Rumor
05-18-2001, 12:19 PM
Labonte prepares for Winston without rival Earnhardt
By Lee Spencer - The Sporting News
CONCORD, N.C. -- When the fireworks commence on Saturday night for the 17th running of The Winston, one car will be conspicuously absent from the field -- the No. 3 Goodwrench Monte Carlo.
Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip were the only two drivers to hold the distinction of competing in each of the all-star events since R.J. Reynolds created the race in 1985, but it was Earnhardt, with three wins, who held the record for the most Winston trophies.
It was Earnhardt who brought unprecedented color to the event, especially with his tricked-up color schemes that first appeared in 1996 when the No. 3 took on a metallic silver hue commemorating the 25th anniversary of Winston's sponsorship of NASCAR's major stock car league. In the years that followed, the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet carried a variety of paint schemes that gave an automatic boost to the die-cast and souvenir markets.
Mention The Winston to veteran NASCAR fans, and the overwhelming memory that comes to mind is Earnhardt's famous "pass in the grass" down the front stretch of Lowe's Motor Speedway to clinch his first Winston trophy in 1987.
Although he was only 12 at the time, Dale Earnhardt Jr., the defending champ in the race, fondly remembers that night as "the best race I saw him run."
Terry Labonte finished second to Earnhardt in that race and competed against him in all but the 1991 Winston. But their rivalry dates back to 1979, when they were pitted against each other for rookie of the year. Though Labonte lost the rookie honors, the two-time Winston and Winston Cup champ became a formidable opponent of Earnhardt on the track -- and a close friend during quieter times over the last two decades.
Earnhardt would have turned 50 last month -- and in all likelihood he would have tied Labonte's Ironman record of 655 consecutive race starts when he took the green flag at Martinsville and established a new milestone at Talladega. The two were discussing the marketing strategies of the Ironman events the day before Earnhardt died.
"The thing that hit me the hardest was I was in Dale's motor home on Saturday before the (Daytona) 500 and we were talking about the Ironman promotion," Labonte said. "He was going to break my record. We were working on this deal together and he says, 'If I make it that far.' And everyone kind of laughed. I just couldn't believe it. We actually talked about it last year at Phoenix, but we finally had to get it done. He said the only way he was going to do it was if we did it together. And then he said, 'That's if I make it that far.' I still can't believe it."
Labonte said Earnhardt was as competitive when the two were hunting in New Mexico as he was behind the wheel.
"He wore you out," Labonte said. "He was like a goat charging up the mountain going where the horses couldn't even travel. I shot the first time from about 500 yards off and they didn't even know I shot at them. Then I shot again, hit 'em and said, 'All right', until he got back up. Then Earnhardt shot 'em dead on."
Despite their professional tangles in the past, Labonte knows the loss of Earnhardt will leave a void in his life. But it will be in events like The Winston and tracks like Bristol, that he misses his friend the most.
"I can't help but think if it wasn't for Earnhardt, I might have won at least one more (Winston)," Labonte says with a laugh. "It's racing like this that he'll really be missed -- here and the night race at Bristol. He wrecked me twice there. I won one, he got me on the back straight-away on the other, but it was cool.
"Still, yeah, it's a hard to believe that he's gone. Then you're constantly reminded of it every week at the track - they have something to honor Dale. I guarantee you that there haven't been a few days that I haven't thought about him even during the week. No matter where you go you see a '3' flag flying, or a license plate or someone says something about it wherever you go. It's just hard to believe."
Lee Spencer covers NASCAR for The Sporting News. E-mail her at lspencer@sportingnews.com.
By Lee Spencer - The Sporting News
CONCORD, N.C. -- When the fireworks commence on Saturday night for the 17th running of The Winston, one car will be conspicuously absent from the field -- the No. 3 Goodwrench Monte Carlo.
Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip were the only two drivers to hold the distinction of competing in each of the all-star events since R.J. Reynolds created the race in 1985, but it was Earnhardt, with three wins, who held the record for the most Winston trophies.
It was Earnhardt who brought unprecedented color to the event, especially with his tricked-up color schemes that first appeared in 1996 when the No. 3 took on a metallic silver hue commemorating the 25th anniversary of Winston's sponsorship of NASCAR's major stock car league. In the years that followed, the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet carried a variety of paint schemes that gave an automatic boost to the die-cast and souvenir markets.
Mention The Winston to veteran NASCAR fans, and the overwhelming memory that comes to mind is Earnhardt's famous "pass in the grass" down the front stretch of Lowe's Motor Speedway to clinch his first Winston trophy in 1987.
Although he was only 12 at the time, Dale Earnhardt Jr., the defending champ in the race, fondly remembers that night as "the best race I saw him run."
Terry Labonte finished second to Earnhardt in that race and competed against him in all but the 1991 Winston. But their rivalry dates back to 1979, when they were pitted against each other for rookie of the year. Though Labonte lost the rookie honors, the two-time Winston and Winston Cup champ became a formidable opponent of Earnhardt on the track -- and a close friend during quieter times over the last two decades.
Earnhardt would have turned 50 last month -- and in all likelihood he would have tied Labonte's Ironman record of 655 consecutive race starts when he took the green flag at Martinsville and established a new milestone at Talladega. The two were discussing the marketing strategies of the Ironman events the day before Earnhardt died.
"The thing that hit me the hardest was I was in Dale's motor home on Saturday before the (Daytona) 500 and we were talking about the Ironman promotion," Labonte said. "He was going to break my record. We were working on this deal together and he says, 'If I make it that far.' And everyone kind of laughed. I just couldn't believe it. We actually talked about it last year at Phoenix, but we finally had to get it done. He said the only way he was going to do it was if we did it together. And then he said, 'That's if I make it that far.' I still can't believe it."
Labonte said Earnhardt was as competitive when the two were hunting in New Mexico as he was behind the wheel.
"He wore you out," Labonte said. "He was like a goat charging up the mountain going where the horses couldn't even travel. I shot the first time from about 500 yards off and they didn't even know I shot at them. Then I shot again, hit 'em and said, 'All right', until he got back up. Then Earnhardt shot 'em dead on."
Despite their professional tangles in the past, Labonte knows the loss of Earnhardt will leave a void in his life. But it will be in events like The Winston and tracks like Bristol, that he misses his friend the most.
"I can't help but think if it wasn't for Earnhardt, I might have won at least one more (Winston)," Labonte says with a laugh. "It's racing like this that he'll really be missed -- here and the night race at Bristol. He wrecked me twice there. I won one, he got me on the back straight-away on the other, but it was cool.
"Still, yeah, it's a hard to believe that he's gone. Then you're constantly reminded of it every week at the track - they have something to honor Dale. I guarantee you that there haven't been a few days that I haven't thought about him even during the week. No matter where you go you see a '3' flag flying, or a license plate or someone says something about it wherever you go. It's just hard to believe."
Lee Spencer covers NASCAR for The Sporting News. E-mail her at lspencer@sportingnews.com.