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DALE EARNHARDT JR. NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET POST-RACE RECAP / AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY DATE: Oct. 11, 2009 RACE: Pepsi 500 START: 37th FINISH: 25th POINTS POSITION: 22ND RECAPPING THE RACE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. was primed for a top-10 finish in his No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet when he was involved in a multi-car incident with five laps remaining in Sunday’s race in California. Earnhardt finished 25th. After the green flag dropped, Earnhardt set his sights on the leaders and propelled his green-and-white Chevrolet toward the front. Despite reporting a tight-handling condition in the center of the corners, Earnhardt cracked the top 10 on Lap 78. Interim crew chief Lance McGrew used the second caution period on Lap 80 to fine-tune the handling on the No. 88 machine. The crew went to work, bolting on four fresh tires and making an air pressure adjustment. Quick work by the crew notched their driver one position on pit road. Earnhardt restarted the event ninth on Lap 86 and continued to make gains in the middle stages of the race. A round of green-flag pit stops began on Lap 158, and Earnhardt peeled off the racing surface four laps later in the sixth position. McGrew called for four tires, an air pressure adjustment and a chassis adjustment. The adjustments improved the handling, and Earnhardt radioed to the crew members on Lap 168 that they had made some really good adjustments to the No. 88 Chevrolet. The Kannapolis, N.C., native continued to hold his footing inside the top 10 until a series of late-race cautions. Earnhardt was running 10th when NASCAR officials displayed the caution flag on Lap 236 of the 250-lap event for debris on the track. McGrew called his driver to pit road to get four fresh tires while the leaders stayed on the track. The field went back to green-flag racing on Lap 238, with Earnhardt running 16th. He managed to pick up five positions before two competitors tangled up during the double-file restart, and the caution flag waved once again. Earnhardt lined up 11th for the five-lap shootout and during the restart another competitor got into the back of the No. 88 machine sending him and seven other cars spinning. Earnhardt drove his car back to the garage where the crew quickly assessed the damage and returned the No. 88 Chevy back to the track for the remaining laps. The field went back to green on Lap 247 with Earnhardt running 26th. He managed to pick up a position before the checkered flag waved to finish in the 25th position. QUOTING DALE EARNHARDT JR.: EARNHARDT (ON SUNDAY’S RACE): "We are doing whatever we can to stay positive. We had a top-10 car today, and it's unfortunate that a lot of good cars got tore up there at the end."   ***** 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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