I Just got up this afternoon, I did not get to bed until 4:00 AM, but would not change it for the world. I had no idea how much I have missed the smell of high octane gas, tire rubber and the sound of screaming Banshees that is a result of the cars running so close to the wall as they pass by mere feet from your ears. The '72 Dodge is a replica of a car that I restored for Richard Petty that was put in the Smithsonian Institute. Under hood picture is of the engine tuner and the team engineer. Shown under the right rear fender well is a picture of the track bar adjuster mechanism. Several pictures show the car going thru the three inspection stations, including inside the 'tent' where lasers measure the car from multiple angles. The circular wheel covers and the temporary round 'decals' are there to not improperly influence the lasers while in the tent. The picture of Jeffrey and I standing and on the pit wall are the photos that I attended the race for, and that was to replicate the photo that was shown on the Charlotte Observer front page when Dale Sr. qualified for that first race in 1978. Other pics are from the atop the pit box. The picture of us opening our pit uniforms to display the 'Damn I'm Good' are also in honor of a well known photo that shows Dale, Sr. opening his shirt like superman to reveal that t-shirt to some other drivers. One picture shows Jeffrey passing the pit area at the start of the race. Other pictures show the car during the race, pit photos and loading the car early in the morning. I think that this was the first race for this team using Jeffrey Earnhardt as their driver, and the plan is to use him for the rest of the year. The car ran with great consistency but near the rear of the field and Jeffrey was doing a great job of running smoothly and not interfering with the faster cars until a pair of cars spun in front of him and forced him into the wall. I was very impressed with the demeanor of both the owner and the crew chief and how the crew responded to adversity. I hope they work this out to be a regular ongoing team.
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