DEI surprises with two top-5s at Michigan June 17, 2007
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DEI drivers Martin Truex, Jr., (2nd) and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., (5th) finished strong at Michigan, in a race where Truex led lots early, and Earnhard led once during green flag stops midway through. Carl Edwards broke a near-two-year losing streak in earning the win, with Truex some 2 seconds back. Truex beat 3rd place finisher Tony Stewart to the line by some 17 seconds. Only 9 cars finished on the lead lap, as Edwards lapped 10th place finisher Michael Waltrip (made the race and had a good finish, but is still 48th in owner points) coming to the white flag, and almost lapped Jeff Gordon (9th) at the checkers.
The finishes put both DEI drivers in the Chase, with Earnhardt finally overcoming the 100 point penalty after Darlington. Truex sits in 10th, Earnhardt 12th, with 11 races left to the cutoff. Truex’s runner-up finish continues an average finish of 2nd from two races to three, having finished 3rd at the rain-shortened Pocono race and having won at Dover.
Thoughts on Dale Jr going to Hendrick June 13, 2007
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As odd as the thought seems in the abstract, this factoid from an evening NASCAR.com article sheds new light on the whole “enemy” concept some Dale fans may have concerning Earnhardt and Hendrick:
Hendrick, with six total championships on NASCAR’s premier series, fits with Earnhardt’s desires to drive for a contender and to continue to pilot Chevrolets. The Hendrick team also had ties to Earnhardt’s late father, who shook down the first car the organization ever built, and was behind the wheel when team owner Rick Hendrick recorded his first NASCAR victory in a Busch race at Charlotte in 1983.
When Jr. made his announcement in May that he was leaving DEI, there were three possible locations given his self-restriction to Chevrolet: Childress, Gibbs & Hendrick. Childress was always the sentimental favorite, since Dale Sr won 6 championships in the RCR 3 car. But the pressure Dale Jr would face there would be intense, something it seemed he was not ready for. Gibbs refusal to have a sponsor such as Budweiser all but ruled him out, even though Dale Jr would have fit very well with Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin. Hendrick had a full stable to NASCAR’s 4 team limit, but would seem to be the best fit for Jr.’s career development.
I don’t have to like Jeff Gordon or Hendrick as a person, but my guess is I will mellow over time, much like once JG broke the 76 barrier, what does it matter to me how many more he wins? I think the dislike had more to do with the Sr-Gordon rivalry of the mid-90s, even knowing the two were friends off the track.
Enter today, and the leak of information that Jr will announce tomorrow he is indeed moving to Hendrick, and the rampant speculation he will supplant Kyle Busch in the 5, much like he did earlier in the year at Texas, after Busch had wrecked Jr, and left the track thinking his car was done. Jr was asked to get in the car as a favor to a friend on the 5 crew, so he did. Speculation ensued that Jr might be going to Hendrick then, well before his May announcement he was leaving DEI.
(EDIT – I saw this ESPN article by Terry Blount Wednesday morning, with some thought similar to mine, but perhaps better said)
Busch penalty puts Truex in Chase top 12 June 8, 2007
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The heavy penalty against Kurt Busch (#2 Miller Lite Dodge) that NASCAR imposed on thursday, that of a 100 point hit in the standings, both driver and owner, moved Martin Truex, Jr., into the 12th and final spot for the chase, still 632 points behind the leader, and bumped Dale Earnhardt, Jr. into 14th in the standings, just 23 points behind Truex. The surprise in the mix is Mark Martin, who, despite missing three races, sits in 11th in Driver points and is still in chase contention.
Truex’s win on Monday was the first for the DEI #1 car since Steve Park at Rockingham in February 25, 2001 – a week after Dale Earnhardt was killed on the last lap at the Daytona 500. The only other time the DEI #1 car won was in August of 2000 at Watkins Glen, also Steve Park. DEI’s cup wins now stand at 17 for the #8 car (All Dale Earnhardt, Jr.), 4 for the #15 car (all Michael Waltrip, three at Daytona and one at Talledega), and now 3 for the #1 car, for a total of 24 team Cup wins, including three Daytona 500s. DEI has also won the All-star race in the #8, and the Bud Shootout as well in the #8, and a Nextel Open event with the #1 car this year.
Truex breaks through with 1st win at Dover June 5, 2007
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DEI driver of the Bass Pro Shops #1 Chevrolet, Martin Truex, Jr., scored a breakthrough win at the rain-delayed race at Dover today. Truex started 26th on the field, but went on to lead 216 laps en route to his first career NASCAR points win. (He won the Nextel Open two weeks ago at Charlotte, to transfer into the All-Star race, but that’s not a points race. He won’t have to race the open next year, as this win gets him directly in the All-Star race in 2008). Polesitter Ryan Newman led 135 laps, but finished 2nd, some 6+ seconds behind Truex.
Truex’s win broke Hendrick’s five-race winning streak, and was the first non-Hendrick car to win a Car of Tomorrow race. (Kyle Busch and two each for Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson) For 2007, there has been one ford win (Kenseth @ California), and of the 12 other races, all have been won by Chevrolet — Hendrick has won 9, split 4 for Jimmie Johnson, 3 for Jeff Gordon, and one each for Kyle Busch and Casey Mears; RCR winning two, Harvick at the Daytona 500 and Jeff Burton at Texas, (plus Harvick won the All-star race); and now Truex at Dover.
The sad news: NASCAR announced the death of William C. France (Bill France Jr) during the race, spoiling some of the celebration for Truex. France had overseen the modern era of NASCAR, taking over for his father in 1972. It is a sad day for NASCAR – as much as his father was responsible for getting things off the ground, it was Bill France Jr who saw racing into the national limelight and #2 sport.
Dale Jr, Truex in early holes March 1, 2007
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Last Sunday’s blown motors for DEI drivers Martin Truex Jr and Dale Earnhardt Jr leave them in a points hole, with finishes of 42 and 40, respectively, on top of 30s-level finishes due to a late crash at Daytona. Both had strong machines before their engines blew, so there was hope for DEI to break its recent struggles at California.
Next up is Las Vegas – which is a wild card this year. Since the race there last March, the track was completely dug-up, and rebuilt with much higher banking, new pit road and new facilities. There have been NASCAR sanctioned tests at the track but it will still be a crapshoot.
Dale Jr is 40th in the standings, already 225 points behind the leader, Mark Martin. He lost 10 spots at California. Truex is 38th, having lost 11 spots at California, 217 points back of the lead. If there is any consolation, the current 12th place driver (Last transfer spot for the Chase this year) is 103 back of the leader, so the two of them are 122 and 114 points behind 12th, respectively.
Truex’s gesture costs 25 driver/owner points & 10k September 14, 2005
Posted by relantel in Busch Series, DEI, NASCAR, Truex.add a comment
After a spectacular wreck at Richmond last Friday night, Busch series points leader Martin Truex, Jr. apparently flipped the bird to the driver who had wrecked him.
The wreck occured when truex had position on the outside of Mike Wallace in the 38 car coming off of turn two. Wallace did not see Truex, and had no communication from his spotter that he was there. Wallace’s car slammed full on into Truex’s driver side, forcing hs car up the wall, where it rode perpendicular to the track the lenghth of the straightaway before righting itself.
Truex lost 16 laps making repairs, before returning to the track, and in the process, gained 4-5 positions (or 12-15 points) for finishing the race. Once back on the track, the aforementioned incident apparently occured under caution, but was not caught on TV. The car itself had been a top-5 car, having been black-flagged by NASCAR under green for one hood pin that had been sheered off by the 17 car of Matt Kenseth. He lost a lap under green heeding the black flag, and was racing Wallace for position.
Truex had led 2nd place driver Clint Bowyer by 94 after Richmond; now it is only 69 with 7 races to go in the 2005 season. Truex is the defending Busch Series points champion, and has dominated Busch series competition in 2005, with most wins (6), most top 5s (14) and top 10s (18).
The penalty was 25 driver points from Truex, 25 owner points from owner Teresa Earnhardt (DEI/Chance2), a $10,000 fine, and probation for the rest of 2005. It is a very similar penatly that was given to Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the cup series after his win at Talledega last fall, where he used a four letter word in regard to how little his accomplishment (5th win at that track) compared to his father (10 wins at that track) on the live TV interview in Victory Lane. In that case, Jr. was the points leader after the race, but the subsequent penalty bumped him to 2nd in the points, a position he would not recover.
Truex’s gesture costs 25 driver/owner points & 10k September 14, 2005
Posted by relantel in Busch Series, DEI, NASCAR, Sports, Truex.add a comment
After a spectacular wreck at Richmond last Friday night, Busch series points leader Martin Truex, Jr. apparently flipped the bird to the driver who had wrecked him.
The wreck occured when truex had position on the outside of Mike Wallace in the 38 car coming off of turn two. Wallace did not see Truex, and had no communication from his spotter that he was there. Wallace’s car slammed full on into Truex’s driver side, forcing hs car up the wall, where it rode perpendicular to the track the lenghth of the straightaway before righting itself.
Truex lost 16 laps making repairs, before returning to the track, and in the process, gained 4-5 positions (or 12-15 points) for finishing the race. Once back on the track, the aforementioned incident apparently occured under caution, but was not caught on TV. The car itself had been a top-5 car, having been black-flagged by NASCAR under green for one hood pin that had been sheered off by the 17 car of Matt Kenseth. He lost a lap under green heeding the black flag, and was racing Wallace for position.
Truex had led 2nd place driver Clint Bowyer by 94 after Richmond; now it is only 69 with 7 races to go in the 2005 season. Truex is the defending Busch Series points champion, and has dominated Busch series competition in 2005, with most wins (6), most top 5s (14) and top 10s (18).
The penalty was 25 driver points from Truex, 25 owner points from owner Teresa Earnhardt (DEI/Chance2), a $10,000 fine, and probation for the rest of 2005. It is a very similar penatly that was given to Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the cup series after his win at Talledega last fall, where he used a four letter word in regard to how little his accomplishment (5th win at that track) compared to his father (10 wins at that track) on the live TV interview in Victory Lane. In that case, Jr. was the points leader after the race, but the subsequent penalty bumped him to 2nd in the points, a position he would not recover.
