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NASCAR Pictures: The Earnhardts at Daytona 2001

by Charlie Turner

I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

February 7, 2010 5:25 pm CST No Comments

The best thing about being part of On Pit Row is the people we get to meet and talk to. Racing fans are passionate about their sport.

We broadcast On Pit Row live from the Original Ginos Pizza and Grill in Toledo. It’s a great place for us and the show. There is a real racing atmosphere. And the pizza is the best. Seriously. But we get a great opportunity to talk to race fans during and after the show.

Last week, a fan brought in some pics he had taken during the 2001 Daytona 500. Wally is a Dale Earnhardt Sr. fan. There are some very cool shots of Senior alone at the track that fateful week. There are pictures of Teresa Earnhardt, Dale Sr with Dale Jr and Kerry Earnhardt. I really like the pic of Dale and Teresa Earnhardt holding hands. And the photo of Earnhradt Senior with his two sons. Enjoy.

: Dale Earnhardt 2001 Daytona

: Dale Earnhardt and his boys

: Dale and Teresa Earnhardt strolling the pits Daytona 2001

: Bud Shootout driver line up at Daytona 2001

: 3 - Daytona 2001

: Senior at Daytona 2001

: Earnhardt in the garage Daytona 2001

: Dale Earnhardt with Jeff Burton Daytona 2001

: Teresa Earnhardt and Dale Sr at Daytona 2001

: Earnhardt Daytona 2001

: Goodwrench no 3 at Daytona 2001

: Earnhardt climbing in - Daytona 2001

: Senior at Daytona 2001

If you use any of these pics, please give attribution to Wally for OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, Jeff Burton, NASCAR, NASCAR photos, Nascar Legends, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio

Tagged with: 2001 Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt pictures, Daytona 500, Kerry Earnhardt, Teresa Earnhardt, Teresa Earnhardt pictures

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Darrell Waltrip vs Dale Earnhardt: 4 Wide in the 64 Greatest of NASCAR

by Charlie Turner

May 7, 2009 8:47 am CDT 17 Comments

One of two seven-time Winston Cup Series champions against a driver with three titles and even more wins. Both of these guys were known for doing whatever it took to win. They wrecked each other a few notable times and have been on a collision course to this confrontation from the very beginning of the NASCAR 64 Greatest Drivers Tournament at Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie.

Darrell Waltrip is a three-time Winston Cup Series champion - ‘81, ‘82 and ‘85. In the 61 races run during ‘81 and ‘82, he won 24 times. Waltrip finished with 84 Cup victories ( tied for 3rd all-time) in 809 starts and qualified on the pole 59 times. With 390 top ten finishes, DW was top ten in nearly half of the races he started. And he made boogity, boogity, boogity - and lately a race rat named Digger - famous. Or infamous.

Dale Earnhardt won 76 times in 676 Cup Series starts and was one of only two seven time series champions. His win total is seventh best all-time. He won consecutive titles three different times and was a series runner-up three times. Earnhardt only won the Daytona 500 once - in ‘98 - but is the all-time leader in wins at Daytona International Speedway with 34. It was said that Earnhardt could “see the air” when he raced at the restrictor plate tracks at Daytona and Talladega. I don’t know about all that. But he sure saw the checkered flag plain enough at those two tracks.

Waltrip edged Tim Flock in the One and Done bracket to get to the Four Wide Final. Earnhardt easily beat Junior Johnson to come out of the Bench Racing region. We’ve asked a bunch of our radio guests On Pit Row to give us their picks throughout this little tournament. Inevitably, they ask what criteria they’re supposed to use. We always tell them to use whatever basis they wish, for deciding who should win. We’d like you to do the same in the comment section.

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Darrell Waltrip, Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, Jeff Gordon, NASCAR, NASCAR 64 Greatest Driver Tourney, Nascar Legends, The Waltrips

Tagged with: boogity boogity boogity, Cale Yarborough, Junior Johnson, NASCAR 64 Greatest Driver Tourney, NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers, Tim Flock, Winston Cup

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Junior Johnson vs Dale Earnhardt: NASCAR’s 8 Greatest Drivers Face off

by Charlie Turner

April 29, 2009 1:17 pm CDT 21 Comments

Hard scrabble beginnings didn’t hold these two back. It was all about winning and they both won a bunch themselves and then went on to win some more as car owners. Elite doesn’t really describe the caliber of drivers that remain in the NASCAR 64 Greatest Drivers Tournament at Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie.

Junior Johnson won 50 times as a driver and his drivers won 139 races and six Cup series championships for him as an owner. But this tourney isn’t about owners. Johnson won the second ever Daytona 500. He had 46 career poles in 313 starts. Tom Wolfe wrote an article for Esquire magazine in ‘65, calling Johnson “The Last American Hero”. He wasn’t that, but he was one of the greatest.

Dale Earnhardt won 76 times in 676 Cup Series starts and was one of only two seven time series champions. His win total is seventh best all-time. He won consecutive titles three different times and was a series runner-up three times. Earnhardt only won the Daytona 500 once - in ‘98 - but is the all-time leader in wins at Daytona International Speedway with 34.

Earnhardt got by the popular Ned Jarrett in the round of 16 while Junior Johnson won a close one with Awesome Bill Elliott. I think this will be a tough one. Closer than most and maybe the toughest match up yet. Tell us who you think should move on to the final, four-wide finish.

Filed under: Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR, NASCAR 64 Greatest Driver Tourney, Nascar Legends

Tagged with: Junior Johnson, NASCAR 64 Greatest Driver Tourney, NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers, Ned Jarrett

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Dale Earnhardt vs Ned Jarrett: NASCAR’s 64 Greatest Drivers Sweet 16

by Charlie Turner

April 19, 2009 2:15 pm CDT 21 Comments

Our final Sweet 16 match up in the NASCAR 64 Greatest Drivers Tournament at Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie has the fathers of two of NASCAR’s most popular stars squaring off for the final Elite Eight spot in the Bench Racing region. Ironhead against Gentleman Ned.

Ned Jarrett is better known to most fans today as the father of Dale Jarrett and one of NASCAR’s best announcers. But ”Gentleman Ned” won two Sprint Cup Championships in the sixties and had 50 wins - tied for tenth all-time - in 352 career starts. Jarrett won an amazing 28 races during the ‘64 and ‘65 seasons. He actually won the Southern 500 by 14 laps, the largest victory margin in NASCAR history.

Ned defeated the Busch Series demon Jack Ingram in round two and the legendary Cotton Owens in the round of 64. Earnhardt squeaked by Bobby Isaac in a near upset in the opener and bested Rex White in the second. Earnhardt has had some scares and this is his toughest opponent yet. Tell us who you like in the comment section.

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Dale Jarrett, Darlington Speedway, Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR, NASCAR & the Media, NASCAR 64 Greatest Driver Tourney, Nascar Legends, Sprint Cup Series

Tagged with: #3, Bobby Isaac, Cotton Owens, Gentleman Ned, Jack Ingram, NASCAR 64 Greatest Driver Tourney, NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers, Ned Jarrett, Rex White, Southern 500, Winston Cup

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Richard Petty Gets Tight in Turn Two

by Charlie Turner

April 10, 2009 7:36 am CDT 3 Comments

NASCAR news this week revolves around politics and the economy. Imagine that.

Ganassi-DEI Racing with Felix Sabates is shutting down the once important no. 8 team. The poor economy is being roundly blamed. Three years of mis-management, poor performance on the track and, well, just a bunch of boneheaded business moves apparently are a coincidence.

Bram at Backstretch Motorsports has a must read post on the economy, politics and auto racing. And Richard Petty’s announced entry in the Indy 500 as an owner has its own political implications. At least in my little mind. And that is my Tight in Turn 2 topic this week.

The King is taking John Andretti - and a Petty Blue no. 43 car - to the Indy 500 this year. Is the King slapping NASCAR in the face?

Charlie: I was happy to hear of the plan. Still am. But I don’t think that the Family France was pleased. The Petty brand - and that special blue color and iconic number - is part of the fabric of NASCAR. And make no mistake, Tony George’s Indy Racing League is still the enemy to NASCAR.

Bill France Jr helped support the IRL’s effort get off the ground, but that support had more to do with assisting George as he tore apart the IRL and Champ Car’s predecessor CART. Championship Auto Racing Teams was a serious competitor of NASCAR in the 70s and 80s. Tony George destroyed it and Bill France Jr greased the slope that reduced the Indy 500 to second fiddle behind the Daytona 500.

Petty’s Indy entry won’t raise open wheel racing to its former status. But the France family want their own sports car league - Grand Am - to be number two to stockers, not Indy Cars. And the King’s move wasn’t a “team player” move.

Bruce: Beside not being a team player move, I’m just not sure how Petty can successfully field an Indy car when his own shop had to bring in outside support to keep his NASCAR franchise going. A one shot deal? Sure. But what if Andretti has a really good day? Then what?

Aside from that, I’d almost seem to think there might be something going on in the background that no one has caught wind of yet with Petty and France. Is this that first public step out, or is it just a one time deal to help John Andretti get some wheel and TV time.

Considering we haven’t heard anything of a negative nature, I’d lean towards the latter option first. A fellow NASCAR owner helping out a NASCAR driver, in any way he can.

That’s the public image the Petty legacy has given us and I hope that I am right. Otherwise, this could get interesting, indeed.

That’s what we think. What do you think? Leave us a comment.

And check out what we have to say on Bruce’s topic over at NASCAR Bits and Pieces.

Last weekend the rule was passed down, no, reinforced that radio traffic will remain public domain between teams. Do teams need some privacy?

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indy Cars, NASCAR, Nascar Legends, The King, The Pettys

Tagged with: Bill France Jr, CART, Champ Car, Grand Am, Indy 500, Indy Racing League, IRL, John Andretti, Richard Petty, Tony George

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FISHIN’ BAIT… THA TOAD DUZ JAPAN!

by Art Almond, Special To NASCAR commentary,NASCAR video,NASCAR pictures, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Awright y'all... I'm tha crazy dude that is known as... "Drawer-Dude" I draw funny pictures of this racin' cartoon character that I created... known as "PIT-ROAD-TOAD! You can see more Toad-Toons at my blog site... RACIN' RUCKUS

March 23, 2009 4:03 pm CDT 3 Comments

Today…

I went to tha grocery store ‘n saw ahh whole cold cabinet ahh fully prepared Sushi!

This visual left me queasy… ‘n reminded me that I had ahh TOAD-TOON that incorporated this… ahhh hmmm… popular food source that I did back in 1996.

I remember back when I did tha original frame that tha logistics of Race Teams from Mooresville, NC goin’ tahh Japan wuz ahh huge concern. Dale Earnhardt Senior, and Junior both attended. I think tha teams had tahh send their cars, ‘n all related equipment over via ocean freighter weeks in advance. Tha drivers ‘n all personnel flew commercially days prior!

Here are some interesting facts about the Suzuka City race in 1996.

1) It was the first time that both Dale Sr. and Dale Jr. actually raced each other.

2) Rusty Wallace won the event.

3) On a sad note, pace car driver Elmo Langley died from a heart attack while driving the pace car during an exhibition event. Elmo was the pace car driver that Dale Sr. would periodically “bump” from behind to everyone’s amusement… except for maybe Elmo’s!

4) In 1997 at another event at Suzuka City, because of rain, Goodyear used their much talked about “Rain Tires” for the first time in history!

A special credit goes to Dale Sr. who actually referred to sushi as fishin’ bait!