CARFAX 400

Dale Jr batlled a loose car throughout much of the race, going a lap down at one point. The error was corrected as Lance had the crew change a spring on one side of the car. This sent the race car from way loose to somewhat tight, but driveable. Dale was pretty frustrated through the majority of the day, but ended the day in 19th. After he crossed the start/finish line, Dale commented over the radio and said, "I'm sorry for being such a bear today." When walking towards his RV, a reporter just had to ask the question, "So what do you think of your chances to make the chase?" Dale, who of course would have the blunt answer, simply stated, "I don't give a sh*t about that right now. I just want to go home, so that's where I'm heading." Good answer Dale!!

Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen and news

Dale started way back in the pack and had worked himself way up into the top 20, however late in the race he fell back and couldn't make his way back up to the position he had held early on. Dale is 16th in the points and if he has any hopes of making the chase at this point, he needs to step up and get moving.

My Dale Jr Pics at Pocono

I happened to look between two of the merchandise haulers and there was Dale, staring at me and the rest of the fans who saw him.

An awesome moment for me was standing in front of Dale's pit area, also on a Hendrick related note, one of the first people I passed on pit road was Chad Knaus! I didn't say anything, not only beause I didn't want to draw attention to him, but also because I know that on raceday he's all business. 
(Pic of his back down below)

The guy in the middle of the picture with the black jacket and black pants was Chad Knaus.

Shaq Vs. (Dale Earnhardt Jr)

Did anyone watch this? I did, and I thought it was great! If you missed it you can check out the full episode at
http://www.hulu.com/watch/168736/shaq-vs-shaq-vs-dale-earnhardt-jr

Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500

Yes I was there! I have pics from the race, including ones from the pre-race tech inspection area, and I will post them either tomorrow or Sunday. Since I couldn't hear the scanner, I didn't really have a good understanding of how Dale's car was handling. However, from where I sat, I could tell by the middle of the race he was sliding off the corner in turn 3. At one point he took 2 tires which put him up in second, but being lose made him spin out on his own, bringing out a caution. Dale made it around the track and to pit road. This put him down a lap and in 27th for the rest of the day. He is still hanging in at 14th in points, but really needs to pick it up if he's going to be in the chase this year. There are 5 races until the cut off for the chase and considering where Dale was this time last year. I can see a change in the changes that where made at Hendrick over the off season. This weekend the big boys are north of me in New York at Watkins Glen.

Brickyard 400

Dale Jr's day would have been so much better, however an over aggresive Juan Pablo Montoya made bone headed move and took Dale Jr along with him. Dale's car was starting to run the way he wanted it to and he was in the 13th position when the accident happened. This left Dale running two laps down and finishing in 27th. He's moved down one spot in the standings (14th), but I certain if he runs well the next few weeks, he'll get back up in the top 12. Next week the boys head back to my home state of Pennsylvania for the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500. I will be there with one of my co-workers. I'll have plenty of pictures to post, so make sure you check the blog!! See ya then!

LifeLock.com 400

Dale's car just handled poorly all day long at Chicagoland. Any adjustments that were made didn't help and he finished two positions ahead of where he qualified. Dale started 25th and finished 23rd. This has moved Dale back down to 13th in the points.

If you think about it, his position this year in the standing is much better this year than it was last year. At this time he was down in the lower teens/upper 20's and had run out of time to make up any ground. As you already know, the guys were off this past weekend and will be at the world famous Indiananpolis Motor Speedway this Sunday. This year (for reasons not known to me) ESPN and ABC are sharing coverage of the remaining races. This year, the Brickyard 400 will not be telecast on ABC as it had in previous years. It will be shown on ESPN. I will let you know which races will be broadcast on which network as they come up.

Coke Zero 400

Due to rain, qualifying was cancelled, so Dale started 13th. I had to work which was actually ok because by the time I got home, there were only 20 laps down. Junebug was not happy with his car all night long, but due to "the big one" and another small wreck at the end, he finished 4th. Dale has moved back into the top 12 in 11th spot, knocking his teammate Mark Martin out.

Nationwide Race Hightlights

Final Laps and Victory Lane