Hendrick Motorsports' Dale Earnhardt Jr. no fan of smaller holes in restrictor plates
By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor
Friday, October 16, 2009
Other Dale Earnhardt Jr. news: Dale Earnhardt Jr. admits frustration with season; is willing to wait on crew chief decision
CONCORD, N.C. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. says he is not a fan of smaller holes in the restrictor plates for races at Daytona and Talladega.
NASCAR is decreasing the size of the four holes in the plates from 60/64ths inch in diameter to 59/64ths inch for the race in two weeks at Talladega Superspeedway. The move will decrease the air flow through the engines and sap them of an estimated 12-15 horsepower, which should make a difference of a few miles an hour.
Last April, Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards did a lap of more than 200 miles an hour on the next-to-last lap before battling with Brad Keselowski for the win and ending up in the air, smashing into the catch fence.
As a result of a review following the incident, Daytona and Talladega are in the process of raising their fences from 14 feet to 22 feet.
“Y’all know what sells tickets and nobody’s got hurt,” Earnhardt Jr. said Friday prior to practice for the NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “I don’t want to go flipping across the finish line every week. The measures of raising the fences are good, but cars go through them fences. Parts go through them.
“It seems like the smaller the plate gets, the more we wreck, in my opinion. The smaller you make the plate, the more on top of each other we race, the more we’re going to wreck. Every time that plate gets smaller, it gets more dangerous in my opinion.”
The difficulty with the smaller plates is that it makes it more difficult to pass, said Earnhardt Jr., who has seven restrictor-plate victories in his career.
“You run three, four [expletive] wide, and if you’re in the second lane or the third lane, you’re boxed in,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “You have nowhere to go. You can’t pass. Nowhere to go. You can’t do anything about your position but sit there and ride and hope that maybe you can push your lane forward. And that sucks. That’s boring.”
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23 responses to "Hendrick Motorsports' Dale Earnhardt Jr. no fan of smaller holes in restrictor plates". Post a Comment.
mary4jr88 said:
Oct 16, 2009 at 1:41 PMAnd Dale Jr. is right. Give the drivers the ability to pass and make Plate racing what it was a few years ago. :)
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» Confirm Abuse ReportJrsTheMan88 said:
Oct 16, 2009 at 1:58 PMPREACH IT JR!!!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportmissouriracefan said:
Oct 16, 2009 at 2:36 PMSounds like he is setting up his excuse for this week.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportkcdalego said:
Oct 16, 2009 at 2:42 PMLeave the restrictor plate the same size but put the blade acroos the roof of the car like it was on the normal looking car back in 2000. Maybe if they would use unrestricted V-6's for the superspeedway events the speeds would not be as high. That way maybe they would have more manurability to be able to pass more efficently. It was just a thought. GO 88!!!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportdale-jr-is-the-greatest-driver-alive said:
Oct 16, 2009 at 3:28 PMmissouirace fan you think everything he says is a excuse junior i gotta see i think it will be more exciting too see probably not to odrive tho i assume
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» Confirm Abuse ReportShort-Track said:
Oct 16, 2009 at 3:40 PMum MISSOURIRACEFAN this isn't a restrictor plate race this week so he can't use that as an excuse.Know what you're talking about before igniting the fire.Besides you're just jealous they didn't ask one of those guys from Missouri with Carl having bigger things on his mind and Bowyer and the Wallaces being experts in nothing!How many plate races have they won anyways?
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» Confirm Abuse Reportronzeus said:
Oct 16, 2009 at 3:51 PMthe people running the nascar events are ruining the whole system with there new rules.
Report as Abusethey should have the say as what needs to be for safty in the cars, but leave the rest up to the drivers and team owners as to the shape and style of car they want to run.
the races are getting boring, it is senseless to have to have all the cars the same style and shape. lets go back to what the cars where in the 80's and 90's.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportandee said:
Oct 16, 2009 at 4:41 PMIt is true,Jr. has seven plate wins and Waltrip has four.lol
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» Confirm Abuse ReportWerner said:
Oct 16, 2009 at 8:34 PMjust what does he like...it's been story after story about what Jr doesn't like...don't push it JR...NASCAR will go on...if the cars are equal with the plates, why would they not be without the plate...NASCAR needs to quit throwing that yellow rag with 10 to go to bunch up the field....
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» Confirm Abuse ReportBusch18Fan said:
Oct 16, 2009 at 8:55 PMJR IS FINISHED, FACE IT...
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» Confirm Abuse Reportgroveroak said:
Oct 16, 2009 at 9:22 PMHave Nascar build all the cars,lease them to the teams for the race and we will see how many more fans will leave the sport???
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» Confirm Abuse ReportMrWalleye2U said:
Oct 16, 2009 at 10:05 PM#6 Bowyer is from Kansas you id.iot.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportgwen_susie388 said:
Oct 16, 2009 at 10:55 PMIt funny that this same article was up awhile back and people were agreeing that the smaller holes were not the way to go. Let Dale, Jr. say it and OMG!!!!! Dale, JR. does have 7 plate wins ANDEE.... How many does your driver have? LOL
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» Confirm Abuse Reportbb6451 said:
Oct 16, 2009 at 11:00 PMWonder if Jimmie asked Nascar to change the restricter plate like he asked for California (one of his best tracks) to be added to the Chase. Nascar thinks a 4-time champ will draw attention to their sport. Truth is the follow the leader stuff is driving fans away. Wake up Nascar...the economy and fewer fans at the track should mean more viewers watching it on TV. Stop blaming the economy and bring back the real Nascar.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportipopakeg293388 said:
Oct 17, 2009 at 12:06 AMReal Stock Car Racing is a thing of the past,face it! # 8 ANDEE! I understood your statement,until the lol,what is that all about? ANDEE,you were one of the one's that agreed with JR.,then,but you don't now! What changed? I would like to know,so maybe you can change my mind!! Let's hear it!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportspeedracer578 said:
Oct 17, 2009 at 3:01 AMPut the roof fins back on the cars and make the engines smaller. Junior is right. The plates make it more dangerous when they are smaller.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportCarol-88-fan said:
Oct 17, 2009 at 6:26 AMIf only 7 of his 18 wins are on plate tracks, how is he only a plate driver? This is what we hear from you people who don't like him. With 7 wins, however, I think he is qualified to give his opinion.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportISpeakTheTruth said:
Oct 17, 2009 at 7:53 AM7 wins on Restrictor plate races in the old car. After the new car came out he never won another restrictor plate race. he is a driver who will always finish in 12th to 20th spot.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportWerner said:
Oct 17, 2009 at 9:59 AMback in the day we had better "cheaters"...today NASCAR has too much inspection....what we need is better cheaters or pay off the inspectors...seems like no one nowadays can come up with that competitive edge...no "small cars"(Yunick's Chevelle) or those streamlined bumpers, wings, specia cars and motors...too many rules spoil the race....
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» Confirm Abuse Reportgwen_susie388 said:
Oct 17, 2009 at 2:45 PMYes Werner, to many rules have spoiled the race! I know back years ago, drivers would do things to their cars that other drivers might not do, but those drivers were doing other things to their cars as well. I don't like cheating or paying anyone off as I think you were just saying that to make a point. What I would like is for NASCAR to give the teams some room to do something to their cars and let it be legal. Why does everyone's car have to be the same? I didn't realize just how much I miss racing the way it use to be in cars you could recognize until they started showing these first five drivers who were voted into the Hall of Fame. Back when the stands were full and everyone was having fun. When drivers could drive aggressive and not be called on every little rub. Back when we bit@hed about something it was because we LOVED to hate whatever it was! Now we bi@ch because we hate to hate what it is or what it has become! Aggressiveness is one of the things missing today and I know it will never be allowed today because that is another thing of the past that has disappeared. If you think about it...it would be fun to see a driver get another driver back in the next several races after they have done something to them. That would fire us all up and keep us tuned in! And I already said I know this will never be allowed because among other things, it would effect the chase.So get rid of the chase! Aggressive driving is just one of the things that is very missed in this sport whether people want to admit it or not. Like I said.. I know it will never be allowed because of costs to the cars, already lack of sponsorship and other things. I'm just saying..... $$$$$$$$$$ has ruined a lot of the way racing is today as well as to many rules! This of course is just my own personal opinion and not intended to offend anyone.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportgwen_susie388 said:
Oct 17, 2009 at 2:58 PMI meant to say affect not effect....
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» Confirm Abuse Reportipopakeg293388 said:
Oct 17, 2009 at 3:19 PMI watch the Race's on Speed,BACK IN THE DAY! Then when I try to watch a Race ,it's like night & day! Can't tweak a car,can't do this or that! He was a nat's hair in violation of some stupid rule,BLACK FLAG HIM! When Nascar was REAL RACING, black flag was a bug spray! It still is,but Stock Car Racing is GONE,and to a true fan,it sting's just a little bit!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportpsdf250 said:
Oct 20, 2009 at 3:06 PMI guess they still didn't like my post. It didn't make the cut again.
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