Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Earnhardt to drive Corvette at Infineon Raceway

Tuesday, July 13, 2004 | 9:43 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

This weekend will provide the final break in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, which finishes its season with 18 races in 18 weeks.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., however, isn't using the off weekend to rest up for the final stretch. Earnhardt will be in Sonoma, Calif., this weekend, where he will drive for the GM factory Chevrolet Corvette team in the American Le Mans Series event at Infineon Raceway.

Earnhardt will co-drive with veteran road racer Boris Said in a third Chevrolet Corvette C5-R for three-time GTS class champion Corvette Racing. The race will be a timed event of 2 hours and 45 minutes.

"I am really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the Corvette C5-R because it is such a great racecar," Earnhardt said. "I'm happy that Chevy has given me the chance to cross over and take part in its sports car program, which has been a huge success.

"Boris Said has a lot of experience at Infineon Raceway and I'm getting better there, so it should be a fun weekend."

Earnhardt finished 11th in last month's Nextel Cup race at Infineon -- matching his career-best finish on the 2.53-mile road course. Earnhardt's best career finish on a road course came last season when he took third place at Watkins Glen International.

Ron Fellows, who also drives for Corvette Racing, said Earnhardt may "surprise some people" in Sunday's race, which will be televised by CBS beginning at noon (Pacific time).

"Dale Jr. has really matured as a race driver the last couple of years," Fellows said. "In our test, he got up to speed in about half a day and that is pretty impressive because the ALMS cars are so different to what he's used to and quite different from what he drove back in 2001.

"In the Corvette, he can get a lot more aggressive and I think he likes that. Dale can get it done on the racetrack. Technique-wise, there are a few little things that are slightly different in terms of how road racers do it, but the trick to him is that he is very adaptable."

Waltrip, who has driven the No. 15 for DEI since 2001, has won four Nextel Cup races, including the Daytona 500 in 2001 and 2003.

"I was thrilled with the way the Orleans Dodge was at the start of the race, but we are still struggling in the pits," Park said. "This is a team sport and the driver can't win it, and the team can't win it; you have to have both working or you'll never end up in victory lane."

Crew chief Charlie Wilson said he would address the situation prior to Saturday's race at Gateway International Raceway.

"Everyone knows we have had a lot of personnel changes," Wilson said. "Just like any sport, it takes some time to develop the chemistry needed to be championship caliber. We are disappointed with our performance, but we aren't the type of team to give up.

"Steve has proven he can drive the wheels off the truck; he deserves the same from the team in the pits. We are going to work as hard as it takes to give him what he needs to win."

Earnhardt, 34, will join series veteran Austin Cameron in a two-car effort beginning with Saturday's race at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash.

"I'm really excited and looking forward to racing in the NASCAR Grand National West Series," Earnhardt said. "It's a great series. I'm really happy about being a part of a high-caliber race team like BMR."

Earnhardt, the eldest son of the late Dale Earnhardt, is driving in select Nextel Cup races this season for Richard Childress Racing.