Da Man Behind Da Man

1982 was the year I graduated high school. It was also the same year Kirk Shelmerdine started work at Richard Childress Racing as crew chief of the MAN Dale Earnhardt Sr. Guiding him to Winston Cup Championships in '86 and '87 and in '90 and '91. He was the man behind the man(in a non-Jeff Gordon/Jimmie Johnson way). Helping Dale get 46 wins and 142 top five finishes. Before retiring from being a crew chief at the end of the '92 season to go racing himself he was the second youngest crew chief to win a Cup race and a championship. Talk about going out on the top of your game.

1993 started his driving career in the ARCA Series, winding up with three wins. A handfull of truck and Busch series races got him no better than a 17 place finish in either series. His first Cup ride believe it or not was way the hell back in 1981 driving a second car for James Hylton at the Texas World Speedway. A couple of races here and there until 2002 when Kirk started his own Cup team. 2004 was the start of a try at full time in Cup. He attempted 32 races only to compete in only 18 of them. Finishing none. 2005 totally sucked the big one, only qualifying for three races. 2006 was a trip for Mr. Shelmerdine. After thinking he did NOT make the race, then to make it on time no less was quite an accomplishment. Then for Richard to step up with a motor for exchange for Childress Winery Logos kicked ass. Now the best part. Earnhardt fans of Sr. and even some Jr., young and old, kicked in money out of their own pockets for tires so Kirk could race. Taken right there on the infield of Daytona. THAT IS LOYALTY!!!!!! EARNHARDT FANS ARE THE BEST!!!! Remembering the old crew chief of Ironhead, and to help him like he did Dale was fuckin AWESOME! Then for Kirk to finish 20th on the LEAD lap was icing on the cake. To think HE did it with NO real pit crew. To think the media was so fizzuckin occupied with Chad Knaus and the Lowes Chronicles they missed the REAL STORY!