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Category: Motorsports

Some things are meant to be, like Earnhardt's win at MIS

BROOKLYN, MI -- The fates chose Michigan International Speedway as the place where Dale Earnhardt Jr. would finally win his first race in two years, where he would win his first points-paying race as a driver for Rick Hendrick. Where the yellow flag would fall in time for the gas fumes to last just long enough and where the rain would hold off until minutes after the checkers fell.

The collision of circumstances were amazing. It seemed like more than just sudden good luck to thousands in the grand stands who watched his crew push the out-of-gas racer to victory circle.

Earnhardt himself said afterward that he was preparing for what he hoped would be at least a 10th place finish as his car coasted out of gas and competitors passed him. He would not have won if the green flag had dropped again.

In the main grandstands the crowd chanted 'Junior, Junior," as the driver and his crew celebrated.

On the same day, Formula One driver Jarno Trulli, wandered on the infield at MIS without being recognized by NASCAR fans. This is a millionaire celebrity in Europe, but only the media-types stopped the shaggy-looking Italian wearing decidedly European designer jeans and T-shirt.

In the fourth turn for the last several laps, regardless of loyalties or the color of the hats or T-shirts, Nikki Raper, of Newport, believes everyone around her sensed the historic moment and was rooting for Earnhardt.

"I think everyone was a Junior fan for that moment," said Raper, who was wearing a brown No. 88 hat for her favorite and now retired driver, Dale Jarrett. (My mother's favorite driver too, Nikki.)

Everyone but Brittany Yensch, 9, who still wanted a Ford to win and had her eye on Matt Kenseth -- teammate of her favorite driver Carl Edwards. You see, not only does Edwards drive a Ford, but he's nice and he does a back flip when he wins.

There are those who felt NASCAR may have given its favorite son a little help to get the monkey off his back. In the press room after the race, Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne both wondered why Earnhardt was allowed to pass the pace car under the yellow. Kenseth said "the leader" kept getting up some speed, then shutting off his engine to coast and save fuel and blocking the other cars in line -- a hint at another rules infraction about maintaining a safe and consistent speed. About passing the pace car Kahne said, "I just didn't think you could ever do that."

Kenseth also complained that an officials stood in front of his car during a pit stop, delaying him and knocking him from the lead back two places. And Kenseth finished third.

But, come on! It was Michael Waltrip and Patrick Carpentier coming together in the tri oval that caused the caution flag. Am I going to hear next that that was fixed too?

"It's been a long time coming. Now he has his victory and he can concentrate on the championship," said Don Dupuis who had come to the race from Windsor, Ontario, Canada with three friends -- all of them wearing green Dale Earnhardt Jr. shirts. "Today was a big day. NASCAR needed this."

So what is it about Dale Earnhardt Jr. that makes him so popular -- even in Canada?

"I never was an Earnhardt Sr. fan," said Canadian Jeff LeBlanc. "I relate to Junior because he's down to earth, but he's a totally different driver from Senior. He's not like his father at all. He's easy to like. His dad wasn't so nice."