Where is ... Dale Inman?
They are scores that are impossible to settle.
Who's the better driver, Richard Petty or Dale Earnhardt? Or Jeff Gordon? Or David Pearson? Or Junior Johnson? Cale Yarborough, maybe? Bobby Allison? Darrell Waltrip?
What about crew chiefs? If the matter is to be settled on statistics and statistics alone, Dale Inman is the greatest crew chief of all time, hands-down. Early last year, though, a "national motorsports media contingent" named Ray Evernham to just such an honor in conjunction with the announcement of an awards program for crew chiefs. Inman finished a close second in the poll and actually received more first-place votes.
Evernham was Gordon's crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports for more than six years, a stretch that saw them win three Cup championships and 47 races. Inman was Richard Petty's crew chief for three decades, give or take a few years. Together, they won nearly 200 races and six championships. Following his departure from Petty Enterprises days after winning the 1981 Daytona 500, Inman would go on to capture another title and several more wins with Terry Labonte.
For those keeping score at home, Inman's win total is more than quadruple that of Evernham's, and he has more than twice the number of championships. Inman helped define what it meant to be a crew chief.
At the height of Petty Enterprises' success, however, Inman managed a stable of just two or three cars. Evernham began to redefine the role of a crew chief, and oversaw a fleet of cars specially made for restrictor-plate tracks, flat tracks, short tracks and road courses.
So does Inman or Evernham have the upper hand? It's an argument that has no adequate resolution. Their primes came in different eras, and it's fairly useless -- fun as it is -- to compare the two.
Don't expect Inman to get in on the debate himself, at least not where he's concerned.
"I'm not even sure I should be ranked," Inman said. "I think I was second [in the poll], and I'm honored at that. The best answer for [what makes a good crew chief] is a good racecar driver and a good car. If you've got the driver and don't win, then it's your fault."
For the record, Inman says Leonard Wood was the best pit boss he ever saw. Waddell Wilson was good, too.
"Leonard was just outstanding. He could do it all," Inman said. "There was no question about it."
Inman retired from the sport at the end of the 1998 season. During his time away from racing, Inman was one of many who worked tirelessly to get the Victory Junction Gang Camp up and running.
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"It was a joy to work at that camp for a couple of years," Inman said. "I was on bulldozers, dump trucks, backhoes and things I'd never seen before and didn't know how to operate. I really enjoyed it. It's been a pleasure to go over there and know that I helped with the building of the operation."
A cousin of Petty's, they had worked together since the earliest days of their careers. In 1967, they forged one of the most incredible seasons ever put together in any form of motorsports. Joe DiMaggio might've hit in 56 consecutive baseball games, but Petty's 10 consecutive wins that year is a mark that's every bit as unbreakable. All told, the team captured 27 victories in 1967, another record that will never be broken.
Dale InmanThere were countless other memories, both good and bad. When Ford couldn't beat the Petty operation, Inman says they bought it in 1969. He was there when Petty's brother-in-law, Randy Owens, was killed in a freak pit accident at Talladega. He spotted for Adam Petty in the fourth-generation driver's final race at Daytona in February 2000, a race he finished sixth.
Adam would lose his life in a crash during a Busch Series practice session at New Hampshire barely four months later.
The track became a part of Inman, and when he retired, he missed being there. Inman returned to the historic operation in 2004 to serve as a consultant ... whatever that might mean.
"I don't like the travel, but the garage area and being at the racetrack, that's my thing," Inman said. "I'm not consistent around the shop. I kindly come and go as I want to. I still enjoy the racetrack. It keeps me from becoming a complete couch potato. I still enjoy working with the boys, the sounds.
"I still hang around and mingle with the troops. I still enjoy racing. It's a disease that's hard to get rid of. I'm as busy as my body will let me be. This old body's got a lot of miles on it. I still enjoy being around the crew. They like to hear the old stories that we tell. Some of them are hard to believe."
Times have certainly changed. According to Inman, all 27 of Petty's 1967 wins came in a single Plymouth that had been built the year before. Today, an outfit simply couldn't operate without at least 15 cars or so in its inventory. The job of a crew chief has also evolved in countless ways.
"At the time I came along, I drove the truck, changed the right front tire, made the calls, argued with NASCAR, argued with Richard ... the whole ball of wax," said Inman. "Now, they've just got so many designated people that do a particular job. I used to use the phrase, 'It ain't always been this easy.' But since this COT car has come along, it's the hardest the boys in the shop and on the road have worked, probably in the last 10 or 15 years -- trying to keep up with two different cars, doing the testing and building cars to NASCAR's specification."
Inman could no doubt tell many a tale about the reactions fans have had to meeting Petty. To him, however, the seven-time champion is just plain ol' Richard.
And that, to be quite sure, is the key to their success.
"He was my boss ... he still is," Inman said. "He's my best friend. If I've got trouble, he's the one I can talk them over with. He's that way with me. To me, he's just plain out ol' Richard because we've been together since birth, just about. We probably laid in the same crib together.
"I admire him more, probably, for what he's done off the track to help the community, the churches, the schools, the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He's such a big part of the Victory Junction Gang. He donated all the land. It's just amazing the heart that he's got for other people."
They are scores that are impossible to settle.
Who's the better driver, Richard Petty or Dale Earnhardt? Or Jeff Gordon? Or David Pearson? Or Junior Johnson? Cale Yarborough, maybe? Bobby Allison? Darrell Waltrip?
What about crew chiefs? If the matter is to be settled on statistics and statistics alone, Dale Inman is the greatest crew chief of all time, hands-down. Early last year, though, a "national motorsports media contingent" named Ray Evernham to just such an honor in conjunction with the announcement of an awards program for crew chiefs. Inman finished a close second in the poll and actually received more first-place votes.
Evernham was Gordon's crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports for more than six years, a stretch that saw them win three Cup championships and 47 races. Inman was Richard Petty's crew chief for three decades, give or take a few years. Together, they won nearly 200 races and six championships. Following his departure from Petty Enterprises days after winning the 1981 Daytona 500, Inman would go on to capture another title and several more wins with Terry Labonte.
For those keeping score at home, Inman's win total is more than quadruple that of Evernham's, and he has more than twice the number of championships. Inman helped define what it meant to be a crew chief.
At the height of Petty Enterprises' success, however, Inman managed a stable of just two or three cars. Evernham began to redefine the role of a crew chief, and oversaw a fleet of cars specially made for restrictor-plate tracks, flat tracks, short tracks and road courses.
So does Inman or Evernham have the upper hand? It's an argument that has no adequate resolution. Their primes came in different eras, and it's fairly useless -- fun as it is -- to compare the two.
Don't expect Inman to get in on the debate himself, at least not where he's concerned.
"I'm not even sure I should be ranked," Inman said. "I think I was second [in the poll], and I'm honored at that. The best answer for [what makes a good crew chief] is a good racecar driver and a good car. If you've got the driver and don't win, then it's your fault."
For the record, Inman says Leonard Wood was the best pit boss he ever saw. Waddell Wilson was good, too.
"Leonard was just outstanding. He could do it all," Inman said. "There was no question about it."
Inman retired from the sport at the end of the 1998 season. During his time away from racing, Inman was one of many who worked tirelessly to get the Victory Junction Gang Camp up and running.
Page 1
Page 2
"It was a joy to work at that camp for a couple of years," Inman said. "I was on bulldozers, dump trucks, backhoes and things I'd never seen before and didn't know how to operate. I really enjoyed it. It's been a pleasure to go over there and know that I helped with the building of the operation."
A cousin of Petty's, they had worked together since the earliest days of their careers. In 1967, they forged one of the most incredible seasons ever put together in any form of motorsports. Joe DiMaggio might've hit in 56 consecutive baseball games, but Petty's 10 consecutive wins that year is a mark that's every bit as unbreakable. All told, the team captured 27 victories in 1967, another record that will never be broken.
Dale InmanThere were countless other memories, both good and bad. When Ford couldn't beat the Petty operation, Inman says they bought it in 1969. He was there when Petty's brother-in-law, Randy Owens, was killed in a freak pit accident at Talladega. He spotted for Adam Petty in the fourth-generation driver's final race at Daytona in February 2000, a race he finished sixth.
Adam would lose his life in a crash during a Busch Series practice session at New Hampshire barely four months later.
The track became a part of Inman, and when he retired, he missed being there. Inman returned to the historic operation in 2004 to serve as a consultant ... whatever that might mean.
"I don't like the travel, but the garage area and being at the racetrack, that's my thing," Inman said. "I'm not consistent around the shop. I kindly come and go as I want to. I still enjoy the racetrack. It keeps me from becoming a complete couch potato. I still enjoy working with the boys, the sounds.
"I still hang around and mingle with the troops. I still enjoy racing. It's a disease that's hard to get rid of. I'm as busy as my body will let me be. This old body's got a lot of miles on it. I still enjoy being around the crew. They like to hear the old stories that we tell. Some of them are hard to believe."
Times have certainly changed. According to Inman, all 27 of Petty's 1967 wins came in a single Plymouth that had been built the year before. Today, an outfit simply couldn't operate without at least 15 cars or so in its inventory. The job of a crew chief has also evolved in countless ways.
"At the time I came along, I drove the truck, changed the right front tire, made the calls, argued with NASCAR, argued with Richard ... the whole ball of wax," said Inman. "Now, they've just got so many designated people that do a particular job. I used to use the phrase, 'It ain't always been this easy.' But since this COT car has come along, it's the hardest the boys in the shop and on the road have worked, probably in the last 10 or 15 years -- trying to keep up with two different cars, doing the testing and building cars to NASCAR's specification."
Inman could no doubt tell many a tale about the reactions fans have had to meeting Petty. To him, however, the seven-time champion is just plain ol' Richard.
And that, to be quite sure, is the key to their success.
"He was my boss ... he still is," Inman said. "He's my best friend. If I've got trouble, he's the one I can talk them over with. He's that way with me. To me, he's just plain out ol' Richard because we've been together since birth, just about. We probably laid in the same crib together.
"I admire him more, probably, for what he's done off the track to help the community, the churches, the schools, the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He's such a big part of the Victory Junction Gang. He donated all the land. It's just amazing the heart that he's got for other people."
