Thursday, January 13, 2005

Earnhardt Jr. prepares to defend Daytona title.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- The car in which Dale Earnhardt Jr. won last year's Daytona 500 is in a museum, to be reclaimed only after the Nextel Cup season opener next month.

But Earnhardt, who also has a new crew chief this year, is filled with confidence.


Pete Rondeau is just the second crew chief of Earnhardt Jr.'s five-year career at NASCAR's top level. Credit: AP

"We've got a brand new car," he said Wednesday during a break in NASCAR's preseason testing session at Daytona International Speedway. "The new car was pretty decent, and I was really happy with it.

"I think the cars draft well. If we have to start near the back we'll just cut up through the pack."

He has reason to be optimistic about such a move. He and Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate Michael Waltrip have won five of the last eight races on the 2.5-mile oval.

The two days of on-track testing also are the first trial of the relationship between Earnhardt and crew chief Pete Rondeau, who switched to the No. 8 Chevrolet from Waltrip's No. 15 team.

NASCAR ACCELERATION
• Know Your NASCAR
• Tickets for Daytona
• 2004 Daytona 500 highlights
• Get TrackPass for 2005!


It's the first time since Earnhardt began racing full-time in NASCAR in 1998 that he has not worked with longtime crew chief Tony Eury and car chief Tony Eury Jr. The elder Eury is now DEI's director of competition and Eury Jr. has taken over as Waltrip's crew chief.

"One of the things I like about Pete is that he gives me a lot of respect," Earnhardt said. "When we talk, we listen. He has a similar demeanor as I do in and around the car and at the shop and away from the track. It's been a really nice offseason."

The relationship with the Eurys, Earnhardt's uncle and cousin, was not always smooth, particularly between the two younger men.


Credit: Autostock

"With the change we made, it took a lot of stress away from me," Earnhardt said. "Tony Jr. is really enjoying himself now, too. ... He's working with Michael and they're really clicking now. He's able to do things that maybe we couldn't do together before."

Earnhardt finished fifth in points in 2004 by winning six times and being in contention throughout the 10-race, 10-man Chase for the Nextel Cup that ended the season. Still, he has modest goals for this season -- two or three wins.

"I never expected in a million years to win six races in one season," he explained. "I thought that was really incredible. Just to win races is fun. I want to contend for wins and be in the top 10. I want to be a competitor and consistently up front all day."

The Daytona 500, the first of 36 Nextel Cup races, is scheduled for Feb. 20. The winner of the race will be without that car for the remainder of the season under terms of a contract with Daytona USA, which will display it until after the 2006 Daytona 500.


Comments (0)