News & Notes
AT DARLINGTON: In 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Earnhardt has recorded three top-five finishes and seven top-10s. He has completed 98.1 percent of all laps he’s attempted at the short track (5,362 laps of 5,466 total) and had led 170 of those laps.
POINTS POSITION: Earnhardt ranks fourth in the championship standings after finishing 19th last weekend at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. He trails leader Carl Edwards by 34 points.
DRIVER RATING: According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Earnhardt ranks eighth in the driver rating category at Darlington with a score of 92.9. The driver rating is a formula that combines the following categories: wins, finishes, top-15 finishes, average running position while on the lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led and lead-lap finishes. The maximum points a driver can earn in each race is 150 points. The driver rating number is used pre-race as a prediction tool and post-race as a performance evaluator.
CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, crew chief Steve Letarte will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-657. This is a brand new chassis that has not been raced or tested.
HENDRICK AT DARLINGTON: In 48 events (146 starts) at Darlington Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 13 wins, 39 top-five finishes and 63 top-10s.
APPROACHING 200: With Jimmie Johnson’s win on April 17 at Talladega, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 196 Cup victories. The organization ranks first in NASCAR’s modern era for wins and second all-time behind Petty Enterprises, which has 268 victories.
ALL-STAR PREVIEW: Later this month, Earnhardt’s No. 88 machine will sport a different look during the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race weekend. Earnhardt’s Chevrolet will feature bright red, orange and yellow coloring with music notes accentuating the side panels. The Dale Jr. Foundation has partnered with the VH1 Save the Music Foundation to enhance the music program at Neal Middle School in Durham, N.C.
Quotes
DALE EARNHARDT JR., DRIVER, NO. 88 AMP ENERGY SUGAR FREE/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET (ON DARLINGTON RACEWAY.):
“Darlington is a slick track. It is a difficult track to drive around. It is real smooth, and you have to find that edge. There is a lot of load change like driving into Turn 1 and then the load comes out of the car through the center and then the load increases on the exit of Turn 2. The car just really changes a lot as you are going around the corner, and it can just snap on you.”
STEVE LETARTE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 88 AMP ENERGY SUGAR FREE/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET (ON FAVORITE MEMORY AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY.):
“Well I have two, and they are quite different but they were both in Victory Lane. When I was a young tire guy, we won the Winston Million there with Jeff Gordon. I’m a history buff. I’m a student of racing, and I loved the fact that I was a part of one of those before it went away. The second one, is we rained out a Saturday night race and we won the (2007) race with steam coming out of the radiator on the old Darlington racetrack. I’m not the southern born, NASCAR kid. I’m the opposite of Dale Earnhardt Jr.—he’s been raised in NASCAR since he was a child. I was introduced to NASCAR as a teenager. So to go to Darlington, one of the most historic tracks, and the no-brainer call was to come and get tires but we stayed out and won it. Everyone laughed when we did it, but we walked away with the trophy. We’ve had some cool wins, but that was one when I felt that I stepped up against the best in the sport and we out-teamed them. That is by far my favorite Darlington day.”
LETARTE (ON KEYS TO SUCCESS AT DARLINGTON.):
“It’s changed a little with the new pavement. Tire wear is not really an issue. The key to success at Darlington is to take care of your equipment. The track will lull you into complacency. You go there with heightened senses because you know it tears up a lot of right sides. Over a couple of days you get more relaxed and the risks become normal. In Turns 1 and 2 you are right against the wall and not many people make a lot of mistakes down there because there is a lot of room. Turns 3 and 4 are just the opposite. You drive in really straight, and you have to make the car turn right up against the wall. To be good all day long at Darlington, you have to stay out of that Turn 3 and 4 wall.”
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