Budweiser Race Preview
Nextel All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway
DALE EARNHARDT JR. / DRIVER, #8 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET:
What is it like to win the All-Star race?
“Winning the all-star race (as a rookie in 2000) was
definitely a big moment in my career. It’s hard to
beat the whole spectacle that goes into winning the
All-Star race. There is a lot of money up for grabs
– over a million dollars – but there is a lot of
pride wrapped up in that winner’s purse as well. I
think you’ll see a great race this year. It’s going
to be different with the new tire Goodyear and
NASCAR has given us for Charlotte. It’s a lot
harder, a lot more slick, and it could make things
interesting. I think you’ll definitely see new
strategies that you’re not used to seeing in the
All-Star race.”
How will the strategies be different?
“When you make the compound (of the tire) harder,
you automatically take grip away from the car. The
first 15 or 20 laps on these new tires is slick as
ice, kind of like riding go-karts on a slick track.
In the past, if the opportunity presented itself,
you’d see guys pit for new tires in the final
segment to make a run for it. That probably won’t
work this time. Older tires with 15 or 20 laps on
them might be preferred over new tires… A lot of
guys are complaining about the new tire compound. I
say if that’s the tire NASCAR wants us to run to get
the speeds down a little bit, then let’s run ’em and
see who can get to the finish line first.”
On taking a break from “points” racing:
“I don’t know, we’re kind of on a roll right now.
We’ve gone from eighth to fifth in the point
standings just in the past two weeks. Obviously the
All-Star race is a non-points race, but it will have
a lot of bearing on how we approach the 600-mile
race next week. I know Tony (Eury) Jr. really likes
the car we’re running in the All-Star race. We may
run it in the 600 if all goes well. And with the
limited time we’ve had on this new tire, I wouldn’t
be surprised if you see teams using All-Star
practice more to gear up for the 600.”
The No. 8 Bud Team in the Nextel All-Star Challenge:
Previous Starts: 6
Best Start: 4th (2003)
Best Finish: 1st (2000)
This Race, Last Year: ST: 20th / FN: 10th
This Week’s Bud Car: #39 (finished fourth at Atlanta
earlier this year)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the #8 Budweiser team enter
the All-Star break fifth in the Nextel Cup point
standings, 226 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson
and 27 points behind fourth-place Mark Martin.
Through 11 races, Dale Jr. has one win (Richmond),
four top-fives and five top-10s. The #8 Chevy has
led four races for 88 laps.
ALL-STAR NOTEBOOK ON THE BUD TEAM:
* Dale Jr. was the first rookie to win the NEXTEL
All-Star Challenge in 2000. He now shares that
record with Ryan Newman.
* In six Nextel All-Star Challenge races, Dale Jr.
has finished in the top-10 in all but one.
* Dale Jr. made his Nextel Cup debut at Lowe’s Motor
Speedway at the Coca-Cola 600 in 1999. He qualified
eighth and finished 16th.
* The Budweiser team has twice won a million dollar
purse. (The defunct ‘No-Bull 5’ program at Talladega
in Oct. 2001 and Oct. 2002.)
* Dale Jr. has four victories and a finishing
average of 4.05 in 19 career starts in
non-points-paying or all-star type Nextel Cup races.
Dale Jr. has finished first or second 11 times in 19
starts:
BUD CREW READY FOR ITS OWN ALL-STAR CHALLENGE:
The #8 Budweiser pit crew, led by Dale Earnhardt
Inc. (DEI) pit crew coordinator Walt Smith, will
compete in the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Pit Crew
Challenge Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. ET at the
Bobcats Arena in uptown Charlotte. The timed event
features a series of head-to-head challenges for
each over-the-wall crew member and a 40-yard sprint
(with the car) to the finish line. The winning team
is awarded $70,000. The #8 Budweiser Brew Crew is
made up of Brian “Hootie” Chase (jack man), Chris
Crumley (front-tire changer), Shawn Ward (front tire
carrier), Greg Burkhart (rear-tire changer), Troy
Prince (rear tire carrier), Jeff Clark (gas man),
and Craig Lund (catch can). Marty Oody, who
regularly serves on the #11 DEI Busch Series pit
crew, will substitute for the injured Crumley.
Race Details:
The NEXTEL All-Star Challenge
Lowe’s Motor Speedway / Concord, N.C.
1.5-mile tri-oval / 90 laps (three segments totaling
40, 30 and 20 laps)
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Purse: $4,200,450 ($1,005,000 to the winner)
TV: FX, 7 p.m. ET (The Nextel Open) / 9 p.m. ET (The
Nextel All-Star Challenge)
Radio: Performance Racing Network (PRN), XM Radio.
Bud Pole Qualifying: Speed Channel / Friday, 7 p.m.
ET. (Qualifying will consist of three laps with a
mandatory four-tire pit stop included).
2005 winner: Mark Martin
