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PREVIEW: DALE EARNHARDT JR. (NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD "HONORING OUR SOLDIERS"/AMP ENERGY CHEVROLET) VENUE: CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY (1.5-MILE QUAD-OVAL) CIRCUIT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 13 OF 36) DATE: MAY 30, 2010 (400 LAPS, 600 MILES) ***** HONORING OUR SOLDIERS: Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 Chevrolet will feature an "Honoring Our Soldiers" paint scheme for the May 30 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. All four Hendrick Motorsports teams will sport special patriotic paint schemes for the Memorial Day weekend race to honor the men and women who serve in the armed forces. WHERE IT ALL STARTED: Earnhardt made his Sprint Cup career debut on May 30, 1999, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Then 24 years old, Earnhardt started the event eighth and finished 16th. Since then, he has tallied 18 wins, 89 top-five finishes and 145 top-10s in 375 Cup starts. AT CHARLOTTE: In 21 Sprint Cup starts at Charlotte, Earnhardt has recorded one pole position, five top-five finishes and nine top-10s. He has completed 94 percent of all laps he's attempted (6,999 laps of 7,448 total) at the 1.5-mile oval. The 35-year-old driver has led a total of 312 laps there. POINTS AFTER DOVER: After finishing 30th two weeks ago at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, Earnhardt currently ranks 16th position in the championship standings. He trails 12th-place Martin Truex Jr. by just 43 points. CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, McGrew and the No. 88 crew will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-599. Earnhardt raced this chassis at Texas Motor Speedway last month to an eighth-place finish. HENDRICK AT CHARLOTTE: In 52 Cup events (171 starts) at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports owns 16 wins, 47 top-five finishes and 71 top-10s. Most recently, Jimmie Johnson went to Victory Lane in the Oct. 17, 2009, event there. MEMORIAL DAY: As the nation's oldest Armed Forces component, the National Guard and its Citizen Soldiers play a vital role in protecting the freedoms Americans hold dear. Since 1636, the Guard has brought glory and honor upon itself and its Soldiers through quiet and selfless service. There is a long and noble history of the National Guard serving at home and abroad to ensure the safety and freedom of their fellow citizens. When celebrating Memorial Day, take a moment to thank a member of the nation's military for their service to the United States and recognize the sacrifices they make on a daily basis to defend America's interests. Become a fan of the National Guard on Facebook, by visiting www.facebook.com/NationalGuard. To learn more about becoming a Citizen Soldier, visit www.NATIONALGUARD.com. CELL PHONES FOR SOLDIERS: Helping American troops keep in touch with their loved ones is now as easy as bringing a gently used mobile phone to a NASCAR event. Cell Phones for Soldiers raises money through the collection of gently used mobile phones and will have drop-off boxes at 16 race events in 2010. In addition to helping troops call home, the first 100 fans donating gently used phones at each track will receive a hat, courtesy of the GM Military Discount program. During the last six years, Cell Phones for Soldiers has provided more than one million pre-paid calling cards and 60 million minutes of calling time to soldiers overseas. Visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com for information on how to donate at one of 3,000 collection points nationwide or to download a pre-paid, pre-addressed mailing label. GUARD GARAGE: Visit www.DaleJrGuardGarage.com and join the Guard Garage Fan Club to stay up-to-date with Guard drivers and score free ringtones, wallpapers and more. FREE JR NATION FAN CLUB: Now race fans can get a free subscription to the JR Nation Crew Fan Club -- the official fan club of Earnhardt and JR Motorsports. The club's website features chat rooms, forums and blogs. For more information visit www.DaleJr.com/JRNation. WIN A CORVETTE: In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Corvette's first appearance at the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans, race fans can enter for a chance to win a 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport by entering the "Race To Win Corvette" promotion at www.racetowincorvette.com now through June 30. ***** AMP UP THE 88: No. 88 spotter T.J. Majors, No. 24 crew chief Steve Letarte and Miss Sprint Cup will participate in a live video chat with fans on Wednesday from 5:15-6 p.m. ET on AMP Energy's website, www.ampupthe88.com. The site features weekly chats with a special guest or a member of the No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard team, daily sweepstakes with autographed No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard team memorabilia, videos, photos and more. TWEETUP: Hendrick Motorsports will hold a tweetup at its museum and team store in Concord, N.C., on Wednesday. The event welcomes all fans and will feature a live AMP Energy chat as well as guest appearances by crew chiefs and crew members. For more information, visit www.HendrickMotorsports.com. ***** DALE EARNHARDT JR., DRIVER OF THE NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD "HONORING OUR SOLDIERS"/AMP ENERGY CHEVROLET (ON RUNNING 600 MILES AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY.): "The 600 is a long race, and the track conditions change quickly. You have to have a car that is adaptable. It's not as physically demanding as it is mentally. You have to keep yourself focused and the team focused." LANCE McGREW, CREW CHIEF, NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD "HONORING OUR SOLDIERS"/AMP ENERGY CHEVROLET (ON PREPARING FOR 600 MILES AT CHARLOTTE.): "It's not like the distance is a big factor because it is 100 miles longer; you are more concerned with parts failures and so forth. It's the span of the race from the time it starts to the time it stops and the fact that Charlotte is so temperature-sensitive. It is very, very difficult to have a car that is good at the start of the race and really good at the end of the race. You have to build quite a bit of adjustability in the car. And that is challenging because you don't always have the same track conditions during practice as you do during the race. It is very difficult to put something together that has enough adjustability in it and can make all the calls at the right time because the track changes very fast." McGREW (ON WINNING AT CHARLOTTE.): "I think a win is a win. I was fortunate to win there in the Nationwide car, and it is just fun. There is definitely a fair bit of bragging rights that go with it. It's a very prestigious race, it's a very high-paying race and it's just a good race to win. They all are." McGREW (ON WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN AT CHARLOTTE.): "Consistency I think more than anything else. If you are spectacular during the day then chances are you're not at night. It's having a good balance, making the right pit calls at the right time and keeping the track position when you need to. It's staying ahead of the racetrack, and that is very difficult." ***** 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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