Earnhardt is fast … on exit ramp

Nick Christensen

Monday, March 14, 2005 | 9:56 a.m.

Forgive Dale Earnhardt Jr. if he just doesn't like Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

A year after a dismal performance, when he finished 35th, 71 laps behind the leaders of the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, Earnhardt started in 34th and ended in 42nd after a Lap-12 wreck in Turn 1 Sunday.

Earnhardt, then running in 26th, caught Brian Vickers as he entered Turn 1, spinning both into the corner and collecting Bobby Labonte and Ricky Rudd in the process.

"We just got wrecked," Vickers said. "It's a shame. Stuff happens and guys make mistakes. We didn't have a good day in qualifying but it was going to be a good day for us."

Earnhardt apologized to Vickers for the wreck, which put Earnhardt in 42nd place. It was his worst finish since the spring race in Atlanta in 2002.

"Big mistake on my part. I went into the corner like I thought I should, and he (Vickers) got in there a little easier than I expected. I got all over him, ran all over him," he said. "I pride myself on being a smart, patient driver who doesn't cause many wrecks. I don't know what my track record is, but I don't make too many mistakes like that. Today I made one, and I feel real bad about it."

He probably also feels bad about his position in the Nextel Cup points standings. With 23 races left until the Chase for the Championship, Earnhardt is in 27th, 105 points behind 10th-place Mark Martin.

Earnhardt was defensive of his points situation, under the microscope with new crew chief Pete Rondeau.

"I feel better about my situation now than I did a year ago, and that's the truth. Everybody wants to keep asking me about it as if that's supposed to change," Earnhardt said. "(Rondeau) gave me a good car today, and I made a mistake, and I'm really upset about that. It'll come to us. I've had harder times than this."