<DJC> 2004 Race Report

Race Information
Event: Chevy Rock and Roll 400
Date: September 11, 2004	Track: Richmond Int'l Raceway
Started: 14th	Finished: 2nd
Status: Running	Laps Completed: 400 of 400
Points Pos. Before/After Race: 3rd/3rd	Points Earned: 175 (w/ 5 bonus)
Money Earned: $153,543
Summary and Related News
Mayfield wins, Budweiser team grabs eventful second place_9/11/04 Dale Jr. enters “Chase for the Championship” third place in points Jeremy Mayfield won the Chevy Rock-and-Roll 400 Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. Mayfield needed the victory to clinch a spot in the top-10 in points, which qualifies him for the 10-race Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 8 Budweiser team somehow survived two crashes and continued their strong run of short-track success, finishing in second place. Jeff Gordon finished third, and leads the point standings going into the final 10 races. Dale Jr. finished one point behind Jimmie Johnson in points after 26 races, and will begin the Chase in third place, 10 points behind Gordon. The No. 8 team led three times for 42 laps, extending a string of leading seven consecutive Cup races at tracks less than one mile in length. So far this season, Dale Jr. has scored more points on short tracks than any other driver, including two victories, a second, a third and an 11th-place finish. Dale Jr. won the spring race here at Richmond in May. On short-tracks, Dale Jr. has 13 top-five finishes in the last 19 races and 15 top-10 finishes in his last 21 starts. Key Moments: Starting 14th, Dale Jr. methodically climbed through the field, running in the top-10 until being swept into a multi-car accident on lap 180. Dale Jr. was hit by the car of Jimmie Johnson and was launched into the air, then was hit again from behind, spinning the Bud machine into the infield grass. Somehow, the damage was more cosmetic than serious, and despite a broken rear shock and multiple pit stops to assess the wrinkled Bud car, Junior remained on the lead lap. The excitement was only beginning, as a second crash immediately in front of him only a few laps later resulted in a heavily damaged front grille. Again, with multiple pit stops, the Bud crew was able to straighten the machine so it was not only driveable, but among the fastest cars on the track. Restarting 23rd, Dale Jr. charged hard, gaining ten positions in less than 30 laps, and gaining additional spots when the leaders made pit stops. He took the lead for the first time on lap 282 (of 400), and took advantage of superior fuel mileage to remain in the top-three for the remainder of the race. Dale Jr. Quotes: “We'll take it. We kinda stole that finish tonight after all the crashing and wreckin' goin on. But, I'm happy for my guys for the effort they put in all night, all weekend and all season. It was a fast car and a strong run, and it means we're really going to enjoy our day off (Sunday). The key tonight? Probably a sledgehammer. We beat it up pretty bad like an empty can o' Budweiser, but it still drove really well and somehow all four tires were still rolling the same direction. We had good gas mileage and it paid off there at the end (when leader Kurt Busch ran out of fuel less than 10 laps from the finish). That was fun, and now I suppose we'll get a little more serious and go after the championship.” Best Radio Chatter: During a yellow-flag period on lap 171 Dale Jr.: “The car's pretty good, but it feels nervous. The thing is, it can't be any looser and it can't be any tighter…heh heh… so you guys got your work cut out for ya.” After being involved in the tumultuous multi-car crash on 180: Tony Eury Jr. (car chief) (As Junior slid through the infield grass): “Go! Just grab a gear and go. You'll be OK…” Dale Jr.: “I got hit a lotta times… I don't know what may be damaged.” Tony Jr: (after seeing the replay): “Man, ya done real good… for what you went through - ya did real good.” Dale Jr: “The wheel in my hands feels pretty good. I'm not sure - it aint real bad. I dunno what happened, it just felt like the hand of God came over and hit me real hard.” After a few more laps under the yellow flag: Dale Jr.: “How bad does it look?” Tony Jr: “Bad enough that we can still win.” Dale Jr.: “That'll be cool to win with it all beat up like this.” After being involved in a second crash several laps later: Dale Jr: “I killed the 99 (Carl Edwards) car… so we may have knocked the radiator out of it. I couldn't stop in time.” Tony Jr: “Tell me the water temperature and check your pressure gauge.” Dale Jr: “It smells hot… It's 240 (degrees) now.” Tony Jr: “Pit now and we'll check it out.” As Dale Jr. passed seven cars in the next 15 laps: Dale Jr.: “With that shock broken, it's carrying the left front tire offa (turn) two like a sprint car. It's pretty cool!” Tony Jr: “You're doin' good driver. Keep the hammer down. The leaders should start pitting soon and we'll be lookin' good.” After the race, while waiting for what seemed like an eternity for a live television interview: Dale Jr. (yelling while Mark Martin is being interviewed): “Hey! Mark! Wrap it up! C'mon! Speed it up! I'm getting bumped more on this TV show than I was on the track tonight.” Today's Stats Started: 14th Finished: 2nd Led: Three times for 42 laps Money: $153,543 Points: 3rd (10 points behind leader / will compete in final 10 races for the Nextel Cup Championship) Best Pit Stop: Stop #11 of 12/Lap 207/ four tires and fuel / 11.82 seconds -Budweiser Budweiser Race Preview: Richmond_9/7/04 Dale Earnhardt Jr. - driver, No. 8 Budweiser team: “I can't wait to get there. Richmond is one of those places where we've always done really well and I love racing there. To run like we did (at Fontana) was gut-wrenching, and it always makes it a long trip home when you run like that on the west coast, but being locked-in the top-10 takes the edge off a little bit. I'm pretty relieved we're in the Chase (Dale Jr. has clinched a spot in NASCAR's 10-race, 10-driver chase for the Nextel Cup Championship), so we can go in and get one last weekend of letting it all hang out. We'll be aggressive and go for the win before the pressure kicks in…” Dale Jr. and the No. 8 Bud Team at Richmond: Previous Nextel Cup Starts: 10 Best Start: 2nd (May, 2002) Best Finish: 1st (May, 2000 / May 2004) This Race, Last Year: ST: 13th / FIN: 17th / Led 76 laps, then flat tire Spring Race, This Year: ST: 4th / FIN: 1st / Led 115 laps -- Dale Jr. and the No. Bud team are trying to achieve something for the third consecutive year: scoring the most cumulative points on short tracks (less than one-mile in length) than any other Nextel Cup team. They bested every other Cup team in 2002 and 2003, and so far this season they have two victories, a third-place and an 11th-place finish in the first four short-track races. Point leaders (four short-track races) 2004: 1. Dale Jr. / 660 points (685 minus 25 points by NASCAR penalty after Bristol/April) 2. Jimmie Johnson / 630 3. Matt Kenseth / 595 4. Jeff Gordon / 579 5. Sterling Marlin / 571 -- The No. 8 car has led each of the last six Cup short-track events for a total of 793 laps (an average of slightly more than 132 laps led per race.) Dale Jr. has led 1,392 laps on short tracks in his Cup career. On short-tracks, Dale Jr. has 12 top-five finishes in the last 18 races and 14 top-10 finishes in his last 20 starts. -- Dale Jr's first career Cup top-10 finish was at this event in 1999. Richmond is also one of three tracks where he has multiple Cup victories (Talladega/four, Daytona/two victories) Dale Jr. recorded this third career short-track win at Bristol Motor Speedway two weeks ago. -- The Bud team will race chassis no. 10 - the same chassis that won at Richmond in May, and also raced at Las Vegas and Loudon, NH earlier this season. Race Details: Chevy Rock and Roll 400 Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Va. .75-mile oval / 400 laps / 300 miles Sat., Sept. 11, 2004 TV: TNT, 7:30 p.m. ET (pre-race begins at 7 p.m.) Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN), XM Radio. Bud Pole Qualifying: Friday, 3 p.m. ET (televised live on TNT) -Budweiser