Junior finally gets monkey off back

Earnhardt Jr. accomplished the feat Sunday, but under a caution flag.

Scripps Howard News Service

On Feb. 15, 1998, an ecstatic Dale Earnhardt sauntered into the press box after winning the Daytona 500, pulled a stuffed monkey from the back of his famous white racing suit, fired the furry critter to the floor and proclaimed loudly, “Man, I finally got that [expletive] thing off my back!”

Ten years later, his son spent the first half of 2008 hauling around a similar primate, but it was jettisoned last Sunday after another Earnhardt win. Now that monkey can find someone else to pester — maybe someone like Robby Gordon, who hasn’t won in 173 straight starts, though that streak could come to an end Sunday at Infineon Raceway.

Like his dad, Junior was feeling the pressure to win — the Daytona 500 was a black cloud over the father for 20 years — and both finally accomplished the feat rather anti-climatically under caution. Senior cruised to the stripe after Lake Speed and John Andretti wrecked on the white-flag lap; Junior barely made it back to the checkers on Sunday.

But the similarities end there. The No. 3 led 107 laps of the 200-lapper, including the final 60 times around the World Center of Racing. The No. 88 led five times for 14 laps and was a 5th- to 10th-place car most of the afternoon at Michigan.

Truth is, two factors led to the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s win after 76 consecutive starts without a victory — points position and good fortune.

Dale Jr. entered the 15th race a solid third in the standings, which gave his team a little leeway when a daring decision had to be made. Crew chief Tony Eury Jr. made the call to stay out and win the 400-miler on fuel since they were in good shape in points; if the team had been outside the Chase cutoff, they likely wouldn’t have gambled.

Then there’s luck.

No matter how dominant a car Driver X might have, he won’t get very far if luck isn’t on his side.

Dale Sr. ran over bell housing debris in the 1990 Daytona 500 after completely obliterating the field and leading 155 laps.

In the end, Derrike Cope’s Purolator-sponsored orange-and-white Chevy was in Victory Lane, not Earnhardt’s black one.

At first, the late spin of Sam Hornish Jr. looked like it would sink Dale Jr. because it led to extra laps, but Patrick Carpentier’s last-lap spin on the front stretch may have been the difference.

Without that one, NASCAR’s most popular driver likely wouldn’t have won, especially since he ran out of gas shortly after taking the checkers.

But for once in a 2008 points race — remember, Junior won twice during Speedweeks in non-point events — everything worked out right.

He’s had more than his share of bad luck during the winless streak, but everything finally fell into place.

Dale Jr.’s winning weekend was perfect for him, and Tiger Woods gutted out a gritty win a day later in one of golf’s majors — the two biggest names in their respective sports winning within a day of each other.

Junior Nation, though, can finally breathe a sigh of relief.