Congratulations to Dale, Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr Image & Dale Earnhardt Jr Graphics

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fans must have been practically foaming at the mouth with excitement watching last night's Nationwide race at Daytona.

I have to admit, that while I am far from being a Dale Jr. fan, I did enjoy his long-awaited trip to Victory Lane in  the #3 in honor of his Daddy's induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. It is easy to get caught up in such raw emotion, as the camera panned atop the pit box to see an emotional Tony Eury, Jr. break down in tears. When Jr. got out of the car, he was obviously elated by the moment.

What I am not excited about is that this win will likely carry over to the rest of the NASCAR season where the pundits and NASCAR's favorite talking heads will capitalize on Dale Jr.'s inherited fan-favoritism combined with this one win at this one race at this one time. We will be hearing about it for what will seem like forever.

It was rather nice when Junior wasn't winning races; the adoring commentators finally stopped gushing over him. I'm almost afraid to read my email or watch Fox Sports for fear it will have already begun.

Dale Jr. is not the first person to win a race and he will not be the last. I only hope that when I get back to my NASCAR world from the real one I live in, that I hear about some of the other drivers as well. After all, it is not only unfair to racing aficionados of all persuasions to freak out over just one driver, but it is unfair to that driver. I feel sorry for Dale Jr. sometimes because it can't be easy to be bigger than life when you are really just a regular guy trying to do your job.

The over-zealous reporters and longtime friends of Junior's father who spout endlessly about Junior's hoped-for driving prowess actually caused me to dislike Dale Jr. I have since looked past that and have developed an affection for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. the person who just happens to be a race car driver.

I congratulate him on this long-awaited win and am glad it came at this time, on this track, in this car. He deserves a pat on the back, albeit I will refrain from bows or curtsies.

NASCAR at Talladega, always thrilling, sometimes scary

Originally written April 27, 2009 NASCAR racing at Talladega Super Speedway this weekend did not disappoint. It was all about action Sunday as a 13-car melee occurred on only the seventh lap, taking out cars whose drivers had a real potential to win. 

Another multi-car wreck occurred near the end of the race, which took out another 10 cars. Ryan Newman, who started this season with hideous luck that weighed on his performance, wheeled past his competitors to make his way to the front of the pack in both Saturday's Nationwide race and again Sunday in the Sprint Cup event. 

For his fans, it was exhilarating. In both races, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was glued to Newman's back bumper, which added push to Newman's already fast run. Saturday Newman drove the #33 car for Kevin Harvick, Inc. Leading into the last lap, Newman had to settle for second place after a photo-finish pass by David Ragan who received a triumphant push by rookie Joey Logano. 

Newman and Earnhardt, Jr. were in the same position Sunday, but finished third after being involved a dramatic last lap crash. For Newman supporters, anticipation was high; the adrenalin flowed. But it was quickly replaced with a horrible sick feeling. During the last lap, Newman's car was passed by what must have seemed like a freight train made up of two bumper-to-bumper race cars driven by Carl Edwards and rookie Brad Kezelowski respectively. 

They shot past him. The two tangled as the car piloted by Edwards went airborne just ahead of Newman who plowed into the flying racecar. As Edwards' car sprung off the front end of Newman's car, it sailed viciously toward the fence headed for unsuspecting fans. 

Fortunately the fence held, though some were injured by flying debris. The injuries were not serious or life-threatening, according to reports. Newman and Edwards were unhurt. A similar take-off occurred in Saturday's race when David Ragan's car touched that of his teammate Matt Kenseth, causing it to roll several times along the back straightaway. He too was unhurt. Though the result was not his preferred option, Newman's points position soared. He ended the race 13th in points after starting 17th.