Document text
--> --> Commentary: Let's not give NASCAR any ideas on stories By Jim Litke The same line appeared in nearly every story about Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning the Pepsi 400. Junior even used it himself. He climbed out of his car a champion at the same track where his father was killed in a crash five months ago and said, "You couldn't write a better script." Let's not give NASCAR any ideas. The race NBC put on in prime time Saturday night was an honest competition. There was nothing fixed about it. But admit this much: You would have been a lot more comfortable watching if NBC Sports boss Dick Ebersol hadn't become such fast friends with World Wrestling Federation (and ex-XFL) impresario Vince McMahon. To review: NASCAR opened the season and made its debut on Fox at the Daytona 500 in February with a new $2.8-billion, six-year television package in tow. Dale Earnhardt Sr., the biggest name in the sport, died in a last-lap crash trying to make sure the field didn't catch his pal, Michael Waltrip, and his son, Dale Jr., who finished 1-2 in cars he owned. Earnhardt Sr.'s death was the fourth on an oval in nine months, all due to skull fractures caused by rapid forward head movement in collisions. NASCAR responded to safety concerns by conducting an internal investigation worthy of the Nixon White House. Meanwhile, TV ratings for the races that followed climbed by an average of 29 percent. Near the midpoint of its season, NASCAR returned to Daytona to begin the NBC portion of its schedule. Once the race is underway, nobody can touch Junior. He dominates throughout, but has to stage a breathtaking charge from sixth place in the final six laps to win. On lap 156, with just four to go, Junior blasts past leader Johnny Benson in turn 4 - barely 50 feet from where his father crashed - and takes the lead for keeps. Shepherding him home is Waltrip, perhaps the most-willing second-place finisher in the history of sport. "The '8' car went by us like we were standing still, but he went by everybody. You don't go by yourself on the outside and make that kind of time up. But it's OK," Benson said. "It was good that Junior won." That was the sentiment throughout the weekend. It was almost as if an Earnhardt win was preordained. Benny Parsons, working the telecast for NBC, essentially called the race for Dale Jr. with 94 laps left. Competitors practically waved him past. It was apparent as early as practice runs a few days earlier that the Chevys being run by the three teams with Earnhardt connections were very fast and Junior's was the fastest of all. "There's more dedication in that shop right now than you'll find in any other shop," Junior said. But his dominance was so clear, it surprised even him. "There wasn't car out there within half-a-second of that car. And why?" Junior said. "We don't know." Veteran NASCAR fans find none of this curious. They understand that teammates and even rivals often work together until the final few laps of a race, when it's supposed to revert to every man for himself. Even if Waltrip had managed to engage Junior in one last side-by-side duel, there's a good chance both of them could have been overtaken by a line of cars flying past. Besides, Waltrip owed him a favor dating back to the Daytona 500. "They were all over me, but I stayed committed," Waltrip said. "I wasn't about to bail out on 'em." NASCAR has always prided itself on providing the kind of racing fans want to see. The last half-dozen years, the higher-ups have tweaked the rules any way they see fit as late as the day before a race to make sure no team or car manufacturer enjoys too big an edge. They're used to doing their business in private, without interference from the employees and fans - especially in matters of safety. What's changed is that NASCAR is playing in the big leagues now, with more at stake and more scrutiny than visionary founder Bill France Sr. ever dreamed about. The old ways won't do, and the sooner Bill France Jr. and circuit chief Mike Helton figure it out, the better. In the past week, both men have admitted making some mistakes in the investigation into Earnhardt's death. They have bowed to mounting pressure and set an August deadline to release its conclusions. Most important, some change is already apparent on the track. At the Daytona 500, only seven of the 43 drivers were wearing head-and-neck support systems. This time around, the number was 33. Jim Litke is the national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at [email protected] Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing