THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 9, 1994 TAG: 9410090136
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CONCORD, N.C. LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
A great athlete is defined by his shining moments on the field of play.
And as Dale Earnhardt cruises to his record-tying seventh Winston Cup championship, we thought that instead of dishing up the usual ``we got a good team'' quotes from Earnhardt and `I'm doing everything I can do'' comments from distant challenger Rusty Wallace, we'd review some of the moves that makes Earnhardt the greatest driver of his era.
``I see so many incredible things he does on the track, it's hard to single one out,'' car owner Richard Childress said.
That's okay, Richard. We've done it for you.
May 17, 1987: The famous ``pass in the grass'' in the 1987 Winston at Charlotte Motor Speedway wasn't actually a pass, but it remains today as the single most-celebrated Earnhardt move on the track.
It came during Earnhardt's most tumultuous years, when he was better known for wrecking his competitors than beating them.
During the final 10-lap sprint, Earnhardt became involved in a furious battle with Bill Elliott. The two drivers swapped sheet metal coming off turn four with seven laps to go.
All four tires of Earnhardt's Chevy got onto the grass in the tri-oval as they battled side-by-side down the frontstretch. But when Earnhardt came back on the track, he was still under control, and still in the lead. He went on to win.
Feb. 14, 1992: Coming off the fourth turn of the last lap of the International Race of Champions at Daytona International Speedway, Earnhardt was seemingly trapped behind Ricky Rudd and Harry Gant. But in the last few hundred yards of the race, he whipped his baby blue Dodge to the inside, made it three-wide with Gant and Rudd, and beat them by less than half a car-length at the finish line.
``I rate that one up there with the best of them as far as winning races,'' Earnhardt said.
The amazing thing was that there was any room for Earnhardt to pass on the low side. But he saw a little hole down next to Gant and took it, darting all the way from the outside to the inside of the track.
``It was definitely not a plan,'' Earnhardt said. ``It just worked out that way.''
May 30, 1993: Two penalties in the second half of the Coca-Cola 600 could not keep Earnhardt out of victory lane at Charlotte.
A 15-second pit road speeding penalty, followed later by a potentially devastating one-lap penalty for rough driving, simply made Earnhardt more determined. And with the help of a late-race yellow flag, he stormed through the field to steal a win even he couldn't believe.
As he clawed his way back to the front, Earnhardt's most impressive move came on the final restart with 45 laps to go, when he passed four cars on the oustide of turns three and four to move from eighth to fourth.
``You can't keep a good man down,'' he said.
Nov. 8, 1987: Although he blew an engine and finished 30th in the Winston Western 500 road race at Riverside, Earnhardt made a pass before he dropped out that ESPN announcer Larry Nuber called the ``move of the year.''
Earnhardt was trailing Geoff Bodine, who led much of the race, when Bodine came up on a slower car entering a left-hand arching turn in an S-curve. Bodine had to back off as he passed on the outside.
There was no clear track in front of him, so Earnhardt went left, ran completely off the track and through the dirt, bounced through a small depression, and came back on the track ahead of both cars.
March 18, 1990: On a restart with two laps to go in the Motorcraft 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Earnhardt was trailing leader Morgan Shepherd.
When the green flag fell, Shepherd went into the first turn side by side with the lapped car of the late Alan Kulwicki. When Kulwicki carried Shepherd high into the turn, Earnhardt went low. In one fell swoop he passed them both.
``I saw a hole open on the inside,'' Earnhardt said. ``I think I went lower than I usually do, but there was plenty of room.'' He won the race.
Feb. 10, 1991: In the 20-lap Busch Clash, Earnhardt started sixth for the first 10-lap sprint. He took the lead on the second lap and won going away.
The field was inverted for the final 10 laps, so Earnhardt started 14th. He passed four cars in the first lap. On the second lap, he moved to the bottom groove, passed the rest of the field and retook the lead going into the third turn.
Earnhardt said he thought ``it would take King Kong to come from 14th in 10 laps and I didn't believe we could do it in two.''
July 29, 1984: Passes Terry Labonte on last lap to win 10-car battle for the Talldega 500.
Feb. 24, 1985: Makes daring, fishtailing outside pass of Tim Richmond to win Miller 400 at Richmond.
Sept. 22, 1985: Wins fender-banging duel with Richmond at Martinsville.
July 28, 1991: Holds off four top Ford drivers to win at Talladega. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
FILE
Dale Earnhardt's moves have brought him six Winston Cup titles, and
you probably can make that a record-tying seven soon.
by CNB