 |
DALE EARNHARDT JR. NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/AMP ENERGY CHEVROLET POST-RACE RECAP/WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL DATE: Aug. 8, 2010 START: 40th FINISH: 26th POINTS POSITION: 16th RECAPPING THE RACE: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, finished 26th on Sunday in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. Earnhardt currently ranks 16th in the championship standings and sits 121 points outside the top 12 with four races remaining until the field is set for the Chase to the Sprint Cup. Earnhardt started the road course event 40th and steadily drove his way through the field. At Lap 16, he was running 28th, and crew chief Lance McGrew informed Earnhardt that his lap times were really impressive. When the race approached Lap 26, Earnhardt was running 23rd and McGrew called his driver into the pits for four tires and fuel. A minor miscue on pit road – Earnhardt stopped just shy of the box – cost the team some time, but the No. 88 crew worked fast and cleaned debris off the grill during the green-flag stop. Earnhardt returned to the field running 32nd, and three laps later, the first caution flag was waved. While under the yellow flag, Earnhardt reported to the No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy team that the car was battling minor handling issues and that it felt like he didn't have enough forward bite. When the race resumed, Earnhardt had a strong start and improved six spots to 26th. Earnhardt consistently ran inside the top-20 until a caution came out on Lap 43. Before pitting on Lap 44, Earnhardt informed the team that the No. 88 Chevrolet had become slightly loose during the course of run and lost some rear grip. However, the car felt significantly better with the last set of new tires. In an effort to help Earnhardt in the long run, McGrew made the call for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. At the restart on Lap 45, Earnhardt was 25th. At Lap 53, Earnhardt was 22nd and reported that the No. 88 Chevrolet was tighter this run but that might help him during the long run. Five laps later, Earnhardt entered put road under the green flag for four tires and fuel. Earnhardt rejoined the field and was running 30th. The third caution came out on Lap 63, and Earnhardt reported to his team that the No. 88 Chevrolet ran better in the long run when its handling was tighter. Earnhardt was up to 22nd when the race continued on Lap 64. A two-car accident in Turn 7 on Lap 72 brought the race's fifth caution out. Earnhardt lost some positions while avoiding the wreck. During this caution period, McGrew called Earnhardt in to the pits for four tires and fuel. At the restart on Lap 74, Earnhardt was 30th. Earnhardt did his best to overcome handling issues in the final 10 laps of the race and was able to gain four positions before the checkered flag waved on Lap 90. Earnhardt ended the event 26th. ***** Courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports. Media Relations | No. 88 AMP Energy / National Guard Racing ***** Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Official Site - www.dalejr.com |
|