The big wreck happened Sunday, just as drivers had predicted. It came on the final lap, it took out 16 of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s closest competitors and it shook the roots of NASCAR.
As “Little E” celebrated a million-dollar win in the EA Sports 500, his fed-up peers marched into NASCAR’s mobile offices at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and exacted promises of change on the spot.
“I’m just glad to be alive after this one’s over,” said Tony Stewart, who finished second.
“It was out of the drivers’ control,” three-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon said after finishing seventh.
NASCAR Vice President Jim Hunter characterized the furor as “several animated meetings” with drivers after the race. “The overriding question is, `What are we going to do to prevent accidents like this, and racing like this, in the future?”‘ Hunter said of the protests. “We don’t like this any more than our drivers do.”
At issue is the despised “aero package” of rules made especially for Talladega and its sister track, Daytona International Speedway, to keep speeds below 200 m.p.h. and artificially stimulate close racing.
“Thus far we have been unable to come up with a solution, but we are going to figure this out,” Hunter said. “And we will figure it out before Daytona” next February. There were no serious injuries Sunday.
Moments after Earnhardt avoided the wreck and repeated his last restrictor-plate victory, at Daytona in July, his car failed technical inspection because his roof was 1/8-inch lower than the mandatory 51 inches. NASCAR said he would be penalized but will keep the victory.
— Ed Hinton
John Force won an NHRA record 11th title with a second-place finish to Gary Densham in his Funny Car at the O’Reilly Fall Nationals in Ennis, Texas. Force passed former Pro Stock driver Bob Glidden for the most NHRA championships. Larry Dixon beat Doug Kalitta in the Top Fuel final.
