“This is it; no more 3 for me”

July 2nd, 2010

“Incredible” is the only word to describe tonight’s race.

Seeing that #3 tribute on the track and eventually in Victory Lane was absolutely amazing. It represented everything that Earnhardt stood for: a winning tradition, family, friends, and passion. I would venture to say that the emotion was just as high as Junior’s Pepsi 400 win in 2001. Tony Eury, Jr.’s face and interview after the last lap said it all: to paraphrase, he said that they lost everything at Daytona, but to win tonight was just amazing. To be honest, I wasn’t ever an Earnhardt fan because I didn’t truly get into racing until around 2000, but that was something that just had to put a smile on your face and a tear in your eye. What a powerful night in Nascar.

That car isn’t just a car, though: it’s a legend. So much passion is attached to that number and was tragically taken from everyone that day in February 2001, but the history still lives on. The love for everything that car stands for still lives on. The admiration for “the” driver of all drivers still lives on. And now his own flesh and blood just won in his paint scheme from the 80’s. That’s simply amazing.

You know, though, it would be really easy for Junior to take on the #3 car forever, but tonight was it. He said in his Victory Lane interview, “This is it; no more 3 for me.” He ran it in a race at Daytona in 2002 and won and finished 36th at Charlotte in the same year, but tonight will be the end of the #3 saga for Junior. I think that’s very admirable to do that because if we saw that number on the track every weekend, it wouldn’t have as much of a meaning behind it. Nevertheless, I’m glad he drove it tonight.

What were your thoughts about the race? What about the new cars with the Mustang and the Challenger, as well as the new editions of the Camry and Impala? The new cars have been slightly overshadowed by this epic win, but feel free to comment on anything and everything!

‘Til next time,
Lauren B.
http://greenflagrestart.blogspot.com

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