Debut of fourth-generation Earnhardt will have to wait (cont'd)

And that was even worse, because in 34 practice laps Friday, Jeffrey Earnhardt, who'd actually run 10 laps in a Nationwide car here while testing for the September Camping World East race, for which he won the pole in 2007 and finished third, looked like a shoo-in to start.

But obviously, wishes and buts would put 43 winners in every lineup, every weekend. Just as obviously the 23.994-second lap Earnhardt executed in practice on a race run would've easily put him into Saturday's race.

But racing's never that easy, and while the two teams' effort was great, when the primary was wrecked, its stronger engine couldn't be put into the backup, according to Andrews, because the two cars' motor mount locations were different and the adjustments would take too long at the track.

For this weekend, Earnhardt's primary chassis had a complete DEI pedigree, beginning life as a Busch Series car whose signature moment came at Bristol in spring 2007 when Earnhardt's uncle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished sixth with it.

According to longtime DEI employee Clyde McLeod, who continues to expend loads of time and effort on behalf of former DEI development drivers Earnhardt and Trevor Bayne, it was converted to a Camping World East car. Jeffrey Earnhardt called it his favorite chassis, after many uses, including his first career top-five finish.

And ironically, it almost made Dover the second chapter of a storybook. At last year's Camping World East-West showdown at Iowa Speedway, McLeod said Earnhardt had crashed the same chassis in practice, forcing his DEI team to pull out its backup car, with which Earnhardt finished fourth behind winner Joey Logano and Sprint Cup veteran Kevin Harvick.

Many at Dover, including Earnhardt himself, McLeod, who'd had a hand in hundreds of the kid's laps during the past two seasons, and his teammate Bayne, who spent the weekend here offering support even while he works at engineering his next career step, thought an event relatively similar to Iowa could've occurred at Dover -- the lack of horsepower notwithstanding.

But to get in, Earnhardt had to beat Kertus Davis' 39th-place, 24.257-second lap in qualifying. But as he'd acknowledged before getting into his car Saturday morning, he had to feel it out on its first lap on the track, first.

That was a 25.55-second effort. His second lap improved more than a second, to 24.447 seconds, but it was still .19 seconds too slow. And suddenly, stunningly what had shaped up as a weekend of celebration was over.

But much like Adam Petty before him, the first to achieve the fourth generation feat when he made his Busch Series debut at Gateway International Raceway in October 1998, young Earnhardt will have an impact on the sport before he's through.

And not just on its walls.

When the wreck occurred, one of several ironies surrounding this weekend happened. Earnhardt Jr. was in the media center conducting a news conference, when Jeffrey's crash in practice stopped his uncle in mid-sentence, when he saw it on a TV monitor -- before he asked if the youngster was OK.

Earlier, Earnhardt Jr. had expressed optimism for his nephew's future, saying, "I've seen him over the last couple months once or twice. He looks like he's got a good, solid outlook on his situation and his opportunity. I'm looking forward to seeing how well he can do."

He'll have to wait a little longer for the inevitable -- but it'll come around before too long. But after the qualifying debacle, when becomes the issue, if not even with whom.

Weeks ago team owner Ware announced a deal with Earnhardt and his father that would give both Dale Earnhardt's oldest son and his grandson, the former DEI development driver, a chance at some Nationwide races.

After the qualifying shortfall, when he returned to DEI's loaned hauler, Ware was beside himself when asked when the next chapter in the tale might occur.

"I really don't want to just throw out a date," he said. "Without talking it over with the Earnhardts, I really don't know when it might be."

But if Dover was the latest chapter in what's become an eloquent and elaborate partnership between Ware Racing and DEI, with maybe the best part being the proof that DEI, as a racing entity, still exists, it can't come too soon.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.