NASCAR WCUP: Earnhardt Jr. wants to keep momentum heading to Kansas
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
September 26, 2001Dale Jr. Quotes
“We tested for a day at the new Kansas track, and I really liked it. I think the Chicago track (sister track to the Kansas Speedway) was poorly designed: the transitions to and from the banking are terrible there, but this place is much, much better. It’s very wide and very smooth, so I hope that means we can race in more than one groove on Sunday.
“The Bud team was supposed to test for a second day at Kansas, but we woke up to see all of the destruction of the terrorist attacks. The medical helicopter had to leave the track, so we decided not to go back on the track that morning. Then, once we heard all of the U.S. air space was closed, we packed all of our bags and the crew into two rental vans and headed east on Interstate 70. We made it back to Charlotte about three in the morning… We might have made it sooner but I had to stop several times for CDs. You just can’t drive halfway across the country without great music, ya know?!”
“Dover was a great win for all of us on the team. We were fast all weekend, and we were great early in the race, but then we struggled a bit. We all stuck together and came back strong at the end of the race. When the money was on the line, we were the car to beat, and that was a great feeling.
“Look at our spot in the points:we are less than 100 points out of third place, and we were 26th when the month of April started! If we even dare to look behind us, there are guys just waiting for one bad race from us so they can pass us, but we’re focused on continuing this momentum where we’re running up front every race, every weekend. It makes it more fun to go to the track and get in that red car. I know we’re gonna be badass each time.”
The Numbers
The Dover victory is the seventh time that the team has finished among the top three positions, slightly more than a 25 percent average. It is the 12th top-10 tally of the year, in addition to four additional finishes of 11th or 12th.
- What: Protection One 400 / 267 Laps, 400 miles / 1.5-mile oval / Race # 28 of 36
- Where: Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kansas
- When: Sunday,Sept. 30 / 1:00pm
- Watch: NBC / Pre-race: 12:30 pm (All Times: Eastern)
Bud Pole Qualifying: Bud Pole qualifying is scheduled to take place Friday afternoon at 3:00 pm, and can be seen on the CNN/SI cable sports network.
What to Watch
The Winston Cup Series makes a second stop at a new track this season in the land of sunflowers and wheat. This is a sister track to the Chicagoland Speedway, which held its inaugural race in July.
Text provided by Jade Gurss
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