Dale Earnhardt finally wins the Daytona 500 | 1998 Daytona 500 | NASCAR Classic Race Replay

43 will start the great American

race

here is the starting lineup for the first time the brothers are on the front row the Lebanese Bobby and Terry on row two Sterling Marlin two time winner and Dale Earnhardt his twentieth attempt to win this

race

Dale Earnhardt a two time winner of the time and mike waltrip second in his qualifying race jimmy spencer winner of the bud pre-shootout and mike skinner last year's pole sitter ward burton eighth last year and ernie irving the 1991 winner derek cope who was in the lane of victory in 1990 and rusty wallace his 16th attempt to win the big race jeremy mayfield sixth last year and jeff burton fifth two years ago mark martin is the best finisher third in 95 and lake speed second in 1985. john andretti won the 400 miles here last july andy hillenberg two time ark champion bill elliott, two time winner of the 500, along with vermont rookie kevin lepage chad little his seventh five hundred and bobby hamilton new in a car that has won here three times mike wallace got in to phil barkdahl's car earlier in the week greg sacks over the past eight years, he has driven eight different teams for 86 mile winner jeff bodine, along with connecticut rookie jerry nadeau, rick mast finished fourth in 1991 and joe nemechek He won the 300 miles yesterday. jeff gordon, defending 500 champion, and robert presley makes his fifth start. ken schrader had a bad accident on thursday but he's ready to go for that million dollar bonus and ricky craven 30 years ago long island rookie steve park driving for Earnhardt and ageless dick trickle dave marcus his 31st consecutive 500th and the rookie billy standridge ted musgrave finished fourth here in 95 and rookie kenny irwin jr kyle petty third generation driver and ricky rudd third in 81. steve grissom last year front row this year back row for him and interim starters brett bodine and the provisional champions of the 1989 winner daryl waltrip there are 43 cars in the field here today competed for 500 miles, 200 laps on this two and a half mile track, fuel was 45 to 50 laps, competing for more than seven million dollars and the race record was set by our own baker friend in 1980, let's take a look at this Daytona International Speedway here is the start and finish line 18 degrees banking here 31 degrees banking in the corners what does 31 degrees look like of cant? we'll bring our graph here our car this is what it looks like, but towards the The drivers when they're cornering at 200 miles an hour look almost flat in today's race, they're going to have 18 new Ford Taurus, they're going to have three Ford Thunderbirds, 16 Chevrolets and six Pontiacs.

Drivers who did not qualify for this race are listed in alphabetical order. Kenny wallace missed that final shot on the last lap of his qualifying race robert presley stopped him today you're going to ride along with the man looking to win his first 500 after 20 starts it's not just that

dale

Earnhardt didn't win this the race it's how close has it been how many times will he start fourth today mark martin led the most laps here in last year's race is still looking for his first win in the 500. jeff beaudine one win a total of seven top ten finishes in this race rick mast makes his eighth start in the

daytona

500 jeff gordon last year was the seventh driver to win the

daytona

500 and the

wins

ton cup championship in the same season ricky craven started last year's race in the back row and finished third kenny irwin jr is one of six drivers racing his first daytona 500 today

dale

jarrett is one of six drivers to have won this race more than once will start fifth from roush racing jeff burton won three races

wins

ton cup last year his fifth start in the daytona 500 is today and john andretti jumps to the throne of king richard petty's pontiac, he will start 17th, he won the winston cup 400 here last july 4, mike , we're ready to get the Daytona 500 underway, Dan Marino, not just a spotter and flag waiver, he's the co. -owner of car 13 driven by jerry nadew pretty calm while the lights are off in the pontiac pace car those butterflies are churning in those drivers stomach but they're about to leave them here right now and start the 50th anniversary

nascar

season 40th Daytona 500 is underway the lovati brothers take the lead but jeff gordon got off to a slow start he was on the apron when they dropped the green flag gordon accelerates he has 43 cars unrolled in the rear immediately from the top in turn four, a new look at this racer, it's exciting to see that I've never been this high, but I felt that way when I hit the wall here several times, look at these cars that are already three wide in testing here.

The Lavoni brothers are working together. Sterling Marlin in third place. There they go straight to the end of the track in the first part of the race, but there are some of them trying to get to the top, for the first time. Bobby Lavonny leads the Daytona 500 alone. four races last year were one from the pole that is lobati's green pontiac tremendous amount of debris on the backstretch there are sandwiches and various paper things but these cars have several holes in the front for air to enter for cooling For this car that could be a problem later, it could be that it doesn't take much to cover that grill so they don't get the air they need.

Roof cams are back at CBS and in Nascar racing, Nascar removed them by law, we brought them back here at Daytona. with

nascar

approval you are right above the windshield of jeff bodine's car if you want to know how the driver sees it this is the closest you can get low in the corner this is what we call the high groove against the wall many drivers feel that they're safer on the high side, if something happens to the car, you can't run into the outside wall, and as you notice, as they were taking that curve, it didn't look like it was 31 degrees of bank, rick bass, instead of that, it's jeff bodine, a piece of rubble on camera and now rick mast, right behind jeff bodon, dave marcus, below, starting his 31st 500 and three break, that's mike wallace, that's the meat in that sandwich .

When they come out of the corner, boy, this is not a good area of ​​the track to run three in a row. I'm not sure there is a good tractor area. Good point, everyone makes it through. Well, the front seven cars have only gotten away five. from that back, leaning sharply into the 31 degree bank of turn three, there are those seven cars ahead, just five, bobby labonte, engineer daryl walter, driving the caboose, ralph shaheen mike, there was actually no no problem with jeff gordon, in fact, crew chief ray everham is proud of his driver apparently someone in front of jeff slowed down and jeff ducked to the bottom to avoid it.

He really saved the front end of the race car. Good news for defending 500 champion, now Bill Elliot. Well, he's the hamburger and the bun. on the short side is Bobby Hamilton and on the outside number two is Rusty Wallace and there's nothing in the world I can do about it Mike, you don't want to be in that position, but what can you do about it? There's no place where Go Here Comes Mark Martin and the sixth car, that's the blue and white car and you can see at the bottom. Bill needs to get in line right now, if you don't he'll just go to the back.

He has help. One looked. Over decided not to go with him so you can watch him just disappear and say, come on in, you're riding with Mark Martin. That white dotted line denotes the border between the banking and the flat deck of the racetrack. Don't go left. line not unless you want to finish after you get to the wall and go back down that's where you'll

finally

end up bill elliot can't find a lane he's in the middle by himself and that's no man's land because the groups just flow Pass right by both sides, now you will receive help from Dick Trick number 90 and reach the boyfriend back here.

Chad Little was also in the same position for a moment, but thank God, Elliot got Bobby, Terry Lavonnie and Sterling Marlin. winner of the qualifying race on thursday with the two time trial drivers on the front row and look at that orange car in the top slot, michael waltrip is coming and keep your eye just below him on dale earhardt, he's moving up right now, sees the two of them side by side winhardt gets the spot moves in front of michael waltrip as they go down the backstretch now back in fourth place. car Earnhardt looking at michael waltrip who drives for the Wood brothers proud of that 76 win with david pearson in 72 with aj point maybe guys to win it again you say waltrip looking out at the 125 mile qualifying races this week he was very strong on the high side of the track that's dale jarrett right below him they're moving to the front dale jarrett pulls up to the side in the low groove and dale jarrett has eight cars lined up directly behind him.

He has been running in the low groove since the green flag fell. Sometimes the tall group running out there may be better, but it seems to be working right now. Pretty good for you and that line of seven cars is now just five as they push behind Dale Earnhardt Derrick Ernie Irvin's black car to the inside and that rainbow colored number 36. One of the fastest cars in practice all week has been irvin yeah he's very very confident I had dinner with him last night and he just said hey I've got the best cars I've ever had here dick bergeron roger penske es A captain of American industry, he could be in one of the fighter suites here at Daytona, instead he's on top of the highest grandstand in the place, looking for his driver, Rusty Wallace, Rusty just called and said , understood, where would you like you to run high or low?

He said you're doing a good job, he just hangs up. There, look at Rusty and his teammate Jeremy Mayfield, cars 2 and 12 painted similarly. They are teammates. It looks like they have a trailer hitch between them. I'm sure that was playing Mike. We saw many. drafting cars in practice yesterday together to see which ones worked well together and jeremy mayfield was very, very good in that number 12 car, so he's there with his partner now ernie irving still on the inside, outside of him, the one who put the last year's pole, mike skinner. when they run side by side and the Lebanese guys are left alone at this time, the draft works much better with the cars in line than with the cars running behind the group and she will lose almost two or three tenths per lap the leading cars when they're running in single rows 42 cars still in the draft leader the only one that's out of the draft right now is Daryl Walter second place Sterling Marlin inside that number 40 blue and silver.

Look who's coming with him here. Earnhardt comes taking notes. Dale Earnhardt has led every lap of the Daytona 500 except four laps, one of them, of course, lap 200, the final one. Now it's Jeff Bodine, the middle man, Ken Schroeder, and that black number 33 goes up just right. ahead of bodine's number seven and way down is kyle petty in 44. ned, I'm a little surprised that those five cars running single file up front couldn't escape the two wide runs, which is more surprising. from the time when the cars separate, they run faster than the cars running side by side, but look here, four in a row on the back stretch, Jeff Garden, all the way on the flat part of the track racing, did you see inside there that's not the race track it was for? a moment on the clock number 33 Schrader fractured his sternum on Thursday that's a special blackjack he has today he started at number 43 now he's moving up to the top 20. he's flying in that car prepared by andrey petry and many said that was the car to be reckoned with to win it but with an injured driver, how could that be possible when Morgan Shepard is ready to step in should the traitor not be able to go the distance?

The other day they asked him how far he would run. He said, "Oh, probably the first 200 laps that's how." how long this race lasts ken schrader wears a bulletproof vest like rodeo cowboys wear a bull rider's bulletproof vest a complete rider if there ever was one he's a tough customer no doubt that line has lasted on the inside of the track now up to 19th after starting 43rd because he crashed his lead car on Thursday, he had to run a backup car in the 500. Mike, you wonder how hard Trader hit the wall on Thursday. This is the steering wheel he was hanging on to see how this thing is folded.

They're all supposed to be straight, not even close to being a straight man, it's a tough guy to be out there running right now, straighter, a flyer, nothing needs you and I've probably been them some, but I don't think I've bet never so bad. It was uh Dick said he's a tough customer to be around now that he's very determined because he could make an extra million dollars if he wins third on that inside line 13 full laps Bobby Lavonny leads Sterling Marlonand Dale Earnhardt Here's Ralph Shaheen my Kenny Schroeder is running with a heavy heart today and a young man named Stephen Bradley recently passed away due to cystic fibrosis one of Kenny's personal charities in his bed said to Kenny Kenny please win the Daytona 500 for me, it's the only thing I can ever ask you for and that's what you're trying to do here today.

His daughter Dorothy told him that Dad Stephen is running across the sky cheering you on today to do it, although Schroeder will have to outdo Bobby Labonte Sterling Marlon Dale Earnhardt Dale Jarrett. in fourth derrick cope the 1990 winner in fifth terry lavonnie now returns to sixth place skinner last year's paul sitter is seventh michael waltrip eighth jimmy spencer ernie irvin that's the top ten and just outside the top 10 is jeff gordon who He's come all the way from 29th to 11th. Side by side for the lead at the back, right away the Sterling Marlins were going to be a force and I predicted that he was going to be the guy to watch today and he is already leading the race, Earnhardt follows right behind Bobby Labonte, they are trying to get out on the outside as you see them fighting side by side in the colt corner of the lower derrick, that black number 30 car passes Earnhardt trying to stop move up the line and secure third place and Earnhardt won't have any of that, he's not the easiest guy in the world to pass, as you can see, he's fighting from the outside, terry labonte, you're looking at him right now, these guys are No there's two-car draft, four-car draft, and side by side to the finish, 15 full laps.

Sterling Marlin trying to hold off Bobby Lavonny Dale Earnhardt and Derek Copete in the great American race. 18 complete laps. Earnhardt this is his 20th Daytona 500. He has now led 18 of 20 trips to the beach. Wow, there's a new sheriff in town. He's taking care of this right now. He sees Bobby Labonte in second place running very well. Sterling Marlin complains that the car. he is not running to his measure, but still he is able to lead and he is also in the top three at the moment, here is the pass for the leadership. Sterling just moved, no, he got caught with the draft.

There you can see that the outside line had a good run. They attacked him and just walked past him, that's exactly what happened. Earnhardt knows how to take advantage of another car as good as anyone, but better than most, so now seven cars are pulling away from the field in single file, Earhardt, Bobby Labonte, Sterling Marlin, Derek, co, Terry Lavonny. Mike Skinner, but behind Mike Skinner it's still a fight, there's the front five as they work. Turn to number three, Skinner, a little alone at sixth, but he still feels the draft and behind him, it's a war zone.

Look at it, wow, you can see how. hamilton and the fourth car hit the wall as he exits the turn that was even too close to him and it looks like the cars in that group are moving forward. mike waltrip number 21 is the first car in the top slot and it doesn't look like he's running that well no, he and dale jerry are trying to follow him there and the cars are just passing them on the inside, you were right, the flow rate at This moment seems to be working. the best lines right away and you know how amazing they are running at 200 miles an hour so close to each other and the wind is blowing a little today the cars are moving three to four feet in the turns facing each other dick berger like dale Earnhardt wins leads this race today everyone is wondering if he can

finally

win it everything seems to have happened to Earnhardt he has been upside down a seagull hit him in the front of the car he ran out of gas he had a flat tire while running the front and last night in the last practice session he lost an engine a pushrod failed maybe everything bad is over and done with today will be Earnhardt day bill stevens there is also a new engine in car number two bobby labonte's pontiac yesterday at the Last practice they didn't think the engine had enough power.

Jimmy Maycard told me this morning that they have enough power to run up front all day. It is a new engine, ready to use. Ralph Shaheen Bill, while many teams have been forming multiple Winston Cup teams to learn new speed secrets driver Derek Hope's Bihari team has been crossing the pond and working with an upper echelon formula one team to develop new things for the winston cup competition it seems to be working here today 20 laps 50 miles average speed 186 miles per hour we will be working on Buddy Baker's record today here it keeps going 1980 the fastest 500 of all time Mr.

Baker won it well , that's why they call them records that can't be broken, these guys are doing a great job. Right now, the only thing I'm seeing about the Pontiacs here is some concern: they get better, they get faster, they have a huge amount of downforce, which means they have good cornering grip and right now they're running a second and a fourth in the position here and You can see that the Pontiac is a major force this year. The best forward at the moment is Michael Waltrip, who is in eighth place. Five cars begin to separate themselves from sixth place.

I think they're starting to do it now that they've pointed behind those other 44 on the right side of the screen, that's Kyle Petty, his grandpa won this race in '59. His dad won it seven times and Kyle is doing it. . a load, started 39th, moved up to 16th, Pontiacs on the high side of the racetrack, right there, Petty Andretti and also, uh, Chad Little, they're coming to the high side and they're really moving along with that Number 23 white red, there, Jimmy Spencer, he was one. one of the favorites going into this race because he ran very well in the qualifying race at the shootout last weekend, he collapsed on the inside, we just didn't try, now he's climbing another line, maybe he can improve a bit. three wide, you're going into turn Chad Little on the high side and that green car had to give way Kenny Irwin Jr and 28 was down and things got pretty close there going into turn one Bill Stevens one of the interesting things what we're seeing today is the pontiacs running well during practice this week the pontiac cars crew chiefs were saying that when they get together in the draft they actually slow down they worked really hard during happy hour yesterday some of The Pontiacs Obviously, today's teams have found the answer to the last time a Pontiac won this race, Kale Yarborough, 1983.

A little further down that group, Rusty Wallace and his teammate Jeremy Mayfield have swapped places to see if They will work better. They're three wide again, Ernie Irving in In the middle, you can see it. He thought better of moving out there, Michael Waltrip is really running well on the high side of the restaurant and Michael Walter made the same move at the same time they were coming in. They were going up. to that team and michael waltrip had already overcommitted and ernie wisely pulled out of that situation it's horrible at the beginning of the race we have a pit stop to consider racing right now you're really getting an idea of ​​what you need to do as far as adjustments for later in the race, let's check with ralph with michael waltrips number 21, the orange car, that gear change in wednesday afternoon practice made the difference, he finished second in the twin 125 and is running at the front here, all because of a gear shift that is Waltrips 21 outside won the Winston All-Star race but is looking for his first victory in the points race cloudy, cool and windy here in Daytona bobby lobotti said his car was being really banged up there's mike skinner at the bottom 31 michael waltrip up top chevy versus four and here are your leaders mike you can see the first five cars they're starting to get a little gap to the next group of cars that's because they don't They are competing, they stay in line. these guys have double faults, that's something we saw that worked very well yesterday, yes, we did it in the big 300 mile national race and just a few moments ago, two or three laps ago, those cars in the back had stood out and caught to the front runners and then decided they wanted to race again, we'll see how quickly they can lose that draft and the others fall away, but now those five cars in the leading draft are about to join three.

Mike Skinner at 31 now has Michael Waltrip and Ernie. irvin working single file the draft here is very important why you have a car in front breaking the air and there is turbulence if you have ever been on a boat and you look at the water you actually try to follow the boat from behind that's what What the air does if it passes over these race cars, it creates a vacuum that pushes the car behind towards the leading car. Also, you're not resisting the wind or anything in the second, third, fourth and fifth car, so in line it feels like you have two engines instead of one.

There you really accelerate, Dale Earnhardt, your leader, looking back, the pole winner, Bobby Labonte, the green car and right behind them, Sterling Marlin went up to the high side of the track and they're kicking him back into the field . Mike Skinner passed him. so is michael waltrip and now ernie irvin got taken out coming out of turn two i'm not going to help him up there the others just passed by you can see that sterling marlin's number 40 car is there alone with no one to write about it right now and that proves the point dude, a car alone can't go as fast as the cars lined up.

Only five Ralph Mikes. We spoke with crew chief Tony Glover for Sterling Marlin. They're getting a little lost on that number 40 car right now. and that's why he's falling back with 29 laps down, they still have a long way to go until that first pit stop dick bergen well, bobby labonte and derek cole say they're pushing coming out of the corner, but most of the Drivers we hear on the radio tell their teams that they are having difficulty differentiating between chassis problems and the wind that is hitting them on the track and that it will make it especially difficult for them to adjust the cars when they enter the pits. stop jeff beaudine at the tri-oval here at the start and finish line 18 degrees banking, let's see as they go into turn one how much those cars dance we're on the high side and you don't really understand the effects of the wind like you're a little far away of the wall where the wind actually travels, but what it feels like is like you've passed a car on the interstate and your car goes into that void and it feels like it's pulling you over. toward the truck as you go by, that's what the airflow feels like and if you get some extra wind, it really gets a little eerie now Jeff Gordon stopped at number two, right in front, Rusty Wallace Wallace came down the race track to take that low lane. away from gordon 30 full laps dale earhardt 20 years trying to win the great american race he is your leader bobby labonte derek cope terry lavonny mike skinner and michael waltran dale earhardt leads the Daytona 500 after 34 laps pole sitter bobby labonte look at that great orange dot on the upper windshield of labonte's car which means it is one of five cars eligible for rj reynolds' million dollar bonus for finishing in the top five at talladega in october they can put an extra million in the bank if They win here today is part of a season-long promotion and this race already pays a million to the winner, so one of those five drivers could win it, that's two million dollars.

We have the first pit stop right now as we watch them go down to turn one, Kyle. The small leaders continue as the green flag pit stops begin. This seems a little early as Kyle Petty enters on the right side tires in the number 44. Up front, Earnhardt in a Chevrolet Labonte Pontiac Derrick, then Terry Lavonny at Fort Mike Skinner, Earnhardt's teammate in fifth Dick Bergeron. Pit stops will be made fairly soon. Larry Mcreynolds is Dale Earnhardt's crew chief. When will you pit and what will you do well? We can run about 60 or 62 laps on fuel, but you know what Daytona you have to go with the flow.

I know that even though we can race that far, we might have to get there a little bit earlier because that's when most of the group could come, but definitely changing four tires, four tires at the beginning of the race means a lot here, the track turns every time. slicker and oilier, happy with the car, yeah, you know, right now, if I knew I was going to lead, we'd put more tape on it because it looks really good right now, but we can't count on going out all day and our tire hauler just did it, David Rogers. who had a baby girl around eight in the morning im so proud of him proud to have him here now o'leary is no longer leading here comes bobby labonte and derek take care of him another pontiac pushing a pontiac as they pass by Earnhardt down through the triangle and down into turn one, we said on yesterday's show, to take the lead you need to have a friend, bobbylabonte found one there and derek cole, one thing he has to do, although he has to deal with the three cars. they head back immediately next to each other and there's some bright color right on that package and here comes jeff gordon is stuck in the front package he's nestled right behind dale jarrett's board saw jerry go high going towards jared state running high between their turns one and two and gordon saw that and said, hey, let me try it, they ran a good race and took a couple positions, jeremy mayfield's number 12 inside jeff gordon and jarrett terry labonte inside and he crashes into Derrick Colt.

You'll see a large black donut, wheel mark on the right side of the yellow and white Labonte machine. Here comes Ernie Irving turning the first corner. These guys are going like it's their last and it's only lap 38. Now Gordon's down. to the outside and it's working and his terrible body takes another hit against Mike Skinner and Skinner may have grazed the wall in that match Gordon Rusty Wallace was unscathed Is it too early for this type of action? Oh, too soon, no doubt. about that but as larry mcreynolds pointed out the track is starting to get slicker now the tires are warming up they have been there for almost 40 laps sliding a lot terry labonte is definitely having some issues with this car.

I see the back of his car loses grip and goes a little sideways in the corner and he had to chase him around the back and he got into Mike Skinner coming out of the corner there, Skinner hit the outside wall, luckily he didn't. we had a warning. There, joining the group of front cars is Kenny Schrader, who started 31st, so he's done a great job of moving through the field. Look at the car right in front of him.Mark Martin Dance coming out of the corner, it's a pretty bad feeling when you have to turn right to go left, when that rear end starts to turn you have to turn into the slide and that it's the opposite of what you really need to drive race cars well. you turn left to go left into turn four, oh and lebani again, that car got a little loose in the blink of an eye, you gotta catch it and fix it now, a blink would be too long, can you see flag.

It's really blowing there right now, but that's only part of the story, there's a 200 mile per hour wind between the cars and when you stand next to someone, the emptiness from the inside of the car to the outside is incredible. Back in turn two, Ken Schroeder with that green 33 and trying to get between him and 99, Jeff Burton, it's Dale Jarrett, the winner of '96, and look at Kenny Irwin, man, he came from 38th position with the leading group, that's that black and red number. 28 there's erwin the rookie bill stevens kenny irwin is flying mark reno the crew chief just told me that the biggest problem they've had with him today is telling him to be patient, he's been wanting out of this double line deal since the early in the race, but remembers he crashed in one of the heats the other day and the place is really trying to calm him down.

He had him run in the Arca race the other day, he won the race and said he had no idea how much he had. That he learned and he learned a lot by winning that race and participating in the competition before the Daytona 500. Aboard Kenny Irvin, today's in-car telemetry provided by First Plus Financial approached 190 miles per hour there at a point seven seven at 200 rpm and returns to the start-finish line 41 full laps bobby labonte leads dale earhardt ernie irvin derrick cope jeremy mayfield has worked his way into the top five and last year's winner jeff gordon is on the move we are still under green from the first flag drop 45 laps dale Earnhardt is back in front leading to ernie irvin at number 36 with him a chevy and a pontiac derrick copes number 30 in fourth place chevrolet has led 23 laps today pontiac 22 ford hasn't put any cars in front yet no, i'm so impressed with jeremy mayfield running around here, I mean, he moved up to 4th a long time ago, he's doing a great job right now, he started 13th, Bobby Labonte recovered from the lead and got back to about 7th, that green car in the main draft put Urban in the outside, yeah, and look at Jeff Gordon on the inside, right behind Jeremy Mayfield and the orange nose car, as he moves up to another position, there he moved up to fifth place right now, look at Irvin alone. in the top lane he is, as they say, in the garage area hanging for driving or hanging clothes, there is nothing else with him now he is stuck at the end of the draft leader, but it cost him three places, gordon in fourth place is now moving up 100 miles 186 3.8 miles per hour, that's the closest we can show you to how fast it feels, folks, someday you're going to have to come here, stand by that fence and feel it for yourself.

I've been up against that wall at 200 miles an hour and I also couldn't get out of the way when a car was high almost brushing the wall behind the leaders as they were trying to work on that second group and that was Michael Waltrip in 21. It really kicked up the dust on the top of the wall, but I don't think I made any contact with it. Michael was in the top five a while ago, but has now fallen back to around cancer 11. He and Mark Martin wrote together those are two of the new Ford Taurus. style guys it's time to talk a little bit about pit stops, there's a lot going on down there, you can see the team starting to move getting ready for the first pit stop, deals are being made with who they're coming in and everyone is trying .

To pick it up here, many times when the leader reaches pit lane under green, many of the top contenders follow, but the crew chiefs and their emissaries run up and down pit lane talking to other teams trying to reach agreements on who could stop when they are in front. the Dale Earnhardt field as he has been so many times before and this time, as in the final lap of 1990, he has Derrick Cope filling his rearview mirror. That time, Earnhardt slashed a tire and Cope moved on to the winning pit stops. Start this. it's andy hillenberg in the sadler brothers chevrolet making his first stop of the day 49 laps ned approaching let's see with dick berger and dick if they made a deal at the Earnhardt pit and how long they'll wait well it's hard to know if I really have a deal.

I could answer your second question and the answer is that Earnhardt will be in nine more laps. I can also tell you that we have had guys in virtually every uniform from the front group in the Earnhardt pit trying to make that deal with Larry Mcreynolds. It's a good bet that they will all arrive at the same time and that they will all be on four Mike tires. 50 laps will be the same. half 125 or rather it will be 125 miles in a quarter distance 41 of 43 cars in the lead lap and one car enters the pits it seems that ernie irving to the first runners who will make a pit stop here in fact it is ernie irving who is heading towards bill 36. bill stevens ernie irvin slides into the field ryan pemberton was just talking to john wolfe from bobby labonte's interstate battery car and their deal was we did four wheels, they only wanted to do two, but bobby said, well, my car is a little shaky out there, i'm going to need all four, so ernie irvin and bobby labonte. he should be putting tires on all four corners also two turns of wedge on the right rear and away ernie leaves ernie irvin although by stopping he only lost that draft leader good stop 19 and a half seconds dave marcus is doing something that ernie irvin is not What I want to see now is a caution flag.

He would go down a lap. He is on the same line. The lawyers turned it around. Going through the second curve. You can't make a pit stop at Daytona without losing a lap. Nascar ordered. The 65 mile per hour speed limit on pit road is largely responsible for Earnhardt picking up Ernie Irvin's draft and passing into the field ahead of him, as Irvin will need a full lap and then some to reach the maximum speed with this restrictor plate. engines, it takes more than one lap to reach top speed, there's nothing you can do about it, just sit there and watch them drive by dave marcus has pitted greg sacks the number 98 is in and steve grissom the first starter last year's row driving for kale yarborough a multiple winner of this event, drake sacks makes his first stop of the day, the leaders stay out, earhardt kentucky moves up to third place and jeff gordon, the youngest driver in this event, moves up to the fourth place, more cars from the back of the field enter the pits a large group of them enter ted musgrave is in john andretti part of that group also steve park bobby hamilton rick mask and jerry nadu and also ricky rood most of these are cars that They started in the second half of the field and saw the leaders zoom out and see their cars running a little slower.

The feeling of putting on new tires will increase your speed. That's why they arrived a little earlier than some of the leaders. Now here come the letters from Roger Penske and Penske Granifus to pit road. His teammates Jeremy Mayfield and Rusty Wallace, of course, Sterling Marlon tried to get in apparently he felt he was going too fast. He slipped. The wheels slowed down too much. He's going to waste an enormous amount of time. Sterling Marlin. He is not up to speed and he will have to do it. come on, maybe next time, Chad Little is at Bill Elliot Lake Speed ​​making pit stops Ken Schrader, Steve Park, Ricky Craven has to back up to his pit stall and backs up to Robert Presley's 77, excuse me, that It cost him a lot of time.

Too much ricky craven having to back up there and every second you waste in the pits is a long way on that race track mike wallace kenny irwin billy standridge everyone making their first pit stop we've been green since the first flag fell jeff gordon heading in pit road now and who's going with him well michael walker is coming with him and mark martin long pit stop for ricky craven here's ralph shaheen mike they were expecting someone to come down the rope with him but they got to the point where they had Having to come in one direction or another, Jeff really had to drive hard to make his way to the leading group.

Jackman puts the team on the right side, they will change the tires on the car they are not planning on. by making chassis adjustments on this issue 24. They'll put four wheels on and send this rainbow-colored car back as fast as they can. They will also stop on this lap. Michael Waltrip Jeff Burton Jeff Bodine Mark Martin Warren Burton Dick Trickle and Daryl Waltrip now Sterling Marlon is in Sterling finally came back to the pits, he made a mistake, they're trying to get in just now and here come a couple of other front runners, Terry Lavonnie and Dale Jerry, Sterling Marlins, Pit, right side tires, 11 gallons of gas in each of those gravity fed cans and here's terry labonte, the outside pole sitter and dale jarrett to his pit, a cold drink there for terry lobotti, a grill cleaner, they use those long poles because only seven men can get over the pit wall. and service the car, everything else is done with a long reach from behind the pit wall, four tires, tank of gas, cold drink, clean windshield, goodbye, terry levanti, back to the race and Earnhardt stays in the track with derrick cole and his childhood racing teammate, the blue and yellow. mike skinner car in third place we're here with reynolds he told them in the field they could go 60 left that was very surprising but they could go 150 miles on a tank of fuel but he's running that right now well yeah I hope Let it be true, because I will tell you that if you run out of gas here, there is a long way to go on this two and a half mile race track.

Dale Earnhardt lost this race in almost every way imaginable. In 1986 he ran out of gas while he was leading and we were. he said you couldn't make a pit stop and not lose a lamb, well Jeff Gordon and Rusty Wallace are right in front of the leaders and they've made their pit stops and gotten back up to speed and that's kind of it. a break for Earnhardt, you don't use as much fuel and the draft falls under the cars, so this is stretching out the fuel burn a bit. The reason there are fewer cars in this main draft is that when those cars are stationary.

On pit road, the rest of the field moves around the race track consuming a distance equivalent to a football field every second, so if you lose a second on the pit stop by taking a little extra time to shift a tire, fill up with gas or get going, that means everyone else on the track is 300 feet ahead of you. Okay, Earnhardt comes in right now. Derek Cole comes down pit road with him at 65 miles per hour. It seems they are detained. Bobby Labonte and Mike Skinner enter at the same time. time dick bergeron remembers last year at daytona oh Earnhardt smokes the tires comingremember last year at Daytona the Earnhardt team was very slow they changed the members on that cruise since then and in fact there are two new changes of front and rear outside tires jack lewis in the front, Craig Lund, in the rear, they are new this year, Earnhardt and the 30.

Hope came together, they're going to do the same service together, whoa, Earnhardt, up and down, right behind them, they'll try to hook up quick. Bernhard is coming. outside of pit road, that yellow line is the merge line, you have to stay within that line and then merge smoothly with the traffic and the four cars that entered the pits together leave the pits together, tribute to those guys in the pits who They changed those tires. but Ned is in the bottom lane, it takes a full lap to get up to speed and Jeff Gordon passes Dale Earnhardt Gordon is the new leader, that's what Jeff Gordon's big pit stops will do when they come in, but he's leading now. that had a great entry into pitt road picked up speed again and had a great pit stop ray evernham's crew chief and mentor gordon and those rainbow warriors gave jeff gordon a good stop and that's why he leads the Daytona 500.

Rusty Wallace got a good stop too and is running second, ralph shaheen mike, this top tire here is the one that came off the right front of Sterling Marlin's car. You can see it had been cut, it didn't explode like that right away, it stayed on the track and kept running over it running over it as it lost air through that little hole, it finally let go and almost shed its skin, you're lucky to get it in against the wall. Sterling Marlin trying to win this race again. Here are the forward duo of him, Gordon and Wallace.

You're riding with the leader and defending Daytona 500 champion after 60 laps, four different leaders, five lead changes and it's a record pace over Buddy Baker's 1980 mark at 183 miles per hour, with no warnings until the date and everyone is still. walking the circuit joining me right now, four-time Daytona 500 winner Kayle Yarbrough, now a car owner, first question, Greg Sachs is there, you're missing out on the top 30. What happened to him? Well, or we're in for a shock. going to bed uh ken or wheel wade I hope that uh in this pit stop that uh that he fixed it uh we just don't know, you know so many parts that work in these things, anything can happen.

Thorn Apple Valley Farm Heavy and the problems with it. What's up with this race? What do you think? Well, this is a race, you know, going that long without a caution flag is unusual for the Daytona 500, but it's quite a race, a great American race, yeah, I'm sure you've won it four times. What is the most memorable thing for you about winning the Daytona 500? Oh, you know, the first one, something I'll never forget. You know, every driver who has driven anywhere in the world, I guess they would like to have a Daytona 500 on their resume. We did it early in our career in 1968 and it was probably one of my biggest wins.

I will never forget. It was a great battle with Leroy Yarborough that year, Kale, good luck, let's get back to Mike Joy and we'll keep going. This record-breaking race thanks, you know, you saw Dale Earnhardt there in ninth place after the round of pit stops and the drivers who stopped with him are on that sideline, they're on track two. Earnhardt's stop was 21.4 seconds. The man who led the race, Jeff Gordon. I had a 17.7 second stop and that made the difference, Mike, we talked about it in the intro to today's race. Track position is so important that I can't begin to tell you how close these cars will be right now to being in it. front draft here with dale jarrett there is now ernie irvin just ahead the car he rode alone irvin had a good stop and is in third place just ahead of him, rusty wallace and leader jeff gordon, but that group has formed once again between the cars that made good pit stops and the guy who could have had a good pit stop but made a mistake when pitting with Sterling Marlon, the former two time winner of this race, is about to lose a lamp, he is not far from having a turn down.

And boy, that's going to kill him for today. Now those cars on the inside line faced Earnhardt. There's Mike Skinner, his teammate in 31. Bobby Labonte in 18. And they picked up a hitchhiker in that inside lane. Steve Park. The former winner of the modified ace. of last year's big national races he is one lap from the end. He is driving a car owned by Dale Earnhardt and has drafted him to try and help them get back to the front on the right side of the screen which the yellow and black car is a part of. long island another second generation nascar driver they have bob park one of the best modified drivers finished second to richie evans in the national championship one year this is the group they are trying to catch jeff gordon rusty wallace ernie irvin and dale jarrett dick rusty bergeron Wallace, who is currently running in second place, has put in an absolutely Herculean effort on this race car.

That car is a completely new vehicle, but it has six different bodies. They put a body on it. They took him to a wind tunnel. Learn something. Cut it. and try it all again, they've been in two full-size wind tunnels, a 40-degree wind tunnel, a tremendous amount of track time at both Talladegas and here they aim to do better than seventh place, which so far has been his best result in the race. Daytona 500 Bill one of the things that worried some teams this week in practice was uneven tire wear. I just looked at the tires that came off Ernie Irvin's car on that last pit stop.

Ryan Pemberton, the crew chief, also looked at him and said boy, they look great after Ernie came out of the pits, he radioed back and Ryan said: Hey buddy, your tire looks great after what we've been through. this race. Mark Martin makes a move to the outside and that babbling number six takes Terry's place. Labonte, the outside pole setter and now Labonte is hanging out to dry on the inside, you'd have to take it from Terry Labani's experience having a problem. He was loose a while ago and I don't think they have corrected him. He's going backwards right now. of 200 complete laps terry labonte returned to approximately 8th position in that draft ralph shaheen this is the right front tire of jeff gordon's car now remember he started 29th in the race while moving through the pack he was behind the cars he developed bad thrust due to the wind hitting around the car the tire tells a story 141 90 200 degrees across the width of the tire this means this car was pushing severely while cornering now that its in front the car is nice and loose.

Not so bad, tire temperatures will be very different next time. A big charge from Gordon, but the biggest charge in the history of this race. Fireball Roberts 1959 started in 46th place without a caution flag. He had the lead on lap 23. He took over Jeff Gordon. 59 laps to lead after starting 29th, he's gained 28 positions, that's Sterling Marlon, as you know he was leading the race and Jeff Gordon is preparing to give him a lap down. Look at these cars fighting in the back here, Earnhardt, next to Chad Little, that is. Ward Burton, just behind him, are advancing in the leading group running from six to about 20, there side by side for six.

Put Earnhardt's black car in green and yellow. Chad Little, you're with Dale Earnhardt while he goes after Mark Martin. On the straight to turn one you see Dale Jarrett against the wall, there everyone has an idea right now of where his car is going to Frizz. Dale Jarrett right now would love to have someone to help them on the high side. You can see Earnhardt. he's got the nose of the car right in front of him there, Mark Martin, so they're going to go towards Jared, going down to the corner, Burton 22 will move up, in there, there he is, or rather, there's Earnhardt and just with him as ward burton you're on board dale jarrett that robert yates ahead in the outside lane finally got some help chad little is up there with al jarrett just for a moment there he was pedaling backwards good man he made a move on ernie irving in the outside trying to take away their position that's when it all started and no one followed her so it's only for a while and that hurts a lot well sometimes you just have to blaze a new trail and hope you get help.

Mike Skinner now at 31. kids Chevrolet pulls up behind Chad Littles Jack Roush number 97. Now they stopped at Sterling Marlin, I said a moment ago it's about to turn, that's car 40 right in front of Jeff Gordon , if you can stay there, everything will be fine. similar to what jeff gordon did a year ago, you know, remember he had a flat at the beginning of the race and was about to go left and the leaders turned around. He was able to stay ahead of him when a yellow flag came out. everything was fixed, so if Sterling Marlon could do that, you know maybe he won't get hurt too much if Jeff Gordon passes him.

Marlon has lost a lap to all the cars on the lead lap. If that caution flag comes out, he has to fight to stay. back there, they're getting restless, you can see it turning back here. I think a lot of cars right now would like to be up front so they can drive the track and not have to worry about the competition in the future. butt bobby labonte trying to find his way back to the front and that bright green number 18 owned by super bowl winning trainer joe gibbs joe gibbs told dan marino who is the new owner of a nascar car this is not as easy as win football games you I know they talk about a driver who just cruises, you can see Jeff Gordon's arm and in the last photo, he is moving the steering wheel pretty hard in the corners, you can see him very right on the edge all the time , the hands move very fast to maintain that. car right on the edge and keep it fast through the corners average speed even after pit stops average speed for this race 184.1 miles per sterling hour marlin number 40 trying to stay on the lead lap and avoid being passed by the leader of the race number 24 jeff gordon CBS sports coverage of the Daytona 500 will continue after this message and a few words from your local cbs station Daytona 500 jeff gordon number 24 race leader Rusty Wallace Mark Martin Dale Earnhardt and Chad Little They've fought their way to fifth place guys, I'm telling you what the Taurus is starting to show his strength right now second third place right there, Rusty Wallace and right behind him, Barton about to give Ricky Jerry Nadeau a lap .

The natives had an interesting race, without caution even today, as you see, they began to run. -karts for five years and then moved on to open wheel formula cars which they raced here in the US and in Europe decided to come back to the US and try his hand at stock cars, he drove a couple for Richard Jackson and now he's moving on to this new one equipment. owned by bill elliott and dan marino and number 13 jerry nedu has been impressive this week the other thing i see

earnhardt

up to fourth place already showing a lot of stress today just perfect Dale Earnhardt number three black right side on your screen no He had a quick pit stop, but he returned fighting to the front.

Now we talked about Sterling Marlon a moment ago, that he was able to hold on to the front, but he couldn't and he made that turn to the high side, getting overtaken, instead it's Mike Wallace. There, Marlon, a little deeper in the group, Mike, we saw the problems that Terry Labonte was having early in the race with a loose race car. Well, they were able to help him out a little bit and tighten him up a little bit right during the last pit stop. Have they not gone far enough? That car is extremely loose. Terry is just trying to hold on in the next round.

Body number five runs just ahead of Ward Burton and Lake Speed. And here is your leading group once again. Nadu doing a good job hanging. In the lead, he's running in 30th position, yes, but he's getting ready to go down the lap. You can see Gordon, he looks at all the leading cars there as they make a single foul, that's what happens on the ground, I mean, you just have nothing you can do. what they do is drive the perfect line around the racetrack, but these guys hooked up there just go jerry nader, although he's going to learn a lot about how to draw at 190 miles an hour this week, he certainly will.

This is a great experience for him. He did a good job in 125 mile qualifying races on Thursday and is nadu being surpassed by bobby labonte and derek cole carrying the dolphin colors there for his new car owner to take on in the vacated buhari drag race johnny benson after vincent was wrecked last season in an accident not of his own making in thursday's qualifying race had tostay out of the 501 of 13 drivers and she came here to race and had to go home she had little in the green car place there that's the movement Thunderbird moving forward a little more four teams this year have the option to use the recently approved touring body style or the Ford Thunderbird.

They can use a 98, 97 or 96 model car for Chevrolet, the Monte Carlo, for Pontiac, the Grand Prix, those are the approved models that most of the four teams have chosen. to go with the taurus since the start of the third season in this race i have chosen to stick with the older body style the thunderbird the choice is up to each individual team owner i bet right now you are thinking i am going to call my uh, body man, as soon as I finish the race and put my targets there, well, here he retires with Dale Earnhardt.

Earnhardt puts him on the inside, but there's Dale Jarrett, he moved to the outside, which could cost him the second fifth spot in line. I have never won the Daytona 500. This man has Dale Jarrett twice. You can see that line snaking back and forth as they try to crack the draft or gain some momentum. I think Chad Little wants to go here. He appears alongside Chad Earnhardt. Little has to be just excited to death, join Jack Roush's racing team and you can see this guy is real, he just passed Earnhardt, he was basically alone? He didn't have much health, that is, he didn't have a good back.

The Bobby Levine bumper was there for a moment, but hey, that's pretty impressive. Well, now he has his teammates right in front of him. Mark Martin. Can they run over these guys right now? They are face to face working towards the front, which allowed Bobby Labonte. He returns to race No. 18, the pole winner and one of five drivers buying in to get that million-dollar bonus if they win today. The others are terry lavonnie, ernie irvin, kenny schroeder and john andretti. I've been watching bobby levanti, I mean that car has come from way back and runs down look at Earnhardt looking out right now Bobby, the body can be faster 18 laps from the halfway point and we're off the caution. so far, here he comes out, Bobby Labonte look, can he make the move?

In turn one, he has some help, no, he doesn't. Hardt was best friends with him right on his bumper and then Dale took the number three to the back of the track and came up to pass, now he comes over there saying, help me, now Bobby goes up. in front of me buddy, that looked like the old Daytona slingshot you guys pulled with those semi-powered Dodge cars when you had unlimited horsepower and not so good aerodynamics, well right now it's up to the drivers when You make a move like that, you wait. you don't have to count on him when it really counts, dale jarrett was in the top three and now he's back to 11th, he got off the pace on the inside and there's no writing partner there and that just happened smoothly.

Outside is Michael Waltrip, just ahead in the Wood Brothers Four. The great part about the draft is that if you have the right company around you, you can go from 11th to first, two or three laps away if you make a good run, look ahead of him, buddy. next to each other there in fourth place, Earnhardt and Chad, little Chad wraps himself up, he's not okay, he needs help. Bernhard has Bobby Labonte with him, Earnhardt number three in 18 and they are targeting the Ford Tourist and Mark Martin, number six, a guy I love. that new shot hanging over turn four like a traffic light would be nice, you're looking at two different driving styles right now.

Earnhardt has the outside pace working when he needs it, he will put it in from time to time, but he will try to run it a little on the high side, he knows he has that part of the race track if he needs it 50 years of nascar racing 40 500 Miles of Daytona and perhaps never there were so many doubts about the outcome of this one 15 laps to go last year's winner jeff gordon leads rusty wallace 16 years he has been looking to lead and win this race so is mark martin so is it's dale Earnhardt so is bobby lavonny chad little derrick cole jeremy mayfield mike skinner and ernie irvin top 10 Welcome back to Daytona, our Aflac trivia question about who was the last driver to win the Daytona 500 in consecutive years .Too long ago, Mike, you wanted a Sterling Marlin pretty easy for the team Bobby Hamilton drives for today and Jeff Gordon is trying to win it in back-to-back years.

Today, Bobby Hamilton is running towards the end of the lead lap, even though he is in 28th position. Lee. Petty in 1959 Marvin Patch in 1961 and Paul Roberts in 1962 drove to victory lane in a Daytona 500 race without a caution flag. fireball was the first driver to win this race starting with the pole mic. I have to wonder if Earnhardt is getting a little bit because of some chassis issues, he made a great run to the front and now he's moving around the track and starting to show a little looseness in the corners. The rear of the car seems to be dancing a little like Earnhardt with Bobby Labonte. very close, 89 complete laps, let's visit Ken Squire, the man of the hour is Buddy Baker, that's the great story, his record has stood since 1980 of an average of 177 miles per hour to win this race of more than 500 miles.

Now consider that when he did it there were 15 laps of caution in that race and he still pushed the field to set that mark, but it's in jeopardy because as we get to the halfway point, today they're averaging 184.7, so the Buddy Baker brand that has endured all these years is the one they. We're talking in the press center right now, well I certainly hope we don't have a warning. I would love to, I mean, I love the idea of ​​having the record, but I want these guys to be safe for 500 miles and in competitions, what's up? it's about doing a great job today jeff gordon trying to knock faker out of the record book right here 184 miles per hour average rusty wallace right with him you're with mark barton here's dick bergeron mark martin currently running in third position it's a It was a surprise because they started very late in trying to prepare their cars for Daytona.

They expected some considerations about Nascar rules. They didn't understand them. They started late and all week they've been saying we might not be able to. One factor is that we're not really ready for the Daytona 500, but the team has worked hard on Martin's car. They've done their job on the chassis rather than the aerodynamics he's testing today. The most important thing is a completely new team and a completely new team. Chief for the first time in 10 years, Mark Martin does not have Steve Meal as his crew chief here at the Daytona 500. And right now he doesn't have a writing partner, Dick, he's outside and the train goes by and down by him inside jeremy mayfield number 12 pulls next to bobby labonte it's passed I can't tell you what a great job jeremy mayfield is doing right now Derek Coats goes with him in the 30 cars you see him pass Mark Martin coming down the back immediately there Jeremy Mayfield running the race of his life at this moment there were not centimeters between cope's car and mark martins when the colts slid into the top lane in front of mark barton 190 miles per hour Sunday's paper thickness aside kyle petty on pit road four Tire change The last car in the lead left in 29th place, but was the first to enter the pits before Mike, so he's a little out of sequence with the others.

Jeff Gordon is pulling this train around Daytona, but it's Rusty Wallace, the man who wants to lead. Hasn't led the Daytona 500 since 1991, running second to Roger Penske's number two in the last five Daytona 500s, Wallace has been racing to the finish line only once. and that means I'm not going to make it, guys, you're doing it right now, you don't just run out the windshield, you have a mirror there that's almost a foot wide to look at your competition, back there you'll see just fine. There he stopped in a slightly protected place, Earnhardt went inside and Rusty Wallace did the same.

Rusty saw him coming and said no sir I'll block that spot behind them that's three rest in that group as they try to pass nedu ernie irvin was three up front with derrick colt mark martin they're back it's michael waltrip on the inside wow what a michael walter drive to turn three got a great run out of the corner there the guys were running side by side got a great spot but look at Chad Little on the outside 97 struggling that's the green car , Mark Martin, his teammate, both Roush cars, Mark Martin on the outside, there in the white, blue, six, black, blue, blue, six, five laps to the middle. the great american race jeff gordon leads rusty wallace and dale earhardt daytona international speedway nascar's biggest race the daytona 500 and when they cross the strip in two laps one of those drivers will be ten thousand dollars richer for leading the middle lap mike joy with his baker friend ned jarrett can talk about victory lane dick bergeron ral shaheen and bill stevens on pit road 96, 97 and 98 are three of the four laps of this race in which Earnhardt has never led, the other is lap 200.

Earnhardt tries every lap. going up rescue odds going down sounds like that chumbawamba song well that will work now but I wouldn't want to do that, Earnhardt, with 10 laps left. I can tell you that you may get a different view than the one you're looking at. in the mirror, seeing how this straight gets longer, let's take Earnhardt for a lap, that's the start and finish line. You can see the orange line against the wall, down the stretch, following Rusty Wallace in the draft, they will go to the end of the track, Earnhardt. go up, that's the difference in two ideas of what is needed in this part of the race.

Earnhardt is on the high tempo, Rusty Wallace and those guys right on the white line at the bottom against the wall, in the back, you can immediately see upward movement. to get into the slipstream to get that extra edge from the car in front of you as they head into turn three you can see a car back there as they start to the high side to pass Jeff Gordon gets on the two cars there Rusty Wallace go up now look at them when they hit the straightaway here they go right into the wall and back to the tri-oval which is a loop around Daytona and it's the halfway loop, ring the cash register for Jeff Gordon, he picks up ten. thousand dollars 14 times the midway leader won the Daytona 500, including Bill Elliot twice Richard Petty twice Buddy Baker in 1980 or she led almost every lap that year Had a great car a great team that's what It takes, you know, I said it at the beginning of the race, it takes great teams, but 18 years have passed since the day the first Western Cup race was run.

Someone had the advantage of having great people working with them, so you can't take all the credit for being the pilot. Believe me, Bobby Allison did that twice and so did Cale Yarborough once. Junior Johnson Mario Andretti Aj Foyt and Davey Allison along with Baker led the middle lap and won. This is Jeff Gordon leading the Daytona 500 trying to win it two years in a row. You see the tape in the middle of the steering wheel that centers the steering. If you had to turn you would have to center yourself to know where he was, again in a straight line, that keeps it going and also when you make a pit stop.

You can straighten the steering wheel to find out where they are with that tape when it's up, facing forward looking out the windshield of Jeff Gordon's car and according to Nascar rules, once you get to the middle of the race, if So. It will be called due to darkness or rain, the race would be official, so today we will have a full Daytona 500 and the sun appeared just as we reached the halfway point, yes it looks better here at the moment, but it was seen all day certainly better than the forecast. they call that weather bill france here in daytona since bill france senior built this speed plan in 1959 this race has never been rained out it has been raining at 11:30 in the morning and we still started on time we have managed the entire race. the rain cut short but it never rained dick bergeron jeff gordon just called his pit crew and i'll tell them it's bad news for everyone else out here gordon said, quote, i don't know what we can do to make this car better it's amazing, oh Boy, well, doctor, what is that?

That means cha-ching if it's perfect because that car is running flawlessly, you can see he still has to work pretty hard in the corners, his hands are still moving pretty hard on the steering wheel. It's not just a walk in the park, they still have to keep that car under control every second, pulling away from the field. Jeff Gordon, Rusty, Wallace, Dale Earnhardt and Bobby Lavonny, that car alone in fifth place, trying to run them down right behind these. The leaders are Jeremy Mayfield and Ned. He seems to be catching it well,he regressed a bit and is trying to get back into the draft line.

He has the best racing car. We have talked about him several times today. He has done a great job. work, so he could be overtaking them. Some people like opera for the sound. We expect the leaders in two more laps. Phil Stevens here with Ernie Urban. This will be a four tire stop for car 36. They're also going to take. a round of wedge from the right rear, there you see that they are turning at the rear of the car, the rubber on the right side is on the rubber on the left side, at this moment they want to return to the leading draft, it is very important that these Pontiac be very fast, when they are in the main draft, they don't like to follow anyone and that was a beautiful pit stop, that aerial view among the 85 lenses available to director larry cavalena, most of the time for a sporting event of a single day in a single place and that Number of chrome sheet on the roof of Irving's car indicating that it is one of those five cars that could win the million dollar bonus today and, turn back, right now you can see the leader putting him a lap down just at the moment that happened to him in the first round. of pit stops too, but he was a bit of a feather in the backstretch, so this time he lost a little time from what he did before Jeff Gordon last year, second time Winston Cup champion and champion of the Daytona 500 for the first time. time, Rusty Wallace right behind him, we talked a moment ago about the sun coming up, now the difference is going to warm up the temperatures and sometimes that makes a difference on the track, especially in the handling of the race cars, so it will be interesting See who it helps and who it hurts.

Ned, you're right that what you have here is a race track that has a lot of racing and when you put oil and rubber on it, it starts to get a little slippery anyway. without the sun, when the sun goes down, everything gets a little greasy and, uh, the cars really change with you now, a piece of duct tape on Rick Maskar's grill, they're trying to get a little more downforce on nose. of that car is running cool enough to allow the use of that tape close a little grill get a little more downforce get a little more speed foot really straight on the brake dave put it in that's crew chief ray evernham Former modified racer himself a crew chief and mentor to Jeff Gordon, the race leader, aren't they going to pit?

Yeah, they're all five to eight, hey, all of them, 10, 12, 14, 15, with the best drivers coming in right now, feeding time at the zoo, here they come at 65 miles an hour. hit the road speed ralph shaheen oh the crew is ready to go here in the jeff gordon pit they come to the right side of the car shane marshall mike trauer goes to work with what are known as thunder guns the impact ruins the turn over 10,000 rpm to remove those flag nuts as quickly as possible on the right side, change another one of the sticky tires on the left side, basically new tires on all four corners for Nick Bergeron, the police just made a big stop In just over 18 seconds he won. dirt from the fifth row jeremy mayfield will follow Earnhardt down the 18th to go well problems on pit road dale jarrett spinning another car spinning problems jim bodine hit dale jarrett coming down pit road jerry was coming out of the pits bodine headed his Burt Warren Burton was also touched and turned around with the gun.

You see him trying to get back upright and that will be a costly pit stop for several drivers, those who were unfortunate enough to be stunned, especially Jeff Burton in the #99 Roush, who had to back off. away from the pit wall once the lane was clear and then make pit stops continue dick trick bill elliott steve park jeff bodine let's show you what happened on pit road in the second round of stops under green okay let's see to the driver there's jeff gordon coming out of the pits here comes dale jarrett right here coming out of the pits and back there he hits, he sees jeff beaudine entering the room, apparently he didn't, apparently the spotter didn't tell him that there was another car outside, like this who went straight towards Jeff.

Budine turned Jerry to the inside and entered the pits. Jeff Burton, entering his pit stall, had to turn toward Miss Jarrett. I'm going to make a prediction. I was looking at the wreckage and he almost missed the pits and slammed on the brakes and almost went out, that's what jeff burton looked like he saw right there, oh they tagged him, I saw something hit him there in the left rear corner , right front, very wrinkled in Dale Jarrett's 88, you see it from that camera in the car, not all the leaders have faced Joan Nemechek climbs to first place after the pit stops they work on the tops of the tower of drilling, chuck ryder's number 30. there's nemechek's number 30, yesterday's winner in the napa auto parts 300 for bush grand national cars, you saw him live here on cbs nemechek led 106 of the 120 laps yesterday it was almost boring behind him but joe from the first row became first place joe dale jarrett is returning to the pits since we are still under the green flag this second stop will be very expensive mikey has a lot of damage to the right front corner of that car you can see there the right front tire is deflated.Let's show you again what happened on pit road.

He had to leave the pits. Jared saw Mark Martin start so he cut to go around him and Jeff Beaudine was coming into the pits and to make that contact and a costly, costly situation. Bill Stevens. of damage on the right front, as you can probably see down here, they got out a hacksaw and they're hitting that sheet of metal, they're going to take a big chunk of that metal out of the car, they already changed the The right front tire has all kinds of 200 mile per hour tape that will be placed there, hopefully, to keep the fender from moving too much.

A very expensive development here. Terrell Shaheen after Jeff Gordon got angry, he smelled smoke, rubber smoke inside the car. they communicate by radio between him and crew chief Ray Evernham they believe that what he smells is coming from somewhere else but not from inside his car they are not really sure what it is or where it is coming from jeff gordon continues joe nemechek leads this run with gordon now in second place he closes in on rookie kenny irwin jr and goes through the inside black flag he's out for brickyard 400 champion ricky rudd you're watching from irwin as the leaders pass gordon wallace earhardt mayfield wow look at this .

They're doing 180 miles an hour coming out of the corner, they're turning about 6,500 on the straightaway with restrictor plate engines. You try not to push more than 7,000 on them because you don't get enough air and fuel in the car to really do it. It runs over 7000 rpm, so you just put a gear in there, that telemetry in the car provided by today's first financial pit stops continues, but Joe Nemechek, driving for Felix Sabatti, leads the Daytona 500. The first time he led this race in four starts, we will. We will return with more of the great American race, we are barely halfway through, 115 laps completed, four cars in that tight draft, Jeff Gordon, last year's champion, followed by Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt, who tried to combine 36 years to win this race and jeremy mayfield, the young driver from kentucky who grew up watching daryl waltrip and thinking that one day he would have the opportunity to run this race and with this team and his new association with rusty wallace's penske team, mayfield is a serious contender today, mike, you can see.

What a gap you have between the top four and Bobby Levine here running alone, he needs help. Mike Skinner seems to be joining now. Maybe they could run them over, but that's a big deficit for trying to run over Bobby Labonte. Poleman Skinner Last year's poleman a little further back Mark Martin in seventh place on the inside with Ken Schroeder the eighth place car Schrader drives hurt as they follow rookie Kenny Irwin Irwin is a lap down and there is Mark pointing to the cars behind he he wants to stay in line right now and try to catch the leading group they know they're dead now if they don't do something so they have to try to stay in line and push that front group back because they're really far behind, that group is three seconds behind the leading group of cars, this is what it looks like just three seconds here at Daytona from here to eternity, wow, not much, you don't get much help from drafting those cars up there mark barton moves inside when irwin, one lap behind, stops, allows the leading lap cars to pass dick bergeron rick cope, who had been a contender from the beginning, is on pit road the problem is a right front defender, they have contact and that fender is flapping in the breeze, they're trying to tape it up, make sure it stays there.

Hope now recedes as they try to separate the fender from the tire. This is so expensive they thought they had a photo at the Daytona 500 anymore, Ralph remembers we took a look at the right front tire on Jeff Gordon's car after the first pit stop and the tire temperature went up all over the tire this time, it's uniform across the entire width, that's an indicator that that push you had in the front of the car is no longer there because you're running up front in clean air jeff gordon your leader Rusty Wallace Dale Earnhardt Jeremy Mayfield and you're with Dale Earnhardt out of turn four and on the frontstretch let's look back at last year's third place finisher who started on the back row and ran to third place, Ricky Craven, Newberg's lead driver, today running on the lead lap in 19th position, just behind Mike Wallace.

Telemetry on board Ricky Craven's car. You can see 180 miles away. hour going down into the corner there's 6,500 rpm that's john andretti right in front of him there nose to tail coming down the road along the frontstretch the car on the track pad was ricky rudd heading to the pits and buddy, You talked about the lower rpms with these restrictor plate engines when they're unrestricted, as they will be next week in Rockingham, North Carolina, they change those things between 8,500 and sometimes up to 9,000 rpm. The Daytona 500 sells out annually, but there are still seats available in rockingham north carolina on the one-mile road course for next sunday's second race on the winston cup tour bill elliot leading a field of cars john andretti driving for richard petty this season with craven and bobby hamilton's number four who was petty's driver last season musical chairs quite common in the off-season in nascar racing, bill elliott picked up, uh, don't you think he went through the drive-in in one of those, no, no, no, no, don't go there now that the leaders can escape. of that second group, Ned, because they picked up the draft of these cars that were about to be dropped off here yesterday at the 300, some cars broke away and didn't get too far from the group behind them until they started to turn cars and then, when They picked up that draft like these cars have here.

They really increased their speed. Look at Earnhardt. He was trying to go high on the outside, but I think he got stuck there. He was trying to go where Jeff Gordon didn't. They got those cars back, what he's trying to do is use these slow cars as a pick so he can move toward the lead, he's got the lead, although they're not going to deny him, Gordon's got Rusty Wallace Earnhardt, he had Jeremy Mayfield. beside. side they go down to complete Gordon's 120 second lap on the strike, but Earhardt has Rusty Wallace with him, Gordon is out of the draft right now, they should pass him, they lead Rusty Wallace and Jeremy, then they pass him until In turn one, Jeff Gordon stood his ground on the inside trying to get back in line and you said they were picking friends there, two forwards and two Chevrolets in the leading draft and up front two drivers who have tested a combined total of 36 Daytona 500 to find. the road to victory lane dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace jeremy mayfield now third and jeff gordon who has led much of this race back to fourth place that blue car is joan nemechek just ahead of the leaders nemechek was leading made a stop late in the pits came back out on the race track and now he's at the end of the lead lap, there's a pretty fast evil champion, Mike, now that they caught him, like we talked about those cars a moment ago, once they sniff out that crowd where they really gather.

Jeff Gordon's pit ralph shaheen mike apparently pushed development on card 24 now with jeff gordon they will keep an eye on it and see if they can't fix it and next time they will have to sit out that long. as they can to keep it on the main patch, you can see jeff gordon right on the white line, that's where he appears to be, I've got a full shot down on the back bridge and you've got Ward Burton slow in the back right away. the guy is throwing everything, now he himself is going towards three observers and team leaders talking to theirdrivers and there is Ward Burton who cut a tire and will return to pit road.

Jeff could be heard telling Ray that everyone has their stuff. on the race track back here and the caution is active for the first time today the yellow flag flies over the Daytona 500 125 laps of green flag racing we are now under caution CBS Sports coverage of the Daytona 500 continues after From this message and a word from your local station we are under caution for tire debris from Ward Burton and on the way to pit road, Rusty Wallace is out first and Mark Martin's Jack Roush Ford is being pushed back and behind the wall, Dick Bergeron, well, I'm not sure what it is. still Mike, but we'll tell you very soon apparently it's a drive check we just heard on the radio, we're on our way there, we'll bring you the report at a time when Dale Jarrett's team is hard at work. that right front fender as Rusty Wallace's team led by Robin Pemberton led the race out of pit road, we'll be right back 127 laps 317 and a half miles have been run seven different leaders lead changes 10 times and that average speed is still above the 1980 record baker. two cars withdrew from the event.

Kevin Lepage was the first one to lose power there and now Mark Martin is behind the wall with the back of that car. Rusty Wallace is currently leading the way since 1991. Four accidents here at Daytona. This was not done well, look at this in 1993, he immediately returned to 190 miles per hour and drove away, but his luck in these 500 has not been good. This is his 16th attempt to win the 500. Engine failures, accidents in this race. I've considered that he may be a little temperamental with that, with that accelerator, with all the things that have happened to him, one of the guys that helped cure him was Buddy Baker, let's go to Dick Burger, Mark Martin's view of the 500 Daytona Miles. he just changed, i had been watching him on the track now he's looking through his windshield at the cars as they go by what happened with this thing, well we broke a gear trying to get out of the pits, it was just bad luck, i I mean you.

I don't know anything, we did it, it just happens once every 10 years or something, man, we had a good run, you know, I thought we were giving valvoline cummins and bugles, bosch, ford eagle one, to all these guys, something to cheer up. I don't know if we had a chance to win, but we had a top-five car and all the guys came together and worked really hard to put this together and this is a really disappointing way for it to go well. Mark Martin is another one of those veterans who has never won the Daytona 500. He will have to wait until next year.

Mike finished third here in 1995. He has been trying for a decade and a half to win this race, preparing for the restart. wallace won the race out of the pits dale earhardt jeff gordon let's see how the rookies do six of them in this race today jerry nadeau there's jerry nedu number 13 from danbury connecticut is 22 kenny irwin 25 steve park 29 andy hillenberg 32 billy standridge 39th and in the garage area Kevin Lepage among the rookies in this race, so Nedu leads what is expected to be one of the best crops of Winston Cup rookies in many years. There are great drivers with good talent in the rookie hunt this year.

Ralph, well, there's a problem with the front air dam on Jeff Gordon's car and that's why he has the big push, he's dented it. They've changed tires on this car, but there's not much they can do to make up for what Jeff is going to be doing. dealing with a push for the rest of the day aerodynamics is such a critical component of speed here at Daytona green flag the first time a Ford leads today Rusty Wallace Earnhardt behind him and Gordon nestled against Earnhardt's bumper Rusty Wallace is on a bad place, right? Now you see, ollie, what they're talking about right on that corner, there it's bent back a little bit on Jeff Gordon's car, that's what they're talking about, being bent doesn't seem like much, but at 200 miles an hour. that's a lot of lift on the front of the car and look at the distance Earnhardt has covered over Gordon in a long three-stop pit lap during that caution for Greg Sachs with the hood up, Jeff Burton, Ward Burton and Dale Jarrett repairing damage to his car body damage, Rusty Wallace is in one spot right now, he's got three nice Chevrolets right on his back bumper and his teammate, his own back, back there, you can see Earnhardt's teammate right there Mike Skinner's 31 going with him on the high side there jeff gordon starts buying four wides on the back immediately once again oh this could get injured that's what it's all about right there when you come down the side back you immediately run into them you see up front they go that wasn't an attempt to push Earnhardt out of the way that's his teammate Mike Skinner trying to push him forward absolutely that's what you do it's about 200 rpm every time you do it you play bill stevens interesting to see that maneuver in the race yesterday during happy hour we saw that Same sequence: Skinner approaches Earnhardt touching him on the back, may have been by design, stay open on the turn, two Dick Bergeron, well, while we look at the bike leaders, they will have to make one more pit stop before this is all over and it's over, there will be many more races to come before the 500 is resolved, you know how a pack of wild animals can take advantage of one that's hurt, that's what they did to Jeff Gordon, they moved him back. that's all they have to do is think he's a little hurt, they're really on to him now gordon into jeremy mayfield number 12 and against jimmy spencer, the man they called mr excitement in the modified ranks in northeast number 23. keep your eye on that green car, Bobby Lavonny has been fast all day dodging a lot of this traffic right now and making his way to the front and these coaches get back there in fifth place, two of the five drivers who have a chance to receive the million dollar bonus.

Bernie Irvin and Kenny Schroeder are in the top five urban 36 schrader 33 there is schrader up on the outside bobby lobotti of car 18 the other green car follows him as gordon backs up down on the inside well he has jimmy spencer right in front of him , seems to be able to draft if he can stay in a tight draft but if he comes out alone he's in trouble jeff gordon right up against the rear bumper of the body as they follow former 500 winner ernie irvin down to turn one see kenny schrader there on 33 moving to the outside as they head into turn one, there Ken Schroeder started the backup car at the end of the field, qualified 31st driving with a broken sternum due to a heavy crash into the turn one wall in qualifying race on Thursday, a trader said there are no bones.

It's going to prevent me from having the opportunity to make two million dollars total to win today, boy, I understand that's a career path for a lot of people that you're working on right now. Camera, a little bit of work there, you can see how much air pressure there is in this car. actually pans the camera and then two at a time behind the three leaders into turn one at 190 miles per hour, going up a bank that's probably steeper than the roof of your house. Richard Childers, first and second cars right now, that's a hard thing to overcome when having a teammate underneath you so someone really has to be with someone and change the pace to get ahead.

Won't you see these guys make a mistake and give up on that? Bill Stevens just spoke with Andy Petry, the crew chief. For Kenny Schroeder he asked how Kenny feels in the car. He says the bulletproof vest was a stroke of genius that helped dampen some of the vibrations that arose that normally caused him some discomfort. He said he feels great. I told. Does he have a million dollars? to do something with it, he said yes, Schroeder has Morgan Shepard waiting and the relief Shepard without a trip for the Daytona 500 hopes to put something together for the rest of the season just a second ago, Rusty Wallace was chasing everyone around the track and stays on it.

The bottom of the racetrack and the groove moved up a bit, he is backing up as we speak. 65 laps left. Ken Squire's heroics are a big part of the Daytona 500 and always have been, but this Schrader ride shouldn't be discounted, go figure. He fractured his sternum three days ago in a 185 mile per hour crash. He qualified 31st. He had to go to his second car, he started 43rd. He drove this thing into the top five once again. This is a truly heroic performance and that car drives like ass. addresses the way they have these chevrolets designed to run this track this year this year you feel every bump you feel every crack in the track he was telling me he was going to get a new dentist because he had so many feelings he would have to replace after 500 miles imagine how It must be felt now but there is no pain for Schrader it's like Earnhardt came back after that terrible accident at Talladega and sat on the pole in Sears Point, California these people are special I have to wonder what two million dollars feels like.

You can ask Ernie Ervin, he's one of them, he's trying now and he's moving to the side of the team car. Dale Earnhardt. Mike Skinner. You can see he has a good draft down the court. He's going to take it from Skinner and this. it's a whole new ball game ernie urban told me last night that no driver could win this race alone you had to have help and the draft we'll be back today tony after this mike skinner had jumped to the lead ken schrader showed up with him, Dale Earnhardt fell into the low groove behind Skinner and as they entered turn three, Earnhardt went under his teammates, Schroeder rose high around him, Skinner was kicked back onto Earnhardt's third back in the second. leading Schroeder place.

You know what that's called, a winner. for the Daytona 500. You have to go when you have the chance. That's Ernie Urban on the inside trying to make something work. Rusty Wallace working with him after this warning. The cars were all grouped together. That's where they're still running. Of these cars that were down there are still 17 18 cars on the lead lap Earnhardt and Schroeder How many times have they raced side by side? I hate to say this, but when you group them together like that, anything can happen to Earnhardt. inside wants to take back the lead and here comes Ernie Irvin with him Ernie Irvin, that's a whole new ride for him, but he's running like Ernie Irving's cars always have something to do with the driver of the first nine drivers right now , Irvin is the only one. savor victory in the Daytona 500.

But he and Kenny Schrader, as you mentioned earlier, are eligible for that million dollar bonus, they are up to the task fighting for it and that would mean a total payday of two million dollars counting TV contingency money from The manufacturers. and then the rj reynolds bonus and for mark martin fans, he's back on the track now that his car was fixed, but he's got a lot of laps down, like what happened to that lead car single file draft we had a while ago, well, all of you. What I have to do is look at the laps left in this race.

Now everyone is pulling the plug on these things. They know they have to go. Dick Bergeron. Well, Richard Childress is watching our television broadcast and he's looking at his two cars, the jockey 3 and 31. Back and forth, what do you think of this Richard? Well, you know he was sitting there and pushing, they had a race, he had to go. I just told him, Mike, you know, I was telling him to try to sit you there and they had a race. We had to get him five points now that he's back, hopefully we'll adjust and have them both there at the end where they can help each other.

Who is he supposed to win this? The 31 Skinner or the three hearts won, well, you know? The owner of the car is like two kids you want to give candy to, but you know my heart should go out to Dale Earnhardt, but we all owe it to Lowe's and everyone would like Skinner to have a chance to win. he has to try to win there is a diplomatic answer for you Mike it certainly is from the owner of a two car team half black trivia question who has run the most Daytona 500 before winning the big race buddy baker 18.

He was a point of let's say daryl waltrip but daryl went for it he won in his 17th year I think what he wanted in his 18th start and look here three wide in the head this is not trivial here this is real three wide at 200 miles per hour the test oval and that's a curve there it's a curve and Dick drips in the middle it's still three wide you're with john andretti the winner of the pepsi 400 here in july a race that will be shown for the first time tonight this 4th july here on cbs well noI can't wait to see 43 cars under the lights here at Daytona.

I got to see the story when Earnhardt did some laps the other night. He was absolutely beautiful. The car looked like a diamond. They applauded the 20 laps he ran and expect a full house here in Daytona for the first Pepsi 400 race at night and you'll see it live in prime time here on CBS Earnhardt, leader Irvin in second place Rusty Wallace in third 56 laps to complete a shout out to the fabulous guys at the shop at Rusty Wallace's number two they work day in and day out they only have two days off at the end of the season Christmas day and Thanksgiving day crew chief Robin Pemberton he has three weeks off a year, it's only had five days off in all of 1997.

They built over seven Taurus chassis before the Daytona 500 and that big body has rusted in the middle of this year's Daytona 500. Now that the inside lane is moving forward. Ralph and the reason is Mark Martin, the car back ahead. Earnhardt could detect a current from that white and blue Martin machine. I'm watching all these guys right now outside the lines, fast, one turn inside the run lane is fast, once, the most important thing. Right now you not only have Earnhardt with a lot of help, other people are getting their feet back on the racetrack to do a full lap of 146.

I just spoke with Ryan Pemberton, Early Irving's crew chief. I told him: are you starting to do it? make some deals on who will race you to the finish line he says no it's happening too fast 135 miles to go dale Earnhardt jimmy spencer inside mike skinner number 23 spencer number nine like speed number 90. dick trickle and mark martin one lap down trying to stay away and out of the way of the contenders to win this round, that's exactly what he's doing, a true champion type driver, who never creates a problem, so close to the end of the most important race they run these guys, they were still over 50 laps down at the start and finish line, that's Dale Earnhardt's team communicating with their driver There are 53 laps left from this point in the race with Dale Earnhardt's lead on this lap lap 148 and every two laps in the rest of this race one year or another except lap 200. that's larry mcreynolds on the top right learn hearts running super super good we're right behind him, isn't he moving right now? jeremy mayfield single file the leading group reaches the start and finish line Earnhardt Irvin just behind is Ernie irving's pontiac moved from robert yates ford at the end of last season and is now driven by rookie kenny irwin jr jeremy mayfield is third rusty wallace fourth teammates ken schroeder fifth jeff gordon in sixth mike skinner jimmy spencer bobby labonte john andretti top ten us I'll be right back with 49 laps left in the Daytona 500.

Dale Earnhardt has been coming here for 20 years trying to win this race. Ken Schrader for almost all of that time. That's Schroeder in 33rd place Thursday in the 125-mile qualifying race. Schrader was hit from behind. by david green's yellow car swerved onto the platform and then crashed into a wall taking johnny benson with him the speed of schroeder's impact around 180 miles per hour the force jolted him forward into his shoulder harnesses broke his Sternum today wears a bulletproof vest but said that nothing would stop him from winning two million dollars if he could get in that car and that men's ice hockey and figure skating at the winter olympics will follow.

We have a feeling that Frederick is regressing and is starting to push into the middle corner and Jordan's advancing Jeff Gordon is on the inside of Kenny Schroeder's 33 and Schroeder may fall to the tail of his draft leader as Mike Skinner also passes Dale Earnhardt leading Ernie Irvin with 48 laps to go. The pit stop will still be these cars get approximately five miles per gallon and hold 22 gallons of fuel. Mike, I think Jeff Gordon changed his driving style a little bit. That car appears to be running down the track again. He was pushing a little. a little bit going into turn one not long ago seems to be going pretty well he's getting back up to the leading cars now these are the two leaders you're sitting on the rear bumper of the chevrolet dale earhardt looking back at ernie irvin jeremy mayfield young man from kentucky his rusty teammate wallace and jeff gordon was thinking about making a move look at mike skinner he's looking down on jake's outside i don't think he can make it yet single file the first seven cars right in the middle of that group jeremy mayfield fifth start in this race looking for their first top five finish there is still a lot of pushing in the field and a lot of drivers who won't miss their chance to win the 500 but they have to catch this group to do it, yes it seems that second group They seem to be closing in on the leaders, just a little, Jimmy Spencer is pushing that second group there, John Andretti is fine with him, you can.

Look, there's a 15 goal difference, but they're coming in like a storm right now, it's like we've run far enough and gone far enough to get there and about that violation, I don't know what Mcreynolds is saying, they can get four. tires on this last pit stop when he says andy, I don't know, it means he hasn't talked to Andy Petry, owner of Ken Schrader's car, now not only can we hear these teams, a lot of fans in the stands have scanners, I can hear all the team communication, I don't know of any other sport where you can do that as the event unfolds, find out all the strategy first hand, but you can do it in Nascar racing, there's a Buddy Baker record for the 177.6 race and they We're running almost right at that record pace today.

Watch the tremendous ride on the front of Ernie Irvine's car as he goes around the turn. That front end of that car is three and a half inches off the ground and it drags through the turn. that's how much the cars move in the middle part of the curve, the pontiacs due to the rules can run with a slightly lower balance than the fords and chevrolets dick bobby labonte who is currently ninth has started this race in the pole, but he really hasn't competed for much of the day. They've had some chassis issues, but crew chief Jimmy Makar says what they're really doing is hanging back waiting for the finish.

He says the car will be strong enough after this. next pit stop to compete for the victory fighting for the victory right now jeremy mayfield of owensboro kentucky that number 12 moves up to second place team cars working together jeremy mayfield getting a big tow you see right now Rusty Wallace's teammate right behind of him they just moved up there it was right by ernie irvin took second third place those two cars are even painted the same just the decals are different body trying to bring that group back through there's mayfield number 12 wallace number two and gordon has now moved up to fourth place mayfield closing in on race leader Earnhardt, fifth appearance in this race, drove for the Sadler brothers, drove twice here for Kale Yarborough, had a top 20 finish and was the last.the year for this team mayfield finished sixth in this race and continued to fight further back joe nemechek with the four of bobby hamilton new driver for larry mcclure this year that yellow car 99 jeff burton accident damage and the number 16 ted musgrave the car blue and yellow just ahead of his teammate mark martin and mike wallace in that white and yellow 73 159 laps completed this time by dale earhardt leading him cbs sports coverage will continue after this message and a few words from your local station larry mcreynolds and ray everham on the left mcreynolds crew chief for Earnhardt Mcreynolds won this race with Davey Allison Ray Evernham won it last year with Jeff Gordon talking about race strategy and mainly when to make the last pit stop and what to do on that last one pit stop.

Do you only put fuel? Do you use two tires? Do you take four tires? I wouldn't be surprised to see a splash and that's it. That is close. Jeff Burton has returned to the pits. Word from the scanner is that they may have lost an engine on Burton's number 99. There is a lot of smoke under the hood. and also being shoved back into the garage as rookie driver Steve Park's number one part he's coming out of. I better explain what a splash is and that's it, that's about two gallons of fuel and just getting back on the race track as fast as you can ralph, well larry mcreynolds told ray evernham that he would be back on about lap 170 which is about seven laps from now to find out exactly what they're going to do.

We've also seen members of Kenny Schrader's team here too, Nick, yeah. We also had Robin Pemberton down here, he's at Earnhard now. Have they reached an agreement? There are no agreements. We're just discussing something. How many tires are they going to use when they enter the pits? When will they go into the pits? I don't know what we're going to do yet, we're discussing things that are koi, well, Robin Pemberton is the crew chief of Rusty Wallace's third place car, which was Kevin Hamlin on the left, Mike Skinner's crew chief talking to the car also owned by richard childress and designed by larry mcreynolds.

I think there's just as much tough racing up and down pit road as there is on the track right now, well the drama is still that because right behind these league cars we're looking at right now Bobby Levine, Jimmy Spencer and some other cars that are approaching this leading draft. It may be a 15-car shootout once they make their pit stops, but they're really catching their lead group, Rick Mast, racing here for The car's owner teases and is currently posting 29th, he's three laps back. , did not do the race last year and said that it took 10 years off his life.

He says I know when I will die of natural causes if I didn't. By missing that race I would have lived another 10 years. Well, it's hard to miss the race, there's no doubt about it. I was very proud to be able to participate in this race this year. He had to run to get to her on Thursday. for the first brickyard 400. dale earhardt has won 30 races at daytona counting the international race of champions seven wins in saturday's 300 great national race ever sunday for the daytona 500. I'm telling you, with the luck that Dale Earhardt had here at Daytona for the 500, a stream in the back of that car would ring like a cowbell, I guarantee you he's sitting there wondering if something else is going to happen to me Dick Bergeron Well, subject to change with larry mcreynolds radio to dale earhardt on lap 165 we arrive in 15 laps, they can go almost to the end, that is 200 laps with the fuel they have, but at least now the strategy was introduced before the Last year, Earnhardt, in contention for the win, rolled over with 11 laps left and there is a front crew chief and a Chevy crew chief chatting on the left.

Robin Pemberton, his boss, Peresti Wallace, now none of them or any of their drivers have won this race in years of trying, two years ago, Earnhardt. I started on pole finished a close second three years ago I settled for second place four years ago I lost the lead five years ago I lost it on the last lap I crashed six years ago seven years ago limped when the race ended under yellow flag and I was able to continue and after 19 years of testing Mike, I was just looking at turn one, the black skies are there, I'm sure these drivers are starting to look at it and say, man, this could be over before the end of the race because it's getting dark there, everyone has to watch out for bad weather and if they get a report that there is rain in that area, that will make a difference in these pit stops, they will go as far as possible, maybe some of them.

Even in 1980, when Buddy Baker won this race, Earnhardt was running with Baker in the closing laps when the pit crew left a lug nut loose during the final stop and he had to return to pit road losing a lap off the pace. Race every way you can and usually in the last few laps Jeff Gordon tries to be the spoiler at Earnhardt's party or at Wallace's celebration. The 1997 champion is in fourth place behind Earnhardt, Jeremy Mayfield and Rusty Wallace. 31 laps to go next time working 172 laps and 430 full miles the story is Earnhardt striving to finally win this 500.

Earlier this week he told the press that everyone saw the look in John Elway's eyes looking into mine . He is in front, but there are two pitchforks deployed directly behind him and before this ends. I can be sure that they will be on the attack mayfield and wallace working together let's get back to the call and mike joy can 28 laps to go eight timesin 19 years dale earhardt has been in this position at this point in the race at the front four times with the backstretch problem one car two cars slide in the back immediately john andretti robert presley was the other car and andretti was drifts as they go down to the grass and we are under caution so that takes all that pit strategy is over because they will be able to make their pit stops under yellow flag, all that hassle and new deal, cold day, hot races on the track, it's just the second yellow flag of the afternoon and comes after 173 laps have been completed, starting on lap 174. there are 15 cars on the lead lap, that's 16. earhardt jeremy mayfield rusty wallace jeff gordon and ernie irvin mike skinner bobby labonte ken schrader jimmy spencer and ricky craven top ten then kyle petty michael waltrip bill elliot terry labonte chad little bobby hamilton and lake speed 17 cars on the lead lap as they prepare for the restart but the first pit stops this is what happened in the curve two.

You can see that Andretti's car 43 arrived terribly fast in front of Robert Presley's car 77 who got together and turns towards the inside of the track everyone else passes, we slow down and look again Andretti was on the lead lap he just arrived to the left right corner presley and they both turn onto the inside of the track and out of harm's way inside John Andretti's car for this look, if you want to see what an arrow push looks like, watch it go up here quickly, get into those gears and comes out of there. He made a pit stop, yes, that makes me very proud of my Sunday.

The job up here I'm not on that windshield behind pit road will be the center of the action as Dale Earnhardt leads Jeremy Mayfield Rusty Wallace Jeff Gordon and each of those 17 cars on the lead lap Dick Bergeron Earnhardt coming down the road pit stop for what will be his last pit stop if all goes well the plan takes two tires, that is also Rusty Wallace's plan, let's go to Bill Rusty Wallace is in Robin Pemberton, he told his gas guys, to put a can and don't worry. He leaves here with right side tires, only he's far away on lithium.

Earnhardt has a quick pit stop. It will be Earnhardt who leads the charge out of the pits. Roy and his teammate, Mike Skinner, start second. That could be a conversation we had yesterday about where to win. In the Daytona 500, you have to have a friend and Earnhardt has his teammate right behind him. You have to remember something else, so his teammate wants to win the Daytona 500. Two teammates, that's two teams, right there, the first four positions, but it will be good. good hold, 25 laps to go next time from Earnhardt, he made a great pit stop, but you have to hand it to those guys in 31, they were back in fifth place when they came in, now they are in second place, they really made a Big pit stop now, even coming out of the pits, they're subject to that 65 mile per hour speed limit, so it's who does their job first and who gets out and into the lane.

Bill Robin Pemberton is very unhappy with that pit stop. I asked him not to. enough fuel in the car, he said not too much, he thinks they took too long, they wanted to get out before Earnhardt started in fourth place and that track position is so important, you know, they actually measure how long it takes to get rid of a gallon of fuel in these cars so you know when it's too long dark clouds on the western horizon the Daytona 500 has 25 laps left to run the field is preparing for a restart and let's rejoin mike joy don hawk with dale Earnhardt more prayer Earnhardt's pit stop a key pit stop to maintain that leading track position, watch that black car in the middle of the screen jump in front of those two white Fords and Mike Skinner, the blue and yellow car alongside him, let's call Kevin Hamlin and Mike Skinner. team michael lingerfelt ron otto kevin gabbard taco landon brian engelhart tripp bruce they got mike skinner up the leaderboard to second place he was fifth when he came in he came out in second place a loser in this pit stop was ernie irvin who was running fifth place, now he's back in 11th position and Michael Waltrip is also a big loser.

He left the pits well in sixth place, but had to come back because he went over an air hose, now he is in 18th place. There are 18 cars left in the lead and we must add that to the list we gave previously. John Andretti and Michael Waltrip are on the lead lap, making it 18 cars with Dale Earnhardt out front. 24 laps to go buddy how do you win this race if you're not in Dale Earnhardt's position well first thing you gotta do as you can see they're teaming up right now there's a lot of these guys who know they have to select right now, you wait about five laps to finish. run, but hey, if that door opens right now, those team cars will drive by Earnhardt and try to put him back in there and worry about him getting back to the front, those two leading chevys using General's new sb2 small block engine Engines. and a Ford Taurus right behind them, answering a question we had at the end of the day.

The Taurus can run, yes they can, they certainly can run in the draft. They haven't led much today, but they can certainly run in the draft. If two of them go up against those two Chevrolets, it will be interesting, however, I think it will be very difficult to pass Dale Earnhardt and Mike Skinner, Ken Squire, Dale Earnhardt has said this week that it is a game of chance in terms of who is working with you and how you get to where you want to be, I'm sure he's where he wants to be now, but he had Mike Skinner right behind him, going underground, right behind Skinner he's pushing Earnhardt into turn one, his grip almost came loose. car, Mike, it was a lot. under him and actually pushed the lap leading cars in the outside lane cars one or more laps down, including the #40 marlin to the inside, Rusty Wallace had a terrible start there, no match for his teammate where he should be, but Jeff Gordon is right in his rear shock they should be able to stop that's the last call because they go straight into the draft there 23 laps fighting between gangs jeremy mayfield's gang hasn't shown up yet he's the only one board at the front of that group he's had a good car all day he's been selected well, he's driven it well now Rusty Wallace is back there with two chevys and two forwards and three resters behind them Jimmy Spencer in the middle don't rule that one out green car there Bobby Labonte right now is one of the guys that can win two million dollars if he wins today and here is a challenge that goes down to turn one Ford's move inside Skinner they take Ernest Drafting Mike Skinner kicked on high clothesline out of the draft just here they come under him you I can see that Skinner is struggling on the outside, Bobby alone, that's not a good place to be.

He made it to the third. He got the third. Where to get there? to sound like Ray Everham talking to Jeff Gordon. He made it to the fourth. It's where he arrived. and bobby labonte is still on the side with mike skinner back there, that's not good, well the first four got away, they still have 22 laps, remember that damn air, that's ray evernote telling jeff gordon that the air dam is lapped, stay in line as long as you can and take advantage of the draft of the car ahead of you jerry nader number 13 in the middle of the group is the highest rookie in the race at the moment one lap down in 22nd place great debut for the Connecticut road racer Mark Martin's hurt car all the way in, pulling off the road, he knows he's spinning down the road, he's just letting these guys go after him, dude, how tense is it to be that late in a race? in the middle of a group like this?

Well, you see, Bobby. labonte in the green car there he has jimmy spencer and all the tension is incredible because you are doing everything you can inside outside trying to get someone to come with you approaching mike skinner he is trying to make a move there you see him come in you have to cut back out, they're no longer waiting, they're making their moves out of turn two. Earnhardt leads two fronts and a Chevrolet Jeff Gordon, the defending champion, fourth seven times at this point in the race. With 20 laps left, Earnhardt has been the leader and has yet to find the key to the door that opens to victory lane in the Daytona 500.

And it has been 59 Winston Cup races since Earnhardt won a victory on the senior nascar circuit three rest further back rookie kenny irwin between jeff beaudine and ricky craven ned those two forwards are united behind dale bernard now every time they have gone to In the first turn is Rusty Wallace, he started on the inside , he started on the outside, but even with Jeremy Mayfield right behind him he still can't get next to Earnhardt so far, maybe it's a little earlier when they would like to make those moves, they kind of test them, but they were also able to look around rearview mirror right behind Rusty Wallace as Jeff Gordon and you know he's still going to be a player in this.

Bobby Labonte has caught up to them and his friend said that he has a fast Pontiac, so he's going to It will be some kind of shootout here, right behind the green car, that red and white car that is Jimmy Spencer, past winner. Here he will also let everything hang out when the time comes for pre-season testing, when the strong came here to race. Buddy Baker came here as a consultant with Jeremy Mayfield and with Rusty Wallace. You went out and ran with Rusty. You pointed out a couple of things I could try. I want to share one with us.

Let's look at this race. I'll tell you what they do. great job, Rusty knows how to drive, he would just be here, but he helps me a lot in the cockpit, at least I know what these cars are doing right now. You can see Jeremy look inside at his teammate who is about to attack him. There, if he makes a wrong move, Rusty will go because he wants to win the Daytona 500 as much as Jeremy Mayfield. Erner looking in the mirror. What do I do if they come from outside and inside? Since Jerry Cook, there hasn't been a mirror driver in this business of Earnhardt's caliber, that's right and he knows I mean all he can do here is Gordon making a move, terry, I mean come with them, contact there between Gordon and Rusty Wallace's two cars and now Bobby Labonte takes a walk around the outside of Jeff Gordon so that he will go if he is going to go with him and that divided that draft leader here is Michael Walker at 21 coming back we said he fell up to 18th place, it's all the way up to ninth place and it's going to get close, they pull away three trying to gain track position at the expense of Gordon and that leaves these three to figure it out and Dale Earnhardt has to be smiling.

The guys keep him in twos back here and he's a three. car shootout instead of 15 cars advancing on the last fin, yeah, but I think Bobby Labonte will be back there before this is over, oh, that's strong, he's coming there, he's, he's back there now, Dale Earnhardt, all you can do is just keep that thing wide open keep it on the low side of the racetrack where it's running well all day and just wait for the best remaining 40 miles to run dick bergeron larry mcraels how stressful is it that Well, you know, it's just that. It's out of our hands now, you know, I feel like we've got the best driver to ever be at Daytona leading this field right now, but you've got team cars behind him and, uh, Darren, I wish they would shorten this race today I just have to see what happens okay thanks good luck well we look over there and that dark cloud doesn't look so dark right now in turn one as they are still running three back in the pack, it's not as dark as that. dark shape looming in front of those two white and blue forwards, dale Earnhardt, but as richard childress reminded larry mcreynolds at this point in the race last year, when larry said, "it looks good," childress just looked at him with a stern face and said, "we." I've been here before Mike still has 15 laps and anything can happen.

Look back here, four wide on the backstretch, everyone trying to catch these three. We'll be lucky if we don't have an accident before this ends with all those cars running. very close together at the back, running in four positions here they are three wide again in the middle of the group the green car chad little down ernie irving trying to get back to the leaders and outside ricky craven in 12th place you're with craven that's jerry nadew right up front bill elliott down inside oh chad little comes up almost on a whim that's exactly what ned was talking about digging and ripping now they're moving over each other tire marks are the thing of the day right now chad little He breaks free from that pack and all the way he goes irving irvin scratching and clawing his way back to the front he's racing for two million dollars 14 laps left can we hold our breath that long?

If I were driving Earnhardt's car, I hopethese guys are smart enough to stay behind me until the real time comes, if you made a move right now you could go from second to 15th, back there where they are running three sides and have no chance of winning now is not the time to make a move up front, of course, you're making the moves you have to make and that's keeping the pedal in the middle, as they say, wide open all over this race track and hoping that on the last lap or whenever they decide do it. your move is to get those two fords side by side back there or side by side with another car and they'll free you up with 12 to go next time by doing a lot of checking in the middle of that huge group as these seven cars get They have gone. single file winhardt mayfield rusty wallace bobby labonte jeff gordon mike skinner and jimmy spencer yeah now we have a group that really knows how to run this track the back there jimmy smither one here in an impressive move look at these three wide ones back in the group kyle petty he drops john andretti in the middle and squeezes in front of i think it was ted musgrave oh yeah he was pushed there too good for wisconsin and they run hard with their bumpers up there until they get to the lead seven cars in a row 11 and a half laps 27 miles left to go Dale Earnhardt has won his qualifying race the last countless consecutive years here each of the nine years of the 1990s, he has won the qualifying race, but between last year's qualifying race win and the win Thursday was close. out of victory lane, you know, Jeremy Mayfield, sitting there for a second, doesn't have as much time on the main tracks as the guy in front of him and the guy behind him, but he's got a great race car right now. , I hope you know when you go out if you are right under the car in front, you have no momentum, you need to fall back and let that teammate help you run from behind right away so you can make the move with the car in front.

Yours, okay, Professor Baker, Buck Baker's racing school, who he taught Jeremy Mayfield during the winter trials, do you have the killer instinct to beat these two and win this race? Let me tell you something, look at that whole group over there, every single one of them is a winner. You are a track champion before you reach the western cup. Each of these guys are talented race drivers and I won't take any credit. He got here on his own. Richard Childress is watching television. His pilot is ahead, but. They're all bunched up behind you, how does Dale Earnhardt keep these guys from passing him?

That's going to be difficult. You know, two cars can go. You know, Mike got dragged. He was hoping Mike could sit there with him, but those two cars left. running with Mike and just hanging him up and his car is a little loose too, so he's doing a good job and you know, Dale Earnhardt, he's been here a lot and he knows what he has to do. In fact, Mike Joy and those six cars in the lead group may be about to become 12. Just looking at Jeff Gordon, he had backed off and gone back to that back group, now he's running the front loop group back , he has some good writing partners with him.

There are 10 laps left for the driver to lead. with 10 laps remaining he has won 22 times in the 39 running of the 500 but four times one of the drivers of the 17 who have not been dale earhardt 1989 1990 1991 and 93. Earnhardt has been here with 10 laps remaining bill I'm with Paul Andrews, Jeremy Mayfield Kids crew chief, doing a great job, but what happens next, I don't know, we've got about eight more times around here, we'll find out you know the moving car has been real. Well, all week here we feel like we're in really good shape, we feel like we have a really good car, we know there's a lot of cars behind us and one wrong move that we could correct at the back, but you know, we're really excited to to be here in the position we're in and we're going to look for the wind a little bit here if Jeremy goes, Rusty will go with him, well of course that's what teammates are for. in fact, paul andrews knows how to win, he won the winston cup championship with the late alan kilwicki at the wheel, they are still running average laps of almost 188 miles per hour and are approaching that 500 mile mark, eight laps to go the end of 20 miles.

Friends, it didn't take long, we had four cars in a breakaway draft, now you have a lot of cars in competition. Rusty is seen pushing up a little. Bobby Lobani looking in as they head back immediately. Labonte has Jeff Gordon with him, Mike Skinner, on the inside, Rusty Wallace goes down like Kale Yarborough and Donnie Allison did on the last lap in '79. And here's Bobby Labonte, outside, the green car, Jeremy Mayfield, fighting from the inside, there's Jeff Gordon, right below him. they go down to the front right away it's a dogfight it's these guys jimmy spencer makes contact there they're not going to wait for one to go seven laps to go here comes mayfield right into Earnhardt's bumper again right underneath but here comes gordon now where did gordon come from fighting on the outside if he gets up look at this dogfight in turn two as they go down this long back right away wallace on the inside labonte way up on the outside and someone got shot up the middle like a hot dog flying out of the bun here come the teammates on the inside trying to back off jeff gordon going into turn two give it to mayfield they have separated there for a moment now coming out of turn four mayfield is there again putting in his forward's nose just below Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet Six to go baby, remember Martin on the outside, buddy, can you get there?

We have a situation here. We have two groups that are doing very well on the high side. of the track I don't think there is a big line around the track right now wow the teams and manufacturers are divided it's chevy ford chevy ford and no one has a teammate next to them let's see what Earnhardt is doing right Now , right on the white line around the bottom of the track, here that groove that you see from the white hill that is the race track, the rest of the flat part of the track, right against the wall, you can see it heading towards the dog's leg here.

I'll go all the way, he's protecting that low line now Ray Evernham tells his driver Jeff Gordon, five laps to go. 16 cars are in the running to win the Daytona 500. Remember 1979 when, entering turn three, Kale Yarbrough and Donny Allison collided with Richard Petty. He was on the turn one at a time and let Daryl Waltrip and Aj Foyt get to the checkered flag. You don't have to be in front of this train to win, but it sure helps, ma'am, we feel the same way you do here in the broadcast booth. Now that none of us are sitting down, I actually got out of my chair in turn four where David Pearson and Richard Petty crashed on the last lap of the 500 in 1976, Pearson limped through to victory to get into position, you know they've returned there and have qualified for sixth place, they are not in position to win the Daytona 500.

Bobby Labonte is in a bad position right now running next to another car. Ernie Irvin has made his way. Back in the race right now it's under Bobby Labonte, that's the group running side by side back here, that's not a good thing with these few lapsed, although there will be three laps left to get to the inside, there's one of those Fords that are three beside. once again, wow, Rusty passed Jeff Gordon down the backstretch. Now the car in front of him is a teammate. If they work together, they might have a chance to pass Earnhardt near the end here, but he made that pass without anyone else's help. car right on his bumper that was pretty impressive three laps to go any of these cars could win it Earnhardt Mayfield Schrader Bobby Labonte in pole position Jimmy Spencer coming on the inside there's Labonte trying to go around the outside of Rusty Wallace out of turn two can do that pass and also dead he's rusty by his teammate mayfield jeff gordon's crash that looks like a problem in gordon's car he's completely out of contention here in turn three where leroy yarborough beat charlie glotchbeck on the last lap in 1969 look at bobby labonte coming out alone on the outside got a little help from jimmy spencer bounces off the wall keeps going around twice to go big hit by spencer but i told you bobby labonte was moving a moment ago what muscle move on the outside , the fastest qualifier here for the 500, showing his muscle now three marks in the 500 chevy pontiac ford, that's how they run, but Earnhardt has a benefit, there's a slow car ahead and there's trouble coming out of turn two, some cars strangle him. could be this, whoever makes it back to the start and finish line, they'll get the fight and the yellow together, Lake Speed ​​and John Andretti tangled as the leaders head into turn three and that's it, and Spencer got together, this It could be the Daytona 500 that Bobby Levine goes to. out labonte on top Earnhardt uses Rick Bass's left car as chosen 20 years of trying 20 years of frustration Dale Earnhardt will reach the caution flag to win the Daytona 500.

Finally the most anticipated moment in the races if John Elway can win the Super Bowl. Dale Earnhardt said he could win the Daytona 500 and if he comes under caution to complete this final lap, the taste of long-awaited victory will be his. What a drive by Dale Earnhardt doing everything! what he had to do today Bobby Lebron is saying boy, he needed that last lap at the top of the show. You saw the steely eyes of Dale Earnhardt. I bet they'll be happy when he hits victory lane. Let me tell you. You will make the strongest man in the world cry when you win this race is special.

Bobby Labonte crosses the line toward the caution flag at second. Jeremy Mayfield's striker. Third. Kenny Schroeder with a chance to win that two million dollar bonus. Just like Bobby Labonte. Checkered flag. Dale Bernhardt. finally he is champion of the Daytona 500. Larry McReynolds, for the second time in this great race, will go to victory lane once with the late Davey Allison and today, with Archer, running to the caution flag out of turn three, he ran into Rick Mask McMast. He moved to the inside and that's all Earnhardt needed, but it was just a race track there to race, yeah, you can see Bobby Labonte and Mayfield punching each other as they go down to the road, you might feel like not quite, there there's the team, Larry McReynolds and his team watching. in Earnhardt a big hug from Richard Childress, the owner of the car, what an opportunity to win the eighth championship.

Richard Childress moment, you've worked so hard for so long, you've done it, what's it like to finally win the Daytona 500? Amazing, amazing, you know this team this year. We took it all winter and I can't say enough good things about Dale Earnhardt. GM Goodwrench has been behind it and above all they are racing fans. Unbelievable and there are people in this victory area who are crying. They used to boo Dale Earnhardt when he was around. winning too much, that will happen if you master any sport, but today when they introduced the intimidator, the crowd was filled with applause.

I think everyone, if his favorite driver couldn't win the Daytona 500, wanted to see this guy drive to victory lane. stop to check the spoiler one of the nascar officials crawls under car victory number 71 in the winston cup of his career for the second generation driver and seven time national champion he sent her to make a great man cry here is chocolate myers from the Earnhardt team well, they Don't get any bigger, but I'll tell you what I feel the same way. Look at the roar of the pits. Every man from every team has come out to the edge of the pit lane to congratulate the man who has dominated everything there. is to win in this sport except in this race until today that's great there was todd parrot's crew chief dale jarrett other members other members of others' team andy petry was there and this will be the longest receiving line in the history of the celebrations wow, yes I have done it.

I had never seen Mike. There are not so many. Normally we'll see two, three or four teams come out, but this is something I was going to say. The same. About 10 teams came out when I won this one, but check this out. everyone knows what it means to the man who has done everything possible to finally win the Daytona 500. There's Derek Culp or rather Ernie Irvin's team. There are Nascar officials out there. There's Robert Presley's team. Nascar officials from Ricky Craven's team. He is also shaking everyone's hand. If you look at 59 races. Since he was in victory lane 19 Daytona 500 twice, he led the white flag and failed to take control in the first place, but today it belongs to the man who grew up on the corner of Coach and Sedan Street in Kannapolis, Carolina del Norte, an industrial city to the north. from charlotte, where he worked under thathouse in a garage in his own and his father's race cars to become one of the two greatest Nascar champions, he and Richard Petty, the only two drivers with seven Winston Cups on their trophy rack, Mike, is very far. from victory lane still in the building from the crowd and Earnhardt along with Bobby Lobotti Jeremy Mayfield Rusty Wallace and again Kren Schroeder will have a chance to receive that million dollar bonus from RJ Reynolds when they next release it at the end of this season last year in Darlington, South Carolina.

Some questions. Earnhardt's ability to go 500 miles when he blanked out on the first lap in Darlington, South Carolina and he had to get out of the car and go to the spotlight. What is a circle? There goes the grass, a smoke. It shows the guy driving his homemade truck. Ron Hornaday. he likes to do when he celebrates a victory and now look at that defeat. Can he make it to victory lane from here? He will have to have a lot of help from a lot of security people to get there. It seems like I want to hear what he has to say, don't worry, he has won at this track 30 times, he better than anyone knows the way to victory lane, the most anticipated moment in the history of Nascar racing. .

Dale Earnhardt takes to victory lane at the Daytona 500. Waiting for Dale Earnhardt is the the man who brought the Daytona 500 to cbs ken squire the 20 year search is over the doors just opened for dale Earnhardt in victory lane at Daytona here is his wife Theresa coming to talk to He one for Dale Earnhardt maybe one for Neil Bonnett also about getting out of this beautifully prepared car, he said what he was going to need was patience and patience is what he gave him. He's fine, he put his hat on, he's waiting for this and he's ready to go, ready to get out of car number three. the winner of the Daytona 500.

I'm going to have a drink of soda here it's been a long time before I have a drink here, here, here, you get out of your car and you listen to this for two decades, you've been waiting for this moment and it's here and everyone takes a shower. dale yes yes yes yes yes what a show here with larry mcreynoldson from big hug and richard childress dale how was that ride? How's up man? Can you believe it? Number one has an amazing race car with two. Thank you, my God, for a good day this race car did everything, the good lord took care of it all day, very rich, this is for all the racing fans and all the people have been saying, come on, this It's your year, come on, this is your year and many of them said it like that. year, from Mr.

France to Todd Parrott and all the guys on the team, the Daytona 500 is ours, we won it, we won it, we won it and everyone shot you in the In the end, I don't care who was shooting me, I I was driving, I was driving in the mirror, it was more the front, but you know, I'm telling you that these great sponsors, these great people who worked with us and gave us everything we need to win, this is a good race car the spinny clinton hello david, congratulations on you baby and uh lady mcreynolds the spender clinton richard chillers we have a great racing team we are going to win a championship this year one for dale and one for teresa one for neil bonnett two today, well one for a lot of people, Wayne Robinson and, you know, Neil bought it.

My dad. Everyone who has been to the races has been my throwing buddy. They taught me so many things that touched my life. There are so many that I can't. thank you all my mom thank you mom i know she's back home dale jr i hope you're not too sore carrie and kelly i love you all you've touched a lot of people here today and we'll be back for the trophy presentation sometime after these messages, well, we're back here in victory lane, john graham, president of the daytona international speedway, after perhaps the greatest 500 of them all is about to make the introduction to dale earhardt, symbol of the victory in the great american race, john ken. dale, we bring you here for a second dale, congratulations, here is a replica of the symbolic harley j earl trophy of the champion of the daytona 500 and we will inscribe your name on the permanent harley j earl trophy on display along with your winning car. in daytona usa all year long congratulations a great day someone can get hurt here i'll tell you it's a great day and i was wondering if i would ever put my name on that trophy when you all built that thing and it's going to It would be cool to have this in my display case trophies, but it's for Richard Tillerson.

All the guys, everyone worked so hard for this. There are too many people in my life. I had to think about the ones I couldn't think about now. Come on, you lose that car for a whole year it's going to be a daytona usa they'll roll it up tonight that's why I took it out on the grass I turned a little I knew I wasn't going to erase it again I just thought I'd throw it a little The grass is very well planned . Those pit stops were impeccable today. Well, it was the guys who did a great job and Dale didn't choke on pit road, so it all worked out really well.

Now I can't say enough about this team. I tell you that I have had so many people who really worked so hard for the GM Goodreads service that have supported me all the way. We're in victory lane again. I knew we could do it and you did it and you did it with style, come on. For dick bergeron, I'm with bobby labonte, who had an excellent race at the end to finish second, his best finish in the Daytona 500, where did all that speed come from at the end of the day? You know, Jimmy Spencer really helped me a lot. a lot all day all week and our cars worked really well together and you know he's you know he's out there.

I have some guys to work with, but we worked well together all week and, you know, I brought this Pontiac interstate. you know it put me back up there and from seventh place to second place with about three laps to go so it's a hell of a race for us and the little guy is tyler labonte ralph jeremy mayfield tremendous race for you tell me about that last lap. Man, I'm glad it's over, you know, I had a really strong car, the mobile, Ford was great all day, didn't make any adjustments, the pit stops were great, my teammate was great, I mean, we work well together all day and that's it. uh shows the class site between both teams, we both ran well together and helped each other and uh, you know, everyone started moving at the end and didn't really have a chance to attack him, but you know we give him our best.

Shot your new teammate Rusty Wallace was the first to congratulate you. Is this teammate thing really going to work? What do you say to yourself? Just thumbs up. You know Rusty is a great guy. We have become very good friends. We are here. to help each other, you know, cars 2 and 12 are not going to compete against each other, we are here to help each other and that show today and, you know, rusty man, what a guy, you know he has won, everything This is to win and having him in your corner means a lot. This could be a powerful new force.

Jeremy Mayfield and Rusty Wallace and Winston Cup Racing. Ken Victory Lane. That's the place to be. That's where Earnhardt is after 20 years of trying here in the great American race. I'll be back with more of the story after this.