NASCAR WCUP: Dale Earnhardt Jr: Watkins Glen allows aggresive style

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

August 8, 2001

“I like Watkins Glen. Compared to Sears Point, which is a very technical road course, the Glen is a track that allows you to push hard and really get aggressive in some of the corners. I’m pretty comfortable there.

“We won the Busch race there in 1999, mainly because we were simply a great Busch team, and not because I’m any expert at road racing. But, it does remind us that we can run well here and get up to the front. We had a top-10 car last year before the shift linkage broke.

“I still get asked about using a video game of the track to prepare for my first visit to Watkins Glen. It’s true! The game was so realistic that once I was on the track for real, I felt like I knew what I was doing. The shift points and the braking points were very close, and I really think it helped me gain a couple of seconds per lap…”

Dale Jr. and the No. 8 Budweiser Team History at Watkins Glen

Winston Cup Races: 1
Best Start: 14(2000)
Best Finish: 40(2000)

In his first Winston Cup start last year at the Glen, Dale Jr. jumped into the top-10 early in the race, and stayed there until a transmission part failure locked the rear wheels and spun the Budweiser car hard into the guardrail immediately adjacent to a large Bud billboard. The team was able to piece the car back together to rejoin the field, but the transmission eventually failed and the team finished 40th.

TNT is now replaying the Winston Cup races on Sunday evenings at 11 pm. Eastern.

Bud Pole Qualifying: Bud Pole qualifying will be seen live on Friday at 3:05 pm on CNN/SI. CNN/SI will also air the final practice session Saturday at 12 noon.

What to Watch

One of two road courses on the schedule, the Glen usually produces entertaining races. In addition to the usual big names, expect to see a handful of ringers: road racing experts like Ron Fellows and Boris Said, brought in to challenge the ovalmeisters. Last year, Steve Park and the DEI/Pennzoil car won their first Winston Cup race, defeating a hard-charging Mark Martin.

Text provided by Jade Gurss

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.