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DALE EARNHARDT JR. NO. 88 AMP ENERGY "GET ON THE 88"/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET POST-RACE RECAP/TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY DATE: Nov. 1, 2009 RACE: AMP Energy 500 START: 24th FINISH: 11th POINTS POSITION: 23rd RECAPPING THE RACE: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 AMP Energy "Get on the 88"/National Guard Chevrolet, led five times for nine laps and finished 11th in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Steady rain showers plagued the track Saturday and prompted NASCAR officials to cancel the qualifying session. Earnhardt was assigned the 24th starting spot after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series field was set according to the owner standings. The 43-car field took the green flag under sunny skies, and Earnhardt's No. 88 Chevy was fast. By Lap 15, he was running the second-fastest lap time of the field, and by Lap 21, he cracked the top five. Green-flag pit stops began on Lap 40, and three laps later crew chief Lance McGrew called his driver down pit road for four fresh tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. Earnhardt used the draft to sling-shot his way toward the front, and he brought the crowd to its feet on Lap 60 when he took command of the top spot. During the next 37 laps, the Kannapolis, N.C., native kept a firm hold inside the top 10 despite the fickle nature of drafting at Talladega. The fourth caution flag waved on Lap 137, and Earnhardt was running in the second position. The drivers made their way down pit road, and McGrew called for four fresh tires and fuel. He radioed to the No. 88 crew to make sure the green-and-black Chevy was packed with fuel because it was a narrow fuel window to make it to the Lap 188 finish. Earnhardt went back to green-flag racing on Lap 145, scored in the fifth position. He continued to maintain his footing inside the top 10 and was running eighth when the red flag was displayed for a five-car accident on the backstretch. With a possibility of additional laps with a green-white-checkered flag finish, McGrew called his driver to pit road for fuel. This proved to be a good decision as additional time for cleanup was needed, and the restart was set to be a green-white-checkered flag finish. The field went back to green on Lap 189 with Earnhardt scored in the 22nd position. As the field was being shown the white flag, a 13-car pileup occurred, and the field's running position was frozen. Earnhardt finished 11th.  ***** 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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