Earnhardt, Wrangler, Victory at Daytona!
By: Drew Hierwarter
The car Dale Earnhardt, Jr. used to win the Nationwide race at Daytona Friday night was sort of a mixed metaphor for his father’s career. Nowhere did Earnhardt, Sr. ever run a car exactly like that.
When that paint scheme debuted the car’s number was 2 and the owner was Rod Osterlund. By the time Earnhardt had moved to Richard Childress’ operation the number was 3 but the paint scheme was different. And those cars were both Cup cars.
Dale Earnhardt, Sr. won the Nationwide (Busch) series race at Daytona seven times, more than any other driver. But only one of those wins was in a Wrangler liveried car and it carried the number 15. The other six wins were in GM Goodwrench colors, one with the number 8, and the rest with a 3.
But none of that mattered on Friday night as Dale Jr. rolled into Daytona’s victory lane in the bright blue and yellow Wrangler number 3.
“I just like cool-looking cars.” Junior said, “This was a hell of a cool-looking car. I always loved the scheme. That’s all that mattered to me, was just the scheme. I just love the car. I wanted to race it once, and I did.”
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won two Nationwide Series championships and most of his 23 wins in that series driving a car with the number 3 on its flanks. So was the Daytona race a hint of things to come?
“I will never do it, I’ll never rethink it, I’ll never consider it,” Earnhardt Jr. said, “I think that it’s important for everybody to know that that’s as concrete as it gets. I’ll never do it again. I don’t ever want to do it again. And I’ll never change my mind, ever.”
I’m thinking we’ll never see this again.
And for those out there who think the “fix” was in, that Junior was “supposed” to win, that NASCAR somehow had arranged the outcome, don’t forget your tinfoil hat when you go outside.
For something like that to have happened every other car in the field would’ve had to have been in on the deal. Every other driver in the field would have to be willing to intentionally lose. It would require complete radio silence so the fans with scanners wouldn’t find out. It’s complete and utter nonsense.
What did happen was big. Big for the fans, big for NASCAR, big for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and his cousin and crew chief Tony Eury, Jr. It proved they can win. It proved that Jr. still has the passion, that his critics are wrong. Nine years after the death of Dale Earnhardt, Sr. at the same race track, it proved that life goes on and we can all put the bad stuff behind us and go out and race, and win, and enjoy that winning once again.
And in addition to all that, it was pretty darn cool!