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2002 Season
2002 MBNA All-American
Heroes 400
| Race Information |
| Event: MBNA All-American Heroes 400 |
| Date: September 22, 2002 |
Track: Dover Downs Int'l Speedway |
| Qualified: 3rd |
Finished: 24th |
| Status: Running |
Laps Completed:
396 of 400 |
| Points
Pos. Before/After Race:
14th/14th |
Points
Earned: 96 (w/ 5 bonus) |
| Money
Earned: $66,240 |
Summary and Related News |
Rookie sensations continue
winning: Johnson sweeps Dover_9/22
No. 8 Budweiser Team Dominates Early, Falters Late
For the second week in a row, a rookie has won a Winston Cup race, as Jimmie Johnson takes
the victory at Dover Downs Speedway, winning the MBNA 400. The victory - his second of the
year here at Dover and third overall -- pulls Johnson into second place in Winston Cup
points, which continues to be a close, close dogfight among the top drivers. Point leader
Mark Martin finished the race in second, followed by Dale Jarrett. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and
the No. 8 Budweiser team started third and launched into the lead in the first three laps,
leading a total of 116 laps in the first half of the race. The second half of the race
turned into a bitter struggle for Earnhardt Jr. as he fought the track and an
evil-handling car. Dale Jr. finished 24th, four laps behind Johnson at the finish. The
car's handling became so poor after the halfway mark that Dale Jr. went in a free-fall
from seventh place on lap 250 to two laps behind the leaders on lap 295. Dale Jr. remains
in 14th place in Winston Cup points, while the top four contenders for the championship
(Martin, Johnson, Tony Stewart and Sterling Marlin) are separated by only 81 points.
The Key Moments: Dale Jr. started third, the same position he used last year to win
this race, and wasted little time jumpi ng into the lead on lap three. With a fast car, and
three brilliant pit stops, Dale Jr. seemed to take the lead at will during the first 145
laps. The momentum began to turn soon after, when a slow pit stop dropped the red car into
10th place. Dale Jr. was able to fight back into seventh place in the next 100 laps, but
the handling on the car came completely unglued from that point forward. It took 23 laps
for Dale Jr. to slide one lap behind the leaders and then only 22 more laps to fall
another lap in arrears. To correct the evil racecar, the team made an unscheduled stop
soon after, and dropped four laps down, where they remained in the final 100 laps.
Dale Jr's Quotes: "We had some awesome pit stops early on. We had a great pit
stall and we were kickin' butt getting in and out. People like Tony (Stewart) were pitting
in the middle of the pit lane, so even if their stop was quick, it was like bumper cars
for a lotta guys leaving the pit lane. The car was really fast early on, but after awhile
it would be bouncing and skating through every corner. Eventually it was just out of
control. I feel like I'm still bouncing. My hands are numb, and I can't feel them. I
didn't want to continue driving like that. Can't they make tires better than that? The
second set of tires today wasn't half bad…that's when we really took the lead and
sailed off. I was just cruising. Just holding track position, but that set must have been
made a couple of years back. Maybe they needed to get rid of some old ones that were
sitting in the warehouse or something."
Best Radio Conversations
The race was a case of opposites, as the early stages belonged solely to the Bud
bunch, with Dale Jr. emanating confidence on the radio. The second half was another story,
as frustration marked the conversations.
After three brilliant stops that sent Dale Jr. back onto the track in the lead, the fourth
was hampered by a stubborn lug nut. Dale Jr. returned to the track in 10th place.
Ty Norris (team spotter): "OK, we've got some work to do…"
Dale Jr.: "Hey man, whaddya talkin' about? We're gonna be OK…"
Norris: "Yeah, you're right. We're alright."
Sadly for the team, they would not be alright. As the car began to worsen, Dale Jr.
began pleading for help.
Dale Jr: (only partially kidding) "Find me a safe place where I can spin
out!"
Tony Eury Jr. (car chief): "Do the best you can. Just hang on and keep it off
the wall."
Finally, having struggled long enough in silence, Dale Jr. radioed the crew.
Dale Jr.: "I'm comin' in. I can't do this anymore."
Tony Jr. "Alright, whatever you need. It's your call."
Dale Jr: "Something's gotta be broken on this car. It's just bouncing all
over. I almost crashed a bunch of times. It's a real bad deal."
Today's Stats
Started: 3rd
Finished: 24th
Points Position: 14th (no change)
Money Won: $66,240
Laps Led: 116 laps
Best Pit Stop: Lap 118 / 14.18 sec./ 4 tires, Fuel
-Budweiser
Jr. qualifies 3rd at Dover
9/19/02 - Dale
Earnhardt Jr. posted a lap of 156.610 mph during Bud Pole qualifying on Friday, good
enough for the 3rd starting position. Jr. also started 3rd last year when he won this
event.
 Race Lineup
Earnhardt Jr. Budweiser Dover
Preview_9/17
Dale Jr. Quotes for Dover
"(Winning this race) last year was pretty special. I was so happy to win, and then
the crew told me to stop on the front stretch, that they had something to give me. Then I
see Joey (Meier, DEI team pilot) running toward me with that big American flag. I grabbed
it and took off for a lap. It was big flag - and once I got going, the wind was trying to
rip that thing right out of my hand. YOU try to drive with one hand and carry that thing
around like that! Since that day, my uncle Danny (Earnhardt, front tire carrier) has put
that same American flag up on our pit box every race day. It's something that the whole
team looks for each week.
"I got a lot of attention for winning that race, but I still think that the special
part of that day was that we were running the race. It didn't matter who won, just running
the race was important to everyone - the NASCAR family, the fans, and the country. Racing
didn't seem very important after the attacks, but I think it was good that we could get
back out there and do something to provide some fun and some relief for everyone. It
showed me how much people all over the country love what we do every Sunday.
"This weekend may not have such an impact on the world like last year, but I will
tell ya that it's very important to me and the team. We've really been getting stronger
every week for the last month or so, and this weekend is another shot to continue to
improve and go for a win. Racing for points went out the window months ago, so we're going
to Dover to kick some ass."
Dale Jr. and the No. 8 Bud Team at Dover
Previous Winston Cup Starts: 5
Best Start: 3rd (September, 2001)
Best Finish: 1st (September, 2001)
This Race, Last Year: ST: 3rd
FIN: 1st
Led: 193 laps
Dale Jr. donated $75,000 of his winnings from this race last year to the Speedway
Children's Charities, to be directed toward children that were impacted by the terrorist
attacks…
Sporting A Junior Cover
Dale Jr. is on the cover of this week's issue of The Sporting News that hits newsstands
Wednesday, Sept. 18. The cover story was written by Roger Kuznia.
What:
MBNA All-American Heroes 400
1-mile oval / 400 laps / 400 miles / Race #28 of 36
Where:
Dover Downs, Dover, DE
When:
Sunday, September 22 / 1 p.m.
Watch:
TNT / Pre-race 12:30 pm
You can also tune in on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) on a radio or computer near
you…
Bud Pole Qualifying:
Bud Pole qualifying can be seen live at 3:00 pm Friday on the TNT and heard on MRN
affiliates across the nation.
(All Times: Eastern)-Budweiser |
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