Saturday's Nascar Race Dan Lowry 400

Earnhardt sees win vanish in final laps

Associated Press
May 5, 2008

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RICHMOND, Va. - For the first time in two years, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the checkered flag within reach.

His 71-race winless streak was just three laps from ending. All he had to do was hold off red-hot Kyle Busch in a stirring showdown between NASCAR's most popular driver and the kid who got dumped from Hendrick Motorsports for Earnhardt and has rebounded with a sizzling start to the season.

It wasn't meant to be.

In a classic ending to a typical short-track race, the two drivers collided Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway as they battled for the win a little more than two miles from the finish in the Dan Lowry 400.

The contact caused Earnhardt to spin and then slam his Hendrick Chevrolet into the wall. Busch recovered with minimal damage to finish a controversial second to winner Clint Bowyer, who scooted past the wreckage to steal his first victory of the season.

Earnhardt, so close to finally grabbing the win that has eluded him since his victory at Richmond in May 2006, instead finished 15th.

"I am pretty disappointed, to say the least," he sighed.

So were his devoted fans, who showered Busch with boos and a beer can or two. And everybody chuckled when Bowyer and Earnhardt both suggested Busch enlist security to help him leave the racetrack, but neither driver was joking.

"I told the cops I don't know why they were escorting me," Bowyer said. "I told them they better get on and escort Kyle Busch out of here."

The contact wasn't intentional. Even Earnhardt said so.

But the damage was done, Busch was officially public enemy No. 1, and there was no way of convincing Earnhardt fans otherwise.

It capped a hectic ending to a race that moments earlier seemed destined to be won by Denny Hamlin, who led a record 381 laps out of 400 on his hometown track. But a leaking right front tire allowed Busch and Earnhardt to catch and pass him.

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Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun

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