DALE EARNHARDT JR. - POST RACE RECAP

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

DATE: 5/3/08
RACE: Crown Royal 400
TRACK: Richmond International Raceway
START:22nd
FINISH: 15th
POINTS POSITION: 3rd

Photo courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports

RECAPPING THE RACE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy team were one lap away from winning Saturday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway when they were involved in an accident. Earnhardt finished15th and remains third in the driver standings.

Earnhardt paced the field during the weekend practice, but qualifying didn't go as well. The No. 88 Chevrolet was tight during qualifying, and the team started the impound race from the 22nd position. The car was better on longer runs, and by Lap 65, Earnhardt was running in the top 10. The team pitted on Lap 66 for four tires, an air pressure adjustment and fuel, sending Earnhardt back out onto the track to restart in seventh. On Lap 105, Earnhardt broke into the top five on the scoring tower and radioed to crew chief Tony Eury Jr. that the car was free into the corners, but tight in the center. Earnhardt said he could live with the tight condition, but would need help with the loose issue.

During the next rounds of pit stops, the No. 88 team kept Earnhardt in the top-five while making adjustments, which made the Chevy better for the closing laps.

On Lap 231, an 11-car accident prompted NASCAR officials to red-flag the event for clean-up. That gave Earnhardt about 20 minutes to discuss strategy with Eury on the radio. By Lap 327, Earnhardt was running in the top-three. On Lap 355, Earnhardt brought his car into the pits for four tires and fuel after the Nos. 5 and 55 collided on the frontstretch. With 45 laps remaining, Earnhardt asked Eury to count down the laps "with excitement" to keep him "pumped up." Eury obliged and did so. On Lap 372 Earnhardt raced past Kyle Busch to take second place.

Photo courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports

Race leader Denny Hamlin suffered a flat tire on Lap 383 after leading 381 laps, and Earnhardt passed him to take the lead. Earnhardt pulled away from second-place Busch, opening up a one-second lead. But Hamlin's car came to a rest on the track on Lap 392, so the caution flag was thrown. On Lap 395, Earnhardt resumed the race with just five laps between himself and the checkered flag. He and Busch raced hard, preparing for the white flag signaling one lap to go. But Busch made contact with the No. 88 Chevrolet, sending it into the wall and bringing out the final caution. Earnhardt pitted for repairs and finished 15th.

QUOTING DALE EARNHARDT JR.:

"I haven't seen the replay. Tony, Jr. (Eury) said it looked like Kyle (Busch) got loose underneath me. That happens. I wasn't good on the bottom so I moved up to the top to run as good as I could up there. He had been running the bottom, so I figured we would race that out. It got a great run around (Turns) 1 and 2, and he nearly got by me. He gave me room off the outside of (Turn) 2 so I wouldn't say that was intentional going in to (Turn) 3. If he had wanted to, he could have just thrown me in the fence off (Turn) 2. We had been racing each other earlier and had no problems. I have done that before. That is what happens if he got loose underneath me."

"The worst part about it, is that I have been priding myself on running good all year, and I was in position for a win. I had a top-three car and should have finished in the top-three. So I was going for the win. Just ended up on the hook today. Just disappointed."

NOTABLE:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. led one time for 15 laps.

NEXT UP: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will head to Darlington (S.C) 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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