Daytona 500 2000 - Earnhardt a winner in 'equal' IROC cars

Earnhardt a winner in 'equal' IROC cars
ESPN.com news services

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Speedweeks at Daytona aren't official until Dale Earnhardt gets at least one win in February.

This year, Earnhardt quit griping long enough to win Friday's opening round of the International Race of Champions (IROC) series at Daytona International Speedway.


	Dale Earnhardt started and finished the IROC race out front.

Earnhardt led the race four times, including the final lap when he briefly lost the lead to Jeff Burton, to score the 11th IROC victory of his career. The defending IROC series champion beat Tony Stewart by 0.124 seconds to win his 34th race of any kind at Daytona. He is the all-time victory leader at the 2.5-mile, high-banked facility.

Burton was third, followed by Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. The Indy Racing League's Greg Ray, who finished ninth, was the highest-finishing non-NASCAR driver.

The seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion was very vocal after finishing 11th in Thursday's Gatorade Twin 125 qualifying race for Sunday's Daytona 500. That broke a streak of 10 straight victories in the 50-lap sprints.

Earnhardt contends NASCAR's new shock and spring rules have made the racing uncompetitive and virtually eliminated a Chevrolet driver from winning the Daytona 500. Today's IROC race was contested in 12 identically prepared IROC cars with no brand affiliation.

"I just wish the Winston Cup cars were as equal as these cars are," Earnhardt said. "This takes the edge off, but I still want to win the Daytona 500. I said my piece yesterday after the race. I'm serious about it. The qualifying rules, I was really for. But what they have done in the race by taking it out of the crew chiefs' and the drivers' (hands) is wrong. I think that has to be given back to us to get us back in the game."

After Earnhardt, Earnhardt Jr., and Stewart traded the lead over the first three laps, Burton led laps six through 10 before Earnhardt regained the lead on lap 14. He led for two laps before his son led from laps 16-22.

Earnhardt was back in front on lap 27 and stayed there until lap 38, when briefly gave way to Burton. At the end of the race, he had Stewart and his son immediately behind him to form a three-car draft. That allowed him to take the lead as he passed Burton and Mark Martin in a two-car draft.

"I want to comment on Dale Jr. not following me all day," Earnhardt said. "It was a good race. It was fun all day racing with him. These cars are a lot of fun to race with good, side-by-side racing. I felt pretty comfortable leading the race. I really thought they would wait until the last lap, but they got anxious and went a lap too soon.

"Tony Stewart and Dale Jr. worked with me, we were able to draft by them on the outside and it played to my advantage. I knew they were going to do that, I just didn't know if it was going to work that well."

NASCAR Winston Cup drivers swept the top eight positions. Drivers from the IRL finished in three of the last four spots.

"Greg Ray's car was pretty and he was kind of exciting," Earnhardt said of the defending IRL champion. "It makes you proud to win any race, but to win one with cars that are equally built, against drivers who have won a lot of championships, it makes you feel good.

"To win at Daytona makes it even more special for me because this is a track I enjoy racing at and winning at."

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