 |
 |
| | Monday, September 6 from Darlington Raceway fans | |||||
| DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Dale Earnhardt's latest push to victory
at Bristol did nothing to affect his popularity with NASCAR fans at
the Southern 500.
"The Intimidator" spun out Terry Labonte on the final lap at
the Goody's 500 last week to steal the victory. But the move
brought a shower of boos from the Bristol crowd and cries from
drivers who would rather not race Earnhardt-style.
It was the second straight year a NASCAR fan won $1 million bonus in the Winston No Bull 5 program. Phylis Farmer, of Hillsboro, Mo., was paired with Southern 500 winner Jeff Burton. A year ago, Jim Chorman, of Staten Island, N.Y., was selected by Jeff Gordon for the sizable prize. "This is something we love to see one of these people winning a million," said Jarrett, who started 36th and finished 16th for Glen Keck of Knoxville, Tenn. "He may not be as excited," Jarrett said, "after seeing where I started." Mark Martin was fourth for Johnny Bowser of Charlotte, N.C. Tony Stewart, driving for Amy Bourdonnay of Knoxville, Tenn., had a broken ratchet and was 12th, while Bobby Labonte, paired with Gerard Walsh of Coral Springs, Fla., was slowed by engine problems and was 19th. Now you're cooking Betty Crocker has come out of the kitchen and onto the track. General Mills and its famous baking brand have put together the Betty Crocker Racing Family, a group of women involved in racing who spend years raising families at racetracks. Pattie Petty, wife of driver Kyle Petty, said she wondered why no one focused on female race fans before. Half the sports' fans are women, "so it's wonderful that there is a company to target them," she said. Also involved are Nancy Andretti, Debbie Benson, Kim Burton and Stevie Waltrip. Stevie Waltrip, who's husband Darrell has been one of the circuit's most popular drivers, says NASCAR has made it easier for families to survive the weeks and months on the road. "I think that's where women in racing have changed the feel of racing by giving NASCAR and Winston Cup racing heart," she said. Pit stops ... King Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough were among the Hall of Fame drivers on hand for the 50th running of the Southern 500. "We've run a lot of laps at this place, but we're only a small part of what you see here," said Petty, who has won three races in 66 starts at Darlington. ... Richard Childress, who owns Dale Earnhardt's No. 3 car, announced this weekend he was starting a second Busch Grand National team. It will be sponsored by Rockwell Automation and driven by Childress' son-in-law, Mike Dillon. ... Goodyear engineer Tony Freund said the new racing tire designed for Darlington held its grip about twice as long as previous Southern 500s. | ALSO SEE 'Rain Man' wins another $1 million in Southern 500
 | |||||
