Not surprisingly, NASCAR fans have selected Tony Eury Sr. as crew chief of the week in the Nextel Cup series. Eury heads the crew on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Daytona 500-winning car, which also won one of the twin 125-mile qualifying races and was third fastest in time trials. Eury also stuck around until Monday to help oversee Earnhardt’s victory in the rain-delayed Busch Series race at Daytona. “This was a total team effort,” Eury said. “This crew has been working their guts out since last November to get ready for this race. They poured their heart and soul into this weekend.” The award, sponsored by Wypall Wipers, is presented after each race to the crew chief getting the most votes by fans logging onto www.wypall.com/crewchiefchallenge. Robby Reiser, crew chief on the car driven by defending series champion Matt Kenseth, was the fans’ second choice. “I voted for Tony, too,” Reiser said. “He dominated this weekend. Crew chiefs dream of putting together a car as good as his team created. He made all the right decisions, from the car setup to the pit strategy, and that’s what it takes to win. He deserves this award.”(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(2-19-2004)
