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Sunday, April 1 Interchange named in honor of Earnhardt Associated Press FORT WORTH, Texas -- Even people who aren't NASCAR fans will be reminded of Dale Earnhardt whenever they drive by Texas Motor Speedway. In a ceremony before Sunday's Harrah's 500, city and state officials and the speedway announced that an interchange to be built linking Interstate 35 to the track will be named Dale Earnhardt Way. Eddie Gossage, the speedway's general manager, called the naming "a lasting honor" to the seven-time Winston Cup champion, killed in a crash in the season opener at Daytona. "Not only will race fans use this exit in the years to come, but millions of motorists traveling along I-35 will see the huge green exit signs calling tribute to Dale Earnhardt's accomplishments," Gossage said. "This is a lasting, fitting honor for The Intimidator." An Air Force F-117 Stealth fighter flew over twice at the end of the ceremony, as David Bowie's song "Heroes" played. A special flag -- based on Texas' state flag and bearing Earnhardt's trademark No. 3 on a black field instead of the Lone Star on blue -- flew above Victory Lane throughout the race. During the third lap, fans stood in silence and raised three fingers in tribute to Earnhardt. The leader through that lap was Dale Earnhardt Jr., who started on the pole. Hit in the pits Two members of Sterling Marlin's crew sustained sprained ankles but escaped serious injury when they were hit by Rusty Wallace's car in the pits on the 266th lap. Wallace was heading toward his pit when Dave Blaney's Dodge cut in front of him, forcing his Ford to move to the left and into the crewmen alongside Marlin's stopped Dodge. Darren Wolfe, the right front tire carrier, was treated for a sprained left ankle but returned to the pits for the end of the race. Rick Reling, the right front tire changer, also was cut on the right calf. He also continued to work in the pits. Labonte's struggles Series champion Bobby Labonte, off to a disastrous start, began the race on the outside of the front row but had to pull out in the 150th lap when his Pontiac broke a rod. He finished 42nd. "It broke something in the bottom of the motor," he said. Labonte has failed to finish three of seven races this season, after finishing all 34 last year. He and his brother, Terry, had finished in the top 10 of all four previous Winston Cup races here. Terry placed 13th Sunday. Big leap Jeff Gordon's fifth-place finish was an improvement of 20 positions over his best previous showing at Texas Motor Speedway. "Considering our track record at Texas, fifth is like a win to us, although we did have a better car than that," said Gordon, who had failed to finish in two of his first four appearances here. Gordon never led in the 334-lap race but was in second place after 327 laps and still within striking distance of winner Dale Jarrett in the closing laps. Gordon reported the smell of burned rubber in his cockpit in the 55th lap, but it eventually went away. Sparkplugs  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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