We won,'' said Earnhardt, 46. ``Twenty years TWENTY YEARS. The lapse of twenty years raises a presumption of certain facts, and after such a time, the party against whom the presumption has been raised, will be required to prove a negative to establish his rights. 2. of hard work. I can't believe we won it in the fashion we did. It's something else. ``I've been trying to win this thing for 20 years. To win your first Daytona 500 after coming here so many years, after having so much happen, man, this tops it all. It's the icing on the cake. It's pretty awesome.'' It was all that and more when Dale Earnhardt won his Daytona 500, a race in which disappointment has long been his constant companion. He had accumulated every honor his sport could offer, except winning the sport's biggest race, which kept escaping him, often in cruel-and-bizarre ways. Once, when he was racing for the lead, his crew forgot to put on a lug nut lug nut n. A heavy, rounded nut that fits over a bolt, used especially to attach an automotive vehicle's wheel to its axle. during a pit stop. Once, when he was leading on the last lap, a sea gull flew into his radiator and slowed him so badly he finished third. Once, again when he was leading on the last lap, he was passed by eventual winner Dale Jarrett Dale Arnold Jarrett (born November 26, 1956 in Newton, North Carolina) is an American race car driver. Jarrett currently races in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series exclusively, driving the #44 Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing. . Once, he was knocked from contention by a cut tire. Although this race was his albatross, he moved about the Speedway last week with a swagger. His history here did not matter to him, nor did a winless streak that had reached 59. He had the look of a champion, and was walking with that same bounce that defines Michael Jordan This article is about the former basketball player. For other uses, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation). Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17 1963) is a retired American professional basketball player. when time is short and a game is tight and a basket must be made. That's where he was, in the lead, with five laps remaining, and stretched behind him were Jeremy Mayfield Jeremy Allen Mayfield (born May 27, 1969 in Owensboro, Kentucky) is a driver in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series who drives the #36 360 OTC Toyota Camry for Bill Davis Racing. He is married to his wife Shana, and they own three bulldogs and two pugs. , Jeff Gordon Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is a professional American race car driver. He was born in Vallejo, California, raised in Pittsboro, Indiana, and currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. , Rusty Wallace Russell William "Rusty" Wallace (born August 14, 1956 in Fenton, Missouri) is a former NASCAR champion, NASCAR Busch Series car owner, and television broadcaster with ESPN and ESPN on ABC. Wallace had his first live broadcast of the Indy 500 on May 28, 2006. and Ken Schrader Kenneth Schrader (born May 29, 1955 in Fenton, Missouri) is a second-generation race car driver. He currently drives the #21 Little Debbie Snacks Ford Fusion for Wood Brothers in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. . That's how they were a lap later, but with three to go, it was now Earnhardt, Mayfield, Wallace and Schrader with Gordon fading toward his eventual 16th-place finish. ``I cried a little bit in the race car then,'' said Earnhardt. ``Well, I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. that I cried,'' he said. ``But my eyes watered up when I knew I was going around for the checkered and was going to win it. I was overcome, to say the least. When I got the caution and the white flag, I started going slow out there. But then I told myself to get going and get it over with. I got pretty excited out there. ``Gosh, what a great day. ``Gosh, what a great win.'' RACING TO THE LEAD Winning drivers in the previous 39 runnings of the Daytona 500 have gone on to place first in the NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Winston Cup points race seven times - four by Richard Petty. Here are the winners and their final points standings: Year Driver Top 10 finish 1997 Jeff Gordon 1st 1996 Dale Jarrett 3rd 1995 Sterling Marlin 3rd 1994 Sterling Marlin DNP DNP n. Deoxyribonucleoprotein; a complex of DNA and protein that usually yields DNA upon cell disruption and isolation. DNP 2,4-dinitrophenol. 1993 Dale Jarrett 4th 1992 Davey Allison 3rd 1991 Ernie Irvan 5th 1990 Derrike Cope DNP 1989 Darrell Waltrip 4th 1988 Bobby Allison DNP 1987 Bill Elliott 2nd 1986 Geoff Bodine 8th 1985 Bill Elliott 2nd 1984 Cale Yarborough DNP 1983 Cale Yarborough DNP 1982 Bobby Allison 2nd 1981 Richard Petty 8th 1980 Buddy Baker DNP 1979 Richard Petty 1st 1978 Bobby Allison 2nd 1977 Cale Yarborough 1st 1976 David Pearson 9th 1975Benny Parsons 4th 1974 Richard Petty 1st 1973 Richard Petty 5th 1972 A.J. Foyt DNP 1971 Richard Petty 1st 1970 Pete Hamilton DNP 1969 LeeRoy Yarbrough DNP 1968 Cale Yarborough DNP 1967 Mario Andretti DNP 1966 Richard Petty 3rd 1965 Fred Lorenzen DNP 1964 Richard Petty 1st 1963 Tiny Lund 10th 1962 Fireball Roberts 8th 1961 Marvin Panch DNP 1960 Junior Johnson 7th 1959 Lee Petty 1st -- NASCAR press guide CAPTION(S): 4 Photos, Box PHOTO (1--Cover--Color) `We won it! We won it! We won it!' - On 20th try, Earnhardt takes Daytona Cover Design by Lori Valesko / Photos by ALLSPORT (2--Color) Surrounded by his fans, Dale Earnhardt celebrates the victory atop his Chevrolet in Victory Lane. Associated Press (3--Color) To the finish Dale Earnhardt takes the checkered flag, winning the third-fastest Daytona 500 with an average speed of 172.712 mph. Associated Press (4--Color) no caption (Daytona 500 race cars) David Taylor / Allsport BOX: RACING TO THE LEAD (see text) |
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