Budweiser Race Preview
GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway

Quotes from: DALE EARNHARDT JR. / Driver, #8 Budweiser Chevrolet:

On this weekend’s race at Michigan:
“We have high hopes after finishing third there in June. We’re taking the same car back. It was crashed up a bit at Pocono, but Tony (Eury) Jr. tore the body off it, rebuilt it, and hopefully it’ll be just as fast – or faster – than what we had in June. Michigan is a big, wide track where there’s not a lot of transition into the corner going into the banking. Sooner or later we’re gonna get a win there. We really hit on something in that last Michigan race. I’m also running in the Busch race this weekend for DEI, which will be fun. It never hurts to have additional track time. Hopefully we can put together two strong runs this weekend.”

On being 10th in points:
"We’ve got to take advantage of it. We’re 54 points in front of 11th, which isn’t much, especially since (Kasey) Kahne is right behind us and he is awesome at some of these tracks coming up. It’s going to be one of the toughest on-track challenges we’ve had since being in the Cup Series. But this is also what makes it fun. This is why the fans watch our sport on Sundays and talk about it the rest of the week. I’m grateful to be a part of it.”

The No. 8 Bud Team at Michigan:
Previous Starts: 14
Best Start: 1st (Aug. 18, 2002)
Best Finish: 3rd (June 18, 2006)
This Race, Last Year: ST: 16th / FN: 18th / LED: 1 lap
Last Time at Michigan: ST: 6th / FN: 3rd / LED: 3 laps
This Week’s Bud Car: #39 (finished third at Michigan in June)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the #8 Budweiser team enter the Michigan race weekend 10th in the Nextel Cup point standings after an 18th-place finish at Watkins Glen on Sunday. With four races to go before the Chase begins, Dale Jr. is 30 points behind ninth-place Jeff Gordon and 54 points in front of 11th-place Kasey Kahne. In 22 races, Dale Jr. has one win (Richmond), six top-fives, nine top-10s and 15 top-15 finishes.

Michigan Weekend Notebook: