Budweiser Race Preview
Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway

Quotes from: DALE EARNHARDT JR. / Driver, #8 Budweiser Chevrolet:
“It’d be nice to get a little redemption at New Hampshire this week. We always run pretty good there, but never have enough to get a win. Last time we were there we were pretty decent, definitely a top-10 car, but the motor blew up. I feel like if we can get everything working together, we can end up in Victory Lane. We’re taking the same car we just ran at Richmond. Tony (Eury) Jr. is cutting it up today (Monday), giving it a new right-rear quarterpanel, left-front fender and bumper cover. We found out the problem with the brakes right after the race Saturday night, and we’re confident we’ll do well with this car this weekend.”

Has it sunk in that the pressure of making the Chase is finally over?
“Yeah, now we can replace it with the pressure of winning a championship (laughing). I want to win a championship bad, and being in the Chase is the first big step in doing that. I’m honored to be in the Chase. I’m happy for my team, because they gave me such great effort all year. They deserve this. My fans deserve it. My sponsors deserve it. Everyone who stuck with us through last year deserves being a part of this Chase for the Championship, so I hope they soak it up, because I know I am.”

The No. 8 Bud Team at New Hamsphire:
Previous Starts: 14
Best Start: 3rd (three times, most recently Sept. 18, 2005)
Best Finish: 3rd (Sept. 19, 2004)
This Race, Last Year: ST: 3rd / FN: 5th / LED: 8 laps
Last Time at Loudon: ST: 25th / FN: 43rd
This Week’s Bud Car: #10 (raced last week at Richmond)

During the 2004 Chase, Dale Jr. left Loudon tied for the point lead with Kurt Busch after a third-place finish. This event last year also marked the reuniting of Dale Jr. with his current crew chief Tony Eury Jr., producing a fifth-place finish.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the #8 Budweiser team enter the New Hampshire race weekend sixth in the Nextel Cup point standings and in the 2006 Chase for the Championship. Junior finished the “regular season” with one win (Richmond), eight top-fives, 12 top-10s and 18 top-15 finishes. He has led in 12 races for 209 laps this year, and has finished sixth or better in four of the last six races.

Budweiser No. 8 Team CHASE for the Championship SYNOPSIS:
Out of 10 tracks, Dale Jr. and the Bud team have won races at six of the venues (a combined total of 11 victories). In the first-ever Chase in 2004, the team won two of the 10 Chase races: Talladega and Phoenix

LOUDON / New Hampshire Intl. Speedway
History: 3 top-five finishes / 6 top-10 finishes / led 5 races
Most Recent: Engine failure while running in the top-five / finished 43rd

DOVER / Dover Downs Raceway
History: Won Sept. 2001 / 3 top-fives / 6 top-10s / led 7 races
Most Recent: 10th place / no laps led

KANSAS / Kansas Speedway
History: Bud Pole: 2002 / 2 top-10s in five races / led 3 races
Most Recent: (2005) 34th place / crash on lap 15 with lapped car

CHARLOTTE / Lowe’s Motor Speedway
History: Won the All-Star race, 2000 / three top-5s / Six top-10s / six races led
Most Recent: finished 11th / made up lap after two pit-lane penalties

TALLADEGA / Talladega Superspeedway
History: Track-record four victories in a row / five victories total / 7 top-two finishes / 8 top-10s / 11 races led
Most Recent: 31st place / spun, then blown engine / led 8 laps

MARTINSVILLE / Martinsville Speedway
History: 6 top-fives / 4 races led
Most Recent: Finished fourth / made 15 pit stops after two multi-car crashes

ATLANTA / Atlanta Motor Speedway
History: Won March, 2004 / Eight top-10s / has finished 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 / led 9 races
Most Recent: Finished third, regained a lap after flat tire

TEXAS / Texas Motor Speedway
History: First career victory, 2000 / six top-10s in 8 career starts / Led 5 races / Bud Pole-2001
Most Recent: 12th place / no laps led

PHOENIX / Phoenix International Raceway
History: Two consecutive victories: 2003/2004 / five top-five finishes/ 3 races led
Most Recent: finished 23rd/ running top-three until two multi-car crashes

HOMESTEAD / Homestead-Miami Speedway
History: No top-10s / led 46 laps in 2002
Most Recent: (2005) finished 19th / -1 lap after flat tire then separate pit lane penalty

SIZING UP NEW HAMPSHIRE / Weekend Notebook