Post by catfan52 on Feb 12, 2006 21:34:28 GMT -5
Dale Earnhardt Jr. returns fire, faults NASCAR official
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - There are probably several things about last season that Dale Earnhardt Jr. wishes he could do over.But there's one thing for which the driver believes he was unfairly criticized: missing the Nextel Cup Series awards banquet in New York City.
Earnhardt Jr., who was not among the top-11 drivers honored during the ceremony in December, won the National Motorsports Press Association's most popular driver award, presented during the annual Myers Brothers breakfast.
"I talked to the powers that be. They said that we didn't have to go to New York, so I didn't have to make that trip," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Then we got thrown under the bus by (Jim) Hunter. Hunter is NASCAR's vice president of corporate communication.
"He pulled the 'Dale Earnhardt' card on us, said we should have been there," Earnhardt Jr. said. "But they were the same people who told us we didn't have to go."
Jeff Gordon, who finished 11th in points, and Earnhardt Jr. were among several drivers who did not attend. Both maintain they sought NASCAR's blessing well before the banquet.
However, in the days following the event, after fans and some in the media criticized NASCAR over the no-shows, Hunter blamed the drivers.
"It was very disappointing to NASCAR and the entire industry that drivers did not show up for various awards," Hunter told The Associated Press. "It shows a lack of respect for the history and tradition of the sport."
Hunter went on to say, "Dale Earnhardt went to New York every year whether he won the championship or not. It meant a lot to him to represent the sport and we expect that from all our competitors."
In a December interview with the Long Island Press, Gordon also said NASCAR officials had told him it was OK to skip the banquet. Gordon was scheduled to participate in the Race of Champions in Paris.
"I hope that they're not including me (with everyone who didn't attend the banquet)," Gordon said in the interview. "One, I did talk to them prior to the event, did my best to do a video accepting my award. And also, I tried to explain to them that I'm representing NASCAR in Paris
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - There are probably several things about last season that Dale Earnhardt Jr. wishes he could do over.But there's one thing for which the driver believes he was unfairly criticized: missing the Nextel Cup Series awards banquet in New York City.
Earnhardt Jr., who was not among the top-11 drivers honored during the ceremony in December, won the National Motorsports Press Association's most popular driver award, presented during the annual Myers Brothers breakfast.
"I talked to the powers that be. They said that we didn't have to go to New York, so I didn't have to make that trip," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Then we got thrown under the bus by (Jim) Hunter. Hunter is NASCAR's vice president of corporate communication.
"He pulled the 'Dale Earnhardt' card on us, said we should have been there," Earnhardt Jr. said. "But they were the same people who told us we didn't have to go."
Jeff Gordon, who finished 11th in points, and Earnhardt Jr. were among several drivers who did not attend. Both maintain they sought NASCAR's blessing well before the banquet.
However, in the days following the event, after fans and some in the media criticized NASCAR over the no-shows, Hunter blamed the drivers.
"It was very disappointing to NASCAR and the entire industry that drivers did not show up for various awards," Hunter told The Associated Press. "It shows a lack of respect for the history and tradition of the sport."
Hunter went on to say, "Dale Earnhardt went to New York every year whether he won the championship or not. It meant a lot to him to represent the sport and we expect that from all our competitors."
In a December interview with the Long Island Press, Gordon also said NASCAR officials had told him it was OK to skip the banquet. Gordon was scheduled to participate in the Race of Champions in Paris.
"I hope that they're not including me (with everyone who didn't attend the banquet)," Gordon said in the interview. "One, I did talk to them prior to the event, did my best to do a video accepting my award. And also, I tried to explain to them that I'm representing NASCAR in Paris