DALE EARNHARDT JR. - POST RACE RECAP

NO. 88 AMP ENERGY / NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET
DALE EARNHARDT JR. - POST RACE RECAP

DATE: 4/27/08
RACE: Aaron’s 499
TRACK: Talladega Superspeedway
START: 9th
FINISH: 10th
POINTS POSITION: 3rd

Photo courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports

RECAPPING THE RACE: To say that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a big fan base at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway is an understatement. After starting ninth, Earnhardt took the lead for the first time of the afternoon on Lap 39, and the stands thundered as more than 150,000 fans leapt to their feet and cheered. In a race where there were 52 lead changes among 20 drivers, Earnhardt survived damage from a multi-car wreck on Lap 175 to finish 10th - his seventh top-10 finish of the season in nine races.

The pit crew worked on the No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet throughout the race, but the car wasn't wearing out tires. The team made a few two tire or no tire stops, but the race was more in the hands of the driver. Earnhardt held his own and had one of the strongest cars for most of the afternoon. On Lap 175, Earnhardt was running in the 19th position in a three-wide draft of 30 cars after being shuffled out of the draft. There, he was hit from behind. Earnhardt saved the No. 88 Chevy but still bounced down on the apron of the track and made contact with the No. 43 car. Earnhardt brought in the No. 88 Chevrolet, and the team repaired the damage to the right rear of the car by putting on duct tape and hammering back the sheet metal so the damage wouldn’t create a parachute effect when the field went back to racing. Earnhardt dropped to the 31st position on the restart with nine laps remaining in the race.

Photo courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports

The race wasn't over yet as the biggest excitement of the day came on the final lap. There were eight cautions for 23 laps, and the "Big One" came on the last lap. Earnhardt skirted around the melee of the 11-car wreck to finish 10th.

Earnhardt is third in the points, heading to Richmond (Va.) International Speedway on Saturday.

QUOTING DALE EARNHARDT JR.:

"That was a wild race! I was hating it there for Tony (Stewart) that he got that flat tire and got in the crash and all. I was upset because we had worked so hard there at the end to stay together. It would have been a nice finish, and he would have finished up there with me there at the end."

"Getting another top-10 is something to be really proud of. If you look at my career over the last several years, we are definitely in a better position. It would be foolish for us not to appreciate the good things we have going for us and not get frustrated and decide you aren't running good or try to figure out why you aren't running good. The wins will come. I know that. I want them to, and we are going to have to keep talking about it until they do."

NOTABLE:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. led 12 times throughout the race for a total of 46 laps.

NEXT UP: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will head to Richmond (Va.) International Raceway on Saturday evening. The race will air live on FOX at 7 p.m., ET.

Thanks to Amy Walsh for the race recap.
Courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports.
Media Relations | No. 88 AMP Energy / National Guard Racing

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