Junior finishes 25th in finale
HOMESTEAD —
rode off into the sunset, quite literally and happily, Sunday as the fading light painted a colorful farewell backdrop over Homestead-Miami Speedway. It felt more like a Sunday joy ride than a final race for NASCAR’s most beloved driver.
Earnhardt started in the last row due to changing the engine in his Chevy. In his final prerace interview, he told NBC that his objective for the day was, “You just want to be able to run all the laps.”
Mission accomplished, more or less. Junior was two laps down but still running at the end of the Ford 400. He finished 25th in an uneventful 400-mile transit, well behind the Championship 4 contenders as
took the Monster Energy Cup title that eluded Earnhardt in his career. He capped the day by presenting his helmet to team owner
and embracing his long-time owner in an emotional hug in the pits, and guzzling beer with his crew.
“I didn’t cry until I was hugging Rick’s neck,” Earnhardt said. “He’s been like a father to me, and the things that he’s done for me personally and professionally. But the personal stuff — he’s really, really helped me more than anybody will ever know. I will miss trying to make him proud.”
As it turned out, Earnhardt claimed the prize he sought for the day.
“The deal I had with Rick was if I finished the race with the car in one piece I get the car and he gets the helmet. I’m going to take this thing back home. It’s got a little scuff here and there. We ran into Truex on the back straightaway [on the cool-down lap] high-fiving him with the race car. Proud of him.”
Truex won back-to-back championships in what is now the Xfinity Series in 2004 and 2005 while driving for a team co-owned by Earnhardt. Junior said when the weekend began he was pulling for Truex to win his first Cup series title due to the adversity his friend has faced, including girlfriend battle with ovarian cancer.
“We’re retiring and Martin wins the championship,” Earnhardt said. “That’s storybook.”
Junior’s career has been a remarkable story as well in carrying on the family legacy in the wake of his father’s death in the 2001 Daytona 500.
Earnhardt went out with a smile, by all appearances eagerly, though he was observed wiping away tears during the drivers’ pre-race meeting during a standing ovation from fellow racers, NASCAR officials and others that lasted about 30 seconds. The “others” included Olympic gymnast
and MMA star
It was all part of what Junior anticipated when he tweeted early Sunday, “This is gonna be a weird day.”
It turned out better than that in a day that unfolded as a lovefest from dawn to dusk under cloudless skies for Junior Nation. There were tweets of adoration from his peers, including
who was also in her final race as a full-time driver, though she will drive the Daytona 500 and Indy 500 next year.
There was a rock-star reception from the sold-out crowd as Junior moved along a special walkway slapping hands with his admirers prior to taking a lap of honor around the track. Earnhardt posed for a photo for his wife Amy before climbing into the No. 88 a final time. A throng from Junior Nation pressed close, sending him off with cries of “Go get ’em, Dale,” and “Thank you, Dale.”
day ended in flames after she blew a right-rear tire and veered into the wall between Turns 2 and 3 on Lap 139. following close behind, plowed into Patrick’s car. She slowed to a stop near pit road with fire licking out around her right-front tire and smoke inside the car.
“Kind of the story of the year, kind of all the things that pointed in the direction that I ended up going,” Patrick said after being checked out and released from the medical center. “It was my fault I hit the wall.”
A trackside TV reporter asked if it was a silver lining for Patrick knowing she was coming back for the Daytona 500.
“Yeah. Sure,” she said. “Hope I don’t end up in the medical center.”