Michael Waltrip capped the 10-year anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s death by winning the season-opening Trucks Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Waltrip, driving for Earnhardt, won the 2001 Daytona 500, but his victory lane celebration was darkened when he learned that his friend Dale Earnhardt had been killed in a crash on the last lap of the race. If poetic justice rings a bell, Waltrip won the 2001 Daytona race on February 18th and repeated with a Daytona Truck victory ten years to the day. Waltrip passed Elliott Sadler in the final hundred yards of the race. Waltrip choked up talking about what the win meant, especially since it came a decade to the day after his first victory at Daytona.
Waltrip was driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. back then, and his frivolity turned to fright on Dec. 18, 2001, when word spread that his close friend and car owner was badly injured on the final lap of the Daytona 500. Earnhardt was pronounced dead a short time later, and Waltrip never got to celebrate what should have been the biggest victory of his life. Waltrip said. "Today, obviously with it being the 10th anniversary of that terrible day, I wanted to be able to tell people that I was here in honor of Dale." Friday night’s win also made Waltrip the 22nd driver to win in each of NASCAR’s top three series. Daytona International Speedway now turns to the Nationwide series race today at 1:00 pm and the Daytona 500 on Sunday at 1:00 pm. Michael Waltrip is racing in both of these events. It should be some great racing! That's it for now. More soon. Stay Tuned !
Dale Earnhardt Jr. crossed the finish line first Friday night winning the Daytona 250 as thousands in the grandstands and millions tuned into the television cheered wildly. Earnhardt's number 3 Wrangler Chevrolet, the car's blue-and-yellow retro paint scheme, is a tribute to his late father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., who drove the No. 3 to six of his seven championships before he was killed in an accident on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
As Earnhardt made his victory lap, absorbing and cherishing the crowd's emotion, his crew chief and first cousin, Tony Eury Jr., cried openly on pit road. Richard Childress, his dad's former team owner and best friend, met Dale Jr. in victory circle for a congratulatory hug. Earnhardt Jr. has won eight races on Daytona's high banks, but this win was very special.
As "Little E" drove toward victory circle, I couldn't help but remember the day that his father was killed at Daytona. Deep down, I felt that Dale Sr. was smiling down on his son. I'm proud of Dale Jr., not only for his spectacular win, but for taking on the added burden of driving "his father's car" and the uncertainty of whether he could win this event.
The only problem that I have with Dale Jr., is the nerve wracking last laps that left me mentally exhausted and looking for my bottle of Johnnie Walker Black. Congratulations to Dale Earnhardt Jr for winning such an exciting event and congratulations to me for not having a stroke.
Here's the final laps of the Daytona 250. Remember to mute my music playlist on the left sidebar.
The guy mentions none of this to his girl, marries her, and goes on their honeymoon. That night in the motel room, she rips open her blouse to reveal her beautiful breasts. She says, "You're the first! No one has ever touched these." He immediately drops his pants and replies, "Look at this, still in the crate!"
Two old men sat talking over the weather and the latest in medical science, and such, when one brings up the latest male medical miracle, Viagra. The other wasn't familiar with Viagra and asked the first man what it was for. The first man said, "It's the greatest thing I've ever known. The Fountain of Youth! Makes you feel like a man of 30." The second then asked, "Can you get it over the counter?" The first man replied, "You probably could, if you took 2 pills."
The following pictures are from the press release when Dale Jr., Richard Childress and Teresa Earnhardt announced they would race the retro paint-schemed number 3 at the July 4th Daytona Nationwide race.
How's that for irony? I couldn't happen to a nicer family!
That's it for now. Have a great fourth of July weekend. More soon. Stay Tuned !
Michael Waltrip capped the 10-year anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s death by winning the season-opening Trucks Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Waltrip, driving for Earnhardt, won the 2001 Daytona 500, but his victory lane celebration was darkened when he learned that his friend Dale Earnhardt had been killed in a crash on the last lap of the race.
