NASCAR WCUP: Dale Earnhardt Jr Preview, Darlington
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
August 29, 2001Dale Jr. Quotes
“I said in the Playboy interview that the Darlington track surface was made up of nothing but sharp chunks of seashells since all the asphalt had been worn away. Then, I went down there to the track to promote the race, and they gave me a hard time about that comment.The new president, Andrew Gurtis, even gave me an award, “the Shelly,” which was a big seashell mounted on a wooden base. It was pretty cool. I told them I was surprised there were any seashells left! But, their ticket sales have been going up in the same time frame that the interview has been on sale, so…”
“It is a tough track. You have good grip in the tires for maybe five laps, and then you spend the rest of the run – whether it’s 30 laps or 60 laps -- just holding on, trying not to crash, and praying that the yellow flag comes out and you can come in and get new tires. I think I spend most of the race praying, in fact…”
Dale Jr. and the No. 8 Budweiser Team History at Darlington
- Winston Cup Starts: 3
- Best Start: 10th (Spring, 2000)
- Best Finish: 11th(Fall, 2000)
Happy 125th Birthday Bud
The Earnhardt family has a long history of success in stock car racing, dating back to Dale Jr’s grandfathers Ralph Earnhardt and Robert Gee, a legendary fabricator and mechanic. However, that pales in comparison to the five generations of history in the Busch family that has brewed Budweiser Beer for 125 years.
The five generations of Busch family members working at Anheuser-Busch started with Adolphus Busch, who in 1864 joined the company that would become Anheuser-Busch. Today, it continues with August A. Busch III, chairman of the board and president of Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc., and his son, August A. Busch IV, a fifth-generation brewmaster and currently the group vice president for marketing and wholesale operations for Anheuser-Busch.
- What: Southern 500 367Laps, 501.3 miles / 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval / Race # 25 of 36
- Where: Darlington Raceway, Darlington,SC
- When: Sunday, Sept. 2 1:00pm
- Watch: TNT Pre-race:12:30 pm
(All Times: Eastern)
Bud Pole Qualifying: Bud Pole qualifying will be seen live Friday at 3:00 pm on CNN/SI. TNT will also air the final practice session Saturday at 4 pm.
What to Watch: The Darlington track is the oldest on the NASCAR Winston Cup tour, and the worn surface creates havoc for the teams as the tires lose grip almost immediately. The team that can manage the handling of the race car with old tires will likely be the winner.
Text provided by Jade Gurss
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The Racing Photo Museum and the
Visions of Speed Art Gallery.