Dale Jr.’s Pit Crew Takes Over Points Lead After Talladega Win

Oct. 6, 2004 - Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s pit crew not only captured Sunday’s McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade at Talladega Superspeedway, but the No. 8 crew also took over the competition’s points lead which will pay the season champion a $200,000 bonus.

It was the third time this season that Earnhardt’s crew won the $20,000 weekly prize – the other wins were at Rockingham and Richmond in May.

The No. 8 crew, which played a vital role in Earnhardt’s victory in the restrictor-plate race, overcame a 19-point deficit to Elliott Sadler’s crew going into Talladega. Earnhardt’s crew earned 43 points for the win while Sadler’s crew picked up 22 points for finishing 22nd.

With seven Nextel Cup races remaining, the McDonald’s/POWERade points race is shaping up to be a tightly-contested battle. The top-five crews are: Earnhardt Jr. (1031 points), Sadler (1029), Kurt Busch (1020), Kevin Harvick (1013) and Tony Stewart (997).

Earnhardt’s Budweiser Chevrolet spent the least amount of time on Talladega’s pit road – 203.341 seconds. Busch’s Sharpie Ford was second at 211.299. Joe Nemechek’s No. 01 U.S. Army Chevy came in third with a time of 213.680.

“Great pit stops all day,” said Earnhardt. “I believe every time we made a pit stop, we picked up positions. Tony Jr. made a great call there when we were coming in for a quick gas-and-go with about 12 or 11 to go. The caution came out just as we had entered pit road, so he was yelling ‘Put on two tires! Put on two tires!’ That was a split-second decision, and I think it was the difference in us winning and losing. Those two right-side tires made the car turn so much better, and I had 'em and nobody else did."

Tony Eury Sr., crew chief for the No. 8 team, said, "We've finally got our pit crew going the way we need it to. We made a few changes not too long ago, because we felt like if we're going to make a serious run at this championship, we need to get our act together in the pits. Our pit stops have been really good last month, and it just so happens we've won two races and added a few more top-fives to go with them. Dale Jr. has done a great job driving the car, and the guys in the pits have done a great job getting him in and out."

The No. 8 over-the-wall crew consists of: Jeff Clarke (gasman), Kevin Pennell (jackman), Phil Drye (front tire changer), Danny Earnhardt (front tire carrier), Greg Burkhart (rear tire changer), Troy Prince (rear tire carrier), Craig Lund (catch can). Tony Eury Sr. is the crew chief and the car chief is Tony Eury Jr. The pit crew coach is Walt Smith.

Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (Oct. 3) EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway

	Time	Car #	Points
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team	203.341 seconds	8	43
2. Kurt Busch Team	211.299 “	97	42
3. Joe Nemechek Team	213.680 “	01	41
4. Robby Gordon Team	214.165 “	31	40
5. Jeff Burton Team	220.755 “	30	39
6. Kevin Harvick Team	228.252 “	29	38
7. Ward Burton Team	228.944 “	0	37
8. Michael Waltrip Team	246.150 “	15	36
9. Ken Schrader Team	293.331 “	49	35
10. Tony Stewart Team	328.965 “	20	34
(22. Elliott Sadler Team	616.380 “	38	22)

2004 Winners of The McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade:
Daytona (2/15) Tony Stewart Team
Rockingham (2/22) Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team
Las Vegas (3/7) Kurt Busch Team
Atlanta (3/14) Robby Gordon Team
Darlington (3/21) Greg Biffle Team
Bristol (3/28) Sterling Marlin Team
Texas (4/4) Michael Waltrip Team
Martinsville (4/18) Kurt Busch Team
Talladega (4/25) Robby Gordon Team
California (5/2) Robby Gordon Team
Richmond (5/15) Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team
Charlotte (May 30) Jamie McMurray Team
Dover (6/6) Tony Stewart Team
Pocono (6/13) Casey Mears Team
Michigan (6/20) Elliott Sadler Team
Sonoma (6/27) Elliott Sadler Team
Daytona (7/3) Michael Waltrip Team
Chicago (7/11) Elliott Sadler Team
N. Hampshire (7/25) Kurt Busch Team
Pocono (8/1) Greg Biffle Team
Indianapolis (8/8) Elliott Sadler Team
Watkins Glen (8/15) Tony Stewart Team
Michigan (8/22) Greg Biffle Team
Bristol (8/28) Robby Gordon Team
California (9/5) Elliott Sadler Team
Richmond (9/11) Michael Waltrip Team
N. Hampshire (9/19) Sterling Marlin Team
Dover (9/26) Kurt Busch Team
Talladega (10/3) Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team

Point Standings for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Teams Competing In The McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERADE:
Following Talladega (10/3); pit crew wins in parentheses

Pos.	Car #	Pit Crew of	Points	Prize Money
1	8	Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team (3)	1031	60,000
2	38	Elliott Sadler Team (5)	1029	100,000
3	97	Kurt Busch Team (4)	1020	80,000
4	29	Kevin Harvick Team	1013
5	20	Tony Stewart Team (3)	997	60,000
6	15	Michael Waltrip Team (3)	975	60,000
T-7	42	Jamie McMurray Team (1)	953	20,000
T-7	30	Jeff Burton Team	953
9	31	Robby Gordon Team (4)	943	80,000
10	88	Dale Jarrett Team	938
11	01	Joe Nemechek Team	934
12	18	Bobby Labonte Team	929
13	40	Sterling Marlin Team (2)	920	40,000
T-14	41	Casey Mears Team (1)	902	20,000
T-14	99	Carl Edwards Team	902
16	21	Ricky Rudd Team	885
17	16	Greg Biffle Team (3)	880	60,000
18	49	Ken Schrader Team	851
19	43	Jeff Green Team	827
20	0	Ward Burton Team	797
21	45	Kyle Petty Team	792
22	50	Arnold Motorsports	657
23	09	James Finch Team (owner)	500
24	198	William Edwards (owner)	433
25	89	Morgan Shepherd Team	328
26	02	Hermie Sadler Team	326
27	1	DEI Team	197
28	72	Kirk Shelmerdine Team	175
29	280	Andy Hillenburg Team	168
30	251	Kevin Lepage Team	105
31	91	Bill Elliott Team	88
32	194	Stanton Barrett Team	80
T-33	100	Kenny Wallace Team	77
T-33	133	Kerry Earnhardt Team	77
35	36	Boris Said Team	73
36	14	Larry Foyt Team	72

How it Works
During each 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points event, the participating team whose car spends the least amount of aggregate time off the race track will be named the weekly winner of the McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERADE, provided the team’s driver takes the green flag at the beginning of the event. A timing line at the entrance and exit of pit road triggers the car’s transponder and records the total time spent off the race track.

The point distribution per race is: 43 for first place, descending in increments of one.