Telling Dale Earnhardt tales on what would’ve been his 74th birthday
The blokes begin with a traditional Dale Earnhardt story. Then, they speak NASCAR’s Xfinity and Cup Collection races at Talladega earlier than pivoting to Texas.
NASCAR legend Tony Stewart believes latest Daytona 500 wins maintain much less significance than these of the previous.
Do the latest Daytona 500 victories of drivers like Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Austin Cindric and Michael McDowell imply lower than these of yesteryear? One NASCAR legend thinks so.
OK, so Tony Stewart didn’t title names. He made a degree to not. However Stewart thinks successful the Nice American Race has misplaced a few of its luster.
He fired off his ideas on the Rubbin is Racing podcast this week.
“In terms of Daytona now — and man, I’m going to get crucified by lots of people for this,” Stewart stated, realizing he was stepping onto sacred racing floor. “In my eyes, it doesn’t imply the identical now because it did 15, 20 years in the past. Anyone can win. You have a look at a number of the guys that gained the Daytona 500. I don’t need to go into the record of fellows as a result of they’re guys I do respect and have friendships with, however they’re not guys who ought to’ve gained the Daytona 500.
“They gained the Daytona 500, and that’s all they’ve gained. They could have gained one or two different races exterior of that. I gained 49 Cup races. Jeff Gordon gained (93) Cup races. Richard Petty gained 200 Cup races. Anyone within the discipline can win the Daytona 500 now.”
Regardless of compiling these 49 victories and three Cup Collection championships between 1999 and 2016, Stewart by no means captured a Harley J. Earl Trophy. His greatest end within the Daytona 500 was second in 2004. He additionally positioned fifth in 2008.
He did declare the summer time race at Daytona Worldwide Speedway on 4 events.
Stewart admitted he’d commerce a couple of victories from his profession for a Daytona 500 win. However the 53-year-old stated he wouldn’t trade a Cup Collection title for a Daytona 500. He wouldn’t even swap a championship for 3 Daytona 500 triumphs.
“Although I don’t l really feel prefer it carries as a lot weight because it used to, it nonetheless carries the burden as a result of it’s nonetheless the Daytona 500,” Stewart stated. “It’s nonetheless the marquee occasion on the NASCAR schedule. It nonetheless has that wealthy historical past.
“However the automobiles have gotten so equal, and also you have a look at guys which might be successful a few of these, they don’t seem to be those that led essentially the most laps. They don’t seem to be those that had been up entrance. They had been the man that was second or third or fourth when the final lap crash occurred and NASCAR hit the button to freeze the sector.”
