AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: In 22 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has scored five top-five finishes and nine top-10s. He has completed 92.8 percent of all the laps he’s attempted (5,981 of 6,446 total) and paced the field for 351 laps.
MOST RECENTLY AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: At the New Hampshire race in June, Earnhardt climbed from his 31st starting position to finish eighth. His highest finish there in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet came in September 2008 when he scored fifth after starting fourth.
DRIVER RATING: According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Earnhardt ranks fourth in the driver rating category at New Hampshire with a score of 99.8. The driver rating is a formula that combines wins, 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 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.
LAPS IN THE TOP 15: According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Earnhardt is fourth among drivers for laps run in the top 15 at New Hampshire. During the last 11 races at the 1.058-mile oval, the Kannapolis, N.C., native has spent almost 80 percent of the events (2,562 laps of 3,266 total) running in the top 15.
NEW HAMPSHIRE CHASSIS: Crew chief Lance McGrew and the No. 88 engineers will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-589. Earnhardt last raced this chassis to an eighth-place finish at New Hampshire in June.
HENDRICK AT LOUDON: In 31 races (110 Sprint Cup starts) at the New England racetrack, Hendrick Motorsports has tallied eight wins, 31 top-five finishes, 49 top-10s, five pole positions and led 2,169 laps. The organization owns the last two wins at the track, with Mark Martin going to Victory Lane in September 2009 and Jimmie Johnson winning there in June.
QUOTES
DALE EARNHARDT JR., DRIVER, NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET (ON NEW HAMPSHIRE.): “I like running at New Hampshire, and I traditionally feel like we are a top-10 team there every time we show up. New Hampshire is a flat track and can be a one-groove track. It’s tough to pass there so qualifying is at a premium. We’ve had a couple of tough weeks, but we’ve been working hard and going back to basics. We’ve also done some testing lately.”
LANCE McGREW, CREW CHIEF, NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/ NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET (ON EARNHARDT ENJOYING RACING AT NEW HAMPSHIRE.): “He really likes that track, and every time we’ve been there we’ve run good. Every race team I’ve ever been on has run good there. We’ve always been competitive and had strong cars. It’s a short track, but it’s very technical. He’s real good at it.”
McGREW (ON PASSING AT NEW HAMPSHIRE.): “It is very difficult to pass at New Hampshire. It seems like when they added the footing to the bottom of the corners, it helped. It put another groove there. It used to be one groove, so it’s a place that’s very difficult to pass. You’ve got to work—it doesn’t matter who it is. It’s a real handling racetrack, difficult to get the car perfect, but we’ve been fortunate that the car has been good there. We’ve been focusing on qualifying because I feel like it’s a race we can win if we can start where we need to start. We’ve managed to work our way to the front every time, but it would be nice to qualify up front and stay there.”
McGREW (ON THE NO. 88 TEAM PARTICIPATING IN THE GOODYEAR TIRE TEST MONDAY AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY.): “It went really well. It was nice to get that opportunity. Any time that you can go to a place like Homestead or any fast track and test, you jump at the opportunity because it’s just invaluable. That information transfers. It was nice because the tire wear was considerably better than what it’s been down there. When the track was green, it was really abrasive on tires. It’s gotten better as it rubbers up.”
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