Dale Junior on what it means to win the Daytona 500

   Dale Earnhardt Jr. was well aware of how long it took his father to win his first and only Daytona 500.

 

   But he said he still never realized what it meant to win NASCAR's biggest race until he did himself.

   “I had no idea what winning that race would feel like until I won it. I didn’t know what to compare that to. When you win that race it is really hard to explain. It’s just really hard to explain. All the things that you want out of life and all the pressures you put on yourself or you feel from other people all the things you want to accomplish; everybody sort of has this mountain in front of them that they put in front of themselves that they want to climb," Earnhardt said.

   “For a moment or for a day you are at the top of that mountain. Nothing matters, all your wants and needs, all the problems you have little petty things that bother you everything goes away. You just feel like you have realized your full potential. Everything is sort of just maxed out for the day. All the things that you wanted to achieve. Obviously you set a lot of goals for yourself and that is just one of the goals. But just for a moment, just for that one day whether it is thirty minutes or an hour after you cross that finish line you feel like it can’t get any better than this. It is a pretty incredible emotion. I feel so lucky to have had that opportunity to experience it. It is such a special moment."

   Earnhardt said all the memories and feeling come flashing back any time he sees a replay of his 2004 500 victory.

   "Every time I see that I just think about how fortunate I feel to have won that race. Some of the greatest drivers come through this sport and don’t win it. It just doesn’t seem right, but only certain ones get that opportunity," he said.

Dodge will unveil 2013 car at Vegas

   The 2013 Sprint Cup Series model of the new Dodge Charger will be officially unveiled on March 11 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,

   The reveal will take place in the speedway's Neon Garage at 10:30 a.m. Local prior to the running of the Kobalt Tools 400. Along with the 2013 Cup car will be a production 2012 Dodge Charger R/T, giving fans and media an opportunity to see the many features of the production Charger that have been incorporated into the new race car.

   In October 2009, Dodge introduced the Challenger R/T as the “new car” for the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season.

   “The reception for the Dodge Challenger was simply outstanding,” said Ralph Gilles, president and CEO. “It’s been another remarkable effort by our SRT Motorsports design and engineering teams and Penske Racing, working together with NASCAR, to achieve a Dodge Charger that embodies so many of the characteristics of the production version. 

   "Our team is confident, that even with the iconic design features incorporated into the Sprint Cup car, there has been no compromise in the area of competition.”

Tony Stewart's excellent explanation

   Three-time Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart wasn't always a fan of the big pack racing at Daytona and Talladega, but given the choice between that and the two-car tandem racing which has dominated those tracks the past two seasons, he prefers the former.

   Saturday night after finishing second in the Budweiser Shootout, Stewart offered a very comprehensive explanation as to why he would rather run in the packs and why Saturday night's race may have been a lot more wild than what will take place in next Sunday's Daytona 500.

   "My point is this is better than having to sit there and stare at the back of a spoiler for 500 miles and not be able to see where you're going half the race. We had control of what lane we got to run in. We got to move whenever we wanted. You didn't have to not move because you had a guy behind you that you had to rely on making your decision on what he had to do also. We had more control as drivers today," Stewart said.
 

    "Look at the history of this race. They always crash here. Go to Talladega, they crash cars there. It's a yard sale every time we go to a restrictor

   "It's not that bad. It's the Bud Shootout. Everybody pushes the envelope. Everybody tries to see what that limit is, what that boundary is. When it comes to Sunday, you have to race 500 miles, you have to make it last till the end. It's not that they're not conscious of the fact you have to make it to lap 75 tonight, but you have the flexibility of not worrying about points standings and not worrying about the 500 title, losing it if you make a mistake tonight.

   "The competition is so tight, you have to try things tonight. If you don't, somebody else is and they're going to learn from it whether it's right, wrong or indifferent. You had to be aggressive tonight and you had to see what you can get away with. You have to try things. It's a great opportunity for trial and error.

   "As you saw tonight, it worked out sometimes and it didn't work out a lot of times. The guys that crashed, it didn't work out, there's something they took away from it and said, That didn't work out so well. Just like last night when I crashed Kurt (Busch), that wasn't even close to what I had in mind for practice, but that's what happened. It's part of the trial and error process. You have to go through that.

"Forty-three cars can win this race a week from tomorrow. If you don't push yourself into figuring out what you can or can't do, I would rather do it with my Shootout car than I would with my 500 car."

Former 'Dukes' star blasts NASCAR

    Former Georgia congressman Ben Jones, who starred as ace mechanic "Cooter" Davenport on the hit television series "The Dukes of Hazzard", issued a statement on Friday criticizing NASCAR for its decision to prevent the use of the popular "General Lee" 1969 Dodge Charger at the Phoenix Sprint Cup race in March.  
  
   "At a time when tens of millions of Americans are honoring their Union and Confederate ancestors during this Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, NASCAR has chosen to dishonor those Southerners who fought and died in that terrible conflict by caving to 'political correctness' and the uninformed concerns of corporate sponsors," Jones said in a release.

   "This is also an extraordinary insult to rural Southerners, who are NASCAR's oldest and most fervent fan base, and it sends a message against inclusion and against the need for diversity.  Many of us who are descended from ancestors who fought for the South see this as a crude dishonoring of our kinfolks and our heritage. Our ancestors were proud Americans who had fought for our Nation before the Civil War and have served honorably in every conflict since then.

   "The Confederate Battle Flag is on display at many National Battlefields and is displayed by countless historical and heritage groups who are descendants of those who fought in that crucible of the American experience.  'The Dukes of Hazzard' remains a beloved classic television show which is watched by Americans of all races and regions and is watched internationally as an upbeat reflection of the American Spirit. It is also watched by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world.

   "While it is true that the Confederate Battle Flag has been used by extremist groups like the KKK, these groups also display the American Flag and the Christian cross in their rituals. However, the vast majority of the display of the St. Andrews Cross Flag is in a benign spirit of remembrance and reverence. I am a veteran of the Civil Rights Movement, a Life Member of the NAACP, and a proud member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. 

   "As a cast member of 'The Dukes of Hazzard' and the owner of several 'General Lees', I can attest that the car and our show reflect the very best of American values, and that Hazzard County was a place where racism was not tolerated. This action by NASCAR  is a provocative and unnecessary over-reaction to a problem that doesn't exist.  It is a disgraceful and gratuitous insult to a lot of very decent people. It is prejudicial toward those good-hearted folks who, like Uncle Jesse Duke, are in fact 'never meanin' no harm'."

Daytona or Phoenix? Where is Dale Junior more likely to win?

   Daytona or Phoenix?

   Where does Dale Earnhardt Jr. think he is more likely to win? The answer could well surprise you.

   Earnhardt offered his opinion during Thursday's Media Day at Daytona International Speedway while discussing the uncertainty of how the racing will unfold the next two weeks at Daytona.

   "This weekend will be enjoyable but I am looking forward to going to Phoenix because I know I have better odds of winning there. I look forward to going to tracks where I’m driving the car, where I can make a difference. I don’t know what is going to happen in the Daytona 500, I don’t even have a clue what the race is going to be like now and that’s frustrating but that’s just the way it is," Earnhardt said.

   "We’ll go through Shootout practice tomorrow and get the chance to practice a little bit and see what works and doesn’t work. Then we’ll run the Shootout and really see some people play their hand and see what we’re capable of doing and after that race we’ll have a pretty good idea of what to expect the rest of the week. Right now, I have no knowledge and it’s frustrating as a driver to go in a situation like that.

   "Everything we’re going to have to learn, we’re going to have to learn really fast in just a few hours of practice. Just waiting to get that going, waiting to get that practice started and see what kind of racing we are going to be doing.”

   For the record, Earnhardt has two career Sprint Cup wins at both tracks.

M. Waltrip gets Daytona 500 ride

   Add the Daytona 500 to Michael Waltrip's busy Speedweeks schedule.

   Hillman Racing and Aaron’s Inc. announced Monday two-time Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip will drive the No. 40 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota in the 2012 Daytona 500 for the organization. The race will mark Waltrip’s 75^th start at Daytona in one of NASCAR’s top three series - Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Trucks, the most of any driver.

   “Aaron’s really does make your dreams come true,” said Waltrip. “When I was a kid thinking about racing in Daytona I never dreamed I would start more NASCAR races there than anyone. That’s amazing.”

   Waltrip said it takes many factors for success.

   “You have to have a great sponsor to race and Aaron’s has been a great sponsor for a long time.” Waltrip said. “I appreciate what the folks at Hillman Racing including Joe Falk are putting together. Hopefully my experience at Daytona will help them get out of the gate strong with their new team.”

   Waltrip will race the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota in the Feb. 18 Budweiser Shootout, oversee his three Cup teams at Michael Waltrip Racing and host several top executives from corporate America attending the races with the team. He will also continue his television work serving as a commentator for Speed's Truck series broadcasts and begin his new role as an analyst for the Fox NASCAR Sunday broadcasts, joining his brother and Hall of Fame member Darrell Waltrip.

2012 Budweiser Shootout entries

   Entries filed as of Monday for Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway:

   Car, driver, make
   No. 1, Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet
   No. 2, Brad Keselowski, Dodge
   No. 5, Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet
   No. 9, Marcos Ambrose, Ford
   No. 11, Denny Hamlin, Toyota
   No. 14, Tony Stewart, Chevrolet
   No. 15, Clint Bowyer, Toyota
   No. 16, Greg Biffle, Ford
   No. 17, Matt Kenseth, Ford
   No. 18, Kyle Busch, Toyota
   No. 20, Joey Logano, Toyota
   No. 22, A.J. Allmendinger, Dodge
   No. 24, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
   No. 27, Paul Menard, Chevrolet
   No. 29, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet
   No. 31, Jeff Burton, Chevrolet
   No. 34, David Ragan, Ford
   No. 39, Ryan Newman, Chevrolet
   No. 42, Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet
   No. 48, Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet
   No. 51, Kurt Busch, Chevrolet
   No. 55, Michael Waltrip, Toyota
   No. 56, Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
   No. 88, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet
   No. 99, Carl Edwards, Ford