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NASCAR WCUP: Budweiser NASCAR Winston Cup Race Preview, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

15 August 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Quotes from Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Jr's brother Kerry will attempt to qualify for his first Winston Cup race this weekend in the No. 71 Realtree-sponsored car entered as a joint effort by Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) and Dave Marcis Racing. It will mark the second time in NASCAR history that a father and two sons have been in the same race. (Lee Petty raced against sons Richard and Maurice almost exactly 40 years ago.)

"I can't wait for this - racing against my dad and my brother. Kerry and I started racing at the same time. We sold a go-kart for $500 and bought an old car to go racing. We lived together in a double-wide trailer and always had fun together, but it seemed like I got the breaks with my racing career. Kerry had a rougher time of it, but I always believed that if he got the right equipment that he could do it. Look at his ARCA record this year: he won at Pocono and he has run up front almost every race he's entered."

This Week's Race

  • What: Pepsi 400 Winston Cup Race 22 of 34
  • Where: Michigan Speedway, Brooklyn, MI
  • When: Sunday, August 20, 2000
  • Watch: ESPN-TV, 1:00 p.m. Eastern

BUD Pole qualifying will be seen Friday afternoon on ESPN2. The final hour of practice will be seen Saturday evening on ESPN2

Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Michigan

  • Previous Winston Cup starts: 2
  • Best Winston Cup start: 6th (Spring race, 2000)
  • Best Winston Cup finish: 13th (Spring race, 2000)
  • Previous Busch Series Starts: 3
  • Best Busch Series Start: 3rd (1999)
  • Best Busch Series Finish: 1st (1999)

Meaningless Stat of the Week

This weekend will mark the first time that Dale Jr. has started three Winston Cup races at one track. Dale Jr. finished 24th in this race last season as a part of his five-race Cup debut season with Budweiser. He won last year's Busch race at Michigan in a sparkling duel with Jeff Gordon.

What to Watch

Look for chapter two of Dale Jr's monthly column "Beyond the Track" on NASCAR Online (www.nascar.com) this Wednesday. The column is an opportunity for Dale Jr. to discuss issues and topics beyond the usual race results and on-track action.

This month's selection will give fans an inside glimpse of Dale Jr's considerable music collection and offer his insight on why Elvis was so damn cool and why he believes rap music is so powerful.

Text provided by Budweiser

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