Jr. fights hard for fifth-place finish at Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s fifth-place finish in the Food City 500 didn’t come easy.

Earnhardt Jr. started 15th in Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway, but the handling on the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was off early in the race.

But Earnhardt and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. worked to make the car better, making changes on several pit stops. In the final 100 laps, the car got better, and Earnhardt Jr. methodically moved toward the front.

And though he didn’t win, Earnhardt Jr. was the top Hendrick driver for the fourth time in five races of 2008.

"Well, we need to start the race a little bit better than we did,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “We worked really hard today. I am pretty proud of my team.”

Earnhardt Jr. said his car was “pretty good” in Saturday’s practices, and after working his way to the top 10 on Sunday, he ended the weekend wanting more.

“To start where we did, work as hard as we did, to not get tires there at the end to try and win the race, I am a little disappointed,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I have to give it to Tony Jr. and the guys for working so hard and dialing this car in. I give those guys a lot of credit, they built me a good race car and I am real proud to drive it.”

By SceneDaily Staff Monday, March 17, 2008