My driver, my disclaimer
Everyone who follows NASCAR has a favorite driver (or two or three).
Mine is ... wait for it ... Dale Earnhardt Jr.
When I started paying more attention to NASCAR in the mid-'90s (I moved to N.C. in 1995 when I got hired on by the News & Record), I pulled for Dale Sr., When Dale Jr. started running the Busch series full-time in 1998, I started pulling for him on Saturdays. And after Dale Sr. passed on in 2001, I transferred allegiance to the son, just like a lot of other NASCAR fans have.
Why Dale Sr.? He was, and still is, The Man. He drove that cool black No. 3 car. He was unafraid to mix it up with anyone. And he was just ... Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Plus he wasn't Jeff Gordon. Yeah, yeah, I know: Because I pull for the Earnhardts, I'm supposed to come now with some Jeff Gordon smack. Can't do it in the interest of family harmony. See, my future brother-in-law is a Jeff Gordon fan. Such is my burden to bear.
Now for the disclaimer:
Who I pull for (or don't pull for) doesn't affect the racing coverage in the News & Record. I've known Dustin Long and Ed Hardin for years before getting this job in sports, and they both know me to be an insufferable Junior fan. In the past, they've just laughed at me and gone out and gotten their own stories. Now that I'm Dustin's boss (and Ed's to an extent), I don't expect their approach to change. Dustin's mission is to cover the sport and file the best stories he can. Winning drivers, of course, will get the bulk of the coverage.
Sure, Junior gets and will continue to get a lot of ink because of his father, his own talent and his status as most popular driver in NASCAR. And I can always go here and here to get my fix of Dale. Jr. news.
But as much as it pains me personally, Jeff Gordon's quest for 77 wins (one more than Dale Sr. has, and a lot more than Dale Jr. has) will be big news for us over the next year or two. So will the year-end Chase, the final Cup seasons for Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin and whatever else pops up as news.
Comments (5)
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I, too, appreciate all things Dale Jr. He's the guy I root for most of the time.
Regarding Gordon: As I get older, I'm trying to cultivate an open mind. Gordon, once the pretty-boy upstart of NASCAR, seems almost grizzled compared with the Jamie McMurrays of the sport.
And when Gordon wins, it actually reminds me of the days with Dale Sr. still roamed the earth. So in a strange way, Gordon's continued success is reassuring. There aren't too many older guys in the sport now, so you have to appreciate them while you can.
Posted on February 22, 2005 12:13 PM
You know, I've never quite understood the intense anti-Gordon sentiments that many fans have.
I actually had one fan tell me a few years ago that Gordon was "just lucky." Luck may win you a race or two, but it won't get you 70 career wins and four championships.
I also don't quite get the Dale Jr. love-fest. Yeah, he's a great driver and appears to be a likable guy. Having #3 as a dad certainly can't hurt your popularity, although being a second-generation driver hasn't done much for Kyle Petty lately.
But if fans hate Gordon because he supposedly "didn't pay his dues," doesn't the same apply to Dale Jr.? How many other young guys come into the sport with the kind of equipment and sponsors he did? Not that I'm knocking Dale Jr. or any of his fans. I just don't quite get the guy's popularity, though.
Posted on February 22, 2005 1:44 PM
Bruce, Junior's not the only newbie getting top NASCAR these days without seeming to pay his dues.
Matt Kenseth took DeWalt with him from Busch to Cup. Kurt Busch started with Sharpie and Rubbermaid. Hendrick wrestled the Lowe's sponsorship away from Childress for Jimmie Johnson. There's also Kasey Kahne (Dodge), Casey Mears (Target) and Elliott Sadler (M&M's). This season, Kyle Busch got Terry Labonte's former Kellogg's ride. All of them, to varying degrees, put in their time in Busch or other series.
As for Junior's popularity, the Earnhardt certainly name doesn't hurt. But Junior's also a winner. He doesn't one Cup title, much less Senior's seven titles or Gordon's four. But since 2000, Junior's first full year in Cup, he has 15 wins, including one Daytona 500 victory. The only drivers with more are Gordon (21) and Tony Stewart (16).
Posted on February 23, 2005 9:57 AM
:Bay Area Nascar Fans: Nowhere else in the Bay can you hear live coverage of Nascar, then on AM 1220 KNTS.. GO to WWW.1220KNTS.com for more info... Listen this Sunday Febuary 27th for live coverage of Auto Club 500 at 11:15 am Pacific!
Posted on February 25, 2005 12:54 PM
Unless KNTS is radio's version of Hendrick's restrictor plate engine program, that tip won't do us Right Coasters much good.
Here in Greensboro, WTQR (104.1 FM) will have the MRN feed. If you scan the AM dial, you can usually pick up another couple of channels.
By the way, TV coverage on Fox(WGHP-8) will crank up at 2 p.m. EST Sunday. Green flag ought to drop shortly after 3.
Posted on February 25, 2005 1:43 PM