NASCAR WCUP: Eanrhardt Jr. gets best career road course finish

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

August 12, 2001

Late Restarts Drop Bud Team from Fourth to 12th at the Finish

Jeff Gordon extended his Winston Cup points lead Sunday at Watkins Glen, NY, winning the Global Crossing at the Glen. Gordon is now the all-time leader in road course wins in Winston Cup history with seven victories. Running as high as fourth with seven laps to go, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the Budweiser No. 8 team had a great run, despite dropping to twelfth in the final laps. Dale Jr. was bottled up on a slow restart on lap 83 (of 90), which allowed six cars to pass him before turn one, while an off-course excursion while racing Boris Said a lap later dropped the red car to its final position. The near-crash could have been worse had Dale Jr. not saved the car from sliding into the gravel trap. With 29 cars finishing on the lead lap, a crash could have cost Jr. an additional 17 positions. The strong run continues the team’s rocket-like launch upward in the point standings, pulling them into sixth place. The 12th place is a career-best Winston Cup road course finish for Dale Jr. and the team, yet it is the worst finish for them in the last six races.

The Key Moment: Starting 27th, the key decision was made by Tony Eury and the Bud crew to make a pit stop during a caution period on lap 19. This allowed Dale Jr. to run as high as second place when the leaders made their pit stops 10-15 laps later. The red Bud car was able to run up front for much of the rest of the day, even challenging late in the race for a top-three position before the restart woes dropped them out of the top 10. Restarting fourth with seven laps to go, Dale Jr. was forced to let off of the accelerator to avoid passing Ricky Rudd too soon on the restart. The loss of momentum dropped Dale Jr. quite a few positions as he managed to keep the car straight despite several close calls. He lost three more positions when the Bud car slid off the track in turn one while trying to make a pass for eighth position.

Dale Jr’s Quotes: “That (lap 83) restart was way too slow. I don’t know what Jeff (Gordon) was thinking. Everyone was bottled up, and so when I let off the gas to keep from hitting or passing the 28 car (Rudd), I lost momentum and everybody was all over us – three and four-wide… Then, the driver almost lost it there a few laps later. I was lucky to save it.

“To have run so bad here in practice and qualifying and then to run so well in the race feels good, but it’s still frustrating because I feel like we should have had a top five there at the finish. It was good day for points though – seems like we gain on ‘em every week.

Text provided by Jade Gurss

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