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PREVIEW: DALE EARNHARDT JR.
(NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET)
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VENUE: NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY (1.058-MILE OVAL)
CIRCUIT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 27 OF 36)
DATE: SEPT. 14, 2008 (300 LAPS, 317.4 MILES)
*****
NEW HAMPSHIRE PERFORMANCE: In 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has recorded four top-five finishes and seven top-10s. Earnhardt has led 272 laps -- including 29 most recently in June -- at the flat track in Loudon, N.H.
POINTS RESET: After Richmond, the Sprint Cup Series resets the points for the top 12 drivers and tacks on 10 bonus points for each regular-season win. Earnhardt, previously ranked fourth in the driver standings, will be seeded fourth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup because of his win at Michigan International Speedway in June. Earnhardt will line up behind his teammate, third-place Jimmie Johnson, who has garnered four wins this season.
LEADING LAPS: After leading 90 laps at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway on Sunday, Earnhardt has led 796 laps this season, which is more than he led total during his 2000 (426 laps), 2001 (767 laps), 2005 (169 laps), 2006 (444 laps) and 2007 (433 laps) Sprint Cup seasons. Earnhardt has led at least one lap in 18 of the 26 Cup events this season.
CLOSE TO HOME: Two members of the No. 88 team consider NHMS their home track. Rear-tire changer D.J Richardson, 38, hails from Leomister, Mass., roughly 85 miles south of the Loudon venue. Richardson has been a member of the team since 2006 and formerly competed as a driver in the ARCA Series. Jackman Rick Pigeon grew up in the town of Fairfax, Vt., located approximately 185 miles north of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Pigeon, 33, has worked for Hendrick since 2001.
HENDRICK AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: In 26 races at NHMS, Hendrick Motorsports has posted six wins, 24 top-five finishes and 38 top-10s. The organization has recorded at least one top-five finish in 17 events and at least one top-10 in all but two races.
CHASE STATS: Since the Chase started in 2004, current Hendrick Motorsports drivers have combined to win 40 percent of the postseason events (16 of 40). Earnhardt won two races in the Chase before joining Hendrick this season. Johnson, the 2006 and 2007 series champion, has accounted for 11 of those wins, while Jeff Gordon has recorded three.
MEDIA BLITZ: Earnhardt and the rest of the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup field will visit New York City this week for a NASCAR media blitz. Earnhardt will make appearances on "The Late Show with David Letterman," "Live with Regis and Kelly" and "Good Morning America."
CREW CHIEF ON THE RADIO: On Wednesday, crew chief Tony Eury Jr. will join the 11 other crew chiefs who made the Chase for NASCAR's annual Top 12 Chase for the Sprint Cup "NASCAR Performance Live" radio show. The program will air live from the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C. This special broadcast, hosted by Larry McReynolds and Steve Post, will air on MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio and honors the 12 crew chiefs vying for the championship.
CHASSIS FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE: Eury and the No. 88 engineers have chosen Chassis No. 88-490 for New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend. This Impala SS is the same chassis the team raced at RIR earlier this season when Earnhardt led 15 laps and nearly won before being involved a late-race accident. This is also the same car Earnhardt raced at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 29, when he led 29 laps before getting caught up in an accident entering pit road.
AUCTION FOR A GOOD CAUSE: The Dale Jr. Celebrity Sports Auction is scheduled for Oct. 13 at the Concord (N.C.) Convention Center/Embassy Suites. Proceeds from the event will benefit The Dale Jr. Foundation, Make-A-Wish and Victory Junction Gang Camp. There also will be a charity concert, featuring country artist Gary Allan and a special appearance by Kyle Petty, at Whisky River in Charlotte, N.C., on Oct. 12. Visit www.thedalejrfoundation.org for more information.
FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY: AMP Energy is introducing its "Dale Jr. Limited Edition Series" cans this summer. There are four cans to collect. One will pay tribute to his five wins at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, while the other three will feature his No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Impala SS, the stripes from his adidas firesuit and the JR Nation logo. For more information, visit www.ampenergy.com/limitededitionseries.
WARRIOR VIDEO: Fans can visit www.NationalGuardWarrior.com to see Kid Rock's new "Warrior" music video and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage featuring Earnhardt, National Guard citizen soldiers and the No. 88 team. The two-minute video is now airing before movies in select AMC Theatres and includes the song "Warrior," which Kid Rock wrote specifically for the Army National Guard. During the next two months, the video will appear in more than 3,000 theaters and on more than 27,000 movie screens around the country.
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DALE EARNHARDT JR., DRIVER OF THE NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD IMPALA SS: (ON HIS GOALS FOR THE CHASE.): "Win as many races as I can, and win the championship. I'd love to win the championship walking away -- you know, go into Homestead with it clinched already."
EARNHARDT (ON HIS GAME PLAN.): "I don't think there is such a thing as having a game plan in racing. You try to strategize, but really that evolves throughout the race."
EARNHARDT (ON HIS EXPECTATIONS RUNNING AGAINST HIS TEAMMATES JEFF GORDON AND JIMMIE JOHNSON FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP.): "Well, I'm hoping to lean on them when I can to improve our car's ability and performance. You know, to take advantage of their experience and their success of the past couple years and this company's success. That's really why I'm here to begin with. Just making the most out of that opportunity. I'd rather have them on my side where I can lean on them and know a little bit about what they've got going on and what they're doing and what's working for them."
TONY EURY JR., CREW CHIEF OF THE NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD IMPALA SS (ON MAKING THE CHASE): "I'm real proud of this team for making the Chase. I think we have as good a shot as anyone over the next 10 races. I think our teammates will be very strong, and there are a couple of other guys who have been there all year long. There's a lot of pressure, but we're confident."
*****
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Official Site - www.dalejr.com
Thanks to Amy Walsh for the race reports and recaps.
Courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports.
Media Relations | No. 88 AMP Energy / National Guard Racing
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