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| | Monday, September 18 Earnhardt: Decision leads to 'sorry racing' | |||||
| Associated Press LOUDON, N.H. -- Dale Earnhardt realized NASCAR had to react to the driver deaths earlier this year at New Hampshire International Speedway, but he doesn't like the way the sanctioning body addressed the problem. "It'll take me a while to put it into words," he said after finishing 12th Sunday in the Dura Lube 300. "They just overreacted." Earnhardt was alluding to NASCAR's decision to slow the cars on the 1.058-mile track with power-robbing carburetor restrictor plates. The decision, made a week ago, came in the wake of the fatal crashes eight weeks apart of Kenny Irwin and Adam Petty earlier this year. "It was just sorry racing to me," said Earnhardt, who fell from second to fourth in the Winston Cup standings. "I hope to hell we don't do it anymore." Earnhardt is one of the best restrictor-plate racers, but intensely dislikes the package previously used only on NASCAR's two fastest tracks. The irritating aspect for Earnhardt is that the plates prevent the drivers from accelerating to make passes and get out of tight spots. He likens it to racing at the entry level. "Race cars are race cars, not late model stock cars," he said. "They put late model stock cars on short tracks for kids to learn how to race." The seven-time series champion, who has always prided himself on being able to come from behind and use his skills to maintain leads, contends restrictor plates turn races into pace laps at higher speeds. "I guess NASCAR knows what they want," he said. "If they want sorry racing for the fans, that's what they want. If I was a race fan, I wouldn't buy a ticket to a restrictor-plate race on a short track." Stewart honors Irwin Tony Stewart didn't forget the late Kenny Irwin as he raced to a 23rd-place finish Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway. As a tribute to Irwin, killed in a crash at New Hampshire in July, Stewart wore a replica of his helmet. "I gave this a great deal of thought before I went to Kenny's family with the idea," Stewart said before the Dura Lube 300. "It is very important to me to preserve Kenny's memory with dignity. I want the helmet to demonstrate the value of his life and to further enhance his legacy." The family is in the process of establishing the Kenny Irwin Foundation. Stewart, who grew up racing against Irwin in their native Indiana, is turning the helmet over to the family, and it will be auctioned off at the first fundraising event for the foundation. Information regarding the auction will be posted on the Internet at www.tonystewart.com as details become available. Benson stuck in Dover Johnny Benson would like to be in two places at the same time next weekend. But the self-confessed Formula One junkie, who generally watches the races on Sunday mornings before jumping into his Winston Cup car, will have to make use of the VCR this time. Benson will be competing in the MBNA.com 400 at Dover Downs International Speedway while the F1 circuit races in this country for the first time in nine years in the U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "I wish this were an off weekend, because I'd surely be in Indianapolis," Benson said Sunday before finishing 11th in the Dura Lube 400 at NHIS. Benson spent an idle weekend five months ago in Silverstone, England, watching the British Grand Prix. Two years ago, he was at the Spanish Grand Prix, where he learned that F1 driver Rubens Barrichello is intrigued by the high-banked tracks on which Benson races. "He told me he played the NASCAR video game a lot at home," Benson said. "So you know he is cool if he does that." | ALSO SEE It's all Burton at Loudon; leads all 300 laps in win Dura Lube 300 results AUDIO/VIDEO   Dale Earnhardt does not like the slower pace due to the restrictor plates.wav: 101 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 NASCAR official Mike Helton thought Sunday's race in Loudon was a nice, safe day.wav: 107 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Ricky Rudd felt NASCAR deserves a pat on the back for their safety efforts.wav: 103 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Restrictor plates or not, Mark Martin feels the track is just hard to run on.wav: 181 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Bobby Labonte says he had to run hard for second place.wav: 149 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 | |||||