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Goodbye to the Man In Black Harvick to take over Earnhardt's car for Childress racing
Updated: Thursday February 22, 2001 8:16 AM
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Dale Earnhardt was buried in his hometown Wednesday in a private service, even as his team prepared to return his car to the track. Earnhardt was laid to rest in Kannapolis, about 25 miles north of Charlotte, with only immediate family members attending, an Earnhardt company employee said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The exact location of the site was not disclosed. A memorial service for the seven-time Winston Cup champion is planned for Thursday in Charlotte and will be televised live on TBS and FOX Sports Net. Earnhardt, 49, was killed Sunday on the last turn of the last lap in the Daytona 500. He slammed into the concrete wall after making contact with Sterling Marlin at the head of a tight pack of five cars fighting for position. While his family said goodbye, his team at Richard Childress Racing was planning to enter his car in Sunday's Dura-Lube 400 at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham.
Kevin Harvick, a Busch Grand National driver for RCR, will take over Earnhardt's car for the rest of the season, a team source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Harvick, 25, was the Busch Series' Rookie of the Year last season. He will drive Earnhardt's Chevrolet and use his crew. Kevin Hamlin, Earnhardt's crew chief, will head Harvick's team. The car will not use the No. 3 or the black-and-silver scheme that was Earnhardt's trademark. Details of the number and colors Harvick will use were still being worked out, the team source said. Harvick was scheduled to move up to Winston Cup racing next season as the third car in Childress' garage. Mike Skinner also drives a Cup car for RCR. Meanwhile, NASCAR and the rest of the Winston Cup teams are still working out how to honor Earnhardt this weekend. There had been speculation that the three cars Earnhardt owned -- driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Steve Park and Daytona winner Michael Waltrip -- would be painted black this weekend. But a spokesman for Dale Earnhardt Inc. said that was unlikely. Instead, the cars will sport some sort of decal. John McKenzie, president of Motorsports Designs in High Point, said the company was working with RCR and Earnhardt's widow, Teresa, to create a decal for all Winston Cup teams to use. McKenzie said he submitted five designs to Teresa Earnhardt and RCR, and was awaiting final approval. "It will be commemorative decal produced by their authority, on their approval, and distributed by RCR to the racing community only," McKenzie said. He would not reveal what the five designs looked like, only saying they had "the components that represented Dale Earnhardt and everything that is synonymous with him." A spokesman for Joe Gibbs Racing said drivers Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart want to honor Earnhardt but are waiting to see what develops with the decals. "We've talked about and I'm sure all the teams want to honor him in some way," Tim Sullivan said. "We're just waiting to see what the appropriate way to do that is." NASCAR said it would not require the Winston Cup teams to do anything to honor Earnhardt. "We are in the discussion stage of trying to put something together as a tribute that is consistent with what DEI and RCR would want," said spokeswoman Danielle Humphrey. Others have their own ideas. Driver Ward Burton suggested painting the pace car black and adding the No. 3 to it. Tommy Baldwin, his crew chief, said he liked the idea of leaving the first stall in the garage empty all season. The first stall traditionally goes to the reigning Winston Cup champion. Baldwin also urged NASCAR to retire the No. 3. "I know it is not something that NASCAR typically does, but nobody will ever be able to fill the shoes that drove that car," Baldwin said.
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