DALE EARNHARDT JR. – THE TALLADEGA TORNADO

No one whips a car around Talladega faster than Dale Earnhardt Jr.

October 23, 2015 – That’s good news, considering the precarious position in which he now finds himself. He heads junior 200to the 2.66-mile behemoth in a win-or-go-home conundrum as he sits 11th on the Chase Grid – a near-impossible-to-erase 31 points below the cutoff line.

Earnhardt ranks tied with Jeff Gordon for the active wins lead at the Alabama track with six checkered flags, and has won two of the three previous restrictor-plate races this season, including the May competition at Talladega. A visit to Victory Lane on Sunday would make him the first driver to win three restrictor-plate races since his father Dale Earnhardt accomplished the feat in 1990.

At Talladega, the No. 88 Chevrolet driver owns the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ best driver rating (92.8) and second-best average running position (13.956).

“I wouldn’t rather be going anywhere else than Talladega for the next race if we need a win, Earnhardt said. “That is a good opportunity for us. Even over Daytona, I think we can go to Talladega and do the job. There is a little more room there to be aggressive and make the moves you need to make. I got the car. That car won the 125 (Budweiser Duel), ran third in the (Daytona) 500 and won Talladega and won Daytona. That is a good enough car. I wouldn’t want to be going anywhere else if it’s a win and you are in kind of deal.”

 

 

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