DEI serves up another plate win at track

Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2004 | 9:31 a.m.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt Inc. continued its dominance in restrictor-plate races with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s victory in Sunday's Daytona 500 and renewed whispers in the garage area of possible cheating.

That's makes 10 victories for DEI in the past 13 plate races -- including three of the past four Daytona 500s -- but Daytona 500 runner-up Tony Stewart doesn't buy into the rumors that DEI is doing anything underhanded.

"They're not doing anything illegal," Stewart said. "They're just finding something that nobody else has found yet.

"It's no different than any other sport. I mean, you look at Formula 1, there's teams that do that. You look at the IRL, there's teams that find something; it works for them for a while. It's just a matter of the other teams finding it."

So exactly what is "it," Stewart was asked.

"If we knew, we'd be fixing it right now. Whatever it is, it's substantial. Whatever they've found, nobody else has been able to find it yet.

"And I guarantee you they're not going to tell us what they're doing, for sure."

HEIR APPARENT: If all goes according to Jack Roush's plan, Carl Edwards will be driving the No. 6 Roush Racing Ford in the 2007 Daytona 500.

Roush said Edwards, who won the season-opening NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race Friday night at Daytona International Speedway, is the heir apparent to Mark Martin's ride when Martin retires.

"I just hope that we can get Mark to keep going in the 6 car until we get Carl a championship in the truck series and a chance to run for the championship in the Busch Series," Roush said. "I'd like three years and then I'd like to see (Edwards) in the 6 car."

Martin has driven for Roush since 1988 and has scored all 33 of his career Cup victories in the No. 6 car.

Edwards, 24, said it was an honor to be considered for the ride -- even if it may be three years away.

"The emotional part of me just can't believe it; it gives me chills to think about it," he said. "Mark Martin is somebody I looked up to, long before I started racing, for his determination and his drive to be a very capable racecar driver.

"It just motivates me to work harder every day to be the best driver I can be so that when we do come up with a marketing partner to run in the Nextel Cup Series, I can be the best driver I can be to win championships."

ROLE REVERSAL: It usually is up to crew chief Ben Leslie to see that his driver, Ricky Rudd, gets refueled during a pit stop in the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford.

Three days before the NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Rudd will be helping with the refueling duties as Leslie takes a flight aboard a U.S. Air Force Thunderbird F-16 out of Nellis Air Force Base.

Rudd will be aboard a U.S. Air Force KC-10 as it refuels the jet in which Leslie will be a passenger -- at 200 mph.

PARK OPTIMISTIC: Steve Park was able to find a silver lining in his 27th-place finish in his debut Friday in the Las Vegas-based Orleans Racing Dodge truck.

Park drove the truck from his 21st starting position into seventh place in seven laps. Two laps later, Park spun and hit the outside wall. He was involved in two other incidents before he was forced to park the truck for extensive repairs.

"The start of the race was really a good indication of how good this team is and how fast this truck can be," Park said. "It really boosted my confidence to move straight to the front ... I wasn't really even pushing it.

"The Orleans Dodge is a fast race truck. We go to Atlanta in a few weeks and if this truck keeps running like it did (Friday), we will be fine."