Earnhardt Jr.: 100 extra miles can be tough

By SceneDaily Staff

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Article Rating: 3.2
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Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

Dale Earnhardt Jr. says that drivers definitely notice that the race this weekend has an extra 100 miles tacked onto it.

As he and his Hendrick Motorsports team prepare for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Earnhardt Jr. says that everyone is aware they are getting ready for the season's longest event.

"As a driver, you definitely notice it's another 100 miles," he said. "All of a sudden you're riding along and a switch kind of flips on you where you start to feel like you could lose focus or concentration. Physically and mentally, it's a tough race. Some races go better than others as far as that goes. There are times you get mentally exhausted, but I know I've never completely lost concentration. It's a challenge, that's for sure."

At Lowe's Motor Speedway, Earnhardt Jr. has earned four top-five and eight top-10 finishes. He has one win at the 1.5-mile track, where he claimed the 2000 all-star, non-points event. He has led 236 laps in races there.
 
This Sunday, the event begins in the daylight and ends late at night, requiring changes to be made to the car over the course of the race.

"I don't think I know anyone who has a real lock on how you set your car up perfectly for starting in the day and finishing at night," he said. "The track obviously gets a lot faster, and you know that you have to anticipate a lot. The good thing is that it's longer, and you have a better chance of hitting the nail on the head with the setup because you have a longer time to think about it and more opportunity to work on the car. Patience is a key, too."

To keep up with the changes that the car needs, crew chief Tony Eury Jr. says he needs constant and accurate information from his driver. That will help the team make the transition and try to stay with the leaders.
 
Earnhardt Jr. continues to seek his first win with Hendrick, the team he joined this season, and is riding a streak of 73 races without a victory. He didn't run as well as hoped in last week's Sprint All-Star Race, but this race is longer, and the team is bringing a new car for it.

"Driver feedback is very important to us during the race, and Dale Jr. is great at giving detailed feedback," Eury said. "He lets us know what's going on. I think we were all surprised at how much the handling of the cars changed over a 25-lap run the other night during the all-star race.

"We're going to have to build some adjustability in the race car. Saturday night the car started out tight and then went bad loose. It's going to be a tough, long race. I think people will pit at every opportunity to work on these cars. … We tested the car, and it was really fast, so I'm hopeful. I'd love to win at Charlotte; it's my hometown track."

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8 responses to "Earnhardt Jr.: 100 extra miles can be tough"
  1. 1
    Susan Ireland said:
    May 20, 2008 at 11:38 AM

    Little E can do it.Go to the front and stay there. I have seen him do it. I don't want to say he is like his father because I think and have faith that he can be better than his dad, that's what his father would have wanted.-------SI

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  2. 2
    Cindy Massey said:
    May 20, 2008 at 1:31 PM

    All I want this Sunday is for my #1 driver to lead ONE LAP, THE LAST ONE!!!! For whatever the reason, if he leads early, handling goes away and finishes further back. Shake it up this time, stay out of trouble, be patient and come to the front at the end of the race and lead that last one for VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  3. 3
    Karen Davis said:
    May 20, 2008 at 11:13 PM

    Not trying to be a smart butt but I think people need to stop calling him "Little E" and things like that and stop comparing him to his father. Jr is his own man and his own driver and as soon as people stop trying to put him on the same level as his dad, the better off he will be. Think about it, how would you feel if you were constantly trying to live up to everyone's unrealistic expectations? Jr will win when it is time and he will become a great champion but he will do it in his own time and in his own way. All we have to do as fans is sit back and watch him and give him our support. GO JR!!!

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  4. 4
    emily bagwell said:
    May 21, 2008 at 5:11 PM

    Yeah, Susan and Cindy, Give me five on E to take home the bacon. I can't even say how badly I want him to win---just imagine the pressure on him, but I don't care what the stats are. He's still the greatest! Go E!!!

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  5. 5
    Worm Dirt said:
    May 23, 2008 at 7:47 PM

    If Junior wins a race.... do you guys think he'll pick his nose MORE.... or LESS.... than he usually does during the post-race interview? I'll set the over/under at 3 picks (either nostril)... Any takers??

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  6. 6
    Ora Allison said:
    May 24, 2008 at 7:05 AM

    Leave him alone

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  7. 7
    Worm Dirt said:
    May 24, 2008 at 12:19 PM

    Alright... so I have Ora Allison down for the under. Just to be clear.... that's LESS than three picks and YOU win. If he picks EXACTLY three times it's a push and you only pay the juice. If he picks MORE than three times the HOUSE wins. Anybody else want in?

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  8. 8
    Dean Campbell said:
    Jun 10, 2008 at 5:30 PM

    worm do you sit around and watch grown men pick theire nose or what

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