Life goes on at RCR

"Dale Earnhardt was the best race car driver there will ever be in NASCAR and nobody will ever replace him," Harvick said. "I would hope you don't expect me to replace him because nobody ever will."

Earnhardt was killed in the final turn of the last lap of Sunday's Daytona 500.

The NASCAR community returned to action Friday at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina with Busch Series practice and qualifying. The Winston Cup teams will qualify on Saturday morning for Sunday's Dura Lube 400.

Harvick will compete in both Saturday's Alltel 200 Busch race and Sunday's Winston Cup race as Richard Childress Racing begins the era without Dale Earnhardt.

The car Harvick drives will not be the familiar black No. 3 Goodwrench Chevrolet that Earnhardt made famous throughout his racing career. Instead, it will be a white Chevrolet with 29 as its number.

Harvick was scheduled to run seven NASCAR Winston Cup races this season in addition to the entire Busch Series schedule this season. Then, Childress was going to move Harvick into Winston Cup full time next year.

With Earnhardt's death, Harvick will move up to Winston Cup one year early.

Harvick was looking forward to teaming with Earnhardt and Mike Skinner in NASCAR Winston Cup because of the experience both could share with the young driver. Skinner is still around, but Earnhardt's memory lives on.

"Dale's death is going to affect me in a big way, but this is a strong organization," Harvick said. "It will draw us a lot closer than we already were."

Childress made the decision to move Harvick into Winston Cup on Monday - one day after Earnhardt was killed. Childress is a racer and knew it had to be done to keep the program moving forward.

"This hasn't been easy for any of us," Childress said. "Dale Earnhardt and I talked about this after Neil Bonnett was killed in 1994. We talked about what would happen if I was in Africa and was run over by an elephant or something would happen to him, what we would want and what we would do? It's got to go on.

"Both of us are racers and Dale Earnhardt is a racer. We made a pledge to each other that we would go on. That's what we are going to do and we are going to do what Dale would want us to do and that is race this week. It's the toughest thing we will do when that green flag falls, to start that race without Dale Earnhardt."

Skinner, who has won four races against NASCAR Winston Cup competition, but all four were non-points races, becomes the senior driver at RCR and will have to change his role with the young Harvick as his teammate.

Earnhardt's death has deeply affected his team mate.

"It's devastating," Skinner said. "Dale and I had a mutual respect for each other. We weren't best friends. We didn't go fishing together. But I always thought, and I still do, he was the very, very best who ever sat behind the wheel of a race car. I don't know anybody who could deny that.

"He was the kind of guy that would come up to you one day, not talk to you and the next day he was your best friend. He found me at Daytona and said, `Boy, you have a good race car today. Keep your head on. Win this race. Do a good job.'"

At times, Skinner's relationship seemed strained. But the legendary driver had a deep respect for Skinner.

"I found out that Dale was real strong behind me," Skinner said. "Dale was never the type of guy that never would tell me he thought I was a great race car driver, but he told everybody else. He told Richard Childress that a lot and I have a lot of respect for him.

"But, we have to go on. I have a lot of respect for Kevin Harvick. I raced against him in the truck series and raced against him in the Busch Series. But no one will ever attempt to fill the shoes of Dale. We have to go on and
the quicker we can go on and the quicker we can put this to bed, our car owner can get back to win races. I think we can draw off each other and do well. Don't be surprised if you see the 29 car and the 31 car do well this weekend."

There are many NASCAR Winston Cup fans that would like to see Earnhardt's number 3 retired. NASCAR won't retire any numbers, but Childress will put it into a moratorium for one year.

Childress has had the number 3 for the past 28 years. Earnhardt had the Number 2 when he was a rookie in 1979 and used that number to win the 1980 NASCAR Winston Cup championship. He joined Childress midway through the 1981 season, competing in 11 races for the team owner after a dispute with his previous team. From mid-1982 to 1983, he drove for Bud Moore with the No. 15 Ford. He returned to Childress in 1984 and carried that number until his death last Sunday.

Harvick will hope to forge his own identity in car number 29.

"We are tough and hopefully there will be that time when we win our first race and say that one was for Dale," Harvick said. "Dale Earnhardt was someone I watched since I was five years old. He was a hero to me."

Earnhardt was so much of what NASCAR meant to so many people. Where does it go without him?

"That's a tough one," Childress said. "I asked where Richard Childress goes without Dale Earnhardt? I don't know."

With that, Childress' eyes welled with tear and he could not continue. But, he will continue his team without Dale Earnhardt.