The Drive for Five:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was examined today (Monday)by Dr. Jerry Petty as follow-up to his crash yesterday at Dover. Dale Jr. suffered a minor concussion and a right foot sprain in the crash. NASCAR must approve his return to competition, and as of 5:30 pm ET today, that process was underway. When approval is given, we will follow-up with more details and a full update on the extent of his injuries.
Despite initial reports and rumors to the contrary, Dale Jr. was unconscious for only a brief time after yesterday’s crash, and was awake and alert while being removed from the race car.
Dale Jr. has won a track-record four consecutive Winston Cup races at Talladega and will attempt to win his fifth this weekend. (He also won the Busch Series race at Talladega in April 2003, giving him five victories in the last five races he has entered at the 2.66-mile superspeedway.)
Dale Jr. and the No. 8 Bud Team at Talladega
Previous Winston Cup Starts: 7
Best Start: 3rd (October, 2000)
Best Finish: 1st
(Four consecutive wins: October 2001 / April 2002 / October 2002 / April 2003)
This Race, Last Year: ST: 13th FIN: 1st Led: 56 laps
-- Dale Jr. has the longest active winning streak in Winston Cup with four consecutive victories at a single track. He won the most recent Talladega race in April, 2003 after making 15 extra pit stops to repair damage to the nose of the Budweiser Chevrolet following a multi-car crash on lap four.
-- In seven Winston Cup starts at Talladega, Dale Jr. has led six races for 432 laps, nearly 33% of the total laps. The only Talladega race he did not lead was April, 2000 (his first start) when a car ahead of him missed a shift, causing a chain reaction that damaged the Budweiser car before the race began.
-- He has qualified 13th for his last two victories here, although he started at the back of the field earlier this year when the team was forced to hurriedly change engines on race morning.
Time to Race:
EA Sports 500
Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, AL
188-laps / 500 miles / 2.66-mile superspeedway
Sunday, September 28, 2003
TV: NBC-TV, 1:30 pm (pre-race) / 2:00 pm race start (All Times: Eastern)
Radio: Motor Racing Network, on a radio station or XM Radio near you.
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“Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you.”
--Mary Tyler Moore (yeah, THAT Mary Tyler Moore)
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Thanks to Jade Gurss for this Budweiser Race Preview!
Jade Gurss
fingerprint inc.
-- Anheuser-Busch NASCAR Publicity
-- Dale Earnhardt Jr. / No. 8 Budweiser team
www.Budweiser.com |
