<DJC> 2004 Race Report

Race Information
Event: Coca-Cola 600
Date: May 30, 2004	Track: Lowe's Motor Speedway
Started: 10th	Finished: 6th
Status: Running	Laps Completed: 400 of 400
Points Pos. Before/After Race: 1st/1st	Points Earned: 155 (w/ 5 bonus)
Money Earned: $152,053
Summary and Related News
Johnson wins Coca-Cola 600, Bud team sixth_5/30/04 Dale Jr. maintains slim points lead Jimmie Johnson dominated Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 but had to survive a restart on lap 397 of 400 to win NASCAR’s longest race for the second year in a row. Johnson led 334 laps, including the last 27, for his eighth career victory. Michael Waltrip finished second and Matt Kenseth third. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 8 Budweiser team overcame a lap-down deficit early and used a gutsy call at the end to finish sixth. It was the Bud team’s ninth top-10 this year, which ties the series-best. Dale Jr. led only two laps, but they were enough to get him five bonus points, which is now the difference separating himself and Johnson in the NEXTEL Cup championship standings. Dale Jr. has now led laps in nine of the 12 races this year. Key Moments: Starting in the top-10 for the 10th time this year, Dale Jr. fought among the front 12 all night. But in a race that was slowed by only two cautions through the first 336 of 400 laps, long green-flag runs strung out the field and sent many cars a lap down early, including the red No. 8 car on lap 148. Hard racing and the “lucky dog” award regrouped Dale Jr. with the front-runners on lap 233, and the Bud team spent the second-half of the marathon race adjusting to the changing temperatures of the track. In ninth place when the final caution flew, the Bud team elected for a two-tire pit stop with four laps to go. The strategy – and an awesome restart by the driver – helped the No. 8 clip off three more positions in the final laps. Dale Jr. Quotes: "Yeah! We'll take that! We really didn't have a good night - we were maybe a 10th-place car at best, but we got the Lucky Dog, then we decided to stop for two tires after the red. We always debate about those things with the single-file restart (with less than 10 laps to go). It was a coin toss, but we made a gutsy call, took two tires, and then it was a wild couple of laps. In the end, it was a helluva move because all of the cars behind us came in as well, so we went back out in the same position we came in, but we had fresher tires than the guys in front of us. We were lucky to gain those spots, but we'll take 'em." "This is Jimmie's track. They were in another world tonight, so we're happy to have a good finish and keep the points lead. I mean, it's still early, but you kind of look at this place and you can almost hand it to Jimmie and his guys. This is definitely their track." "I'm really hot. The cool-box in the car quit working - it tore itself right out of the fittings inside the car. So, all of a sudden I had no air at all in there, then it was just hot air blowing on me. This is one of the hardest races in the world, and I am out there with hot air blowin' in my face for 600 miles." Best Radio Chatter: Under yellow on lap 233, when the team gained the "Lucky Dog" to climb back on the lead lap. Dale Jr: "Do we get the lucky dog?" Tony Eury Jr. (car chief): "10-4." Dale Jr: "Cmon now boys! These pit stops are costin' us this race. Everytime we change tires, we get looser. I mean, the 48 (Johnson) is free too - but he can get on the gas much quicker than I can and I just can't keep up with him." Tony Jr: "Alright - we're gonna try to make you better. You were losing two-tenths (of a second per lap) to the 48 there at the end." Dale Jr: "Man, Junior. You're the only man in this place that thinks we can get a car to beat the 48 or the 38 (Elliot Sadler). They’re in a land of their own today. And it's a tough day at the office for us." In ninth place, decision time came during a red-flag period on lap five laps from the finish: Dale Jr.: “Wanna gamble?” Tony Jr.: “Nah, we’re gonna stay out. I don’t think I can do any more for ya, unless you want four tires. I’ll put four on for ya if you think it will help.” Dale Jr.: “This is the same thing we always go through … neither of us want to be the bad guy. How many spots do we have to lose?” Tony Jr.: “Four.” Dale Jr.: “Well you know at least one or two of them are gonna pit, that’s the thing.” Tony Jr. (after discussing with the team): “Come on around here, just pit and I’ll put ya two tires on there.” Dale Jr.: “OK. If people follow us, let’s take two (tires). If we’re the only ones, put on four.” Relishing in successful strategy at race’s end: Stevie Reeves (spotter): “Helluva job on that restart!” Dale Jr.: “Hell yeah, that got us a couple spots!” Today’s Stats Started: 10th (Tenth top-10 start in 12 races) Finished: 6th (Ninth top-10 finish of 2004) Best Pit Stop: Stop 5 of 9 / lap 236 / four tires & fuel / 13.17 seconds -Budweiser Budweiser Race Preview: Coca-Cola 600_5/24/04 Dale Earnhardt Jr. – driver, No. 8 Budweiser team: “I’m glad to be points racing again. The all-star race is cool and I know the fans love it, but we’re so focused on running for the championship that it was a little more nerve-racking just from fear of messing up the big picture. We came away (from the all-star race) disappointed because we had a great car at the beginning – one that could’ve won the race – but lost it on adjustments. This place (Lowe’s Motor Speedway) is so temperature sensitive that our problem may have been not keeping up with the changes of the track. That will be the key in the (Coca-Cola) 600. We go from sunlight at the start into darkness, and it’s always a challenge to keep the car handling the way you want it. On driving the extra 100 miles: “A lot happens once we go beyond 500 miles. Physically, your arms, neck and eyes feel the difference. It beats you up and your eyes struggle to focus. Mentally, the challenge is just staying focused. It’s not as difficult if you’re running well. But if your car sucks and you can’t pass anybody, then it’s like a long road trip where you read every sign, look at every mile-marker and try to figure how much longer it’s going to be ’til it’s over. You start thinking about what you’re going to do tomorrow or if your laundry needs to be done. Hopefully we won’t have that problem.” Dale Jr. and the No. 8 Bud Team at Charlotte: Previous Nextel Cup Starts: 9 Best Start: 1st (Bud Pole Award, May 2000) Best Finish: 4th (October 2001, May 2000) This Race, Last Year: ST: 24th / FIN: 41st -- Dale Jr. has four top-10s in nine races at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. He made his NEXTEL Cup debut five years ago in this race at the 1.5-mile track. In May, 1999, he started eighth and finished 16th on what was called “E-Day” to commemorate his Cup debut. Dale Jr. won his first career Bud Pole Award here in May, 2000, less than one week after becoming the first rookie driver to win the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge. -- The Bud team suffered a rare DNF (did-not-finish) at this race last year after a problem with the brake system while Dale Jr. was racing for the lead. The team was unable to rejoin the race when it was shortened by rain. The problem ended a then league-leading streak of 36 consecutive races without a DNF. -- Dale Jr. enters this weekend with a 40-point lead in the NEXTEL Cup championship standings. With his victory at Richmond on May 16, Dale Jr. became the first driver to reach three wins this year. The trio of victories tie his career best for wins in one season, matching his 2001 victory total. After 11 races in 2004, he is also the series leader in top fives (7, tied with Jimmie Johnson), laps led (552), top-10 starts (9) and prize earnings ($3,339,005). Dale Jr. joins Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart and Elliott Sadler as the only drivers who have remained in the top 10 in points all season. -- Since joining the circuit full-time in 2000, Dale Jr. has the third-most wins of any active driver. Jeff Gordon’s 17 victories lead the category, followed by Tony Stewart’s 14 and Dale Jr.’s 12… (That total does not include four “non-points” wins for Dale Jr. in the 2000 All-Star Race, the 2003 Budweiser Shootout, and a pair of wins in Daytona 125 qualifying races.) Calling all Media: Dale Jr. will be the guest on this week’s NASCAR Nextel Media Teleconference, which is scheduled for noon ET Tuesday. The teleconference is open to all qualified media. Call-in information and details can be obtained through the NASCAR Media web site (password required). Race Details: Coca-Cola 600 Lowe’s Motor Speedway / Concord, N.C. 1.5-mile tri-oval / 400 laps / 600 miles Sunday, May 30, 2004 TV: Fox, 5 p.m. ET (pre-race) / 5:30 p.m. ET race start. Radio: Performance Racing Network (PRN), XM Radio. Bud Pole Qualifying: Speed Channel / Thursday, 7 p.m. ET. -Budweiser