Mechanical problems relegated Dale Earnhardt Jr. to a 32nd-place finish in Sunday’s Auto Club 500, breaking the momentum of his second-place run in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Earnhardt finished 12 laps down after stopping for extensive repairs on Lap 183. NASCAR
“Well, what can you do? You just go home,” said Earnhardt, though he did finish the race after getting repairs.
Earnhardt’s winless streak reached 59 races since June 2008, his first season with Hendrick Motorsports. He has only one win the last 136 races.
When Earnhardt came into the pits for a quick repair, his crew didn’t have an extra axle so he drove to the garage. Earnhardt returned to the track and finished 32nd, 20 laps behind winner Jimmie Johnson. The Canadian Press
“I guess Jimmie had the same problem last week,” Earnhardt said. “I think it’s a material issue. They got to go through the batch and find out what’s going on.”
But the reality is that Earnhardt was never a factor before he drove his car into the garage on Lap 182 for repairs; a lap earlier, he had been 20th. He was running 18th on Lap 130 while his teammates were 1, 2 and 10; four laps later, Earnhardt was assessed a drive-through penalty that dropped him to 30th.
If there was anything telling about the state of Junior’s team, it could be noticed from the race’s outset. He and teammate Jeff Gordon started alongside each other on Row 14, Earnhardt 27th and Gordon 28th.
But the drivers had vastly different days, at least until Gordon developed engine issues and fell to 20th overall. At the drop of the green flag, Gordon moved to the front while Earnhardt stayed put. By Lap 31 Gordon was in the top 10. On Lap 50, Gordon was eighth, Earnhardt 22nd.
Aren’t you sharing information?
“Of course we are,” he said. “I can’t build the cars, what do you want me to do? I just drive them.” ESPN
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