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CNN Sunday Morning

Green Flag Soon to Drop

Aired February 17, 2002 - 09:25   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: In just a matter of hours, the green flag drops on the 44th running of Nascar's Daytona 500, kicking off the racing season.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well one year ago, of course, racing legend Dale Earnhardt died in the last lap of the Daytona 500 race. It was a moment that, you know, fans really, Nascar fans are still sort of grieving over that whole thing, and there is the whole issue of driver safety.

CNN's Sports Illustrated Johnny Phelps is our resident expert on Nascar. Johnny Phelps is already a winner. He's already at victory lane. Congratulations Mr. Phelps.

JOHNNY PHELPS, CNN SI CORRESPONDENT: That's the place. Well, thank you very much, Miles and Jeanne. This is the place that all drivers want to be when they come to Daytona, and victory lane was a special place yesterday.

Success in Bush Grand National racing on Saturday does not always translate into success in Winston Cup Racing on Sunday. But I think we got an idea yesterday what we might look for in today's Daytona 500.

Dale Earnhart, Jr. and Michael Waltrip finished one, two, in the 300 mile Bush race, and they are teammates at Dale Earnhart, Incorporated. Both won races here last year. In fact, Michael Waltrip is the defending champion of the Daytona 500. Dale Jr. was driving the familiar #3 that his father drove and made so famous over the years, and the reaction and the celebration in victory lane was very special.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DALE EARNHART, JR., NASCAR DRIVER: I just think Daddy would be real happy about this, be real proud of our victory, real happy with Richard. I wonder had he been alive what he would think about me winning a race in Richard's car. So that would be kind of interesting, giving him a little fun about it.

MICHAEL WALTRIP, NASCAR DRIVER: It just wasn't meant to be. I couldn't - I didn't - my car wasn't handling good enough to play all the games I wanted to play. So hopefully tomorrow my car and if we're running second, we can pull it off.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

But it's hard to pass the leader, because you know why? The leader's the fastest car. That's how he got there. People say all the time, "why didn't you pass the leader?" Because you can't, that's why he's leading.

PHELPS: Michael Waltrip starts fourth. Dale Jr. starts fifth, and if they get hooked up together late in the closing stages of the race, the other challengers better watch out. Jeanne, Miles, back to you.

O'BRIEN: All right, Johnny. I guess on some people's minds here, will the drivers back off a little bit and perhaps allow an Earnhart victory? I mean that's - I know that's a volatile thing to say. But there's a sentimental favorite there.

PHELPS: Clearly he is the sentimental favorite, but every driver here wants to win the Daytona 500 more than any other race. It is the premiere race in Nascar. They won't back off and let Dale Jr. win.

O'BRIEN: All right.

PHELPS: If he wins it, he'll earn it.

O'BRIEN: All right, I just wanted to put that on the record, just so people understand how that all works. Johnny Phelps.

PHELPS: Sure thing.

O'BRIEN: Our man in Nascar. We'll check in with him in just a bit, as a matter of fact, all throughout the day.

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