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Sunday, May 21, 2000 By Chris Dolack , Post-Gazette Sports Writer
CONCORD, N.C. -- This season features one of the most competitive rookie classes in NASCAR Winston Cup history.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. draws all the attention -- winning two races before the season is half over will do that -- but a consistent Matt Kenseth leads Earnhardt, 133-132, in rookie points.
Victories at Texas and Richmond earlier this year made Earnhardt only the second rookie to qualify outright for The Winston. The late Davey Allison raced in the 1987 event and finished 12th. Last year, Tony Stewart, the eventual rookie of the year, made the field by winning the Winston Open qualifying race.
Dave Blaney of Hartford, Ohio, is fourth in rookie points (91) behind Stacy Compton (97).
"It's fun," Blaney, 39, said after climbing from his car yesterday during a practice session for the Winston Open at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "More than anything, we're trying to get laps on the racetrack and get me experience. That's our whole goal the first half of this year. The more we can get down here and run the better off we're going to be."
Blaney, who fields a World of Outlaws team with his brother Dale as driver, is a veteran sprint car driver on Western Pennsylvania's dirt speedways.
"I wouldn't have made the jump unless I got a really good opportunity, and I did with Bill Davis and Amoco," Blaney said. "I have the same advice for [Dale] if he's got a real good Outlaw team and has a chance to do some good every night I don't know that I'd leave just for the sake of leaving and trying to get something going down here.
"Everybody's got different goals or want different things out of their career. I'm happy doing this. I wish I had done it sooner. I waited too long. The earlier you can get on these racetracks and get on these cars the better you're going to be, no doubt. That's one thing I felt hurt me, but there's nothing I can do now except try to make up for it."
Amick-able finish
Darrell Lanigan was running away with the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde EasyCare 100 last night at Lowe's Motor Speedway when the right front tire on his Ford Taurus disintegrated and tore apart a substantial portion of the right side of his car coming out of turn four on lap 27.
Lyndon Amick, a veteran Busch series driver making only his second start in an ARCA event, took over and held off Kerry Earnhardt, another of Dale's racing sons, to win $21,070. Tim Steele; Justin Labonte, Terry's son; and Bob Strait rounded out the top five.
Norm Benning of Pittsburgh started 40th in the 41-car field and battled his untested Monte Carlo to finish 25th.
"Something happened on the right front and I just couldn't get in the throttle," Benning said. "It's a new team and it's our fourth race. Now we're going to go back and work on it, make it better and get up front."
Honoring Petty
Lowe's Motor Speedway is honoring Adam Petty, who was killed during a NASCAR Busch Series practice at New Hampshire International Speedway last week, by flying a flag in victory circle that reads "In Memory of Adam Petty, #45, 1980-2000." The Winston victory celebration was moved from victory circle to the start/finish line.
The flag also will fly at the track for the Coca-Cola 600 next Sunday.
Neither Kyle Petty, Adam's father and driver of the No. 44 Pontiac, nor Richard Petty was at the speedway for The Winston. Kyle will not race in Coca-Cola 600, either. Steve Grissom, driver of the Petty Enterprises entry in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, will take his place.
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