From the Crossville Chronicle - Crossville, TN Wednesday June 18, 2008
By Joe Dunn / joe@onpitroad.com
It was a 76 race winless streak that both Dale Jr and the Junior Nation (his fans) hope will not be repeated.
Nascar’s most popular driver had been in a drought for more than two years, which many of his fans attributed to the family friction with his step mother Teresa Earnhardt. Junior left Dale Earnhardt Incorporated (DEI) at the end of 2007 with hopes for a quick turnaround at Hendrick Motor Sports in 2008. With his win of the Bud Shootout it looked like that next point race win was close, but it 4 months before it came. Even without a win so far, 2008 was an upbeat season as Junior was consistently finishing up front and has remained in the top 3 in points.
Junior admitted that without the final caution he would not have won, “ If it stayed green we probably would have finished no better than 10th, cause I didn’t have enough to make it. I turned it off when the caution come out but I cranked it up around three and four and it ran fine all the way to the flag it. Ran out just as I turned and was coming back this way on pit road coming toward my guys, it was out of gas.” He remains third in the points, but the win has brought him to within 84 points of leader Kyle Busch.
On the local racing scene, Crossville Raceway was forced to cancel racing Friday due to rain and has rescheduled their mid-Season championship Races to Friday June 27th. This Friday, the Advance Auto Parts Thunder series visits Crossville with the Shoney’s Thunder and Destruction. Events for the night include a $4,000 to win Super Late Model race with some of the top drivers in Tennessee , four local classes with increased payouts and show ends with a Demolition Derby. For info, visit www.crossvilleraceway.net or call the track at 456-5000.
Saturday Night brings the Big Roar to Crossville as the I-40 Dragway is host to ‘A Night of Fire’ with Jet Funny Cars, Blown Funny Cars and Blown Alky Dragsters in town, plus Bracket racing. The weekly Arm Drop Old fashioned drag racing will be open on Wednesday night also. For info visit www.i40dragway.com or call Jim at 210-0244
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