NNS Preview: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Apr 24, 2008
At Talladega: In five NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has recorded one win, two top-five finishes and three top-10s. During his win, which happened on April 5, 2003, Earnhardt led 60 of the 117 laps -51.3 percent of the race.
In Nationwide Series: In 101 career starts in the Nationwide Series, Earnhardt has won 22 times and recorded 47 top-five finishes, 64 top-10s and nine pole positions. He claimed the series championship in 1998 and 1999 and has raced in at least one event in 12 of the past 13 Nationwide Series seasons (none in 2000).
This Season: Earnhardt, who will run a total of eight races this season in the No. 5 Chevrolet, has one top-five finish and three top-10s in four 2008 Nationwide Series events. His average start is 11.8, and his average finish is eighth. This weekend’s race at Talladega marks Earnhardt’s first of two events in the No. 5 Delphi Chevrolet this season for JR Motorsports. His next Delphi race will be at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on July 4.
Chassis Choice: Crew chief Chad Walter has chosen JR Motorsports Chassis No. 279 for Saturday’s race at Talladega. Casey Mears drove the car last April in the Nationwide Series at Talladega. Mears started the race fourth, finished third and led 52 of the total 120 laps.
Home Cooking: Brian Campe, a 26-year-old native of Madison, Ala., is a race engineer and shock specialist for the No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team. Campe got started in motor sports as a high schooler building engines. From 1997 to 2002, he built engines for all forms of racing, including Pro Mod’s drag cars and Hobby Stock’s stock cars. In 2002, he transferred from the University of Alabama at Huntsville to UNC Charlotte to pursue a career in NASCAR. An internship at Dale Earnhardt Inc. in May 2003 turned into a job as a race engineer once he graduated in December 2005. Campe transitioned to Hendrick Motorsports in March 2006 and became the shock specialist for the No. 5 Nationwide Series team. At the end of the 2007 season, Campe moved from Hendrick Motorsports to JR Motorsports when the two organizations merged Nationwide Series programs.
Up Next: Rookie Landon Cassill, 18, will run his third race of the season on May 2, when he will pilot the No. 5 National Guard/2-224th Aviation Battalion (Assault) Chevrolet at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. On May 9, Mark Martin will climb behind the wheel of the No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. It will be Martin’s second race of the season for JR Motorsports after winning in March at Las Vegas.
