Post by dalejrfan on Apr 29, 2006 23:45:44 GMT -5
TALLADEGA, Ala. – The numbers and the date added up to a victory and celebration.
Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver Martin Truex Jr. won his third consecutive NASCAR Busch Series race, holding off a spirited challenge from Kevin Harvick to win Saturday's Aaron's 312 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Harvick's Chevrolet failed post-race inspection, with NASCAR officials citing a rear quarter panel measurement. Announcement of penalties, if any, would likely come early next week.
Truex's win came on what would have been the late Dale Earnhardt's 55th birthday, which was being celebrated back at the DEI headquarters in Mooresville, N.C.
Earnhardt drove the No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing before he was killed in a last-lap wreck in the 2001 Daytona 500. DEI began fielding full-time Busch series teams in 1995.
"This is a special day. Everybody at DEI had this weekend penciled in on our calendars – the black cars and Dale Earnhardt Day and all that," said Truex Jr., who earned his 13th series win.
"There were a lot of cool things that happened today and I'm proud to be a part of this team."
Tony Eury Sr., who served as Truex Jr.'s crew chief for his season debut Saturday, said he believes Earnhardt would be proud of his organization.
"He'd be happy so long as we were winning," said Eury Sr., who serves as DEI's director of competition. "Yes, the place would be different if he were still, there, but he's gone. We try to do our best to run it like we think he would run it."
Harvick, who won the past two Busch races, increased his series points lead to 299 over his Richard Childress Racing teammate, Clint Bowyer.
Kyle Busch finished third, Brian Vickers fourth and Bowyer completed the top-five.
Busch and Vickers, teammates at Hendrick Motorsports, worked well together the entire race, pushing each other to the front on several occasions.
Late in the race, however, on at least two occasions Vickers appeared ready to make a run past Truex Jr., but Busch elected not go with him.
"It seemed a lot of them were fighting each other, rather than trying to get past me," Truex Jr. said. "I knew I wasn't in good shape.
"There were about eight teammates behind me and just little ol' me out front."
Reigning Cup champion Tony Stewart led 25 of the first 38 laps, but turned in front of Kenny Wallace on Lap 66 and flipping onto his roof along the frontstretch. He was not injured.
"It was totally my fault, I'll take 100 percent responsibility," he said. Rookie Danny O'Quinn also got caught up in the wreck.
Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver Martin Truex Jr. won his third consecutive NASCAR Busch Series race, holding off a spirited challenge from Kevin Harvick to win Saturday's Aaron's 312 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Harvick's Chevrolet failed post-race inspection, with NASCAR officials citing a rear quarter panel measurement. Announcement of penalties, if any, would likely come early next week.
Truex's win came on what would have been the late Dale Earnhardt's 55th birthday, which was being celebrated back at the DEI headquarters in Mooresville, N.C.
Earnhardt drove the No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing before he was killed in a last-lap wreck in the 2001 Daytona 500. DEI began fielding full-time Busch series teams in 1995.
"This is a special day. Everybody at DEI had this weekend penciled in on our calendars – the black cars and Dale Earnhardt Day and all that," said Truex Jr., who earned his 13th series win.
"There were a lot of cool things that happened today and I'm proud to be a part of this team."
Tony Eury Sr., who served as Truex Jr.'s crew chief for his season debut Saturday, said he believes Earnhardt would be proud of his organization.
"He'd be happy so long as we were winning," said Eury Sr., who serves as DEI's director of competition. "Yes, the place would be different if he were still, there, but he's gone. We try to do our best to run it like we think he would run it."
Harvick, who won the past two Busch races, increased his series points lead to 299 over his Richard Childress Racing teammate, Clint Bowyer.
Kyle Busch finished third, Brian Vickers fourth and Bowyer completed the top-five.
Busch and Vickers, teammates at Hendrick Motorsports, worked well together the entire race, pushing each other to the front on several occasions.
Late in the race, however, on at least two occasions Vickers appeared ready to make a run past Truex Jr., but Busch elected not go with him.
"It seemed a lot of them were fighting each other, rather than trying to get past me," Truex Jr. said. "I knew I wasn't in good shape.
"There were about eight teammates behind me and just little ol' me out front."
Reigning Cup champion Tony Stewart led 25 of the first 38 laps, but turned in front of Kenny Wallace on Lap 66 and flipping onto his roof along the frontstretch. He was not injured.
"It was totally my fault, I'll take 100 percent responsibility," he said. Rookie Danny O'Quinn also got caught up in the wreck.