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EVENTS
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
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Lesson learned Earnhardt gets back at Cheever after IROC incident
By Mike Fish, CNNSI.com DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Leaning against a golf cart outside his motor home, Dale Earnhardt laughed and played nice. Just a few minutes earlier he was the feisty "Intimidator" as he tapped the back of Eddie Cheever's silver Pontiac Firebird and launched him into a wild spin. It was a not-so-subtle payback after the checkered flag for the International Race of Champions (IROC). The NASCAR crowd roared its approval as Earnhardt went after the outsider, offering a hero's welcome as he walked through the garage area following the race won by Dale Jarrett. Cheever, a veteran Indy car racer, steamed Earnhardt when he slammed the side of his car twice, forcing him dangerously down to the grass infield two laps from the finish. Instead of chasing victory, Earnhardt pulled his car back on the track and settled for a seventh-place showing. "I wanted to let him know I was still around," said Earnhardt, smiling. "That he didn't knock me all the way out." The swift retaliation seemed to surprise only Cheever. "I was still ticked off because I just lost a race I thought I was going to win," said Cheever, third behind Jarrett and Ricky Rudd. "He still owes me one, I guess -- and he's old enough to remember." The first chance will be when the IROC series stops April 21 at Talladega Speedway, where all eyes will be on the two drivers. The series pits the best of NASCAR's Winston Cup and Busch Series against the IRL and CART's best. After the opening race, the NASCAR drivers sang Earnhardt's praise for his ability to prevent what could have been a serious wreck. Ricky Rudd took Cheever to task for his rough driving. "The guy's an idiot," he said. "They ought to sit down and talk to him." Along pit row after Friday's race, Earnhardt hopped out of car and sought out Cheever to rehash the incidents. It wasn't too heated, though Earnhardt took exception to being slammed a second time. They exchanged a friendly hug and headed off in their separate ways. Cheever probably diffused the situation by taking blame for the incident. "I was sitting in the car and this six-foot guy with a mustache that we've all come to know as 'The Intimidator' came up and I thought, 'I'm not even going to get to throw a punch here,'" said Cheever, later. "I made a mistake and apologized for it. It was totally, absolutely my fault. How many times do you want me to say I'm sorry?" Once was enough for Earnhardt, sort of. "He said he didn't mean to do it," Earnhardt said. "I'll watch the replay and then decide ... I just hate to lose. It's bragging rights and all."
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