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AT CALIFORNIA: In 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Auto Club Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has three top-five finishes and four top-10s. He has led 25 laps and recorded his best result—second place—at the track on Sept. 6, 2006.
FOLLOW THE LEADER: Earnhardt, driver of the No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, has led at least one lap during 18 of the 24 Sprint Cup events this season. Earnhardt has led a total of 706 laps, which is more than he recorded after 24 races in any of his nine full Cup seasons and more than he recorded during the entire 2000 (426 laps), 2005 (169 laps), 2006 (444 laps) and 2007 (433 laps) campaigns.
CHASE-CLINCH: Earnhardt will make the Chase for the Sprint Cup for the third time in five seasons if he finishes 40th or better this weekend. He also could lock himself into the Chase if he leads at least one lap and finishes 42nd or better. This season, Earnhardt has recorded one win, seven top-five finishes, 12 top-10s and one pole position. He has ranked fifth or better in the driver standings since finishing fifth at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on March 16 for a streak of 20 races. He spent 15 of those races ranked third or better in the standings.
WINNING CHASSIS FOR CALI: Crew chief Tony Eury Jr. has chosen Chassis No. 88-488 for Sunday night’s race at Auto Club Speedway. It is the same chassis Earnhardt drove to win the Lifelock 400 at Michigan International Speedway in June.
QUOTES
DALE EARNHARDT JR., DRIVER OF THE NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD IMPALA SS (ON RETURNING TO AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY.): “Last time at California wasn’t so good. In our second race with Hendrick Motorsports, we got caught up in that early wreck with Casey (Mears) because the track wasn’t dry yet, and we were racing on it. It rained out anyway, and then we had to come back Monday to run around the track in 40th all day. I felt like we had a good car. We were good in practice, but getting wrecked so early, we didn’t have a chance to run the race. I felt bad for my guys and saw how hard they worked to get that car back out on the track.”
EARNHARDT (ON WATCHING “THE OFFICE” BEING FILMED.): “I’m really excited about getting to go see them film ‘The Office.’ It’s a great opportunity for me because I’m such a big fan. I just think it’s great. It’s kind of like ‘Cheers’ and ‘Seinfeld’ were in their heyday. To me that’s what it’s like for this generation or for this decade. It’s just a good show. It’s a really funny show—well-written, great cast. It’s really, really done well. It’s from a different perspective and point of view. You are basically mimicking a reality scenario, and it’s a lot of fun to watch. The character Jim is my favorite. He’s everyone’s favorite.”
TONY EURY JR., CREW CHIEF OF THE NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD IMPALA SS (ON RETURNING TO CALIFORNIA.): ”California is pretty cool. It’s a lot like Michigan—a little flatter. We didn’t have a lot of success there last time. We got wrecked right there at the start. We’re looking forward to getting back. I think we had a pretty good car, and we’ve learned some things over the year. Plus, with it being right there at the Chase, this is a good time to get some momentum. Dale Jr. hasn’t had much success at California. It’s a tough track for us. We often run good, but just don’t have the finishes.”
EURY (ON HOW THE FINAL STRETCH BEFORE THE CHASE IMPACTS HIS TEAM.): ”The biggest thing is you have to keep the guys fresh over the summer time and have them really prepared for the last 10 races. We do a lot just to give these guys time off. It used to be a 20-race stretch, now it’s 18, so you get two less races, but that don’t mean a lot. When you get to California, you need to have the momentum on your side. With California and Richmond (Va.) right here back-to-back, this can set the tone of what you go into the Chase with.”
