AT DOVER: In 17 starts at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has one win, four top-five finishes and seven top-10s. He has led 366 laps at the one-mile concrete oval and has completed almost 99 percent of all laps he’s attempted there (6,726 of 6,804 laps).
LEADING LAPS: After leading 79 laps at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, Earnhardt has led 875 laps this season, which is more than he led total during his 2000 (426 laps), 2001 (767 laps), 2005 (169 laps), 2006 (444 laps) and 2007 (433 laps) Sprint Cup seasons. Earnhardt, driver of the No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, has led at least one lap in 19 of the 27 Cup events this season.
HENDRICK AT DOVER: In 49 races at Dover, Hendrick Motorsports has posted 10 wins, 36 top-five finishes and 63 top-10s. The organization has posted six pole positions, three of which happened in the last four years.
VISITING THE SOLDIERS: Earnhardt and team owner Rick Hendrick will visit the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on Thursday before heading to Dover International Speedway. Hendrick and Earnhardt will visit wounded and rehabilitating soldiers as guests of the National Guard. This appearance is closed to the public.
STRONG START: Earnhardt, competing in his third Chase for the Sprint Cup, took fifth and led 79 laps last weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The 79 laps led are the most Earnhardt ever has recorded in the first race of the Chase and the most he’s led during the last 10 races of the season since Oct. 29, 2006, when he finished third and led 95 laps at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Last week’s fifth-place finish marks his seventh top-five overall when actively competing in the Chase. Earnhardt also made the Chase in 2004 and 2006.
CHASSIS FOR DOVER: Crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and the No. 88 engineers chose Chassis No. 88-443 for this Sunday’s race. This is the car that Earnhardt drove to a third-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March and used to lead 35 laps two months later en route to a fourth-place finish at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
ICE CREAM TOSSING WITH REGIS AND KELLY: Earnhardt and the top six drivers in the Chase attempted to crack into the Guinness World Records for the most successful ice cream tosses. Earnhardt and teammate Jimmie Johnson were paired up for the event.
HURRICANE IKE: More than 7,500 National Guard soldiers were called upon to assist with search and rescue operations in Texas that were spurred by Hurricane Ike. Roughly 2,000 people have been rescued so far. The National Guard is running distribution points throughout the area to hand out water, ice and food provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). More than 2,000 troops from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri have been called upon to assist with residual effects from the storm.
| 
|