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NO. 88 AMP ENERGY / NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET
DALE EARNHARDT JR. - POST RACE RECAP
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POST-RACE RECAP / MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DATE: Aug. 17, 2008
RACE: 3M Performance 400
START: 4th
FINISH: 23rd
POINTS POSITION: 4th
RECAPPING THE RACE:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy team started strong at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, but couldn't overcome handling issues and had a late brush with the wall. The No. 88 team finished 23rd.
Earnhardt qualified fourth for the 3M Performance 400 and took the lead within eight laps of the start of the event. Earnhardt reported early to crew chief Tony Eury Jr. that the car was tight in the corners and a little loose exiting them. The first pit stop came on Lap 23 for four tires, fuel and a minor air pressure adjustment. Earnhardt was third on the restart, and by Lap 29, he once again was in the lead. On Lap 35, he said the National Guard/AMP Energy Impala was too loose. He also had debris on the grill of the car causing the water and oil temperatures to reach potentially dangerous levels. Earnhardt dropped behind the car of Brian Vickers and assumed second place as he tried to clear the grill. The move worked, and shortly afterwards the temperatures returned to normal.
The team pitted again on Lap 67 for tires and fuel. Earnhardt reported the car still was too loose and fell to fifth on the scoreboard. The team attempted to help the handling during a pit stop on Lap 86 by making a track bar adjustment and adding four fresh tires. During the next run, Earnhardt told Eury that he wanted to go back to the setup he had to start the race.
On Lap 97, the team took two tires and was eighth on the restart. Throughout the rest of the event the handling never returned and the team tried with each pit stop to make adjustments. On Lap 180, most of the field pitted for tires, but Earnhardt opted to stay on the track to improve his position. But soon after, on Lap 183 he brushed the wall, causing damage to the right-side of the car and forcing the team to pit under green-flag conditions. The No. 88 team lost a lap, but fixed the damaged Chevy and recovered for the 23rd-place finish.
Earnhardt led three times for 43 laps. He remains fourth in the driver standings after 23 races. There are three races remaining before the Chase to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship begins.
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Photo courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports
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NEXT UP: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will head to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway next weekend. The race will air on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday night.
QUOTING DALE EARNHARDT JR.:
"I ran fifth all day and maybe better than that at some parts of the race. I'm a good enough driver. I should have finished somewhere around there with that car."
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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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