Earnhardt Jr. Budweiser Daytona Speedweeks Preview_01/31/03
 Dale Jr. Quotes for Daytona Speedweeks
About Daytona International Speedway: "I don't exactly remember the
first time I came here, but the first I can recall was when Greg Sacks won. (Firecracker
400, July 4, 1985. Dale Jr. was 10 years old.) I watched it in that little scoring stand
down there in turn one. That's where all the kids and wives went. The first time you came
in here, you didn't see it all. Every time you come in here you see something different -
just because this place is so big. It's a good feeling [being there].
“When you come [to Daytona], you can't get here fast enough. And then when you leave,
you drive out real slow - getting every little last bit you can because it's going to be
too long before you come back. I love it. This place is a great racetrack with a lot of
history. It has such an impact on the sport. There are other tracks on the circuit that
are important to NASCAR and that are cornerstones and the foundation. But this place here
is a pillar. This place really represents everything that I like about the sport. I really
like coming here."
About being considered one of the favorites to win the Daytona 500:
“Great... it’s a great feeling. I like it a lot. I think we should be favorites,
based on performance the last few years. I like walking into the garage on the first day
and holding my head high because the DEI (Dale Earnhardt Inc.) teams are the ones to beat
on superspeedways. It’s almost like we have half the field psyched-out before we
start. It also means a lot in the race, because a lot of other drivers want to work with
you or draft with you because they know you’re going to the front.
“All of that [success] doesn’t just happen: it’s a lot… an awful lot
of work by a lot of people.. Richie Gilmore (DEI chief engine builder) has been putting
together some super horsepower for all three of our teams, and all of my guys in the Bud
shop – like Tony (Eury, crew chief) and Tony Jr. (Eury, car chief) – really
spend a lot of time working on our superspeedway package. I enjoy these [restrictor plate]
races, and so do they, so it just gives us that attitude and the motivation to work harder
at these races.”
About the new body style for the 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo:
“Getting this new body figured out on the speedway is going to be a little bit of a
handicap for us, getting the car to draft well and all that. We really had the old one
(the previous Monte Carlo body) figured out, so this is just like starting over. It's just
like it was when we were rookies. But, Tony Jr. has always been a whiz with the bodies for
the speedways. Daddy won five in a row here with those boys in the Busch Series. So, I
think we'll get it figured out.”
Dale Jr. and the No. 8 Budweiser Team at Daytona
Previous Winston Cup Starts: 6 (does not include Budweiser Shootout or 125-mile
qualifiers)
Best Start: 5th (2002 Daytona 500)
Best Finish: 1st (2001 Pepsi 400)
Daytona 500, Last Year: ST: 5th
FIN: 29th
(Two flat tires knocked the team out of contention and into several wild crashes.)
Budweiser Shootout: In two Bud all-star events, Dale Jr. has finished
sixth (2001) and second (2002).
Twin 125 Qualifier: Dale Jr. has three previous starts, finishing fourth
(2000), second (2001) and second (2002).
News, Notes and a bottle of Cold Bud:
*** Motivation: Last season, Dale Jr. invited college football coaching
legend Lou Holtz to give a pre-season motivational speech to the 220-plus employees of
DEI. This year, he chose to gather the troops to watch “Stroker Ace,” the stock
car racing-themed Burt Reynolds movie. The 1983 film included cameos from Dale Earnhardt,
Kyle Petty and Benny Parsons among other notable NASCAR faces. “It’s a great
movie, a real classic… (pause for dramatic effect) It is… Really!” enthused
Dale Jr.
*** DEI Dominates: Since the start of 2001, there have been eight
restrictor-plate races on the Winston Cup circuit. In those races, Junior has four
victories, a second place and six top-eight finishes, while his teammate Michael Waltrip
has two victories of his own.
*** I Second That: Dale Jr. finished second in last year's Budweiser
Shootout at Daytona as well as second place in his 125-mile qualifying race. In the 500,
he was running easily in second place behind teammate Michael Waltrip when a blown tire
sent the No. 8 car into the wall. Dale Jr. has also recorded second place finishes in the
2001 Daytona 500 and his 125-mile qualifier in 2001.
***That’s Ludacris: Dale Jr. hung out with rap star Ludacris earlier
this week during a photo shoot for the cover of COMPLEX Magazine, a new upscale,
urban-oriented magazine devoted to cars, music, women and all things cool. Dale Jr. has
long been a fan of Ludacris, while the rap star has been a fan of NASCAR and Dale Jr. in
particular. Ludacris, who posed alongside Junior and his Budweiser race car, has a
prominent role in the upcoming sequel to the "Fast and the Furious" feature
film.
What:
25th annual Budweiser Shootout at Daytona
70 laps / 175 miles / 19 cars, starring Dale Jr., past Shootout winners and 2002 Bud Pole
winners
Daytona 500
200 laps / 500 miles / Race #1 of 36 in the 2003 Winston Cup Series
Where:
Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla. / 2.5-mile Superspeedway
When:
Budweiser Shootout: Saturday, Feb. 8 8 p.m. Fox-TV
Daytona 500: Sunday, Feb. 16 1 p.m. Fox-TV (pre-race: 12 noon)
Watch:
Fox, FX, Fox Sports Network and the Speed Channel will team to present more than 75 hours
of coverage from Speedweeks, beginning Feb. 7. You can also tune-in to hear qualifying and
race action on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) on a radio station or computer near you.
Bud Pole Qualifying:
The Budweiser Shootout starting line-up is determined in a drawing held Thursday, Feb. 6.
Bud Pole qualifying for the Daytona 500 can be seen live Sunday, Feb. 9 at 1:00 p.m. on
the Fox-TV and heard on MRN affiliates across the nation. The majority of the field for
the Daytona 500 will be set based on finishing positions in twin 125-mile races on
Thursday, Feb. 13. (All Times: Eastern)-Budweiser
Daytona testing
1/16/03 - The second round of pre-season testing began Tuesday morning at Daytona.
Twenty-six teams, including Earnhardt Jr.'s, participated in this round of testing.
 1/15
- GM Racing
Daytona - Earnhardt Jr interview, Part I
1/15
- Best overall speeds for Day 2
1/15 - Wednesday's first session speeds
1/14 - Best overall speeds for Day 1
1/14 - Tuesday's first session speeds |
