NASCAR WCUP: Earnhardt Jr finishes 11th in inaugural Chicagoland race

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

July 16, 2001

A Long, Hard Struggle For No. 8 Team, Bud Bunch Gains in Point Standings

Rookie Kevin Harvick won his second race of the season, winning the inaugural Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, IL. Harvick stepped into the late Dale Earnhardt’s team at Richard Childress Racing after the first race of the season and won at Atlanta in only his third Winston Cup start. Robert Pressley grabbed a career-best second place finish, while Ricky Rudd closed to within 18 points of the Winston Cup points lead with third place. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 8 Budweiser team came from the 36th starting position to finish 11th. Jeff Gordon and Dale Jarrett are now tied for the Winston Cup point lead with 2515 points.

The Key Moment: With a blazing fast car on the brand new 1.5-mile track, Dale Jr. was able to take advantage of early pit strategy to pull into the top five in less than 50 laps. The car remained fast until the engine ignition system began to falter on lap 109. Dale Jr. dropped back more than 10 positions, but was able to change to a back-up ignition box and continue. The engine never ran as strong the remainder of the race. The team also battled with suspension problems that caused handling difficulties on the high-speed track.

Dale Jr’s Quotes: “We had a great car at the beginning and a great one at the end of the race, but we had ignition trouble and I just couldn’t keep up with anyone on the straightaways. I could wheel the hell outta the car in the corners, but not enough to make up for being slow down the straights. We kind of hung in there and got a good finish even though we struggled. This is the same motor we won with at Texas (in 2000), so I guess we need to retire that one…”

“I thought it was a long race – I'd get kinda tired and then I’d catch a second wind… and then I thought ‘I need to finish this thing and go have a cold Bud with the guys.’”

“We fought with ‘coil binding’ in qualifying and the race. We were going into the corners with so much speed and so much g-force that the left front spring would compress to its maximum and the coils of the spring would touch. That makes it feel like you have no suspension at all – and then it would bottom out. Try that every lap…”

Text provided by Jade Gurss

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