Junior crashes, says car would not have won

Andrea Adelson | Sentinel Staff Writer

February 19, 2007

DAYTONA BEACH - Though his car gave him problems all day, Dale Earnhardt Jr. tried to make a push for the front with 20 laps to go Sunday.

He moved all the way up to the top 10 before disaster ensued: Junior got caught up in a wreck with four laps to go, crashing out of the Daytona 500. It was the first time in his career the checkered flag dropped in this race with Junior off the track.

Still, Earnhardt concedes even if he had been able to stay in the race, he did not have enough to really push for the victory.

"We didn't bring a good bullet to the fight," Earnhardt said. "We didn't have everything we needed to have. We're normally a lot better than this, and it's very frustrating to try to get out there and make things happen when the car just wouldn't cooperate."

On Lap 196, Jamie McMurray hit the wall after getting loose off Turn 2. Earnhardt was behind Ricky Rudd, who slowed down. Earnhardt plowed into Rudd and then got hit from behind, too. Earnhardt finished 32nd.

It was a disappointing day for Junior, who usually races well at the Daytona 500. He has four top-10 finishes in the race, including a victory in 2004. Counting the Pepsi 400, also run at Daytona International Speedway, Earnhardt has six top-five finishes and nine top 10s.

When explaining what was wrong, Earnhardt took thinly veiled shots at his stepmother, Teresa, the team owner, when he said he did not like the engine package in his car.

Earnhardt and Teresa do not see eye to eye. Junior wants majority ownership of the team, which his late father started with him in mind, but was inherited by Teresa after Dale Earnhardt Sr. was killed at the Daytona 500 in 2001. Crew chief Tony Eury Jr. told ESPN.com Sunday that if Junior leaves, he would follow him.

"We're not where we used to be, and I think that's pretty obvious," Earnhardt said. "It's not a problem with the engine builders. The guys are building good power. It's how the car gets run in the draft and how the car holds the run for several laps."

Earnhardt started fifth. He was able to stay in or around the top 10 for the first 80 laps, but then slid behind, falling as low as 31st.

Though he made his late push, Earnhardt found frustration everywhere.

"Everybody was three wide and you didn't know which lane to be in," Earnhardt said. "It's just frustrating. We've had really, really good stuff down here. We need to look back.

"I think if we looked back and tried to get our motors back in that kind of range and the rpm we used to run, we'd do better."