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Motorsports
Jeff Green edges Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the pole at the Daytona 500.
By JOANNE KORTH, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 11, 2003
DAYTONA BEACH -- It has been almost two years since Dale Earnhardt was killed at Daytona International Speedway, but there will be no denying his presence at Sunday's Daytona 500.
In the front row.
Jeff Green and Dale Earnhardt Jr., both of whom have ties to the man known as the Intimidator, secured the top spots in Monday's qualifying. Green won the pole at 186.606 mph, beating Earnhardt Jr. by .058 seconds.
Green drives for Richard Childress Racing, with which Earnhardt won 11 races at Daytona and Talladega, tracks where restrictor plates are used to limit speeds. Earnhardt Jr. drives for Dale Earnhardt Inc., which his father founded.
When it comes to restrictor-plate racing, RCR and DEI not only have an alliance -- sharing research and information -- but a bond. Both are dedicated to carrying on Earnhardt's legacy.
"A lot of the credit goes to the people who put the race cars together," said Earnhardt Jr., who has won four of the past six restrictor-plate races in the No. 8 Chevy. "There are similarities between DEI and RCR. We take a lot of pride in our restrictor-plate programs and Richard always has."
Only Green and Earnhardt Jr. secured starting spots. The remaining 41 positions will be determined after Thursday's 125-mile qualifying races.
Monday's qualifying was an impressive parade of Chevrolets from RCR and DEI, whose drivers occupied five of the top six spots. RCR's Robby Gordon was third, DEI's Michael Waltrip fourth and RCR's Kevin Harvick sixth. And Harvick was frustrated.
"There's not a whole lot of reason we should be four-tenths of a second slower than Jeff," said Harvick, who took over for Earnhardt after his last-lap crash at the 2001 Daytona 500. "It just wasn't quite what we were expecting."
There were six Chevys in the top 10, two Fords and two Dodges. Ricky Rudd was fifth in the No. 21 Ford, Sterling Marlin ninth in the No. 40 Dodge.
A lot has been made of Junior assuming his father's place as the series' restrictor-plate master, but in all the fuss, one man was forgotten. After all, someone had to build those black No. 3 cars, not that Childress takes credit.
"He won't, just out of respect," Earnhardt Jr. said.
Childress credits Earnhardt.
"Dale, he was the man here for many, many years," said Childress, Earnhardt's owner for six of his seven championships. "We just gave him a car."
Monday, Childress gave fast cars to all his drivers. That Green, in his second full Winston Cup season, stole the pole late in the day was a shock to everyone.
Except Green.
The 40-year-old barely practiced Saturday because his No. 30 Chevy was so fast. When qualifying was postponed by rain Sunday, Green thought he would go crazy.
"It was the longest day of my life because I knew how good our car was," said Green, the 2000 Busch Grand National champion who in 1995 drove a BGN car for Earnhardt. "I kept telling Michelle, my wife, how good a car we had. She was just shaking her head." With good reason.
Green's previous Winston Cup pole was at half-mile Bristol in 2001, when he drove eight races for Childress. In four Daytona races, he had not started better than 30th. But never count out RCR during qualifying at Daytona.
Even as the team struggled last season, it put Harvick on the front row for the Daytona 500 and on the pole for the Pepsi 400 in July. Now, Green joins the party.
"I think this tops them all," Green said of his accomplishments. "To come to Daytona and we're the class of the field, that's saying a lot."