Dale Earnhardt Jr.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Richmond Preview
Apr 29, 2008
CIA Stock Photo, Inc.
FIRST WIN, LAST WIN: In 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has recorded three wins. The 33-year-old driver scored his first and most recent RIR victories exactly six years apart—on May 6, 2000 and May 6, 2006, respectively. Earnhardt has led 322 laps around the track and recorded seven top-five finishes and nine top-10s.
SOLID START: Earnhardt’s 10th-place finish Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway marked his series-leading seventh top-10 result in nine races this season. He was two spots shy of having eight top-10s when he finished 12th at Texas Motor Speedway on April 6. In 2008, Earnhardt has an average start of 9.4 and an average finish of 10.4.
KICKING IT OLD SCHOOL: This month, the No. 88 Chevrolet will sport two popular paint schemes that ran in the early 1980s. At Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, the car will run the retro Mountain Dew paint scheme, which is similar to the one Darrell Waltrip drove to win 24 races and two championships (1981 and 1982). At the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevy will resemble the “Gray Ghost” that Buddy Baker drove to win the 1980 Daytona 500.
CHATTING WITH DANICA: Earnhardt will interview popular Indy Racing League driver Danica Patrick this week during his XM radio show, “Dale Jr. Unrestricted.” The interview with Patrick, who won the Indy Japan 300 in April, will air nationwide on the XM Sports Nation Channel 144 this Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Encore broadcasts will air at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday and 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. All times are Eastern.
TESTING AT NASHVILLE: The No. 88 team is participating in a test session along with the entire Hendrick Motorsports stable this week at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. The test is closed to the public and media.
HENDRICK AT RICHMOND: In 48 races at Richmond, Rick Hendrick’s teams have combined all-time for nine wins, 40 top-five finishes and 70 top-10s. Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, swept the track in 2007. He also claimed the fall pole position, while teammate Jeff Gordon took the May pole at Richmond. Hendrick drivers have finished outside of the top-10 just four times in the 48 events that have been held at the short track since 1984.
CLOSER TO HOME: Jim Jenkins, a mechanic on the No. 88 team, grew up in Hampton, Va. Jenkins is responsible for the interiors of the cars as well as driver comfort. Born in Charleston, S.C., Jenkins grew up in a military family that moved around often. When his dad retired, the family was in Hampton, where father and son began going to Langley Speedway. Jenkins eventually started to help at the track and worked his way up to the Late Model Division. Several jobs in the commercial art industry brought him to Concord, N.C. Jenkins joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2005 after Lewis Motorsports shut down its operation.
CHASSIS FOR RICHMOND: Crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and the No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet engineers chose Chassis No. 88-490 for Saturday’s event at Richmond. It’s the same chassis that Earnhardt drove to a seventh-place finish on April 12 at Phoenix International Raceway.
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