LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Dale Earnhardt: Daytona Speedweeks
built 235 days ago
A framed picture of Dale Earnhardt peers down from the wall of her room in the nursing home. Edna Hinton, seated in a wheelchair near the end of her bed, glances up at the photo as she thinks back to what happened in the Daytona 500 five years ago.
Source:
In February 2001, Dale Earnhardts, elder and younger, opened Daytona Speedweeks together as two members of a team in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, an annual sportscar race. The Earnhardts finished second in their class and fourth overall, proving to any doubters that Dale and son were more than just stock-car drivers.
Source:
In the 1997 season, Earnhardt went winless for only the 2nd time in his career. The only (non-points) win came during Speedweeks at Daytona in the Twin 125-mile qualifying race, his record 8th straight win in the event. Once again in the hunt for the Daytona 500 with 10 laps to go, Earnhardt was taken out of the Daytona 500 by a late crash which sent his car upside down on the backstretch. Earnhardt hit the low point of his year when he blacked out early in the Mountain Dew Southern 500 in Darlington, causing him to hit the wall. He was evaluated at a hospital and cleared to race, but the cause of the crash was not identified. Despite no wins (all of Chevrolet's wins were by Hendrick Motorsports -- Pontiac won one race, Ford won every other race in 1997) the RCR team finished the season 5th in the final standings, with no DNF's.
Source:
In 1983, Earnhardt continued racing for Bud Moore, and took his first victory at Daytona International Speedway, though it was in one of the Twin 125 qualifying races for the Daytona 500, which do not count toward the points championship. Earnhardt would have a long and successful career at Daytona, though he did not win the Daytona 500 until 1998. Earnhardt won two races in 1983, and finished eighth in the points.
Source:
Childress convinced Dale that he didn't have enough resources for the defending champion, so Earnhart joined legendary car owner Bud Moore for the 1982 season. Earnhardt got back to victory lane at Darlington Raceway and ended a 39 race losing streak. However, that would be the only win of the year as engine failures in his Ford Thunderbird would plague their season as the team scored 15 DNF's (Did Not Finish). Earnhardt would finish twelfth in the point standings, the lowest finishing position in his career (he would finish twelfth again in 1992). In 1983 Earnhardt won the first of his thirteen Twin 125 qualifiers for the Daytona 500 in his career. While he didn't win the Daytona 500, he did notch wins at Nashville and Talladega.
Source:
Earnhardt's win continued his Daytona "happy time" since NASCAR's most popular driver started his season with new car owner Rick Hendrick Saturday night by winning the Bud Shootout. Earnhardt diced it up at the front with Sorenson, Newman and others enroute to his win.(NASCAR Media) Now that both Gatorade Duels are finished, Earnhardt Jr. will line up 3rd for Sunday's Daytona 500.(Rotoworld.com)
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Daytona Speedweeks