Dale Earnhardt And Daytona Corvette Racing

I can remember it like it was yesterday, that damp Friday night in 2001. The ballroom in Daytona Beach was buzzing to a fevered pitch, the emotional energy was palatable and at times consuming. The Corvette faithful from the national C5 Registry packed the well-appointed ballroom with not a seat left vacant.

The crowd nervously scanned the double door entrance intently for even the slightest signs of movement. As if by a director’s cue, the heavy stained oak doors swung wide, and the guests of honor confidently strode into the room.

At first sighting, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause, and passionate chants of “Earnhardt!, Earnhardt!, Earnhardt!” filled the room with a deafening sound.

Not sure anyone could have received a more intense standing ovation,

not a President, a Pope, or a Rock Star.

What struck me as the crowd regained their composure and found their seats was the humbleness of Dale Earnhardt Sr at this outpouring of love. The sense of entitlement that often swells the egos of those esteemed in the public eye wasn’t there.

Even during his short speech, I felt he would have enjoyed being behind the wheel of a racecar more than on stage with people chanting his name. During his brief presentation, you could see his focus, the gritty determination in his eyes that earned him the NASCAR title, Intimidator.

His son, Dale Earnhardt Jr, was much like his father in his demeanor and presence on stage that night. Happy to let his famous father take the lion’s share of racing questions and media scrutiny.

Still, on an instinctual level, you knew that he was his father’s son. The quick, easy-going smile and southern drawl disarmed many in the room. Though, like his father, once behind the wheel, he was a consummate professional that wanted to win.

Make no mistake about it, the Earnhardts were here to win.

Behind The Wheel of the #3 C5.R

One of the first points the Earnhardts were quick to bring up during pre-race interviews was that NASCAR racing is different than endurance racing. One of the biggest adjustments was they wouldn’t be driving the fastest car on the 3.56-mile road course. The Chevrolet was battling for class honors in the GTS division, not the overall win.

Throughout the race, they would be passed by faster SportsRacing Prototype and SportsRacing Prototype II competitors. While they were familiar with competing in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series with their Chevy Monte Carlos, the C5.R Corvette was a different beast.

In an interview for the Daytona International Speedway, Dale Jr spoke about these differences. “With the Corvettes, you have to be a lot more technical and professional with your shifting, your downshifting especially,” Earnhardt Jr said, “In a Winston Cup Car we can be a lot more rugged.

With these cars, there’s one right way to do things and 50 wrong ways, but the cars are a lot more forgiving in the corners if you overdrive them a bit.”

Earnhardt’s Take To The Track

Dale Earnhardt Sr. was no stranger to racing at Daytona, the birthplace of American speed. At this stage in his illustrious career, he had 34 victories at Daytona, including the 1998 Daytona 500, the 1990 and 1993 Pepsi 400, and 12 Gatorade 125-mile qualifiers.

His first stint behind the wheel at 2:30 p.m. Saturday was replacing Andy Pilgrim. Dale Sr, when asked about his initial time behind the wheel, said, “The traffic was like driving in New York.” “I found the car to be a little looser than it was in practice. I was a little bit on the careful side in the beginning.”

When asked about driving the Vette in a race of this type for the first time, Earnhard Jr.’s comment raised some eyebrows and brought some laughter. “They kind of play by different rules in this series,” he remarked to a reporter.

“Coming up on the slower cars is the easiest part. But passing the fast cars worries me because I’m not sure they know which way I’m going because a lot of times I don’t know where I’m going.”

The C5.R Gets A Break In The Rain

When the race started at 1:00 pm on Saturday, it was believed by many that Rob Dyson’s Racing Team #16 was the clear favorite to win the overall honors. In fact, in spite of the pouring rain and often near zero nighttime visibility, it was clearly in command of the overall podium spot.

It was until about four hours to go in the race when the car fell victim to engine failure.

In the split seconds it takes for the race leading Dyson #16 engine to throw a rod, the fortunes of the entire race turned and smiled on the bowtie team. Even at this point in the race, the Dyson team was so far in the lead that it still took nearly an hour for Ron Fellows in the #2 car to catch Dyson’s sidelined car on the leaderboard and take the overall 2001 Rolex 24-Hours of Daytona win.

Meanwhile, Dale Earnhardt’s #3 C5.R, a sister car to Ron Fellow’s #2, eventually finished second in class and fourth overall, giving General Motors huge bragging rights in the twice-around-the-clock classic that was plagued by intermittent showers. The two Winston Cup regulars were pleased with the outcome of their road racing efforts. “I had a great time,” said Dale Sr, whose co-drivers were Dale Jr., Andy Pilgrim, and Kelly Collins.

A Driver’s Perspective On The Earnhardts

Andy Pilgrim remarked, “They’re the two best drivers I’ve ever driven with.” “It’s funny,” Andy said, “The approach they took to the car and road racing comes from two different directions. Dale Junior was just fearless.”

“He kind of came from the top and realized that you couldn’t drive the car completely 100% all of the time. Dale Sr came from the other direction. He wasn’t using the brakes that hard and was more respectful of the car. He realized this car is so different from what he usually drives.”

Ron Fellows was especially impressed with both of their driving skills. “Dale Sr and Junior had everything to lose and nothing to gain by coming here,” he said. “The guy’s a sports icon, and he put himself under incredible scrutiny in a situation that he was not familiar with. That to me is proof that he’s a true racer, and I think that’s incredibly cool that he did that,” he told a reporter covering the race.

Memories That Are Still Fresh

It’s been many years since we joined other die-hard C5 Registry Vette fans on a cold, rainy weekend in Daytona Beach. The sights, the sounds, and the exhilaration felt then when the #2 crossed the finish line as the overall winner, are as fresh today as they were then. With my eyes closed, I can still see it, and hear the V8 powered C5.R’s roar by in victory.

Thanks go to everyone at the C5 Registry that worked so hard to make that weekend a reality for us back in 2001. Sincere thanks to Chevrolet and the Corvette Brand Team for arranging the parade lap, the food, and the use of the beautifully appointed SkyBox Suites.

Above all, thank you, Dale Earnhardt, Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr, for being so gracious and open with your time with fellow bowtie lovers. You gave us memories that have lasted a lifetime.

If you were there that weekend in 2001, those of us from Vettes of Atlanta Magazine would love to hear from you. Drop us a line.