The Miami News from Miami, Florida • 17

3B INSIDE MOVES, Saturday. February 15, 1986 The Miami News if it J' tew P. -it V. ttev fi 4 Th AuoclOtd Preu Al Unser car (left) goes to pieces after colliding with Bobby Rahal during yesterday's IROC Daytona 500 could be a race for second place AlMrltHd Ptmi so I could prove, well, make that show him I made It." And with that, Earnhardt grew quiet. He didn't hear the race engines that roared so loudly the garage floors vibrated.

He didn't pay attention to the swirl of people, the flash of cameras. He was somewhere else. "God, I miss my dad more than ever," he said quietly. Dale Earnhardt may be able to step cn the gas and charge away from most of the pack come Sunday, but all he'll be doing is driv-ing further into one all-consuming memory. The son Is filled with the soul of the father especially now, when a drive under the checkered flag at Daytona could put life into a handed-down dream.

Ralph Earnhardt Ironheart to all who watched him race was considered one of the best short track drivers there ever was. He drove the little dirt tracks, the bullrings, the small ovals and in 1956 won NASCAR's Late Model Sportsman championship. He dreamed of making It on the Grand National circuit, tried his hand at a few of the Carolina tracks and made the annual pilgrimage to Daytona. But he never really made it in the big time. He couldn't wait on success, didn't have the luxury "of biding his time while he went through tires and engines and waited for a fat-cat sponsor to take him under his wing.

He had a family of five kids ne wanted to see fare better than him and he needed money now. So Ironheart turned out the lights on the big time and went to the dimly-lit dirt tracks and small ovals. He could pocket the purses there on the weekends, pay the bills Monday morning. "My dad raced for a living and raised his family with it," Earnhardt said. "He paid cash for everything.

I wanted to be just like him. "I always helped him with his stock car and I learned to race standing on a pile of tires watching him and Rex White, Tiny Lund and David Pearson go at it out on the track. "We used to spend a lot of time together outdoors, too. We'd hunt and we'd go to the woods and the lakes. Got to know each other pretty good." Earnhardt quit school In the ninth grade so he could go racing.

His father was upset and tried convincing him that an education was more important that winning a few Saturday night shows at the track. "I wouldn't listen." Earnhardt said. "All I ever wanted to do was race and the first time I sat in a race car I Just knew I could drive it. I think I was made Just to go between the steering wheel and the gas pedal." Earnhardt struggled In the beginning and ended up working a series of Jobs at paper mills and tanker garages. It wasn't until 1971, when he was 20, that he found a car owner who offered him a stock car ride.

A year later, he ran the full Hobby Car season at Metroiina Speedway In Charlotte, N.C. He figured things would only get better after that. He was wrong. "It had one September morning in 1973," Earnhardt said. "Dad had been In the hospital with heart trouble and he was on blood thinner and pills and a special diet.

But he had come home and he was doing better. In fact he had even been out in the race shop. "He had Just got the house paid for and he didn't have no bills on his racing equipment. He was gonna lay back and take it easy. "And then he had a heart attack and was gone." Earnhardt was quiet again.

He took roller-coaster loops, his driving career went straight ahead. California businessman Rod Os-terlund offered him a full-time Grand National ride In 1979 and soon everyone was finding out Earnhardt had learned his daddy's lessons well. The veterans, men like Richard Petty, Bobby and Donnie Allison, took to him. They had respected his father and they saw a lot of Ironheart in the kid except, the boy was bullheaded. His aggressiveness would sometimes get him in trouble, but he wouldn't always listen and so he was given his own nickname.

He became Ironhead. Still, the jibes were often good-natured. Dale Earnhardt was talented. Most said he was the best young driver to come along in quite a while. And that rookie season he surprised everyone and won a race at Bristol.

As he stood in Victory Lane, Earnhardt began crying. "I knew dad was looking down on this from somewhere," he would explain. "I Just got overcome by the feeling." That year he was named the NASCAR Rookie of the Year. The following year he edged out Cale Yarborough, Benny Parsons, Petty, the whole bunch, and won the Grand National driving championship. He had made a splash in the big time and yet there was still a lot of the father who only paid cash still in him.

Ironhead was blue-collar Carolina to the core. When he won the driving championship, he wore the $600 gold-plated belt buckle he had been awarded everywhere. There were stories of him cutting wheelies in the snow-white Cadillac he had bought. But other than that and moving from Kannapolis to a new home in Doolie there were few concessions to stardom. He kept his dog named Killer, still liked white bread and Hank Williams.

At New Years he ate the traditional black-eyed peas, side back, collard greens and cornbread. "Starting the year off with a meal like that," he said, "brings you health, luck and prosperity. "When you come from where I did, you stay pretty set in your ways." He admitted to superstitions and when a black cat crossed his path, he would turn his car around and go the other way. Around the race track, he still believed peanuts and the color green brought bad luck. "I remembered my dad riding to the track one day when he saw this fellow with him had on green socks," Earnhardt said.

"Dad made him throw them out the window. If the guy hadn't, dad would have pitched him out." And yet while some things would never change, others did drastically. Earnhardt is now happily married again and he has found more success than he ever dreamed of on the racing circuit. With the four victories he had last year, he has now won 15 races and had 78 top five finishes in 216 starts. Last year's Grand National earnings have given him over $3.2 million in his career and that puts him sixth on NASCAR's all-time list.

The money has come and memories have stayed. "These days I miss my dad more than I ever have," he said. "Now that good things have happened. I wish he was here so we could share them. "This time at Daytona, I've got a better shot than I ve ever had at winning the race.

I've got a good chance, I can feel It. And if I would, I know I'd think of dad. I've made it 'cause of him." Ralph Earnhardt may be gone, but the iron heart still beats. It's in the boy who wants to say thanks the best way he knows how by driving like dad to win Daytona. Parsons asked.

"Did you see the third quarter of the Super Bowl? It stunk, but they'll have another one. If I were him I'd drive off. It's up to us to catch him. If we can't, then maybe we don't deserve to have a big show." The extent of the show likely will be decided by Allison, who starts third in a Buick; Earnhardt, fourth in a Chevrolet; Terry La-bonte, fifth in an Oldsmobile, or defending Winston Cup champion Darrell Waltrip, sixth in a Chevrolet. Among the former champions, Parsons will start 32nd, A.J.

Foyt 21st and Buddy Baker 18th, all in Oldsmobiles, Cale Yarbor-ough 14th in a Ford and Petty 1 1th in a Pon-tiac. Allison, who finished second to Elliott by two-car lengths on Thursday, says bad racing luck may be Elliott's biggest obstacle on Sunday. "But he's a pretty cautious driver who doesn't take a lot of chances," Allison added. "There is one good thing," Allison said when asked to compare 1985 to 1985. "He hasn't embarrassed us yet." record 200 career victories.

"I've been told that Petty was asked at times to make it a good race," said Allison, a longtime detractor of both Petty and NASCAR. "They've worked with two or three drivers, but I don't they'll approach him (Elliott)." Elliott, who won the pole for the race with a qualifying speed of 205.039 mph, has maintained that he Is running as fast as he can. A spokesman for NASCAR, which at one point In last year's race delayed Elliott on pit road for minor damage as the field caught up, said no requests concerning maximum speed were being made to any drivers. Geoff Bodlne, who starts alongside Elliott on the strength of his 204.545 qualifying speed in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, concedes an edge to Ellott. But Bodine, fastest of the General Motors drivers, hopes Elliott can be pressed.

Elliott himself had said that he and hard-driving Dale Earnhardt both winners of qualifying races Thursday that set most of the other starting spots could have "a hell of a wreck at the start-finish line." "I'd like to be third if they do." Bodine said in agreeing that neither Elliott nor Earnhardt would give ground willingly on the final lap. Benny Parsons, who won the race in 1975, believes that Elliott should not be pressured to hold back. "He's worked all these years to get where he is today, and he's expected to take it easy because it would be a better show?" DAYTONA BEACH The question among Daytona 500 drivers was not who would win, but whether any of them would be strong enough to save the show tomorrow by seriously challenging defending champion Bill Elliott. "He's got everybody covered." seven-time Daytona 500 winner Richard Petty said yesterday. "He's better than he was a year ago," said Bobby Allison, twice a winner of stock car racing's premier event.

Last year, Elliott's Ford Thunderbird won the race by 39 seconds, an overwhelming margin on the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway where the event generally is decided by a car-length or so, not two miles. Elliott, a 30-year-old Georgian who led the Winston Cup circuit with 11 victories last season, was in Allison's words "burned" for embarrassing a 42-car field in a rout hardly designed to thrill a national television audience. The 28th running of race will be aired by CBS at 12 noon EST. Considering NASCAR's propensity for making rules changes in a continuing effort to equalize competition contrary to its own stated aims, it has approved a fleet of sleek General Motors cars not in mass production could the sanctioning body be expected to secretly ask Elliott to slow down? "Well, I was approached a few times," said Petty, who won 27 races In 1967 some by incredible margins en route to a Al Unser Sr. held off Cale Yarborough and B1U Elliott to win yesterday's 100-mile International Race of Champions Also yesterday, Mike Swalm won his third consecutive Komfort Koach 200-mile race Today's featured race is the 300-mile Goody's for late-model sportsman drivers.

and all of a sudden I seen the Speedway's first turn. I just kept driving and driving and driving and I still had race track next to me. I thought God, how big is this race track? "When I drove through the tunnel into the infield I thought I was In another world. I was young and dumb then and none of us knew anything to do to the car. We changed the gears once and waxed the car about 15 times, that was It.

"And as soon as they'd close the track, we'd hit the streets. You could drive on the beach then and we'd run up and down it wide open. I think we hit every bar that didn't have a cover charge. "We had a pretty good week at the track and I finished 13th In the There was a lot of Ironheart In the kid and each season he got better and better. He left the Carolina tracks and tried his luck in Sportsman races at Talladega and Atlanta.

He even flirted with the big time and drove Ed Negress Dodge in the World 600 at Charlotte. Finally, he came to run in a Sportsman race at Daytona In 1976. "My dad used to go to Daytona to race and he'd always send us postcards," Earnhardt recalled. "That's the only way I knew Daytona, through pictures. And stories, too.

It became the ultimate and It became my dream Just to drive there. "I remember that first trip real well. I got off Interstate 95 onto Route 92 and headed toward town race. I think I made $1,300. We had a bar bill of something like $600, but we went back home with money in our pockets.

Yessir, Daytona was the ultimate." But back home, Daytona soon seemed like a mirage. Life away from the race track was much more complicated. His dad had been right. Earnhardt wished he had finished his education, wished he could express himself better. He would marry and then that would fail.

Another marriage would later end In divorce, too, although he has remained close to his two children, Kelly King and Dale Jr. Through the personal turmoil, he was able to find sanctuary in a race car. And while his private life fidgeted, he slipped off in thought. And then the feelings starting pouring out again. "He had worked so hard." he said.

"I think the racing all the hard work and the worry caused the strain and the heart attack. That's the last funeral I've ever gone to. It took me a year or so to get over being mad. I felt like I was robbed and I felt hurt. I guess I was In shock.

We were so close, especially outdoors. "I'd go out quail hunting after that and suddenly I'd see" him standing there with his shotgun in his hands. It was too tough to take, the memories, all the things I wanted to tell him. I had to sell the bird dogs and forget about all that for a while. I tried to cope by burying myself in racing." 4 Latest sensation surprises Becker Poles apart Confrontation of top vaulters turns into a three-ring circus Raauhs, 2B JOHN NELSON (A BOCA RATON Czechoslovakia's Milan Srejber launched a career as a professional tennis player two years ago because he wanted to see the world.

His travels the past two weeks have taken him to Toronto and Boca Raton, and now he's about to embark on a Journey of another kind. A 7-6. 6-3 upset winner over West Germany's Boris Becker In a third-round match at the Lipton International Players Championships last night. Srejber is the latest overnight sensation on the pro circuit. At 6-foot-8 he is the tallest player on the tour, and the powerful serve he used to knock off Becker is already being compared to those of a number of proven stars, Including Becker the reigning Wimbledon champion.

Srejber, ranked 121st in the world Just two weeks ago, climbed to No. 76 after a runnerup finish in last week's Corel North American Indoor championships in Toronto. This is only his second Grand Prix tournament, and he's traveling the tour without a coach, manager or teammates. 'l played for fun before was 19. 1 Just wanted to try It.

said Srejber. who was studying electrical engineering in Prague when he decided to concentrate on tennii. I work very hard to improve," he added. After threatening to quit the meet over the additional attempts given the two Americans, Bubka was given two extra jumps, but he failed to clear the bar on any try. "I feel sorry for Sergei," Olson said.

"I know he is upset. It's a little embarrassing. Sergei comes over here and thinks these American meets are a Joke not a meet, just a big show. I don't feel that way, but I know he does. "It distracted everybody," Olson said.

"It's a sad thing this has to go on in a coming-together of all these great vaulters. Bubka, speaking through an interpreter although he understands English, called the experience "very unpleasant" and said, "The reasons given by the referees for the additional Jumps sounded more like subterfuge than reasons." Even Dial, jumping with a borrowed pole after his was lost In transit, said he thought Olson had taken liberties with the rules. i I I I I I tc NEW YORK It was to have been the prime attraction of the 79th Wanamaker Millrose Games. Instead, the pole vault turned into "a three-ring circus." In one ring was Billy Olson, holder of the world Indoor mark. In the other two were world record-holder Sergei Bubka of the Soviet Union and Joe Dial, who held the indoor mark as recently as two weeks ago.

Olson emerged the victor, but was assailed by both Bubka and Dial as a cheater In an event that was halted several times by a Soviet threat to pull out. Olson won the event with a lump of 19 feet even, 5'4 inches below his indoor mark and 8V4 Inches lower than the outdoor record held by Bubka. Both Olson and Dial were given extra Jumps after they claimed Interference. Jim Heiring sets mile-walk mark (5:41.26) WALKER from 1 changes between the coaches and the players. Players would actually kid the coaches and tell them they didn't know what they were talking about, and the coach would say.

'All right, we'll see who knows what today. 1 just sat back and laughed." Mi he's suU laughir.g. "Everyone's talking about next year already," he said. i went out to the Pro Bowl and Howie (Long) and everyone was psyched. And to am I.

It's good to be somewhere where you can do a Joa, be happy, and get treated right." lust Lke a real Superstar. 1 stripping me of the ball," said Walker, i remember seeing the ball get away and thinking. 'Oh, no it's Just like the Seattle game. It all came right back to me. "But the difference was.

when I got back to the sideline In Los Angeles, all the guys were patting me. going. 'Don't worry about If that had happened with tbe Dolphins, everyone would just look at you. I ke maybe they felt sorry for you. It's a whole d.fferent atmosphere." And Wa'ker couldn't be happier in It.

"It's true the coacfifs there are like brothers to you," he said. "Whea I frst got there. 1 was real quiet, not saying much, and I couidat believe some cf the ei- "It's different than going to the Super Bowl, going to the Pro Bowl but it stiil makes you feel good and gets vou some recognition," said Walker, who led the league In punt returns last season after Joining the Raiders as a free agent "I feel honored to be here, really, enjoy the chance to meet the other athletes from the other sports, Ike Carl Lewis. Except for that one game. It's been a terrific year for me." Walker shook his head in disgust when he thought about the Raiders loss to New England ia the AFC playoffs and his own role la It.

1 fcai knows how capable the Patriots were of causing mistakes, but everyone was getting ptyefced for M.ami. New trgland was "4k status. Walker performed well enough In all seven of his chosen events to qualify for the Superstars finals, which continue today at the Fontalnebleu and conclude tomorrow at the Superstars track at Crandon Park. Make that almost all seven of his chosen events, "The rowing was bad," said Walker, Uufhing. "I was going against Tim Witheripoon.

and we had the boats g-g everywhere, mean everywhere. If we rowed In a stra'jM line, we would have dofie well time-wie. SUX despite his lack of rowing errertise. Walker did what stars such as Eerr. Hour and Herschtt Walker could not da make the finals.

All of which puts a nice cap oa a very Bice year, indeed. MM fM'JJMW IS AT 7 PW f-- CHICK EIIX-T htiiet fei Frti ti a Ujtt tyuc fresttU'Ici! THIS MONDAY KICHT, H3. 17 AT 8 Pil..