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2004 Season
2004 EA Sports 500
| Race Information |
| Event: EA Sports 500 |
| Date: October 3, 2004 |
Track: Dover Int'l Speedway |
| Started: 10th |
Finished: 1st |
| Status: Running |
Laps Completed:
188 of 188 |
| Points
Pos. Before/After Race:
3rd/2nd |
Points
Earned: 190 (w/ 10 bonus) |
| Money
Earned: $305,968 |
Summary and Related News |
Dale Jr. wins Talladega for fifth
time, takes points lead_10/3/04
Fifth Win of Season for No. 8 Bud Team
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 8 Budweiser race team won for the fifth time at Talladega
Superspeedway in Sunday’s EA Sports 500. The victory is also a career-best fifth win
of the season and sends Dale Jr. and the team into the lead for the 2004 Nextel Chase for
Championship after three of ten races. Dale Jr. gained the maximum points with the win
combined with leading the most laps (nine times for 78 laps). He leads Kurt Busch by 13
points and third-place Jeff Gordon by 61 points with seven race remaining this year. The
five wins ties Dale Jr. with Jeff Gordon for the league lead in victories and extends his
lead in money winnings for 2004, sending his total for the year to $6,123,029. This is the
14th career victory for Dale Jr. in 176 Cup starts.
Key Moments: Starting 10th, Dale Jr. lived up to his promise to NASCAR
flagman Rodney Wise by taking the lead in only four laps. The Bud car raced among the top
10 for most of the first 100 circuits, merely taking it easy to become a player at the
end. A quick two-tire pit stop on lap 144 put the No. 8 Chevy back in the lead for the
seventh time. It set the stage for a spirited battle for the lead with Jeff Gordon and
Kurt Busch, as the three went door-to-door with the Budweiser Chevy, even drawing contact
between Dale Jr. and Gordon on lap 155. Coupled with major drafting help from teammate
Michael Waltrip, the Bud team used a two-tire pit stop on lap 178, but when a yellow flag
fell while the No. 8 car was entering pit road. Dale Jr, was in 11th place at the restart
on lap 184, and it took him only two laps to regain the lead for the final three circuits.
Dale Jr. Quotes: “Honestly, I can’t believe we’ve just won
our fifth race. It’s awesome to win here. This is an awesome place. There’s
still a long way to go in the Chase, so we’ll celebrate this and get ready for
Kansas. I’m really excited about the points lead, but there’s a lot of racing
left. We put a little distance between us and the fifth-place guy, so I guess we’re
kind of narrowing it down a bit. It’s still hard to believe we can all go through
this Chase without a mulligan. And I don’t know if we’re that good of team to
not have to pull out a back-up (car) at least once.”
On going from 11th to 1st in the final five laps:
“I knew we had the car to get it done. It didn’t take long to get into fourth
(after the restart), and then I got the right help and was able to hold ‘em off. I
watched the last two laps in my mirror … saw all kinds of wrecks going on. It was
crazy. There was a lot of crazy stuff going on out there today. Tony Jr. made a great call
right at the last moment to throw on two tires during our final pit stop. It might’ve
been the difference. We had a great car. It’s not as good as the one that’s
sitting in Daytona, but it’s pretty close.”
On drafting help:
“I don’t know, everybody keeps asking how I get drafting partners, but every
time I come here I feel like I got lesser friends. The high line was working today, and
some people figured that out. It wasn’t like I had 12 friends out there. The high
line was faster than the bottom, and we got pushed by people at the right time. The high
and the middle lines were nice.”
Questioned about his post-race interview, which NASCAR is reviewing and could result
in possible points penalty for uttering a mild obsenity:
“I’m pretty bummed out about that, because we’re running for the
championship, and nobody wants to give away points. Being told in Victory Lane that I
might get docked points really sucked the excitement right out of the win. I really
don’t even remember saying it, but I reckon I did. I was excited, and when
you’ve just won your fifth race of the season and just retaken the points lead in the
Chase for the Championship, only to be told you could get penalized, it just squeezed the
emotion out of the win. They are saying there is a precedent, because Johnny Sauter said a
curse word and was fined. To me, that’s different. That was out of anger. What I said
was out of jubilation. If they want the Matt Kenseth robot commercial to come to fruition,
then that’s the way it’s heading. I just don’t think it’s a too big a
deal to let a word slip out when you’re celebrating. It’s emotion.
Best Radio Chatter:
During the pace laps prior to the start of the race.
Dale Jr. (to spotter Steve Hmiel): “Steve, one thing today:
don’t leave me with any guesses out there. You can’t talk too much. If
you’re not sure – tell me someone’s still there. I don’t want to be
guessing out here today…”
Dale Jr. wasted no time going from tenth to first in four laps, keeping his promise to
the NASCAR flagman.
Dale Jr. (after taking the lead): “What lap was that?”
Tony Eury Jr. (car chief): “Lap four. You can give the flagman a big
thumbs-up when you go by.”
Under the second caution on lap 61:
Dale Jr.: “There’s some crazy stuff going on out here …
I’m having fun, though.”
Tony Jr.: “Yeah, you looked like you were having a hard time for
awhile, but it still looked pretty fun.”
Dale Jr.: “Yep, I got a car that can do it. It can’t do it like
the other car (referring to the winning car from the Daytona 500 that is now on display in
Daytona USA), but it can do it … Let me know when it’s halfway (in the race).
Any cars running for championship knocked out?”
Tony Jr.: “Nope, not yet.”
Dale Jr.: “OK, let me know when they do…. I’m just sitting
back and lifting (the throttle) in traffic. I’ll get back up there. Don’t
worry.”
Under the third caution on lap 125:
Dale Jr.: “How many laps left?”
Steve Hmiel (spotter): “Sixty. Six-zero.”
Dale Jr.: “I didn’t even know we’d reached halfway point
yet.”
Hmiel: “Yeah, I didn’t say anything because you were pitting
under green at halfway.”
Dale Jr.: “Damn, it’s time to get serious. I’ve just been
riding around. Y’all keep me posted on laps. I don’t want to be asleep when the
end of the race goes by. It’s time to quit (messing) around and get serious.”
During the final yellow flag of the day (lap 182) with Dale Jr. looking to restart in
11th place.
Dale Jr: “Who’s behind us?”
Hmiel: “The 41 (Casey Mears). He says he’s your friend and
he’ll follow ya…”
Dale Jr: “OK, I’m going to the top around these guys.
Hmiel: “We hear ya Junebug. You got the 41 car, another Earnhardt
(brother Kerry), the 01 (Joe Nemechek) and 20 (Tony Stewart) behind ya.”
Dale Jr: “Oh yeah, if that combo can’t do it, nobody can. How
many laps will be left?”
Hmiel: “You’ll have five to go.”
Dale Jr.: (alarmed) Are you serious?!?
Tony Jr: “You did it at the start of the race (take the lead) why
can’t we do it now?”
Dale Jr: “Alright…”
Tony Jr: “OK, grab the belts baby, let’s get it done.”
Dale Jr. Victory Stats:
--- Five victories in ten starts at Talladega.
--- He has finished first or second in the last seven Talladega events.
--- This is his eight consecutive top-10 finish and the ninth consecutive race he has led
at Talladega.
--- In four ‘restrictor plate’ starts in 2004, Dale Jr. finished first (Daytona
500), second (Talladega Aaron’s 499), third (Pepsi 400 at Daytona) and first (EA
Sports 500).
--- In his 14 career victories, seven have come at restrictor-plate tracks.
Today's Stats
Started: 10th (17th top-10 start of season)
Finished: 1st (fifth victory of 2004)
Led: 9 times for 78 laps
Money: $305,968
Points: 1st (gained two spots)
Best Pit Stop: Stop one of five / Lap 20 / four tires and fuel / 12.83 seconds
-Budweiser
Budweiser Race Preview: Talladega_9/27/04
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – driver, No. 8 Budweiser team:
"Talladega is so much fun. It's not at all physically tough to race there, but the
mental strain, the mental part of it is extremely exhausting. You have to be aware at all
times about where you're at, and where everyone else is. I can't think of many things more
fun than running three-wide at Talladega. You're using every bit of your peripheral
vision, while trying to watch the guys behind you in the mirror and not running into the
guy in front of you. You can really use the air to your advantage. I always have fun
there."
On avoiding ‘The Big One’:
“Just stay out front all day.”
Dale Jr. and the No. 8 Bud Team at Talladega
Previous Nextel Cup Starts: 9
Best Start: 3rd (Oct. 2000 / April 2004)
Best Finish: 1st (four times, most recently April 6, 2003)
This Race, Last Year: ST: 38th / FIN: 2nd / LED: 3 laps
Talladega Race, April: ST: 3rd / FIN: 2nd / LED: 57 laps
Race #3 of the Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship takes the No. 8 Budweiser team to
Talladega Superspeedway, where Dale Jr. has finished first or second in his last six
races. In nine career starts at Talladega, Dale Jr. has four wins (a record-setting streak
that dated from Oct. 21, 2001 to April 6, 2003) and seven top-10s. Only once has Dale Jr.
gone an entire race at Talladega without leading a lap – his very first start there
on April 16, 2000. He has since led in eight consecutive races for a total of 411 laps.
On the heels of a ninth-place finish at Dover – his fourth top-10 in his last five
races – Dale Jr. enters the weekend third in the championship standings, only 18
points behind leader Jeff Gordon. In 2004, the Budweiser team four wins, 13 top-5s, and 17
top-10s.
In three restrictor-plate races this year, the Bud team has finishes of first, second and
third … The victory came in the season-opening Daytona 500 … Dale Jr. has
finished seventh or better in his last six restrictor-plate races, and no worse than
eighth in 13 of his last 15. All told, Dale Jr. has claimed victory in six of his 19
career restrictor-plate races … The Chevrolet Monte Carlo that Dale Jr. will be
driving this weekend is the same one he drove to a third-place finish at Daytona in July.
TESTING CONTINUES: The Bud team will participate in two very important
days of testing Tuesday and Wednesday (Sept. 28-29) at Kansas Speedway. That will leave
the team with two official tests remaining, most likely to be used at Martinsville and
Homestead-Miami.
DALE JR. ON 60 MINUTES: Dale Jr. will be featured Wednesday on the season
premiere of the weekday edition of 60 Minutes. The episode begins at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
Dale Jr. is the first NASCAR driver to be featured on the prestigious news magazine show
in nearly 20 years. He was interviewed by legendary correspondent Mike Wallace, who sat
shotgun in a 2005 Corvette C6 as the two turned laps around Daytona International
Speedway. Wallace also interviewed Dale Jr. at his home near Mooresville, N.C. The segment
in Mooresville is the first in-depth interview Dale Jr. has given since his fiery
sports-car crash in July.
WAKE UP WITH JUNIOR: Dale Jr. will be the guest at the Nextel Morning
Breakfast Saturday at the Talladega infield media center. The half-hour news conference is
scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. (CST).
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL: An avid fan of the Washington Redskins,
Dale Jr. will get to watch his team up close and in person tonight at FedEx Field in
Washington D.C., as the Redskins host the Dallas Cowboys in a Monday Night Football clash.
Dale Jr. and car chief Tony Eury Jr. will be on hand as personal guests of Joe Gibbs.
Race Details:
EA Sports 500 / Race No. 29 of 36 in the Nextel Cup Series
Talladega Superspeedway / Talladega, Ala.
2.66-mile tri-oval, 188 laps, 500 miles
Sunday, Oct. 3, 2004
TV: NBC, 2:30 p.m. ET start
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN), XM Satellite Radio.
Bud Pole Qualifying: TNT / Friday, 3 p.m. ET.
-Budweiser |
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