DALE EARNHARDT JR. / DRIVER, #8 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET:
On the chances of repeating the top-10 at Daytona this weekend at Talladega:
“I think we can be better than we were at Daytona. We're always working hard on our restrictor-plate program, and both me and Martin (Truex Jr.) really like racing at Talladega. Hopefully we can work together and be around at the end to try to win it. The key to Talladega is always the same – race hard, draft well, hope you make it through the wrecks, and be around at the end. The last time at Talladega, we had a car that was every bit as good as any car we've taken to Daytona, but we were caught up in a wreck early on. That was pretty disappointing."
On his past success at Talladega (notes below):
"Talladega has definitely been good for the Earnhardts. We've won five races there, and Daddy won twice as many, and it's just been a really good race track for us. I have a deep respect and understanding for the history of our sport, and Talladega is very much a part of that history. A lot of great drivers have raced there and won there, and the fans are deeply passionate about the sport."
On NASCAR’s attempt to reduce bump-drafting by mandating the use of “soft bumpers” on the cars:
“I don’t think it’ll make that much difference. A lot of guys are going to go out there in practice and see how soft (the bumpers) really are -- what they can take and what they can't take. We'll have an opportunity to find that out and know exactly what we got for the race. When the race comes, we will know exactly how hard we can use them, what we can use them for, stuff like that. I hate that it had to come to that, but it’s probably better than the situation we had."
How will repaving the track impact the racing when the Nextel Cup Series returns in October?
“It’ll make it smoother. There's a lot of bumps and cracks around that place. Usually when you repave a track, it gives you more grip, but Talladega has never had that problem. You can pretty much hold it wide open and not slide around. Daytona is different. You definitely can have grip issues there. Repaving Talladega will just make it smoother, which is good."
Does Chevrolet have the advantage at restrictor-plate tracks?
"It is pretty much anybody’s race everywhere we go. When you have common templates, the bodies are the same except for a few character lines here and there. You can't really say anybody has a huge advantage, and I don't think anyone has a massive advantage on engines. I think the advantage on engines is who is building them, not what type of engine it is. You don't really look at the manufacturers any more as one having an advantage over the other like you used to in years past. You have to look at how many quality teams are with that manufacturer. That has a lot to do with who is going to get the manufacturers points.”
THE BUD TEAM AT TALLADEGA:
Previous Starts: 12
Best Start: 3rd (twice, most recently April 25, 2004)
Best Finish: 1st (five times, most recently Oct. 3, 2004)
This Race, Last Year: ST: 36th / FN: 15th
Last Time at Talladega: ST: 20th / FN: 40th
This Week’s Bud Car: Chassis #25 (finished 8th in the Daytona 500)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the #8 Budweiser team is tied for sixth with Jeff Gordon in the Nextel Cup point standings, 173 points behind leader Matt Kenseth and 96 points out of fifth. Dale Jr. has two top-fives and three top-10s in eight races in 2006. The #8 Bud car has led two races this year for a total of 33 laps.
TALLADEGA TIDBITS: Dale Jr. has compiled quite a track record at Talladega Superspeedway, including five victories and two second-place finishes in only 12 starts. A few more notes on Junior’s success at the 2.66-mile Alabama superspeedway:
-- His five victories at Talladega are the most of any active driver. He ranks second on the track’s all-time wins chart behind his father, Dale Earnhardt, who won 10 times in 44 starts.
-- One of only four drivers with six or more starts who have posted top-five finishes in at least half of their races (Dale Jr. has 7 top-fives in 12 starts). The others are Dale Earnhardt (23/44), Tony Stewart (7/14) and Bobby Isaac (4/8).
-- Dale Jr.’s four consecutive victories from Oct. 21, 2001 to April 6, 2003, is the most by any driver at Talladega.
-- Finished in the top-10 in eight of his last 10 races.
-- Has led laps in 10 of his 12 career races for 492 laps.
-- One of only five drivers to post a season-sweep at Talladega: Dale Jr. (2002), Dale Earnhardt (1990, 1999), Darrell Waltrip (1982), Buddy Baker (1975) and Pete Hamilton (1970).
-- Has an average finish of 10.66 in 12 races at Talladega, best among all active drivers.
-- Has helped Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) score victories in six of the last nine races at Talladega (five by Dale Jr. and two by Michael Waltrip).
DALE JR. ON RESTRICTOR-PLATE TRACKS:
-- Seven victories (two at Daytona, five at Talladega) in 25 career starts, ranking him third all-time behind Dale Earnhardt (11) and Jeff Gordon (10).
-- Has finished third or better in seven of his last 10 “plate” events.
-- Has led laps in 19 of his last 22 “plate” races.
-- Has led the fourth-most laps of any driver at restrictor-plate tracks with 803. Has failed to lead a lap in only six of his 25 starts.
-- Leads all active drivers with an 11.0 average finish in 25 restrictor-plate races.
-- Was the only driver to score top-five finishes in all four “plate” races in 2004, two of which were victories.
-- Scored 725 points in restrictor-plate races in 2004, the second time in four years he posted the most “plate” points.
-- Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) has won 11 of the last 21 races on restrictor-plate tracks.
DIALING UP JUNIOR: The driver of the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet will be the guest on Tuesday’s NASCAR NEXTEL media teleconference at noon (ET). Media members wishing to participate can obtain call-in information by logging on to www.nascarmedia.com (Password required).
Race Details:
Aaron’s 499 / Race No. 9 of 36 in the Nextel Cup Series
Talladega Superspeedway / Talladega, Ala.
2.66-mile tri-oval, 188 laps, 500.08 miles
Sunday, April 30, 2006
TV: FOX, 2 p.m. ET start (coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET)
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN)
Bud Pole Qualifying: Saturday, April 29 / 11:30 a.m. ET (live coverage on SPEED Channel)
2005 winner: Jeff Gordon
Budweiser. This is Beer.
Thanks to Jade Gurss and Mike Davis from fingerprint inc. for sending the race reports and updates.
fingerprint inc. -
-- Anheuser-Busch NASCAR Publicity
-- Dale Earnhardt Jr. / No. 8 Budweiser team
blogs and info: www.fingerprintonline.com
www.Budweiser.com |
