Dale Earnhardt Jr. crashed out again, in Daytona 500 practice

  Dale Earnhardt limping back to the garage (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
  

    (Updated)

   By Mike Mulhern
   mikemulhern.net

   And who will actually be on the inside of the front row when the 43-car field takes the green Sunday? The man who wins Thursday's first 150....unless it's Earnhardt himself, who would still have to start last...though Earnhardt, in protocol, will run the first few parade laps Sunday at the head of the field before having to drop to the rear for the start of the race. Ryan Newman will be on the pole for the first 150, at 2 p.m. ET,  with Earnhardt going to the rear.
   That's the second Daytona car Earnhardt has lost this SpeedWeeks. And crew chief Steve Letarte didn't have an engine in this backup 500 car, so Earnhardt missed the rest of Wednesday's hour-long practice session and will start his 150 cold.
   Earnhardt was pushing teammate Jimmie Johnson in a 200-mph draft when they came up on a slower pack, of Robby Gordon, David Gilliland, and Michael Waltrip. Just behind the Johnson-Earnhardt two-car Chevy pack was another two-car pack, Martin Truex Jr. and Brian Vickers, in a pair of Toyotas.
   Johnson, because it's virtually impossible to see through these cars to the windshield of the leader, was the only man with a decent view of what was unfolding. He had to back off, Earnhardt tried to back off but got hit by Truex when Truex got hit by Vickers.
   "It was just a dicey time," Johnson said of the incident, which occurred in the opening minutes of the day's first and only practice session. "Robby Gordon,  David Gilliland and Michael Waltrip kept creeping toward the top (of the track), and I was running out of space, that hole was closing, so I started to lift and then…
  "You have to pay attention to where you are on the track and not use up too much road."
   Truex: "We were just checking out water temperatures and messing around the Jimmie and Junior, and we came up on some slower traffic. It looked like they just came up in front Jimmie and Junior.
   "I checked up; but I was being pushed too (by Vickers) and the second guy can't see. I talked to Brian and he said he had no idea anyone was even checking up.
   "I tried to lift when I saw Jimmie and Junior sliding around, but when the guy behind is pushing you so fast……"
   Earnhardt was almost distraught by the latest twist in bad luck. "The guys on the inside looked like they were going to stay low, but then they started creeping up.  They gave me the impression they were closing the hole on the outside.
    "So Jimmie let off, and he about wrecked, and I got off the gas, and then there were a couple of guys coming behind me and they didn't have a chance.
   "You've got to pay attention out there, man. We just came up on some guys who didn't have their heads on straight, and we had an accident.
   "We have plenty of race cars and I'm not worried about how fast we'll be; we'll be fine. But….it's no good tearing 'em up.
   "I'm disappointed in myself.
   "I didn't feel good about getting out there and practicing…didn't think I needed to be out there. I just had a bad feeling about it."
   NASCAR's new rules tweaks were on the track Wednesday, but it's not clear how much effect the slightly smaller engine restrictor plate will be in slowing speeds. Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle were both over 200 mph in drafting practice. The session was primarily a test of new engine cooling system limits than anything else, with NASCAR trying to limit the engine cooling in order to force drivers to break up those two-car breakaway runs. Drivers generally say they'll still be running in two-car packs, because that's more aerodynamically efficient than the huge pack draft.
    Among other noteable news Wednesday: Johnson and Denny Hamlin both changed engines and thus will also start at the rear of Thursday's fields....and Nationwide drivers were also running over 200 mph.
    After Earnhardt's crash drivers were noticeably reluctant to get back out on the track for more practice.
    The day was marred by rain, and teams couldn't get on the track till mid-afternoon.

  
Dale Earnhardt inspects the car he put on the Daytona pole Sunday....after Wednesday's crash (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)