Dale Jr. Quotes for Martinsville
"These short track races are like a championship fight. It feels like they've added two or three rounds of fighting to the usual distance. It's a marathon. You think you've got a great car and you're leading the race and sailing along and then you realize… 'damn! I have 300 more laps to go!' "
"We're not one of the guys that has to be laid-back and race for points. We're going out every weekend to win. But, I still have to approach this kind of race differently than I do at a place like Charlotte. I have to remind myself that I need to be patient all day and just hang in there until the last 100 laps and then really get after it. It's not really my style, but we finished fifth there in the spring, so I feel like I have some sort of idea how to get to the finish line in one piece. The guys have really been great at giving me a good qualifying car too. It's easier to be patient and avoid trouble when you're in the top five all day rather than the top 35 or something [bad] like that…
"I'm hearing a lot about the grinding they did to the surface of the turns, but I don't know what to expect as far as the race. I hear the race speeds may be up to a full second slower. I'll be happy if it's smoother than it was, but we'll see. I think most of the rubber builds up on the painted lines on the inside of the corners. That is always slicker than anything in the racing groove. I suppose we'll find out what it's like when we get there on Friday."
Dale Jr. and the No. 8 Bud Team at Martinsville
Previous Winston Cup Starts: 5
Best Start: 2nd (October, 2001)
Best Finish: 5th (April, 2002)
This Race, Last Year: ST: 2nd FIN: 27th
The Bud team has qualified in the top three at the last two races at Martinsville. At the most recent race there in April, Dale Jr. finished fifth, his best ever finish at the small Virginia track, and one of eight times this season that the team has ended the day in the top-five. The Bud team also led 41 laps in April, the first time they had led at Martinsville.
What:
Old Dominion 500
.526-mile oval / 500 laps / 263 miles / Race #32 of 36
Where:
Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.
When:
Sunday, October 20 / 12:30 p.m.
Watch:
NBC / Pre-race 12:00 pm
You can also tune in on the Motor Racing Network (MRN)
on a radio or computer near you… you know the drill by now…
Bud Pole Qualifying:
Bud Pole qualifying can be seen live Friday at 3:00 pm on the Speed Channel and heard on MRN affiliates across the nation. (All Times: Eastern)
Thanks to Jade for this Budweiser Race Preview!
www.Budweiser.com |
