Post by dalejrfan on Aug 20, 2006 4:46:42 GMT -5
BROOKLYN, Mich. – If you didn't hear it, you wouldn't believe it.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – NASCAR's most popular driver – was drowned in a chorus of boos following his controversial win in Saturday's Carfax 250 Busch Series race at Michigan International Speedway.
On the next-to-last lap during a green-white-checkered finish, Carl Edwards was leading with Robby Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. close behind entering Turn 1.
Earnhardt Jr. ended up right behind Edwards and in Turn 2 hit Edwards, turning the No. 60 Ford in front of Gordon and off the track.
The caution was displayed, which normally would have secured Earnhardt Jr.'s victory, but the fireworks were not over.
First, Edwards drove around the track and hit Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 8 Chevrolet in the driver's-side area while Earnhardt Jr. had his left hand out the window. Then, NASCAR decided to review the end of the race, but eventually sent Earnhardt Jr. to victory lane.
The decision did not sit well with the fans. The boos grew loudest when Earnhardt Jr. got out of his car to celebrate, then turned to roars of excitement when Edwards visited victory lane and engaged in a heated verbal exchange with Earnhardt Jr.
"Me and (Gordon) both had a good restart, we were right on Carl's bumper. I was waiting to see where everybody was going to go," Earnhardt Jr. said.
"I saw they were going to the bottom, so I drove into Turn 1 as hard as I could.
"I was actually putting the pedal down to go to the outside of Carl and he wasn't going. I was gaining and gaining. He was all out of control.
"He just never got in the gas and I think we were actually on the straightaway when I got into the back of him."
Earnhardt Jr. said he did not intend to wreck Edwards, only give him "a little push."
"He just climbed up on the nose and it just spun him right out," he said. "I don't go around wrecking people on purpose and I don't have a track record of doing that."
Earnhardt Jr. cited the fall 2004 Cup race at Atlanta, in which he said Edwards wrecked him on the straightaway and ruined his chances at the championship.
However, in an interview immediately after that wreck, Earnhardt Jr. took responsibility, saying, "We were just trying to race for the win there. I think I came up on Carl and turned myself into the inside fence there. I tore my car up. We had a good car. (It) kind of sucks to lose all them points. I don't think it was Carl's fault."
Edwards was called to the NASCAR hauler after Saturday's race and likely faces penalties this week for retaliation.
"We were having a good race and Dale just kind of spun me out and he ended up winning the race. NASCAR had a nice meeting with me a while back and told me they were going to take care of that kind of stuff, but I don't know, I guess they're letting him keep the win," Edwards said.
"That's neat that the fans are that objective. I mean, Dale Junior's hugely popular. I've never heard Dale Junior get booed before."
Those closest to the action also chimed in.
Said Casey Mears, who finished second: "It's good TV."
Robby Gordon, who drove the No. 88 Chevy this week for JR Motorsports, owned by Earnhardt Jr., said Earnhardt Jr. was just doing everything he could to win.
"If Carl got loose in front of him and he pushed him out of the way, so be it," he said.
Gordon finished third, Matt Kenseth was fourth and pole-winner Mark Martin fifth. Series points leader Kevin Harvick finished eighth and holds a commanding 484-point lead over Denny Hamlin.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – NASCAR's most popular driver – was drowned in a chorus of boos following his controversial win in Saturday's Carfax 250 Busch Series race at Michigan International Speedway.
On the next-to-last lap during a green-white-checkered finish, Carl Edwards was leading with Robby Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. close behind entering Turn 1.
Earnhardt Jr. ended up right behind Edwards and in Turn 2 hit Edwards, turning the No. 60 Ford in front of Gordon and off the track.
The caution was displayed, which normally would have secured Earnhardt Jr.'s victory, but the fireworks were not over.
First, Edwards drove around the track and hit Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 8 Chevrolet in the driver's-side area while Earnhardt Jr. had his left hand out the window. Then, NASCAR decided to review the end of the race, but eventually sent Earnhardt Jr. to victory lane.
The decision did not sit well with the fans. The boos grew loudest when Earnhardt Jr. got out of his car to celebrate, then turned to roars of excitement when Edwards visited victory lane and engaged in a heated verbal exchange with Earnhardt Jr.
"Me and (Gordon) both had a good restart, we were right on Carl's bumper. I was waiting to see where everybody was going to go," Earnhardt Jr. said.
"I saw they were going to the bottom, so I drove into Turn 1 as hard as I could.
"I was actually putting the pedal down to go to the outside of Carl and he wasn't going. I was gaining and gaining. He was all out of control.
"He just never got in the gas and I think we were actually on the straightaway when I got into the back of him."
Earnhardt Jr. said he did not intend to wreck Edwards, only give him "a little push."
"He just climbed up on the nose and it just spun him right out," he said. "I don't go around wrecking people on purpose and I don't have a track record of doing that."
Earnhardt Jr. cited the fall 2004 Cup race at Atlanta, in which he said Edwards wrecked him on the straightaway and ruined his chances at the championship.
However, in an interview immediately after that wreck, Earnhardt Jr. took responsibility, saying, "We were just trying to race for the win there. I think I came up on Carl and turned myself into the inside fence there. I tore my car up. We had a good car. (It) kind of sucks to lose all them points. I don't think it was Carl's fault."
Edwards was called to the NASCAR hauler after Saturday's race and likely faces penalties this week for retaliation.
"We were having a good race and Dale just kind of spun me out and he ended up winning the race. NASCAR had a nice meeting with me a while back and told me they were going to take care of that kind of stuff, but I don't know, I guess they're letting him keep the win," Edwards said.
"That's neat that the fans are that objective. I mean, Dale Junior's hugely popular. I've never heard Dale Junior get booed before."
Those closest to the action also chimed in.
Said Casey Mears, who finished second: "It's good TV."
Robby Gordon, who drove the No. 88 Chevy this week for JR Motorsports, owned by Earnhardt Jr., said Earnhardt Jr. was just doing everything he could to win.
"If Carl got loose in front of him and he pushed him out of the way, so be it," he said.
Gordon finished third, Matt Kenseth was fourth and pole-winner Mark Martin fifth. Series points leader Kevin Harvick finished eighth and holds a commanding 484-point lead over Denny Hamlin.