Earnhardt trucking at Talladega
The Mobile Register

Friday, September 15, 2006

Kerry Earnhardt was in Mobile on Tuesday to help announce plans for Alabama Motorsports Park, A Dale Earnhardt Jr. Speedway. But he also had another Alabama race track on his mind.

On Oct. 7, Earnhardt competes in the first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.

"I think it's going to be an exciting race," Earnhardt said of the inaugural Talladega 250. "I love Talladega. I love racing there. We've tested there a lot. I know the people that work there real well. I'm
really good friends with the safety workers and everything.

"I just can't wait to get back. I'm really looking forward to it."

Earnhardt has participated in four Cup and three Busch races at Talladega, but he doesn't think that will be an advantage in the first truck race.

"We ran four Cup races for Richard Childress Racing, and we're looking forward to getting there in the Craftsman Truck Series with our National Pork Board Chevrolet Silverado," he said. "This is my first year in
trucks. I have figured out that the aerodynamics are totally different in trucks than what they are in NASCAR Nextel Cup cars. I got it figured out in the cars, and I'm working on figuring out the aerodynamics in the
trucks."

Earnhardt returns to competition on Saturday in the Sylvania 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway, where Mobilian Rick Crawford, the defending race champion, will resume his chase for the truck series title
from fifth place in the points standings. Crawford wasn't at Tuesday's announcement of plans to build a Motorsports complex in the Mobile/Baldwin area, but he greeted the news with enthusiasm.

"I'm excited about anything that will give the Gulf Coast an opportunity to showcase its racing tradition," Crawford said after a round of golf in North Carolina on Tuesday afternoon. "The fact that the Earnhardt family
is involved is pretty impressive. I'm looking forward to turning some laps and racing with Dale Jr. and Kerry on the new track.

"The track might be named after Junior, but he needs to remember he's on my home turf."

cf32-- Mark Inabinett

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