Dale Earnhardt Jr. says cautions don’t frustrate drivers as much thanks to double-file restarts
By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor
Friday, August 14, 2009
Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. enjoys working with interim crew chief Lance McGrew.
LaDon George
NASCAR Scene
Dale Earnhardt Jr. says the new double-file restart rule has made drivers less frustrated over cautions for debris.
At times, NASCAR will call a debris caution and drivers have questioned whether the caution is really necessary. But now that they have a chance to improve their positions because all the lead-lap cars restart side-by-side up front, they don’t mind them.
“Right now drivers aren’t balking and upset as much now when these phantom debris cautions come out,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “We used to hate those because we were in the middle of a race, and now it’s looked upon when we get these crazy cautions coming out, everybody says, ‘Great, it’s an opportunity to pick up some more spots on this double-file restarts.’
“That’s really your best chance to make up positions, unfortunately.”
Earnhardt Jr., in Atlanta on Thursday to promote the Labor Day weekend races there, talked about a number of issues:
• On interim crew chief Lance McGrew:
“As of now, he’s the man of the future. He’s the guy that we’re all placing our confidence in to make the correct decisions. He has taken quite a task on to try to improve our team and change the direction of our team and make us more competitive. ... I’m feeling pretty good about it. I like working with Lance, and I’m feeling pretty comfortable working with him, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the season plays out.”
• On 500-mile races:
“I don’t mind them at most places … Pocono is quite difficult to be at, and running 500 miles there just doesn’t seem, if you built that track today, we’d never run there, and I’m not sure that would be the logical choice when we got talking about how many laps we were going to run. ... I think the shorter races are more exciting races. In the 500-mile races, there’s a good chunk of anywhere from 200 to 300 miles of wait-and-see where all drivers are just trying to protect their position and protect where they’re at. We can definitely cut back on that because that’s not very exciting even for the guys doing it.”
• On restrictor-plate racing:
“That’s not as quite as enjoyable as really just having free reign of having all the horsepower that’s available to you or separate the field by one’s ability to build a better motor, one’s ability to build a better race car. Right now everybody is in the same box with the engine – the plate pretty much make everybody’s engine the same power – and the bodies are so restricted, there’s no science in building or creating or improving them.
“So we’re all going to run the same lap time, and if you put us all out there together, we’re all going to run in this big ball, and at the end of the race guys are going to try to push and fit their car into these holes that aren’t big enough and make these wrecks happen. That’s what is going to happen every time. It’s not really that fun. When I look back on some of the … races they had in the early ’80s before the plates came, those were the best.”
• On the Atlanta night race:
“It will be fast for the first several laps on tires, and then they’ll fall off enough to where you will be able to manage what’s going on and try different things and try different lines. It will be pretty hairy, pretty fast. You’re going to see some incredible lap times on new tires late in the race.”
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12 responses to "Dale Earnhardt Jr. says cautions don’t frustrate drivers as much thanks to double-file restarts". Post a Comment.
mom said:
Aug 14, 2009 at 12:46 PMWay to go Jr. I hope Brian France was listening.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportnascarbill8 said:
Aug 14, 2009 at 4:28 PMI have never seen a racing series so in love with throwing caution flags like they do in NASCAR. The phanton debris caution flags that JR mentioned is one of the reasons I can not and do not watch NASCAR races any more. Way to go JR for not being afraid to tell it like it is. Comment #1 mom, I doubt that Brian France was and is listening. The fans have been trying to tell him why the tv ratings keep going down and why people like me who was a fan for over 20 years and used to go to atleast 6 races a year no longer watch or go to NASCAR races any more. I really do not think he cares about the fans and what they think. I am watching more baseball and have become a big Indy car fan.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportWerner said:
Aug 14, 2009 at 7:40 PMfor the longest time we didn't have any Jr stories...i find it very strange that we have this many just before Michigan...hype time?...
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» Confirm Abuse Reportpj88 said:
Aug 14, 2009 at 7:53 PMThese guys have to write about Jr in order to get any comments.I read almost everything and very few drivers have comments. I think K.K. had the most.When they call a caution,there is debris on the track,but sometimes I think Mr. France pays someone to throw it out there.lol
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» Confirm Abuse ReportAndi said:
Aug 14, 2009 at 8:37 PMMy second favorite cautions are the pieces of debris that they show that's not even on that track, but once were. If its out of the groove, why the caution? OH did the leader get too far again? Oh well.....maybe you should do something about the car, and stop throwing the cautions. Just a thought. But I'm sure it goes in one ear and right out the other, what do you have pam spray in your ear drums so no ideas stick?
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» Confirm Abuse Reportbthompson133 said:
Aug 14, 2009 at 11:44 PMwhat about the ones jr causes on purpose
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» Confirm Abuse ReportOldschoolNASCAR said:
Aug 15, 2009 at 6:41 AM#6 BTHOMPSON133.. Kinda like Kyle staying out on a flat tire on a restart and trying to cause a wreck (and admitting it)just so he wouldn't go a lap down. I guess you kinda forgot that one when you picked on JR.....What's good for the goose, is good for the gander! In the future try to pick on JR for something Kyle doesn't also do.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportjrsbiggestfanbt said:
Aug 15, 2009 at 7:09 AMThat's telling her!!!! Good for you!!! I don't know what these people did while there was nothing written about Jr.Go # 88 prove all those NAYSAYERS wrong!!!!!!!!!
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» Confirm Abuse ReportWerner said:
Aug 15, 2009 at 10:07 AM#7...or how about Jr spinning his car at Bristol a few years ago to get a yellow and admitting to it....
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» Confirm Abuse Reportbthompson133 said:
Aug 15, 2009 at 12:35 PMTHAT'S WHAT I WAS REFERING TO WERNER,AND NO PENALTY. NASCAR PLAYS THE FAV GAME
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» Confirm Abuse Reportbthompson133 said:
Aug 15, 2009 at 12:36 PMnot a kb fan. try again
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» Confirm Abuse Reportgwen_susie388 said:
Aug 15, 2009 at 10:11 PMWhat's the difference how you get a caution? Make one yourself, throw something out the window like I have saw driver's do for years or whine on the radio....(KB).I Neeeeeeed a caaaauuuttiiooooon! Then there was a caution and no explanation as to what it was! Nothing new and it will continue on. That's right BTHOMPSON133, They always FAV Dale, Jr. and don't you ever forget it. See how well he is doing because of all these cautions! About all the Jr. articles....Look at what he is talking about. Makes more sense than these articles they are grasping and digging for that no one ever comments on and probably doesn't even read them! You know almost everyone is going to open an article with Dale, Jr.'s name attached to it! BTHOMPSON133, we can always count on your one sentence that has Jr.'s name in it!:-) It's just racin! Have fun...
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