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In search of NASCAR's new man in black

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Updated May 14, 2009 5:06 PM ET
     
 
More than a man was lost when Dale Earnhardt died from a crash in the 2001 Daytona 500. An image faded, along with the essence of the sport. Sure, in the years since Earnhardt's death, NASCAR fans booed Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and the Busch brothers, but none embraced the role of villain as Earnhardt did. And that, some say, is why fans are tuning out the sport these days.

Say hi to the bad guys

Villains Top 10 villains: NASCAR has its share of nice guys, but it also has plenty of guys fans love to hate. Dustin Long lists the biggest villains in history.
"I think that's been one of our problems with this so-called lack of drama,'' former track president Humpy Wheeler says. "Drama comes from good vs. bad.'' Conflict and controversy lure fans. It's what built many of those seats around Bristol Motor Speedway and makes the All-Star race popular. Fans go to races to root for someone and, in many cases, root against someone else. Stewart and Kurt Busch were lightning rods until they matured and learned to limit their public outbursts. Gordon, hated as much for being the anti-Earnhardt, earned fan sympathy during his winless drought last year. Kyle Busch comes closest to being the man in the black hat, but he doesn't seek the job even though he has the swagger and attitude. "Whether it's one finger salutes or thumbs up or whatever, you know, it's all good,'' Kyle Busch says. "As long as they're making noise. That's what matters most.'' Wheeler says the sport could use a fulltime villain. Others say the sport needs it. Wheeler notes that Busch plays that role only at times. "I think the bad guy is consistently bad,'' says Wheeler, who used to preside over Lowe's Motor Speedway. "He's not just bad once in a while.'' Being the bad guy isn't always by choice. Fans can determine it. Rusty Wallace admits he didn't want the role but found himself being booed after he wrecked Darrell Waltrip with two laps left in the 1989 All-Star race as they dueled for the win. Waltrip, who had been the villain, gained fan support after that incident. Wallace became enemy No. 1. Wallace says that wearing a black hat isn't his style. "Every time we talk about that,'' Wallace says of the black hat, "We're talking about Dale Sr. I think in order to wear the black hat and be that type of guy, you've got to portray some type of toughness. Maybe a guy ... with a bit of 'I don't care' attitude, an intimidating attitude. "I don't know if I've seen anybody of late be able to pull it totally off. Tony Stewart, in my mind, has got as close to that image as it's been since Dale Sr. had it.'' Stewart's outbursts are strategically placed, often coming when he feels an immediate change is needed in the sport, such as with bump drafting at Daytona a few years back and about Goodyear's tires at certain tracks, including this year at Daytona. While such comments might make Stewart a bad guy to fans, he's looked upon favorably in the garage for standing up on key issues. Wheeler says it's more difficult to have a villain if there isn't someone with that tough guy persona. Wheeler, though, doesn't lay the blame all on the drivers for such an absence. "I think the sanctioning body has got to let up on the behavior aspect of it,'' Wheeler says. "If that happens, we'll see a tough guy emerge. Right now everybody is so scared that they're going to do something wrong.'' Of course, there's one sure way to become the villain quickly, as one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers, Buddy Baker, notes. "Bumping Dale Earnhardt Jr.,'' Baker says with a laugh. It was the bump that added to his father's legacy as the bad guy to many fans, along with that black car and that attitude. While Dale Earnhardt Sr., had many bumping incidents, there is one that stands out to Jimmy Spencer and illustrates how Earnhardt played his role. It was the 1999 night race where Earnhardt bumped Terry Labonte out of the lead on the last lap and won. As Earnhardt exited his car in Victory Lane, fans greeted him with a crescendo of boos not often heard at any track. About 20 minutes later when the track's PA system replayed the radio call of the last lap, fans heartily booed again as Earnhardt's bump was described. Yet, it was a conversation later on that struck Spencer, who finished second to Earnhardt. "You know what Earnhardt had the gall to say to me?'' Spencer says. "What the hell did you hit me for?' He just spins Terry out to win the race and he goes why did you hit me.'' That was Earnhardt. Bad to the bone. And he relished the role. Who's next? Dustin Long covers NASCAR for the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va., the Roanoke (Va.) Times and the News and Record in Greensboro, N.C.
Tagged: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Terry Labonte, Jimmy Spencer

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