Posted on 06/20/2003 6:25:25 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Infineon Raceway is one of the premier road racing venues in the country, and one of the few on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series circuit. The facility first opened in 1968 and serves as the gateway to the beautiful and scenic Sonoma Valley, which serves as one of the top wine-producing regions in the world.
God Bless our Armed Forces and their families and those who have paid for our freedoms with their lives.
God Bless America
Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway
FoX at 1pm PT / 4pm ET on Sunday, June 22, 2003
Track Facts
Banking/Turns: --
Distance: 2.0 mile
Shape: Road Course
Starting Lineup for Sunday's Race
Pos. | |||||||
1 | #01 | Boris Said | Pontiac | U.S. Army | 93.620 | 76.522 | Leader |
2 | #31 | Robby Gordon | Chevrolet | Cingular Wireless | 93.262 | 76.816 | -0.294 |
3 | #1 | Ron Fellows | Chevrolet | Pennzoil | 93.073 | 76.972 | -0.450 |
4 | #17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | DeWalt Power Tools | 92.879 | 77.133 | -0.611 |
5 | #97 | Kurt Busch | Ford | Rubbermaid | 92.879 | 77.133 | -0.611 |
6 | #29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service | 92.840 | 77.165 | -0.643 |
7 | #2 | Rusty Wallace | Dodge | Miller Lite | 92.822 | 77.180 | -0.658 |
8 | #24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | DuPont | 92.800 | 77.198 | -0.676 |
9 | #21 | Ricky Rudd | Ford | U.S. Air Force | 92.732 | 77.255 | -0.733 |
10 | #20 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Home Depot | 92.666 | 77.310 | -0.788 |
11 | #8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | Budweiser | 92.541 | 77.414 | -0.892 |
12 | #9 | Bill Elliott | Dodge | Dodge Dealers | 92.453 | 77.488 | -0.966 |
13 | #12 | Ryan Newman | Dodge | ALLTEL | 92.427 | 77.510 | -0.988 |
14 | #18 | Bobby Labonte | Chevrolet | Interstate Batteries | 92.335 | 77.587 | -1.065 |
15 | #77 | Dave Blaney | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions | 92.316 | 77.603 | -1.081 |
16 | #99 | Jeff Burton | Ford | CITGO | 92.293 | 77.622 | -1.100 |
17 | #6 | Mark Martin | Ford | Viagra | 92.200 | 77.701 | -1.179 |
18 | #09 | Scott Pruett | Dodge | Target | 92.178 | 77.719 | -1.197 |
19 | #22 | Ward Burton | Dodge | Caterpillar | 92.111 | 77.776 | -1.254 |
20 | #15 | Michael Waltrip | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts | 92.073 | 77.808 | -1.286 |
21 | #25 | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | UAW/Delphi | 92.022 | 77.851 | -1.329 |
22 | #154 | Todd Bodine | Ford | National Guard | 91.983 | 77.884 | -1.362 |
23 | #5 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet | Kellogg's/got milk? | 91.911 | 77.945 | -1.423 |
24 | #38 | Elliott Sadler | Ford | M&M's | 91.828 | 78.015 | -1.493 |
25 | #10 | Johnny Benson | Pontiac | Valvoline | 91.804 | 78.036 | -1.514 |
26 | #42 | Jamie McMurray* | Dodge | Havoline | 91.679 | 78.142 | -1.620 |
27 | #40 | Sterling Marlin | Dodge | Coors Light | 91.673 | 78.147 | -1.625 |
28 | #0 | Jack Sprague* | Pontiac | NetZero HiSpeed | 91.573 | 78.233 | -1.711 |
29 | #88 | Dale Jarrett | Ford | UPS | 91.511 | 78.286 | -1.764 |
30 | #23 | Kenny Wallace | Dodge | Stacker 2 | 91.488 | 78.305 | -1.783 |
31 | #19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Dodge | Dodge Dealers | 91.456 | 78.333 | -1.811 |
32 | #16 | Greg Biffle* | Ford | Grainger | 91.454 | 78.334 | -1.812 |
33 | #41 | Casey Mears* | Dodge | Target | 91.388 | 78.391 | -1.869 |
34 | #74 | Tony Raines* | Chevrolet | Staff America | 91.332 | 78.439 | -1.917 |
35 | #45 | Kyle Petty | Dodge | Georgia Pacific | 91.121 | 78.621 | -2.099 |
36 | #4 | Johnny Miller | Pontiac | Kodak Perfect Touch | 91.053 | 78.679 | -2.157 |
Provisional | |||||||
37 | #48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Lowe's | 74.119 | 96.655 | -20.133 |
38 | #32 | Ricky Craven | Pontiac | Tide | - | - | - |
39 | #7 | Jimmy Spencer | Dodge | Sirius Satellite Radio | 90.808 | 78.892 | -2.370 |
40 | #30 | Steve Park | Chevrolet | America Online | 89.889 | 79.698 | -3.176 |
41 | #43 | Christian Fittipaldi | Dodge | Cheerios | 91.043 | 78.688 | -2.166 |
42 | #49 | Ken Schrader | Dodge | BAM Racing | 88.896 | 80.589 | -4.067 |
43 | #66 | Hideo Fukuyama* | Ford | Kikkoman | 89.233 | 80.284 | -3.762 |
Did not Qualify | |||||||
44 | #14 | PJ Jones | Dodge | Harrah's | 90.769 | 78.926 | -2.404 |
45 | #33 | Paul Menard | Chevrolet | Turtle Wax | 89.937 | 79.656 | -3.134 |
46 | #300 | Jim Inglebright | Chevrolet | Jelly Belly/NAPA Muffler/Big O Tires | 89.048 | 80.451 | -3.929 |
47 | #102 | Brandon Ash | Ford | Outdoor Gourmet Kitchens | 90.449 | 79.205 | -2.683 |
* Denotes Rookie |
Road course specialist Said wins Sonoma pole
Boris says: Bud Pole, track record
Bobby Labonte says hard times have given him strength. Credit: Autostock
As told to Marty Smith, Turner Sports Interactive
June 18, 2003
1:39 PM EDT (1739 GMT)
Looking back now, last year gave me an entirely new outlook on my career. Coming from 2000, 2001 wasn't terrible. It wasn't as good as 2000, surely, but not awful, either. Then in 2002 we just slid further and further downhill and it tested my patience more than I ever thought possible.
|
Obviously, with the struggles we had and with me being a competitor and wanting to win races, struggling like we did wasn't going to suffice. It wasn't about making money, it was about running well and winning races. So, not being capable of doing that was frustrating.
The biggest and most obvious difference between last year and this year is that we're running well. That has a way of quickly fixing a lot of things and remedying the frustration. It reaffirms what you're out there trying do, what you're spending your life trying to achieve.
You get reassurance that it's about going out there and winning trophies, that the money just comes with it.
I caught myself a while ago thinking about this. We're not happy with the car right now (in practice at Michigan), but it's OK. It was calm. Last year, I would have been in an uproar, not because we were running bad just that week, but every single week. It wasn't just one race. It was an entire season that snowballed.
It got harder and harder, and that resulted in letting steam off that you shouldn't be letting off, which is by no means anyone's fault but mine to let it get to that point. This year is easier because of the good times. You're still busting your tail to get better, but seeing those results makes all that work seem worthwhile. It's not futile.
There's a huge difference there. Last year I'd be frustrated as all get-out right now. This year I'm just like, 'OK, let's figure this out.' I have more patience.
Labonte is fourth in Winston Cup points heading to Sonoma. Credit: Autostock |
I don't think I really learned everything about the importance of patience last year, but I learned a lot. I had to really rethink things and work on my patience. You know you're going to have lows and you need to be prepared to deal with those lows when they come.
Last year was more of a relearning of it, reemphasizing of it and how important it is. It doesn't matter how laid back you are, how patient a person you are. If you want to do well and you aren't, you're going to get pissed off sometimes. You're not going to accept it very well. If you want to do well, sometimes you have to get in an uproar to get that ball started rolling. I did that last year.
And there wasn't a question of if I'd be good again, just when I'd be good again. But we struggled so many times that you tell yourself to shake it off at first, but then it doesn't get any better the next week, and the next week wasn't any better.
We're clawing and fighting and it didn't help much of anything. You're fighting that struggle all year and it seems like it's for no reason. That can drive you about half nuts. I think I was close, but it makes this year seem like a dream.
Nadeau says 'thank you' to friends, family, fans
(dis)believe the dialogue: Sonoma
Track position key to conquering Sonoma
For the record, that makes the "hired guns" 4 for 6, with the "record-breaking" (in quotes because the track layout changed again this year, IIRC) pole and 3rd.
Also have to wish "Infineon" were still Sears Point; can't get used to that either.
But I do like the motorcycle races at Sears Point, aka Infineon. I took Keith Code's motorcycle racing school up there; it's a great track for bikes.
Did you take a look at that mug of his? He looks nothing like either a "good ole' boy" or Flash Gordon <VBG>
Seriously, his background is in road-racing cars, and not knowing whether he wants a full-time ride here, I can't say that he's ever really pursued it. IMHO, somebody ought to give him a shot at an oval.
IN FAVOR for NASCAR racers according to today of BRIT FT
The last thing I've seen regarding Lipton (which I don't drink because I hate tea) and the Blixie Chicks was that Lipton had pulled some ads featuring the Blixies but was still sponsoring their tour (thread here). There's nothing recent on the Financial Times web site regarding it (the last story was back on April 28).
Said, all the way! or 24 or 17 or 97
I need to post an "E" article from yesterday's Murky News.
Harvick? He's been pretty quiet all year. Fellows looked good so it could be hired gun time. Nice and sunny today. breezy, maybe 80 degrees. wine cold .. track Hot! boogity .. boogidy .. bugahti :-)
Lynyrd Skynyrd's Southern rock anthem ``Free Bird'' blares over the loudspeakers as shoppers browse through the NASCAR bazaar that has set up shop at Infineon Raceway.
In the days before Sunday's race, merchandise trailers are selling T-shirts, hats and every conceivable knickknack bearing the likeness, colors and numbers of stock-car racing's biggest drivers. But the crowd around one rig is larger than the rest. The words on the black trailer read: ``The Legacy Lives On . . . ''
Always larger than life, Dale Earnhardt Sr. has become even bigger in death.
``People sometimes still get very, very emotional,'' said the saleswoman behind the counter, who doesn't want to give her name. ``They still can't believe he's gone.''
Twenty-eight months after he was killed at the 2001 Daytona 500, Earnhardt remains one of NASCAR's most popular figures. It goes beyond appreciation for the way the legendary driver helped transform NASCAR into a mainstream sport -- one that probably will draw more than 100,000 spectators to the Dodge/Save Mart 350 on Sunday.
For many of NASCAR's loyal fans, The Intimidator's absence still feels like a death in the family.
``When he passed away, I cried for a day and even my wife didn't understand that besides my dad, he had the most influence on my life,'' said Gary Narasaki, 39, of Martinez, who, as a third-generation Japanese-American, initially identified with the No. 3 on the side of Earnhardt's black Chevy Monte Carlo. ``I know that sounds weird coming from a native Californian who is talking about a guy from North Carolina that he never even met.''
Clearly, others share that passion.
Earnhardt merchandise sales remain in the Top 5 on the NASCAR series. Even on Northern California freeways, it's common to see No. 3 decals on windshields. At the mall you can find a new signature line of Dale Earnhardt leather jackets. Next week the Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert in Daytona Beach, Fla., will feature acts such as Brooks & Dunn and Sheryl Crow.
``Some people looked at him like he was Elvis Presley,'' said Kevin Harvick, the Bakersfield native who took over Earnhardt's car. ``They followed him religiously for years and years.''
If the comparisons between Earnhardt and Elvis seem a stretch, just remember that those wacky supermarket tabloids have printed stories about ``sightings'' of the famous driver's ghost.
A `normal' superstar
Explaining Earnhardt's enduring appeal isn't easy. Fans say either you get it or you don't. But Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president of communications, who has been around the sport for 30 years, has a theory.
``The drivers are normal people,'' Hunter said. ``They aren't pampered, and Earnhardt was the epitome of the non-pampered superstar. He still liked to drive heavy equipment like bulldozers. He liked to bale hay.''
Love him or hate him -- and there were those who were turned off by his aggressive driving style -- there was no denying that Earnhardt made a connection. Perhaps people sensed that, deep down, he was just one of them.
A ninth-grade dropout, Earnhardt got plenty of grease under his fingernails working as a mechanic in the early '70s to finance his weekend race habit. He burned through two marriages because he spent more time racing than with his family before establishing himself as the baddest good ol' boy.
Earnhardt, with his roguish grin, would eventually earn the nickname The Intimidator for his tradin'-paint style of driving. He won seven Winston Cup titles and 76 races over 27 years.
``He was `The Man in Black,' '' driver Jeff Gordon said. ``I knew that didn't make him a bad guy because off the track he wasn't. But on the track he played that evil guy with the black car and using his bumpers. When you're the total package like Dale was, you're going to have lots of admirers.''
Then, on Feb. 18, 2001, he hit the wall at Daytona International Speedway, at more than 180 mph, just short of the finish line. He was 49.
``I've been around long enough to remember great drivers like Fireball Roberts and I know how good David Pearson and Richard Petty were,'' Hunter said. ``But I think it surprised everyone in the industry to see the outpouring of emotion. You'd see these all-night vigils in places like Montana or Colorado.''
That visceral outpouring of grief only confirmed what NASCAR officials had been saying for years -- their sport had become a national force, expanding beyond the Mason-Dixon Line. In a macabre way, his death raised NASCAR's profile further.
NASCAR is in the process of shedding its Southern roots. It just added a second Southern California race and replaced politically incorrect R.J. Reynolds Tobacco with cell phone giant Nextel as the series' title sponsor.
Earnhardt's crossover appeal helped pave the way for those sort of changes.
``He's pretty much responsible for getting our sport where it is today,'' Harvick said. ``He's the reason why most people watch us.''
Annual tribute
Dale Earnhardt Inc., now run by his widow, Teresa, has opened up its Mooresville, N.C., home office each year on the anniversary of his birthday. On April 29, about 13,000 people made the pilgrimage to the place nicknamed the Garage Mahal. Five states also declared that date ``Dale Earnhardt Day.''
Many of his fans have adopted Dale Earnhardt Jr. as their favorite driver, which explains why he sells more merchandise than anyone else. The rise of the son also has added a dynastic quality to the Earnhardt saga -- something that marketing-savvy NASCAR tries to encourage.
Others prefer to stick with Dale Sr.
Friday, fans were getting their pictures taken next to a giant No. 3 plaque at a section of Infineon known as Earnhardt Terrace.
Back at the merchandise trailer, Gene Williams, 64, of Corte Madera, said he and his wife sobbed for two days after Earnhardt died.
``I didn't know if I wanted to follow NASCAR anymore,'' Williams said.
But he was at the track Friday, wearing a No. 3 hat and buying an Earnhardt T-shirt. He carried a book he bought on QVC that bears Earnhardt's autograph. It's part of his Earnhardt memorabilia collection that Williams estimates is worth $5,000.
``I'll probably leave that stuff for my grandsons,'' Williams added. ``It will be their inheritance.''
I find it a nice change Mike. Finally, they take off the rope tied to the steering wheel and have to make a right turn.
Nahhh. Will never happen.
Great article Norm. Thank you.
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