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Earnhardt Jr. keeps coming back for more

DAYTONA BEACH -- There was a time when Dale Earnhardt Jr. would have thrown in the towel -- come into the pits after a blown tire or brush with the wall and not gone back out, figuring he didn't have a chance to win, so why try?

During Sunday's Daytona 500, thanks in part to a renewed work ethic and a desire not to let his team down, Earnhardt came back out. And came back out. And came back out.

The 27-year old became part of Daytona lore while experiencing one of the strangest races he has ever driven.

His troubles began with a cut right tire on Lap22. He battled back from the middle of the pack to a top five position despite having no front right quarterpanel. Next was a 160-mph trip through the infield grass. Then he almost sneaked through the biggest wreck of the day. Did we mention that he almost ran over a race official intentionally? Earnhardt finished 29th and was just happy to say he finished.

Much like Davey Allison almost spinning into Lake Lloyd or Rusty Wallace rolling down the backstretch or Richard Petty pirouetting out of the tri-oval, Earnhardt took his No. 8 Chevrolet for a ride few will forget.

Coming out of the tri-oval midway through the race, he felt his right rear tire blow. As he neared pit road Earnhardt realized he had no brakes and turned back through the infield grass at nearly full speed.

"That was crazy," Earnhardt said. "I didn't have a whole lot to do about where it went. I was just trying not to hit a racecar that might be slowing down or run in to anybody. It was a hell of a thing, trying to steer through that grass, but it can be done."

When he got to his pit stall and his team finally stopped the car from rolling, NASCAR officials wouldn't let Earnhardt back on the track until the brakes were fixed. That led to a longer stop and a frustrated Earnhardt, who backed up and blew out of his stall, causing a race official to jump out of the way.

"NASCAR has some strange rule where you can't run without brakes," Earnhardt said. "I was just trying to prove to him that I had them. They're kind of stubborn anyway."

SPOILER SPORTS: After only two Fords and two Dodges qualified in the top 18, NASCAR officials made amendments to the aerodynamic packages for both manufacturers. So Friday morning, the Tauruses and Intrepids received an extra quarter-inch off the top of the 57-inch wide spoilers running across the backs of their cars.

The result was a much-improved showing for both in Sunday's race. Ford claimed five of the top seven spots. Ward Burton's Dodge took the checkered flag and Dodges driven by Bill Elliott and Sterling Marlin were in the top11.

"Basically (the change) put us back in business," said Tommy Baldwin, Burton's crew chief. "That just put us back to being equal. We knew with us being equal we could win the Daytona 500."

FIRST TIME OUT: Five drivers made their Daytona 500 debuts, led by Ryan Newman, who finished seventh. Pole-sitter Jimmie Johnson finished 15th followed by Jeff Green in 19th. Shawna Robinson, the first woman since Janet Guthrie in 1980 to compete in the race, finished 24th. Kevin Harvick, who started his Chevy on the front row beside Johnson, led for three laps and stayed in the front pack before his day ended in an 18-car wreck on Lap149.

LAST TIME OUT: Dave Marcis saw his record 33rd and final 500 end in disappointment.

Marcis retired from the sport and Sunday's race on Lap 79 when his car overheated, bringing to an end a career that spanned five decades. He had 882 starts and five wins and was runner-up in the 1975 points race to Richard Petty. He finished 42nd.

ROUGH START: Tony Stewart, second in last year's Winston Cup standings and one of the prerace favorites after winning last weekend's Bud Shootout, started the new season on a disappointing note when he dropped out after two laps due to engine failure.

-- MIKE READLING, GREG AUMAN

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