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NO. 88 AMP ENERGY / NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET
DALE EARNHARDT JR. - POST RACE RECAP
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POST-RACE RECAP / HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
DATE: Nov.16, 2008
RACE: Homestead-Miami Speedway 400
START: 22nd
FINISH: 41st
POINTS POSITION: 12th
RECAPPING THE RACE:
A broken part late in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race might have cost Dale Earnhardt Jr. a solid finish during Sunday's 400-mile event at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but it can't take the shine off his first season with Hendrick Motorsports.
Earnhardt, driver of the No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, posted one of his best seasons in nine full years of competition. This year, he scored one win (at Michigan International Speedway in June), 10 top-five finishes and 16 top-10s. He averaged a starting spot of 10.3 -- best of his career -- and led 896 laps, which is the most laps he's led since 2004 (1,133 laps led).
This season marked the third time that Earnhardt had made the Chase for the Sprint Cup -- he also qualified in 2004 and 2006. When the checkered-flag waved at the close of Sunday's contest, Earnhardt and his team took 12th in the championship standings. The No. 88 team finished the race 41st.
Earnhardt and his team opened the 400-mile event on a positive note, climbing from their 22nd starting spot to the top 20 within the first few laps. Like many other teams, the No. 88 struggled to find the right setup throughout the majority of the day. Crew chief Tony Eury Jr. tried to fine-tune the National Guard/AMP Energy Chevy with a handful of modifications.
On Lap 206, Eury heard the words he had been hoping for all day. Earnhardt radioed to the crew that the No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy was "racy." Running 17th, the 34-year-old driver made his way through the field. By Lap 211, he was 12th, and 23 laps later he cracked into the top 10.
But Earnhardt's forward march was halted on Lap 245. Then, he radioed to his crew that he believed something broke on the No. 88 machine, and he had to pit. Eury hoped it was a tire going down and instructed the crew members to bolt on four fresh tires. When Earnhardt returned to the track, he notified Eury and the crew that there still was something wrong so he brought his No. 88 Chevy back to pit road. Eury told Earnhardt to take the National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet to the garage, where the team discovered a broken wheel bearing was the issue.
Earnhardt took 41st in the event, while his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson finished 15th and captured his third straight Cup title.
QUOTING DALE EARNHARDT JR.:
EARNHARDT (ON THE RACE.): "The rotors moved around and broke the caliper. There are bearings inside of it. I don't think the caliper broke first because I didn't have any vibrations. I am just surprised cause when the rotor burns up, it burns pretty bad.
"That's tough man. We were running good. Especially right there, we had gotten some things fixed that we needed to, to move forward a little bit and were having some fun tonight. I wish we could have finished because we worked real hard and this is the last race of the year and we won't be behind the wheel for awhile. We were good, we worked on it, and I liked the track.
EARNHARDT (ON HIS FIRST SEASON WITH HENDRICK.):"I just want to thank everybody at Hendrick for all they did this year. I am proud to be with this team, and I really appreciate it. I am looking forward to next year. Congratulations to everything they have had this year as far as success. I was happy to be a part of the team. I wish we could have finished tonight. It is a pleasure being here. I can't wait until next year."
Photos courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports
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Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Official Site - www.dalejr.com
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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