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DATE: May 16, 2010 START: 27th FINISH: 30th POINTS POSITION: 16th RECAPPING THE RACE: Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event was a tough one for Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet. A suspected broken part translated into a mid-race pit stop and eventually a 30th-place finish for the No. 88 team at Dover International Speedway. Earnhardt lined up his green-and-white Chevy 27th for the 400-mile event. At the drop of the green flag, he radioed crew chief Lance McGrew that he was experiencing a loose-handling condition on the entrance of the turns. Earnhardt improved three spots while working through the handling issue and finally made his way down pit road after the caution flag was waved on Lap 53. McGrew called for four fresh tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment to improve the handling of the No. 88 Chevrolet. Earnhardt lined up 21st for the Lap 58 restart. When the green flag was waved again, Earnhardt continued to encounter handling issues. He was racing in the 29th position when green-flag stops began on Lap 120. McGrew called for four tires, fuel and another round of chassis adjustments. When the field cycled through green-flag stops by Lap 138, Earnhardt was scored in the 29th position. On Lap 167, Earnhardt made an unscheduled trip to pit road after notifying the crew that it felt like something broke. The crew spent five laps assessing the situation, and, after finding nothing amiss with the car, sent Earnhardt back to the track in the 33rd position. Earnhardt improved three spots to finish 30th. Earnhardt currently ranks 16th in the championship standings. He trails 12th-place Martin Truex Jr. by 43 points. ***** 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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