| | | | | |  | | CIA Stock Photo | Earnhardt Jr. led for the final time on lap 272 before losing the top spot to Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s Mark Martin and fading to fourth in the closing laps. His stop for fuel with 12 laps to go relegated him to seventh. | | | | WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN | Dale Earnhardt Jr. pleased overall with top performance | |
| | By SceneDaily Staff AVONDALE, AZ -- Saturday night’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Speedway featured a familiar plotline for Dale Earnhardt Jr. As he has a few times this season, Earnhardt Jr. led laps and appeared to have a winning car for portions of the race.
But he finished a disappointing seventh after his Chevrolet's handling suffered in the final laps. Only this time, he was also forced to pit late for fuel with a majority of the leaders.
Still, Earnhardt Jr. refused to complain much about the outcome.
"I am not frustrated,” the driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports machine said. “[I] had a good finish, proud of my team, had a great car. I don't know what our expectations truly were going into the race. But I don't think they were that good.
“I don't know if we could have made it [on fuel]. I don't know when we stopped, or how much I was burning a lap. I can't do the math. I just do what I'm told. We did the right thing. We can't run out and finish out of the top-10. We did the right thing. [I'm] not frustrated, though.”
Starting 13th, Earnhardt Jr. was one of 16 cars that pitted under the race’s first caution flag that flew for debris on lap 10. The stop sent Earnhardt Jr. back to 28th for the restart but he quickly surged forward. NASCAR’s most popular driver led for the first time on lap 124 and went on to lead three times for 87 laps.
“We didn't practice very good,” Earnhardt Jr. said in reference to his car's struggles in the practice sessions leading up to the race. “I was surprised that we were as good as we were, man. I got to thank [teammate] Jimmie [Johnson] and his whole team. We used a little bit of their setup and it obviously helped us a lot."
Johnson, Earnhardt Jr.’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, won the race after stretching his final tank of fuel 82 laps.
“I have to congratulate Jimmie,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “He had such a super car. We used some of the things they were liking about their setup. We used it yesterday afternoon - that helped our car a lot. A lot of good information going back and forth. I hope [car owner] Rick [Hendrick] is happy about the win. I am happy about it. I am glad that we got one. That usually means there is a lot more to come.”
Earnhardt Jr. led for the final time on lap 272 before losing the top spot to Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s Mark Martin and fading to fourth in the closing laps. His stop for fuel with 12 laps to go relegated him to seventh.
“It was like someone flipped a switch there at the end and the tires were gone, so we sort of lost a little bit there, but I am proud of my guys,” said Earnhardt Jr., who moved up a position to third in the Sprint Cup points standings. “Great adjustments, we got another solid finish and Hendrick comes home with a win, so pretty happy.
"[We're] just ready to recharge our batteries. Got a lot of racing to go."
| | Posted April 13, 2008 , 12:51 pm EST
Last Updated April 13, 2008 , 9:59 pm EST | | | | | | | | | | |
