NASCAR WCUP: Earnhardt Jr. Strong Early, Falls Late at Pocono
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
June 19, 2001
Dale Jr. Leads Early, But Poor Timing Drops Team to 20th
Ricky Rudd grabbed his first Winston Cup victory since September of 1998 as he led the final 24 laps of the Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway. Rudd finished ahead of point leader Jeff Gordon and his Robert Yates Racing teammate Dale Jarrett at the finish. The only other team capable of running the same pace as the top three was Dale Earnhardt Jr.and the No. 8 Budweiser crew, but several poorly timed yellow flags dropped them back into the field. Dale Jr. ran easily among the top four for much of the race, leading 11 laps, but finished 20th after making a late race pit stop for a splash of fuel.
The Key Moment: After setting a blistering pace early, and trading positions at the front with Rudd, Gordon and Jarrett, Dale Jr. made a pit stop for tires and fuel on lap 155 while the field was at full speed. Only two laps after the stop, the caution flag flew for debris on the track and the rest of the leaders were able to pit under the yellow flag. This put the team at the back of the lead lap, where they fought to remain for much of the rest of the afternoon. The team was forced to make a pit stop for a splash of fuel on lap 186, which dropped them one lap behind the leaders.
Dale Jr’s Quotes: “I am frustrated that the finishing position doesn’t show how kick-ass that car was today. It makes me feel so good to see how well the team is improving each week. We struggled so much last year at this track, and then we showed up this weekend and were easily among the best cars in every session. We could really race with the guys who finished first, second and third…with a break or two we would have been there with them at the finish.”
Text provided by J. Gurss
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