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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Sadler aims to improve performance;
Earnhardt adjusts to new crew chief
Special to the HHJ
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - He
may not have won the 2004 NASCAR
NEXTEL Cup Series title, but Elliott
Sadler enjoyed every
aspect of trying to do
that.
Most of all, he’s
hungry for another
championship quest.
As one of the 10
drivers who com
peted in the inaugu
ral “Chase for the
NASCAR NEXTEL
Cup,” Sadler finished
ninth in last season’s
final point standings,
and the historical
aspects of NASCAR’s
new method of crown
ing a champion didn’t
escape him.
“I think if you
would have given
NASCAR a blank
sheet of paper and
a pen, they couldn’t
have written a bet
ter script than what
happened last year,”
Sadler said.
As he begins his
seventh fulltime sea
son and third with
Robert Yates Racing,
Sadler intends to
improve last year’s
(NEXTELf
NASCAR
Preseason
Thunder At A
Glance
Where: Daytona
International
Speedway
When: Jan. 11-
24.
Test schedule:
This past Tuesday-
Thursday
NASCAR NEXTEL
Cup Series (Odd
number car owner
2004 point stand
ings finishing posi
tions); Saturday
and Sunday
NASCAR
Craftsman Truck
Series; Tuesday-
Thursday -
NASCARNEXTEL
Cup Series (Even
number car owner
2004 point stand
ings finishing posi
tions); Jan. 22-24
- NASCAR Busch
Series.
career-best finish. He also vows a
return to the Chase, and to prove 2004
was a barometer, not a surprise.
“I’m not just grabbing in the dark
saying this is the reason why we’re
gonna be in it or not be in it,” Sadler
said. “I’ve really seen some great
changes over there in some areas that
we needed them at.”
The 29-year-old Virginian is among
the group of NASCAR NEXTEL
Cup Series drivers who went back to
work this week. As the first group
in NASCAR Preseason Thunder, the
annual preseason test sessions, driv
ers who finished in odd number posi
tions in the final 2004 car owner point
will test through Thursday at Daytona
International Speedway. Drivers who
finished in even number positions in
the final 2004 car owner points will
test Jan. 18-20.
Ready to race, Sadler is excited about
a second fUll season with veteran crew
Rally adventurous, scary and deadly
By TODD PITMAN
Associated Press Writer
DAKAR, Senegal - The race has
lured drivers for a quarter century, a
bone-jarring adventure through the
Sahara’s baking heat in one of the
sport’s most harrowing competitions
on the planet.
Sandstorms, land mines, armed ban
dits and dunes so steep they can hurl
cars upside down are all part of the
perilous history of Dakar Rally. And,
for drivers and spectators alike, this
race can be deadly.
This year, there have been two
fatalities: Spanish motorcyclist Jose
Manuel Perez and Italian motorcyclist
Fabrizio Meoni, a two-time winner
who had said this Dakar Rally would
be his last.
“When I was a rider, as I left my
home, I thought, ‘Will I return in 15
days?”’ said Jordi Arcarons, the team
manager with KTM Repsol. “I never
said that to my family, but I was aware
of the danger and the risks.”
Organizers confirm that since the
first rally in 1979 about two dozen
competitors have died. The total fig
ure, including spectators, organizers
and journalists, exceeds 30. One of
the worst years was 1988 when three
participants and three African specta
tors died.
Rally authorities say they have done
what they can to bolster safety - a
rescue helicopter is always nearby and
maximum speed in villages has been
limited to 31 mph.
This year’s rally covers 5,566 miles
and features separate races for cars,
trucks and motorcycles. Unlike the
old days, each vehicle is now equipped
with GPS tracking devices, allowing
fans and emergency teams to pinpoint
driver positions.
That’s important because in many
places the track - if it can be called
that - is more than 4 miles wide. How
to navigate is up to the racer.
But even then, it can be too late.
French rider David Fretigne was first
to alert authorities to Meoni’s crash.
A medical team arrived by helicopter
15 minutes later, but despite on-the
scene treatment, the rider died less
than hour later.
The 47-year-old racer, winner of the
Dakar motorcycle title in 2001 and
flpi
'i : 1 . %
NASCAR
Dale Earnhardt Jr. tests the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet during Preseason
Thunder at Daytona International Speedway Tuesday.
chief Todd Parrott. He’s also hyped
about recent pit-crew changes and a
16-20 race schedule in the NASCAR
Busch Series that he thinks, “will
make sure the driver is on his game,
too.” And even though he was one of
only four drivers who stayed in the
NASCAR Top 10 all season last year,
he wants to establish a career trend.
“We want to prove, not only to our
selves, but to everybody in the sport
that we can back up what we did last
year,” said Sadler, who won two races.
“Win some more races this year and
stay in the Top 10. So yes, there is
some pressure on us to do that.”
This season, Sadler says he knows
where to focus. Last season, he thought
trying to make the Chase field - be in
the NASCAR Top 10 or within 400
points of the leader following race No.
26, the cutoff point - would prove the
toughest hurdle.
“But man, were we ever wrong,”
Sadler said, citing the pressure-packed
final 10 races. “It was a tough, tough
deal. It’s hard to be running fifth
and sixth in a race and think that’s a
pretty good place to run and then look
ahead of you and two or three of the
guys you’re racing in the champion
ship are running ahead of you.”
Sadler’s already handicapping 2005
contenders; among them Raybestos
Rookie of the Year Kasey Kahne,
llth-place finisher Jamie McMurray,
his RYR teammate Dale Jarrett and
m. '.' iiia ——.— .... —— i i— ;
AP
Jutta Kleinschmidt of Germany is driven off the trail by a herd of cattle
during the 12th stage of the Dakar rally between Kiffa, Mauritania, and
Bamako, Mali, Wednesday.
'When I was a rider, as I
left my home, I thought,
Iffill I return in 15 days?
I never said that to my
family; but I was aware of
the danger and the risks.'
- Jordi Arcarons, team manager with
KTM Repsol
2002, had been in second place this year.
Organizers canceled the 12th stage of
the motorcycle event Wednesday at
the request of riders mourning Meoni.
Cars and trucks proceeded in the leg
from Kiffa, Mauritania, to Bamako,
Mali.
The rally’s route changes every year,
making many parts of it largely new to
the riders. The trek usually begins in
Europe and ends in the south of the
Sahara in Senegal’s seaside capital,
Dakar.
The 2003 race skipped West Africa
for the first time - heading through
Libya and Egypt instead because of
fears over security, banditiy and ter
rorism.
This year, 230 motorcycles, 165 cars
SPORTS
Michael Waltrip.
“Everybody is gonna be loaded for
bear also that was in the Top 10,”
Sadler said.
NOTES:
NEW FACES: Tony Sr„ Dale
Earnhardt Jr.,’s former crew chief, is
now DEl’s director of competition.
Former car chief Tony Eury Jr., is
now Waltrip’s crew chief. Meanwhile,
Pete Rondeau, Waltrip’s former crew
chief, heads the No. 8 team. And
although Earnhardt Jr. was 16th fast
est in Tuesday’s opening session, 20th
fastest that afternoon, and only 29th
fastest in Wednesday morning and
27th fastest Wednesday afternoon, he
says speed isn’t an issue.
“The transition between the two
teams was a lot smoother than I
anticipated,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “The
work that I see the guys doing on the
car with Pete is really satisfying to see.
They keep their heads down and keep
going after the car.
MARATHON MAN: Along with
NASCAR Preseason Thunder, Michael
Waltrip is training for his Operation
Marathon in Las Vegas on Jan. 30.
The event is part of Waltrip’s $1
million charity fundraising initiative
for the Petty family’s Victory Junction
Gang Camp. Waltrip said he ran nine
miles Tuesday night following a day of
Daytona testing. He hopes to increase
his training distance to 16 miles by the
weekend.
and 70 trucks signed up for the race
that began Dec. 31 in Barcelona, Spain,
and cut a winding swath through
Morocco, Mauritania and Mali before
reaching Dakar on Sunday.
The off-road race has a reputation
for unrivaled toughness, particular
ly in the more remote West African
stretches where competitors zoom
across rock-strewn roads to mountain
passes and sand-swept desert oases
filled with camels and curious tur
baned nomads.
Crashes are reported nearly daily
and drivers often arrive at the end of
each stage banged up and bruised.
In the 1982 race, Mark Thatcher, the
son of former British Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher, got lost in the
Sahara for a week when his car broke
down. During the 1991 rally, the driv
er of a support truck died of gunshot
wounds in a village controlled by the
Malian army.
In 1999, Sahara bandits robbed com
petitors at gunpoint in Mauritania.
Wayward drivers veering off-route
have even hit land mines left over
from the Morocco-Western Sahara war
that ended in 1990.
“When you are in the rally, you
never think of the danger,” Arcarons
said, “you think you are the fastest
and the best.”
SHNS
Quarterback Peyton Manning of Indianapolis throws a pass
during a 29-28 loss to the New York Jets in this file photo.
The record-setter will lead the Colts against New England
Sunday.
Colts getting plenty of
respect; Falcons favored
By DAVE GOLDBERG
AP Football Writer
For a team that’s lost
five straight times to
its upcoming oppo
nent, the Indianapolis Colts
are getting a lot of respect.
The opponent in question,
of course, is New England,
which has won two of the
last three NFL titles. And the
game in question is Sunday in
Foxboro, where the Patriots
beat the Colts in last season’s
AFC championship game and
again in this season’s opener.
Nonetheless, the Patriots are
favored by just 2 1/2 points,
less than the three points a
team normally gets for being
at home.
Next to Pittsburgh, the Colts
are the NFL’s hottest team
and MVP Peyton Manning is
the NFL’s hottest quarter
back.
Indy has won nine of 10, the
only loss being the final regu
lar-season game in Denver in
which it played backups. The
Colts took care of that loss at
home last week, dispatching
the Broncos from the playoffs
49-24 in a game they led 35-3
at the half.
That season opener, a 27-24
win by the Patriots, is why
this game is outside in the cold
New England winter.
“When we lost that game up
there, we felt it would prob
ably cost us a chance to play
a home game,” concedes Colts
coach Tony Dungy. “That’s
what we have now.”
That clearly should slow
down Manning.
Of his 49 touchdown passes,
32 were indoors - 26 at home
and six more at Detroit’s Ford
Field. In last year’s title game,
he threw four interceptions
and had another in the opener
- picked off in the end zone.
Minnesota at Philadelphia
A lot of Eagles’ fans jumped
Hall faces tough matchup
By CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer
FLOWERY BRANCH -
Rookie comerback DeAngelo
Hall might seem to be an obvi
ous target for the St. Louis
Rams’ cast of experienced
receivers.
Then again, Hall showed in
the Atlanta Falcons’ last game
that he’s not easily intimidat
ed by big-name receivers.
Hall drilled Seattle’s Jerry
Rice with a forearm and
knocked him to the ground.
Then, Hall returned an inter
ception 48 yards for a touch
down in the Falcons’ 28-26
loss on Jan. 2. Rice did not
have a catch in the game.
While Rice is nearing the
end of his career, St. Louis
receivers Torry Holt and Isaac
Bruce are not.
“I don’t think he has seen
anything that we would bring
to the table on a consistent
basis for four straight quar
ters,” Holt said of Hall. “No
SUNDAY, JANUARY 16, 2005 ♦
off the bandwagon when
Terrell Owens was hurt and
more hung their heads when
Andy Reid tanked the last two
games, playing subs after his
team had clinched home-field
advantage in the NFC.
Yes, the Vikings can be
dangerous - even with a sore
ankle, Randy Moss caught two
touchdown passes last week.
But give Reid the benefit of
the doubt.
Even without Owens, the
Eagles have a healthy Brian
Westbrook, whose absence
from last year’s playoffs
deprived Philadelphia of what
was then its only game-break
ing player.
New York Jets at Pittsburgh
The Jets are better than
their reputation, which has
been sullied somewhat by the
New York media, which decid
ed to ignore the fact that the
5-6 reccfrd to finish the regular
season was due in large part to
Chad Pennington’s shoulder
injury.
But the Steelers are rested
and couldn’t even lose when
they tried - they won their
14th straight playing subs in
Buffalo against a team that
would have made the playoffs
had it won.
St. Louis at Atlanta
The Rams insist they’re
playing their best now and
they seem to be - they beat
the Jets at home in the regu
lar-season finale and won in
Seattle last week.
They also get the indoor fast
track they like at the Georgia
Dome, where they lost 34-17
in the second week of the sea
son.
But they are just 3-6 on the
road this season. Two of the
wins were over the inconsis
tent Seahawks and the other
was against San Francisco,
easily the NFL’s worst team
this season.
knock against him. We think
he’s a tremendous athlete, a
tremendous player.”
Holt and Bruce combined
for 2,619 yards receiving and
ranked as the league’s top
receiving tandem.
Hall missed the first six
games of the season with a
fractured hip, so he watched
when the Falcons beat the
Rams 34-17 in Atlanta on
Sept. 19, despite a combined
223 yards receiving by Holt
and Bruce.
“We will see where he is as a
defensive back and he will be
challenged,” Holt said. “And
he’ll challenge us.”
Hall and his teammates
in Atlanta’s secondary can’t
wait.
“We’re very ready,” Hall
said. “We’re the most focused
we’ve been in a while. We
know these guys are going to
come out here and throw the
ball. That’s what you want as
a secondary.”
3B