Penny for his thoughts?
Win gives Earnhardt special feeling for lucky coin
Posted: Monday July 06, 1998 07:05 PM
| |
Is a penny worth 200 laps? Dale Earnhardt fights to get his lucky penny removed from his Daytona-winning car for the remainder of the season (Andy Lyons/AP) |
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (CNN/SI) -- If a small copper penny makes as much of difference during the rest of the Winston Cup season as it did in Sunday's 40th Daytona 500, then first-time winner Dale Earnhardt might fight to get it back.
A gift from one of five seriously ill, Make A Wish Foundation-sponsored children who visited Daytona International Speedway the day before the race, Earnhardt's lucky penny went into his No. 3 Chevrolet along with the rest of his gear.
It remained there throughout the race, perhaps helping Earnhardt break his 0-for-19 record in NASCAR's showcase event, plus a 59-race losing skid. His frustration at Daytona was mirrored by John Elway's inability to win the Super Bowl, Arnold Palmer's failures in the PGA championship, and Ernie Banks' never reaching the World Series.
But what he remembers now is the penny.
"This one little girl, she was tiny, but she had a pretty voice," Earnhardt said Monday, recalling the children's Saturday visit. "She gave me this penny. She said, `I rubbed this penny and this is going to win you the Daytona 500.' I glued that penny to my dashboard and it's still on my dashboard."
And what followed Sunday's victory was an evening of celebrating and a short night of sleep that took none of the delicious edge off the victory.
"I woke up [Monday] morning and still couldn't believe I won the Daytona 500," Earnhardt said. "My friends were calling and I was calling friends and family. It's been great."
On Monday, Earnhardt was on hand to help turn over his winning black No. 3 Chevrolet Monte Carlo to Daytona USA, the motor sports attraction outside the tunnel at Daytona International Speedway. The winner is obligated to lease the car to Daytona USA, for $100,000. The car is displayed until next year's winning car is wheeled in. The agreement calls for the car to remain exactly as it was when the driver climbed out in Victory Circle.
"My helmet and goggles are in there and there's still champagne and Coke all over it," Earnhardt said. "There's even some dirt from the infield. You know this car never lost. It won the 125 [-mile qualifying race] and the Daytona 500. But we'll be happy to give it to them. We're already building a new one for Talladega [in April]."
In a race that he had lost twice before on the last lap, Earnhardt won the 1998 Daytona by holding off a squadron of challengers. Then came a crash on lap 199 that gave him the chance to enjoy the final 2 1/2-mile lap on the high-banked oval.
"I wish every race driver that ever runs Daytona could feel what we felt yesterday in Victory Lane," Earnhardt said. "That's one of the greatest feelings in your life, to work that many years and come so close and be so dominant and finally win that race. It's an accomplishment I won't forget."
So popular was the outcome that crewmen from most rival teams lined pit road to shake Earnhardt's hand.
"Now we can both sit in rocking chairs someday and talk about how we won the Daytona 500 and nobody will feel bad," said Darrell Waltrip, who didn't win his first Daytona 500 until 1989, in his 17th try.
"If anyone deserves it, it was Dale Earnhardt," said Geoff Bodine, who won Daytona in 1986. "I know how he feels right now."
Earnhardt can now tend to winning a record eighth Winston Cup championship. His next race is Sunday at Rockingham, North Carolina.
"This is a good start," he said. "Winning the Daytona 500 don't give you no edge on winning a championship, but it shows everybody this team is ready for the season."
Earnhardt was asked if this victory has changed him in any way. The familiar hard-eyed look returned to his eyes.
"It's still me," he said. "Still determined."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
| 
