Post by elp525 on Feb 21, 2010 9:04:00 GMT -5
February 21, 2010
By STEPHEN HAWKINS
The Associated Press
FONTANA, Calif. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn't getting too excited about his late charge to a second-place finish at Daytona.
While Earnhardt admittedly enjoyed the ride - and the reminder of "what success or what doing something good feels like" - he knows a near-win in the first race of the season at a track where he's been good before isn't a sure indication that everything is right.
The No. 88 team needs more good finishes, and the next chance is today at California.
"I know I wouldn't be able to really convince anybody that we were back or we are a strong team or had fixed anything until we come to these kind of tracks and run good at them," Earnhardt said.
After the season-opening Daytona 500, the restrictor plates are off and it's time to get on the kind of tracks that dominate the 36-race championship season. First comes the 2-mile speedway at California, then the 1 1/2 -mile Las Vegas track next week.
"Everybody in the garage kind of feels like this is the start of the regular season. Daytona is so different than every other kind of racing that we do, and of course it's the Daytona 500," said Jimmie Johnson.
"Everybody is really interested and anxious to understand where we are with the cars."
Jamie McMurray followed up his whirlwind week of interviews and appearances as the Daytona 500 champion by qualifying on the pole, giving Earnhardt Ganassi Racing a front-row sweep. Juan Pablo Montoya starts alongside McMurray after qualifying second, with Clint Bowyer and Kasey Kahne in the second row.
Earnhardt starts 27th at Auto Club Speedway, where his best finish in 16 races was runner-up to Kahne in September 2006.
At Daytona, Earnhardt came out of nowhere to almost steal the win during NASCAR's version of overtime. He was 22nd on the first attempt at a green-white-checker finish and moved into 10th before another caution set up another restart, and he charged to McMurray's bumper.
"I got more text messages and phone calls about those last few laps than I did when I won the damn race," Earnhardt said.
Earnhardt, the 2004 Daytona 500 champ and a winner there in July 2001, still has a 58-race winless streak and has won once in his last 135 races. That was in June 2008 during his first season with the Hendrick Motorsports team that also includes Johnson and Jeff Gordon, who knows it's good for NASCAR when Earnhardt is running well.
"It's absolutely important, and anybody out here that feels like that's a joke is only kidding themselves," Gordon said. "When he's doing well and the spotlight's on him, it brings more attention to the sport and it helps and benefits all of us, no doubt about it."
By STEPHEN HAWKINS
The Associated Press
FONTANA, Calif. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn't getting too excited about his late charge to a second-place finish at Daytona.
While Earnhardt admittedly enjoyed the ride - and the reminder of "what success or what doing something good feels like" - he knows a near-win in the first race of the season at a track where he's been good before isn't a sure indication that everything is right.
The No. 88 team needs more good finishes, and the next chance is today at California.
"I know I wouldn't be able to really convince anybody that we were back or we are a strong team or had fixed anything until we come to these kind of tracks and run good at them," Earnhardt said.
After the season-opening Daytona 500, the restrictor plates are off and it's time to get on the kind of tracks that dominate the 36-race championship season. First comes the 2-mile speedway at California, then the 1 1/2 -mile Las Vegas track next week.
"Everybody in the garage kind of feels like this is the start of the regular season. Daytona is so different than every other kind of racing that we do, and of course it's the Daytona 500," said Jimmie Johnson.
"Everybody is really interested and anxious to understand where we are with the cars."
Jamie McMurray followed up his whirlwind week of interviews and appearances as the Daytona 500 champion by qualifying on the pole, giving Earnhardt Ganassi Racing a front-row sweep. Juan Pablo Montoya starts alongside McMurray after qualifying second, with Clint Bowyer and Kasey Kahne in the second row.
Earnhardt starts 27th at Auto Club Speedway, where his best finish in 16 races was runner-up to Kahne in September 2006.
At Daytona, Earnhardt came out of nowhere to almost steal the win during NASCAR's version of overtime. He was 22nd on the first attempt at a green-white-checker finish and moved into 10th before another caution set up another restart, and he charged to McMurray's bumper.
"I got more text messages and phone calls about those last few laps than I did when I won the damn race," Earnhardt said.
Earnhardt, the 2004 Daytona 500 champ and a winner there in July 2001, still has a 58-race winless streak and has won once in his last 135 races. That was in June 2008 during his first season with the Hendrick Motorsports team that also includes Johnson and Jeff Gordon, who knows it's good for NASCAR when Earnhardt is running well.
"It's absolutely important, and anybody out here that feels like that's a joke is only kidding themselves," Gordon said. "When he's doing well and the spotlight's on him, it brings more attention to the sport and it helps and benefits all of us, no doubt about it."
