There Is Only One Dale Earnhardt
The Media Is Already Anointing Kyle Busch as the New Intimidator
Fans and media, there will never be another Dale Earnhardt, at least not in our lifetime.
Ever since we tragically lost Dale Earnhardt, Sr. on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, fans, and especially media members have been searching for the next ‘Dale Earnhardt’. At the time of his death, he was the most feared yet respected driver in the garage. When he spoke, people listened. He was very influential. Unfortunately, a driver such as that is few and far between.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was the natural selection to become the next Earnhardt, mainly because he is an Earnhardt. However, he has developed into his own man. Earnhardt, Jr. is the ‘good guy’, or the ‘golden boy’ of the sport. Everybody loves him. That was not his father. Earnhardt, Sr. was ‘the man in black’, the ‘Intimidator’, and the ultimate ‘bad boy’. You either loved him or hated him. Even if you hated him, you respected him. Junior is, for the most part, a clean racecar driver. At times, he will hesitate to bump someone out of the way, even if it is for the win. A perfect example was the 2002 All-Star race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Earnhardt, Jr. stalked the rookie Ryan Newman for several laps. Perhaps a little nudge would have moved Newman up the track just enough to allow Junior the preferred line. Instead, Newman seemed unflappable was by no means intimidated, therefore, he won the race. Now, if that were Earnhardt, Sr. behind the rookie driver, Newman may have been forced to make one little rookie blunder that would have allowed ‘the Intimidator’ to overtake the lead. It is possible that he would not even had to touch Newman, but he would given the rookie a ‘welcome to NASCAR’ nudge if it came down to it.
Earnhardt, Jr. is like his father in several ways, such as taking advantage of the limelight. Like his father, Junior is a master marketer. He is a leader and a smart businessman, just like his father. On the track, Earnhardt, Jr. resembles Bill Elliott or Mark Martin, not his father.
Earnhardt’s replacement in the GM Goodwrench Chevrolet, Kevin Harvick, was a candidate to become the next Earnhardt. Like Earnhardt, Harvick is assertive, and has the potential to intimidate opposing drivers, but he does not have the finesse that Earnhardt had when working the chrome horn. Of course, Earnhardt would wreck you, just ask Terry Labonte, but he was able to move you out of the way, almost gently, without causing a wreck, especially towards the end of his career. I saw him do it to his own teammate, Mike Skinner, at Bristol in 1998 or 1999. Like Earnhardt, Harvick has a fiery temper; however, Earnhardt often chose his words wisely. At times, Harvick just spouts off insults. That was not Earnhardt’s style.
Tony Stewart quickly emerged as NASCAR’s villain after Earnhardt passed away. He is a multiple champion and is like Earnhardt in several ways. Stewart is vocal regarding key issues, such as safety and tires, and is arguably the most influential driver today. Moreover, Stewart uses his bumper to get into an opponent’s head. With that said, Stewart is more like Harvick when it comes to controlling his temper. He has shown that he will throw out insults as a way of venting. Additionally, Stewart does not wait to enact revenge on an opponent who has ticked him off. He immediately wrecked Clint Bowyer at Pocono two years ago when he thought that the rookie was trying to push him into the wall. He completely ran Matt Kenseth off the track at Daytona that same year just laps after he thought Kenseth was racing him too aggressively. Earnhardt, on the other hand, would get you when you least expected it.
When Earnhardt lost his cool, there were times when he may have said a few things that he later regretted, but for the most part, he would just give you a look, or a middle finger, and you knew that he was coming after you. You just did not know when or where.
Remember Jeremy Mayfield at Pocono in 2000? Mayfield did the unthinkable; he bumped Earnhardt for the win on the last turn of the final lap. Many drivers and fans applauded him for his valor, but he later admitted that he knew Earnhardt was coming after him. He just did not know when. Unfortunately, Earnhardt did not have the chance to repay Mayfield.
Jeff Gordon compares to Earnhardt in accomplishments only. Fans will cringe at Gordon and Earnhardt comparisons because they were poles apart in almost every way possible, other than their talent behind the wheel.
Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle have drawn comparisons to Earnhardt. Both Busch and Biffle are phenomenal drivers, but they are by no means Dale Earnhardt. The latest ‘next Dale Earnhardt’ is Kyle Busch. The young driver is brash and fearless, a lot like Earnhardt was. The younger of the Busch brothers is one of the rare drivers that can wheel a 15th place car to a 10th place finish on skill alone. Earnhardt was renowned for winning races in cars that were 5th or 6th place at best. Because Busch has shown that he can be overly aggressive at times, some drivers may admit that they dread seeing him in their rear-view mirror. Busch has the obsessive will to win every race and lead every lap, but Dale Earnhardt he is not.
Fans and media, there will never be another Dale Earnhardt, at least not in our lifetime. Instead of searching for the ‘next Earnhardt’, let us appreciate what he did for the sport of NASCAR and at the same time focus on the first Kyle Busch, or the first Kevin Harvick. How about the one and only Tony Stewart?
