Dale-tona 500

by M.L. Morgan

Well, race fans - I stole that title from my dear friend who writes the Lighter Side of NASCAR and does a great newsletter. I thought it was great.

Earnhardt finally won the Daytona 500. His team has spent a fortune trying to win this race.

It takes more than money to win the Daytona 500. Maybe it takes 20 years of dedication. Maybe it takes a driver who refuses to give up.

Earnhardt has had some lean times (by his standards). 59-races without winning one. I wonder what Michael Waltrip feels like - 363 races without ever winning one. What I really wonder about is why he even has a ride.

I won�t digress from Earnhardt�s victory. He drove like a man possessed and dominated the race. He�s got the widest rear bumper in all of Winston Cup Racing. Lot�s of wannabes are crying because the race ended under yellow-flag but even if the race had gone another hour no one would have passed him.

The salute his fellow racers gave Earnhardt on his way to victory circle was a tribute to what Dale Earnhardt has done for the business of Winston Cup Racing. The fans� love/hate relationship with Earnhardt was ignored. His fellow competitors showed us all what they think of Dale Earnhardt.

I agree with them. He�s had a storied career in Winston Cup, but he�s never ignored a young driver who needed a hand. On Sunday he was told �Thanks�.

I got a great e-mail this week from a race fan named Jeff Kaps. He has a little problem with the CBS coverage of Speedweek, and so do I. This is total b.s. Who wants to see the Twin 125's 3 days after they are run ? That�s criminal.

I would print his letter in it�s entirety but I don�t think that would be a good idea. While I happen to agree with everything Jeff has said, I can�t open up the flood gates.

A great, absolute �must-read piece� is on iRace. Gene Granger has finally acquiesced to do a page for iRace which chronicles his many years of reporting about Nascar. This man has been there and done that.

Next week we�ll get a chance to see how the new spoiler/air dam rules will affect the race. I�m very optimistic these changes will enhance the race, unlike what restrictor plates do. From the performances at the Daytona 500 it would appear the Fords and the GM�s match up pretty well. Sunday, we�ll get a good idea of what the aerodynamic changes have done.

Have comments or questions? E-mail: M.L. Morgan

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