Results tagged “Homestead-Miami Speedway” from Haddock in the Paddock

Richard Clark, an Ojai-based artist, designed the winning entry in the Indy Racing League's safety car contest, selected by a panel of four former Indianapolis 500 winners.
Clark designed a paint scheme for the 2008 Honda Accord Coupe that will be used as the safety car at IRL races throughout the year. The winning design will be unveiled at the IRL season-opening race at Homested-Miami Speedway on Sunday.
Al Unser Sr., Al Unser Jr., Johnny Rutherford and Rick Mears, who have a combined 13 Indy 500 wins, unanimously chose Clark's design from three finalists.
"It looks racy," said Rutherford, who drives the safety car at all IRL IndyCar Series and Indy Pro Series events. "The red, white and blue splash presents the car well."
As part of winning the contest, Clark's name will be displayed in the car for the entire season.
"It was kind of a free-form layout," Clark said. "Then I said let's submit it red, white and blue and show our colors. I've always been a big fan of IndyCars. The competition has been great and it inspired me to make the design as best as possible."
Visitors of Design It in the Community section of indycar.com will find templates for an IndyCar Series car, concept car, historic car, a whimsical toy series and helmet/motorcoach/firesuit/tow truck. There also are sections for 3D car and transporter designs and a chat area. Submissions are featured on the official Web site of the IndyCar Series and Indy Pro Series.
"Kudos to the IRL for putting forth this opportunity for people to submit designs," said Clark, who previously has contributed to Design It. "The whole Design It program online has been a great inspiration to everybody - kids and professionals alike. It's unique to any series and such a fun venue to submit designs. (The design discussion area) helps the kids see what they can do and they can ask questions. At least they can keep looking and striving to build on their talents."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. raced what many think is his last race for Dale Earnhardt Inc. It wasn't the way he wanted to end this part of his career with the team his late father founded.
Earnhardt Jr. finished 36th in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. After the race, he was asked how he felt about racing his last race with Dale Earnhardt Inc. in the team's No. 8 Chevrolet.
"I guess I thought I would be sadder, but I am not," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I still have all these guys as friends, that is even better than the working relationship. Now, I am ready to get to work."
After the race, Earnhardt Jr. had to say good-bye to his teammates and crew. His crew chief and cousin, Tony Eury Jr., is going with Earnhardt Jr. to Hendrick Motorsports. But the rest of the team is expected to remain with DEI.
"It wasn't emotional. It wasn't as emotional as I thought," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I thought it might be emotional and tough but it wasn't really that bad. Those guys are going to be around and I am going to get to see them an awful lot more than we assume. It is not like we won't see each other again. We will, and it is just the nature of the business. You get used to people coming and going from day one when get you get started working in this business."

It seems there are quite a few reporters who want to know how the late Dale Earnhardt would react to the Chase system, how he would race Jimmie Johnson at Homestead-Miami Speedway and how he would respond to his son leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. for Hendrick Motorsports.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. addressed some of those questions Saturday before the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
On leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. for Hendrick Motorsports, Earnhardt Jr. said he will be sad for his father that things aren't different.
"I'm sad for him, not for me or anybody else," said Earnhardt Jr. "I'm just sad because his vision was different. He was such a great person and his visions were great and worthy and should be realized. That'll be a shame."
Earnhardt Jr. said the support he has received from Rick Hendrick, the owner of Hendrick Motorsports, has been incredibly valuable and it will make the transition easier.
"He knows exactly what I'm thinking and what I'm going through, he knows exactly what kind of guy I am and the things that matter to me," Earnhardt Jr. said. "He's just great at reading people. He'll be great support for me as we move from one thing to another and adapting. I'm very anxious and nervous about the challenges I face going over to Rick's and trying to be an asset to that company and trying to be everything I can be, be impressive and get the job done. I'm anxious to get going on that and make those things happen. But, there's some things to finish and we'll get them finished."
As for how Earnhardt would race Johnson, Earnhardt Jr. said "real hard."
"He raced real hard all the time," Earnhardt Jr. "That whole group, they didn't care who you were. They ran the heck out of you all the time and still do. That generation, that's their style and a lot of it rubbed off on some of us because it's good. He would race hard, really hard."