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DALE EARNHARDT JR. NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/ NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET POST-RACE RECAP / DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DATE: Feb.15, 2009 RACE: Daytona 500 START: 14th FINISH: 27th POINTS POSITION: 26th RECAPPING THE RACE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a strong car in Sunday’s Daytona 500, but bad luck seemed to find his No. 88 AMP Energy/ National Guard Chevrolet at every turn. He was poised to make his charge to the front when a steady rain settled into the Daytona Beach, Fla., region, shortening the 51st running of the Great American Race. Earnhardt, who led one lap during the event, finished in 27th place when NASCAR officials called the race on Lap 152. Earnhardt lined up 14th for the season-opening event at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. He earned the spot after posting a seventh-place finish in the second Gatorade Duel qualifying race on Feb. 12. In the opening laps, the Kannapolis, N.C., native picked up an impressive 12 positions in his green and white Chevy. He ran in the top five throughout the opening segment before making his first pit stop during a competition caution on Lap 25. Earnhardt reported a tight-handling condition during the first run, so crew chief Tony Eury Jr. instructed the team to put on four fresh Goodyear tires and make an air pressure adjustment. After a solid pit stop, the crew sent Earnhardt back to green in the second position. Earnhardt continued to race inside the top five during the next 22 circuits before the caution flag waved on Lap 55. Earnhardt headed for his pit stall, but missed it due to the frenzied pit road so he took a lap and tried again. After a successful stop, he was running 35th when the race restarted on Lap 59. Earnhardt persevered and cracked the top 10 on Lap 103, despite reporting the need for some more rear grip. Past the half-way point, Eury and the crew paid attention to the weather radar -- they knew pit strategy would be critical with rains quickly approaching the Daytona area. Earnhardt powered his way to the fifth position and decided to head down pit road once the caution flag was issued on Lap 118. During the stop, a NASCAR official determined that Earnhardt’s right-front tire was over the pit stall line. The No. 88 team was held for one lap as a result. When the field went back to green on Lap 123, Earnhardt was running in the 33rd position. The 34-year-old driver radioed that his No. 88 Chevrolet was pretty good, and he continued to climb the leaderboard. But his forward charge was hampered by a series of cautions, and he took the 27th-place finish after NASCAR officials called the race with 48 laps to go. Earnhardt currently is ranked 26th in the driver standings. QUOTING DALE EARNHARDT JR.: EARNHARDT (ON THE PIT ROAD PENALTY.): "My car was really, really good. The AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet has been good all day and into the night here. We worked real hard to get our lap back. That was my mistake coming on to pit road and missing my box." EARNHARDT (ON BAD LUCK.): "I think we were good, I just had some bad luck. Every time I would get in the front, some bad luck would take me to the back. Something I would do or something else. But I had a great car; I could run up in the top five all night. I had a great car. My car was ready to go -- just had some circumstances kept moving me to the back."  ***** 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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