After Kurt Busch’s (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) win at Michigan last week, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet) knew he would have to answer with a strong finish at Bristol to stay in contention for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.
He did just that – finishing fifth on the challenging 0.533-mile track.
Unfortunately for Earnhardt Jr., Busch finished right behind him, in sixth, to maintain a lead of 158 points with two races remaining in the Race to the Chase.
“Everybody wants to talk about the points and what we plan to do to make the Chase, ” Earnhardt Jr. said. “We’re going to do what we’ve been doing all year – go out and try to win the race. It’s all we can do. ”
That task is easier said than done for the No. 8 team at California. Earnhardt Jr. has a Driver Rating of 68.5 at the track – 23rd best. He finished 40th there in February after engine problems.
That’s not to say Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t have a chance.
“If I were 158 points ahead of 13th, I’d still be having trouble sleeping at night, ” said Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford). “It’s not done until it’s done. ”
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