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NASCAR WCUP: Earnhardt Jr. looks for 'different' race with restrictor plates at New Hampshire

12 September 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

NASCAR has announced the addition of a one-inch restrictor plate on all engines this weekend for the race at New Hampshire International Speedway. The restrictors are designed to lessen horsepower, lower speeds and improve safety on the 1-mile oval. The track has been the site of two fatal accidents this year, most likely caused by stuck throttles.

"I have been saying all year that restrictor-plate racing is my favorite kind of action. Racing with a plate on a one-mile track [rather than the usual superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega] may be a bit different though. The restrictor plates even-up the field and it makes it more of a driver's race - like some sort of high-speed chess match. With less power, it may mean the engines will feel more like the Busch [Series] cars, so maybe we can go back to some of our Busch notes from there. We have struggled to get the car to handle on flat tracks this season, so this weekend is our opportunity to make some progress and to continue chipping away at Matt [Kenseth's] lead in the rookie points."

This Week's Race

What: Dura Lube 300 Winston Cup Race 26 of 34
Where: New Hampshire International Speedway, Loudon, NH
When: Sunday, September 17, 2000
Watch: TNN, 12:30 p.m. Eastern

BUD Pole qualifying will be seen on a tape-delayed basis Saturday morning at 9:00 Eastern on TNN. You can also hear the race and Bud Pole qualifying live on a radio near you on the Motor Racing Network.

What to Watch

This Wednesday, NASCAR Online will unveil the third installment of Dale Jr's "NASCAR Beyond the Track" column. This month's subject is a serious look at the emotions and frustrations of a rookie in the Winston Cup Series.

"I take this column very seriously," said Dale Jr. "It gives me a chance to deal with some issues that I don't ordinarily get to discuss. It's fun to be able to write about the things that I think about when I'm not in the race car, and it allows me to get some things off my chest."

Extracted from this week's column..

"Every week is a new dose of reality. The reality of the Winston Cup Series is that you're not gonna be as good as you want to be right away. Winning can spoil you. The look on my father's face after a win is worth all the money in the world. We've won two races so far and we snatched the Winston like some sort of bandit coming in to steal everyone's gold, but it means we got our butts whipped twenty some other weeks. All that losing has a cruel, opposite effect. While I know my dad is proud of me no matter what, I can't help but wonder if I have letdown my fans or my team. How do you make a young fan understand the reasons why you finished 40th?"

Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Loudon

Previous Winston Cup starts: 2
Best Start: 13th (Fall, 1999)
Best Finish: 21st (2000)
Previous Busch Series Starts: 2
Best Busch Series Start: 5th (1999)
Best Busch Series Finish: 10th (1998)

Text provided by J. Gurss

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