Dale Jr. Quotes for Texas
“I always look forward to going to Texas. It’s such a fast track and it takes some guts to get around there. Plus, we’ve always had a fast car. We’ve won, we got a Bud Pole, and we’ve led every Cup race we’ve started at Texas. You feel like you’re starting the weekend a little bit ahead because you’re confident that you’re going to be right there at the checkered flag. I got my first wins there (in both the Busch Series and Winston Cup series), so it’s like going back to your favorite vacation spot – you have fond memories and you can’t wait to get back again.
“I think the whole team is more determined after (yesterday’s) race (at Bristol). We had a top-five car, but after we dropped so far behind, I was just hoping for a top-20 finish with all four fenders intact. (The team finished 16th after dropping three laps down late in the race.) I was imagining the worst for our points position, and I was hoping we would still be in the top-10, but we’re still right there in the top-five and really close to the guy in second place. DEI has two cars in the top-five in points, and it’s something the company can be proud of.
“We’ve run out of excuses for beating ourselves on race day. We've run up front every weekend, and we've had something happen to keep us from a win. If we want to stay in the championship, we can’t do it anymore. But, we’re starting to go to some tracks where we’ve won races before, and that encourages the whole team.”
Dale Jr. and the No. 8 Bud Team at Texas
Previous Winston Cup Starts: 3
Best Start: 1st (Bud Pole, 2001)
Best Finish: 1st (2000)
This Race, Last Year: ST: 9th
FIN: 42nd
- Dale Jr. was taken out of last year’s Texas race when caught in a crash with a lapped car.
- The Texas track is the site of the No. 8 Budweiser team’s first career victory in only their 12th Winston Cup start in 2000.
- Many of the current Bud team members were also involved in Dale Jr’s first career Busch Series win at the same track in 1998.
- The Budweiser team won the Bud Pole position in 2001, and have led the race every year since 2000. In three races, the No. 8 Budweiser car has led for 214 laps.
What:
Samsung 500
334 laps / 501 miles / Race #7 of 36 in the Winston Cup Series
Where:
Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas
1.5-mile D-shaped oval
When:
Sunday, March 30 / 1 p.m. / Fox-TV (pre-race: 12:30 pm)
Watch:
Fox-TV
- You can also tune-in to hear qualifying and race action on the Performance Racing Network (PRN) on a radio station or computer near you. The programming is also heard on the 24-hour NASCAR channel on XM Radio.
Bud Pole Qualifying:
Bud Pole qualifying can be seen live Friday at 4:00 p.m. on the Fox Sports Network (and replayed later on Speed Channel). You can hear it live on PRN affiliates across the nation, including XM Radio, who carries all race-related coverage on the 24-hour NASCAR Channel. (All Times: Eastern)
"Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?"
-- Frank Scully, Author/Journalist
Thanks to Jade Gurss for this Budweiser Race Preview!
www.Budweiser.com |
