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PREVIEW: DALE EARNHARDT JR. (NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/AMP ENERGY CHEVROLET) VENUE: BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (.533-MILE OVAL) CIRCUIT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 5 OF 36) DATE: MARCH 22, 2009 (500 LAPS, 266.5 MILES) ***** AT BRISTOL: In 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has scored one win, seven top-five finishes and 10 top-10s. He averages a finishing position of 11.7 and has completed 98.4 percent of all the laps he's attempted (8,862 of 9,010 total). He has led 743 laps and finished in the top 10 in seven of the last nine events at the short track. ON THE MOVE: Earnhardt, driver of the No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, made gains in the Sprint Cup Series championship standings for the second week in a row. Following his 11th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Earnhardt climbed five spots to 24th in the standings. He ranks 78 points behind David Reutimann in 12th. CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and the No. 88 engineers will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88- 526, a new car that has not been raced nor tested. HENDRICK AT BRISTOL: In 50 events (151 entries) at Bristol Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has tallied eight wins, 37 top-five finishes, 67 top-10s and eight pole positions at the .533-mile oval. BRISTOL BRAGGING RIGHTS: Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season, has gone 16 straight races with at least one top-10 finish at Bristol, a streak that dates back to Aug. 26, 2000. At the time, the organization was a three-car team with Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte and Jerry Nadeau. Since 1986, when Hendrick became a multi-car team, the organization has recorded a top-10 finish in all but five of the 46 Bristol races. Hendrick Motorsports drivers have accounted for eight wins, 37 top-five finishes and 67 top-10s there. GUARD GARAGE: Diehard Earnhardt fans should visit www.DaleJrGuardGarage.com and sign up to become part of the Guard Garage fan club. Members will receive a fan club kit that includes No. 88 memorabilia and weekly access to behind-the-scenes videos of Earnhardt. Fans also will have the opportunity to win one-of-a-kind prizes, like one of Earnhardt's personal Polaris ATVs and a replica 3 Doors Down/Citizen-Soldier No. 88 hood autographed by the band and Earnhardt. GET IN GEAR: AMP Energy is kicking off the first 10 weeks of the 2009 racing season by giving fans a chance to win unique Earnhardt merchandise and VIP trips to the AMP Energy 500, which will be held in October at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. To play, fans should enter the code found on the bottom of their AMP Energy beverage can. Visit www.AMPEnergy.com for more information. ***** DALE EARNHARDT JR., DRIVER OF THE NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/AMP ENERGY IMPALA SS (ON ON HIS MINDSET COMING IN TO BRISTOL.): "I always look forward to coming to Bristol. It is one of the more exciting stops through the season. It is a great racetrack. It has come such a long way. I have seen a lot of neat races there, and been involved in a few of them. Really looking forward to seeing how we are going to do with our Hendrick equipment and try to keep the momentum we have going. Try to keep that on the upswing." TONY EURY JR., CREW CHIEF OF THE NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/AMP ENERGY IMPALA SS (ON QUALIFYING AT BRISTOL.): "Qualifying is very important. It helps you get a good pit selection, but it just makes the night go easier. But if you do qualify in the back, it's not over. We started 30th the night we won there, so it can have its advantages either way. It just depends on the race situation. But it is definitely a lot better race if you start up front." EURY (ON HIS BIGGEST BRISTOL CONCERN.): "The wreck that's unavoidable. Lady luck stands a lot in Bristol for the simple fact that you can have a great car, and you're in lap traffic so much that you can come up on something at any time so it's a matter of being at the right place at the right time and being lucky and missing the big wreck." EURY (ON HOW IMPORTANT THE SPOTTER IS.): "The spotter is real critical. You've got to make moves quick at Bristol -- they almost have to be spur of the moment and a lot of times the reaction of your driver, if you wait on your spotter to tell your driver to move, well, most of the time it may be too late. Your driver has to pay good attention, be looking in the mirrors and know his surroundings to try to take care of it. The spotter is just up there for a little bit of help. The biggest thing is to have your driver be aware of what's going on." EURY (ON WHAT IT TAKES TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT BRISTOL.): "Great pit stops and track position -- that's the big thing. You can win or lose a race having good pit stops. That can win you the race really simple and just having a good drive off all night -- making sure the car doesn't get too loose at the end of a run. But the biggest thing is track position and on pit road is very important." T.J. MAJORS, SPOTTER OF THE NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/AMP ENERGY CHEVROLET (ON SPOTTING AT BRISTOL.): "It's hard. You have to watch the whole track every second of the race because there is just so much going. I try to focus on about three-quarters of the track ahead of Junior so I can give him as much notice as possible if something is happening and enough time so that he doesn't lock up the brakes and get hit from behind. It can get confusing with 43 cars stuffed into that little space. It's a crazy weekend." ***** Courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports. Media Relations | No. 88 AMP Energy / National Guard Racing ***** Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Official Site - www.dalejr.com |
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