Victory: Third in a row for Dale
Jr. at Talladega_10/6
 No. 8 Budweiser Team Wins Again, Grabs Million Dollar Bonus
For the third consecutive Winston Cup race at the Talladega
Superspeedway, a red and black Chevrolet pulled into victory circle, as Dale Earnhardt Jr.
and the No. 8 Budweiser team won the EA Sports 500 Sunday afternoon. It is the second
victory at the 2.66-mile oval this season for the team, and the second consecutive year
that they have secured a million-dollar bonus from Winston at the EA Sports 500. Dale Jr.
led six different times for 56 laps, including the final 39 laps of the race that was
caution-free for the entire 188-lap distance. Earnhardt Jr. finished ahead of the new
Winston Cup point leader Tony Stewart, who was second, and Ricky Rudd, who finished third.
It is the first time since Buddy Baker in 1976 that a driver has won three consecutive
races at Talladega, and gives Dale Jr. the most wins among all active drivers at the
Alabama track in only three seasons of competition. It is the first time a driver has won
both Talladega races in the same year since his late father, the seven-time Winston Cup
champion Dale Earnhardt, won both races in 1999. His third victory here is Dale Jr's
seventh career Winston Cup victory in his 105th start.
 The Key Moments: Starting thirteenth (based on points, as
Bud Pole qualifying was rained out Friday afternoon), Dale Jr. streaked into second place
by lap four, and took the lead for the first time on lap 18. For much of the afternoon,
superior fuel mileage rather than sheer speed was the factor most in favor of the Bud
bunch. While most teams were able to make only 32-35 laps per tank of fuel (due to a
smaller fuel cell mandated by NASCAR for this event) the Bud team and the other cars from
the Dale Earnhardt Inc. stable were able to stretch a tank of fuel at least 38 laps. The
fuel economy, combined with a lack of caution periods, allowed Dale Jr. to dominate the
late stages of the race while his DEI teammates Steve Park and Michael Waltrip finished
sixth and eighth respectively. The ten bonus points for leading the most laps gives the
Bud boys a league-leading 105 bonus points this season. The team has led the most laps at
three different events in 2002.
 Dale Jr's Quotes: "It was a great car. A great car.
This is the same car that we've won all of these restrictor-plate races with, and it just
does what I want it to do. (Crew chief) Tony Eury and Tony (Eury) Jr. just prepared a
beautiful piece of a race car. We weren't as dominant here as we had been, because I think
everyone else is a lot more competitive. They're catching up to us on these
superspeedways, but we knew we had a good car and a great engine from (DEI chief engine
builder) Richie Gilmore, so we hung tight with our plan and it worked out. To be that fast
and to get that great of fuel mileage is unbelievable."
"Tony (Stewart) and those guys had a good enough car to pass me, but the pack kind of
thinned out to four or five cars (at the end of the race). It's hard for just three or
four cars to push one guy by the leader. You kind of need a whole pack back there really
pushing... y a know, 35 or 40 other cars. My hat's off to Tony Stewart for
being a friend there and helping me out, sticking behind me. He's a great race car driver,
true competitor. Tony and I race real well together. We had our disagreements in the Busch
Series, but we've become friends off the track. We can buddy-up on the track as well.
There are people on the track that you know you can run with and guys that you know you
can't run anywhere near. Michael (Waltrip) and I usually are great together, but for some
reason today our cars just didn't run very quick when we were nose-to-tail. The 12 car
(Ryan Newman) was fast and so was the 20 (Stewart) and when I hooked up with either of
them, we could shoot to the front.
"Good job for the Bud team for the car they put together. I'm just holding the wheel
back there, man. I ain't really doing much, just turning left every once in awhile. But,
you don't luck into a win like this. No matter what you do as a driver, if the car won't
do it, you're not going anywhere."
 "I had so much fun out there racing with guys in the back of the top
10 or so. The most fun was leading the race early on and just taking that high line around
the track. It feels like we're out there on old bias-ply tires, just kind of sliding
sideways up near the wall. Damn, that's fun! You slide around and let it hang out there
like they used to do. I just take the high line, and the whole pack of cars just kind of
follows me up there. I watched my dad win a lot of races here and I always liked watching
him do that. It's good to feel what he felt here - the confidence of knowing you're gonna
run well and winning. It's a good boost for the team and a notch in the belt for us. We've
had some big wins at places like Daytona and Talladega where it means a lot and the
sponsors get their money's worth."
Best Radio Conversations
While racing three- and four-wide early in the race…
Dale Jr: "MAN! We're racin' like heck out here, huh guys?!?
Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"
Once Dale Jr. took the lead, he immediately moved up to take a high line near the wall
all the way around the track.
Dale Jr: (having fun, with a hint of bragging) The top is where it's at!
Ol' Junior'll show 'em the top! Look out! I'll have 'em all out here runnin' around like
the ol' boys! Tell Michael (Waltrip) I'm havin' a ball!"
Later in the race, Dale Jr. scolded his spotter, Ty Norris.
Dale Jr: "C'mon Ty! I can't hear ya buddy! You're real faint!
(pause… then returns to the mic, somewhat chagrined) OK, try it again. I think I'll
hear ya better now that my earplug's in right. It was undone there for a bit…"
 As Dale Jr. pulled into victory lane, he immediately looked for Debra
Polzun of Manchester, Conn., who was paired with him in the Winston No Bull promotion. In
addition to $1 million for the team, Winston also presented $1 million to Polzun.
Dale Jr: "Where's the millionaire lady?! Where's she at?!"
Today's Stats
Started: 13th (based on points, due to Bud Pole qualifying rain-out)
Finished: 1st (second win this season, both at Talladega)
Points Position: 13th (no change)
Money Won: $1,166,040
Laps Led: 6 times for 56 laps (most laps led)
Best Pit Stop: Lap 111 / Stop #4 of 5 / 2 tires, Fuel / 8.54 seconds
Be with a winner, baybeeeeeeeee…. Be with the King. The King of Beers on the internet
at: www.Budweiser.com
-Budweiser
 Jr. starts 13th:
Sunday's starting lineup was determined by owner's points after qualifying was rained out
on Friday.
Earnhardt Jr. Budweiser Talladega
Preview_9/30
Dale Jr. Quotes for Talladega
The No. 8 Budweiser team and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are eligible to win a $1 million bonus
from Winston if they are able to win this weekend at Talladega. The team has won the last
two races at Talladega, including this event last season, where the earned the $1 million
bonus for the first time.
"Forget the money. I love running at Talladega, and I'd get out there and run just as
hard if they paid me a dime to win. The team needs to win, I need to win, DEI needs to
win. This is one of my favorite places to race, and it's just the most intense feeling to
be running three-wide lap-after-lap. You have to be totally aware for 500 miles so you
know who's beside you, who's behind you and who's ahead of you. Of course, my strategy is
to get up front and then stay up front. Let's go for it. I know a lot guys sit around for
the first 450 laps and then try to race at the end, but that's not me and that's not my
team. We're gonna lead 'em all we can. I don't think it's bragging to say we should be the
favorite going in - we have always been up front here and I know we have no intention of
giving up that trend.
"Wait… a million dollars? OK, I take it back. DON'T forget the money… I
might need a new tractor for the land I just bought. What makes that deal (the Winston
bonus) so cool is not that the teams win a million, but that a fan can win a million as
well. You know, it's a lot of money for anybody, but can you imagine making $40 thousand a
year and all of a sudden getting a million dollars? That has to be unbelievable."
Dale Jr. and the No. 8 Bud Team at Talladega
Previous Winston Cup Starts: 6
Best Start: 3rd (Sept., 2000)
Best Finish: 1st (Sept. 2001, April, 2002)
This Race, Last Year: ST: 6th
FIN: 1st
Led: 67 laps
The Bud team has won the last two races at Talladega, including this event last season. In
six starts, they have led five races for a total of 259 laps, including an even 200 laps
in the last two events. (The only Talladega race they did not lead was their first race
here in 2000 after being involved in a crash on the first lap.)
What:
EA Sports 500
Where:
Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Alabama
2.66-mile oval / 188 laps / 500 miles / Race #30 of 36
When:
Sunday, October 6 / 1 p.m.
Watch:
NBC / Pre-race 12:30 pm
You can also tune in on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) on a radio or computer near
you… you know the drill by now…
Bud Pole Qualifying:
Bud Pole qualifying can be seen live at 4:00 pm Friday on the Speed Channel and heard on
MRN affiliates across the nation.
(All Times: Eastern)
-Budweiser |
